𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 , shuri udaku - discontinued

JABARI LAND

CITY OF STARS.
09. ❛ jabari land. ❜

NIGHT HAD FALLEN and the five found themselves being escorted to M'Baku's throne and when they were close enough a guard behind them slammed his staff into the ground, making everyone jump.

Ramonda stepped forward, holding back tears. "My son was murdered in ritual combat."

"Were the odds fair?" M'Baku raised his eyebrows.

Nakia nodded, "Yes, but-"

"It was less a murder, than a defeat." M'Baku corrected.

Shuri frowned and lifted a finger at him. "Do not rub our noses in it!"

"Silence," M'Baku announced. "I make the pronouncements here, girl."

Ross stepped forward, and M'Baku's head snapped in his direction. "Look your highness, the new king..." Ross was soon interrupted by all of M'Baku's men with their chant. Ross stares in confusion and tried to speak again but the chant got louder so he screwed his mouth shut.

"You cannot talk. One more word and I will feed you to my children." M'Baku boomed and Ross took a step back.

Ramonda cast her eyes to the floor as M'Baku slowly smiled. "I am kidding. We are vegetarians." He laughed to himself.

Aria let out a snort and before she could actually laugh, Shuri slammed her foot down on Aria's to shut her up. Aria made a silent pained noise and tried to shake off the pain, glaring at the princess.

Nakia stepped forward, kneeling to the man. "Great Gorilla, M'Baku," she held out the Heart-Shaped Herb to him. "This is why we are here. To offer this to you. An outsider sits on our throne. Only you can help us stop him."

Slowly, Ramonda, Shuri, Aria, and Everett kneeled. M'Baku stood from his chair with a serious face, "Come with me."

M'BAKU LED THE GROUP to another hut in the snowy mountains where, unbelievably, T'Challa lay in a sheet of snow.

"Impossible!" Nakia exclaimed, rushing to his side with Shuri and Ramonda following her. "Is he breathing?"

"He's in a coma," M'Baku replied. "Barely clinging to life. Our fishermen found him near the edge of the riverbed. They brought him to me."

"Why do you keep him in the snow?" Shuri asked, her voice raising.

"It is the only thing keeping him from joining the Ancestors."

"We need to get him back to my lab, I can heal him there," Shuri explained with rushed words, her fingers fussing around with the snow. 

"Take him. He'll be dead in seconds." M'Baku added.

Ramonda looked at Nakia. "Nakia, the Herb." Getting a mashing bowl, Ramonda turned the Herb into a liquid before feeding it to T'Challa. "I call upon the Ancestors. I call upon Bast. I am here with my son T'Challa. Heal him."

Noticing M'Baku looking away out of respect, Ross and Aria followed his actions. Aria hung her head low, she could hear the group behind her praying and she wanted to pray but she didn't know what to say.

She hugged the green blanket closer to her body as the wind ruffled her midnight blue hair. Aria never really was religious and at times like these where she wanted to pray for T'Challa, she wished she knew what to say.

T'Challa suddenly breathes out heavily, the snow covering his body slipping away from his skin. Aria spun around with a relieved smile. T'Challa looked around before breaking into a small grin as Shuri's eyes well up with tears of joy. "Do you have a blanket?"