A Crocodile's Journey

Chapter 22

"Go on ahead without me! I have to help Makuu!" was the answer as Kitwana started to dart towards the canyon.

"Wait, what?!" Umoja quickly ran towards Kitwana and stopped right in front of him, blocking the way with his legs. "You can't! You'll get hurt, and Makuu ordered you to flee!"

"He did, but I'm not leaving him behind after he came to save me!" Kitwana retorted, rushing through Umoja's legs and towards the direction of the gunshot.

"Kitwana!" Usian called out in worry.

"Go fetch the Lion Guard!"

Kitwana didn't turn back, he merely ran along the edge of the cannon, trying to find his adoptive father or the poacher. Another gunshot directed him in the right direction; a few more meters ahead, he looked down into the bottom, spotting Makuu hidden behind a big rock, and the hunter on top of another, trying to get a good aim at him.

He needed to get down, but running back down the slope would take too long, and he wouldn't be able to climb unto the rock with this climate. This left only one option, but it was risky and very reckless.

But Makuu had risked his life to save him too.

Gathering all his courage and remembering all of Bakshi's words regarding gliding, Kitwana took a running head start and rushed towards the edge of the canyon to jump off right at the edge. As he fell down, he managed to balance his body out as he dove down, directing himself to the poacher's head. At the last moment, he spread out his wings and a current of cold air slowed his fall down enough to reach his target.

The poacher cried out in surprise when suddenly a small weight crash against his head, but it didn't end there: Kitwana clawed at his hide and started pecking his face.

The poacher yelled in anger, but in his struggle to grab Kitwana's neck his foot slipped from the wet rock, and he fell down with a painful thud, hitting his head hard against the ground. The rifle flew and landed a few feet away.

Kitwana was sent flying as soon as the man's body hit the ground, but thankfully he didn't break a wing this time.

"Kitwana!" Makuu rushed out of his hiding place, and like Kitwana expected, he was not happy. "What are you doing here?! I thought I told you to go back to the Pride Lands!"

Despite the situation, Kitwana smirked. "Yeah, but given that technically I'm not part of your float anymore, and Bakshi is not around, I took it as a suggestion."

For some reason, he saw his own smirk reflected back at him. It was something he would have done too. "Touché, kiddo." He chuckled.

Both turned towards the human, but he hadn't moved since his fall. He had seemingly hit his head too hard and lost consciousness. A few feet away, they spotted the famous weapon dirtied with mud.

"What do we do with them?" Kitwana said silently.

"I cannot finish him off while unconscious, it wouldn't be fair," Makuu sighed in disappointment, but then glared at the gun. "That thing, on the other paw..." Without a second thought, he walked up to the riffle, picked it up in his mouth and closed his jaws shut with all the strength he could muster.

The weapon was snapped in two like a piece of wood, and all its contents spilled to the ground.

"PUAJ!" Makuu spat the metal pieces and remaining gunpowder from his mouth. The bitter taste remained in his mouth, however. "And I thought bird feathers tasted horribly..."

Kitwana was about to reply when he heard something apart from the rain. It sounded like a great amount of water approaching at high speed. He wasn't the only one who heard it; Makuu turned his head in alarm towards the other side of the canyon in time to see his worst fear come true.