Warning: Some parts of the first few chapters may be a bit messy so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes in there. If you guys see any I might've missed PLEASE let me know. Cuz I like, cannot stand those errors if I don't fix em. I get OCD around those mistake LOL.
Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this new series. The Jungle Book was a big part of my childhood and I really wanted to expand my imagination on it a bit. :)
Prologue
"We don't have much time, Lazarus! We wait any longer, and we lose our only daughter!" The dark cheetah mother stroked the head of her child, who was peacefully asleep in her arms. Despite her daughter's serene state, she knew that behind it all was a clock ticking away at the very last seconds of her child's lifespan.
Her husband sighed heavily with worry. "You think I don't know that Marie? If we leave now we'll be hunted down! I can't risk losing you or our child!"
"We stay here and you lose both of us!" She spat back. "Staying here puts us at a greater risk. We can't hide forever."
Lazarus looked over his shoulder, ensuring no one was around to eavesdrop in on their conversation.
"Then our only option is to leave tonight. If my research serves us well, I know how we can save her." He stroked his daughter's head, smoothening the furrowed brows on her forehead.
Their child, about only seven years old, had been diagnosed with a rare jungle-type fever. It wasn't a typical fever that came with a burning head and coughing. It was far more fatal, and practically life-draining. Symptoms included difficulty breathing, and in worst cases a coma. Which, unfortunately, was what their daughter had ended up in.
The couple waited til midnight until they took action. The city they resided in wasn't the safest nor coziest place to be on the planet. And what made it all the more welcoming was that their kind had been through a recent genocide war in the past few years. Even though the war was declared over, terrorist groups still ran amok. Searching for any way to splurge out any remains of the black furred cheetahs.
Marie and Lazarus slipped through the shadows after leaving their apartment. Shuffling behind buildings and through alleyways to get where they needed to be. Lazarus' heart pounded so hard in his chest that he feared it was audible enough for any terrorist attackers nearby to hear him. Marie kept close beside him, holding his hand tightly while cradling their child with her other arm.
"There, that's the shop!" Lazarus pointed to a humble looking shack in the distance. Marie squinted her eyes in disbelief.
"Are you insane!? How exactly will this-" before she could finish, a piercing howling noise exploded into the streets.
The Red Dogs
Her husband grabbed her arm and sprinted without hesitation. "It's better than nothing Marie!"
The two of them rushed to the doorstep of the shack and pounded on the door. A grumble came from the other side, walking to the door. Who could be crazy enough to be up at this hour? The owner opened the door, revealing an old woman with black sunglasses. Her expression immediately shifted from irritated to surprised.
"Marie, honey! Come in! Come in quickly!" The woman led the cheetahs inside and locked the door. Then peeked out her window, clearly searching for any Red Dogs nearby. Once the coast was clear, she shut the windows and flipped on the light switch. Turning her attention back to the couple.
"What brings you two lovebirds here?"
"Mama Odie, we're here because of our daughter," Marie revealed the cub in her arms, which only resulted in an eyebrow raise from the Voodoo Queen.
"She's out like a light, ain't she? Jungle Fever, if I'm right?" Marie nodded as the old woman reached her hand out to the cub. Pressing the back of it against her forehead. Unlike most fevers, this rare type of Jungle Fever makes your body temperature drop to dangerous degrees. As expected, the cub was as cold as ice. Mama Odie flinched her hand away at the chilling touch.
"Come here, I think I have what you folks need." She led them to a small room with a guest bed. A table stood humbly in the corner, covered with scrolls, potions, and other herb-like ingredients. The Voodoo Queen rushed over to it, swiftly searching through the mess. She held her hand up in triumph as she held a single feather. Marie eyed her with confusion.
"What exactly-"
"This is a Phoenix feather, child. A rare type of bird known for its incredible power of rebirth and destruction." She placed the feather in a grinding bowl and began to mush it up. "Normally I'd never use this type of ingredient. Which is why I only have one feather. But I knew I'd need it one day. I can make a special brew that will heal your daughter, however, with magic comes a price to pay, I'm afraid."
"We'll pay for it! Anything you need! Just, please heal her," Lazarus pleaded. Marie's eyes looked to her loving husband, and they linked arms in support.
"What is the payment required?" asked Marie.
"Merely, a responsibility you must keep throughout your daughter's life," Mama Odie explained. She was already transferring the mushed up pieces of the feather into a small cauldron. "Your daughter will gain the powers of the Phoenix, IF the spirit of the Phoenix allows her to be healed. If it does, she will be the next holder of its power. And what you and your husband here are required to do, is to raise her to control her new gift. If your cub never learns to control it, the fire can burn her from the inside out." A terrified expression sweeped over the couple's faces. Marie, who was reigning back her tears at this point, felt the weight of the situation weigh down on her immensely. Lazarus breathed out a shaky sigh, and nodded.
"Then we'll help her control it. We'll do whatever it takes."
"Very well," Mama Odie stopped stirring the mixture and beckoned the couple towards her. "Bring me the girl. She'll need to consume this. Are you both sure you want to-"
"YES! YES WE ARE!" Marie practically shouted. Shocking both her husband and the Voodoo Queen. The decision was made, loud and clear.
She walked over to the old woman with her cub still cradled in her arms. Mama Odie ladled a spoonful of the elixir from the cauldron, feeding it to the child. Slowly and surely the cub cub consumed the brewed potion. Marie's eyes never left her daughter. Waiting anxiously for any sign of movement. Any sign her daughter's soul was still with them.
Please....please work...
The cub's eyes slowly cracked open. The first thing she sees is her mother, who had tears running down her cheeks with a smile.
"M-mom?"
Marie squeezed her daughter with joy. "Yes! It's me honey! You're gonna be ok now."
"Well then, that oughta do it. But remember....you will need to train her well."
"We will! I promise we will! Oh, thank you Mama Odie!"
The old woman happily embraced the mother and father. This was what she lived for, helping those in need and guiding others. She had been close friends with Marie for years now, and couldn't be more glad to help them with their daughter. Her gentle eyes flicked over to their cub, who was already getting up from her mother's arms.
"You now carry a wonderful gift inside you child," she said to the cub. "It is very powerful, but I'm confident your mother and father will teach you how to use it wisely." The cub nodded, still unsure of what her gift may prove to be like in the future, but the old woman's calm voice gave her serenity over the situation.
"Ok, Miss Odie."
"Well, we should get going now," Lazarus said, taking his daughter's hand. "We can't thank you enough for-" An abrupt and harsh pounding at the door knocked him off his sentence. Loud voices surrounded the shack with sirens in the distance.
Mama Odie knew all too well about who was after them, and tried to lead the dark cheetahs to the basement. Before they could even take a single step to hide, the door broke down. Revealing a lion with a jet black mane and scar on his right eye. Behind him hovered several hyenas as well as a small army of red dogs. The room suddenly became colder.
His green eyes landed on the voodoo queen.
"Step aside, old woman. I believe that man over there has something that belongs to me."
Miss Odie looked over to Lazarus, who stared dagger aback at the black maned lion.
"I gave you what you wanted. Leave my daughter and wife alone. They are not apart of this."
Scar smirked. "That's not in your hands to decide that. I came here to establish what is just and pure. And your species has toiled the city of the Savannah."
"By doing what? We've done nothing wrong!"
"By introducing false hopes and ideas that your people have used to tear this society apart." Scar clicked his claws, stepping closer to the couple. His eyes then caught sight of their daughter, who hid behind her mother. Marie's arm protectively wrapped around her child. Scar's expression grew wicked.
"I see you two have been busy..."
"Leave her out of this!"
"Why should I? Why risk having another one of your kind crawling around spreading ideals that mean nothing?"
"She's just a child!"
"Indeed.....she is," Scar drew closer to the child, who leaned away from him. "I've tried countless times to warn you Lazarus. But every time without fail, you and your wife continue to spread your beliefs across the Savannah." The lion's gaze narrowed on the cub.
"It seems I've been too merciful."
"You can't have her!" Marie screeched. Holding her daughter close. "I'll rip you with my own claws if I have to!"
"No need for that. I won't be the one doing it," Scar breathed out as he signaled two hyenas after the child.
Marie hissed at them, her fangs bared. They linger at her in both directions but she evaded them. Her leg kicked one on the stomach, sending it flying and hitting a wall. The other tried dogpiling her but failed. Marie summoned all her strength and threw him off. Scar noticed her determination and rolled his eyes. Must he do everything himself?
Scar pounced against the wall and ricocheted towards Marie from behind. Before she could catch his movement he grabbed her daughter's arm. Yanking her towards him and pushing Marie away. The dark cheetah lunged at Scar once she regained her composure but a group of hyenas held her back. Her limbs flail wildly as she scratched and screamed. She wouldn't go down without a fight. Lazarus had been trying to hold them off but they were able to invade through the windows and back door. Mama Odie was already blasting spells left and right at the crowd of red dogs. But none of their efforts were enough. In the end it was fruitless as they were clearly outnumbered by hundreds of hyenas and red dogs.
Scar reigned back the cub who was fighting under his vice grip. Just like her mother, she roared and clawed at him. Trying to escape. His claws dug into her arm, shutting her up for the time being.
"The price of your disobedience is your offspring." The lion glared at Lazarus and Marie venomously. "You know the law."
"An unjust law created by a monster! That's what you are! Your laws are dirt to us!" Marie struggled to break herself from the hyenas, rage fueling her at this point.
Scar hummed. "They are the law now, and there's no alternative." He motioned the hyenas with a flick of his wrist. "Take her and Lazarus away. I will take care of the child. Do what you will to the witch."
"I am not a witch!" Mama Odie shouted as she was dragged away.
The screams and curses from Marie and Lazarus soon faded as they were carried out into the streets. Scar followed with the cub still in his claws.
"Let my parents go! Let them go you mean mean monster!"
Scar yanked her back. Her ember-like eyes blazed with fury. The lion gasped silently at this. Her power.....something was different. This child was not the same as before. The prophecy....no...no no NO! It can't be possible!
The cub was enchanted by the spirit of the phoenix. He thought those birds were extinct! Wiped out completely hundreds of years ago! No...they remained alive another way.
Through this cub...
"You my dear, are coming with me," Scar forced her forward as they walked into the streets. Following the hyenas who were dragging her parents.
"No! I won't come with you! LET ME GO!"
Scar, undaunted, continued to drag her with him. As they made it into the center of the street, they crowded around the cub's parents. Lazarus was tied back to back with Marie with a few hyenas standing beside them. Waiting on Scar's command.
The lion smiled darkly at them. "Turn them to ashes."
The hyenas sneered and snickered. Pouring gallons of kerosene on the couple. Their screams emanated throughout the city of the Savannah. But no one was coming for them. No one but the cold wind and the lot matches held in front of their faces. Their cub tried to pull away from the lion's grip. She couldn't just stand there and watch. She had to try! Try to save them! Her mother.....her father....she couldn't let them die!
In the end, her struggles were no match for Scar's strength. He held her back with little effort. Yanking her back like a rag doll, forcing her head to face her parents.
The hyenas lit the couple aflame. The fire engulfed the two cheetahs as their screams grew tenfold. The mother however, was silent. Her eyes suddenly sent a loving gaze back to her daughter, who had waterfalls streaming down her cheeks. No words could describe the events of that night. The pain that was felt both by the parents as well as their child was unimaginable. The entire crowd of hyenas and red dogs watched with anticipation and excitement. Her parents.....were being burned for their entertainment. She had seen others of her kind face the same fate. Tortured on the streets and put up for show like circus freaks. The stuff one would only conjure in a nightmare. But this was real. Her mother and father were right there, eaten alive by the flames. The cub felt her heart shatter as she watched them burn. Her knees buckled as her body became paralyzed with shock. They were gone....just like that. It happened all too fast and too easily.
As much as she prayed it was all a dream, there was no waking up from this.