"As requested, I have been building a quick Character Glossary:
I wanted to present it in a tabular format, but it doesn't seem to be compatable with this document editor, so this format will have to do.
Name:
Species:
Allegiance:
Description:
Kiava
Lion Cub
Pridelands-Kiava's Rebels
The Main Character, and heir of the Pridelands. The first Black maned Flame of Pride Rock since Ahadi (Scar notwithstanding).
Although initially uninterested in his destiny as King of the Pridelands, he is now eager to reclaim his home.
Zuri
Lioness Cub
Pridelands- Kiava's Rebels
Kiava's best friend, and most faithful companion. She's travelled with him since the beginning and is a capable fighter.
Inti
Lion Cub
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Orange maned, and quick to anger. He spent several weeks imprisoned in Golgorath with his sister and Koron, and remains bitter over his treatment there. These experiences have rendered him much more morally flexible than his fellow cubs, and a capable fighter and hunter, his is open to more aggressive strategies.
Sara
Lioness Cub
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Inti's twin sister, and the one with the most control over the Rebels from Golgorath's dungeons. Of a similar appearance to her brother.
She has recently developed an unreturned infatuation with the much older Danyal – though Almasi suspects there might be more to this than a simple cubhood crush.
Koron
Lion Cub
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Koron spent over a year imprisoned in Golgorath, and despises the Shai'tan. Traumatised and mentally scarred, his aggression and violence is tempered by his devotion to his friends – particularly Sara and Inti, to whom he is eternally grateful.
Almasi
Lioness
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Sara and Inti's mother. Born and raised a Pridelander, she bore cubs in peacetime, with a Rouge who – while pleasant and charming – had no interest in raising cubs. As such, like most lionesses, she raised her cubs alone.
She remains guilty over her children's imprisonment in Golgorath, and her inability to help them.
Damu
Lioness
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Damu is Zuri's mother.
Quiet, thoughtful and logical, Damu is nevertheless daily tormented by the absence of her daughter.
Unlike Almasi's endless worry over her children's loss, Damu is confident of her daughter's survival (reasoning that Zuri's place with Kiava means that her own survival can be assured from the fact that Kiava is missing. Were the Shai'tan to find and kill Kiava, you could be sure they would wish the rebels to know it.)
Vitani
Lioness
Pridelands - Vitani's Rebels
Vitani – Lioness of the Night, and the last scion of Zira, Vitani spent her cubhood prepared for war.
This training she now uses not to attack the Pridelands, but to defend their last remnants. Of all the lionesses, she most understands the importance of overarching stratergy, beyond day to day survival, and she will use any means, however dirty or dishonest, to achieve those aims.
She invented the fiction that Danyal was the Prince Kiava, in order to rally the rebels into a fighting force, something many of the others disapprove of.
Danyal
Lion – Adolescent
Pridelands – Vitani's Rebels
Now revealed to be the illegitimate son of a much younger, naïve Kovu, and his cubhood friend, Kulana, he now struggles with the twin knowledge that he was born in a loveless, passionate desperate union – and that Vitani knew pieces and fragments of his parents life – without ever mentioning it to him.
He is desperately in love with Sundar – who helped heal his horrific injuries at the claws of Sekment, the Shai'tan.
Malaki
Asiatic Lion
(Deceased)
None
Lukaan's elder brother and an Asiatic King. He was murdered by Asamode and Rish'ut, shortly before the outbreak of Ben-Kai-Ra's revolution against Shan-Yi, which turned the Imperium into its brutal tyranny it is to this day.
Lukaan
Asiatic Lion
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Lukaan is Malaki's younger brother. Born with a distinctive snow white fur, and soft pink eyes, Lukaan cuts an unusual sight. The second son, and prince, never expected to inherit his brother's throne, lead the remnants of his Pride into the unknown, via a rift.
Sundar
Asiatic Lioness
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Lukaan's daughter, Sundar developed unusual shamanic powers, shortly before the birth of Ben-Kai-Ra's Empire, and she has been refining these gifts to benefit the Pridelands.
She has fallen in love with Danyal, but has a strained relationship with her father, due to his blundering attempts to betroth her to Kiava, and thus unify the Pridelands Pride, with the Asiatics.
Helio
Asiatic Lion
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Helio is Sundar's cubhood friend, who has un unrequited love for Sundar. The young, brash lion is very much how Danyal used to be. Hungry for battle and glory, and bitter about his Prides decimation at the paws of the Shai'tan.
He's loyal however, and can be trusted to never betray his allies to the creatures he hates so much.
Talib
Leopard-Adolescent
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
A young teenage leopard, who family is missing, presumed murdered – one of the many casualties of the Shai'tan's invasion and occupation of the Pridelands.
Distrusted by many of the former slaves, Talib has an ally and friend in the form of Sara, who was the first to show him some compassion and forgiveness, in the face of his previous occupation as an enforcer of the Shai'tan, along with some of the other leopards.
Jahi
Leopard
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
A former enforcer of the Shai'tan, who joined with the Shai'tan upon learning that the Lion Kings had been deposed by the Emperor. Upon learning of Kiava's survival however, he and his family decided to risk everything to restore the old kingdom back to its former glory.
He desperately wants to prove his new loyalty, by helping Danyal – who he thinks to be Kiava, rightful king of the Pridelands.
Calin
Leopard Cub
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Did not travel with the other leopards. Joined the rebels after surviving an attack by Bane's wraith that killed his parents. Has become attached to Danyal and Sundar, and has begun to imitate Danyal, with a brazen disregard for authority, but a fierce loyalty to his friends.
Rei
Panther Cub
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Rei is the oldest of the Panthers, was a prisoner in Golgorath, until he and his siblings were rescued when the Rebels attacked Golgorath to recuse Inti and Sara.
Choosing to help the Pridelands win their war with the Shai'tan, and get some well-deserved vengeance in the doing, Rei is a capable scout, and intensely loyal to Inti and Koron, the two who he credits with his survival in Golgorath.
Ras
Panther Cub
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Much like her brother, Ras is an excellent spy and tracker, and the more level headed of the siblings. She is loyal to the Pridelands, but also to Sara and Inti who she befriended in Golgorath, and to Danyal, who she believes to be the King of the Pridelands.
Sash
Panther Cub
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
The Youngest of the Panthers, Sash has yet to distinguish himself from the rest of the rebels, being too young to send on missions. However, he makes up for this with eagerness and sincerity. He is no naïve youngling either. His harrowing experiences in Golgorath mean he that he knows precisely what the Shai'tan are capable of, and it more than willing to fight to end their reign, young or otherwise.
Forn
Wilddog
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Forn's origins and backstory are unknown. However, he is a wilddog. That alone distinguishes him among the revels. However, Forn's imprisonment in Golgorath, set him apart from his brethren. A scavenger, and a survivor, he's used to making his way out of tough spots. Independent, and self-assured, he sees no conflict of interests in fighting his own species when they side with the Shai'tan. He's made his choice. And they've made theirs.
Karrina
Jaguar Cub- Adolescent
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Born in a distant continent, and imprisoned in Golgorath for no crime other than being the sole survivor of one of Raeveal's brutal purges, she could have ended up dead in a ditch on the first day. Instead, she clung to life, meeting her sister only on the few occasions they were forced to fight each other for their food.
She's seen the Imperium at its worst, and like many of the rebels, sees no higher calling that bringing about its end.
Darrina
Jaguar Cub- Adolescent
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
Like her sister, Darrina suffered a crippling injury in the battle of the glade – but survived it. Brimming with energy, and desperate to do something other than sit around, Darrina is a former resident of the Imperium who is loyal to Danyal, and to the Pridelands, the idea of which is a far cry from her own experiences of home. Perhaps this, is something she can fight for.
Shenzi
Spotted Hyena
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
The Hyena trio's leader disappeared after the fall of Scar's regime. In the turbulent years that followed, the Hyenas began a terrible and brutal civil war that reached its peak when Zira and the Outlanders attacked Carrocscirr and clensed its halls of all Hyenas.
From the ashes, Shenzi emerged as a leader, and began to unify the clans, turning the hyenas into one of the Pridelands greatest powers, and one of the few left, with the strength to oppose the Shai'tan.
Ed
Spotted Hyena
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
Insane, fanatically loyal to his friends, and of few words, very few can permeate the enigma that is Ed.
He's an odd one. Formally a commander of the hyenas, now mostly acts as a solo scout.
But underestimating him is a terrible – and possibly fatal – mistake.
Banzai
Spotted Hyena
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
He emerged from obscurity as Shenzi's ally, and eventually, her mate. Years of civil war, scheming, and murder have turned him from a comic henchman to a brutal warrior. Grizzled, world weary, and as tightly wound as a spring, Banzai isn't the smartest hyena around. But he's certainly one of the most dangerous. Vicious when provoked, he hasn't changed too much from his former self, though he is much more wary of lion Kings and their promises.
Bhagari
Mixed Spotted/Black Hyena
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
Bhagari is a hyena of mixed ancestry who found his place as the right-paw-hyena of Asante, in their elite unit, the Shadowpups. A pack of rookies who are dangerous – or mad – enough to survive where few would even dare. An expert on ambushes, he breaks the mould of a Hyena, and in cunning, devious and thoughtful.
He's also madly in love with his superior, Asante, and recently survived a bout of Mamba venom, thanks to her powers.
Asante
Spotted Hyena - Shaman
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
The second of the new Shaman to emerge in recent months, Asante was born to Banzai and Shenzi when they were past their Prime, and had never thought of having pups. Born to two hilariously ill-equipped parents, in a political climate of scheming and backstabbery, Asante didn't have the best of head starts in life.
Then the Shai'tan invaded. And things got really messy.
Timon (Buzz)
Meerkat
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
War changes people.
And Timon has really changed.
The Sole survivor of the Fall of Pride Rock, who did not escape with Vitani, Timon watch his friends die and burn, and spent his retirement in brooding resentful guilt.
Kiava gives him the opportunity to right what he feels went so wrong, but who can say if he will ever regain his former personality.
Sarafina
Ancient Lioness
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
Sarafina left the Pridelands, in self-imposed exile after the death of Scar, and the acention of Simba, blaming herself for not stopping the tyranny of Scar when she had the chance.
She has seen kingdoms rise and fall, and knows all there is to know of ruling.
Kiava has enlisted her to teach him all she knows, and she obliges. Her methods however, are dubious at best.
Ookai
Golden Monkey
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
A conman, thief, liar.
And those are his good points.
Originally hired as a guide to help Kiava through the twisting paths of the Jungle, Ookai has doubled down on his assessment of Kiava – and apparently felt a twinge of his conscience.
Now, he merely wants to help his friend regain his birth right.
At no extra fee. (Expenses non-negotiable).
Bruce
Silverbacked Gorilla
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
This silverbacked gorilla is Ookai's friend/muscle.
Strong as an ox, and dumb as fish, Bruce is… a gentle soul. Easily frightened, intrigued, and contented, Bruce is a creature or simple tastes, and simple needs.
He's also loyal to a fault, and more than happy to help Kiava – not understanding, or more likely, nor careing about, the danger he puts himself into.
Haana
Striped Hyena- Matriarch
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
The yong matriarch of the Striped Hyenas. Techniically a rival of Shenzi, but lacking her experience and confidence, Haana, has to juggle the toxic politics of her own people, as well as imminant invasion, and cultural resistance to her alliance with Kiava. She has her work cut out for her.
Kamilli
Striped Hyena
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
Kamili is Haana's older – but illegitimate – sister.
Much more conservative, isolationist and independent to her sisters more progressive stance, Kamili doesn't approve of everything her sister does. However, she does love her sister dearly, and will go along with any of her plans.
Vurugu
Black Hyena - Patriarch
Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels
Little is known of Vurugu at this point. He leads the smallest clan of the Shadowlands, the Black Hyenas.
Ben-Kai-Ra
Tiger Lord - Emperor
The Shai'tan Imperium
A massive creature. Strong, powerful, and cruel. Formerly known as "Kai" much of his history is shrouded in mystery. However, he claims to be a direct descendant of Shien-Su. His father, known as Shan-Yi, was a kind and wise leader, though like all tigers struggled throughout his life with dark impulses and desires, he mastered them with dedication and self-control, something his son eventually decided was weakness.
Ben-Kai-Ra overthrew his father, and murdered his supporters. Then, began a bloody campaign to slaughter the Imperium that wouldn't support him. Most the tiger Lords are now dead, or hiding, or else are on the side of the Emperor.
Sekmet
Tigress (Deceased)
The Shai'tan Imperium
Cruel, aggressive, and spiteful, Sekmet is one of the Empire's most powerful fighters. A reasonable leader, Sekmet preferred upfront fighting to leading from behind, and was a sadist, taking pleasure from every hurt she inflicted. Uninterested in mates, or companionship, is difficult to control, and more difficult to face.
Rish'ut
Tiger (Deceased)
The Shai'tan Imperium
Arrogant, egotistical and prideful, Rish'ut was one of the first to join the Emperor, and sometimes resents those among the Shai'tan who joined later. He loves the feeling of control and manipulation, but unlike Leviath, uses much less subtle means, like torture, intimidation and fear to do so.
Amun
Tiger (Deceased)
The Shai'tan Imperium
The seventh son of a large family of Tigers, Amun is multitalented, and his versatility is his strength. He is a good fighter, a good leader, a good stratergist. He I a good hunter, tracker, and possess good stealth. He's reasonably well liked by his underlings, let also intimidating.
He is the Jack-Of-All-Trades among the Shai'tan, seemingly talented at everything he puts his mind to. Flexibility and versatility frequently lead to victory.
Mortread
Tiger
The Shai'tan Imperium
Young, ambitious, and hungry for power, Mortread wasn't always a Sha'itan, and was the last to join the Emperor. This has led to some of the other Shai'tan underestimating him.
A foolish mistake.
His ability to track foes across great distances is uncanny, as is his persistence. Perhaps most frightening of all, is his ability to inspire genuine loyalty in his troops. The creatures who serve him are among the most dangerous, for this reason.
Asamode
Tiger
The Shai'tan Imperium
A foul, odious, evil creature. Asamode possesses no inhibitions. He is what the Shai'tan aspire to be. A creature of pure impulse and instinct, distilled from such petty feelings as morality and compassion.
He isn't so much immoral, as he is 100% amoral. Possessing no conscience, no guilt and no shame, there is no sin too dark, no act too depraved to be beneath him.
Ambitious, cunning, ruthless, and selfish, Asamode has no care for the Imperium. Merely himself.
And that is what Kai likes about him.
His ambition is a cost however, as now, he aspires to even greater things.
Raeveal
Tiger
The Shai'tan Imperium
Fast talking, humorous, wisecracking and a pain in the backside to friend and foe alike, Raeveal is perhaps best defined by his morbid curiosity.
He has spent plenty of time with marsade, and now is the only of the Shai'tan to understand some of the principles behind Marsade's powers. Though powerless himself, Raeveal intelligence, and ruthlessness make him a powerful foe.
Leviath
Tigress
The Shai'tan Imperium
The Spy Mistress of the Imperium, she deals in secrets and sorts them from lies. She is perhaps the only person in the Imperium, other than Marsade, who knows all of the Gateways in the Imperium, and under what conditions they open. Rational, logical, and cold, Leviath is mysterious and dangerous.
Castella-Ra
Tigress
The Shai'tan Imperium
The sole daughter of Ben-Kai-Ra, Castella-Ra is an able administrator, a competent fighter with little experience in leading an army.
Only a fool would underestimate her however.
She is after all, the Heir to the Empire, and she is more than capable of living up to her father.
One of her titles is "The Emperor's Jewel" and some say that she is the one thing the Emperor still cares about, having abandoned all other such attachments in his pursuit of power.
She is also involved in a secret relationship with her comrade, Mortread. The relationship is secret because – in keeping with the philopshy of the Shai'tan – all such weaknesses have been purged:
Therefore, Mortread would only be seen as exploiting Castella for political gain. The idea of Castella consenting to be with him is also alien to the Emperor: Therefore, Mortread's encounters with the Princess would be considered "Un-Consensual" with potentially fatal results for him.
Harrin
Wilddog
The Shai'tan Imperium
A wilddog of unusual cunning and loyalty, he is perhaps the most powerful of all the wilddogs, possessing the ear and sympathies of Mortread.
He fights for the Shai'tan for the good of his family, whom he cares for – but also out of genuine loyalty, and a desire to see the world united under the Imperium.
Marsade
Orangutan – Shaman
The Shai'tan Imperium
An orangutan. Born centuries ago, Marsade is one of the most powerful individuals in the world. Originally blessed with abilities to manipulate fire, lava, and heat, he saw to keeping balance in the circle of life, with his siblings. However, immortal and powerful though he is, he was powerless to help his friends. Tragedy upon tragedy twisted his mind, and dark magic twisted his spirit. Now, his vengeance against Rafiki is all that drives him to bring about the end of the Pridelands.
Yessen
Baboon – Shaman
Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels
The eldest of the Shaman, and some would say the wisest. Stubborn, ancient, immovable, and impassive, much like the stone he controls, his is the power of the earth. Tremors, groundquakes, they are his to command. The least likely to involve himself in local politics, Yessen wished to take time to study the threat posed by Shein-Su – and wished for a mortal solution to a mortal problem, fearing involving himself, and his allies, would have negative consequences for the balance of the universe.
Halien
Gibbon – Shaman
(Deceased)
None
A gibbon who harness the storm. Wind, gale and typhoon was her strength. Pressure and power as well. Even lightning. An immensely powerful Shaman, she was much more willing to fight Marsade when his madness became clear. Unfortunately, the power of Maragne had been added to his own, and with it, Marsade murdered his elder sister with fire and ice, claiming his third Rod of the Shaman.
Margane
Chimpanzee – Shaman
(Deceased)
None
A chimpanzee, who worked the magic of the oceans, rivers and streams of the world. An expert in illusions and trickery, Margane was a gentle soul, and devastated by her brother's betrayal. The first to fall victim to Marsade's purge, she was the first Shaman to be murdered in eons, and her death left echoes in the world.
Rafiki
Mandril – Shaman
Pridelands - Vitani's Rebels
Everyone's favourite Mandrill, Rafiki is revealed to be a powerful Shaman – a sorcerer/priest who possess arcane abilities and sage like wisdom. His history is shrouded in mystery, and his future is uncertain. However, he remains determined to defend his friends and the other citizens of his adopted homeland.
Kufa
UNKNOWN – Dark Shaman
UNKNOWN
A mysterious figure. This enigmatic individual, is Marsade's unknown benefactor, providing him with power, wisdom, and dark magic for the wars to come.
This chapter is a more moderately sized one (Once you account for the glossary taking up room).
I'll move the Glossary to the Epilogue of this book when it's completed. Until now, here it is.
Hope you enjoy it. This is really the sort of "calm before the storm" for this book, and is probably the last we will see of Kiava until book 5. So enjoy!
Chapter 27: Insurgency
"I don't trust them." Shenzi said. For what must have been the twentieth time. Kiava sighed, trying not to lose his patience.
It had been weeks since the clans had joined them. Weeks since Zuri's spectacular duel with Vurugu. She ought to have gotten over this by now. He'd already explained with perfect rationality and reasoning, why the alliance with the other hyenas benefited them. That hadn't soothed Shenzi's worries though.
"The Clans don't make alliances. They make rivalries." Shenzi said. Kiava ignored her. "Kiava!" She warned him.
"Yes Shenzi?" Kiava sighed. He couldn't put this off anymore.
"Do you know what the plural of 'Hyena Clan' is?" She asked him.
"A group of multiple clans? Umm… a Pack?" Kiava tried.
"War. It's a War of Hyenas." She said. Kiava rolled his eyes.
"Is that supposed to be funny?"
"Do you see me laughing?"
"Again, you're a hyena. I can't tell."
"Would you mind taking this seriously?" Shenzi berated him. Kiava twitched.
"I can't help but feel that is something I am supposed to say." He said. Shenzi said nothing, but glowered. "I am sorry, Shenzi. I meant no disrespect."
"No. You just mean to ignore me and every piece of my advice." Shenzi told him.
"Shenzi… I need you to have faith. Not just in me. But in your fellow hyenas. Scar saw something in you." Kiava reminded her.
"Scar saw potential in us, because we were predictable. He knew how we'd behaving in a given situation. This is the same. I know how this ends. The clans will fracture, betray each other, and then we will all die." Shenzi told him firmly. Kiava exhaled.
"No." He said. "I don't accept that. The hyena clans are a part of this world. That means they have a stake in the fight that is coming, and reason to fight for a better one. A better world. How long since a hyena fought for that? No. You won't fracture. You won't break."
"How can you be so sure?" Shenzi asked him, sceptically.
"I have faith in you." Kiava said simply. Shenzi glowered at the black maned young king. Then threw back her head and rolled her eyes. She sighed.
"Fine. Then forget I said anything. I just wished I shared your faith in the cooperative abilities of my own species." She said. Kiava nodded, seriously, as she continued. "Ugh. I guess if anyone can get them to do it, then you can." Shenzi told him. Maybe he was right. If they were fated to betray one another, then they would. And if they weren't, then they wouldn't. What was the use in worrying over it? If they failed, they were dead anyway. "Who knows? You might be the first creature to unify all four clans. Even Scar didn't have that many." Shenzi said.
"Did you really never work together?" Kiava asked her cautiously. Simba's Pride hadn't been close to the other Prides by any means. Distance alone kept most of the Lion Pride apart, but Simba had always made it a point to keep good relations with the both Mountain Prides, and the Southrons, among whom Malka had made his Kingdom. All gone now of course. The Shai'tan hadn't been taking Prisoners the day those Prides had fallen.
"Never." Shenzi said, and padded away to herself.
Technically that wasn't completely true. Though alliances were rare, and though they hadn't really happened for a long time, they weren't unknown. The brown hyenas, for example, might occasionally swear fealty or loyalty to the strongest clan, but only as part of a war to attack other clans. Never to work together.
The closest Shenzi had ever recalled witnessing an alliance between her clan and one of the others had been a particularly eventual week some years ago now.
A party of striped hyenas, intrigued at the prospect of a permanent alliance with the spotted had, at great risk to themselves, once stayed in Carroscirr while discussions of a potential alliance had been made. Shenzi hadn't been matriarch then, and had been much more able act upon her own desires. She'd sparred with the others for meat like any of the fighters. And naturally, there had been a rivalry between the visiting striped hyenas and the spotted hyenas. But like many of those rivalries, competition had quickly given way to savage aggression and hostility. Shenzi remembered vividly an unpleasant striped hyena, and the way he'd walked. Arrogant. Self-assured. Not unlike Vurugu. He had been confident of victory, and challenged Banzai to a sparring match over a piece of meat, and a chance to show off. Banzai had bested the hyena, and sent him spiralling into the dirt. She remembered the fight well. Banzai had, after all, been showing off to her at the time, and though the hyenas had a reputation for rudeness and discourtesy, she was not so base as to ignore such attention. In any case, although Banzai he bested the hyena, the unpleasant thing returned not long later when Banzai was alone and invited themselves to a rematch. One that Banzai had suffered injuries so severe, it had rendering him unable to hunt for weeks.
Shenzi had naturally complained to the matriarch over the treatment of her friend but the elder matriarch had noted that Banzai had given as good as he had taken in the resultant fight, despite the unfair odds, and viewed the matter as closed.
Shenzi's own opinion had never been shown to the general public, on account of her remaining uncharacteristically reserved on the subject. Not that it turned out to be of much importance however.
The whole situation was rendered moot by the happy coincidence of the hyena in question being killed by a freak fall of rocks in the valleys of the shadowlands, not long after. He had prior to the incident began boasting about how much he'd like to have killed Banzai, and how he'd likely remain crippled as a result of the injuries.
Unfortunately, this has made discussion of alliances between the hyena clans difficult, for the simple fact that the dead hyena had – as it turned out – been the mate of the matriarch leading the striped hyenas at the time. The matriarch had been devastated by her mate's untimely death, and refused to even consider the possibility of an alliance. There were even rumours of the matriarch, no doubt driven to extremes by her anguish, escalating hostilities between the clans. Even whisperings of an open clan war. Those had been a tense few days, she recalled. Perhaps it was fortunate for the rest of the shadowlands then, that the Matriarch never had the chance to make up her mind on the matter as she herself had a mysterious and unfortunate accident involving yet more falling rocks later the same day. Their hosts, the spotted hyenas, were shocked and grieved for they had warned their striped brethren of the dangers of the seismically unstable land. Many more noted the morbid irony of the incidents, and consoled themselves on the fact that at least the two were not parted from each other for very long.
Of course, some of the stripped hyenas, devastated by their leader's demise, were concerned for the wellbeing of their clan, and for the future of the negotiations. Fortunately, in an effort to placate the visiting hyenas, the decision was quickly made to investigate the seismically prone sides of the valleys as soon as possible and to ascertain the nature of the accidents, and the resultant inquiry made absolutely certain that there was no wrongdoing or suspicion at all.
And Shenzi should know. She was, after all, in command of the hyenas sent to investigate. Volunteered for the position.
In any case. Those who did suspect some form of foul play, generally considered the deaths to be the result of suicide – on an account of the two hyenas suicidal tendencies to attack the soon-to-be-mate of one of the most vicious and dangerous hyenas in the Shadowlands, their tragically suicidal inclination not to treat the spotted hyenas whose land they were inhabiting with the appropriate respect and their woefully self-destructive habit of wandering around in the seismically unstable lands of a rival hyena clan after dark.
Sadly, negations had broken down not long after, and the striped hyenas had withdrawn, without an alliance after all. It had been a turbulent few weeks. In fact, looking back, Shenzi was relatively certain it had been a turbulent year.
At the edges of the shadowlands, Shenzi's daughter and Zuri moved together. Any animosity between the two had been well in truly ended. In fact, Zuri was willing to consider the shaman a friend by this point. The two were looking at some of their new recruits with a mixture of confusion and disdain. Most of the adults from the hyena clans already had small groups with which they hunted regularly, and Zuri was loath to break up such groups. It would take weeks to obtain such a level of trust or team work between hyenas. So most of the hyenas remained in packs of their own kind. However, the younger hyenas, eager to fight, but not yet a regular part of the hunting parties of the hyenas didn't possess such groups. Others had fought in such groups, but after casualties, food loses, and desertions to the Shai'tan, now were too small to function as effective packs. So now, standing before Asante and Zuri were a multi-ethnic collection of younger hyenas. Asante wasn't impressed. Quite a few lounged around before them, not even standing up when the lioness and the shaman approached. A couple even gnawed at a bone. Zuri cleared her throat, and finally got a few of their attention. They recognised Zuri, having seen her fight Vurugu in such spectacular fashion, and that did get some of their attention. Asante sighed, and let lose a loud bark.
Then the hyenas finally stood up.
"Okay," Zuri said. "Listen up, because I am only going to say this once." She looked around. "You know the importance of the pack. You know what it means to fight alongside someone. To trust someone to have your back. So I am not going to lecture you on that. I just need you to know something. When you work in a group, if you have orders, then you follow them. No matter who the order's come from. Am I clear? I don't care what clan your commander is from: Striped, Spotted, Black, Brown. It doesn't matter. Are we clear? You're fighting for the same side now. So leave old battles and old grudges in the past. I am lion. So is your king. It's a brave new world we are living in." She said. "You got that?" She asked them. The hyenas nodded, and there were a few who mumbled "Yes." Satisfied, Zuri turned to Asante.
"You think they'll do?" She asked her. Asante cocked her head.
"They will have to. If they aren't good enough, they won't last long among the Shadowpups. I won't have them guarding the backs of my pack, if they aren't up to it." Asante said. Zuri nodded.
"Did you see where Kiava ended up today?" She asked him. Asante thought for a moment, before nodding.
"He was going to speak to Bhagari. Something about a scouting mission or something to plan. I imagine they'll both be with my father." She said honestly. Zuri nodded in thanks, and left Asante to begin the practice drills, like she often had with Shadowpups.
Zuri weaved her way back to Kiava where, as Asante had suggested, she encountered him in deep conversation with Bhagari. Both were looking much healthier now. The last traces of the poison that had been coursing through their veins seemed to have worn off, and they were both healthy, strong, and fit of mind and body. If Kiava wanted, he could have sparred with Vurugu himself, though he rarely participated in the sport. They were standing low, their eyes fixed on the ground. As Zuri moved over, Bharagi looked up and shook his head.
"No no no! Careful!" He said. "You're about to stand on Carrocscirr!" Bhagari protested. Zuri blinked, and looked down. Sure enough, roughly sketched in the dirt, were the faintest outlines of… were those the Shadowlands? And next to them, past the Great River, the Outlands? She could pick out other land marks too. Golgorath too was marked out. It was crudely drawn though. Rafiki perhaps, could have done better. However, it appeared to serve their purposes. Zuri sat down, ensuring she didn't wipe away any of the map. She didn't say anything though, and contented herself to wait until Bhagari was finished. The dark spotted hyena traced the great river and pointed to a spot where she saw the Great River split. Most of it continued eastward, where she knew it to separate the Shadowlands from the Swamplands. Some curved off to the north however, and cut the Outlands from the Shadowlands (both of which were to the north-west and north-east of the Pridelands respectively). That point, where the river curved, showed the Shadowlands, the Outlands, and the Pridelands joined.
"Trinities Point." Kiava said aloud, recognizing its distinctive shape.
"It marks both the southernmost and westernmost reaches of our territory. If we attack from there, we'd be attacking both the Outlands, and defending the Pridelands at the same time." Bhagari said.
"If it's such an ideal spot, it will be more heavily defended. Couldn't we pick a simpler target, if it's our first mission?" Kiava pointed out. That was true. The hyena nodded.
"We could. If we didn't mind not achieving anything. If we risk lives, then I want the risk to be worth the reward." Bhagari reminded him. "Besides. We can't allow the Shai'tan to possess it for too long. Any advantage possessing it affords us equally applies to them. It would be just as good a point of attack for the Shai'tan as for us. We should at the very least make to secure it as soon as possible. Even if to hold it as a defensive position." Bhagari said. Banzai stared at the two of them, still not saying much, his forehead wrinkled slightly.
"I think I see why that's a good target… Though I still think I am more useful in a battle. Shenzi normally decided where to attack. After Scar, at any rate." He reminded them.
"I want you input as well, Banzai." Kiava reminded him, and Banzai didn't object further. Hyenas were not notably bright, but Bhagari was intelligent, and Banzai did possess a certain low cunning that made his insight valuable.
"That makes sense. We should probably make plans to do that. That is where the Shai'tan will attack us from, not from the Swamplands, or from the South." Kiava said. Bhagari smiled in agreement. Banzai grunted.
"Well, if you wanted my input, I'd say we ought to be wary of dividing up our forces too thinly." He said. Bhagari hesitated.
"Perhaps it would be a good chance to ensure the clans fight together? A mixed pack? Both brown, striped and black? And lead by one of us?" Bhagari suggested.
"Are you volunteering to lead?" Banzai asked him, not entirely sarcastically. The grizzled old fighter arched an eyebrow at Bhagari, who shrugged.
"I don't especially want the responsibility, but if that is where I am needed." He said, though his expression betrayed that he was uncomfortable in that. "I am a mixed-blood hyena. Perhaps they'd be more likely to listen to me?" Bhagari asked. Zuri blinked at that. She had noticed Bhagari's coat was a shade darker than his peers, but she hadn't ever considered it to be more than the dirt and filth he so frequently ended up covered in after a fight. From Banzai's considered expression, she wondered if there were more to it than that. Banzai shook his head.
"No. If they become used to listening solely to you, then it will only be harder for them to listen to the rest of our clan." He said after a moment. "Besides," He added, "Asante tells me that you are second in command of the Shadowpups. You cannot leave them now, not as their numbers have been so thinned." He said. Bhagari nodded in acceptance. Banzai considered for a moment.
"Send Ed." He suggested to Kiava. "He don't talk much. But he's a crafty sort. And he isn't bound by… conventional… tactics. He's perfect for an unconventional pack." He said. Kiava shrugged, trusting the hyena's judgement. Bhagari looked unconvinced.
"Ed? He hasn't commanded a pack since his pups were killed." He said cautiously. Banzai shot him a dark look as Kiava started.
"When was this?! I didn't hear of that!" He gasped. Banzai shook his head.
"Don't worry. That was months ago… In the very first few weeks of the Shai'tan's attack on the Pridelands. And they weren't pups at the time. Why'd ya think we refused to surrender, while the other clans caved and groveled like spineless cravens?" He asked, then checked himself, looking around. "Uh…" making sure he hadn't been overheard by one of the other hyenas.
"Jasiri commanded the shadowpups before Asante did, back when Asante held my position, as her second." Bhagari said, ignoring Banzai's lapse of manners when it came to the integrity of the other hyenas. "We… underestimated the Shai'tan at the beginning of the war. We didn't know what we were dealing with. The packs were scattered, the clan was spread thin across the whole Shadowlands. We didn't have the numbers at first. Causalities were high. Jasiri and Janja were some of the first to die in the fighting." Bhagari admitted quietly.
"She took a lot to take her down though… harried the Shai'tan's advance so much that by the time the serpents arrived, the clan was all safely gathered in Carrocscirr. Amun couldn't penetrate it. And even when she was cut off, it took half a dozen jackals. She even killed that blue-eyed leader of theirs before they got enough claws in to take them down." Banzai said proudly of his best friend's daughter. Kiava recalled the stalemate in which the forces of the Shai'tan and the hyenas had been in when he and Zuri had been captured by the hyenas. He nodded.
"If we are sure Ed is ready to command again." He agreed. Banzai nodded.
"Don't sweat it. Ed's got this." He said firmly. Kiava swallowed. With that sorted, he hoped to turn his attention to other matters.
"And the new recruits for the Shadowpups?" Kiava asked Zuri.
"Asante is getting them started training now. I don't know what she'll make of them. But they are tough fighters. They all are." Zuri told him. The ones who weren't tough died quickly, Kiava thought to himself. He didn't say it aloud though. It would have been insensitive so soon after discovering Ed's hidden losses.
"Anything else I ought to know?" Kiava asked the others. There was an awkward pause, as they looked to each other.
"Well, I guess, since we're speaking of Ed, your monkeys went with him on a Scout into the Swamplands a few days ago. They were due back today. I guess you should go and hear their report, when they get back. Banzai said. Kiava nodded in thanks, and cleared his throat. Recognizing that as a dismissal, the others departed, leaving only Zuri with Kiava. Kiava looked to Zuri, who grinned at him.
"What?" he asked her. She chuckled.
"Nothing. Just… I've never seen you so… kingly… she told him. Kiava snorted.
"I don't feel like a king. I feel like one of Ookai's kin, balancing fruits of various shapes and sizes on a stick. One false move and everything comes tumbling down. And in the meantime, you look like a buffoon." He said, though there was no malice to it. Zuri moved closer, and rubbed herself along his side. He stiffed for the briefest moment, and his eyes widened before he relaxed and let out a slow breath. He was twitchy, and the contact made him nervous before he got a grip of himself and relaxed. Zuri smiled kindly.
"The pressures of the Crown I guess." She told him. Kiava rolled his eyes.
"You sure everything is okay? Nothing you didn't want to say in front of the others?" He asked her. Zuri considered for a while.
"No. You know, for once? I think things are going our way. The Clans have been calming since Vurugu sided with us. Haana and the striped hyenas wanted to be on our side from the beginning, and the brows aren't numerous enough to stand alone against the Shai'tan, so they'll back us so long as the blacks do. And Vurugu's been nothing but supportive. I'd have thought the patriarch would be more upset about his loss then this, but he's not said a word against me." Zuri said, faintly confused over the whole situation. Kiava smirked.
"That's because you impressed them. Hell, you impressed me." He told her. Zuri smiled, shyly.
"Really? Because I was scared stiff the whole time."
"You were scared stiff? I had to watch you jump of the side of the tower!" Kiava reminded him.
"In fairness, I was pushed, and in my defense, everything seemed to work out. I wouldn't a thought you were scared of heights!" She chided him. Kiava gave her a level gaze.
"Oh, heights are fine. Its plummeting from them at great velocities with enough force to splinter your skeleton into tiny pieces that I am little edgy over." He said completely without a trace of sarcasm. Zuri smiled.
"Okay. If it makes you feel better, how about I promise not to do that stunt again?" she asked him. Kiava rolled his eyes.
"Why bother? With the lives we lead, you'll probably have done it again half a dozen times by the time we're finished with the Shai'tan. One way or another." He said dryly. Zuri smirked at that.
"Would you have thought a few years ago that we'd ever be fighting side by side with the hyenas?" Zuri asked him. Kiava didn't bother to answer that. Of course he hadn't. He'd never dreamed it. Yet, between Shenzi, Haana, and Vurugu the three leaders of the prominent hyena clans they actually had a sizeable number of followers.
"Are Vurugu and Haana… adapting?" He asked Zuri carefully. Zuri nodded.
"Haana went on that scouting mission with Ed and Ookai. So I haven't seen her for a few days. But when I last saw her, she seemed relieved. She's not as confident in her abilities as a leader as the others… She knew a confrontation with the Shai'tan was inevitable, and it was something she dreaded. It's her older sister that still bugs me. Kamili. She's hot tempered and arrogant." Zuri said. "But even she is keeping control of herself. I know Shenzi is worried about it, but I don't think we need to worry about the hyenas attacking each other for now." She told him. Kiava grinned.
"What would I do without you?" He asked her. Before she could answer, they were interrupted by a noise. A brown hyena, a short young male rushed up to him, and barked a cough. He bowed when Kiava turned to him.
"Sire, Matriarch Haana and Pack-Leader Ed have returned!" He told him. Kiava brightened, nodded his thanks, and the brown hyena disappeared. He turned to Zuri and took a breath. She stood up, her tail flicking in the air.
"With your permission, I was hoping to join the next hunting party. I am still your first-huntress, aren't I?" She asked him, her eyes having a glint. Kiava laughed. He couldn't help it. He did.
"Go on. Be safe." He told her. Zuri inclined her head in a short bow, and then left him.
Kiava watched her go for a moment, before shaking his head. He stood up and padded away from the meeting spot, and towards one of the entrances to Carrocscirr. The other main entrance was till collapsed from where they had abandoned the tower to Amun's attack, so his route was obvious. Eventually, he found who he was looking for. Ookai and Ed were standing together, the golden monkey arching his back and jumping up and down, trying to retrieve feeling in his legs (Kiava guessed he must have ridden on Ed's back on the final stretch of the journey.) Haana was nowhere to be seen, presumably, she had already joined her followers by one of the geysers. Ed looked up when he saw him, and cocked his head slightly.
"Ed. When you've rested, go and track down Banzai. We're planning something, and would like your input. But get some rest, and some food before you do." Kiava told him. Ed gave a yelp that made Kiava blink, and then he vanished down one of the catacombs. The other hyenas dispersed, and left the golden monkey with the King. Ookai stretched his other arm over his head as he did so. There was a quiet pop as he did so, and Ookai let out a breath sigh of relief.
"Ach… That hits the spot." He said slowly. He looked at Kiava, and smiled.
"Hey Kiava. How's it swinging?" He asked him. Kiava grinned.
"Well, no catastrophes yet, so I'd say pretty well." Kiava said, grinning. Ookai nodded.
"Good to hear."
"Anything to report?"
"Well, we did as you asked. We headed into the Swamplands." He said, shuddering at the memory of the wet, marshy foul smelling territory that joined the Shadowlands to the Jungle. In some ways, it was worse than the Dessert that separated the same Jungle from the Pridelands. The Swamp could be just as hot as the Savanah, but its foul humidity made tit feel much worse.
"No sign of any of the River Lords on the way back. I think you're right. They've headed further downstream. They want nothing to do with mammalian politics." Ookai asked him.
"And the Vulture Committees?" Kiava asked him. Ookai shuddered.
"We found one. I only had to lie down in the swamp for a couple of hours. Once one took a fancy to me, Haana called it off and persuaded it to listen for a while."
"Any luck?" Kiava pressed him. Ookai sighed.
"I took your message to them. The Vulture Committees know of the Imperium, and they fear it. At the moment, the elders haven't officially signed up with the Emperor… They've taken a similar approach to Haana. They haven't expressly forbidden vultures from working with the Shai'tan as individuals, a number have become particularly high ranking spies. They're popular with Leviath, apparently." He said. Kiava let out a breath. That was good news. He'd feared that every vulture had sided with the Shai'tan, for certainly, they made liberal use of the bald birds as spies and messengers. They would need birds of their own before the fight with the Imperium was over. They wouldn't have been Kiava's first choice. But, the hornbills, songbirds and other avian of the Pridelands were much less organized. They lived alone, or in small families. And on top of that, many had fled in fear as soon as the Imperium had attack the Pridelands. The Vultures had stayed for obvious reasons: The prospect of a free lunch. In any case, he hadn't expected them to be too enthused with the idea of siding with the Pridelanders, and Kiava fully expected them to maintain their neutrality. Still, it was an idea. At least now the Vulture committees were accounted for. He nodded in thanks, as Ookai told him the rest of what they had discovered. As they'd hoped, the Shai'tan had been practically expelled from the Shadowlands and that had earned them a respite, if nothing else. Which was good news.
"Thank you Ookai." Kiava said.
"Hey, it was nothing." Ookai said halfheartedly. The young lion looked at the ape for a moment.
"You don't need to stay here you know. You've fulfilled your end of our bargain." Kiava said. Ookai blinked.
"Bargain?" He asked, confused.
"You know. When we met? In the jungle?" Kiava prompted him. Ookai started.
"Oh. Right. That bargain." He said softly. He shrugged.
"Doesn't seem to matter much now, does it?" Kiava laughed.
"So why are you still here?" he asked him, only half-jokingly. Ookai shrugged. The golden monkey had a strange look in his eye.
"You know something, I didn't used to put much stock in some things. Friendships. Ties to lands. Honor." He shrugged. "I am not saying I was a Shai'tan. I knew of them. They just never seemed to be of much use to me."
"You were a con-artist." Kiava reminded him. Ookai shrugged.
"I made up for my lack of… physical… abilities to ward off predators. You can't say it's morally inferior to, say, ripping out their Spine – which is your favored method of dissuading predators." Ookai pointed out. Kiava winced.
"Fair enough." He admitted.
"Anyway. I lied. I cheated. I used colorful words and promises to make my way in the world. To look out for me. My family never cared much for me, and I never cared much for them. When I met you, I thought you'd just be another mark. I hoped to use your scent to get rid of our leopard issue." Ookai admitted.
"And?" Kiava pressed him. The Golden monkey smirked.
"Well, I guess I fell for a bigger con didn't I? That maybe there was something to be said for standing up for honor or justice. Maybe there was something bigger. And who knows? I always liked an underdog." He said. "I couldn't let you get yourself killed now could I?" He sighed. "The deal breaker was when we met Sarafina. Make when she was masquerading as a heartless taskmaster. I saw your determination to succeed. And I saw Zuri's determination to help you succeed. She believed in you. And I guess somewhere down the way, I started to believe in you too." He admitted. "In some ways, I am no different to these hyenas. You've convinced us all that there is a chance of us winning. And that in winning, we can make the world a better place. For ourselves and for others. I guess, that idea had never occurred to me. I've always survived with little lies. Little tricks. And when things went south, making a quick exit and a fast escape. I'd never been in a position where I could change the world before." He said. He snorted. "I guess I am an arrogant little egotist aren't I?" He said. "Couldn't resist a con as big as that, could I? Stealing the Pridelands from the Emperor? How could I resist?" he asked him. Kiava laughed.
He'd never thought of it like that. But he supposed, they were indeed practising something not unlike one of his cons? With fast fighting instead of fast talking, but all the same, they were operating at a huge risk of death, against a vastly superior force. Kiava was touched.
"So. You think we can do it." He asked him. Ookai was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded.
"Aye. I think you can do this. If anyone can, you can." Ookai said. "And I'll do what I can to help." He said firmly. Kiava smiled.
"Thank you." He said simply.
Zuri had made her way away from Kiava and paced down into the catacombs of Carrocscirr, hoping to find Sarafina. For all of Zuri's talk of being the King's "First-Huntress" the elder lioness was the one who organized the hunting parties. She turned through the twisting passages, being careful not to pay to close attention to the dark stains that filled the tunnels. Eventually, she found the elder lioness' scent and followed it to the source.
"Sarafina, I – Oh." She was surprised to see Sarafina was not alone. With her, was the meerkat, Timon. He glanced up when she entered and gave her a smile.
"Oi. Hi Zuri. How's it going? Grub?" He offered her a deep blue beetle, and Zuri tried to withhold her disgust.
"No thank you." She said. Timon shook his head sadly.
"I'll never understand carnivores. You lived off them for days back in the jungle. Simba always liked them. I remember the first time Nala found him and me taking Snail-Slurps." He said, and gave a sly grin. "Those things are potent. Intoxicating."
"Inebriating, I think is the word." Sarafina said. "I am not surprised my daughter objected." Timon chuckled.
"Do not slander the snails. They got us through Kiara's birth." He said shuddering. That birth had continued for many hours, and Nala's cries and roars of pain had been heard for miles around the Pridelands. Timon had taken the King aside (though he had at first wished to be there with his mate, Rafiki had quickly shoed him from the den and Simba's incessant pacing had required some distraction), and the two had slurped snails into the early hours of the morning before Rafiki finally took him to see his safely birthed daughter. He offered Sarafina one of the shiny red insects, and Sarafina eyed it carefully.
"Umm… What is it?"
"Spicy." Timon told her. Sarafina arched an eyebrow. Then gave a shrug.
"Well… I guess since the worlds coming to an end..." And with that, threw the bug into the air, and snapped her jaws around it with an audible crunch. Her expression became thoughtful as she chewed, then swallowed.
"Huh. Spicy. Yet Satisfying." She conceded. "I can't imagine living off them… but the occasional snack?"
"Goodness. I never thought I'd hear it said." Timon said, looking visibly shocked. Sarafina smirked at his shocked expression and Zuri began to laugh. She couldn't help it. The three of them stood there for a moment. Then Timon let out a sigh.
"I should have expected as much from Nala's mother." Timon said. Sarafina blinked.
"Did… Did Nala eat bugs?" She asked him. Timon snorted.
"Simba kept promising to get Nala to try one, one day. Somehow we never got round to it. She was one tough nut to crack, Nala. Very stubborn." He glanced at Zuri. "Not unlike another lioness I could think of." He said. Sarafina smiled.
"Yeah. I think I know what you mean." She said. Zuri flushed, feeling her face go red at the compliment. Wow. To be compared to the Great Queen Nala, Nala's own mother? She swallowed, looking embarrassed.
"Your mother must be very proud of you." Sarafina said. "I know I would be in her place." She said. Zuri was quiet.
"I haven't heard from my mother in months. I doubt she thinks I am alive by now…" She reminded Sarafina, whose face fell. Surprisingly, it was Timon who broke the silence.
"Did you ever meet my Ma?" He asked Zuri. Zuri thought for a moment. She knew of the meerkat's mother of course. She had a reputation for being a forceful female.
"I… Don't think I ever did." Zuri admitted. Timon nodded.
"When I left the colony, there were plenty of meerkats who were glad to see the back of me." Timon said. Sarafina blinked.
"Why?" She asked him. Timon shrugged.
"Eh. That's a story for another day. They're not the point. The point, is that throughout all of that, my Ma always knew I'd return someday. She trusted in me. And when Nala left the Pridelands to find help, did you give up on her?" he asked Sarafina. Sarafina sighed.
"I hoped she wouldn't return, I'll grant you. I thought she'd be far safer out there in the wilds, then under Scars tyrannical rule. But no. I didn't give up on her." Sarafina said. Timon nodded.
"There you are. Your mother… Damu I think her name was? Is from the same people as Sarafina. She's from the same land as my Ma. You got your stubbornness from someone, eh? She's probably thinking about you every day, you know. And I am willing to bet you a whole tree trunk of beetles that she knows, that wherever you are, you are being amazing." Timon told her, poking Zuri. Zuri smiled.
"I try not to think about them." She admitted quietly. "The people we left behind. I feel guilty. That maybe we ought to have found them first, before going off on our own. I don't know. I wonder if we made the right decision." She admitted. Timon shrugged.
"Maybe. But we can't change the past. We can only live for the future. And it's something we can do, and we do it well, Zuri. Look at what we've accomplished? Hell, look at what you've accomplished!" Timon told her.
"That doesn't make it any easier you know. I miss my mother. I miss Sara and Inti and Danyal." She admitted. Sarafina sighed.
"I am sure you do. I spent many years alone… Thinking that I was doing the right thing. I missed my family and my friends. But unlike me, Zuri, you will see them again. And when you do, you know something? They are going to know what you've done. They'll see what you have earned, what you have accomplished. And they are going to be damn proud of you." Sarafina told her. Zuri nodded.
"You… You're right. Of course you are right." She said. Silently, she berated herself. Timon's nostalgic talk of Simba and Nala had caused her to lower her guard. She'd started thinking about her mother again – always a bad sign – and before she'd known it, she'd been swept away on a tide of nostalgia and sentiment. She shook herself. No time for that now. She had a job to do. So she took what she felt and she stored it away inside herself. Compartmentalizing it for another day. She could feel it again, she told herself. If and when she did see her mother again. But she saved those feelings, those thoughts for that day.
"Sarafina. I was wondering… If you would be willing to hunt with me? Just the two of us? Show some of these hyenas how a lioness hunts?" She asked her. Sarafina stood up and nodded.
"It would be a pleasure, Lady Zuri." She told the young lioness. "If you think you could keep up". She said, a playful grin leaking across her face. "I didn't teach you everything, after all." She said.
The two lionesses had barely made it two feet out of the mouth of the tunnels before a young hyena rushed to them.
"Lionesses –" he seemed caught as to how to address them, though seemed to recognize them as high ranking members of Kiava's inner circle.
"What's the matter?" Sarafina asked him sharply.
"I need to find the King." The black hyena said quickly. "We've caught a prisoner. A spy of the Shai'tan!" He said. Sarafina sighed.
"Sorry, Zuri. I guess that hunt will have to wait. Someone go and track down the King. We'll deal with this issue." She said quickly. Zuri looked up at her, and muttered low.
"Kiava banished a few wilddog survivors of Amun's army. He sentenced them to death if they ever returned." She murmured to him. Sarafina gritted her teeth. This was why she hated suspended punishments. Timon looked concerned.
"But if they've surrendered… What does that mean for Kiava?" He asked her. Sarafina looked around at the vicious hyenas. Many of them had lost loved ones to the Shai'tan's forces. She groaned inwardly. Outwardly she gave a soft growl.
"It means, we had better hope that Kiava is prepared to be as ruthless to enemies as his allies are. Or they may not be his allies for very long." Sarafina said softly. Of course. Zuri thought to herself. Such things in life were seldom free. And Kiava may be about to discover the Price to allying with a pack of animals as ruthless and as merciless as the hyenas.
"We had better get going." Zuri said.
AN:
Fun fact: Gatherings of Vultures are called committees.
Lots of interactions here between pairs of characters that don't talk too much now. Much opf the story revolves around Kiava and Zuri, and this chapter reminds us of the relationships between these other secondary characters and the main characters. It also shows us a little more the history of some of the characters, and the emotional foundations of some of them. I hope you enjoyed it.
