The Lion Guard Season 5

Chapter 14: The New Guy

{Nguvu's POV}
"This is Firi." King Nane said while a male cheetah walked out "He's one of my messengers."
"Your majesty, are you sure you want one of your messengers to accompany me?"
"I'm positive." King Nane said "You gave me a precious gift. My sister is alive, and I can see her again. Firi is one of my favorite messengers I have and he knows the land very well. He will help you greatly. Think of it as my 'thank you'."
"Well thank you, Your Majesty."
"Yo," Firi greeted "So where we headed?"
He said that so nonchalantly, it was strange. I'm just another stranger to him, and he's acting like we're friends.
"The Serval's Den." Nishan said "Should take us about 4 weeks."
"4 weeks?? Are you crazy??" Firi asked, shocked
"What?" Nishan asked
"How long did it take you to get here?" Firi asked
"About 3 months." I answered "From the Tiger Kingdom."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No?" I replied, very confused
"It normally takes me one month to get here, without the cub slowing me down." Nishan said
"Don't you dare call me that again." I growled
Nishan growled back, but didn't say anything. 'Cub' is what Father called me when he thought me weak. 'Cub' is what Father called King Kion ewhen he was antagonizing him. 'Cub' is an insult to the weak. I was weak, never again.
"It shouldn't take a month, even if you were being slowed down." Firi said, interrupting our growling "It should take 3 days, maximum."
"Well," I replied "You are a cheetah. You are much faster than us."
"Clearly." Nishan growled under his breath
"Not really." Firi said "When just walking, it should take 3 days."
"We went on the path by the ravine." Nishan told Firi
"What?" Firi asked like he didn't believe us.
"What?" Nishan asked with obvious suspicion
"You guys shouldn't take the path around the ravine." Firi told us "That path is only faster if you can jump over the ravine, you guys should've cut through the forest."
"The forest, the one just outside the Kingdom of Tigers?" Nishan asked
"You mean the one I came in from?" I asked Nishan. He nodded.
"Yep."
"That forest is dangerous." Nishan said "And it's hard to cut through the trees and the marshes effectively."
"Well, there is a way, and it is faster if you can't jump over the ravine. That ravine is very long and it takes a long time to walk around them"
"I take it you have traveled around a lot." I said
"Of course," He proudly answered "For I am a cheetah and the Kingdom of Cheetahs are some of the best messengers and travelers in the world."
"Wouldn't that honor go to the Birds?" I asked "You know, fly?"
"Very funny." Firi laughed sarcastically "Birds don't count, going over ravines and mountains are easy for them. We have to travel the ground and cheetahs are the best and ground travel."
"Until you have to climb a tree." I joked
"Bruh, we aren't leopards you know."
"We should get going," Nishan interrupted "Unless you are okay with talking the day away, we have a lioness to find."
"We are heading towards the Serval's Den, right?" Firi asked
"Yep"
"Great," He exclaimed "That's a 2 day trip due east."
"2 days?"
"Yep," Firi smiled "Lucky for you, I know the shortcuts."
"Great, let's go." Nishan said starting to walk.
We walked to the East Point, the west part of the wall and used the secret tunnel to leave the Kingdom. When we left, it felt like someone was watching us. I couldn't shake this feeling and I instinctually looked towards my entry point and saw some lions and a tiger. There was something off about one of the lions, he looked familiar. Firi and Nishan were trying to get me to keep going but I focused on that one lion. And I finally put it together, that lion, he looks like Father. I stood there, frozen. My eyes widened in shock and anger. But fear took over "No-! It can't be-! It can't be him!"
"Who?" Firi asked
"Father." I growled
"Your father?" Firi repeated
"What's wrong with that?"
"HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!! HE SHOULD BE DEAD!!" I screamed "WHY ISN'T HE DEAD??"
"Calm down man." Firi said in a Nirmala-esque tone "Where is he?"
"Over there- huh?" I turned my head away for a moment, and he's gone. "No, no, nononono no. He was there. He was right there."
"You're panicking." Nishan said in a neutral voice
"OF COURSE I'M PANICKING. FATHER IS THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER MET AND HE WILL CAUSE CHAOS."
"Maybe, you imagined him." Firi said
"I DIDN- maybe I did."
"Come on, let's keep walking."
"Yeah." I relented. I still can't believe he's alive after King Kion roared him away. Maybe I did imagine him, but what about the animals he was with? There was definitely a tiger there, I know that.
"So which path are we using?" Nishan asked
"There are cliffs towards the west of the Kingdom. There used to be a cheetah living there, but I guessed he moved on." Firi answered "He was always the competitive type, he was very philosophical too. He loved going on about the 'fire of a cheetah' whatever that means."
"Oh?"
"Yep. If you didn't know him, you'd think he's crazy." Firi smiled
"The cliffs will take us to the Serval's Den in 2 days?" Nishan asked
"Yep, I'm pretty sure you guys can jump over the cliffs so it should be no problem."
"That's good," Nishan said "The quicker we get there, the less I have to deal with this stupid cub."
"Nishan! Are you kidding me??" I yelled "I told you once to stop it and if I have to ask again, I'm just giving you another scar."
"Woah guys, calm down." Firi interjected "Chances are, we're going to be together for a while. No use in getting on each other's nerves this early on."
Nishan growled and I walked in front of both of them. I heard Firi and Nishan talking,
"Yo man, what's up with you two?" Firi asked Nishan
"He's just a spoiled little lion." Nishan answered with distain "King Majaran told me to accompany him, it's the only reason I'm here. At the end of the day, he's just a menace like the rest of the lions."
"He's just an animal like the rest of us." Firi said "Besides, this is HIS quest. And we're here to help him."
"Why does he need help?" Nishan asked "What would he and WE gain from accompanying him?"
"Who knows?" Firi answered "Maybe if we become his friends, we won't turn out like the lions that scarred you."
"How did you-?!"
"You have a hatred for lions that runs deep, the claw marks on your face aren't wide enough to be tiger's but wide enough to be a lion's." Firi explained "It wasn't hard to figure out."
"You are smarter than you let on." Nishan complimented "Do you really believe he has hope?"
"I believe he should have the chance to have hope."