| Chapter Twenty-eight |
Hours more had passed. Zak and Kaza were still humming to each other. The other cubs had stopped caring and the
humans could apparently not hear them. Hope was lying by the cage door, occasionally trying to get some response out
of Jozay. Sapphire had more or less organized the rest of them around Babylon in his corner of the cage.
“We have got to do something. The fire heads are crazy, Hope is crazy, and Jozay, whether he is crazy or not, is not of
much help tied to the wall. It’s up to us four to figure a way out of here.” She looked around at Zipper, Shadow and
Babylon. “I’m usually pretty good at planning these things, but you guys aren’t hyenas. I need to know your abilities.”
“Well, as I said, I’m really fast. But unless we get out of this box that’s not of much use.” Zipper still wore his perma-smirk.
It seemed impossible for the young cheetah to look gloomy.
Sapphire moved on. “All right then, Shadow. What do panthers do?”
Shadow shrugged. “I don’t know the first thing about panthers. Until tonight I had never even heard of them.”
“Well, in that case I guess they’re probably not natural escape artists? Okay then, Baby?”
The liger didn’t look annoyed, but he did correct the pup. “I am Babylon the Second. And if I had all my strength back, I
could be of some use. I may even be able to force part of this cage apart. But I can’t even stand up yet. I need more time.”
Sapphire did not look happy. “Every passing second takes us further and further from home. My clan will feel they need
to select a new Incosi soon. I have no sisters. I wonder if they will pick one of my older cousins.” Her musings were
interrupted by a very insistent Hope.
“Sapphire! Zipper! Please come here, I need your help!” Normally the cautious hyena would’ve had a few questions first,
but Zipper trotted right over without hesitation, so Sapphire reluctantly followed. Hope asked, “Zipper, you’re from the
Pridelands, right?” The cheetah nodded enthusiastically. “Okay guys, I need your help with something, and you two are
the only ones who can do it. Incosi Sapphire, could you please stand beside me to my right? Zipper to my left?”
The hyena and cheetah did as they were asked, although neither knew exactly why. Hope turned to address Jozay once
again, although he did not look up. “Jozay, listen to me. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. You
want to feel sorry for yourself? Fine. But know this. I don’t think you ‘failed’ at anything back on the ground. You outlasted
the king, the battlechief and the hunt mistress. You kept pursuing when the cheetahs and hyenas couldn’t. Not even
Ashayla dying stopped you from trying to rescue me. From humans Jozay, humans with their machines and weapons and
magic we don’t understand but that didn’t stop you. You are the bravest creature I know and I… I love you for it.
“And now we’re captives in a prison in the sky. While we are all as helpless as newborn mice, you have a connection to
the Living Circle and to powers none of us have. So whether you like it or not… we need you. All of us need you. I need
you.” It was a stirring speech, even if the rest of them didn’t understand all of it. “So guess what I’m going to do now. I’ll
give you a hint. Below you are a lion, two lionesses, a cheetah, a hyena incosi, a panther and a liger. Three of us are
from the Pridelands and we are all very far away from any of our homes. To me that sounds like a pride plus four. We’re
a kingdom, Jozay.”
At last Jozay looked up. “You wouldn’t dare…”
“You’ve had it coming. It will happen eventually.”
“Not for years!”
“Well guess what, it’s happening now. Zipper, Sapphire, bow to the prince.” Hope bowed low to her cousin. Zipper
followed suit with a quizzical look. At first Sapphire was going to refuse outright, but then she looked Jozay in the eyes.
She could read his face as well as a fresh scent trail. He was not denying that he was royalty. He was not denying that
such was his destiny, even if the timing was sooner than he expected. This was real. He was true Izusan royalty, and all
dust clans held them in respect. Sapphire bowed as her mind raced to recall the current Pride Rock royal structure. This
was familiar but something didn’t make sense…
Hope preformed the simple ceremony that would officially bind at least the four of them in an unbreakable bond of
protection. “Incosi aka Incosi. We touch your mane.”
The silence was tangible. Shadow, Babylon, even Tezaka looked up to watch Jozay. Finally the young cub sighed,
smiled, and responded, “I feel it. May Sozo’s blessings be upon you.”
humans could apparently not hear them. Hope was lying by the cage door, occasionally trying to get some response out
of Jozay. Sapphire had more or less organized the rest of them around Babylon in his corner of the cage.
“We have got to do something. The fire heads are crazy, Hope is crazy, and Jozay, whether he is crazy or not, is not of
much help tied to the wall. It’s up to us four to figure a way out of here.” She looked around at Zipper, Shadow and
Babylon. “I’m usually pretty good at planning these things, but you guys aren’t hyenas. I need to know your abilities.”
“Well, as I said, I’m really fast. But unless we get out of this box that’s not of much use.” Zipper still wore his perma-smirk.
It seemed impossible for the young cheetah to look gloomy.
Sapphire moved on. “All right then, Shadow. What do panthers do?”
Shadow shrugged. “I don’t know the first thing about panthers. Until tonight I had never even heard of them.”
“Well, in that case I guess they’re probably not natural escape artists? Okay then, Baby?”
The liger didn’t look annoyed, but he did correct the pup. “I am Babylon the Second. And if I had all my strength back, I
could be of some use. I may even be able to force part of this cage apart. But I can’t even stand up yet. I need more time.”
Sapphire did not look happy. “Every passing second takes us further and further from home. My clan will feel they need
to select a new Incosi soon. I have no sisters. I wonder if they will pick one of my older cousins.” Her musings were
interrupted by a very insistent Hope.
“Sapphire! Zipper! Please come here, I need your help!” Normally the cautious hyena would’ve had a few questions first,
but Zipper trotted right over without hesitation, so Sapphire reluctantly followed. Hope asked, “Zipper, you’re from the
Pridelands, right?” The cheetah nodded enthusiastically. “Okay guys, I need your help with something, and you two are
the only ones who can do it. Incosi Sapphire, could you please stand beside me to my right? Zipper to my left?”
The hyena and cheetah did as they were asked, although neither knew exactly why. Hope turned to address Jozay once
again, although he did not look up. “Jozay, listen to me. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. You
want to feel sorry for yourself? Fine. But know this. I don’t think you ‘failed’ at anything back on the ground. You outlasted
the king, the battlechief and the hunt mistress. You kept pursuing when the cheetahs and hyenas couldn’t. Not even
Ashayla dying stopped you from trying to rescue me. From humans Jozay, humans with their machines and weapons and
magic we don’t understand but that didn’t stop you. You are the bravest creature I know and I… I love you for it.
“And now we’re captives in a prison in the sky. While we are all as helpless as newborn mice, you have a connection to
the Living Circle and to powers none of us have. So whether you like it or not… we need you. All of us need you. I need
you.” It was a stirring speech, even if the rest of them didn’t understand all of it. “So guess what I’m going to do now. I’ll
give you a hint. Below you are a lion, two lionesses, a cheetah, a hyena incosi, a panther and a liger. Three of us are
from the Pridelands and we are all very far away from any of our homes. To me that sounds like a pride plus four. We’re
a kingdom, Jozay.”
At last Jozay looked up. “You wouldn’t dare…”
“You’ve had it coming. It will happen eventually.”
“Not for years!”
“Well guess what, it’s happening now. Zipper, Sapphire, bow to the prince.” Hope bowed low to her cousin. Zipper
followed suit with a quizzical look. At first Sapphire was going to refuse outright, but then she looked Jozay in the eyes.
She could read his face as well as a fresh scent trail. He was not denying that he was royalty. He was not denying that
such was his destiny, even if the timing was sooner than he expected. This was real. He was true Izusan royalty, and all
dust clans held them in respect. Sapphire bowed as her mind raced to recall the current Pride Rock royal structure. This
was familiar but something didn’t make sense…
Hope preformed the simple ceremony that would officially bind at least the four of them in an unbreakable bond of
protection. “Incosi aka Incosi. We touch your mane.”
The silence was tangible. Shadow, Babylon, even Tezaka looked up to watch Jozay. Finally the young cub sighed,
smiled, and responded, “I feel it. May Sozo’s blessings be upon you.”
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