Tigeronda's Rise: Rescuing Kesa (For story only)

Chapter 2

Ular had been traveling for a few hours now and knew the edge of the Bezdan Forest was close by how thin the canopy was becoming. He sighed, his paws heavy with fatigue. He slowed down looking for a spot to lie down and rest for a while, when he heard the sound of flapping wings above the trees. He looked up in the gap of the canopy to see Terbang coming toward him, the air making him float. Ular sat down where he stood and waited for Terbang to land safely.
Terbang’s clawed feet touch the soft ground and he clutched a foot full of the ground while he folded his wings and looked up and Ular. “Sire? You asked me to find you?” He asked softly a bit frightened by the forest he was at the entrance too.
Ular looked at the crow and smiled. “Yes I did.” He said softly, watching Terbang hop from one foot to the other. Ular got up and padded away slowly, circling in the hollow of two roots.
“Sir? May I ask what it is you needed?” Terbang asked his voice shaking. He hopped over to Ular, looking around nervously as he did so.
“Terbang are you alright?” Ular asked when he noticed how the crow was acting.
“N-no sire, this is the Bezdan Forest. This place scares me.” He said softly. He shivered at the thought, feeling eyes on his back.
“Okay well then I need you to deliver a few messages.” Ular said laying his head on his paws and sighing. “First message is to Phantom and Stephano; tell them I should be returning home tonight and that we will begin our quest at midday tomorrow. Second is for my brothers, telling them that I need them to meet me at High Stones tonight so that I can tell them what is going on.” He said looking up at Terbang to make sure he was still listening. “And last is for Landi, tell her to meet me tomorrow morning so we can talk.” Ular said this and closed his eyes.
“Is that all sire?” Terbang asked looking at Ular nervously, his feathers ruffled as he was itching to leave this forest far behind.
“Hmmm?” Ular said opening his eyes a moment to rename who he needed to speak with and nodded to Terbang. “Yes that is all Terbang. You may leave now.” Ular said before settling his head back on his paws and closing his eyes. The last thing he remembered was the flutter of wings as Terbang took off to do as he was told.

Terbang flew quickly out of the Bezdan Forest, his feathers ruffled by the fear that he felt for the place. The encounter with the unknown Leoparonda still fresh in his mind as if it had happened yesterday. He hadn’t told Ular about the encounter because he didn’t want to worry the High King. It had been about three years since the encounter had occurred and he was still terrified by the forest. And if he had to fly in the direction of the forest he normally found an alternate route which took him longer but made him safe, however this time he didn’t have a choice because he had to find Ular as he was instructed, but he was happy to be leaving the forest far behind now.
Terbang looked at the canopy of the forest that zoomed by under wing in a blur and stopped something unusual. He tilted his head to one side as he dipped down lower. As Terbang got closer he knew what he had seen. It was Phantom walking through the forest with another Tigeronda that Terbang didn’t recognize. The Tigeronda was odd in a way; she was orange with a snake pattern not stripes. Then it dawned on him, she was a rare reticulated Tigeronda that High King Api had spoken of once a long time ago.
Terbang decided he would pay the captain of the guard a visit now and tell him what Ular had instructed. He swooped low, cawing to get the captains attention before landing in a tree not far away. Terbang preened his feathers while he waited for Phantom to pad up to him with his mate. "Hello Captain. Lovely day out isn't it?" Terbang asked smiling.
"Why yes Terbang it is. I don't believe you have met my mate, Nadir?" Phantom said sweeping his tail toward his mate.
"Nice to meet you Nadir." Terbang said bowing a bit.
"H-hello." Nadir said shyly. She hid behind Phantom, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“You do know that you are the mate of the most esteemed captain and best soldier of the Royal Guard, don’t you?” Terbang asked her cocking his head to the side to look at her with one eye.
Nadir looked at the large crow and nodded. She was afraid to speak anymore to the crow for fear of her thoughts being told to the world and especially High King Ular.
“Terbang? Do you have a message for me?” Phantom asked after he saw the look on his mates face.
“Ah, yes Captain I do. High King Ular said that he will return tonight and your journey will begin at midday tomorrow. I trust you to pass this message on to your soldier Stephano.” Terbang told the Captain.
“Of course. Thank you Terbang. I must leave you now to prepare for the journey and find Stephano.” Phantom said, drawing his tail around his mate and beginning to walk away.
Terbang simply nodded and took off into the air again to look his King’s brothers and deliver the message.

Landi shook her head seeing the empty hangatberry bush. Her supplies of them were low and she needed them, but her luck was not looking good. She had found six hangatberry bushes empty of berries. She growled, “Darn scavengers. They are always taking the berries.” She muttered to herself. She sighed softly because she knew that she was upset for other reasons. Her love for Ular was growing and she couldn’t be with him which hurt. Now he was going to rescue Kesa. ‘What am I going to do now? I don’t want any other male but him.’ She sighed again at her thoughts.
Suddenly she was brought out of her thoughts when rustling in the bushes not far from her drew her attention. “Who’s there?” She called, receiving no answer. Slowly she made her way over to the rustling bushes. She saw how much the bushes were moving and knew that whatever was in them was big.
Then to her surprise a copper Tigeronda jumped out in front of her, the Tigeronda’s claws were extended and teeth were bared.
Landi jumped back, unsheathing her own claws as she did so. “Who are you and why are you here?” She growled menacingly, her claws digging into the ground as she waited for an answer.
Tembaga looks at her, his sight blurring as he watched her. “I- I’m…” Before he could answer he started to sway and hit the ground with a hard thud.
Landi watched and shocked she grabbed the herbs she had already collected and race over to his side. Landi looks the young male up and down his right side, seeing no cuts of any kind on him, but seeing the blood spreading in the grass beneath the male. She slowly puts her muzzle under his side and rolls him over gently. As she does, blood from a deep wound on his left flank splashes onto her pelt. She quickly grabbed the Merendamweb she had collected earlier and began applying it to the gash. Then she heard the caw of Terbang. “Terbang, go get help.” She yelled up at him.
Terbang looked down at her. “But I have a message for you from High King Ular.” He called down to her.
“You can deliver you message after you get help and I can get him stable. NOW GO!!!” She roared to the crow.
Terbang flinched immediately turning around and flying toward High Stones. Terbang hadn’t known how fierce Landi really was until she had to help someone. He looked at the ground, finally spotting Stephano. He swoops down in front of Stephano. “Come you must help.” Terbang panted softly.

Landi paced beside the young male Tigeronda when she suddenly heard Terbang caw and the bushes to her right rustle, Stephano emerging from them. “About time.” She growled. “Help me get him home to my den. He is badly wounded.” She said toward the thick guard. She helped Stephano get the male onto his back, where the injured Tigeronda laid snugly. “Okay let’s go, just be careful to not bump him much, he has lost a lot of blood.” She told the guard, who nodded and began to run at a soft pace. Landi was surprised at how graceful Stephano was on his feet, his body not jarring in the least with his gait. She snapped out of her revere and was soon dashing after him with her herbs in her mouth.
Landi drew up behind Stephano as he waited at her den. She huffed, the run here having taken her breath away. She knew she had to save this young male. He was badly wounded and she wasn’t sure how or when. “Stephano take him in and sit him down gently.” She told the massive golden Tigeronda.
Stephano nodded and padded into Landi’s den with the Tigeronda on his back, he could smell the blood that was coming from the young one. He lay down, slowly rolling so that the young one could slide off his back gently. When the young Tigeronda was on the floor Stephano got up and turned to pad out of the den. “Landi he is on the floor of the den.” Stephano said before padding off into the woods again.
Landi looked at Terbang. “What did you have to tell me?” She asked impatiently. “Hurry up I have a patient to see.” She said, looking at the crow and glancing at her cave.
“High King Ular told me to tell you he is sorry for the pain that his betrothal to Princess Kesa has caused you and he wished that he was going to be with you. He said if you no longer wish to be his friend, he understands and maybe one day that the two of you will be together.” Terbang said repeating High King Ular’s words exactly how they were said.
Landi looked at Terbang but quickly looked away, trying to hide her tears from the raven. “Please tell him I still want to be his friend and that I love him and always will.” Without giving Terbang time to react or reply Landi was up and padding away into her den. She let her tears fall, knowing that Ular had been sincere when he told Terbang those words. She wished it had been her that he had been betrothed too.
Landi sniffled a minute before padding over to her patient, seeing the shallow rise and fall of his side as his breathing was fading away. She quickly set to work; she had very little time to save this Tigeronda. She padded to the small bush near the back where she had dug holes to keep her herbs and keep them fresh. She sniffed each hole, looking for the sweet tangy scent of the kayo berries that would help this Tigeronda’s wound clot. She had checked seven holes already when on the eighth hole she found them. She reached her paw down into the hole and pulled out several kayo berries grabbing an olden leaf in her mouth and hobbled back to the dying Tigeronda. She laid the olden leaf down and put the kayo berries on it, with her toes she started to mash the kayo berries up on the olden leaf. When she had a good paste of kayo berries she scooped it up with her tongue, and removed the merendam web from his wound. Slowly she places her paws on him holding him down with her weight and put the kayo berry paste into his wound. She covered his wound with the paste, feeling him jerk up.
She watched as his eyes opened and he began to struggle. “Stop moving so that I can treat your wound and you may keep your life.” She growled at him, shocked when he quit struggling. She scooped up some more of the paste putting more into his wound so that it would all seep into his wound and clot the wound. When she was finally satisfied she went back to her herb storage after telling the young male not to move a muscle. She sniffed again and caught a whiff of the darah berries that she need. Their bitter smell stinging her nose slightly, but she reached in the 2 foot hole and pulled out six of the berries. She put them on an olden leaf and carried them back to her patient. “Eat these.” She said softly now. “You have lost a lot of blood and these will replenish it.” She told him, watching him and making sure he ate the berries.
“Why are you helping me?” He asked finally speaking calmly.
She looked at him and sighed. “I’m a healer and it’s my job to help those in need. Would you rather I had left you to bleed out and die?” She asked a little harsher than she had intended.
He shook his head frantically. “I’m grateful. Thank you.” He said closing his eyes through the pain. “Where am I?” He asked through gritted teeth.
“You are in High King Ular’s kingdom.” She answered going to get some menenangkan berries from her stores. Returning with them she gave them to the young Tigeronda. “What is your name?” She asked him.
“I’m Tembaga….” He trailed off the menenangkan berries instantly soothing him into a deep sleep and easing his pain.
Landi sighed and padded to her den entrance. Looking out at all the birds flitting around in the sky and the trees. She sighed remembering how she and Ular used to do that before he came back to take his place as the rightful heir of the Eritye Kingdom. He was high king to the Tigeronda Kingdom; Eritye, Jistis, Valtakunta, Odare, Lofsting and Ondre being the six kingdoms. They made up one of the three Empires in Anpi. The Jistis kingdom belonged to the Tigerobra, the Valtakunta belonged to the Ligeronda, Odare belonging to the Jaguarobra, Lofsting belonging to the Cheetahobra and the Ondre belonged to the Leoparonda. Landi sighed again.
“Why couldn't we be together?” She said out loud. Her thoughts roaming to how she and Ular had met. She had been out collecting herbs for her stores, when she stumbled upon the three brothers, the youngest had been dangling in Ular's mouth, every rib was visible in the little scrap of fur. She watched them as they stumbled along without even noticing her. The silver one and the dark grey blue one looked healthier than the little cub, but she noticed their exhaustion. She slowly slid out of her place behind the kano berry bush padding toward the three slowly. “Um... Excuse me." She said softly
She watched as they spun around with their claws unsheathed and ready to fight. She jumped back cowering in front of them. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to help.” She said glancing up at them. She watched as their claws sheathed and their postures changed.
The dark Tigeronda slowly and cautiously padded over to her. The little bundle of fur still dangling from his mouth. He sat the little male cub down and looked up at her. He cleared his throat making it plain to Landi that he obviously hadn't used his voice for quite a while. He cleared his throat again before he tried to speak. “How can you help us?" He squeaked his voice strength at his lowest. He looked at her waiting for an answer.
She looked up at the sky, " Well for starters, I can give you shelter from the rain and food." She had told him, watching the smile that lit up his face.
Landi shook her head hearing rustling from the bushes. She narrowed her eyes before seeing Phantom step out of the bushes coming towards her. “Phantom; How can I help you on this lovely afternoon?" She asked padding across the clearing to meet him half way.
Phantom nodded to her and sat down. "Stephano reported you have a patient that doesn't seem to belong to the Eritye Kingdom, is this true?" He asked before licking his paw and swiping it over the back of his left hood.
Landi narrowed her eyes at him. "Tembaga is badly wounded and not to be moved." She growled fiercely. “I’ll admit I've never seen him in the kingdom before, however he is protected by law of the healers and High King Ular." She said looking at the caption of the guard. “Or do you wish to defy that law?" She questioned him.
“No Landi. I was simply asking for clarification." Phantom said looking at her, his head down in submission to the healer.
“Well it has been clarified." She growled. “You may leave. I must attend to my patient." She said turning her back to him and padded back to her den.
She listened to him push through the bushes as she padded into her den seeing Tembaga stirring and in pain. “Don’t move Tembaga.” She said padding back to her stores to get more menenangkan berries. After retrieving them she went back to Tembaga and watched him eat the berries.
When he was asleep again she lifted the merendam web off Tembaga’s wound and sighed with relief seeing that the wound had clotted and she could now clean and inspect the wound thoroughly. She pulled the web off completely before getting up and padding to the little stream that ran through her cave.
Landi picked up a wad of moss that lay beside the stream and soaked the moss in it. When the moss was good and soaked she took it back to Tembaga where she gently started cleaning Tembaga’s wound.
Tembaga slept through the entire cleaning process as Landi knew he would. Landi sat the bloodied moss to the side so she could get a good look at Tembaga’s wound. She winced when she finally saw how deep the wound was. “I need to get him stitched up.” She said to herself.
Slowly she padded to the back of her den to the rock ledge that held her stitching materials. She grabbed the kipu web and jahitan jarum stem, carrying it over to Tembaga and laying it down beside him before going back to her store. She sniffed for the minty scent of the arpia voide paste. Finally finding the paste she scooped out a pawful and put it on an olden leaf. She wrapped up the paste in the leaf and took it back to the side of her patient and began stitching him up slowly.

Ular padded into the high stones clearing, exhausted from his travel to see Neraka. His paws ached and throbbed as he stumbled to his den. He was happy to be in his own den again and even happier to hear the flapping of Terbang’s wings. He looked up to the sky looking for the crow in the darkening sky. He finally spotted the crow and lay down to wait for the crow to land.
Terbang cawed as he landed next to Ular on the jutting rock that had made a home for the crow for years now. “Welcome home sire.” He said upon landing.
“Thank you Terbang. I know you have delivered my messages, but I’m afraid that you’ll have to take a message to Stephano and Phantom at first light. Tell them I at least a day and a half to recuperate and gain my strength again.” He told the crow.
“Yes sire. I shall leave at dawn to deliver the messages. Sire Landi had a reply to your message.” Terbang said waiting for Ular to ask for the return message.
Ular looked at Terbang with a raised brow. “Really? Well then tell me.” Ular said quickly.
Terbang nodded. “Landi said that she still wants to be your friend and she loves you and always will.” Terbang repeated the message as it had been told to him.
Ular nodded and laid his head on his paws, closing his eyes. “Thank you Terbang…” He said trailing off as he drifted into slumber.

Kesa sat up slowly when she heard a voice at the entrance to her heavily guarded prison. She watched as Kurjak padded into view. “Kurjak.” She rasped as the dark Tigerobra padded closer with his limp. He came to see her often.
“Hello young Princess.” He said bowing his head to her before getting closer to inspect her healing wounds. “How is the sight in your lift eye?” He asked her as he did every time he visited.
“It is healed completely. I can finally see clearly.” She told him.
Kurjak padded closer so that he could check her scars. He smiled seeing that she had no scars. “Good no scarring. I’m glad, but that means I’ll be coming to check on you less now.” He told her as he padded around to look at her right flank also seeing no scars.
Kesa looked at him. “Wait? Why won’t you be coming by as much?” She asked with a panicked tone.
Kurjak looked at her. “Because your wounds are all healed.” He told her watching her face fall in sadness. “But I’ll still come by when I can.” He said quickly.
“Alright.” She said turning her back on him and lying down. She put her head on her paws and let out a huff of air. She really didn’t have a choice in the matter, seeing that she was the prisoner and he was only here to heal her, nothing more. She fell into a fitful sleep not hearing him exit or anything else but the screams of her nightmare.