Back with Makuu...
"Ow!"
Makuu burst wide awake when he felt something clamp hard onto his tail and thrashed about in the water until he hit something. It was Masika, reeling back from the blow Makuu made with his tail. A few seconds later, Zaire emerged from the water with a soaking wet and very much wide awake Talib gasping for air.
"Masika, what the hell were you doing?" Makuu snapped.
"Okay, I definitely deserved that tail smash to the head, but at least it worked," Masika said, her attention clearly not on Makuu.
"What worked?" Talib asked as he coughed up some water.
The sodden bird pushed himself up until he was in a crouching position on Zaire's snout. Talib ruffled his feathers, scattering water droplets everywhere.
"I wanted to see what Makuu's reaction would be like if I woke him up the same way I usually do with Zaire, and he did," Masika explained.
"You did what?!" Talib exclaimed. "Masika, how many times have I told you to not wake other crocodiles up using that method? One of these days someone will break your jaw, or worse. You could have gotten really hurt, and not only that, but you nearly killed me this time around! Now my feathers are all wet, which means I won't be able to fly for who knows how long. Do you know how long it takes for my feathers to dry when they get this wet?"
"Whoa, jeez! Calm down, Talib. I didn't mean to nearly kill you. I just wanted to have some fun. Just be glad that Zaire was around to save you, or else you probably wouldn't be here yelling at me right now."
"Wait, what? Zaire saved me?"
Talib looked down and finally realized who he was standing on.
"Oh. Hi, Zaire. Didn't notice you. Um...thanks for saving me from your sister's stupid decision."
"No problem, Talib. It was no big deal," Zaire dismissed with a growl.
"What?" Makuu asked, sensing the brother's unhappiness.
"Come on, bro. Admit it," Masika prompted in a teasing tone.
"Admit what?" Talib asked, before his eyes became alight with realization. "The two of you made a bet on whether or not I would thank Zaire for saving my life. You nearly killed me and got yourself smashed in the head, just to win a bet?! I know I should be surprised, but considering it's the two of you, I'm not."
"That is correct. Now Zaire has to pay up."
"What does he have to do this time?"
"There's a rotten smelling swamp not that far away from here, and we both agreed that the loser would have to spend the entire day in that swamp," Zaire explained unenthusiastically.
"Alright, fine, whatever, but could you two just do me a huge favor and try to stay out of trouble in the future?" Talib pleaded as he fluttered off of Zaire and onto Makuu.
"Great! Thanks, Talib! Come on, Zaire! Let's go!"
Masika swam off with a big smile on her face and an unhappy brother tailing her.
"And Zaire, make sure you clean off any swamp smell before you come back!" Talib yelled.
"No arguments there," Zaire responded.
Soon, Masika and Zaire were out of sight, and both Makuu and Talib hoped, but weren't positive, that the siblings would stay out of trouble.
"Well, that was certainly an eventful start to the day," Talib spoke, then fluttered onto Makuu's back before turning most of his attention to preening his feathers. "I should have known that Masika was eventually going to do that. How's your tail?"
"It's not broken if that's what you're asking, but I didn't expect her to have such a strong bite," Makuu said, turning his head to inspect his tail. "Anyway, it's nice to see that you're feeling better."
"Thanks. I guess I really did need the rest after all. And she's not the only one, you know. Compared to most crocodiles, the ones from the River Valley have very strong bites, which is mainly due to their larger size and body structure. That may make them more powerful, but it also makes them a lot slower, which can cost them in a fight. Then again, I have never seen a crocodile from the River Valley lose to an outsider."
"Sounds like they can take on anything."
"River Valley crocodiles are highly skilled fighters. They wouldn't think twice about backing down from a fight, even if it's one that they can't win. That's where their stubbornness crosses the line. No offense to my Northern friends, but they aren't exactly the brightest bunch of crocodiles I have ever met. Not to say that they are dumb or anything. River Valley crocodiles are smart, but I have seen others who are even more intelligent than them."
{Hmm...I wonder...}
"Talib, I have a few questions that I want to ask you..." Makuu began to say.
"That's all you've been doing since the day we met," Talib interrupted.
"I know that, Talib, but I'm hoping that you'll answer these specific questions truthfully, even though I'm pretty sure that they are none of my business."
"Does this mean you trust me?"
"As compared to both Masika and Zaire, yes. No offense to them, of course."
"Of course, and I really appreciate the gesture of trust. I promise I will answer your questions truthfully and to the best of my ability."
{Okay, here goes nothing.}
"You obviously know a lot about the River Valley, and this is most likely before your time, but do you know anything about a crocodile named Dakarai? And speaking of mysterious crocodiles, do you have any information regarding the ones from the Crescent Valley?"
Makuu's questions were answered by silence. Talib had stopped his preening, for he seemed to have fallen into a trance, and not the good kind. Makuu waited for Talib to say or do something other than stand on his back with a vacant expression. A few minutes passed by before Talib finally snapped himself out of his own trance.
"Well? Are you gonna answer me or not?" Makuu questioned.
"Out of all the questions you could have possibly asked me, you had to ask those two?" Talib quietly responded.
"Nothing else is bugging me more than those two questions, whose subjects seem to constantly be discussed, but at the same time, very little is known about them."
"There are reasons for that, but I guess I might as well tell you the truth, starting with Dakarai. Now, is there anything specific..."
"What did Dakarai do to make the entire float scared of him?"
"...He was a psychopath. He manipulated the young and naive, filling their minds with fantasies of being the strongest fighters around. Sometimes even convincing them that they can be the greatest fighters in the world. As you could imagine, all that power got to the youngsters' heads, and many of them died trying to prove themselves."
"What about the adults? Didn't they do anything to stop Dakarai?"
"They tried, but Dakarai made sure that their efforts were in vain. Most of the adults were afraid of him, and if one of them got in his way, he would send them a message."
"What kind of message?"
"The one that results in a one-way trip to your final destination."
"He killed them?!"
"Yes and no."
"Well which is it?"
"Both, actually, and before you decide to interrupt me, let me explain. Yes, he killed those who got in his way, but he only used that as a second resort if they didn't back down after the first message."
"And what did he use for his first messages?"
"You sure you want the answer to that?"
"Talib, please, I want to know."
"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. To deter the adults from challenging him, he made sure to personally deliver the decapitated bodies of the young to their parents."
"He...he killed the kids of the crocodiles that opposed him?"
"Unfortunately."
"Now I can tell why the crocodiles of the River Valley are terrified of him. So, what happened to him, and why place past blame on Zaire?"
"First off, no one really knows what happened to Dakarai after he was exiled. Although, Nia - who, by the way, was Dakarai's mate, and is Masika and Zaire's paternal grandmother - is apparently the only one who knows what happened to him, but she refuses to talk about him, ever. Some believe that Nia killed him during his exile, while others believe that he is still alive, in hiding, and up to his old tricks. These points bring me to your question regarding Zaire. Some believe that Zaire is the reincarnation of Dakarai, while others believe that Zaire was and possibly still is training with Dakarai, assuming he's still alive. Satisfied?"
"Yeah. Thanks. Now, mind telling me about the Crescent Valley? Zaire said the place is basically a giant death trap."
"For once, I have to agree with Zaire. The Crescent Valley is a definite danger zone, no thanks to the predators that live there, especially the crocodiles, who are the southern opposites of the ones from the River Valley. They are about the same size as normal crocodiles, but physically, they aren't as strong. However, what they lack in strength, they make up for in speed. In some cases, they are even more dangerous than River Valley crocodiles, and should always be treated with extreme caution. Most importantly of all, you can never trust any of them. They are highly intelligent and extremely devious. I wouldn't suggest getting into a fight with one of them. These crocodiles take their jobs very seriously, and they will not hesitate to do anything to get what they want. Strength doesn't matter in a battle with their kind. The only way to beat one of them is if you are both smarter and faster than them."
After hearing what Talib had to say, Makuu felt his scales turn cold, a long lost feeling of fear pulsing through his veins, and he didn't like it one bit.
"Talib, there wouldn't be any reasons for those crocodiles to wander away from their home, right?" Makuu asked.
"If you're asking if there is a possibility that a Crescent Valley crocodile could come to the Pridelands, then the answer would be yes, but I doubt you would have to worry about it," Talib replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. The only reason their kind would wander away from home, let alone be this far north, was if they held a deep-rooted grudge against someone."
"Is that the only reason? I mean, couldn't a Crescent Valley crocodile leave for another reason?"
"What other reason would there be?"
"Maybe one of them didn't like the violent ways of their float and so they left to find a new home and start a family, away from their past."
Silence followed before Talib burst out laughing.
"Ha! That is absolutely ridiculous! There is no way that would be a reason for a Crescent Valley crocodile to leave home!"
"You sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure. You've never seen them for yourself, Makuu. It's just like what Zaire said, and it's just like what I've explained. They. Are. Monsters."
"Well, not all of them are like that, or so I've heard."
{Zaire's probably gonna kill me when he finds out. I mean, that is assuming if he ever finds out.}
"Who are you...oh stars, what did Zaire tell you?" Talib asked.
"He told me that his mother, Mesi, originally came from the Crescent Valley, and I'm pretty sure we can both agree on why she left and never told anyone anything about her past."
"Mesi? Are you sure? I mean, it would make sense, but I would have never believed that Mesi, of all crocodiles, would have come from the Crescent Valley. This...this is just unbelievable! Did Zaire tell you anything else about this?"
"Not really. He didn't give me much to work with regarding Mesi or the Crescent Valley."
"Well, looks like Masika and I will have to have a chat with Zaire."
"You do realize that as soon as you mention to him everything that I just told you, he will immediately know that it was me. After seeing how deadly of an opponent he is, I would much rather be on his good side."
"That's a smart decision, but how do you expect me to learn more about this without talking to Zaire? No one from the River Valley, aside from Zaire and myself, has ever been that far south."
"Shouldn't Mesi be counted in that minority?"
"No offense to Mesi, but I doubt she could be of any help if she refuses to talk about her past."
"Don't look at me! What do you expect me to do?"
"How about we start with you actually losing for once?"
At the sound of the voice, Makuu spun around and spotted Kiburi floating in the water just a few tail lengths away from him and Talib. On the shore behind his rival, Makuu could see both floats fighting each other.
{They're back already? They attacked yesterday, and it's blazing hot today! This is just perfect.}