"Hello again fans and friends and odds and ends.
Yeesh. What a couple of weeks. Been ever so busy. Yes the Prologue was dark – I am glad you liked it. I was not sure if it conveyed well, but you seem to like it, despite (or perhaps because) it being so depressing.
A quick warning to new readers – old readers will know that I put great stock in storytelling, twists, turns and characterization. This does mean that certain things get left out. Namely, Spelling, Grammar, and regular updates. Expect to see some updates daily some weekly, maybe even one or two monthly (though I hope to avoid that). Please be patient with the Spelling and grammar, and please do not let it detract from the story.
Enjoy.
Cheers: Haradion"
milele yako : Is the Shaman Rafiki? The mystery of the Shaman is one of many that will be answered… Is Rafiki the shaman involved? Perhaps… perhaps not… But let's just say there is a reason Sobek feared the Shaman… Perhaps one Shaman in particular?
sandydragon: In terms of creativity, I intend to go bananas. In fact this may not be to everyone's taste because of this. However, you will never be bored I promise you that!
Vitani825: Your waiting is over – here you go!
IthilienRanger: Glad you liked it!
TheDarkKnight: Ah, The Dark Knight. Brilliant movie – and your namesake I see. You will see a lot of the Shaitan. The Forsaken. Exiled. There are Seven in total… Seven Servants of the Emperor.
Emerald dreamer96: Aye… I debated long and hard whether or not to have Priderock abandoned or to destroy it utterly… It made the scene seem so much more poignant…
JJZ-109: Reviews are always appreciated, now and years from now. A couple of days makes no difference. Better late than never.
Chapter 1: Of Endings and Beginnings
Three weeks earlier…
Rain poured across the Pridelands. Two years after the Reunification and Kovu had grown muscular in that time, his mane extending below him and over his back. "The Dark Guardian" they called him throughout the lands. He was as powerful as he was agile. The chosen son of the Traitor King. Taka the broken, known as "Scar" had chosen him to succeed him before his betrayal and death at the paws of his minions. His allies scattered and lost into the outlands. His heart was poisoned by his deranged foster mother, Zira, and his brother and sister were forged in fire to become weapons that would rip out Simba's heart and seize back their lands. That was the future he had envisioned. That was the future written in the stars.
But something happened.
Something not written in the motion of the stars and planets. Something new.
Against all of the odds, through the influence and manipulations of a handful of spirits, Kovu had met Kiara, daughter of the true king. The future changed. Kiara's heart had touched his soul, and the evil had been drawn from Kovu like venom from a wound. Blinded by her hatred, Zira had nevertheless pursued Simba's death, leading to the death of Kovu's brother, Nuka, and the Scarring of Kovu. Seeing the madness inhabiting her mother, Vitani grew frightened and sought to end the warfare that had claimed her brother's life. Zira did not. She fell into the great river, and sunk out of sight.
The future had changed. Kovu was Kiara's mate rather than her murderer. The outlanders rejoined their sisters in the Pridelands. Peace lasted for two years. And Kovu found in Simba the father he had never had – after a few close brushes and misunderstandings.
The sky had opened into a thunderstorm by the time Kovu entered the den. He shook his mane and water sprayed from it as he dried himself. The lionesses looked up as entered, and one ex-outlander, Jeseri by name bowed to him. The bowing and stooping still made him itch. Sure, he had been King of the outlanders – or future king at any rate, in the days before the Merge. But that was not quite the same. Then he had been a solider – a warlord maybe, but not a leader. He had left that to his mother, Zira. Lionesses had respected him – even feared him, likely because of his mother. Still this type of respect had been a new twist.
It had taken place a few weeks ago. Rafiki had announced that Nala, the queen, would no longer be able o bear cubs. With Kiara as the sole heir, and Kiara mated to Kovu, Simba had approached him one day with a stunning announcement. Simba intended to make Kovu his heir, with Kiara. They would rule jointly after him. Simba intended to abdicate in a few months, and return with Timone and Pumba to the Jungle where they had first met, to live out his retirement in peace and quiet and bugs. Nala intended to go with him. Kovu could not blame him – Simba had done a lot in life, facing half a dozen attempts on his life during his short reign, defeating Scar and Zira, raising a family and running the Kingdom for so many years had taken its toll on him. He was as powerful as ever, but Kovu noted that his mane, which was once a wreath of flame, was now tinged grey at the edges, and he was no longer the blaze of speed he had once been. He was dying, as all lions did in the passage of time.
Simba had told him all of this, and Kovu had stood mute as Simba had offered him the crown. Kovu had accepted, on the condition that Kiara would rule jointly with him. Simba had raised his eyebrow and simply said:
"It will be your Kingdom. Rule it as you will. But I am proud of you."
That had been three months ago. Simba still ruled for now, but he had been quietly making his plans to leave for the while.
As Kovu entered, his eyes sought out his mate, Kiara who was resting next to the raised platform that was usually occupied by the King and his Queen. her eyes blinked open as he lay down beside her. She smiled contently.
"Ah. My handsome prince returns." She said as he chuckled.
"How is my beautiful princess?" He asked her and she laughed.
"I am simply wonderful Kovu. What took you so long?" She asked. Kovu shrugged.
"The usual. The kingdom runs night and day. Many people come to seek the advice of the King. I just try to help out." he said. Kiara smiled.
"I heard…" She whispered in a conspirator tone. "That you dealt with a Leopard war-chief this evening." She said. Kovu smirked.
"The pompous creature was making all sorts of demands. You know how the cheaters are – each of them sees themselves as a minor Lord, second only to the King himself – anything else is inferior in their eyes. This one wanted special hunting privileges in its domain."
"What did you do?"
"Simba spent a few hours trying to reason with it. I eventually strolled over, roared in its ear and said that the King was very busy and that if he wished to continue such absurdity, he could do so with me. Over dinner. He left without another word, shaking all over. Simba was rather… grateful."
Kovu said. Kiara smiled.
"That all? The only thing we need to worry about? Squabbling leopards? No tyrants, no rebels, no traitors or murderers or thieves. Just simple, honest, petty arguments. It feels… strange… Not to have to worry anything…" She said. Kovu smiled.
"I think we have earned our peace Kiara." he said, smiling. She grinned. Then the two, fell as sleep. When Simba finally entered a good while later, and saw the two lying together, he smiled.
"I think I just lost my baby girl…" He thought to himself, thinking of the two of them. They were mates of course, the ceremony had seen to that, but nothing seemed quite as… final… as seeing them together in peace. His eyes were drawn to Kiara's belly. She was very visibly pregnant – she would give birth any day now. Actually, his daughter had grown up a long time ago. And he hadn't noticed until it had passed him by.
He tiptoed around them taking care to disturb them as he did so, thinking of Kovu as he did. He shook his head. He had been so wrong. The young, rash lion had grown into a serious, determined adult and he was confident he had made the right choice in choosing him to be his heir. The same as Scar had – possibly the only time the two had ever agreed on something. Looking at the two of them, his daughter and his son in law, he paused, wondering how he could ever have disliked him. No. Not disliked. Hated. Hated the very thing he had stood for, the thing he had represented. He had thought only of Kovu's ancestry, not what was important: his heart, his conscience, his goodness. By all accounts, Taka had been a good lion until driven to madness by tragedy and violence. What if the same had happened to Kovu? What if Simba had exiled him and Kovu had become a monster who dreamt only of drinking Simba's blood? A new Scar, more terrible that Taka had been? Kovu would never have done that – but Simba had come close to making a serious mistake
Just looking at the two reinforced his decision. It was high time he left Priderock. Then he looked at his own mate. Nala, asleep on the dais. As beautiful as she had been the day she had come charging back into his life, through the jungle. His carefree world had been shattered. She had opened up old wounds that day, and brought with it pain. But with it had come healing. Wounds that had been left to fester for too many years had been healed. And he loved her now as much as he had then.
The Invasion was a quite thing. Not a storm that tears down trees, nor a raging, consuming fire. It was like a gentle breath of winds, that nudges the pebble down a hill, the pebble which begins an avalanche. Like the creeping cold of night it came. Like a shadow in the night, or the first frost in winter.
It was during the reign of King Simba that the Pridelands first came into contact with the Shaitan. As the day broke upon the world, the sun leaking over the horizon, a Zebra woke up as the light hit his eyelids causing him to stir and rise. Blinking his eyes open and stood up, and swallowed. His mouth was dry and his was thirsty so as he rose, he moved across the savannah, the short distance to the waterhole his heard had rested by. The hole was deserted so after a quick glance around for hidden predators, he sunk his head into the water and drank deeply. It was already very hot so, he dunked his entire head into the pool as his did so. Something tased off in the water though as he drunk. It stuck to his throat and almost made him throw back up.
He opened his eyes in the water as he gagged and stared straight into another pair of eyes staring up at him out of the depths. He snorted. Water shot through his nostril as he gave a silent scream in the water, pulling his head out of the stuff in fright. Staring back at him below was the head of an antelope. And it was fully detached from its body. The zebra backed away from the water as it withdrew. Something had killed the creature, and dumped it in the water rather than eat the flesh. As he backed away, he became aware of a low noise behind him. He shook as he slowly turned his head. Two yellow eyes glared at him. Its mouth split open into a many toothed grin and it gave a low purr.
"Spirits…" The Zebra whispered as he looked at the giant cat. For a moment he considered running. But one look at the creatures bulk and muscles told him that was not going to be any use. The Shaitan smiled still.
"These… these... are the lands of King Simba… You ha…have no authority here." He tried to say in what he hoped was a strong voice. The Strange creature shook with laughed, a deep rumbling sound.
"I carry my own authority meat. Tell your gods that Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra sent you." he growled. Two more figures stepped from out of the long grass, flanking him. They were the same as the first, stripped with flame and shadow. The Zebra looked at the three of them, recognition showing on his face.
"Tigers!" It gasped. Then it bolted. It could not have possibly made the distance, but its terror was so great it risked it nevertheless. It managed to get three meters before two claws raked into its flesh, causing it to stumble and fall. It managed one, pitiful squeak, before a claw slashed its throat in one fluid motion.
Rish'ut licked his paw clean, and then stepped from the corpse as the other two tigers came closer.
"I have already eaten. Help yourself." he said. Ben-Kai-Ra smiled, but did not eat. Sekmet laughed then tore into the flesh, spraying blood across the grass as she did so.
A few minutes later the three tigers departed, stepping over the mutilated corpse, as its blood leaked into the waterhole. The blood poured out of a dozen wounds and mingled with the blood of another half-dozen bodies that now littered the area.
AU:
Wow. Cool huh? I have decided to draw out the fall of Priderock for a couple of chapters, instead of rushing it and cramming it into one. This is a multi-book story so plenty of time. You will start seeing new characters next chapter.
Also… Sekmet, Rish'ut and Ben-Kai-Ra are nasty pieces of work aren't they? What you think they are evil? Oh you have no idea…
