Chapter XXVI: The Siege of the Savannah

The battle raged on for what seemed like hours in the vicious storm and ceaseless winds, with thousands of Orcs moving through the gorge and laying siege to the legendary lands on the other end. Arrows sailed through the air, swords swung at the animals, and blood spewed from their wounds, mixing in with the rain as they fought. The lionesses tore at the Orcs' faces, attempting to rip away the armor at their necks. The hyenas did the same alongside them, while the meerkats were nobly able to distract the Orcs long enough for their comrades to make the kills. Elephants, wildebeests, and cheetahs fought as well.

But despite even the mightiest of the Pride Landers' valor, selflessness and fearlessness, many of them were dying. Whether it was from the spears, the swords, or the arrows, three lionesses of the pride had been killed already, with several more now bleeding out.

And despite the Pride Landers' efforts, the inevitable happened. As the next group of a hundred or so Orcs crawled up over the lip of the gorge, they went not for any of the animals now. For remembering the orders from Saruman at Isengard, the armored Uruk Hai began to run past the battlefield and go straight for the plains and rolling hills beyond them.

Nyota was the first one to notice in that instant. While she had a bleeding Orc pinned beneath her, she screamed fearfully, "The Orcs! They're getting into the Pride Lands!"

As she said this, at least a hundred and fifty ran past into the grasslands beyond where the fighting was, ready to lay siege to it all. Upon seeing this devilry, a group of three lionesses came together and chased after the Orcs at breakneck speed, roaring fiercely as they did so. Several hyenas and meerkats saw this, and they realized what they had feared: The battle was going to spread all across the lands. Lightning crashed and echoed along the skies while the Orcs ran forth through the wet, puddle-riddled grasses that splashed widely. One of the three lionesses who had gone after these Uruk Hai bravely leaped to the side and sunk their claws into the Orc's face, causing him to fall to the ground and drag her against the mud for several feet.

The lioness, roaring and screaming with rage so loud that it strained her throat, fought and ripped at the lone Orc who had luckily dropped the spear he was carrying. But even with her ferocity and valor, the lioness was within the path of many more Orcs storming the lands ahead, coming her way. Taking no mind of the lioness, the Uruk Hai trampled over her mercilessly as though she was not there at all, forcing her down to the ground against the might of their heavy, sharp boots and armor. The lioness did what she could to regain her footing, but in the tragic long run she was violently trampled to death there in the grass and mud, splattering blood all over her body and onto the ground, never to utter another word or draw another breath after that.

Nyota had seen this go down from nearby, sadly helpless to save her. Saddened and enraged, the female hyena stood there no longer, and ran to her left in order to group together with several meerkats. She ran up to Ma and Uncle Max through the battle, and she said to them, "You guys! They're getting into the Grasslands, do everything you can to get them away! We can't let 'em get to Pride Rock!"

From the muddy ground looking up to her, the two meerkats nodded, and with determined looks they ran forth as fast as they could, hoping that they could at least draw away a few of the Uruk Hai.

The other animals who were partaking in the fight had caught sight of the army's spreading advance, and grew fearful for the well being of their homelands. Then, finally abandoning their positions there on the rocky plain by the gorge, the elephants, hyenas, wildebeests, cheetahs and zebras spread out towards the plains. They knew now that it was too late to keep the Uruk Hai away from the heart of their homelands, so as of then, it was total war.

At that same moment in time, Zazu stood near the back of Pride Rock's den, looking upon the young and old subjects with fear. Even for as far away from the battle as they were, the sounds and echos of war screams and shooting arrows could be heard faintly in the distance. All of the young animals were huddled together in the back of the den, staying close for comfort as best as they could. Many of them shivered in fear, not because of the chance that they themselves could be killed, but because of the chance that the ones they loved could be killed in battle. A few of the infants turned to the older animals for guidance and comfort. To see all of this go down in the dark, with no light except for the occasional bolt of lightning, it was an absolutely miserable experience for Zazu.

The hornbill took a few steps close up to one of the younger commoners. He approached Maji, the young antelope whom Nyota had spoken with before. Maji laid on his stomach beside a group of baby zebras, resting his head on his arms. Zazu sighed as the antelope looked up to him. Reluctantly, the hornbill managed to ask,

"Are you alright?"

Maji seemed to shiver as he answered, "Well... a little."

Zazu replied, "Don't worry about this, Maji. We will get past the night."

As he said this, he rested his wing on Maji's shoulder for comfort. Indeed, Zazu did fear of what he would be able to do if an Orc got into the den. If anyone there died, it would be because of him. Or at least, that's what he was thinking at the moment.

"My mommy's off fighting the Orcs." Maji suddenly broke in, interrupting Zazu's thoughts. Seeing the clear innocence that the child seemed to have, he replied as supportively as he could, "And I'm sure she's doing a fine job at defending her home."

Maji and Zazu listened to the outside. Even though the rhinos were still guarding the entrance with their lives, the sound of heavy rain still filled the den, almost drowning out the clatter of war.

"It's a brave thing your mother is doing right now, Maji." Zazu said suddenly, turning back to eye-level with him. "You ought to be proud of her."

Maji gave a weak smile. "I am, Zazu. And... and I'm also glad that the hyenas came to help us too."

Zazu took a deep breath. "Yes, as unexpected as it may have been, and despite how they treated us in the past... I'm thankful as well."

Maji asked, "Hey Zazu? If we win the fight... will the hyenas get to live here again? They deserve it for helping us."

Zazu replied softly, "Maji... if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have even known that the Uruk Hai were coming. They probably would've taken us by surprise, and none of us would've made it. If we win this fight, they will gladly be sired back in... despite our past differences."

Maji smiled for a moment before another flash of lightning boomed and streaked across the skies, which were now shifting from a dark grayish color to more of that of an ugly green tint. The sound made Maji's ears ring for just the briefest second.

"I miss Nyota." The child said dejectedly. Zazu gave him a sympathetic look. "We are all indebted to her and her pack for wanting to put the past behind them."

"I wish there was something I could do to help." The child added, which earned him a sad look from the hornbill.

"I do too, Maji... I do too."

Suddenly, before any more words could be exchanged between the two of them, one of the rhinos abruptly shuddered and turned around, getting Zazu's attention. With a concerned look, the hornbill listened in as the rhino spoke loudly.

"Zazu! The Uruk Hai! They're coming this way!"

Every animal within Pride Rock's den gasped, Zazu included. Several animals around him scuffled closer together in fear, a few pairs of siblings clutching onto one another now.

"No... no, it can't be! The battle was supposed to take place far away from here!" Zazu exclaimed. Giving one last glance to Maji, he turned around and suddenly took flight, briefly soaring through the den. Quickly, he flew outside past the rhinos into the heavy rain and greenish-grey clouds, and ahead in the savannah, he saw a horrific sight. Thousands of Uruk Hai were marching forth towards Pride Rock, each of them carrying their weapons and holding them in the air. All of them shouted maliciously, making it clear they were ready to destroy and kill all in their path.

Along with that, Zazu watched for a second as many Pride Landers chasing the Uruk Hai into the grasslands tackled some Orcs, attacking them fiercely to stop them from reaching the heart of the kingdom. Lionesses ripped them to the ground, while hyenas tore at their neck armor. Elephants were still violently flinging many soldiers through the air with their tusks, killing many at a time. Cheetahs bit and clawed mercilessly at the Orcs' faces through their metal battle armor, while throngs of wildebeests and other rhinos charged at the Orcs with all their might, relying undoubtedly on brute force. Zebras and antelope continued to use their hooves to kick and pound at the Uruk Hai, and at the same time, the meerkats were still distracting several Orcs so others may go for the kill.

Zazu gasped, and his eyes widened. "Oh no! No, this is awful, simply awful!" He said. As he landed on the ground next to the three rhinos guarding Pride Rock, he thought to himself, If only there was something I could do! Oh, God help us all.

He turned to the three rhinos. "Please, just make sure not a single Orc gets into this den!" He called through the sounds of the windy, rainy storm and incoming war. The three rhinos looked at him and nodded. Giving them a sympathetic look, he turned back around and went back into the den, he feathers soaking wet now. He faced all of his subjects fearfully, and he announced, "Stay calm, I beg you! The rhinoceroses will do everything in their power to protect you all, I promise!"

Everyone in front of him cowered in fear and pressed themselves as far back as they could in the dark. Several scared screams from the young ones could be heard, while others around them shuddered or shivered closely pressed up against one another. Zazu took a few steps closer to them all, and he said hopefully, "Calm yourselves! The Pride Lands have survived siege before, there is no reason that will change tonight!"

Suddenly, the hornbill looked upon his subjects intently, his eyes widening. He gasped, running over to a particular spot.

"Wait... wait a second!... W-where is Maji?!"

Outside, the battle for the Pride Lands was taking shape at last. The fighting began to spread all around the lands of legend, for now the Uruk Hai were beginning to do what they had been instructed by Saruman and Zira to do. They ripped apart the grasses with their swords, sliced savannah trees down to the ground with their axes, and pulled apart smaller rock formations out of the ground. Trees all around were being splintered, and sometimes there would be as many as five or six Orcs attempting to uproot a single one.

The animals of the kingdom fought nobly, each of them using their own methods of defense like they had been doing. Thousands of Orcs ran amok throughout the place, causing death and destruction wherever they went. Because there were over ten thousand, and now that every one of them had crossed the ravine, their numbers spread to every spot that ever held significance in the kingdom. The Uruk Hai stormed the gorge where Mufasa had been killed, they ripped apart the spot where Kiara and Kovu had met as cubs, they tore up the dirty, still recovering plains where the fire rescue had occurred, and they tore down the small cave where Kiara and Kovu had shared their first kiss.

The sounds of screams, roars, barks, war cries, and splintering weapons were rampant across all of the lands, hundreds of selfless animals fighting for their lives on the ground and in the mud, lit only bu the bursts of lightning which were not beginning to strike the ground itself. All around, Orcs skewered zebras, mutilated antelope, and stabbed hyenas. The meerkats running around the place to distract the Orcs were also beginning to die in larger quantities too.

Ma and Uncle Max stayed as close to Nyota as they could through the chaos of war. The two of them at one point climbed up on a particular Orc's back, which got his attention rather quick. Ma screamed through the wind and rain,

"Hey, you want us? Come and get us!"

The Orc looked behind it through his armor, and gripping his spear, he reached behind to try and grab one of the meerkats. But Ma and Uncle Max were still agile despite their age, and just barely managed to avoid being caught. Then, another Orc who had just stopped chasing a lioness stood still and looked at the two meerkats leaching onto the other Orc's back. Now attempting to make the kill, the Orc unsheathed his axe and swung it down as hard as he could to kill them both. But the meerkats were quick, and they leapt back onto the muddy ground just as the axe struck the Orc's back, killing him instantly. The Orc with the axe, upon realizing that he was just outwitted by meerkats, roared ferociously and maliciously ran forth for Ma and Uncle Max. The two stayed together as he chased them.

"They may be strong, but they aren't too bright, are they?" Max called back to Ma.

Nyota barked and growled loudly as she attempted to attack a particular Orc. But this one was putting up a fight, and no matter how hard Nyota leapt into him, he refused to fall to the ground. As hundreds of animals ran all around her in the chaotic battle, she attempted to leap into him one last time, and perhaps try to make for the head and snap his neck. However, the Orc was prepared for this kind of assault, and he raised his spear down towards her. Nyota could hardly see this as she jumped through the air towards him.

Had it not been for what happened next, Nyota would have been skewered. Just as her paws left the ground, Kiburi intervened. From the side, he dug furiously with his teeth at the Orc's legs, which was immensely painful for him to do. But because of the force, he managed to catch him off guard and knock him off his balance to the ground. With a grunt-ish roar, the Orc fell and dropped his spear, which gave Nyota just the chance she needed. Landing on him roughly, she violently ripped into the neck part of his armor, killing him. When she did this, she looked up to Kiburi.

"Thanks for that!" She said loud enough so he could hear. Kiburi nodded.

"Come on, there's plenty more where that came from!" He replied.

And then the two hyenas ran side by side together, avoiding the falling and fallen corpses on the ground, the slippery mud spots and trickling blood running all over. Kiburi said to Nyota in just a bit of a facetious tone, "I thought you said you hated killing things like that!"

Nyota snickered. "Not if it means defending my pack, Kiburi!"

"How many have you killed so far?"

Nyota said, "I counted thirteen!"

"I'm at eighteen!"

"Not bad!" The female hyena replied as she ran through the battle.

Suddenly, up ahead of them through the fighting, they saw something that made them gasp and gape in horror. The Uruk Hai, even though it seemed as though they couldn't get any worse, suddenly did. A throng of Orcs carrying oil-lit torches in the storm growled and screamed more war cries as they threw their torches forth, where they suddenly landed in the grass. Even though it was wet and muddy, the fire from the torches suddenly caught. Flames began to leap up around the ground, slowly burning everything they touched. Nyota and Kiburi gasped.

"No!" Nyota said.

"They're trying to burn down the Pride Lands!" Kiburi screamed at the top of his lungs, so that all around him could hear. Much to his horror, it didn't take any more than a minute before he began to see other sparks of flame leap up around other places, some nearer than others. Orcs were running their torches along the ground, catching fire to incinerate the grasses. Every Pride Lander who saw this was horrified, as the rain was doing almost nothing to douse these flames. And what made it worse was that they were spreading at an alarmingly fast rate, enveloping grasses and trees, spewing smoke and ashes all around them.

"Dammit, now what're we going to do?" Nyota screamed through the storm and clashes around her. Suddenly, as though she had tempted fate itself, a lioness fell dead in front of her at her paws, covered in blood and mutilated with arrows all over her body, shocking and horrifying the two hyenas gravely. Seeing this, the two of them ran forth through the Orcs and tried to strike at who they could. Nyota and Kiburi worked together to rip apart a particular Orc, with Nyota pushing away at his legs so he would fall, and then Kiburi would make the kill at its neck. Both were soaking with blood and rainwater at this point, running forth again in horror at the growing flames throughout the Pride Lands. The fires from the oil-lit torches spread over vast areas now, burning many trees and grasses to a crisp, and spewing smoke and ashes all around where they were lit.

Eventually, Nyota and Kiburi separated in the heat of battle when Kiburi ran off to help out a lioness and two hyenas of his pack. Nyota sprang forth, watching her step and keeping her guard up for any attacks. From what she was seeing, the meerkats of Timon's colony were in fact sidetracking the Uruk Hai so that the lionesses, cheetahs and hyenas could make their move. Although she was glad that their plan was working, she was still unsure as to if the Pride Landers had a real chance of fully winning the battle. Animals like zebras, giraffes and rhinos were dropping dead every minute or so around her as she ran through the wet grasses, and avoided the blazing infernos spreading around her.

But in that moment in time, everything changed.

Nyota, despite the chaotic screams and shouts around her, she heard someone calling her name.

"Nyota! Nyota, where are you?" It cried.

The instant the female hyena heard this, she recognized it instantly. At first she didn't want to believe it, and even mentally denied that it was who she thought it was. But her doubts were shattered when it cried again,

"Nyota! Where are you? I want to help you!"

Nyota's eyes widened against the pouring rain in shock and horror. Realizing who this was, she screamed his name.

"Maji!"

The hyena wasted no time as she bolted forth suddenly, going much faster than she was now. She did as best as she could to follow the sound of his voice, and as she did, she said to herself, "Dammit Maji, what're you doing out here?! I told you to stay at Pride Rock!"

Concern ripped through her voice. Following his cries, she ran alongside walls of fire and hoards of flying arrows until, after a bit, she saw him. She saw the small, young antelope running as fast as he could, avoiding the sharp, iron boots of the Uruk Hai all running amok around him.

Nyota screamed for his name, which got his attention. His face seemed to light up at the sight of her, despite the fact that she was wounded all over. Calling for her again, Maji ran forth towards her at full speed, where Nyota did the same towards him. What Nyota wanted to do was get Maji up on her back, and then take him back to Pride Rock provided she could get past the rhinos guarding it.

But she never got to.

A lone Orc, covered in sharp battle armor and wielding a large ax caught sight of the young antelope, and snarled at him fiercely. Running forth with the clatter of his armor, he roared as he raised his axe up into the air right behind where Maji was as the two of them ran. Nyota saw this, gasped and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Maji! Behind you! No!"

But her warning had come too late. She had seen it too late. For just as she screamed, the Orc showed no mercy and, in a moment where time almost felt as though it had slowed down for the female hyena, brought the axe down mercilessly upon the young antelope. It smashed through his back and up to his head, splattering blood all over him, and the poor thing didn't even see it coming. In an instant, Maji was dead. The same antelope that had given Nyota hope before the battle's start had just been slaughtered before her very eyes, which were as wide as they physically could be at that moment.

Nyota screamed in horror, louder than she had ever screamed in her life. Her throat strained painfully, but she barely noticed it. Time seemed to slow down for her as she watched Maji's now mutilated body fall to the ground, landing into the mud below. The Orc who had just killed him didn't even take a second look as he turned around, carelessly ripped the axe out of Maji's body, and ran for a group of meerkats running behind him. With no one around him now, Nyota leapt over to his spot on the ground, and she kneeled down while looking upon him with sadness and horror.

The poor antelope's eyes were still open, although he was no longer alive or breathing. Taking a calm moment to herself for the first time in a long time, Nyota crouched down and gently placed her paws around his head, lifting it up off the ground ever so slightly. Her mouth was wide open, and her expression changed to that of shocked sadness, taking deep breaths of horror. This poor child, who had barely begun to live life had just been mercilessly slaughtered by the Uruk Hai without him even seeing it coming or getting to say goodbye to anyone. As the rain fell on her, Nyota's eyes were suddenly blinded with tears, and she sobbed for just a moment, pressing her head up against his.

Even though they had just met that night, Nyota had grown a strong, friendly connection towards Maji. When she was doubtful and fearful about the invasion, he was the one who had given her the light of hope while all others around her did the opposite. And the wisdoms he knew for his age had encouraged her as well. He was the individual that had allowed her to connect with the Pride Landers; the one who had shown her that their kind was not at all the careles, dumb beings her parents always thought they were. And what did he get for helping her out when she needed it most? Death. Cruel, bloody, and premature death that not a single animal alive in all of Middle Earth ever deserved to get. Nyota cried to herself as she rubbed Maji's head, trying not to look at the wide, muddy and flesh riddled split that went from his upper back up to his very muzzle, which had ripped his skull and several other bones in two. Mud and blood covered him now.

Then, after a moment of what felt like silence to Nyota, the harsh realm of reality returned to her. Tearing her gaze away from the dead youth's body and looking up to the violence around her, she growled angrily. Her very heart was filled with rage at that moment, slowly overtaking the feeling of sadness she just had. Her expression turned from mortified and sad to that of malicious rage. Then, finally letting go of Maji's body and standing up, she wiped the blood off of her face with her paw. And eyeing a particular Orc with hatred, she said softly to herself,

"To be a Pride Lander is to die for a Pride Lander."

And with that, making sure as to not step on the antelope's body, Nyota suddenly sprinted forth and let a loud, fierce growl rip from her mouth. She screamed as she ran as fast as she could through the thick rain, massive fires and fighting Uruk hai to a particular Orc ahead of her. The very same one who had killed Maji, in fact. Leaping through the air and just narrowly missing a rogue arrow, she smashed into the Orc and furiously ripped and bit at him with her claws there in the mud. Tearing at his face, Nyota ripped at everything the armor didn't cover, until in a matter of about ten seconds, the Orc was dead, and his bloody axe fell to the ground against a rock with a dent. Nyota had its body pinned. And looking up to the sky, she roared as loud as she could, and as best as a hyena like herself could. It was a bark-type roar, but it lasted for several seconds as an intense bold of lightning flashed furiously behind her, silhouetting her for for a second. Now, after having a close friend die right in front of her like that, she looked over to her right and saw a rock sticking up out of the ground, rising just above the tallest of the Orcs' heads. Bolting for it, she ran up its wet, slippery form and stood atop it, where she got a good look at the violence around her, which had spread in all directions in front of Pride Rock in the distance.

With the wind wildly ruffling her soaking wet fur, Nyota roared the way she could again, this time even louder so that all around her could hear. Another bolt of lightning struck behind her in the sky, crashing piercing sounds of thunder all around, shaking her to her very core. But ignoring it, Nyota screamed at the top of her lungs,

"To be a Pride Lander is to die for a Pride Lander! To be a Pride Lander is to die for a Pride Lander!"

Her grey fur flowed in the rain and wind as she jumped right off the rock right then, and furiously ripped at several Orcs at a time when she struck them on her way to the ground. She narrowly avoided getting pierced and slashed by the iron weapons, bringing three Orcs to the ground at once, splattering water and mud everywhere around. Holding back was no longer an option for her anymore as she attacked the Orcs maliciously, going for every part that wasn't protected. Nyota had never been so fierce in her life. In her mind, she tossed aside any notion of feeling sorry for those she killed, and let completely loose at ripping apart every Orc she saw. The inner hyena within her, the very instinct that her mother and father had raised her to have was coming out at last.