A Crocodile's Journey

Chapter 19

Soon after escaping, the animals found themselves into yet another problem: they had no idea of which direction to go to return to the Pride Lands. They were in the middle of a desert, and some were in no condition to travel. Julisha's leg had a wound reminiscent of a crocodile's jaws that left her limping, and she couldn't gallop. They hadn't seen it because her prison hid most of her body from view.

As Kiburi pointed out, they had gone from the frying pan into the fire. Almost literally, in this case. "Did any of you at least consider this scenario before talking about escaping?" He asked the other animals, irritated, especially when none of the others could give him a positive reply.

"Well, frankly, it's better than being locked up back there," Usian stated.

"Whatever we do, we should stick together," Julisha said. "We'll have more chance of making it back that way."

Makuu usually didn't like working with animals that were not crocodiles, but on this occasion, he knew there was no other choice. The desert was the worst place for a crocodile, and he and Kiburi would need all the help they could get, especially since the latter hadn't eaten properly for who knows how long, and he himself hadn't been properly fed.

Thankfully, it was nighttime, and though it was very cold, they would rather have it that way while they thought of something, plus the stars helped them navigate around.

Kitwana then mentioned that King Simba had gotten lost in the desert during his exile, and was taken by Timon and Pumbaa to an oasis where Simba spent a few years before returning to reclaim the throne; he suggested to search for that oasis, take a break in that place and then return to the Pride Lands from there. The animals agreed it would be the best course of action... if they could find it before dropping dead from dehydration.

This was when Makuu noticed his foster son was not the same... almost. He had matured considerably, and he no longer acted like a crocodile (thankfully, he wouldn't have wanted Kiburi to make fun of him). However, he didn't talk to him much either, and he seemed to keep his distance even more than that time when he scolded him for getting into a fight with Mshale.

This hurt him.

The group wandered around the desert all night, while Kalere occasionally flew up to take a look at the surrounding areas, in search of the fabled oasis. Nurisha and Usian, being very small in comparison to the others, wouldn't be able to keep up on foot, so the former wrapped herself around Jafari's neck, and the latter rode on Julisha's back. Kitwana, however, continued on foot, even though he had to run for a few feet to catch up.

"You know, you could get on my back so you won't waste your energy..." Makuu offered.

"No, thank you," Kitwana said politely. "I wouldn't like to bother you."

The formal tone in which he spoke stung Makuu, he was talking to him as if he were a stranger. It bothered him, but as he tried to say something else, nothing came to mind. He even ignored the amused look Kiburi gave him.

Eventually, the sun rose, and with it came the hellish heat. Though the group felt the terrible wave of heat, it affected Kiburi and Makuu even more, since they were cold-blooded and had nowhere to cool down. Since crocodiles did not sweat, their jaws were almost wide open in order to release body heat, but it did not help much without any water or shade.

Much to the crocodiles' luck, the group soon came upon a rock formation that formed a cave, and they stopped there to rest. Exhausted and overheated, Makuu and Kiburi lay down with their jaws wide open and didn't move from there; in fact, they were so drained of energy they fell asleep. Meanwhile, Kalere went to look for any signs of the oasis.