The Upendi Day Celebration

The Stranger in the Forest

"Hey, Ono! How much further to the Maji Safi River?" Kion called out to the Egret, who was flying above and leading the way.

"Not far, Kion! The Maji Safi is located in the middle of that forest up ahead!" Ono replied as several huge trees eventually loomed into their sights not too far from them.

The pair eventually arrived at the forest and began trekking through the massive foliage around them. Ono, being a bird, was able to fly amongst the trees and tree branches overhead with ease but he had to slow down for Kion, who struggled to get around the thick bushes and underbrush on the ground. After navigating around the trees, they finally reached the heart of the forest where a small clear-water river flowed through.

"Here we are, the Maji Safi River! Where over twenty different species of fish swim here everyday, including tuna fish," Ono announced as he hovered over the flowing water.

Feeling rather tired and thirsty from trekking through the forest, Kion leaned forward and took several gulps of the river water. "Hevi Kebisa! The water here is ice-cold!" he exclaimed the moment his lips came in contact with the water.

"Yup, the Maji Safi river actually originates from the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro over there, so the water that flows in the river here is expected to be cold," the Egret explain while nudging his head towards Mount Kilimanjaro that can been seen towering above the forest through the thick foliage.

Kion let out a heavy sigh after hearing this. "Oh… I have a feeling that I'm not gonna enjoy fishing for tuna in this ice-cold river. Well… this one's for you, Fuli," he said as he walked ahead and prepared himself to dive into the river.

CRACK!

Both Kion and Ono gasped and turned around when they heard the sound of something moving about in the bushes right behind them.

"What was that?" Ono whispered in panic as he perched himself on Kion's mane.

Before Kion could answer, the bush rustled once again and both Lion and Egret could make out a spotted animal hiding within the leaves and branches of the underbrush.

"Look, there's someone hiding inside that bush," Kion whispered back as they saw the animal had now remained completely still.

Slowly, the Lion cub cautiously approached the bush and stopped a few feet away from it.

"Whoever's hiding in that bush, come out and show yourself!" Kion fiercely ordered as he unsheathed his claws and gritted his teeth.

Both Ono and Kion prepared themselves for a possible attack, as the bush rustled heavily and they could hear a low growl coming from within. Suddenly, the hidden animal shot itself out from the bush and landed right in front of Ono and Kion. The two members of the Lion Guard gasped and their widened when they finally had a good look at the intruder. He was an animal they both had never seen before; he had the body of a medium-sized domestic cat with a pair of noticeably large ears, and his golden-yellow fur were covered with several black spots that resembled those of a Cheetah's.

Kion was stunned when he saw the strange animal who was slightly bigger than him, but he managed to maintain his composure as he faced the intruder. "Who are you? State your name and intentions, now!" he ordered with a growl.

The strange animal snarled fiercely at first but immediately backed down when he realised that he was only being confronted by a Lion cub and a small Egret.

"The name's Mwongo, kid, and I'm just out here minding my own business," the animal casually replied in a deep and gruff voice before extending a paw to Kion. "Don't be shy! Put it in there!"