New Angles

Episode Six: Dragon Island

~Episode seven: Dragon Island~

(Before the events of the episode, but after the events of Ghost of the Mountain and another unseen stone; water Moja Kwa Moja stone)

Mountains looming in the distance, the assorted group of animals trekked onward.

"Is it me.. Or is this journey seeming to drag on?" Bunga complained, dragging his feet through the dust of the ground.

"It is taking awhile.." Kion agreed, slowing for a moment to glance back at the honey badger. "But Rafiki did say the Tree of Life is pretty far away from the Pridelands." He stopped once again to rub his face.. the discomfort returning to nip a hole in his head, through the mark inscribed upon his golden flesh.

"Here Kion.." Makini began, reaching for the gourd attached to the staff on her back. "Have some tuliza." She poured out some of its contents and came alongside the young lion to present them to him.

"Yeah.. ok." Kion complied.. feeling reluctant to argue this one. Taking the flowers from her hand, relief washed over him.

"Hah.. that's better." He sighed, lowering his head slightly.

"Glad to hear it." Fuli put in with a smile, as she approached from his other side.

"Yeah." Kion returned, with a smile of his own. "Ok, now, let's go." And so they went on.

xxxx

After walking for a short time, a realization came to one member of the party.

"Hey,.." Kion spoke up, halting in his tracks. "You guys hear that?" He asked turning to them, before cocking his head to the right and looking up to listen more carefully. The team glanced around for only a second longer, when suddenly having to rush after their leader; who left the group to race into the brush and trees ahead.

"Hey, wait up!" Bunga cried, immediately making chase to have the rest of their team follow soon after. The honey badger blindly ran until he hit a golden brick wall that paid him no mind at all as a result.

"Huh?" Bunga vocalized, rubbing his head as he peered out around Kion, footsteps finally catching up to them from behind.

"Woah.." They all breathed.

"What is it?" Ono asked, squinting to see better.

"Only the wildest river I've ever seen." Beshte answered in awe.

"Wait really? Rapids?" The egret wondered, squinting harder.

"Anga, is there a way around this?" Kion asked, wondered hopefully.

"Not unless you wanna follow the river to its source." The martial eagle replied plainly.

"That could take days." Kion stated. "We need another way."

"I really don't see one.." The martial eagle informed him. "I can't even see the next Moja Kwa Moja stone from here, too many shady trees around to see much of anything else."

"Ok, then through it, it is." The young leader stepped forward into the water, which at the moment nearly came to his elbows. "Come on, the water's quietest through here.. We should be able to get across safely as long as we stay away from the edge of the waterfall." After a brief hesitation, the team began to advance.

"Ugh! Great!" Fuli groaned, as she reluctantly waded into the water after her friends.

"Just take it slow." Kion followed up, craning his neck around to face front to keep going. "The ground is soft and slippery underneath, we don't want anyone to slip and get washed away."