Sun Rise Ch. 16

[I do not own the character Camazotz, he is owned by Chatu
aminoapps.com/p/4br4pp
The character Tombie does not belong to me. Tombie aminoapps.com/p/jaihi8 ]
It was not the first time Mkuba tried to help Buibui make some new friends. They had been friends for most of their lives, and had recently fallen into a relationship with one another. If there was one thing he knew was for certain about Buibui, it was that she didn't like to talk to anyone else but him. He loved her with all of his heart, so that's why he is trying to push her to make some more friends, even if she didn't want to. Most times ended in failures, but he was confident about this time.
"Come on, you can do it."
She shook her head 'no' frantically.
"Buibui, you can't keep running away when people try to talk to you."
Buibui tried not to look at him.
"I've been trying to help you talk with others, but you never open up, you never talk to them, communicate with them."
Buibui covered her face with her hair and huddled into a corner. She spent most of her spare time drawing in her den, sometimes forgetting she even had a voice. The walls were covered with all kinds of images and depictions. She was mostly a vent artist, drawing whatever patterns and depictions she could based on her feelings. Mkuba was the only one who had ever been inside her den, he was the only one who had seen her work.
He moved closer to the shy hyena, and rested his head on top of hers.
"It'll be ok. I'll be with you, you know I will. You've got to learn how to talk to someone. I know you want to be social, but the only way to do that is to be brave."
Her face turned red under her mane.
"I love you Buibui, you know I do, that's why I want you to do this. You helped me through a very tough time in my life, and I want to help you now."
She did not uncover her face. Mkuba hugged her under the star covered night sky. The dark purple and black sky was blanketed under countless white stars and galaxies, all swirling about in a beautiful pattern across billions of lightyears.
"I'm not going to force you to talk to her if you don't want too, but I can't do everything for you all the time, you're going to have to learn how to br independant sometimes."
She wanted to be like everyone else, to be able to just go through life and be brave enough to do things in public, but everytime she even tried to speak, even willingly, her throat would clench up, she would get sweaty and anxious, and would most likely embarrass herself. Why was she like this? Why was she so anxious all the time? She felt like eyes were always watching her, when she was alone or not alone. Like someone or something was peering out of rocks or cracks. She felt like a storm cloud was following her wherever she went.
Buibui remembered a time during a meeting with the rest of Nabii's clan when they were coming up with ideas, back before the project even started.
Nabii called out for suggestion from the audience, and Buibui raised her paw.
"Oh, my sister! Of course you can speak!"
Everyone was listening. They weren't looking her her, but they were listening, and that was enough. The clenches up, words would not come out of her mouth. She started sweating nervously. Her mind became fuzzy as she couldn't think straight. She felt like all blood flow to her head had completely stopped. She felt like she was actually fighting for her life. It went on like this for minutes before Nabii ended the torment.
"You want to just... leave?"
Buibui immediately sprinted out of the area. Mkuba raised his paw and asked to follow her. Nabii sighed.
"Sure, go." She said reluctantly.
That was just one out of many moments in her life like that. She just wanted to crawl into a trench and eat rocks and die. Did other people feel like that? Was she just a weirdo?
Mkuba didn't like the rest of his clan. They were always so obsessed with the cause, no one ever really got to know each other. Hyenas would just get together and have children, more out of necessity then actual loving bonds. Mkuba couldn't talk with anyone anymore, it was like trying to talk with an advertisement. You can't get a single word in while you're being blasted with "Catty and Bratty's General Store, come on down and buy something today!". He found that Buibui was different. Though she didn't talk, she listened. She comforted him with her shy and quietness, he found it somewhat charming and special. He fell in love with it eventually, learning more about her. No one else in the clan besides Nabii had any interests, they never took spare time and leisure to themselves. Buibui actually had interests, she had mass to her. She liked to paint, she liked to explore. She liked insects and learning about bugs. She loved to listen to people's conversations. She loved to look at plants and try to hunt flowers no one had ever seen before. She loved to cuddle, and to lay down and look up at the stars and point out different constellations.
He wanted to give everything he could to her, and this was the best thing he could think of doing. Giving her the confidence she always wanted.
They both leaned against the wall and lay together, looking up at the stars.
"Let's go visit Sam again tomorrow, you want to go do that?" Mkuba asked.
He waited for a response.
"Mhmm" she hesitantly said.
"You won't regret it, I'll make sure you won't."
And they snuggle into one another.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The plan was simple, dig. Jasiri was surprised at the amount of animals that had come to help with the water canals. She was expecting the hyena clans to show up, but there was more than that. Creatures of the Outlands, big and small, had all come to make a big and grand map of the Outlands to try and decide where each canal should run. Nabii's clan ended up being most of the planners though, learning more about the Outlands and finding the best routes possible for water flow and even distribution. Eventually, work had started.
The days were long a brutal, the sun unforgiving and cruel. Everyone was aloud to take breaks whenever they wanted obviously. If anyone was thirsty, they were welcome to take a break and go fetch some water, usually tagged along with someone else of course so the intense heat doesn't kill them on the way there or back. Day in and day out, it was nothing but digging. Clans would switch out and take turns, going back and forth, doing nothing but toiling in the dirt. The steep rocky landscape was bathed in a buttermilk color, the rock faces bright and reflecting light everywhere, rivaling the sun itself in intensity. Jasiri looked up to barely see plants upon the edges of rock faces slowly slumping over in the intense heat.
Today was Jasiri's clan, Tombie's clan, and Reirei's pack day to work. They're three groups had been there all day, and were completely parched. There were some other lizards and and animals came to help out, though they don't really stick to such a routine schedule since they're mostly alone. They worked long and hard, bringing the already large canal deeper into the Outlands. Jasiri approached Tombie, who was panting with his tongue out and sweating profusely. He was working on moving ahead and lining out where the canal would go and how thick it would be so everyone could have an basic idea of where to dig. It was up against a cliff face at the moment, hugging a rock wall.
"You didn't have to do this you know." She told him.
"Huh?"
"I mean, it was really nice of you to help out. You don't even live in the Outlands and I feel like you've already done the most here."
He stopped to look at her with his green eyes.
"Hey now, don't say that. Everyone here has a part to play."
"I just wanted to say thanks. This place is my home, and it means a lot to me that you all are willing to help imrpove it."
"No problem." He replied with a smile.
"By the way, Where's Madoa?" He asked. Tombie had not seen her all day.
"She at first stayed back in my clan's territory, but came here with the cubs earlier because they wanted to see the digging sight. I think she's off around that corner over there in the shade somewhere."
Jasiri pointed to a pathway that split off into a secluded rock area.
"Huh" Tombie replied.
"Who's in charge of your clan territory. Aren't you worried about that?"
"No not at all. I've got another clan member in charge of that, Barbatus. He always does pretty good. I get a lot of complaints though that he's too strict."
"Hey, isn't he the guy who Rookus likes to annoy all the time?"
"Oh yeah, I'm always afraid to have the two in the same place together because of that. She sees him and she won't stop bugging him. I'm surprised he hasn't snapped."
Tombie laughed.
"You want to know a secret?" Jasiri asked.
"What is it?"
Jasiri leaned in.
"I think he likes her." She whispered.
"I thought it was obvious?" Tombie chuckled.
"Anyways, I've really got to get back to doing this."
"Oh no, we can talk while you draw on the ground." Jasiri chuckled.
"But what about your job, aren't you supposed to be in charge of your clan?"
"My clan is pretty good. They can do great. Here, I'll help."
She joined him in mapping out the route on the ground.
Sevaga starred from overhead. He squinted his eyes. Jasiri wan't asked to join Tombie? Whatever, more work would be done.
Then he turned to a hyena at his side, another of Nabii's group that came down. The hyena carried with him a yellow bat. Sevaga began speaking to the bat. "Tell the Tazama here to go and give me a head count, compare it to the number that came here. I have a feeling we have some slackers"
The bat flew off.
Jasiri noticed it. Her eyes locked on with Sevaga's. It sent chills down her spine, yet she didn't know why. What was he doing?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Madoa didn't expect Reirei to be fun to talk to. Madoa didn't join to work, but was more there out of curiosity. She brought the cubs with her because they wanted to see the digging sight as well. They wouldn't stop begging her.
"Can we please go Madoa?"
"Can we please?"
"Oh, it's too hot to go there. Wouldn't you want to stay here where it's cooler?"
"I wanna see the digging sight!"
She frowned. She really didn't want to go.
"Why do you want to see the digging sight?"
"Because it's cool!"
It wasn't cool. That was the problem. They both looked up at her with their massive sparkling eyes.
"Normally, I would tell you two No and that would be final. This time however, I'm to hot to even think straight. Fine, we can go."
And that's how she ended up here. Her and the cubs went to go find some shade to rest under, when Madoa noticed a white moth flying around. Ot seemed like it wanted her to follow it, so she did. Flying around in her face until it got her attention, and gesturing towards a shaded area. She followed the insect until the cubs and her had rounded a corner and walked into a secluded roacky area, darkened to a fissile grey by a massive overhang that stood above it. She no longer saw the white moth, but instead found Reirei and Goigoi slacking off and not digging with everyone else.
The cubs were afraid of her at first, and Madoa was on edge. Reirei looked at them and snickered.
"Oh come on, I don't bite."
Then she snapped her jaws trying to scare the young cubs. They both jumped back behind Madoa. Madoa wasn't always the type for violence, but when those cubs were threatened, she always jumped into action.
"I would like for you to leave the cubs alone."
"You would like that, wouldn't you?"
"Let's get one thing clear Reirei, if you lay a paw on any of them, I'll make you wish you had left the Outlands."
Reirei leaned in to Goigoi and said in his ear, "She must be fun at parties."
"I've... never been to a party before." Madoa quietly said while lowering her head.
Reirei seemingly perked up.
"Wait, you haven't? Sister of Jasiri over here has never been to a party before? I don't believe it, we need to get you to one as soon as possible!"
"I don't think I have time too. I have to take care of these two, and that can take a lot out of you ya know?
Reirei smiled.
"I know right? You always have to keep track of them so they don't go off and hurt themselves! Speaking of which. Honey?" She said while turning to Goigoi.
"Yes?"
"Where are the pups?"
His ears perked up.
"Ah..."
His eyes darted around quickly.
"They're... over there!" And he got up and ran off behind a rock.
Both Reirei and Madoa were unamused by the lie.
"Do you need help finding them?" Madoa asked.
"Yes actually. I would like that."
Before they could even start though, Madoa raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, this isn't another trick, is it?"
Reirei's face met with her paw.
"Uh brother... no it's not. I don't need to pull those stupid tricks anymore."
Madoa tilted her head.
"Oh come on, they weren't stupid."
Reirei's ears perked up.
"Uh, yeah! You're darn right they weren't! They were all genius! Kion is just too over powered!"
A yellow bat flew on to the scene, then quickly flew away in a blur to fast for anyone to notice. Madoa walked up to her, and she put a paw on Reirei's shoulder.
"I'm going to ignore everything you just said. You are a smart Jackal Reirei, so why do you try and hurt others?"
"I don't, I mean, I try not... I don't care!"
Madoa smiled. Reirei wasn't anywhere near as tough to crack as Janja was.
"Oh course you care, otherwise you wouldn't have changed."
Reirei tried not to look at Madoa.
"You don't have to answer that question, but I do want you to answer this one. What made you want to change?"
The Jackal looked down.
"I don't know. I've spent, my entire life doing the same thing over and over again and gained nothing from it. If Jackals know how to do one thing, it's how to get what they need."
Madoa did not expect in a million billion years to hear anything like that from the Jackal pack leader. She was dumbfounded.
"Can I tell you a secret Madoa?"
"Of course!"
"I was actually offered a position in Thimba's army..."
"Wait, what!?"
"Yeah... they wanted me to join. I turned it down."
Madoa smiled at her.
"I'm glad that you did."
Reirei smiled, a very subtle and minuscule one, but still a smile nonetheless. Madoa saw it, knowing that Reirei was trying to hide it the best she could.
That's when Goigoi came back with the pups.
"See, I told you they were over there."
Reirei and Madoa looked at each other, then rolled there eyes. Madoa turned to the cubs, "Alright, Tunu, Wema. This is Dogo and Kijana."
The children greeted each other.
Reirei said, "You all scamper off and do something, I don't know. Just don't die, otherwise I'll kill you."
Madoa chuckled at that.
The children ran off to go and play with one another. The hyena and Jackal had gotten along surprisingly well despite their histories. Both of them found it quite relieving to finally know someone else they could relate too, having to look after little ones. That peace did not last for long however, because a couple hyenas lead by Sevaga, all sporting the Talon and Bone logo on their shoulders, came by to crash the party.
"I would ask what is going on here comrades, but I would most likely only get excuses."
Reirei's ears perked up.
"If it isn't little inbred British boy over here."
Madoa bust out full on laughing like a hyena, because she was one. Sevaga was not amused.
"Bloody Jackals, you never learn to be respectful, do you?" He said as he tilted his head.
"What do you want Sevaga?" Madoa asked.
"I simply did a head count, and noticed that two of our Jackal workers were missing. I now find out that a hyena had swindled them away."
"You're jumping to conclusions too quickly, I didn't 'swindle them away' as you say. We're just talking."
"'Just talking' isn't going to get anything done. We need you to get back out there and play your part."
Reirei joined in.
"I'm just taking a break Sevaga, no need to get your gonads in a twist."
"Watch your language with me Jackal."
"My name is Reirei."
She bared her teeth and began growling at him. He was not phased, and still stood there smiling, along with his hyena lackeys. Jasiri rushed onto the scene worried.
"What's going on here?" She asked.
Sevaga turned to her.
"I found these three here trying to slack off while everyone else slaves off in a heat filled desert."
"That's not what it is-" Madoa tried to say before being interrupted by Sevaga.
"Well what else is it Comrade?"
Silence.
"Do not interrupt my sister again." Jasiri told the Aardwolf.
Sevaga slowly turned to face Jasiri again.
"My dearest apologies Comrade, I lost my temper."
He turned back to Madoa.
"I'm sorry for that, I'm just a bit miffed at the moment. Some clan trouble has put me in kind of a bad mood."
"It's ok, happens to the best of us." She responded.
Sevaga continued.
"Surely you can understand though, that it would be quite an insult to those out there in the heat working their hearts out if you were just over here relaxing in the shade, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah... I mean, I guess..."
"And surely you can understand that we need to get this done as quickly as possible and not have this kind of stuff slow us down. You're either here to work, or your not here at all."
Madoa thought about it some more. Jasiri was speechless, her mouth hanging open slightly, her eyes looking around, trying to desperately string a sentrance together and think of something to say. She couldn't though, he had put them in a dead end.
She finally said something to her sister. "Madoa... I think you and the cubs might just have to head back to the clan. Let's try to not start anything here."
Madoa called the cubs over.
"I'm sorry but, we have to go."
"But why?" They both asked.
"This is a very serious place, and I'm not going to force you two to dig out in the dirt in this intense weather."
All three of them began to leave. Jasiri whispered "See you back at the clan." As Madoa passed by.
Reirei watched on in disbelief at the scene. As soon as Madoa had left, Reirei said, "Hey hey hey HEY. Hold on here! You, preach to us about getting to work and not slacking off, when you and the rest of Nabii's little gremlins she calls a clan aren't doing any work at all!"
Jasiri's ears raised at that. Reirei was right. Some of Nabii's clan was there. Not Nabii herself, Sevaga was filling in for her. Not once did Jasiri see them working on the canal with everyone else.
"Yeah Sevaga, what's going on there."
What happened next the two of them did not quite expect. They expected Sevaga to have trouble coming up with an answer. They expected to see him searching around frantically and see him starting to sweat. Instead however, he raised his head, straightened his hair a little bit, and replied with his answer.
"Simple answer Comrades. Someone has to make sure everything is in check, don't you think? There always needs to be leaders, otherwise there would be chaos and disarray! You don't want that now do you?"
"Well I think I should be in charge then!" Reirei added.
Both Sevaga and Jasiri looked at each other, then back at the proud Jackal.
"No" They both said in unison.
"Worth a shot." Reirei shrugged.
The Australian hyena turned back to the Aardwolf. Before she could say anything though, he shut down the arguement.
"Let me put it this way to you Comrades. Do you want water, or not?"
Jasiri still stood there speechless again. Reirei stood there glaring intensely at Sevaga, trying to eye him down. A wave of more silence splashed upon them as the triangle of animals who stood in a verbal stand off. Goigoi and the pups stayed back, along with Sevaga's henchmen.
"Yes, our groups are running low on water. The sun is drying it all up quicker than we can find it." Jasiri replied.
Reirei hated to admit it to herself, but Sevaga was right. This was the only way to get water. Though she wasn't in agreement with who should be in charge, he was right that if she ever hoped to survive, they needed that canal finished and finished now.
"Then I suggest you two get back to work."
Reirei spoke to Goigoi without even turning to him.
"Take the pups back to Tembea and the rest of the pack."
"Yes dear. Alright kids, let's get a move on."
They walked out to return to Reirei's growing pack. Reirei herself and Jasiri slowly shambled out, declaring defeat against Sevaga.
"The ends justify the means Comrades. The ends justify the means, that's my philosophy."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kiburi crawled through the cave tunnels. The massive reptile rounded corners and continued to lower himself deeper and deeper into the volcanic tunnels. He passed by the mahogany rock walls that looked like the were molded by the hands of a mad man. Carrying some insects on his back, he knew he was getting close to his destination when he saw a scarlet glow coming from deep within the bowls of the volcano. Passing by Crocodiles and rhinos, brown hyenas and other animals, the heat intensified as bubbling lava flows and boiling magma pools had showed themselves. Skulls of various animals lay left and right, belonging to the older inhabitants of the volcano. A massive lizard once lived here, the biggest of the current era. Foolish humans would might have even confused him for a Dinosaur that had not yet gone extinct. The King of the Backlands, Scar Snout. Former king, really. All hail the new king of the Backlands, Camazotz, the Daemon Sultan!
Kiburi rounded a corner and came upon a twisted sight. Unlike the Outlands volcano, the Backlands volcano crater was much deeper due to centuries of inactivity. The crater was a pit of fire as spires of yellow and white molten rock poured deeper into the glowing abyss down below. Kiburi was well below the surface of the Earth, and yet the crater still went deeper. In the center stood a larger surface connected to the tunnel Kiburi went through by a giant rock bridge. There were other tunnels that connected to the crater, but none to the stone platform in the center. In the middle of the raging storm of fire, upon the platform, there lay mountains of bones. A throne sat upon the piles, fashioned out of the picked bones of the ones who once lived there. Sitting on top was the Lord of the Mountain, Camazotz. The massive hulking bat sat diligently with his ears perked high and mighty, casting a shadow in front of him that resembled a horned demon.
"Kiburi, my favorite reptile returns to me. Come, bring me the good news."
Camazotz already knew what Kiburi was going to say, but he wanted to hear it spoken out loud. The serpent slithered closer to the physical chaos in front of him.
"Sir, I have great news about Sly."
Camazotz clasped his claws together and leaned forward, resting his head on them.
"Oh do tell me more."
"His spies have reported back to us."
He gestured his head towards the insects he was now revealing, still perched on his tail.
Camazotz sat back up.
"His insects escaped? Perhaps that mud covered hair ball isn't a lost cause after all."
"Sir, e could use this to our advantage. Have Sly play along with Nabii, and use his spies to give us all the information we need to tear those Outlanders limb from limb."
"Gooooood my tiny apprentice. Just leave some of them alive for me to handle though, I'll tell you which ones when we cross that road." Camazotz licked his lips again, revealing the long, snake like tongue he was equipped with.
Kiburi smiled.
Camazotz leaned forward and whispered, "Do not fail me."
Camazotz licked his lips another time. Kiburi quickly turned around so he wouldn't have to look at the demon any longer.
"Alright guys, you know the plan." He whispered to the bugs.
When Kiburi had finally made it back up to the surface, he bumped into two faces he had become acquainted with now. Thimba and Hatari. The blue rhino and Tiger had become a regular sight outside the volcano now.
"You guys better pay me big time for this." The tiger spat at the rhino.
"Do not worry, you will not regret this."
Category:Sun Rise
Category:Jack Krueger
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