The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 5: Contrast

 The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 5: Contrast

Kovu and his children entered a rocky, humid and cold cavern that was adorned with large spots of moss. Thick grass came from cracks on the ground. The place was lighted by an unknown species of fireflies, the blue light they irradiated illuminated the cavern dimly. Kovu smiled as he always did when walking through that peaceful path, his children had looks of fascination, their eyes were widely open, studying each corner of the cave while walking calmly, getting delight from the insects' lights, amazed with a green they had never seen before in their young lives. "Dad..." Keru said. "This place is amazing." The echo of the cavern was enough to let the cub's soft voice be heard by his father.

Kovu chuckled a bit. "And this is just the entrance, son." He looked over his back and glared at his two cubs. "Wait until you see the real deal."

Keru and Zale looked into their widened eyes. "The real deal!" They both expressed, mumbling, yet with excitement.

After a few more steps over the cold rocky ground, a light began to show from the aperture that was still a couple more minutes ahead of them. "We're almost there, sons." Kovu said, his sons' faces showed happiness and amazement, triggered by the intensity of the white, dazzling light.

The plants, rocks, walls and vines started to reveal to the three lions, until the light merged with the landscape, they had finally arrived at the Ungari Waterfalls, an internal oasis on the mountain's inside, the sunlight entering through a skylight, located several meters above the pool that was permanently fed by the four waterfalls, which flowed rapidly from each corner of the place. A set of vegetation covered tunnels with natural windows and paths that led directly to the waterfalls' hard rocks were all around the place. Inner, rocky hills were connected to these tunnels and went down all the way to the pool.

Zale let out a brief laugh of bliss, a tear traveled over the fur of his face, Keru had the same glance of peace and joy. "It's...very beautiful." Zale expressed with a lump in his throat.

Kovu wasn't admiring the scene before them, he was looking at his offspring instead, smiling and enjoying their reactions, priceless, richly valuable for him. Keru approached him and placed his paws on his then looked at him. "Can we explore, daddy?"

Kovu laughed. "Of course you can, Keru. This is all yours." He stroked him with his forehead. "Go."

"Come on, Zale!" Keru looked at his brother and started to run towards the first tunnel he spotted. "I dare you to a race!" His voice echoed harmonically with the place's inside.

"Hey! Wait 'till I..!" Zale went after him, following him quickly. "Keru, that's not fair!" He entered the green tunnel, chasing his little brother.

Kovu let out a sigh of calmness, then he went down the pair of rocks that led to the brief path towards the tunnel his sons had entered then he also got inside. He looked at the plants on the tunnel's inner surface, the occasional vivid colored flowers that accompanied the ceiling's vegetation, he looked rightwards and glanced at the two waterfalls that could be seen from the natural window. Kovu kept walking through the large tunnel, glaring at all of its corners, he then hurried his steps to encounter with his sons again.

Zale approached Keru, they both laughed and ran over the narrow rocky path that was attached to the mountain, having exited the tunnel a while ago. Despite the race's rapidness, they were still careful with their turns and steps as the rocky paths they took weren't wide enough, their paws constantly slipped by the tiny rocks between the grass over the golden rock.

When Zale tried to pass by his brother, the space wasn't enough for them to stay over at the same time, so Keru fell down from the path and yelled all the way down towards the pool, he dived in the huge water body. Kovu had exited the tunnel, he was laying over a little cliff that faced the pool, he had seen the little incident but knew his son was alright and let out a brief laugh when Keru got his head out of the water, inhaling and floating with the help of his paws, which he moved repeatedly.