Kovu stopped his horse at the end of the hill as Dayo and Busara did the same. The group stared down at the latest city they had reached since leaving Kalaziel.

A smile graced Prince Kovu’s lips. “So this is Rahab. It actually looks sort of good.”

Busara looked over at the prince. “It is the biggest port city in the kingdom.”

“Then, let us see what this place has to offer,” Kovu said. Pressure pushed against the prince’s back that drew his attention. He looked back to see Elewa leaning against him with his head resting on his shoulder. Kovu nervously grinned at the other boy. “Uh, Elewa, could you get off of me?”

Kovu looked over at his female companion. “Why exactly are you no longer riding with me?”

“Because you decided to bring that boy with us,” Dayo scoffed. The younger prince refused to ride with Elewa thus giving Busara no choice but to ride with him. Dayo pulled on his horse’s reins to head down the hill. “We still have a ways to go before we reach the next ring.”

*

The group sat down at the first restaurant they managed to find in the upper quarters of the city. Dayo and Busara sat across from Kovu and Elewa at the stone table.

“So, how much further do we need to go to find the second ring?” Kovu questioned.

“We have to make it to Edith; it is just across the sea from here,” Busara answered. “If we can get a boat, we could make it there in a few days. There you’ll have to face the White Death.”

“What is that?”

“I’m not exactly sure, all I know is it is some kind of monster that eats people,” Busara answered.

“Well, that is certainly helpful,” Dayo chimed in.

"Do you know anything about the ring itself?" Kovu asked.

"It's said to have belonged to the King of Strength, Funsani.”

“He was so powerful that when he took a step the earth below him shook and there was no armor strong enough to protect a person from his fist,” Dayo spoke, remembering the lesson on his ancestor.

Kovu looked over at Elewa. “So, what do you think about all this?” Elewa simply blinked at Kovu’s words.

“I think you are losing it, brother. You cannot honestly expect him to answer.” Dayo rested one arm on the table. “He does not know anything.”

“That is not true,” Kovu said. “I taught him the difference between men and women.”

Busara clenched her teeth. Her cheeks went red with rage. “Yes, I remember.” Busara had remembered where that damn boy had grabbed her once they left his hometown.

Kovu had to show and explain the differences and roles of men and women in society through gestures to Elewa to which he never touched Busara in those ways again. Still though, he seemed to constantly look at her too often for her taste. Even bringing up the subject, the curious puppy boy looked at her body and not her face.

Kovu placed his hand on Elewa’s shoulder, getting his attention. He showed his teeth in a smile. “Do you remember the words that you have learned so far?”

Elewa nodded. “Idiot, Kovu, Elewa, Busara, Dayo, woman, man, what?” He repeated the words Kovu had made him practice for the past week. Each one came out easier than his first awkward attempts.

“Congratulations, your pet can speak eight words. He has the intelligence of a toddler,” Dayo replied.

Kovu and the others left the restaurant after they taught Elewa how to eat in public and finished their meals. The group reached a row of stone steps that lead down to the ports. They stopped at the top of the steps when they saw a large crowd gathered around the port.

“What is going on?” Kovu questioned.

“We need one more boy for the boat,” the man who stood in front of crowd at the port said. The man looked through the worried crowd. The youths stood in the front of the crowd in fear while seven girls already stood beside the man that was in charge along with six boys. The man finally pointed to a boy no older than fourteen. “You, you will be the last sacrifice.”

Two armed guards grabbed the boy, pulling him onto the stage with the others. The boy and his parents protested, begging for mercy. The guards ignored them all and threw him on the stage.

“I had not realized the time for the sacrifices had come around already,” Busara said.

Kovu looked over at the woman of his group. “What are you talking about?”

Dayo shut his eyes. “I heard about it back in Hasmal. Edith broke off from our territory to create a kingdom for themselves.”

Kovu shifted his eyes between his brother and Busara. “But one of Gamba’s friends were from Edith was he not?”

“He is only half Edithian and an outcast,” Busara said. “My brother is the only one who really befriended him and you’ve seen how that has worked out. Anyway Edith created the monster that you are after and forced this city to give up seven girls and seven boys every year to that monster if they do not want to go to war.” Busara focused back on the scene. “I thought it was still a few days away before they have to give up more scarifies, but all the distractions made me forget about it—”

Busara was unable to finish as Kovu rushed forward. Busara reached out her hand. “Hey, where are you going?”

Kovu stopped in the middle of the steps and looked back at her. “I am going to stop this sacrifice. Watch after Elewa for me.” Kovu rushed down the remainder of the steps and through the crowd.

“I didn’t agree to that,” Busara shouted.

Kovu pushed his way through the crowd. He slammed into a number of people who gave him an evil look. Kovu ignored them, hurrying through the crowd. He moved by the teens that were in the front. “Wait!”

The prince grabbed onto the stage, throwing himself up onto it. Kovu stood before the man who picked out the sacrifices. His cape flapped down behind him. “You have to stop this.”

“Who-” the man stopped the second he noticed the younger male’s face. The golden pins on his shoulder and royal cape were dead giveaways of who he was. “Prince Kovu.”

The name instantly sent a rush of silence through the crowd before they mumbled among themselves of why he was there. “What, what are you doing here?”

“You cannot sacrifice these good people to the White Death,” Kovu said.

“This, this is the only way to avoid war,” the man stated. “The king himself allowed this so we would not have to face the Edithians and their White Death. We are a simple port city, we do not have the means to take on the army Edith has created.”

Kovu’s facial features harden. “Then send me. I will take care of the White Death.”

The declaration grabbed everyone’s attention. Mumbles slowly rose throughout the crowd. The chosen sacrifices all looked at each other. “Be serious, your highness,” the man said.

Mumbles of agreement came throughout the crowd; each of them not believing that a member of the royal family would go out of their way to help its people. Kovu stood his ground. A solid gaze was in his eyes as he stared at the man. “Send me; I will take care of Edith and their monster.”

The man shut his eyes and lowered his head slightly. “We cannot. No one has ever returned alive from their visit with the White Death. If we do not send fourteen young people to them, they will wipe out our shores, and I am responsible for this entire city.”

Kovu clenched his teeth. He balled up his fist, lifting it up in front of him that showed the stone eye ring on his finger. “I freed Mudiwa from her curse and fought against harpies. I will take down this beast too.”

“Those were all female monsters,” the chieftain said. “The White Death is different. It is a true abomination since birth that eats even the strongest of men like its nothing.”

“Then send me in the place of one of these men,” Kovu said as he swept his arm across toward the other youthful males. He placed his hand on his chest. “Surely, a prince is better than some commoner to them.”

The man pointed at him. “If you go, you cannot bring your weapons with you. Do you think you can beat that monster without them?”

Kovu took a step back. He gazed down at the floor, clenching his teeth. His eyes shimmered. He had done all he claimed he did, but he always had a blade to aid him. If he lacked one, how could he defeat a man eating beast with the useless ring he already possessed?

His gaze moved up to the young men that would be sacrificed. A tightness rose up in his stomach, realizing that if he did not do this, then they would all die, the girls included.

The prince looked back at the man in charge. He unfastened his belt that held his weapons and stuck it straight out. “Fine, just spare one of them.” The man took the prince’s belt in his hand in great shock. He then randomly selected a boy and had the guards throw him back out to the crowd to everyone’s amazement.

“Hold on.” Dayo leaped onto the stage. He walked up in front of his brother that shocked the entire crowd to see both princes.

“What are you doing, Dayo?” Kovu questioned. “You said you had no interest in this.”

Dayo held out his hand. “Hand your weapons to me. No need to trust strangers with such precious tools.” Dayo took his brother’s belt from the fat chieftain. He took off the weapons before returning it to Kovu so that he could keep his shirt close.

Kovu handed over his bow which his brother loaded onto his person. “Be sure to take care of Busara and Elewa.”

“I will think about it,” Dayo said. The prince patted his brother on the shoulder as he slipped a Redemption stone that came from his shield into Kovu’s pocket. He jumped off the stage and headed through the crowd.

“Our final sacrifice, Prince Kovu,” the man spoke. With those words, the guards seized the young royal. They threw him and the other chosen sacrifices onto a boat. A crew hurried on board and set them out to sea.

Busara and Elewa watched everything that had happened from their spot on top of the stairs. Elewa simply titled his head to the side, looking curious at what just happened. “Idiot Kovu.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Busara spoke.

*

Water smacked against the sides of the boat, spraying water over the teens that sat in the middle of it. All of the young sacrifices had their arms wrapped around their legs with terror in their eyes. The water that rained down on them did not even bother them.

The boat rode over the small waves that stood between them and their deaths. More water rained over the small boat. Kovu lifted his cape over his head to try to block out as much of the water as possible. He shut one of his eyes in annoyance and clenched his teeth.

One of the older boys with fair colored skin and brown hair glared over at Kovu. The earlier hopelessness was replaced by his anger at the prince that simply seemed annoyed by his clothes being wet. A growl vibrated out of his throat that got the prince’s attention.

His eyes grew even harder with rage. “You, why are you here? To kill a beast so you can get a ring?” The boy leaned forward. “If you want a ring so bad why don’t you just buy one with your corrupt money?”

One of the girls looked over at the boy. “Don’t talk to him like that. Are you trying to make things worse?”

The boy glared over at the girl. “How can I make things worse? We’re already dead anyway.” He looked back at Kovu. “So speak up, you bastard.”

Kovu stared back at him hard. He wrapped his arms around his legs. “We are not going to die. Like I said, I am going to kill the White Death and gain the second ring of the kings.”

The other boy huffed. “For what? To be a more powerful king than that monster we have now?”

Kovu dropped his hands down on the floor of the ship, kneeling on one knee. “I am nothing like my father.” He stood up straight and strong. “I am going to become the True King and right the wrongs that the nobles have placed on the people.”

“Yeah right.” The boy looked away.

“What is your name?”

The boy eyed Kovu from the corner of his eye. “Rashad.”

Kovu smirked down at the young man that may have been only a year older than himself. “Well, Rashad, I will show you there is still righteousness in this country just like your name sake suggests. After all, I am in the same boat you are.”

Rashad looked away again. “Whatever.”

*