Chapter 2_2

After a few hours they arrived at a local village where they were welcomed by the villagers. Though in fear of what he has also brought with him, the village chief appeared for the people. They were also surprised at what 2 lionesses had brought with it, the heads of a lion and a crocodile, which they presented to the chief.

“does anyone here speak English?” rod said to the chief

“I do!” one of the villagers said

“perfect. Can you come and be our translator?”

“sure.”

Rod then explains of his current situation and they all understood. The pack of lions then rested in the middle of the unlit bone fire while rod and maria was being warmly welcomed by the villagers.

“do you have a phone?” rod asks the translator where they were now in the village chiefs hut to discuss

“no.”

“do you have a car?”

“no. but one will come tomorrow.”

“great! Thank you very for your hospitality.” Rod bows to them

“no worry my friend.”

The village chief then patted rods shoulder saying something in african.
“the chief says that you are a brave soul to have come far bearing gifts from the wild.”

“yes, I had a hard time with surviving in the wild. Though it was thanks to my training that I have gone this far.” Rod said as the translator translates for the chief

“hmm.. we have a tradition in our village for great warriors like you. You must be lucky to have stayed here as we will have a celebration!”

“thank you.” Rod then bows again

After a while, they were done with discussions and rod had gone to maria to know how shes doing.

“her maria—“

Rod then saw maria bathing by the well, naked.

“oh. Sorry for the intrusion.”

“no worries rod. After all that has happened, I think I owe you more than ever. And you wouldn’t also assult me or anything right?”

“me? Assaulting a lady? No.” rod said as he was now facing maria

“when are you not going to look at me?”

“s-sorry, I couldn’t help myself around beautiful women.” Rod said without turning back

“i-I see…” maria then blushes.

“are you alright now?”

“yes, im fine.” She then got near rod who was still staring at her

“what?” rod said with a gesture

Maria then sighs and hugs him. “thank you, for being there with me.”

“no problem.” Rod was smiling as she slowly kisses him.

After a few seconds, a woman called behind rods back where they immediately stopped. Rod then walks back while maria gathers her new cloths to now change. The woman who came didn’t comment anymore as she saw them kissing.

That night, there was a celebration around the bone fire where the pack of lions just watched as the villagers danced around the bone fire. There at the center stage, rod was being painted with a warriors body paint where he only wore an african warriors attire.

After the body paint, he was then about to be tattooed but he stopped it.

“wait rod. Its African warrior tradition to tattoo the warrior on the back with his warrior symbol. To refuse it is rude.” The translator then hurried to rod to let him know.

“oh. But it will hurt a lot so if possible, I would refuse. Since im also not used to it”

The translator explained to the chief and he understood. So the warriors ceremony was finished when rod stood up to the center stage and roared. Rod then had a face paint of a lion with his body all painted up with crocodile tattoo.

The next day, they just played with the children in the village and also slept in his new African clothes. Though maria slept with rod as she had nowhere else to lie down. Then in the afternoon, a jeep came carrying tourists. As rod heard about it, he woke up maria and prepares their things to go back.

“hey guys.. hows your vacation? Can we also hop in too?” rod said with his all torn up tshirt and jeans.

The visitors where all surprised as they all saw rod in the flesh.

“rod mason! Its really rod mason!!”

“can I have your autograph?”

“maybe later. As you can see, we are in a bit of a hurry to go back.” Rod

“since we were lost and all actually.” Maria added behind him wearing tribal clothes

“alright then. But let us first see the sights here.” The visitors said

They then let the visitors go around the village first before they took off back to where they came from. The pack of lions really followed them so rod assured of their safety and travelled slowly.

When they were at the place with lots of trees again, rod then remembers the firefight where they got lost in the first place. Then after some time of travelling, gunshots were heard once more.

“stop this ride guys! And take cover!” rod

“do as he says! We have been in this situation before!” maria

The people in the jeep nodded and got out to take cover from the fire. But as they took cover, the lions all roared which had eventually stopped the fire fight. As if communicating, a jaguar then approached the lions from afar, leading them to the poachers.

With this, the lion that was with rod looked at him where he understood looking all serious and eventually gone with it towards where the poachers would be, crawling along the way. Then they all heard screams from the left side where the lions and rod went.

Maria just stares as rod and the lions goes to the side.

“where is he going?”

“he is responding to the call of the wild.” Maria

“huh?”

“trust me. After seeing him in action, I trust him with all my heart.”

Maria then recalls the events that followed during their walk in the savanna and smiles with confidence as she also took cover along with the others.

After rod got near to the poachers side, there he saw the animals all fighting against the poachers. Monkeys blind some of their sight while being hunted by jaguars and cheetas, some of the poachers try to defend themselves against rampaging rhinos, and some tries to run away only to be hunted by cheetas and hyenas.

Rod then stands to join the fight as he picks up a lying rifle from a dead poacher and killed some who were trying to defend themselves. He ran and hunted down the poachers as they run for their lives against the animals of the wild, where he was being one with the wild.

The freedom fighters then approached the people taking cover after a few minutes when rod left.

“are you people alright?” one of the freedom fighters spoke African

“yes.” the driver said

“we are alright. And does anyone here speak English?” maria said as she stood up

As the freedom fighter examined them, they saw that they were alright and asked one of them to translate. After a while of tending to their wounds and resting there, rod then came out of the trees and it startled all of them.

“who goes there!”

Rod then walks towards them looking all serious, wild, tired, injured, and all torn up.

“rod mason?!” one of the freedom fighters immediately recognized his face.

The freedom fighters all murmured at the sight of rod and eventually lowered their weapons, but as they saw him with a pack of lions, cheetas, jaguars, and rhinos, they immediately took arms again only to stand guard.

Maria then immediately stood up and ran to rod where she hugs him. This also startled the freedom fighters at first but eventually, they lowered their weapons as the animals around rod didn’t do anything of the sort. Then rod crouched to catch his breath after hugging maria, as well as gesturing for the freedom fighters to not shoot.

“thank god your alright!” maria slaps rod and then kisses him.

“whats that for?”

“that was for making me worried and for making me fall for you.”

They then both smiled and faced the freedom fighters who were seriously relieved of the situation.