- Chapter 13 by Haradion. Edited by Asante.

"Evening all. It's Haradion again!

How is everyone? With Book 3 of The Lion King Legacies completed, I can now dedicate my time to this chapter of Fall of Man. Yay!

The Lion King VI:

Fall of Man

Chapter 13

There was a roar of agony and the area was enveloped in red smoke. The smell of charred flesh and smoldering fur filled the air. Daniel gagged, pressing a hand to his mouth. The smell of burnt skin filled his nose. The smoke began to clear, and Daniel stared in horror, the spent flare gun falling from his limp fingers.

Hasira bellowed again, his body quaking with pain and anger. His right flank had been struck by the flare, and the fur had been burnt and charred black by the blast. He moved forward, walking with a slight limp, his right paw weakened from the injury. The flare's damage was concentrated along Hasira's right side, the skin melted, twisted, and raw. It has seared through his face, his eye reduced to a bubble of grease and his cheek blistered and bleeding.

"You – honestly think – that your weapons would be any use against me, Boy?" Hasira whispered.

Daniel recoiled, taking a step back.

Hasira breathed heavily, his gaze – his single remaining eye – fixed upon Daniel.

Simba looked on in horror as the great lion took another step towards Daniel. "No, Hasira!" he shouted. "Ni wouldn't want this!"

Asante stirred and groggily lifted his head. "Danny?"

Summoning strength from his seemingly endless pool of hatred, Hasira launched himself at the human.

Daniel reached out and took hold of his spear, which he'd hidden behind the boulder before using the flare gun. With a shout, he brought the weapon to bear, and struck. The blow glanced off Hasira's forearm, merely cutting his shoulder, but the burnt flesh was sensitive to the slightest touch, and Hasira howled in pain.

Asante leapt to his feet and barreled into Hasira. Daniel rolled to one side, avoiding the two lions as they tumbled past.

Hasira roared viciously as Asante's claws sunk into his raw wounds. He shoved Asante back, then swung both paws in a wide arc, leaving ten red lines across Asante's right shoulder. Asante roared in pain and stumbled back.

"Sante!" Daniel cried out.

Simba leapt in front of his son and readied himself to receive Hasira's blows. To his surprise, Hasira turned away from the old lion and his son, his eye once again trained on Daniel. He swung his claws at the human.

Daniel dodged the first strike, and made a clumsy parry with his spear. He missed once, twice, and the third strike sent him stumbling. Hasira made another swipe and Daniel fell backwards to avoid the claws. He landed on his back, the spear flying from his hand and clattering out of reach. The mutilated lion closed the gap between them.

Simba bit Hasira's tail and pulled him back. Asante ignored the ten lashes across his chest and leapt at Hasira, biting down on his shoulder. The two lions, father and son, dragged the giant lion back and away from Daniel, their claws and teeth shredding Hasira's burnt flesh.

Daniel climbed to his feet. "Simba!"

"Run, Daniel!" Simba ordered. "Save yourself!"

Hasira shook himself violently, tossing Simba and Asante away. Asante rolled across the ground, grit digging painfully into his wounds. Simba's cheek knocked into a stone, and he was momentarily dazed.

"No more," Daniel gasped.

Hasira rounded on Simba, a murderous look in his eye.

Bruce's face flashed through Daniel's mind. "No one else is gonna die for me!"

Simba looked up hazily as Hasira moved in for the kill.

Daniel grabbed a large stone and chucked it at Hasira. The great lion grunted as the rock grazed his brow. "I'm the one you want!" Daniel bellowed furiously. "Come and get me, you mother fu…"

Hasira whirled around and pounced at Daniel before he could finish his sentence.

"Shit!" Daniel screamed, crouching low and leaping to the side to avoid Hasira's attack. He then bolted for the nearby trees. When the large lion turned about, the human had already made it to the woods. Hasira roared and took off in pursuit of the human, still limping.

"Daniel," Simba groaned, stumbling to his feet.

Asante also rose, wincing and favoring his right leg. "He's unstoppable," he gasped.

"No," Simba growled. "We won't give up on Daniel, not after all he's done for us!" With great effort, Simba ran after them.

Asante began to follow, but paused when he noticed Daniel's spear lying on the ground. He picked it up in his mouth and then followed after his father.

Several dozen yards ahead, Daniel jumped over rocks and large tree roots. He could hear Hasira's violent snarls closing in.

"This way," a soft voice called out.

Daniel stopped and looked to where the sound came from. A ghostly creature beckoned him with her paw. It was an ethereal lioness with a robust frame, dark beige fur, and fiery eyes.

"Come," Sarabi's ghost instructed.

"Who…" Daniel started.

"Come!" Sarabi insisted, turning and disappearing into the forest.

Daniel shook his head and ran in the direction where the ghostly lioness departed. Following the path, he soon spied a tunnel ahead of him. Moving quickly, he ducked into the small cave just as Hasira came into view. Daniel crawled on hands and knees, moving deeper into the small tunnel as the lion pounced on the opening. Hasira was too large to fit inside. He swiped at Daniel, but the human had squeezed through a small crevice beyond the reach of Hasira's claws.

Daniel moved ahead, the tunnel becoming darker the farther he went. He had to squint to see five inches in front of him. Then he felt his forehead bump into something. He reached out and felt a cold, hard rock wall. His hands searched the wall for an opening, his heart racing at the realization that he'd hit a dead-end.

Behind him, Daniel heard the sound of gravel shifting and rocks crumbling. Hasira was clawing his way into the tunnel. "He's going to get in!" Daniel gasped.

"Don't fear," Daniel heard another voice say, the sound like a breeze. He looked up and saw the luminous shape of another spectral lioness on a rocky outcropping over his head. Unlike the first ghostly lioness, this one greatly resembled Nala, except with apple-green eyes, a slightly darker pelt, and a smaller nose. "This way," Sarafina whispered.

Daniel grabbed the ledge above him and hauled himself up. Sarafina's spirit disappeared just before he made it up. By the faintest glow, Daniel could see that there was a narrow joint where two rocks met beyond the outcropping. There was a small hole between them, and Daniel crawled through.

Hasira ripped the tunnel's entrance apart, creating a large enough opening to get inside. He entered just as Daniel squeezed through the crevice beyond the outcropping. He snarled and leapt onto the ledge, slashing at the rocks to try and break through.

The crevice opened up into a narrow causeway, where Daniel found three passages in front of him. He hesitated for a moment, looking around for any indication of an exit. All three passages seemed to twist and turn; it was impossible to guess where any of them would end up. Daniel looked back to the crevice, hearing Hasira as he tore at the rocks to get through.

"Hurry," another voice said.

Daniel looked back towards the three passages. "Ni!" he cried out.

The old lion nodded, regarding Daniel kindly. He gestured down the central passage. "Go."

Tears filled Daniel's eyes. "Ni, I wanted to help you."

Ni smiled tenderly. "I know you did. Now let me return the favor, my friend. Go."

Daniel crawled past and made his way through the central passage. After several yards, his hands slid out from under him and he rolled out into a large circular cavern. The night sky was visible through an opening high above him.

A loud roar echoed behind him within the tunnels. Hasira had broken through the second barrier and was getting closer. Daniel looked around for a way to climb up to the opening. The walls were jagged and provided some precarious handholds. Desperately, Daniel began the perilous ascent.

Hasira regarded the three tunnels in front of him and sniffed the air. Picking up Daniel's scent through the central passage, he started forward.

Ni placed himself in Hasira's path. "My brother, please stop."

Blinded by hatred and madness, Hasira could not see his mentor's spirit. He brushed through Ni's ethereal body, momentarily dispersing the ghost. Ni reformed just long enough to catch one last glimpse of his friend. "Farewell, Hasira," he sighed.

As Daniel pulled himself onto one of the ledges, Hasira emerged from the tunnel below him, his vicious eye gleaming up at Daniel.

"At last, Lion Hunter, there is nowhere left to run – nowhere left to hide – and no one left to protect you."

"That's not true!" Simba roared.

Daniel looked up and saw Simba and Asante looking down at them through the opening in the ceiling.

"Dan, catch!" Asante called, tossing down his spear.

Daniel reached out and caught it. He then turned around and jabbed wildly with the spear. It struck deep into Hasira's shoulder, causing the lion to roar. Hasira twisted his head around and bit into the spear, shattering the shaft and sending shards spraying. Daniel shielded his eyes from the fragments.

"No!" Simba gasped.

Then Hasira swiped at his prey, his claws cutting into Daniel's leg. The young man gave a cry of pain, and let go of the rock face. He fell, spinning, and hit the ground with a thud. His head struck a rock, cutting his forehead. His leg throbbed where Hasira had clawed him.

"Dan, we're coming!" Asante called, trying to squeeze in through the opening.

"It's too tight," Simba said. "Dig it wider!"

Hasira glared down at Daniel from his perch. The human coughed and pushed himself off his face into a sitting position. "Simba, Asante," he called out, "just get out of here! You can't help me!"

Asante and Simba dug the opening wider and Simba tried unsuccessfully to slide in.

"Look at them," Hasira growled in disgust, "so desperate to help you… a Lion Hunter! They're too blind to recognize the danger you're kind presents, but even the most stupid of Pride Landers will join me when they learn that Simba and his son were slaughtered by your kind after they returned you to them."

"The Pride Landers won't believe you!" Daniel shouted.

Hasira laughed. "Who's going to tell them otherwise? You? As far as anyone will know, you will have been killed in the crossfire – be it a tragic accident or a deliberate murder. It'll be enough – enough to cure every single Pride Lander of their delusions. They will finally see your kind for what you are!"

"You won't fool them!" Daniel screamed.

"You think so? The Outlanders at least would demand blood for blood! Kopa and Kiara will be too grieved by their father's death to dissuade their lowbred pride members."

Simba pushed his way through the opening and dug his claws into the cavern wall, inching his way down. Asante followed close behind.

"You'll be slaughtered!" Daniel insisted. "I told you, you can't win against them! You'll all die!"

Hasira smiled cruelly. "Then the Pride Landers and I will die as heroes. If I can't wipe out the humans from the face of the earth, then I can at the very least sweep away the traitors who infest the Pride Lands." He prepared to pounce.

Daniel desperately looked around for something to defend himself with. He noticed his spear a few feet away, broken in half but with the spearhead still intact.

Hasira leapt from his perch and fell towards Daniel. The human reached out, his hand flailing for his spear. His fingers closed around the shaft and he swung it up, braced against the floor. Hasira roared balefully just before he drove himself upon the spear. It sank in under his ribcage at an angle, penetrating deep.

"Daniel!" Simba wailed, leaping recklessly from ledge to ledge to get to their friend.

Hasira staggered away from the human, the spear's shaft still protruding from his torso. He sank to the floor and coughed, blood spurting from his mouth.

Daniel struggled to his feet and backed away, Hasira's blood dripping from his hands. He stared at the large lion in disbelief and shook his head.

Simba and Asante jumped from the last ledge and hurried to Daniel, the two lions nuzzling their human friend in relief.

"Daniel," Simba whispered. "Oh Daniel, are you all right?"

Daniel could only stare at Hasira, who lay in a pool of his own blood. The human stepped forward and dropped to his knees. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

Hasira's eyes flickered open. "Sorry?" he gasped. Then he laughed cruelly. "You're sorry? You think that you've won, Boy? You are no different than any of the Lion Hunters I've killed. I understand, at last… You have only proved once and for all how right I was. You can do nothing but kill – and you have done it at last. Any illusion of peace or honor that you thought you possessed – is a lie! This is your true self, Daniel. You are a killer, after all…"

"No," Asante said, moving to stand beside Daniel. The young lion looked sadly at Hasira.

Hasira growled. "What do you mean no?" He tried to rise, but his wounds only bled more. "He is a Lion Hunter! Why can't you see that! How does it escape you! They killed Mheetu! They killed Ni! They killed my family!"

Asante's look turned cold. "I'm going to say this one last time, Hasira. Mheetu's death, Ni's death, and the deaths of your family had nothing to do with Daniel. He has done nothing but heal and protect us. He has worked with us to make the Pride Lands safe – safe from disease, from war – safe from his own kind. You, on the other hand, have done nothing but kill. You lured death to these lands like a carcass lures vultures, all for the sake of your personal vendetta. You're selfish, hypocritical, and cruel."

"Selfish?" Hasira snarled.

"Yes!" Asante spat. "Selfish! You are the real Lion Hunter!"

"I avenged Ni! I tried to avenge every lion they've killed, while you protect these monsters! You are traitors to your species!"

Asante shook his head. "I'm done trying to convince you, Hasira. If your hatred is so precious to you, go ahead and take it with you into the afterlife. I have nothing more to say to you."

Hasira's face contorted with rage. He looked to Daniel. "You parasites are already doomed! One day, the prides will know I was right!" He released a bitter chuckle. "One day, when you have razed the earth – when the oceans are gone, and the skies turned black – when there is nothing left for you to kill, your species will turn on each other. You Lion Hunters – you humans will devour one another. Then, at last, the world will be free of your kind. That day will come! I only hope that when it does, some of the world will be left standing!" He coughed violently, and his body started to convulse. Hasira's vision dimmed, his hearing began to fade, and he felt the cold hand of death closing in on him. With his last breath: "I win, Daniel…"

"I'm sorry…" Daniel moaned. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Hasira didn't hear Daniel's words; he was gone. Asante regarded the dead lion emotionlessly.

"Daniel," Simba sighed, wrapping a forelimb around the human's shoulder and drawing him close.

Daniel threw his arms around Simba's neck and sobbed. "I'm sorry!"

Given that some of my latest chapters have been around 8000 words, this must appear rather short and sweet to some of my more regular readers, but obviously a different story requires a different style, and here, chapters are more intense and faster paced. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that it was exciting. I was very pleased to acquire the chapter detailing Daniel's fight from Hasira. He won the only way he could; with guile, determination, and the correct tool. There was never any hope he could best Hasira physically, nor that he could defeat him in combat. Even so, I hope this was an appropriate conclusion to an action packed sequence of events.

- Haradion

Not to say the story's over just yet. We still have three more chapters before this thing is concluded.

- Asante

Continue to Chapter 14