Mighty Brahmuhn
"We Are Gods!"

The rest of the team began rushing to his aid.

Mandebvu sunk his teeth into Mamba’s throat before running off into another part of the bushes.

Brahmuhn knelt beside Mamba.

His throat was grossly wounded. Mamba only breathed twice before his eyes closed.

In anger, Hippo pursued the lion, hurling his stones at him.

‘My chief!’ Tortoise called out to Brahmuhn from behind the bush that Mandebvu had leapt from.

Brahmuhn was broken. ‘What is it?’

‘I have found the child.’

‘Is she alright?’

‘She lost a leg but she will live.’

Brahmuhn clenched his fists in fury then he stood up. Cheetah had been kneeling beside him and also equally horrified by Mamba’s death. ‘Tortoise…’

‘Yes, my chief?’

‘Watch over the girl. Cheetah and I will kill Mandebvu.’ Brahmuhn and Cheetah sped in the direction Mandebvu and Hippo had headed. Without having run a long distance, they stumbled upon Hippo lying on the ground with his face in the dust and blood all over his body. He was dead.

Cheetah shed a tear.

Brahmuhn shook his head and placed his hand on Cheetah’s shoulder. ‘Cheetah…are we soldiers…or warriors?’

‘My chief…we are gods.’

‘Then let us prove it.’ They continued in their pursuit of Mandebvu.

It was as if the beast had planned this slaughter. Brahmuhn’s strongest fighter, Hippo, had been murdered mercilessly by this monstrosity. But Brahmuhn’s reasoning had been put aside at that moment. Wrath and vengeance took over his heart.

Tears were rolling down Cheetah’s eyes as he beat each bush he came across. It was as though he was no longer afraid if he stumbled upon Mandebvu.

Brahmuhn began to worry about Tortoise. What if Mandebvu decided to return to the girl to finish his meal and kill them both? And what about Shumba? He had always preferred to walk alone as if it was a crucial principle.

Cheetah beat a thorn bush and there was a great rustle from within it. He took several steps back, wrapping a third of his whip around his hand. ‘Come out, you coward!’ he cried, ‘Come out and feel the pain of my whip!’

Brahmuhn flexed his shoulders and tightened the grip on his knobkerrie. Their expectations though were unrewarded. Shumba had been behind the bush, relieving himself. Cheetah was furious, ‘And where have you been while Mandebvu was feasting, you coward!’

‘I was looking for him…same as you!’ he defended himself.

‘Hippo and Mamba are dead!’ Cheetah yelled at him.

‘What!!!’

‘I wish it had been you!’ he hissed.

A physical fight quickly ensued between the two.

‘What is wrong with you!’ Brahmuhn scolded them as he broke up the fight, ‘Mandebvu is still on the loose but you fight amongst yourselves?’

‘My chief…’ Cheetah panted, ‘It is because of this slug…this pompous good-for-nothing dog that Mamba and Hippo are dead!’

‘And I’m sure whilst they were being attacked you were trying to stop him, right?’

‘It was too late but at least we were there, Shumba!’ Cheetah retaliated. ‘We are the Vadhindi…a team, but you always feel like you have something to prove by fighting alone and now half of us are dead!’

‘I’m sorry, Cheetah! Okay? I’m sorry! If I had known that this was going to happen I would have stayed with you!’

There was silence amongst the three of them. ‘So what now?’ Shumba asked Brahmuhn.

He rustled one of his hands in his locks in desperation and uncertainty. ‘Our mission is to slaughter Mandebvu. I always keep my word and the dog will go down with the sun. He shall either perish by your spear…’ he pointed at Shumba, ‘or your whip…’ he pointed at Cheetah. ‘We cannot return home with failure but victory and triumph in our hands. Are we not gods?’

Cheetah and Shumba both gave quick nods.

‘Now let us go slay this demon.’

Mandebvu, as if he had been waiting for the appropriate moment, leapt from behind a bush and stood in their center. His mouth and the tip of his mane were dripping blood. He was a lot bigger than all the male lions Brahmuhn had ever seen. The Vadhindi had previously killed many dangerous animals, like a deranged buffalo they had called Rufu or Death, a crazed leopard they had called Chidhindo (Stamp) and two other lone male lions they had named Ropa and Zino (Blood and Tooth). But Mandebvu had turned out to be much more fearsome and ruthless than these.

He was growling deeply and menacingly, his eyes shifting from one man to another. His tail was playfully twitching like it was just a harmless kitten. No man made a sound. His devilish eyes rested on Shumba. Brahmuhn smacked his knobkerrie twice in his hand to get the lion’s attention but it was too late. Mandebvu had made his choice.

The lion leapt for Shumba’s throat. Thinking fast, or not thinking at all, Brahmuhn pounced on the beast. He tried to tackle the lion out of the way but it was too massive and strong and so he began tugging on its mane from behind.

Shumba had collapsed from shock but quickly managed to get to his feet.

Cheetah started whipping the lion, each stroke producing a powerful and thunderous cracking noise that echoed through the forest.

Shumba aimed his spear at the lion’s heart and attempted to pierce through but shockingly, the head of the spear broke on its thick skin. Mandebvu was trying hard to break free from Brahmuhn’s grip. Shumba, shocked by the beast’s power, began slapping it in the face. This did not seem to faze it in the least. The lion eventually broke free from Brahmuhn’s grip, throwing him to the ground. It then turned to Cheetah. His whip had now become more annoying to it than painful. Mandebvu pounced on him, bringing his entire weight on Cheetah’s chest. The lion began chewing on his shoulder. Cheetah was now screaming helplessly.

This got Brahmuhn’s full attention. He quickly got up and began pulling on Mandebvu’s mane from behind him again. He mustered all his strength and managed to pull the beast from Cheetah. As the lion fell backwards, he was able to hurl it into a nearby tree using its mane. This effort took all of his strength and made Mandebvu even angrier. He picked up his knobkerrie and waited for the lion’s next attack.

Mandebvu shook his great head violently, and with it, his great beard. He made for Brahmuhn.

Brahmuhn whacked the lion in its eyes with the knobkerrie, knocking the gigantic beast to the ground. He dropped it and rushed towards Mandebvu and wrapped his arms around his throat from the side and began choking him. This seemed to be working as Mandebvu’s deep growls were now stutters. The huge mane was prickling Brahmuhn’s face making him feel greatly uncomfortable but not for once did he lessen his grip. The lion was slowly slipping into unconsciousness but would, in a single and brief moment give a powerful jerk of resistance.

When he felt it motionless, he released his hold and ran for his knobkerrie. Mandebvu began to get up again. Brahmuhn, knobkerrie in hand, ran as fast as he could towards him. Mandebvu was now on his feet but was staggering in confusion. Brahmuhn jumped off a boulder, the knobkerrie tightly gripped and high above his head held by both hands:

‘We... Are...Gods!!!’

Mandebvu got ready to pounce for him, but it was too late. The knobkerrie struck his head with such a powerful force. He staggered two more times before collapsing onto the ground. Mandebvu, the once feared demon of the forest, the monster among monsters and beast among beasts, had fallen.