MAALUM
Caphter 2 – Not One Of Us
A few weeks have passed and Reirei continues training Maalum, along with the other jackals. However, whenever she wants to implement one of her plans, the little hybrid refuses to participate, remaining hidden in the Outlands.
One day, Maalum watches the pack coming back, after being beaten by Bunga and those cubs they tried to eat.
"It's all your fault, Goigoi!" Reirei scolds her partner, as usual. "You should have watched the Lion Guard!"
"Sorry, sweet paws."
“I don't believe we were expelled by that... babies. What a shame."
Maalum overhears the conversation: “Wait. Did you... tried to eat the cubs of the Pride Lands?!” He's shocked.
"It was a perfect plan." Reirei complains, scolding the little hybrid. “And, once again, you have escaped your responsibilities!”
"You know I don't like these things!" He speaks a lot loudly.
“Maalum! I'm tired of teaching you and you never learn anything! This is our lifestyle. The jackal style! You're part of the pack and you have to respect our style!”
"I will never be like you!" Maalum runs out, upset.
"Maalum!" Reirei screams, but he ignores her.
When running upset, Maalum doesn't notice where he's going and crashes into a small jackal, knocking him over.
"Hey! Watch where you are!” It's Dogo.
"Sorry."
“It could only be you. You're always where you shouldn't.”
“Dogo. I know I'm not a jackal. You don't have to keep saying that to me, okay?”
"Why don't you go away?"
"What?!"
"Dogo!" Kijana appears, upset. "Leave Maalum alone!"
"I'm not doing anything to him, sis." He responds in an ironic tone.
Kijana ignores her brother and goes to Maalum, seeing him discouraged. “Maalum? What do you have?"
“Kijana. I... I'm not one of you.”
“Maalum. Don't listen what Dogo says. He's an idiot.”
"Hey!" Dogo grumbles, continuing watching the conversation there.
“Dogo has nothing to do with this. I don't fit in here. The jackal style is not for me.”
"Maalum." Kijana nuzzles Maalum's head. “You have many jackals here that like you. I like you very much. You're my best friend, Maalum.” He starts smiling when he hears Kijana, who blushes slightly.
“Thank you, Kijana. You're really my best friend.”
After a few seconds of watching each other with a smile, his fake and hers loving, Maalum decides to walk again, turning his back on the female.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Asks Kijana, wanting to spend more time with him.
“Sorry, Kijana. I just need to be alone for a while.” He continues walking, sad.
Kijana turns to Dogo, upset, and gives him a strong push. “Ouch! What did I do?!" He asks, surprised.
Several days later, Reirei calls a meeting with all jackals: “Jackals! The Lion Guard expelled us from the Pride Lands too many times. Now we'll be the ones to expel them from there! Soon, the Pride Lands will be ours and of all our allies!”
"Allies?! Which allies?!” Everyone's confused.
“We all know the legend of Scar, that lion who once ruled the Pride Lands in a way that no other lion has ever been able to rule. Well. Scar has returned through a volcano and wants to regain the Pride Lands.”
"So our ally is a... a dead lion?!" Asks a young male jackal.
"Of course not! Scar is gathering an army and wants us to be part of it. For that, we'll have to work together with lizards, vultures, crocodiles and hyenas.”
"Hyenas?!" Everyone is shocked by the idea, especially Maalum.
“When Scar dominates the Pride Lands, we'll be rewarded very well with all those delicious animals! It will be a real feast!”
All jackals start celebrating. Working with hyenas isn't something they like, but the reward is well worth it.
"Reirei!" Maalum tries to get the adoptive mother's attention. "Reirei!"
"Silence!" Reirei asks the jackals to shut up, wanting to hear what her adopted son has to say. “Maalum. Do you want to tell me something?” She asks, confident that he will finally want to participate in an attack on the Pride Lands.
"Why did you join the hyenas?" He asks, showing a little unsatisfaction.
"What?!" Reirei marvels at his question.
"Why are you going to help the animals that killed my mother?"
“Maalum. I don't like hyenas myself. But we have to work together to have a better life.”
“Working with hyenas? Doing harm to other animals?” At this moment, Maalum is revolted. “I'm tired of your jackal style. I'm sick of living with you.”
“Maalum! You are one of us!”
"No, he's not!" A young male jackal complains. “This damn hybrid has never helped us and he's always against us! He's not one of us and he should be banned!”
"That's right!" A female agrees.
All the jackals start arguing, but most agree that Maalum should leave the pack.
"Mom!" Dogo speaks to Reirei. “Maalum doesn't belong here. He never belonged.”
Reirei looks at Maalum, worried. He looks at his mother in dismay.
“Reirei. Mom. I'll be fine. I... I feel like I don't belong here. I need to find my place. I need to know who I am.”
Reirei caresses Maalum with a few tears in her eyes. “Maalum. I understand that you want to leave and I know that you are different from us. But if you ever want to return, you will be very well received in my pack.”
“I know you tried, mom. But... I just can't be a jackal.”
"I know. Goodbye, my son.”
"Goodbye, mother."
Maalum walks among the jackals, most of them looking at him with satisfaction, especially Dogo, who whispers: "Never come back."
Before leaving completely, Kijana runs to caress him, while crying slightly: “Maalum. Are you sure you don't want to stay?”
“Kijana. You know I can't. I never felt good here and most jackals don't like me.”
"Mom likes you very much, Maalum." Kijana tries to comfort him. "And... I like you too." She blushes a little.
Maalum smiles, but his decision is final: “Kijana. You are much more than my sister. You're my best friend. But... my place isn't here.”
"Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"
"I don't know, but I hope so."
“Oh Maalum. I will miss you so much.” She nuzzles him again and he purrs.
"I will miss you too, Kijana."
Both nuzzles each other for a while, before Maalum leaves. All jackals watch him leaving, but the jackals with the most discouraged faces are Reirei and her daughter Kijana.
“Sorry, Kaikai. I couldn't keep my promise.” Think Reirei.
“Goodbye, Maalum. I will never forget you.” Kijana thinks, still crying.
Little Maalum walks through the Outlands, trying to get as far away from the jackals as possible. “There must be someone out there who doesn't just think about fighting and invading the Pride Lands. I'm sick of confusion.” He continues walking, distracted by his thoughts, when he hears a sound like a cracking. "What?!" He looks around and sees no one. "Wh-Who's there?!" Screams, nervous. "Show yourself!"
Suddenly, he's knocked down by someone. "I got you!" It's a small lioness that holds him to the ground.
"Who are you?!" Maalum asks, startled.
"Hey! I'm the one who ask the questions, you hear?” Maalum nods. "Who are you and what are you doing so close to our territory?"
"Y-Your territory?!"
"Answer me!"
“I-I am Maalum. And I... I was just passing through.”
The little lioness gets off him and begins to analyze his body. "Interesting. Maalum, right?”
"Y-Yeah."
“What kind of creature are you? I never saw anyone like you before!”
"I'm half lion, half jackal."
"Really?!" She smiles hopefully. "Does that mean that you know how to do the same things as lions and jackals use to do?"
"I guess so."
The lioness has an idea and asks: “Maalum. Do you have a family?”
"I..." He thinks for a while. He doesn't know his real parents and the jackals weren't exactly a real family for him. "I have nobody. I don't even... I don't even have a home.”
"In that case, I think I can help you." She smiles, cheering him up.
"Seriously?!"
"Sure! With a body like yours and your abilities, maybe my mom will let you be part of our pride.”
"You think so?!"
"Sure!"
"Thanks, uh..."
“Vitani. My name is Vitani.”
“Thank you, Vitani. Asante.”
“Don't thank me yet. My mother leads the pride, not me. Follow me."
Maalum follows Vitani through the Outlands, walking beside her. He fixes his gaze on her face and thinks: "She's really nice... and beautiful."