A Crocodile's Journey

The Loss

Through the window, Makuu counted three weeks ever since he was brought here. In all this time, his worry about Kitwana intensified each day. Was he okay? Was he even alive? Then his mind would drift back to the last time he saw the chick, and the last things he said to him before handing him over. 

Why was I so harsh on the kid? If I'd known it would end like this, I would have offered him comfort instead of yells.

In time, Makuu learned to hate not only his prison, but his jailers as well. While the two legs never spoke, they were visibly cruel. At times, they'd taunt their captives by leaving their food out of their reach or banging on their cages to startle them. They seemed to enjoy taunting him the most, often poking him with wooden sticks to provoke him into a rage. When it came to water, he and Kiburi were splashed with cold water.

Getting to know the other animals was, perhaps, the only thing that kept him remotely sane. They'd talk about how they were captured, or tried to come up with a plan to escape, or chat about their lives previous to being brought here. However, the little elephant wouldn't talk no matter how much the others tried getting him to speak his name. Makuu did note that his ears would spread a bit whenever the others talked.

And in all this time, Kiburi still refused to eat. 

Makuu couldn't take it anymore and offered him some of his food, but the only response he got was an indifferent grunt; even his hauntig had diminished considerably. This only drove Makuu's curiosity to higher levels. This wasn't like Kiburi at all.

That's when he remembered Kiburi's float back in the Outlands. IS that why he was so down? Did he miss...?

What the hell am I thinking? Kiburi cares about no one but himself.

That night, Makuu found himself thinking about Akina. Would he ever see her again? Did she think he was dead? If so, would she move on and find another...? The selfish part of him wished she didn't, but... Akina deserved to have a clutch of her own. Perhaps there was someone out there who could give her that which he never could... that he never wanted  to give her. 

Stop thinking like that, Makuu. You're going back to her and you'll give her a hundred clutches if that's what she wants.

Unable to sleep, Makuu looked at the dark, starry sky through the window—the only connection to the outside world. 

"I'll return to you, Akina. I promise..."

He heard a snicker to his side. "Looks like you haven't learned not to make promises you can't actually keep."

Goodbye to whatever sympathy he had for Kiburi. "At least I try my best to fulfill them. You should try it one day."

"You know nothing about me, Makuu."

"You seem to forget we grew up together, Kiburi."

"That's what makes it even worse. You never truly knew me, just like you never truly knew her." 

Makuu frowned. "Leave Akina out of this. She has nothing to do with our problems." He growled menacingly.

"She has everything to do with the issue." Kiburi snapped bitterly. "None of this would have ever happened if she had chosen me."

"Would you get over it already?! How many times are you going to play the victim just because Akina chose me?!"

Kiburi turned to his rival, his eyes full of hate. "Chose you? Unless my memory fails me, you never gave her a real choice. You drove away anyone who was genuinely interested in her just to inflate your pitiful ego."