((Alrighty…since I'm extremely lazy, I'm just going to say this outright; constructive crits and comments are greatly appreciated! The same goes for every chapter that you will read. I would love to hear what you think! Thanks!))
The Serengeti sizzled with the heat of the very late afternoon, blinding sunshine seeming to pool in the thick grasses. A few sparse clouds hung in the sky, and a cloud blocking the sun for more than a minute was a rare occurrence today. In this heat the African life flourished, although you could seemingly cut the humid air with a knife. Gazelle, Warthogs, Elephants, and Wildebeest snorted and stomped as they congregated around the water hole, and the birds in the trees were chirping happily. Most of the night animals were just awakening from their day-long slumbers, for sun-set was about an hour away.
Stretched out under a sausage tree, a lioness relaxed contentedly. She was laying on her back, soft underbelly skyward, and her chest rose and fell as she breathed. Her soft pelt was a creamy, beautiful shade of peach. Her underbelly and muzzle were a lighter hue of the same color, and her closed eyes were a metallic shade of navy blue. Her brother lay near her on the farther and lower end of the rock, concealing him from foreign eyes. He was the same color, mane of pure ivory white, The tip of his tail matching his mane. Both siblings had smoke gray legs, the color stretching up to their chests and hips. Ebony tiger stripes zigzagged on top of the gray coloring, and their claws were ebony when extended. This was very uncommon for any Pridelander descendant, not to mention any lion at all, but the two bore these markings with pride. Pride because they displayed their pure Pridelander heritage.
The two lay in happiness and content, relaxing on this lazy afternoon. Neither was hungry; as a matter of fact, they just ate. The female, Navayu, wasn't asleep, but her brother, Nibanu, was out cold. Unbeknownst to them, however, they were being watched…
Stalking through the emerald grasses nearby, a dark, massive figure slunk low. The creature had spotted the pair laying idle on the rock, and had decided to investigate. He was on the farther side of the boulder and only saw the male. He smiled sinisterly; He loved a good fight. With a deafening roar, the creature hurled itself towards the male and gripped on to him. Both went rolling instantly.
Nibanu's gasp of terror turned into a triumphant roar as he wrangled with his attacker. The wind itself seemed to be in his paws as he gave deadly, mid-air swipes, missing the attacker by mere inches. The female's metallic eyes fluttered open instantly as she shot up in her position. She had heard a soft rustle in the grass, but it had undaunted her until now. She gave a fearsome roar, and charged after the two. The creature was another male lion, but his features remained a blur as they toppled around in the dust. He growled also, then roared as he pinned his enemy.
Nibanu looked up into his attacker's eyes with his own ice-blue ones. He studied the other male's features, wondering where his sister was. The main part of the male's body was chocolate brown, like the bark of a tree. His underbelly and muzzle were a dark mocha, his mane and tail-tuft ebony. His piercing eyes were jade green, and he had a black lightening-bolt shaped scar over his left eye. He smiled sinisterly, teeth bared in a mocking way, and leaned for Nibanu's throat.
Like a bullet, Navayu shot towards the male and caught him in mid-air, both flying to the side and successfully diverting the attack. The two hit the ground with a loud thud, and rolled until she pinned him. She then leapt off of him, leaving him frozen with shock, and ran to aid her brother.
The male shook his head, bewildered. A lioness? He stood up and shook himself off, looking at the female. He smiled as he surveyed her slender physique; there was no doubt in his mind that she was beautiful.
"M'lady," he said, deep voice proper yet sinister at the same time, "Nice diversion." She glared at him, gaze locking with his.
"Who are you?!" she demanded fiercely, taking a step towards him. Her ivory canines were fully bared, making razor-blades seem like child's toys. Her brother was at her side, also glaring at the lion. He snorted and quickly licked a scratch on his paw from the other male.
"There's no need to be so defensive." he said, walking directly in front of her. Navayu instantaneously snapped at him, growling. The male recoiled, and then laughed softly. "You think you're so tough?" he said, almost challengingly.
"I don't think…" she said sassily, "I know." Her brother chuckled to himself. He knew his sister wouldn't take anything from anybody, no matter if it was Ahadi himself.
Navayu kept staring him down, eyes not breaking the penetrating gaze between them. A low, almost un-audible growl rumbled deep within her throat. Her brother sat on his haunches. He didn't like the look of this male, and, by the looks of it, the male didn't like him either.
The male lion smiled and sat on his haunches. He thought a proper introduction was in order. He gave a courteous bow of his head, and then returned gazes with the female.
"My apologies on the scare I caused." he said in a believable way. "I'm Jedkin; son of Rainne and Camal. Pleasure." Both siblings looked puzzled.
"Who's Rainne?" Navayu asked, half curious, half suspicious. "And Camal?" She knew in the pit of her stomach that her & Nibanu were descendants of the great past king, Simba. In fact, they were his great-grandchildren. Jedkin smiled and began the tale of his heritage…
"When Simba and Zira clashed in the "Great Battle" long ago, Simba allowed the separation of the so called 'outsiders' and 'pridelanders' to diminish completely. However, five or six lions still had a brewing hatred in their hearts for Simba. He had now killed their faithful leader, Zira, not to mention Scar. Deeply angered, they returned to the Outlands and formed their own pride; The Dark Legion, they called it. Rainne had been a faithful and very close friend of Zira's, and took charge of the small pride without question. She was a great leader, keeping the hatred of Simba still flowing through the veins of her followers, when she met Camal. He was a rouge lion from the east, wandering far from his home. The two fell in love, and had two cubs; me & my brother, Kinau." Navayu and Nibanu nodded, taking it all in. Their own explanation was the exact opposite of Jedkin's. Navayu, as usual, took immediate charge and began their story.
"I am Navayu and this is my brother Nibanu," she said, her tone more mellow and relaxed than earlier. "We are direct descendants of Simba; as a matter of fact, we're his great-grandchildren. Our mother was Kovu and Kiara's daughter, Mitanu." Jedkin skipped a breath. 'Simba?!'
"Aye," he said, shaking his head in understanding. "So we come from different sides of the River." He gestured towards the northwest, where Pride Rock's rigid outline could be seen. A wide river wound through the sea of grass somewhere between their position and Pride Rock. Navayu shrugged.
"Well, no matter; what do you want?" Her tone had taken on a less brazen attitude, and her eyes had softened. She retracted her claws silently. Jedkin thought.
"Nothing really. Just out for a stroll." Nibanu looked shocked.
"So you just randomly decided to attack some innocent lion? Is that what your normal walks consist of?" Navayu shot him a look of malice, but it did little to smooth the hackles he'd raised. Jedkin looked at him, eyes flashing with a venomous look before the emotion was hidden.
"As this is my territory, I would do well to make sure that any unfamiliar males aren't going to take it." He said. His voice was so calm that it unnerved Nibanu. "It is nature's way, not mine." Nibanu snorted and diverted his eye contact from him.
"Well, Jedkin, do you approve of our stay?" Navayu suddenly became her normal, pleasant self. Jedkin looked at her and smiled.
"Of course, Navayu. I only ask that you enjoy yourself." She dipped her head in a courteous gesture.
"Thank you very much." She retreated to back to the rock. Nibanu glared at Jedkin. The male shifted with unease after a bit, and then proceeded to leave.
Navayu leapt off of the boulder and followed him to the edge of the grass. "Wait!" He turned to look at her. She smiled warmly. "Won't you visit with us a bit? After our long journey, it's kind of difficult to find new friends." Jedkin chuckled and Nibanu gaped.
"Certainly. The pleasure of your company sounds lovely." Nibanu took his sister's perch atop the boulder and curled into a compact ball, facing away from them. The other two laid at the base of the formation and talked for hours about the sibling's life, journey, and future plans. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to sleep, but he unwillingly eavesdropped their every word.
After a while, they had fallen into a silence as Jedkin and Naayu stared at the night sky. The ink backdrop made the thousand upon thousands of stars seem like shards of luminescent, broken glass. She sighed blissfully; the faint sound reminded Jedkin of the time. He rose from his place quickly and began to tread off into the grass. "Where are you going?" Navayu asked softly. Jedkin smiled.
"Home, M'lady." With that he turned about and trekked off into the tall grasses, the tips of the long, sword-like stalks lapping at his chest.
"See you around sometime!" Navayu called, smiling. Nibanu remained silent, glad that he was leaving. He still didn't trust the lion, although his sister seemed to. Jedkin smiled sinisterly.
"Indeed you will," he said lowly to himself, too low for foreign ears. "Indeed you will…"