Two Brothers Under the Sun
Chapter – XX
First Drop
Middle lands, northern Bukuvu
The rains finally came.
Dark clouds loomed above the now lemony-colored forests at the rumbling sound of thunder. A giant shadow engulfed the Bukuvu as it obscured The Great Bright Circle from view and it didn't take long for the first droplets to fall from the sky, then came the drizzle, and finally the downpour. All over the jungle, animals raised their voices to the rainstorm, basking under a long-awaited cool shower. The elephants, per custom, made sure to show the most appreciation, lifting their trunks towards the sky so their trumpets could join in the symphony of wind and rain. From the high hills, the water came together in torrents that turned the shallow streams into raging rivers.
The next day, shafts of sunlight streamed between the cloudy cover to the ground below. Lifting the fog of morning to brighten the luscious and reborn green forests of the Bukuvu. Once more, the jungle had provided for its inhabitants and its visitors through many dry, cloudless days and they all had taken their share from it. Now came the time to give room so she could regrow.
Which also means it's time for some friends to say goodbye.
"I wish we didn't have to go." Tantor declared on the verge of whimpering
Tarzan, equally downcasted, shook his head to his pachyderm friend. "No, you have to stay with your Family."
Sulking, Tantor looked at each of his teammates one last time. "I'm sure gonna miss you guys."
Terk, who tried as she might to keep it cool, came forth with something behind her back. "Here is something for you to remember us by." She showed her reminder to the little calf: one dried and hard-peeled melon. "Our last Kasaba Ball."
"Oh, if it wasn't for you, I would have never got to play." Grabbing the fruit with his trunk, Tantor examined it with sad eyes before he addressed Terk and the cubs. "Thanks, I will keep it forever... well, at least until it starts to smell."
"Those were the good times, huh?" Simba offered a melancholic smile of his own.
"Yeah," Tantor nodded, his tone just as sad as the lion cub's, if not more. "Well, I better get going."
Right before he turned to join his father, Tarzan attempted to raise his spirits. "It will be an adventure, Tantor. It will be good for you, and your Family." Despite his words, the man-cub couldn't stop his eyes from gazing down to the ground. "Even if it is not much fun for us."
Tantor's lip quivered and tears started gathering in his eyes. "Oh, come here you all!"
Showing the strength his kind was famous for, the calf wrapped his trunk around the trio and brought them in for a group hug without much difficulty. Tarzan hugged him back, Simba took one moment longer, and Terk sputtered and choked in surprise before she too melted into the embrace.
Watching the farewell between the four friends a few feet behind them, standing right in front of a large crowd of animals that had gathered to see the elephants off, was a mismatched group made up of a panther, a bear, a grown she-ape, a meerkat, and a warthog.
"I hate goodbyes," Pumbaa stated, looking as sad as the younglings, if not more so. Timon rubbed the pig's head emphatically. After they were done, the little ones joined the adults and they all watched the elephants marching straight ahead for the Pride Lands.
"I know this may seem unfair but it has to be this way." Bagheera attempted to console the kids. "Herds animals have to migrate when there is not enough food, that's the Way of the Herds."
"Bagghera's right," Kala said, her eyes shifting between the parting pachyderms and her naked son. "Roots and berries are fine for some time but, while the jungle is recovering, there won't be enough food for all the herds." She offered a smile of reassurance to Tarzan, Simba, and Terk. "Don't worry, you all. The next Dry Season will come along before you know it, the Colonel will return, and you will meet Tantor again."
One at a time, the kids nodded, they knew that was only temporary. Still, accepting that their germophobic friend had to go was one of the hardest things they had ever done, mostly for Terk and Tarzan.
Baloo went to put an arm around the man-cub's shoulder. "Come on, Little Britches." He spurred and gestured to the departing calf. "Give him one last blast."
A smile found its way back to Tarzan's face and he turned to face the herd.
'PAWOO'
Tantor stopped in his tracks at the sound, smiled as he faced his hairless friend's direction, put his melon on the ground, stood on his hind feet, and trumpeted back to him.
'PAWOO'
Tarzan responded in kind, causing Simba and Terk to cover their ears.
'PAWOO'
The two kept going at it until the herd disappeared on the horizon, at the same time the sun set downriver and the tick birds swooped behind the herd to feed on the insects stirred up by the elephants' tread.
In the mid-afternoon of the first day following the elephants' departure, Bagheera had the boys accompany him to a distant part of his hunting grounds. The jungle had thinned out in the Dry Season, for which Simba was grateful. Sometimes the denseness of the jungle's trees and vegetation suffocated him. There were days when he could barely see the sun or even the sky. But where they now walked there were splatters of sunlight; and, at intervals, patches of deep blue sky could be glimpsed.
"Boys, I hope you understand now we don't have much time." Bagheera started. The others had suggested that he gave them some time off since Tantor had left but, before anything happened, there was a matter of great importance that he needed to take care of. "You must be ready if you are to stand a chance against the dholes."
"We are not afraid of them." Tarzan insisted.
"That's not a good thing." The panther quickly dissuaded such thoughts. "Fear is what keeps us from doing something dangerous for nothing, there is no shame in being afraid." Seeing they had lowered their heads at his rebuke, he regarded both of his students in full seriousness. "Courage is good but you gotta choose your battles wisely." He sent one last look to his oldest pupil. "Now, Tarzan, I want you to pay attention when we get there, this will be your most important lesson as of yet."
That rose the attention of the two curious boys. As soon as the naked ape gave him a nod, Bagheera gestured for them to press on.
As the youngling duo silently pondered what their mentor had in mind for today's lesson, the group emerged out of the forest onto a narrow, grassy plain and moved through a stand of evergreen trees, then up a gently graded hill. When Bagheera reached the crest, he signaled his disciples behind him to come forward and halt. Tarzan pushed closer to Bagheera's side. Simba joined him and they gaped at the scene below. Two yellow antelopes were on their knees, snorting, horns locked in a savage battle. The rest of the herd seemed disinterested in the fight. Some were grazing, others just standing, and the remaining ones were lying down. The bucks broke apart and, rising, pawed the ground, their short tails lashing the air. Then they locked horns again, pushing and twisting. Suddenly, the larger one wrenched loose and, shaking his head violently, galloped away to an area where trees sprinkled across the wide-open grassland.
"This herd follows its own law, which is not too different from the crocodiles'." The big cat said. "The defeated one is cast out of the group and will never return to it."
"That's cruel." Tarzan declared and Simba agreed.
"It is their law," replied Bagheera, then he looked down at the hairless cub, his face more serious than ever. "Here's your task: the three of us are gonna hunt that buck and I want you to take him down."
Tarzan now looked on in shock. "Me?!"
"Yes," the panther affirmed. "It's time that you learn what a real fight is like."
"But he is so big..." Tarzan said, his voice coming back. While small compared to its cousins, the buck was still one full head taller than the manling.
"Size is not all," Bagheera said. "Ever wondered why the Colonel never managed to drive out the Khan? The tiger is proof of that. Just because you ain't as big as him, at least for now on your case, that doesn't mean you can't win against him." He started moving in the direction of the lonely reedbuck. "Follow me."
The man-cub had his reservations but did so, moving right behind his lion friend. At their teacher's command, the two younglings took to the trees while the seasoned hunter stalked the prey from the ground. Bagheera eventually came to a stop when he saw that the buck had made a pause on a rock ledge overlooking a small formerly dried waterfall, then he exchanged some unspoken signs with his apprentices telling them to surround the antelope. At the cliffside, the stag came to a full stop and looked around, having felt the trio's presence. Knowing that no Safe Words would be of use to him now, he turned in their direction and waved his horns in a threat display, daring any of them to step out. Tarzan gazed over to Bagheera only to feel a weird pang suddenly come over him.
The expression on his teacher's face said it all: go on.
A devoted student through and through, the man-cub obeyed.
A rustle in the branches announced the boy's location to the reedbuck, who shifted his attention the same moment Tarzan dropped to the floor, fang in hand.
He came to stand right in front of the buck. Both combatants seized each other up, the buck lowered his horns as the man-cub tightened his grip around his sharpened stick.
The antelope rushed forward, giving almost no room for Tarzan to jump out of his way. Having had his fair share of tumbles during his training to run in the jungle canopy, the boy rolled and rose to his feet unscathed. As the buck went for a sharp turn, Tarzan hurled his fang at him. But the buck was faster, he tossed away the projectile with a swing of his battle crowd. Now unarmed, the man-cub made a dash to retrieve his weapon, leaving himself accidentally exposed. The stag's blow knocked the fang out of the boy's hand with good force and pushed him back to the ground. The man-cub gritted his teeth, scrambled on the grassy ground to avoid being stomped by the buck's legs, and reached for his weapon, then he rose ready to fight, his eyes wide and intense. He had long practiced with his fang to get strong, he wasn't eager for a defeat.
This time, the naked ape ran to meet his charging foe head-on. He remembered the panther's fighting class: as devastating as the spacing attack from a battle crowd could be, the man-cub would get the perfect chance to land a blow if his opponent missed the swing. "Neither the buffalo nor the gazelle can swing their horns when a croc catches them by the neck", Bagheera's words of wisdom guided him as he readied his attack.
They collided... and the man-cub was struck.
This time, the boy stood out of breath, his body gleaming with sweat. Blood dripped from his scratches and he heard Simba's snarl coming from the surrounding trees. Yet, the man-cub's face was a hard scowl. Even with his body shaking, he is defiant. Tarzan grasped his fang, lightly moving the sharpened stick back and forth from hand to hand. He heard the flaring of the bull's nostrils and what little hair he had in his arms turned stiff. He wasn't far from becoming the prey. He watched as his opponent came to a halt, preparing to spring. The boy immediately leaped over a rock, and the antelope goes after him, braying as it charges. Looking over his shoulder while the buck's battle crown bared down towards him, allowing him to see the red of its bloodshot eyes, the boy instinctively trusted his fang upwards, plating its blunt end on the hard soil.
The beast's body stopped cold in the air. The buck's horns no more than a few inches away from the man-cub's face.
Tarzan exhaled slowly. Then... he felt a warm splash hit his face. He wiped his other hand over the area and looked down to see his fingers covered in red liquid.
Blood.
'THUD'
When he looked to the side, he saw the unmoving body of his opponent on the ground, a visibly deep wound on his torso where his fang had stabbed... and where blood was leaking too. Gradually, a look of horror appeared on his face as he realized what he had just done and his hand began to shake. His eyes were unable to look away from the dead antelope while the man-cub fought the urge to throw up.
"I-I k-killed him." The boy could do nothing but stutter. "I-I didn't m-mean to, it just happened." His body had reacted on its own.
Bagheera approached him. "Not yet, look,"
Tarzan hesitated before he did so. Indeed, the buck was still alive, even as his breathing was erratic and his pained cries were noticeably failing.
Yet, that didn't make the boy feel any better.
"Finish him."
His eyes snapped back to the panther.
Bagheera breathed out before speaking. "He is as good as done now, there is nothing else we can do. We must end its anguish." He closed his eyes in silence, giving a moment to both himself and his apprentice. He of all people would never dare to undersell a situation like this. "That's how it has to be, it's for his own good. All the creatures of the jungle must either hunt or be hunted, that was the goal of today's lesson." He stared at what was to be his student's first kill. "It's best that you understand that now than when you have to face the dholes." or worse, Shere Khan.
"Tarzan, what's wrong?" Simba asked, noticing that the boy was trembling in place like leaves on the light wind.
Tarzan didn't even pay attention. In the next few moments, he covered his mouth, sprinted to the bushes, puked out every last bit of his last meal behind them, struggled for several seconds to regain his breath after he had spit out the remaining bits of his vomit, and disappeared into the forests.
"Tarzan!" Simba was ready to go after him but Bagheera cut him off.
"Simba, hold on." The adult cat said. "Leave him be, he has a lot to think about." He turned to face the direction his first pupil had gone.
He did not expect the boy to understand it from the outset. He was reared by bug-eaters and had never shed the blood of a fellow denizen. Not to mention the first kill was always the hardest to take. But still, it was better that it happened here because he would not hesitate to do it again later on. Most importantly, if the panther could trust his sixth sense, it was best for him to get used to it before the battle that was to come soon.
###
Bukuvian foothills, Troop territory, northeast Bukuvu
"I just don't understand, Mom," Worn out and tired, the man-cub shared his thoughts with his mother, the only person he felt he could speak to at that moment. "Bagheera told me to finish that buck but I could not." Hugging his knees as he sat down on the high branch, a despondent Tarzan stared down at the ground. "I never disobeyed him like that before. It wasn't like I was scared either, it was something else."
"Then why did you?" Kala asked from the hillcrest behind.
Slowly, Tarzan raised his head, eyes fixating on the sun of late afternoon. "It just didn't feel right," He stated. "Bagheera said that he and Simba have to hunt to survive. But when I had him down to the ground, with that cut on his chest..." A lone tear sneaked from his right eye, the image of the dying buck still fresh in his mind. "I don't know, I had this strange feeling that he was just the same as us, even though I didn't even know him. Sure we were fighting but... if it had been another ape or any other creature in the jungle... this would be wrong."
Unbeknownst to the naked son, his mother was now smiling proudly because of him.
"Um... I think I know what happened."
Once he had glanced over his shoulder at her, Kala elaborated:
"Don't worry, Tarzan. You have done nothing wrong."
"But I failed the lesson." He argued.
She merely gestured for him to join her on the floor. "Come here, I will try to explain." As soon as he had sat next to her, the she-ape spoke on. "You know that all have their own role to play in the Great Circle of Life, right?"
The little one gave a nodding grunt.
"Now, while it's true some animals do stand higher than others, all here are children of the jungle, and we are all connected through the Great Circle. One way or another, we need each other to survive." She rested a hand over his shoulder and smiled. "I for one think it's only natural that we care for each other as well. So you see, you did nothing wrong."
Tarzan gazed upward to meet his mother's gaze. A twinkle overtakes his eyes.
Kala continued, her tone solemn yet serious: "You will have to do this again someday. But don't you forget: whether you go hunting or you are the one being hunted, remember that the weak and the strong must start as equals, then run, and let the best beast win. And don't ever take a life for granted."
For his nod, Tarzan got a head pat from his mother.
Suddenly, the man-cub was smiling again.
"Besides, the Carnivores have their own law."
The smile turned into a grin. "Then I am glad that's not our law."
Kala chuckled as she spoke: "So am I, my son. So am I."
###
Hippo Springs, Pod territory, mid-north Bukuvu
At the crack of dawn, the jungle woke up with a feeling of danger,
The sounds of the Bukuvu are best in the early morning when the calls and cries of the birds blend into a bush symphony. Anyone not used to the sounds or ways of the jungle creatures would imagine it was impossible for them to concentrate on anything else. But the inhabitants of the forest are ever watchful and alert, their senses warning them of the approach of friend or foe.
The flight of the birds in the western reaches sent a signal: something was coming. The nearby denizens listened and scattered, knowing that trouble was on its way and they would be caught in the middle if they didn't leave at once. Panic isn't uncommon upon the creatures of the jungle but, this fateful morning, many of the herds were seized with terror. Bagheera woke up instantly on alert, not many could cause such a ruckus through the jungle and he had a pretty good idea of who was responsible... which, in turn, meant one thing... they were about to be invaded.
"Berdan is on the move?"
The other beasts of the jungle were not staying idle either. Basi's surprise was shared by the other hippos around the lagoon.
"Yes, sir." reiterated the tick bird. "They are assembling around the Mouth of the Dirisha."
The hippo leader frowned. "Could they be on the lookout for the last herds?"
"That's what Mzingo said but there are too many of them," The chief scout voiced his concerns. "They might try to cross the river now that the Colonel has left."
"Berdan is audacious, he might actually do it just to pester us." One of the pod's males pointed out.
"You can say the same thing about Makuu. I don't see him backing down from his first challenge as Float Leader." That was to say, this could easily spiral out of control. The beach master addressed his underlings. "I will lead a squad to check on the situation at the delta. Hopefully, we can stop this before it gets out of hand. The rest of you will head for Zulu Falls."
###
Cliffside Dwelling, Hakuna Matata Falls
"Baggy?" Baloo stretched his sleepy arms, the boys had just woken him saying that the panther was there and he wanted to speak to him. He silently hoped it was because Kala had missed Tarzan and wanted him to come back home sooner. "What's the matter?"
Unfortunately for the ursine: "News from the West Bank, there is trouble coming."
"What was that? Did you say trouble?" Timon's voice called up from the other side of the den and, sure enough, the meerkat came to join them with the warthog at his side, as always. Timon stopped in front of the group, an apprehensive look on his face. "Please, tell me I misheard it."
"I am afraid I can't," Bagheera replied, much to the group's collective dismay. "I heard from the flocks the dholes are on the Warpath."
"They are here?!" Pumbaa exclaimed in worry as he looked at the others. "What do we do, fight?"
"Exactly," Bagheera declared immediately. "If I am correct, the dogs will be moving straight for us."
"Well, what about Basi?" Questioned the bear. "Doesn't he know about this?"
"He's busy at the delta," Bagheera said and his eyes hardened. "We will have to rally up a defense. And we're gonna need extra help to hold them off."
"Got that covered, Baggy." Baloo asserted, mirroring the feline's expression. "Gonna call in a few favors."
"Good, let's hurry up." The panther prepared to leave. "They will be here any moment."
Before anything else, Timon stepped forth, hands raised up. "You know, I think it's better we sit this one out." His voice came up as nervous thanks to its stutter. "Pumbaa and I can hold the fort here until you guys come back."
"No, Timon," Bagheera told the pair. "I am gonna need you with us."
The meerkat gulped. "I hoped you wouldn't say that."
"How can we help?" Pumbaa asked.
"I will tell you on the way," The black leopard fully turned to face the exit. "Come now."
Despite the meerkat's concerns, he and Pumbaa didn't hesitate to follow Bagheera and Baloo when they made ready to go outside. They had a mission: defend their home.
"We wanna fight too."
They all stopped. Bagheera was the first to turn his focus to the boys, Tarzan had a determined look on his face while Simba stood beside him. Then their teacher shook his head.
"You're both too young for this." He simply said.
"But we can help, we can take on those red dogs." Tarzan insisted.
"This won't be like our sessions." Bagheera pointed. "Those dogs are vicious and they will kill you if they get the chance."
"But we can't just let you guys face them on your own," Simba argued as well. "Besides, this is our home too."
Bagheera's expression softened, but the answer was the same. "We will be fine, you two should go back to the Wakalu where it's safe." Realizing where this need to prove himself on the battlefield was coming from, he gave out a sigh toward the man-cub. "It wasn't fair of me to ask so much from you back at the plains. Even if I had trained you as a hunter, you would always feel compassion for the weaker. But there is no time for doubts now." His mind made up, the panther felt it was time to end the conversation and get going. "You will have other chances."
But the naked ape then clenched his jaw and frowned deeply.
"I will kill them."
He said, quite gravely, halting the panther, and recapturing everyone's focus.
"What?"
"The red dogs, I will kill them." He stated clearly for all to hear. "I wasn't ready before, but now I am. Come on, let's do it."
"Tarzan..." Bagheera started.
"I never had to kill somebody before okay?!" Tarzan loudly interrupted, his frustrations boiling. "It scared me, but it wasn't too much, I can take it now. I am strong."
"I know you are-"
"No, you don't!" He snapped, his voice turning desperate. "I know you think I can't do this. So let's go down there and let me prove you wrong! Please!"
"Oh, Tarzan," Baloo said in an understanding tone.
The boy paused to catch his breath and lowered his head. "I am strong enough. I can do this! It's all I ever wanted." He looked up to his mentor. "I wanna do what you do, and Baloo, and the rest of the Troop. I don't want to keep running away, I want to help."
Bagheera was quiet, still hesitant. Unsure about letting the boys come along. They had grown strong, both of them. The man-cub in particular had trained hard with his 'fang' in order to get stronger. One-on-one, they could definitely beat off some dholes but when they swarm on a giant pack... That as it may, the panther knew all help and ingenuity would be needed to deal with this invasion. Perhaps, one more time, his naked apprentice would surprise him. Of course, he still needed to prepare a battle strategy, to begin with. After a moment of silence, almost complete if it wasn't for a bee buzzing right outside, Bagheera finally broke the quietness in the cave: "I've made my decision."
A/N: More than a month of waiting and give you guys the smallest chapter in terms of words. Ouch. Yeah, somehow, it happened again: What was to be one chapter turned into two. The good news: I should be able to update the next chapter this month still. In the next episode: peace in the jungle is finally broken after years following the Battle of the Dirisha River and the boys have a true Baptism of Blood.