Story of Lion Man

Chapter 13

This is the thirteenth chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Ryan, still in Lion form, with Jess by his side, walk on and on through the forest. They'd stop to look at beautiful looking trees, looking at birds flying around. Morning turned to afternoon. The sun moving made the trees even more pretty. And during that time, he and Jess had shared some laughs and made eye contact on one or two occasions. "Well? I told you it was beautiful." Ryan said, as the two then stopped. "Beautiful indeed." Jess replied, smiling slightly. But then the smile dropped. "But I there's something I don't understand. What you said earlier, what did you mean?" She asked. "Jess, I can't do this. There's... there's blood on my hands." Ryan answered, staring away from her. "What do you mean? Is this because of the house burning down, my father's death?" She asked, more confused and demanding than ever. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm just not feeling myself." Ryan answered sadly. "Is this because of what happened in the clearing? You still not over that?" Jess asked, her tone barely different. "No, of course not, You don't understand. It's not that, it's just... look, mind your own business! And the point is, I can't do this anymore!" Ryan said aggressively as he turned to look at her. "What about your mother and sister? Won't you do it for them? Don't you want to make them proud, along with your father, in his memory?" Jess then asked. "Leave them out of this! Especially my dad!" Ryan snapped. "What happened to you? You're not the Ryan my dad recruited." Jess said. "I... I can't describe what's going through my head! You have no idea what I've been through, having people bully you half your life, having a dead father!" Ryan ranted angrily. "Well, I am now going through one of those. So you're not the only one." Jess replied. "And You don't know how I feel right now, what its like to have so much guilt flowing through you!" Ryan added. "That's what's bothering you? What is that guilt?" Jess asked, curiously." I can't tell you. But  I can't do this, knowing that I did what I did?!" Ryan answered sharply. If your thinking like that, then Dad chose the wrong boy. Goodbye, Ryan." Jess said solemnly, before turning around and walked away.

Ryan walked at a snails pace, muttering to himself about how he ended up here, how she had no right to say what she said. His got so wound up in his thoughts that he saw it was nighttime now. His legs feeling tired, he knelt down on both his feet, in front of a puddle. He looked at the puddle in the middle of a clearing, and saw his Lion face. Narrowing his eyes slightly and moving his head from side to side, then with a huff, he then thrashed his right hand through the puddle, the water rippling from the thrash. As he continued to stare into the rippling water, Ryan saw something. The reflection of his face looked different, yet familiar, his mane looked bigger, and that's when he remembered where he'd seen that face before. It was Martin's Lion-head! He started telling himself he was hallucinating, and that he would see his normal face again any second, but he still saw the reflection Martin's face. "Ryan." Came a voice that spooked Ryan to his core, as he had never expected to hear that voice again. His whole body jolted in shock, looked forwards, saw nothing, looked around, and also saw nothing. Looking forwards again, heard the sound of thunder, looked upwards and he noticed a large cloud above him, but the night sky had been cloud clear before, and every few seconds lights flashed in the clouds in the shape of eyes and a mouth. "Master? Martin?" Ryan asked, staring in disbelief at the cloud, wondering if he'll get an answer.

"Ryan. You must take your place as Lion Man." Martin's voice came from the clouds. Ryan could hardly believe what was happening. He so wanted to ask, but somehow those words couldn't come out of his mouth. Instead, he said another thing, almost like an excuse. "I can't. I cant do it, knowing I did what I did." He replied. "Stop blaming yourself, son. What happened at the house wasn't your fault. It's in the past, so move on. You are more than what you are now. You must remember who you are. The one true bearer of the mantle. Fate brought you to my house." Martin's voice said. "It is my fault. I'm sorry. You were right. Everyone was right about me. I am wimpish. I don't know what to do now. I don't know how to be like you. Be the hero you were." Ryan said sadly, as he looked down. "All of the things I did as Lion-Man, I was most proud of one thing: you being my apprentice. As was the pride your father felt, having you as his son." Martin's voice replied. Hearing that made Ryan look up again, his eyes and mouth slightly opened. "That was a long time ago." He said, referring to his fathers death a few years ago, but it seemed like a long time. "No, boy. That is forever." Martin's voice said as the cloud began to disperse. "No. Please, don't leave me and your family again." Ryan said desperately. "I never left you all. And never will. Remember who you are. Remember." The voice of his teacher said as the last of the cloud dispersed. Ryan stared up at where the cloud had been for a few seconds before he looked down, moved his forearms up and looked at his furry hands. He realised he had to stop facing the past and look forwards. And if he gave up now, he'd be condoning the world to the chaos Daniel would unleash. There was no one who could stop him. Except one. Him. He then knew who he was. He was Ryan. Lion-Man.

Back at the camp, Ryan found Jess sleeping at the twins camp by the fire. He stood above her, knelt down, and stroked her forehead twice before he got up on his and turned around towards the car. "Here to say sorry?" He heard Tom's voice. He looked around saw his head poking out of the entrance of his tent. "Shh! Quiet! Go back to sleep!" Ryan said, doing a "shh" gesture. But it was too late, Jess got bent her upper body upwards and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Ryan, what are you doing?" She asked tiredly, as turned turned around to look at her. "Hey, uh... I'm, I'm..." He tried to say, but Jess figured it out. "You're going after him, aren't you?" She asked, before Ryan nodded in response. "I don't get it. I thought you'd given up." She said less tiredly, as she got up on her feet. "I got some sense knocked into me. Your father once told me to "protect everything the light touches". And if I don't him, who will?" Ryan asked rhetorically, as a yawn came from Mark's tent. "What going on?" He asked tiredly, as he also poked his head out of his tents entrance. "I'm going with you." Jess declared. "No. It'll be dangerous. And if you stay here, then if anything happens to me, then at least you'll be safe. I'll come back. I promise." He said, before he stroked her left chin gently, making eye contact. Tom (he and his brother still in their clothes) then got out of his tent and went up to Ryan. "But, Ryan, you can't go. You'll be killed!" He begged. "Tom, you don't understand." Jess said, which made Tom turn to face her. "I don't understand? I don't understand? You don't understand. Ryan is gonna march right into the jaws of death, and it's all your fault!" Tom said, not having a clear understanding of previous events, pointing his left index finger at Jess, before he turned back to face Ryan. "Ryan, don't..." He started to say, but stopped when he saw Ryan running towards the car. Tom stood still before he saw Jess following Ryan. "Woah, woah, woah! Where do you think you're going?" He said after her, as she stopped and looked back. "I'm going with him." She said. "As am I." Mark said as he came up her. "You too?!" Tom asked his brother. Mark turned to face him. "Thomas, remember what dad always used to say. "There are times in life when you must put your fates into your own hands." And, like Ryan, who matches into the face of death, I too, go to meet my destiny, as his friend." Mark declare bravely, before marching 'quick march' soldier style towards the car (his arms moving up and down). Tom stood still silently for two seconds, before he threw his arms in the air. "Let's all go crazy, then!" He shouted to himself, before he put out the fire with a water bottle from his tent, after which he ran towards the car. "Hey, wait for me! I'm coming too!" He yelled as he ran.

And that's the thirteenth chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Obviously, the part was Ryan heard Martin's voice from the clouds was inspired by "The Lion King" (2019). And the part where Ryan tells Jess he's going to fight, and when Mark chooses to go, it was inspired by a deleted scene from the 1994 "The Lion King". 

The next chapter will be out soon. And a figth is coming soon.