The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior - Episode 2

 

Koni Jasiri crouched in the long elephant grass and stilled his body. He could feel his brothers behind him, waiting for his order to attack. The sun was just setting and the day’s heat had cooled down. Koni raised his head and watched as the group of buffalos moved closer to the watering hole in the vast savanna grassland. The bull leader stood before a group of young ones who were drinking water, the bull was protecting the young ones . It shifted its large head towards Koni’ direction as if to sense the presence of the predator. Koni stilled, from the corner of his eyes he could see one of his brother’s Sudi move silently towards the watering hole.

‘’What is he doing?’’ Dume another brother asked his voice booming through Koni’s head, communicating through telepathy was skill they all possessed. Sudi had always been impatient, Koni wanted to stop him but the bull buffalo had already notified the rest of the herd of the presence of a lion.

‘’Sudi stop,’’ Koni tried to warn his brother but it was too late, the herd of Buffalos had already detected them.

‘’Now,’’ Koni gave the order and the four brother’s moved as one towards the herd that was now running away from the stream. They ran amid the dust raised by the herd scampering for safety

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-dancing-bride-and-her-spirit-warrior

. Their target was the bull leader as it was the largest in the herd capable of feeding the Koni and his four brothers.

With the five brothers working closely, they managed to separate the bull from the herd and circled it. They were all avoiding the bull’s sharp horn as it was capable of inflicting damaging injuries. The bull slowed down when Sudi jumped on its back, sinking his sharp claws on the massive animal’s back. The bull grunted and threw its strong legs back nearly kicking Dembe on the face. With enough disruption Koni managed to grip the throat of the bull with his powerful jaws, crashing its windpipe.

Dume and Manute were busy warding off the other buffalos away. This was a strategy because, the herd had a tendency of coming back for its captured friend. The bull fell on his fore legs and Koni strengthened his grip, digging his claws deeper and jaws until he heard the neck of the animal crush. With its last breath, the bull gave its last breath and fell down.

Dume and Manute came back to join the feast after the heard had been chased off to a reasonable distance.

‘’Yeah that is how it’s done,’’ Sudi exclaimed as he tore a large chunk of the bull’s leg.

‘’You are reckless Sudi, you nearly caused us our dinner,’’ Koni answered before a lump on his throat. He was hungry but at the same time wanted to admonish Sudi for his impulsiveness.

‘’Relax Koni, we are eating aren’t we?’’ Sudi said and Koni could almost feel his youngest brother snickering even though they were in their animal forms.

‘’If I were you I would be filling my stomach rather than arguing, who knows when the hyenas, those laughing idiots are never far from a fresh kill,’’ Manute’s said, is face inside the belly of the bull.

Koni only shook his head and silently agreed with Manute, there was a lot of time to admonish with Sudi, right now they had to focus on the meal. The presence of fisi was a nuisance and Koni was not in the mood to deal with them today.

For the next few minutes, the only sound coming from them was of bone crunching and the flesh ripping from bones. There was occasional roars and grunts from the brother’s. Each possessive with their on piece of flesh. The sun had now set and the nocturnal animals began singing their night time songs. The air was filled with sweet scents of flower if you could by go the smell of fresh kill. Koni raised his head from their prey and licked his jaws.

‘’What do you think Koni?’’ Manute asked Koni raising his head

Nyati Animal Reserve was a big place and blessedly quiet better than Nairobi National Park. Koni and his team were in the area to inspect the animal reserve. Their company had been contacted by the Kenya Wildlife Service to investigate the recent poaching activities reported in the area. Koni and his team were to do a thorough research and report. Though thorough investigations were done, Koni was still not convinced that the place is clean. Something else was holding him back. Something that Koni was determined to figure out.

A new scent was in the air, oranges and lemons, he noted.

Instinctively he started to move away from his brothers towards the scent. He looked around and he could not see anything that could create such enticing fragrance.

‘’Koni save me,’’ a weak voice reached out to him as if carried out by the wind blowing on his face and ruffling his dark thick locks. Automatically he ran towards that voice, someone was calling up to him. The voice was new, not like any he had ever heard. Koni knew that was not normal. Unlike his brothers who could communicate with him through the head, this voice seemed to be carried by the wind.

‘’Koni…’’the voice went on weaker and weaker.

‘’Where are you going?’’ Manute’s voice asked. Koni didn’t have time to look behind to know that his brothers were following him. In a short while they would all be behind him. They always stick together, they were strong together. In their world, being alone meant a very possible death.

‘’Koni…’’the voice went on. Koni growled back, he had a feeling that if he didn’t reach the owner of the voice soon, he would regret it.

‘’Can you hear it?’’ Koni asked Manute as he sprinted across the grasslands. Even with dark Koni could see so well with his enhanced eyesight. Manute was hot on his heels, their steps cushioned by the soft earth.

‘’Hear what?’’

‘’The voice, the sweet scent?’’ Koni asked running faster, he could scene the presence of Dume, Sudi and Dembe close. They had joined him. The scent was getting stronger and stronger even though the voice had gone silent. Koni panicked.

‘’The sweet scent? What!!…,’’ Dembe started,

‘’Koni can you please explain why we are running towards the town,’’ Sudi asked in an irritated voice. Koni realized they had reached the human settlements but that didn’t slow him down. Technically he was still inside the park boundaries. Nyati Animal reserve bordered Nyati town. As lions, they rarely ventured anywhere near town.

‘’Because Koni smelled a sweet scent,’’ Dume snickered

‘’We have left our meal just because of Koni’s delusions,’’ Sudi continued clearly not amused. Koni growled irritated, if it were not that he was in a hurry to save the one calling out to him, he would have taught Sudi a lesson.

‘’Sudi shut up and Koni stop growling, we wouldn’t want to notify the whole town we are here,’’ Dembe said. It was true, the presence of lions five fully grown male lions charging towards the town could only cause chaos.

Koni slowed his pace and crouched down, scanning the area around him, from a distance he could see a group of boys surrounding something or rather someone. The amazing scent was now stronger.

‘’Koni…please,’’ the voice came back in a low tone, Koni traced it and decided it came from the center where the group of boys were standing.

‘’I can’t believe this…’’ Manute mumbled under his breath

‘’Seriously Koni…’’Sudi started but was cut off when Koni let off a growl and charged towards the group of boys. His brothers following suit.

When the boys heard the lion’s roar, they took off scattering like the wind, leaving one who was holding a…girl. Choking her. Koni saw red, he had a sudden urge to kill the boy. His instincts told him to sink his canines into the boy’s throat.

‘’Koni we can’t kill humans,’’ Manute’s warned after seeing the intent on Koni’s eyes and demeanor.

Koni growled again, capturing the small boy by one of his giant paws and throwing him off the girl. She had passed out. The boy rose on his feet and scampered off like the coward he was. Koni’s brothers were hidden by the bushes only their bright eyes reflecting in the dark night. They knew he could handle the group of boys on his own. They watched as Koni shift to his beast-man form and pick the girl up like a fragile doll. It looked almost comical as the tall warrior cradled the small girl in his arms.

Koni looked at the girl he held in his arms and his heart missed a beat. He felt like they belonged together. He had always known her. He nuzzled her throat to get more of her scent before sitting down with her on his laps. His brothers’ came from the bush and surrounded them. Koni growled and they stepped back. He wanted her for himself, he didn’t want any other male near her, man or lion. She belonged to him.

‘’Congratulations brother, you have met your dancing bride,’’ Manute said, his voice filled with interest. He had shifted to his human beast form. A tall, dark skinned handsome man, his mane turned into dark dreadlocks that spread on his broad back. He was n*ked save from a waistcloth that was covered his waist.

With the darkness surrounding them the brothers could shift and be comfortable. Their enhanced senses told them that they were alone and no human was around to notice their transformation.

‘’She is mine,’’ Koni said reverently looking closely at the girl on his arms,

‘’Wait what?’’ Sudi asked.

‘’A dancing bride means mate, wife, life partner,’’ Dumbe clarified, ‘’ Next time pay attention when we are being given our history lessons, Sudi’’

‘’Check for the marks Koni, she must have some sort of marking on her neck if she is a bride,’’ Manute went on, out of all of them, Manute was the bookworm. So it was only fitting he knew so much about the dancing brides. Koni checked her neck and there he found the markings, they dotted all round her neck and they shimmered when he touched them, sparkling like morning dew in the rising sun.

‘’Uh…guys, shouldn’t we be worried about her being okay first before all this dancing bride business,’’

Koni tuned out his brothers and focused on the girl in his arms, with so much reverence he looked at her.

Read " Jabali's Redemption " by the same author ( Razia Iminza )

. At first glance, she didn’t look much older that fifteen, with her innocent looks and clothes that seemed too big for her, but judging by the strain on her chest and the curves on her waist, she was not a child. He focused on her wounds and tried to ignore her luring curves. Koni checked for any bruising and growled in anger when he found out marks on her slender neck, she whimpered when he touched the angry bruises. She had passed out from being chocked, he desired to follow the perpetrator and return the favor.

The girl looked like she could use a meal or two. She was light as a feather, and looked like she lived a rough life. Through all the dirt in her face Koni could see a small button like nose and generous lips that were paused, Koni found himself staring at them for a while, wishing they would open up and say something. Small silver coated earrings decorated her ears.

‘’…Koni she might need to see a doctor,’’ Manute’s reasoned.

Manute was right and Koni cursed, he didn’t want to let her go now that he had found her. Koni never believed in dancing brides, he thought that was just a story cooked up by the elders to motivate the warriors. Dancing brides were rare and the luckiest warriors met theirs. In his team he was the first one to meet his. Their meeting was not ideal because he nearly lost her to some boy who was choking her.

Which brought him to the question what was she doing out there in the fringe of the forest at such late hour?

Hope you are enjoying the story.

Dear readers.