"So sorry about the delay. Goodness. The God's conspired to keep me from completing this. Work after work. School, homework, exams – got my first batch of exams back. 88 UMS for my Physics paper! :D.

Did appalling on my chemistry and maths though. Well done to anyone else out there who is still struggling through full time education. We will march onwards together! (Until the day comes when we compete for jobs, but hey, we have a good year yet.)

This chapter is devastating and is the main reason I made this a teen rating. It is bloody – the violence is Animal Kingdom, not Disney. Nature is a cruel thing and this chapter reflects this. Eventually, it will become something else, with brighter moments, and even a few songs, this is the darkest moment. I will probably piss of every one of you at some point in this chapter by killing someone you love. Sorry.

I have also split it into two chapter and will update it within a few hours. to make up for the delay. Enjoy and please review. Also if you are reading this, and are confused by these Shaman, I suggest you read Judgement. Seriously, If you are reading this and haven't read Judgement yet, you need to.

In other news, I topped 17,000 words in my novel. Weirdly I write this so much faster, this chapter alone is excess of 5000 words... It's just a different style of writing.

I'll leave you now and let you enjoy the story. However, I also have created a new Forum, and updated my profile. Check both out:

forum/The-Lion-King-Legacies-The-Lion-King-Judgement/128728/

(Remember to add this the final */* at the end of the main address. Be sure you are not on your own account page or the *https* will interfere with the address).


Cheers: Haradion."

Chapter 6: Pride Rock Falls I


Kovu stood from Pride Rock when the Shai'tan began their attack. He turned to his sister.

"Seven of them?" He asked in confusion. Vitani looked again, taking in every feature of the tigers.

"All but the Emperor. They slaughtered Sabini and her followers – and suffered no casualties in doing so – I don't see a scratch on them. There is more to them than they let on Kovu..." Kovu nodded in agreement. He wanted nothing more than to jump down there, tear into their flesh, spill their blood upon the ground. For a mad instant, he almost did so, but he restrained himself. Instead he called out to the Shai'tan.

"This is your last chance. Turn back, or face death." He said grimly. Ben-Kai-Ra smiled, almost in pleasure. Then he said something.

"Moja! Tygugoum carrasgath!"

The words were alien, but they conveyed some meaning to the Shai'tan who as one gave a single cry, a roar of anger. They exalted and Kovu shivered at the sound. His own lionesses had moved into position around the foot of Pride Rock.

"Stand as one! Wait for their attack – let them tire themselves coming to us!" He ordered. To his relief, every lioness heard him and stood their ground as the creatures thundered towards them.

They met with a roar. For every Shai'tan there were at least two Lionesses. Though smaller, they outnumbered the Shai'tan and it was there the lions had the advantage.

For Rish'ut, the battle was bloody and hot. And exciting – that much there was no denying. Adrenaline ran through him, making his reactions faster, his senses greater and his body stronger.

He was strong. Being stronger than those around him gave him a thrill. To know that his life was being gambled on the fact that he remained the strongest. Some would have been frightened by the prospect. But it was the reason Rish'ut lived. Who could live a mundane life, after having felt the thrill of battle? The sweet taste of a foe's blood in his throat. Warm and sticky. Pungent. A lioness reared up in front of him, and he darted forward, striking a long, razor sharp claw at her flank. Blood sprayed as she pulled away at the last instant. The blood stung his eyes and filled his mouth, but she returned in kind. Her own blow should have sent him spinning through the air, but instead of landing on him as she expected, he twisted his form and it passed harmlessly over his head. She barely had an instant to register a moment of surprise, before he jerked his claw across her neck. The unnamed lioness crumpled as two more leapt upon him and he danced backward.

Kovu stared in disbelieve as the fight was repeated throughout the base of Pride rock. The Shai'tan were fast but above all, they were stronger than any foe he had previously fought. His lionesses were skilled but all it took was one mistake and the Shai'tan would capitalise. Their brutal strikes tearing into his people. He was sickened. There was a howl, and another lioness fell. And still all eight tigers remained standing. The Emperor was not even fighting – he was just lurking at the back, behind his minions. Pacing up and down.

"Kill them! Kill them all!" He ordered. The Shai'tan responded, fighting harder, pushing themselves past their own limits into a blood thirst rage. Kovu dodged a blow aimed at his face and returned a strike of his own, only for the battle to separate the combatants as they fought. It was a mess. Chaos. The fighters whirled and seethed around each other –it was hard to say who was where. In the centre of the fighting, there was no left, or right, up or down. Just the slash of claws and the spray of blood.

"Kovu!" Vitani cried as a Tiger sank its teeth into her shoulder.

Kovu was there, tearing into the enemies flesh with his own teeth. The Tiger bucked, throwing Kovu off and losing a chunk of its skin. They were bloodied, but no Shai'tan had fallen yet. Kovu saw three lionesses had.

There was a flash of light and Marsade appeared above them...

He was flying. Floating on the air itself, as winds whirled around him. He held out both palms of his hands and three staffs span around him in the eye of tempest. Red, white and blue flames roaring with energy, burning in the wind appeared from nothing and circled the sorcerer. A tongue of flame darted out and struck a lioness in the chest. Kovu couldn't see her face, but he cried out in alarm as the fire seared into her, burrowing deep into her flesh like a maggot into meat. She shrieked and the smell of burnt fur and lioness assailed his nostrils. She fell to the ground, eyes unseeing. Marsade stumbled backwards as well, caught by surprise by the ferocity of his own spell, but laughthed at the strength of his new toy. For an instant their eyes met, and Marsade smiled.

"Friend of yours?" he asked casually as Kovu bared down upon him. Marsade flicked his hand and Kovu wondered if for a moment he had made a terrible mistake. Any minute now the unnatural flame would leap towards him and kill him – he could already feel it. Fortunately for Kovu, the Shaman, startled by Kovu's direct attack, reacted with instinct and struck out with a different spell. Invisible claws struck at him, and Kovu was thrown through the air. Injured but alive, he groaned as he crawled to his feet. Blood poured freely now, and Kovu felt the taste of blood in his own mouth. His own. He had bitten into his tongue as he had landed slicing the tip clean off. He was lucky he had not taken a larger chunk. He spat out a glob of blood and leapt back into the fray, partnering with his sister in trying to take down one of the larger tigers.

Back in the den, the cubs listened to the sounds of battle and cries of pain. Inti shivered. His sister covered her eyes crying softly to herself. Zuri did nothing, tracing her claws into the dust, trying desperately to shut out the noise. Kiava paced up and down in anticipation, whilst his mother looked on nervously. Danyal stood up.

"Thats it. I am not going to wait another minute – they need everyone out there." He said standing up. Kiara roared.

"Stay where you are you stupid child!" She snapped.

"You go out there now and everyone will see where from – we'll have these Shai'tan down our throats in the blink of an eye!" She said, and Danyal hesitated.

"You go out there and you cut all of our throats!" She hissed. Danyal, paused then nodded, sitting back down. The echoing cries of pain and conflict made him shiver. Timon sat next to him.

"Relax kid. I wanna be out there as much as you – I wanna tear them limb from limb like there was no tomorrow." He said. Danyal snorted.

"Exactly. I'd be killed instantly and I know it." Timon told him.

"I am not afraid." Danyal said.

Timon sighed. "Then you are crazy or stupid."

"I am not stupid!"

"Crazy it is then." Timon said. Danyal swiped at him, but a life time spent around lions, young and old had prepared Timon who darted out of the way.

"Remember my young friend. Hakuna Matata. No worries. Worrying over this battle will not help those fighting, and lack of focus will get you killed." Timon said, before heading off to the back of the cave. Kiara watched him go.

"Has Timon seemed a little... different? Since dad was killed?" Kiara asked Almasi, who shrugged.

"You know him better than I do... But he gave the boy some sound advice..." Almasi said.

"Exactly. Timon has never been responsible or particularly wise." She said, and sent him a questioning look. Timon sighed.

"The boy has more heart than brains, and more testosterone then sense. That combination will get him killed." Timon explained. Kiara raised an eyebrow.

"And you are the perfect role model?" She asked.

"Simba turned out alright..." Timon said, before continuing by. Years at Pride Rock, and still he liked to sleep apart from the Lions.

"Man... I am getting too old for this..." he said as his back creaked.

"My King! We must fall back! We can't –AARH!" Serci cried as a tigress grasped her by the back of head, and drew her claw across her throat. She fell with a sickening splash into her own blood. More than half of the lioness were dead and of the half who survived two thirds were wounded. Kovu was panting. Blood poured from Nala's head, and one eye was puffy and swollen, a strike had come perilously close to ripping it out.

One Tiger struck at Kovu who angrily counter attacked. The Tiger defended, but Kovu driven by rage, battered through his defence and struck at his chest, ripping into the soft breast. The Tiger cursed and fell to the ground.

"Leviath!" One of the Tiger's cried out, and two of its companions broke away from their combat. One leapt at Kovu as the other crouched and pulled the screaming Tiger from the field. Kovu shook of his attacker and leapt at the retreating pair. The Air rippled and the two vanished. Marsade had whisked them to safety. Kovu roared as his other attacker pulled away as well, attacking a weaker opponent.

"Kovu! Pull back to the den!" Vitani shouted over the sound of the battle.

"No!" Kovu retorted, striking at a Tiger who was biting into the neck of lioness on the ground. He pulled the Tiger off her, but she was already mangled and dead.

"We are exhausted! We can't hold this line, we are too few!"

"Pride Rock will not fall!" Kovu retorted, but even as the words left his lips they felt like ash. A quick survey of the field told him their odds. One Shaitain wounded the other retreated. Six Tigers remained. A dozen lionesses already dead. Fire danced out and Marsade's unearthly hellfire struck again incinerating another lioness. The Pyromancer was a devil, leaping with unnatural strength and speed over the field, striking at will, and here and there flying from each near death. Laughing. The kings dam him! Taking pleasure in the fight to the death! Kovu gritted his teeth, Should he retreat? The decision was made for him.

"KOVU SON OF SCAR!" Ben-Kai-Ra's voice echoed over the battlefield. As if by command, the fighting ceased, as Tiger and Lioness paused midstrike to hear him.

"YOUR WORLD IS FAILING."

"BY DUSK ALL THAT YOU LOVE WILL BE ASHES. YOU KNOW THAT THE PRIDE IS BROKEN. BUT YOU AND YOUR KIN HAVE THOUGHT VALIANTLY AND WITH HONOUR." he said. Kovu grimaced, but was surprised by what was next.

"MY FORCES WILL WITHDRAW. YOU HAVE AN HOUR TO BURY YOUR DEAD, MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR GODS AND DIE WITH DIGNITY. WHEN THE FIGHTING RESUMES, I SHALL STRIKE PERSONALY, AND ALL THINGS WILL COME TO DUST – AND BEFORE THE END, YOU WILL BEG FOR DEATH!"

The Emperor roared. He nodded to his shaman, who mumbled something incomprehensible. The remaining Tigers vanished from sight, the gateway closing behind them.