Ha!

-- January 17th, 2010 --

J'Zaki had a spear in his hand and swept downward. He then turned the motion into a full-body horizontal swing. The young prince then continued through the various motions with the spear until he finished the routine with a final slam to the ground.

General Linoh clapped when the prince was done. After only a year of practice, he was able to use all the techniques of the Dora Milaje to a degree that would allow him to join their ranks.

"Excellent job, My Prince. You know the techniques but lack strength in your body," the general analyzed. "As strong as your body may be for one your age, you cannot gain any more strength. So you have two options. Wait until you are older so you can get stronger or learn more techniques to make up for your lack of strength."

J'Zaki looked the general in her eyes and said, "I want to get stronger now. Please tell me where I can learn more techniques."

General Linoh nodded with a smile on her face. Out of all the royal children, J'Zaki was her favorite.

T'Challa was the oldest and was a Jack of all trades. Whether it came to politics, martial talent, or intelligence, he was better than one of his siblings in one aspect but weaker than them in others. Even when it came to ideology, he stood in between his two siblings which made him look indecisive in the general's eyes.

Shuri was the smartest of the group. Even though she was just under 12, she had already made several inventions that helped Wakanda thrive even more than it already did. Her only fault, in the general's eyes, was that the girl was too modern. During several official meetings and ceremonies, Shuri had shown up wearing western clothing that was not fit for the ceremony.

J'Zaki was the opposite of her. Although he was also smart like his siblings, he was not one that focused on technology. Instead, his strongest skill was his martial prowess. He had already mastered the Royal Family's fighting style and had just mastered the style of the Dora Milaje. He was also more traditional than the others. Not because he had the isolationist mindset like the older Wakandans but instead he was more spiritual than his siblings. He worshipped not only Bast but all of the gods that were the protectors of Wakanda.

"Little Prince. Our religion can be divided into two sections. The first are the main gods, the Orisha. These are the gods that have granted us knowledge since the very beginning and helped create Wakanda.

Then there are the cults. These are the gods that came to bless Wakanda after it was already created. 5 cults were created in the name of these gods. The Royal Family was once called the Panther Cult. They grew to be the strongest of the 5 cults and became the rulers of Wakanda.

If you wish to learn how to fight, then you must learn from the 5 cults themselves. Or at least, what remains of those 5."

The more the general spoke, the more the prince was interested. He had heard tales of the 5 Great Cults before but there was almost no writing that could be found on them.

"What happened to the other cults, General? I have tried my best to find out about them in the library but there was little I could find other than their names."

General Linoh nodded when she heard his question. She knew why. The previous generations of the Royal Family destroyed as many traces of the other cults as they could. While the Lion and Crocodile Cults were not dangerous, the same could not be said about the White Ape or Hyena Cults. In order to prevent both from rising to power again, traces of all 4 of the cults had to be erased.

"It is both simple and very difficult. Among the many Wakandans, there are some that still carry on the traditions of old, passed down from parent to child for generations. I can bring you teachers from the Lion, Crocodile, and Hyena Cults to teach you here but if you wish to learn from the White Ape remnants, you must go elsewhere."

"Where do I need to go?"

J'Zaki was especially interested in the White Ape Cult. From the little he knew, they were said to be on par with the Black Panther Cult before being struck down by a curse from the gods.

"You must go to the mountains. What used to be the White Ape Cult is now the Jabari Tribe. If you wish to learn how to fight like them, then you must go be one of their people."

Hearing this answer, the light in the prince's eyes dimmed. He knew that it was nearly impossible. Not only would both of his parents be against the idea but the Jabari tribe was also likely to reject him even if he went.

General Linoh saw the sudden shift in J'Zaki's mood. She knew that what she was about to suggest could cost her position as general but she wanted to support the prince.

"My Prince. I have a friend that trades regularly with the Jabari. They could make an introduction for you and may even be able to bring you up the mountain. But I must warn you, you must be prepared for rejection by them and the consequences of sneaking out of the palace."

J'Zaki nodded immediately. Even if the general warned him of the risk, he was still curious about the Jabari and their way.

"Please, General. Let your friend guide me there."

General Linoh smiled at the young prince. She could appreciate his decisiveness.

"Fine. But before I do that, you must master the fighting styles of the other tribes and learn their culture. Once you do that, then I shall arrange to have you brought up the mountain."

J'Zaki nodded and thanked the general several times. Even if it meant punishment, he wanted to learn more about the other cults as well as their martial arts.