| The True King Of The Jungle |

S1 EP4: Unknown

As Kairo plunged into the abyss, a voice echoed in his head, repeating, "Wake up... Wake up..."

His eyes jerked open, and he realized he was falling to his doom. He hit some shallow water with a painful splash and began to drown, the water filling his lungs.

Suddenly, a hand shot through the water and pulled him up. Kairo coughed up water, gasping for breath, and looked up to see an old man standing over him.

"If you can't swim, stay outta the water, ya idiot," the man said gruffly.

"Who are you?" Kairo asked, still catching his breath.

"I'm Fushiro. Seems you were chucked down here as well," the old man replied.

Kairo sat up, confused. "What're you talking about?"

Fushiro sighed. "The Queen's been on edge ever since her daughter turned out to be a Kirishin."

"A Kirishin? What the hell is that?" Kairo asked.

"People who bear the marks of gods. More or less the trinity, which are the three most powerful markings: The Phoenix, The Chimera, The Dragon," Fushiro explained.

"Which one was her daughter?" Kairo asked, intrigued.

"She bears the mark of the crocodile. How else do you think the village has been thriving?" Fushiro replied.

Kairo frowned. "What're you doing down here? It's all women up there."

"I was after getting my kidnapped wife back, but they threw me down here and... yeah," Fushiro said, his voice trailing off.

"How long have you been down here?" Kairo asked, his heart sinking.

"A couple of years. I've been surviving off the water and the fish in it," Fushiro replied.

Kairo sighed. "I've gotta get back up there."

Fushiro chuckled. "Good luck. You'd have to be a hawk or..." He trailed off, his eyes widening as he noticed the dragon marking on Kairo's back. "It's you..." he whispered in awe.

Kairo looked at him, confused but determined. "What do you mean?"

Fushiro's eyes were filled with a mix of fear and reverence. "You're one of the trinity. The mark of the dragon... You might just have a chance to get out of here and save your friends."

Kairo's resolve hardened. "Then let's not waste any more time."

Above ground, King sat in a cell with Ritso, both of them sighing in frustration.

"Beaten by a bunch of girls... they're never gonna let me live this one down when we get home," King muttered.

"You mean if we get home," Ritso replied, his voice tinged with worry.

King rolled his eyes and spotted the guard watching them nearby. He picked up a small pebble and smiled mischievously.

Ritso noticed and said, "You're not gonna be able to do much with that pebble, King."

King smirked. "You know, with enough force, a pebble can have more impact than a speeding arrow."

Ritso raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you can do it?"

"Give me a minute," King said, focusing intently.

Ritso watched as King held his fingers in position, loading himself with potential energy.

With a swift motion, King released the pebble with pinpoint accuracy. The pebble struck the guard in the head, knocking her out cold.

King quickly grabbed the keys through the openings in the cell and unlocked the door.