The cave expected to be dark and scary was rather glowing. Precious stones and cracks from the roof gave the light. But if one is not careful he or she will keep stumbling from every step he or she takes. Because they were bones and skulls all over. It almost look like the tortoise’s shrine. It had things that would make goose pimples rain on ones body. The gorilla searched through the long segmented cave until he met some rodents, his subjects gathering treasures. It was surprising how they got there so quick. From where could they have entered the cave? Anyway, with their smallish bodies, they can easily go through any hole.
It was the rodents that showed him where the lion and the rest of his members passed. Immediately he zoomed off. He ran that way till he burst to an open area. There he sighted them on one of their carts. The lion, tiger, leopard and fox. Maybe they scared those apes that were riding it. There weren’t moving so looking ahead of him he saw the elephant and the chimpanzee standing on their way. The elephant laid branches on the path they stood. When did they leave the battle field that they were already here blocking the path with branches which certainly was cut by them? The gorilla hurried to meet them. He was not alone, though they were less in number but he still believed they can still fight them. The lion and the three animals that were with him got down from the cart and stood there waiting for them to get closer.
“Why are you running?” the gorilla asked. “Did you suddenly forget your words? Remember all you said. You finish what you start, till there’s just on animal standing. I don’t have much to say. I just want to witness it here and now”
“I prefer it here too. But…… was I really running? Sounds funny. Well, maybe. Maybe I was running. Running from staining my claws with your stinking blood. What will I gain killing you? Your meat will surely bitter, your born will be tough to crack and your dirty fur will……., in fact you were lucky because I wanted to spell you but now you are here yourself I have no option”
“I want to see that which makes you boast so much”
The lion turned to the tiger and they all smiled.
“Very naive. If I were you I will run home and be glad to be alive”
“That’s what you were about doing. I see, you not for your personal strength alone but you also rely on your family members and community. You run because you see them no more. But you are unfortunate. There’s no way to run to because it’s the day we are supposed to know who’s the strongest”
“The world will be very eager to see this happen. They must have waited so long to witness it. If I don’t prove myself to them I have disappointed them. I hate disappointing those who trusts me”
Immediately the lion dived the gorilla and the fell to the ground but the gorilla's arm were too strong for the lion. The gorilla was quick at blocking every attack, also rolling over the lion and lifting him up. At that time the lion seemed more powerful for he did most of the attacking and the gorilla tried to save himself from those sharp long canine. The fight was too dangerous. For there were both fast, strong, smart, angry and determined.
“what a wild match!” the elephant said out of surprise.
“I never knew our king can fight so fiercely”
“Me too. Don’t you think he needs our help?”
“Not when those cats are enjoying the scene. They will face you, therefore we have to eliminate them first. None of them here is my match. Anyway, since they are three, choose one and I will handle the rest”
“I take that cunning idiot. I have longed to kill that fox with my bare hands”
“Very well. Those two will feel my size and strength today”
The fight begun, in a short while the fox dropped dead. The chimp killed him without mercy and still wished he comes back to life so he could kill him again. The chimpanzee went to help the elephant for he did not find it easy with the tiger and the leopard. He got more than he ever imagined. Those beasts were too fast for him to handle. Their claws scratch through the elephant skin as if it was on leaves. The gigantic sustain so much injury, so severe that he had a second thought about the fight, taking two opponent at a time was an impolitic idea. But with the help of the chimp the pressure reduced even though it wasn’t easy for them. The chimpanzee with all the tactics got almost killed by the leopard if not that the elephant was lucky to pierce the leopard on the side with his large tusk. The leopard went mad, he left the chimp on the ground and ran away confusedly bleeding profusely. It was certain he won’t survive the injury.
Now both were to face the tiger. They thought that being left alone would weaken him but it seemed the tiger got stronger every single moment. Now they know how strong a stripped cat can be. At first, he was playing as compared to what he was doing currently. The elephant and the chimp were becoming tired but the tiger did not look a bit exhausted. He still faced the two with all his might hurting them more and more and never relenting. The chimp was fortunate to grab his long tail and refused to leg go. The tiger, with all his agility and vigor, the hold on his tail slowed him and then he couldn’t fight well. The elephant got the chance to strike randomly and brutally until they saw that there’s no breathe in him.
Looking at the others side, the gorilla and the lion clashes tirelessly. It wasn’t easy to anyone of them. But none was willing to give up. The king was extraordinarily tough with his thorny wood. That was what weakens the lion to attack recklessly. He was careful yet he got struck. But once he grip the gorilla anywhere he refused to let go. The lion was good at vibrating the gorilla once he got hold of him. The last bite was from the gorilla’s back, on the shoulder near his neck. He held him tight without releasing a bit. The gorilla struggled and struggled and got tired. He was completely helpless and from the look of things he was ready to hold him there for as long as the gorilla keeps breathing.
“We can’t watch him kill our king” the chimp said. And immediately they rushed to help. Lion saw them coming he had no option than to free the gorilla. Why now? Why won’t they allow them fight to the finish? This is partial. They want to intervene because they see that he’s about to bite life out of him.
They lion shifted to the other side panting. Glaring fiercely at them, they too were fuming. But did not go close. The gorilla aroused from the ground, his eyes were different from the normal color. Displaying his mix emotions of anger, detest, malice and pain. He was between life and death. The lion also could not deny having tasted death.
“Do not get involved” the gorilla told the elephant and the chimp “We must finish what we started”
“You should have told them when I was holding you” lion snapped. The lion too did not find the fight light. He couldn’t believe that the big armed creature possession tremendous strength in those arms. He panted, yet still determine to show the gorilla who he really was.
“It’s not late. You can still hold me”
“No time for that now. Now I am concern on how to take your life”
“That was your aim right from the beginning. If you had found it easy, you would have done it and not to say it”
“That’s because I never wanted to kill you fast. I want to torture you for awhile so that you will have the time to recall all I have told you'
“You have done all you could do. Now is my turn. No need for a long boasting”
The gorilla made a loud boastful groan and beat his chest violently. Lion too, seeing him charge, he roared powerfully then he dived him. The gorilla grabbed his upper and lower jaw, stood his ground trying to year it but lion’s force was too much for him to execute his aims. Seeing that tearing his mouth apart was too difficult, he flung him away like a common rodent. The lion fell heavily to the ground and stored dust. The lion found it difficult to rise but when he eventually succeeded he ran into a cave. The gorilla quickly snatched his weapon from Bara who was standing with it, near him and followed the lion into the cave. Immediately he entered the cave closed.
The elephant and the chimp wanted to go after them but they could roll the stone aside. They believed it was locked from inside with some thing other than physical strength. They have to look for another way but we’re not sure to fine another entrance that could lead to where they are. They were sure that anything could have happened before they get there. Why should he run into the cave, was it for safety or to trap the gorilla? Why should he shut it as soon as the gorilla got in?
“Though lion’s don’t give up but they get tired unlike gorillas, them too, refuses to be defeated. And they refuse to be tired when they are angry” the elephant analyzed.
“Who then do you think will come out alive?” the chimp asked.
“Hard to predict. We better rush up. We may be lucky to find them on time”
They ran round the large rock. It took long due to how wide it is. When they got to the front, only place they could see another entrance, they saw their fellow Greenwoods scattered everywhere. Some dead, some alive. The fight was over and the Victory was sure for them. Some treated their injuries themselves while the squirrel helped some with theirs. Animals from Skull-land were all dead, even the lions and lionesses the tortoise seized. They too were lying dead. Maybe it was after the whole fight was over they came back for them. Maybe some ran away but there, there’s not one alive.
The scene delayed the elephant. He checked who survived and who doesn’t. He saw the giraffe staggering with wounded legs. He was lucky to alive. It wasn’t easy for animal without a defensive means. The zebra was still not seen. Could it be that he died? The elephant did not go into the cave again since the chimp has gone and will help out. The elephant went down to meet the rest.
After a short while, the gorilla came out with blood stain all over his fur. He had sustained so much injuries. He stood up the platform with his weapon staring down at them speechless. What happened? Did he lost the lion or he had a second thought? And where’s the chimpanzee that went to help him? The gorilla seeing their faces full of curiosity pulled a rope that was tied to one of his hand down into the cave with a great force. At the end if the rope was the lion tied. He was not dead yet but was closer to death than to life. Because it seem the gorilla struck him countlessly with his weapon. He bled more than the gorilla. There was noise from his surviving warriors, hailing their king’s victory.
“I will let you watch me behead you” the king of Greenwoods told the lion as he could only struggle to breathe. He laid him on the same log they laid his son. He asked for a sharp sword it was thrown into him. He cut the lion’s head after about five strike.
“Now my son will know how much I love him” Tears filled his eyes.
“Indeed he knows” the parrot said. “You shouldn’t be grieving”
“Why not? Why will I not grieve? I came with you to rescue my son and others, I lost many if you and even my son I came to rescue was killed in my very own eyes. Why did I come? Of what good had it done to me? It was better we never came”
“Those that died did not do this only because of you but also for themselves and their families. They came just as you came. For their own good. They were just unlucky. We did not come only to rescue our relatives here but also to wipe those savages away and end the missing of more relatives from our land. If we have not come, the crises in Greenwoods will continue. Many will be missing and the more they are missing the more we loose courage and chances of destroying them. And I must affirm to you that in this battle you are the luckiest?”
“How? By loosing my son or by defeating the lion?”
“Yes, you have a personal new name for yourself today. Now you Merritt the name beasts destroyer. And as for your son, he’s not dead. He over there taking treatment” the parrot who was sitting on a protruding rock near him signaled him to a cart down.
“You said he is alive?”
“of course. He is alive and very healthy”
“But when I touched him he was breathless and blood was all over him”
“That wasn’t his blood because we can’t find wound anywhere. Maybe he fainted or he pretended to be dead by seizing his breathe and did not know you were the one that touched him”
As they were still talking those on the ground have climbed up to meet them. They lifter the gorilla up to their shoulders and threw him up and down as they carefully went down the slope singing ‘Our king is a beast Slayer just as his fathers were' the gorilla could not wait to see his son.
It was evening, the setting sun was a big orange circle and the sky became a mixture of pink and orange. The clouds moved fast like smoke blown from a thick fire. It was late, they must spend the night in Skull-land and leave tomorrow but it was not going to be in the lion’s palace for it will be detrimental. But before they leave they must decide on what to do with those carcasses. As a matter of fact, they will not carry them back to Greenwoods for they were too many and the journey was not a near one. They have to dispose them properly and which they did.