Dirt and small rocks fell on and all around Plucky and Djim. The ground heaved and tossed boulders around as the rumbling continued. Suddenly, the shaking stopped and when the dust settled, Djim searched for Plucky.
"Plucky! Where are you?" Djim called out.
"Djim I'm stuck! Help!"
Djim half walked half ran over to a mound of dirt and rocks. He began to brush off dirt with his paws. Slowly but surely Plucky's frame began appearing, and soon Plucky was able to shake off the rest of the dirt and rocks he was buried under. The earthquake they survived had left them in utter darkness. Plucky stood up and located Djim. Finding him, he then began searching for the papyrus.
"The letter, the letter, it can't have disappeared..." Plucky said, hopelessly.
"I think we have bigger problems than a missing scroll, Plucky."
Plucky stopped searching for the letter.
"How will we get out of here?" Plucky asked, realizing they were trapped.
"I don't see a way out."
"There has to be! There just has to!" With tears in his eyes he pounded on a boulder. Plucky slid downward and knelt on the ground; Djim stood by him in the darkness.
———
The king exited out of his tent to find the remainder of his standing army, combined with several mothers and the oldest cubs, all armed with clawed staves. The ragtag army knelt before the king, their heads bowed.
"We are the last bastion of freedom in this land. The witch has but one desire: to cover the world in shadow. Her army is as countless as the fish in the sea. We must not submit to evil. This may very well be our last battle. Take courage! We must fight more fiercely than we ever have before. They may win the battle, but we shall win the day! TO WAR!"
"TO WAR!" the army shouted.
———
Beneath the mountain, Plucky rocked back and forth, though his tears had since ceased to flow. He held his pendant as he rocked. All of a sudden, the ruby began to glow, albeit faintly. Djim tapped his chin with one of his fingers.
"I think I know how we can get out of here, Plucky," Djim said, as he snapped his fingers. Plucky looked up at Djim, then realizing Djim was looking at his pendant. Plucky slowly looked down and saw the faintly glowing ruby. He slowly inhaled and then he exclaimed, "Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? Thanks Djim!"
Plucky closed his eyes tightly and eagerly commanded the ruby to grant them escape from the mountain. The ruby continued to glow, but there was no palpable reaction. Plucky tried again but to no avail.
"Why won't this work? It's not working!"
Plucky was visibly frustrated. Djim crouched down and remained silent; deep in thought.
A single tear trickled down Plucky's face and made impact on the ruby. All of a sudden, the ruby glowed brightly, so much that both Plucky and Djim had to shield their eyes. The mountain began to rumble once more, but this time part of the mountain above them was lifted up, moved and dropped elsewhere on the mountain range. Sunlight flooded the cave. Plucky shouted with joy as a hitherto unseen staircase appeared on the opposite side of the cavity. Djim smiled.
"Let's go, Plucky! Lead the way!"
Plucky and Djim both ran towards the stairs and their freedom.
The staircase ended just below the rim of the new opening. As soon as Djim reached the top side of the mountain the hole in the mountain collapsed on itself, turning into a crater. Plucky lost his balance once more but slid down the mountainside for a few moments. A boulder half buried into the mountain abruptly stopped his descent.
"Plucky! Are you okay?"
"I have a bruise but I can still walk!"
Djim slid down to where Plucky was and helped him stand up. Plucky brushed himself off.
"Plucky, where do we go now?"
"What does your ruby think?"
Plucky held up his pendant and circled around. He expected it to lead them back towards the forest, but this time the ruby would have them descend the north side of the mountains. The north was marked by an endless desert. Not even Djim's sharp eyes could see the northern end of the barren wasteland. Plucky sighed. Djim scratched his head, then broke the silence.
"You know, if there's nothing there, then there's nothing that can harm us."
"I don't understand why we have to go through a desert though," Plucky pleaded.
"Maybe we won't have to... look!" Djim pointed east. There before them was a worn path that weaved through the mountain peaks.
"I believe we can reach the meadow faster if we follow this path."
"Maybe you're right, Djim."
———
"Send the elders and cubs up the mountain. There is safety in numbers. Return to me once this is carried out."
A set of four cougars bowed their heads before leaving to fulfill the king's command.
"Dismantle the watchtowers. They can be repurposed into spears and staves."
"Yes, your Highness," spoke a commander and ordered a few soldiers to begin breaking down the towers. The king quietly walked over to the bend in the river. He stood once more ahead of his army.
"They will bear down upon us like rain. Let it be known that there is nothing more dangerous than a cornered cougar."
Those who heard the king growled in agreement. Across the plain all could see the massive army accumulating at the far end of the forest and mountain range. The king continued, speaking only to himself.
"Plucky and Djim must succeed, else there will be none left to defy the evil in this world."
———
"Djim, I'm hungry," Plucky said as he rubbed his stomach.
"Do you have any food left in your pack?"
"Let me look... no! It's all gone!"
"Stay put. I'm going downhill to see if I can grab some jungle fowl."
Plucky sat atop a boulder while he waited. The nearest trees were downhill in the forest. He hoisted his pack above his head, thereby providing shade, although his arms grew tired - he was still recovering from the canoe ride. Plucky began wandering around. He noticed there was a bird's nest set upon a mound of rocks. In the nest were two eggs. Plucky's stomach rumbled.
"Maybe I could get Djim to start a fire..." Plucky thought to himself as he approached the nest. Seemingly out of nowhere, an eagle swooped down and began attacking him. The eagle hovered, flapping its wings in terrible majesty, as he tried to scratch Plucky with its talons and beak.
Before he knew what had happened, Djim had chased off the eagle with a branch.
"Plucky! Get away from the nest!"
Plucky did as he was told as the eagle flew over to protect its nest. The eagle squawked at the invaders.
"Keep a wide berth, and the eagle should leave you alone," Djim said sternly.
Plucky circled around the nest and the eagle circled around the rim of the nest, a wary eye trained on him.
Once they were past the eyrie, Djim rounded Plucky.
"Are you okay? Did the eagle harm you?"
Plucky looked down at his arm. He shook his head.
"There's an old saying in my tribe: curiosity killed the cougar. It apparently also applies to bear cubs."
"I'm sorry, Djim. I really am."
"You need to understand. If anything should happen to you, you and your parents will never see each other again."
"You're right. I'll be more careful from now on."
Plucky shrank backwards.
"Aww I'm sorry Plucky. I'm just trying to keep you alive until we defeat the witch and get your father back, at least. Where there is life, there is hope. Cheer up, you're one plucky bear!"
Plucky couldn't resist smiling.
"I'm doing this for my mother and father," Plucky said to himself.
"Indeed you are," confirmed Djim.
"Now let's be on our way. I didn't have any luck in the forest. Let's see if we can catch something to eat along our way. I think we might reach the meadow by sundown."
———
The witch stood on the plains. Before her, in three ranks were jackals mounted on bears. Behind them were hyenas, then jackals at the rear.
"This one battle stands between us and a wealth greater than any you have known before. No longer will you have to scavenge for scraps. No longer will you worry for your families' safety. Fight for me and this land shall be yours!"
In unison, the jackals, bears and hyenas roared. The cacophony caused a flock of birds resting in the branches of trees nearby to flee in terror, leaving their eggs unprotected for the time being. As one, the jackals mounted on bears slowly advanced towards the valley: first at a trot, then a gallop.
———
"Your highness! The enemy is coming!"
"Steel yourselves! This day will forever secure our legacy!Charge!"
The remaining cougars charged across the river and towards the fight of their lives.
