Author's note: It feels like years since I updated! Sorry for that :P… It was the first time I had a writer's block, and I had no idea what to do about it.
Since it's been so very long, you might want to read the whole thing again, just so you know where things stand.
I'll update more frequently now, because that little dry period has passed (or seems to have, at least!) Oh, and Chu10 and KaltheBrave, thanks a lot for encouraging me to keep going! It means a lot! Well, the key portion of this story hasn't started yet, and it won't start in a while.. Like I said before, this story is a big one. So try to enjoy! And as always, feel free to criticize, and please tell me if any of the lions are out of character! This chapter may come as a surprise, and it will feel very sudden, but I will go deeper into all my characters as we progress! Read on!
Proofreading credits go to Chu10.. Once again, thank you :).
Chapter 7 : Discontent.
The night was cold, as it always was in the savannah. And yet, it did not deter them. They were hunters. Predators. Creatures of the night. One mere, solitary glance at them could reduce the greatest beasts of the plains into frightened balls of fur and hide. They were not ordinary creatures. No. They were extraordinarily skilled. Trained for years in the Outlands, for one sole purpose.
Assassination.
Yes, they were murderers. Hired, cold-blooded assassins that killed merely for the fun of it. Mercy was a foreign word to them. They could strike when least expected, and disappear in a flash, leaving nothing but cold, rotting bodies. They could kill in one leap. They made it look so easy. So effortless. But there was something far more terrifying about them.
They were never suspected.
They were never the nice, pretty lionesses, but they always made it a point to have alibis. They were a group of only six; and highly experienced as they were, cooking up believable stories was like killing a wildebeest with a broken leg in broad daylight. They couldn't afford to be caught, because they wanted to kill for the rest of their lives. They enjoyed their profession.
Their eyes glowed a bright, fiery orange in the darkness. Striking fear into the hearts of lion and antelope alike, they blazed across the plains, closing in on their targets. But this time, there was a slight problem. And it was only apt that the leader of their group, conniving and brilliant as she was, would point it out.
"Wait.." Her voice was a mere whisper, but the group could easily hear her. So finely tuned were their senses that no sound went unnoticed.
"What's wrong? They're right there." Spotty's claws were unsheathed, itching for blood. "There are four of them and six of us. We can take them."
Zira stared back at her second-in-command skeptically, and pointed at one of the enemy lionesses. "The others aren't a problem. It is her I'm worried about. Sabini," Zira spat out the name, her voice filled with venomous contempt.
The group stared back at her leader, eyebrows raised. Zira would never hesitate when it came to a fight.
"She is the queen's older sister. She's easily the fastest huntress in the land." Zira's voice took on a condescending tone. "Much faster than any of you."
The lionesses never appreciated Zira's frequent comments on their proficiency, or lack of it, but they never thought much of it. No one would dare to question a lioness as powerful as Zira.
"We could kill them now, but there's too much chance that one of them will escape. Especially her. And we can't let that happen. Bahati's pride is not very far, and he already doesn't like us much. This mission has to be perfect. So we do what we have always done. We stalk. We wait for the right time. They won't always be together." Zira smiled evilly. "And besides, it looks like they've settled down rather nicely. Let them have their fun for now. Our time will come."
Turning around, Zira quickly walked towards the east, not looking back once. She knew her group would follow. They always did. They were her insignificant, little puppets.
"So where are we going now?" Dotty asked softly, careful not to upset her leader.
Zira laughed. "I think it's about time we pay our brainless colleagues a little visit, don't you think? I want to have a little chat with them. Just to make sure they….co-operate." Zira smirked, but her voice took on a very authoritative, commanding tone. "After that, I want you all to stay here and keep an eye on those lionesses and that ignorant teenager. Scar would love to hear about our progress!"
The lionesses nodded. The job at hand was fairly easy for them. They were the experts at espionage. The group walked into the darkness of the undergrowth, leaving not a single trail behind. Zira would do anything for her king. She would leave no stone unturned. She would make sure Chumvi was dead.
"Banzai! Get over here! We have work to do!"
Shenzi was exhausted. Scar never did anything himself, and now, that wasn't going to change at all. He was a king. He would walk around, head held high, showing off his newfound elite persona, and the hyenas had to do his dirty work. But of course, she didn't mind. The hyenas finally had what they always wanted. An endless supply of food.
She didn't mind killing lions – her pack had done it before – but this group was different. The hyenas were predictable now, and the lions elusive. They would do all it took to survive. And Shenzi's patience was running out. But her exhaustion didn't matter. She was terrified of the punishment. Scar was once their friend, and they were equals. But now, he was the king. He was their ticket to the Pride lands. And the matriarch would do anything to ensure the status and security of her family and her pack.
But she had a problem. Hyenas normally had a near perfect sense of smell, and could detect anything, from the tiny ant to the majestic elephant. But these hyenas under her command were insolent idiots. Years of rotting in the Elephant Graveyard had made them insensitive, inattentive and extraordinarily lazy, so much so that the lions were miles away from them now.
Scar always picked three hyenas to vent out his anger and frustration, and Shenzi, being the matriarch, could do the same with her brother, Banzai, and his best friend, Ed.
"Can we please get a move on!" she barked. "We keep lazin' around by the waterhole all day, and that old lion'll have our heads!"
"Who? Scar?" Banzai replied, his tone anything but frightened. "He can't do nothin'! He needs us!" Ed began to laugh maniacally, oblivious to Shenzi's stern, authoritative glare.
But suddenly, he stopped, as a chilling cackle ripped through the cold night air, tearing most of the nonchalant attitudes apart. This was also laughter, but it was far more sinister. Far more calculating. Ed rarely had a serious expression on his face, but he realized that now was a very good time indeed.
"Is that so?"
Shenzi gulped. She hated Zira with all her heart. She would never admit it, but she was terrified of the things the psychotic lioness was capable of. Deep down, Shenzi knew that she was better off upsetting Scar. 'At least he has a temper, however short.'
Banzai and Ed began to back away from the group, beads of perspiration rolling down their cheeks. The hyenas had strength in numbers, but they weren't the boldest creatures. Zira, on the other hand, relished a challenge. She took pride in the fact that she could invoke so much fear in fellow predators with such little effort.
"What is it now, Zira?" Shenzi spoke up, her face betraying any expression.
"Oh, nothing much, Shenzi. I was just checking up on you, that's all."
"There is no need for that, Zira. We are perfectly fine on our own."
"Then we must agree to disagree." Zira replied, walking towards a snoring hyena, with a disgusted expression on her face. Getting within inches of the hyena's sleeping form, she let a low growl rip through her throat. The hyena jumped up, looking around frantically, and stared straight into Zira's burning eyes. Letting out a petrified yelp, the hyena raced away from a thoroughly amused Zira.
Shenzi rolled her eyes. "Why are you here, Zira?" she asked in an exasperated tone.
Zira's voice took on a more serious note. She scrunched her eyebrows and bared her teeth. "Let me make one thing clear. If even one of your spineless fools meddles with our plans, all your heads will adorn every little corner of Pride Rock. Is that understood!?"
Shenzi nodded weakly in response. She stood her ground as the group left, trying desperately to ignore her pacing heart. No one terrified her like Zira did. And she knew for sure that her threat was not an empty one. It never was. Slowly turning around, she walked towards a temporary shelter, knowing that good night's sleep was now only a dream that wouldn't come true.
"Mufasa? Where are you?" A lone, nearly full-grown lioness pushed through the grass, looking for the love of her life. She was one of the prettiest lionesses in the Pride, and it was no surprise that she was betrothed to the Prince. Her feelings were unrequited most of the time, and Mufasa was always distracted around her; but she always knew he would come around some day. All she had to do was wait. She was going to be queen. It was only a matter of time. She was beautiful, and all the lions were attracted to her. Except one. The one that mattered.
She didn't worry much though. They were betrothed. And nothing could change that. She was a good huntress and a sweet lioness. All she needed was some attention from Mufasa. And that, unfortunately for her, was being spent on another lioness.
Sarabi.
Hasira never got along with her, but they were Pridesisters. She didn't want to disrupt the peace that had prevailed in the Pride Lands for innumerable generations. They were all friends once, but she couldn't deny that Mufasa and Sarabi were truly meant for each other. But seeing them together always ignited a spark in her. A spark of sheer jealousy. Envy. She tried to get rid of the dark thoughts floating around in her head, to no avail. She managed to keep them under control, but it was affecting her personality to such an extent that it was scaring her. She was afraid that the spark would amplify, resulting in an explosion which would rock the pride to its core.
And she wanted peace. But she knew that there was a limit to her self-control. How many emotions could she bottle up after all? Mufasa would surely make sure that their betrothal would come to an end. He was the crown prince. He could do anything. And she didn't know if she could take it. She truly loved him, but it just wasn't meant to be. She would just have to accept defeat. And it would be much harder than she thought.
The Northern Plains. Some called it heaven; some called it paradise. The river was filled with rain water again, and the Grasslands were teeming with life; filled with herds, prides, packs and colonies that lived together in harmony and mutual respect. Or appeared to, at least.
For the Circle of Life was an unbreakable concept. It was an idea that went back to the beginning of Time itself. It was kill or be killed in the wild. Death was the only precedent to success in the savannah. Every single animal, however noble, was a killer. But some of them had a certain amount of expertise that set them miles apart from the rest.
Tall grass filled out the savannah. It worked to their advantage, of course, as they zeroed in on a herd of well-built zebra. The incessant chirping and the bird calls ceased, as the environment itself seemed to sense a disturbance in the prevailing peace. But this was an everyday affair. Simply put, this was nature taking its course.
A tail, unnoticed by most creatures, started to rise gradually out of the grass, tilting slightly to the left. It was the simplest of things, intended to have a deadly effect. One paw replacing another, a tawny form floated through the grass, her eyes locked onto a mesmerising pattern of black and white.
Shutting the rest of the environment out of her system, she focused solely on an old and apparently sick zebra, knowing that her friend was doing the same a hundred feet away. Hunting was no cakewalk, though. A tad faster than the average lioness, the zebra was a deceptively powerful creature. But the lionesses had an ace up their sleeve. They had one particularly lethal weapon in their arsenal that gave them a definite, if not distinct, advantage. A weapon that few predators used to maximum effect.
Stealth.
The ears of a young, adult zebra perked up, as he looked up, scanning the horizon. The others soon followed suit. They had caught a whiff of the scent they had learned to dread all their lives. Peaceful grazing was now life-threatening business. The zebras had to make a choice. Food. Or their lives.
The lionesses sensed the indecision in the herd immediately. The herd would soon make its decision. But the serial killers of the savannah thrived on hesitation. Not a second could be wasted now. This was their opportunity to wreak havoc.
It was now or never.
Propelling herself through the grass, Sabini shot through the foliage with explosive pace, curving around the herd and creating an arc, zeroing in on her trembling target. Completely startled, the painted beasts ran frantically in wayward directions, desperate to confuse the speeding gauntlet of teeth and claws that was coming their way.
But Sabini was too experienced to be bothered by the herd's attempts to throw her off track. Letting out a determined, focused roar, she raced towards the petrified zebra. The zebra ran in the opposite direction, pushing forward in sheer desperation. All its attention was focused on getting away from the rampaging lioness. A flawed attitude to use in this situation.
Lions never hunted alone.
All of a sudden, a blur of orange erupted from the yellow grass, momentarily blinding the zebra. Hasira, waiting in ambush all the while, used the element of surprise to her advantage. Wrapping her forelegs around the zebra's neck, she bit as hard as she could. Though the zebra slowed down, it kept trying. Its life was at stake.
Then came something any lioness would do without. The zebra began to buck and sway, trying to loosen the iron grip of the lioness. And to Hasira's surprise, it was working.
Just when the zebra thought it was free, a sudden weight was put on its shoulders. Blinding pain coursed through its veins, as Sabini went straight for the zebra's throat. A sickening crack was heard; it was music to the lioness' ears. The zebra dropped in a lifeless heap, giving in to sheer, ruthless strength.
"Dinner…" Sabini breathed a sigh of relief. This was the moment she was waiting for for a long time. The thrill of a kill. Nafsi spent most of her time with Chumvi, so the burden of hunting fell on Sabini and her Pridesister, Hasira. Sweet by nature, Hasira generally used to have a soft personality, and would keep to herself all the time. But something was visibly different now. She had a pained look in her normally smiling eyes. Ghosts from her past were bubbling to the surface, and this time, Hasira had no reason to keep her smiling face. Mufasa was gone.
Sabini turned to her friend and smiled, only to be greeted by a lifeless expression. Hasira had changed drastically after that horrible incident. It had affected them all, but Hasira had taken it particularly hard. And Sabini knew why.
"Listen Hasira, you need to…" A low growl from her friend cut her off. She understood why her friend was acting like this, but she didn't like it.
"What do you know, Sabini? You're just like your sister," Hasira snapped, in a purely condescending tone.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sabini stepped forward threateningly. No one spoke about Sarabi that way. She got in Hasira's face, but it had no effect. Hasira remained unfazed.
"If I was in her place, I wouldn't have let this happen!" There were tears in Hasira's eyes, but she bared her teeth. "I would have been a better queen!" she hissed.
Sabini was angry. She had had enough. Letting out a furious roar, she seethed, "All right, that's enough! Sarabi is handling this with pride and so should you!"
"Why?" Hasira turned to Sabini, pure hurt in her eyes. "Have I any pride left? I was ignored. Shunned. Do you know what that feels like. No! You're the queen's sister. And I was just an average lioness in love with someone I couldn't have! I stayed in the Pride Lands only because he was there! I had nowhere else to go! And now…." her voice was breaking, "I don't have anything left."
Sabini's eyes widened. She didn't expect this, and she had no idea how to react. "I…I thought you were over this…."
This seemed to anger Hasira even more. "Over this?! Say, why don't I kill someone you love and we'll see what you do about it! Do you know what it is like to keep your emotions to yourself every single time! I have nothing to tell you anymore!"
"Look, Hasira. Think about it. Mufasa had made his choice. You were a really nice lioness. You still are! You need to move on."
"We were betrothed!"
"Being queen doesn't mean everything. It only means you have a title and many, many responsibilities," Sabini said trying her best to put a smile on her friend's face. Her attempts were futile; her words were ignored. Hasira stormed off into the undergrowth, a teary frown on her face.
Sabini let out a tired sigh. She knew how strained Hasira's emotions were. From being betrothed to the prince to having her heart ripped apart, Hasira's life was a roller coaster ride. And Sabini completely understood. But she felt that Hasira was taking it a bit too far. They were going through one of the worst times. And they needed to stay together and protect one another. Issues like could have dangerous consequences, and Sabini wanted to make sure things didn't get out of hand. All she wanted was for everything to be all right again.
Author's note: So what did you think? Leave your thoughts in a review.. I still have two more characters to introduce, so the next chapter will be about that.. I'll post the next chapter on the 21st of June. Have a great week!
