Never Lost

8

I lead Shuri, Ramonda and Ross through the bitter wind and harsh conditions of the Jabari outskirts. I tried my best to warm them all up but the weather was far too cold.

"Where are we going again?"Ross asked as I bended the snow out of the way.

"We're taking the Heart Shaped Herb to Jabariland."Nakia answered as we walked up the mountain.

"Heart Shaped Herb? What is that?"he asked

"It gives whoever takes it heightened abilities."Shuri answered as she hugged the blanket closer to her body, I turned around once again and mixed a bit of air and fire together to create a heat wave for them. I then turned around again and built up the energy to do that again.

"Lela. I don't like this. The Herb belongs to us. We may be creating a bigger monster with M'Baku. Lela, you should take it  yourself or you Nakia."Queen Ramonda said which made me stand in my tracks and look back at her.

"I'm an elemental with no army and neither does Nakia. I wouldn't stand a chance and neither would Nakia."I simply explained as I continued walking.

Those were the only words I had said the entire trip, I turned around once again and pushed a heat wave towards them which made me feel weak and stumble a bit.

"You should stop doing that now. We're warm enough with our blankets, alright?" Nakia said and placed her arm arm on my shoulder she then placed a kiss on my cheek and hugged me tightly.

"I am so sorry. I know you are hurting right now."She said as she embraced me, I slowly pulled away from the hug and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you Nakia."I said and continued walking but I stopped in my tracks once I heard rustling in the bushes, we were then surrounded by members of the Jabari.

"We are here to see M'Baku. The king is dead."I announced which made them lead us to M'Baku's throne room.

We stood in front of M'Baku who sat on his throne and looked at us in disgust.

"My son was murdered in ritual combat." Queen Ramonda spoke breaking the silence.

"Were the odds fair?"he asked.

"Yes bu--"

"So, it was less a murder than a defeat?"he said cutting Nakia off which made me glare at him in anger. 

"Do not rub our noses in it --"

"Silence! I make the pronouncements here, girl."M'Baku said as he cut off the angry Shuri.

"Look uh, your highness,the new King is a--"

Before Ross could finish, M'Baku silenced him with his loud bark that eventually made his arm bark too.

"You cannot talk. One more word and I will feed you to my children."He said which made Ross step back in fear he then chuckled and looked at him. 

"I'm kidding we are vegetarians."he joked which made me finally step forward and present the heart shaped herd before him.

"Great Gorilla M'Baku. This is why we are here. To offer this to you. An outsider sits on our throne. Only you can help us stop him so please."I pleaded.

"Come with me."he finally said which made me furrow my eyebrows and follow him, once we followed him to a room he stepped back and I saw T'Challa covered in snow.

"Oh my--my love!"I yelled as I quickly rushed to his side I didn't know what to do I just stared at him.

"Is he breathing?"I asked as I cried and created a flame in my hand getting ready to warm him up.

"He is in a coma, barely clinging to his life. One of our fishermen found him at the edge of the river border. He brought him to me." M'Baku explained 

"Why is he in the snow?"Shuri asked in anger as she looked at her brother.

"It is the only thing keeping him from joining the ancestors."M'Baku said which made me make my flame disappear from my hand.

"We need to get him to my lab! I can heal him there."Shuri said as she looked at all of us.

"Take him, he'll be dead in seconds." M'baku said and shrugged his shoulders.

"Lela, the heart shaped herb."Queen Ramonda said I nodded and gave her the heart shaped herb she slowly crushed it.

"I call upon the ancestors. I call upon Bast. I am here with my son T'Challa. Heal him. We must bury him."Ramonda urged to us which made me push the snow onto T'Challa's face.

Ramonda slowly poured the purple substance into T'Challa mouth.

"Camaku."I started with made everybody else chant the same thing.

I watched as he shook this meant that the heart shaped herb was working, I watched the his vein glow into an indigo colour.

We sat there in silence as we waited and prayed for the heart shaped herb to work.

"Please T'Challa. Wake up. Please."I pleaded as I clasped my hands together and moved back and forth closely watching him.

T'Challa suddenly shot up awake and I pulled him from the snow as he looked around unsure of his whereabouts before he could even gather up his thoughts I pounced on him whilst crying.

"You're alive."I whispered in his ear as I cried on his shoulder he hugged me back whilst shivering I backed up a bit and allowed everybody else to hug him he chuckled whilst shivering and looked at us.

"Do you have a blanket?"he asked which made me giggle and look up at M'baku.

"Thank you so much."I said and gave him a small smile, he nodded in response and watched the family reunion in front of him.