XXIX
Unexpected Bloodshed
"The newcomer would ask, her eyes filled with rage and sorrow as they crawled upon the new graveyard of our pride, 'What has happened?' and I said, 'Life.'"
-Adolescent Yimba (Dark Era)
Gatu trudged through the open savannah. His ears were perked and his only eye gleamed in the melting sunlight. It was a day after he had left, and already the young lion had traveled miles to the northeast. Now, though, he was heading straight north once more. If he had only turned his head slightly to the left, he would have been able to watch the last of the giant group of males, pad further north, more to the west, at least two miles away.
Suddenly, Gatu grunted in surprise as he fell. Meeting the ground hard, the lion staggered up and blinked, finding himself in a hole - about twelve feet or so deep, and maybe eight feet around. Crouching for a moment, the lion jumped up, but fell back. It was too high up.
"Oh crap," he uttered, before trying again, but with no success.
It was the next evening. Early crickets were already chirping, the sky was streaked in beautiful pinks and oranges, and a light breeze came through the savannah as two lions had seated themselves beside a calm water hole. The lioness was resting her head into the lion's raven colored mane. Both stared down dreamily at their reflection as the male sighed. Was it time to bring up the conversation again? It had only been a day since the ceremony, but still...
"Too bad they didn't bring us any cubs," Izegbe whispered, before looking up into Zarazu's innocent eyes of blue, a wicked smile on her face. "But we could make some ourselves."
Zarazu, taken aback by this, just blinked at her. Indeed the lioness was old enough and at the same time young enough to mate and was in the right part of the year, but was it truly time? No. He could not do this with someone he did not love. He needed to find the real Meersha before anything went on.
"I can't." he finally said after a heavy silence.
"What?" Izegbe asked, astonished. Any other male lion would've given anything up for a moment and offer like this. But why did her own mate not want to? What was it that led him to stray from it? Is he not attracted to me anymore? she asked herself.
The thought was quickly pushed aside as a roar shot out into the distance. Izegbe gasped and the two jerked their heads to look southeast. The roar sounded deeper than that of a lioness's. Quickly, they began up a broad knoll to get a better look.
"What are you doing?!" a lioness snarled.
She was standing strongly between the Broken-Claw, and a massive pride of only male lions. One large lion in particular, stepped up in front of his companions, only to reply in another deafening roar. "It is time to take over your pride once and for all!"
The crestfallen lioness took an awkward step back, glancing at the lionesses behind her. But when she looked back at the lions she growled, "Must you have so many untrue males to take over a pride? That obviously shows how weak you really are."
"We're not going to take over your pride...we're going to destroy it!"
Yawnda was scrambling up a hill in the northeast, panting as this happened.
"Oh really? And why must some lions destroy the innocent-" the lioness had started, but was cut off by the same male. "Innocent? Is this not the Broken-Claw?"
"It...is..." hesitated the lioness.
Suddenly another lion from the Broken-Claw jumped up beside her sister. "We are the proud Broken-Claw! Come and give us all you've got, untrue lions of the Outlands!"
The male leader roared out, "We have heard tales about your murdering kin! After being kicked out of our own prides, we lions have come together, and sworn vengeance on our fathers and brothers! Now that we have found you, it is time to bring the Broken-Claw to justice!"
Words seeming to echo through the vast lands, the males began forward.
"Mother!" Yawnda desperately called as she stopped in front of Ahadgna, attempting to regain her breath.
"What is with all the yelling?" snarled the experienced, ghostly lioness as she stood, fur bristling.
"Untrue lions! They've come to destroy the pride!" Yawnda panted.
Before she could go on, her mother ran off. Growling, the dark lioness followed.
"Move the troups in." Ahadgna ordered. "It's time to show lions the true way."
Nodding, Yawnda took off down the hill, roaring out demands to the closest of her pride. The lionesses obeyed, and leapt up after her, into the deadly path of the oncoming males. Now the two prides were only yards away from each other.
Ahadgna sat quietly, watching as her tail curled around her body, eyes glaring at the scene below. If things were to get out of paw...then she would join...
There were about forty males in the enemy pride, and fifty females in the Broken-Claw, along with the Drie-Leeu. But several of the lionesses were old now, while the male pride had strong, healthy young adults.
Finally, the prides came together in swift combat. Claws raked, teeth bit, bodies slammed. Blood was quickly shed, and roars of both pain and anger filled the air. Chunks of earth flew everywhere as the lions brawled. Here and there a lioness would rip the mane of a lion. A lion would break the back of a Broken-Claw member as he pounced upon her. One lioness could easily snap the jaw of a lion with their paws, while another male would tear one's tail off. Sometimes a group of lionesses would join together to kill a lion with ease. Other times a lion was forced to throw a female off him into her own companion, and in doing so injured two at the same time.
As the fighting went on, Izegbe and Zarazu continued to stare at the war in shock.
"What's happening?" Izegbe's coerced voice then came.
"Males have never liked the Broken-Claw. I guess this is what has come of many rogues."
Izegbe jerked her head back and forth, as if shaking it, before she said, "We have to help them." and took off.
"Meersha! No!" cried her mate, and he began after her.
Back at the fight, one male from the lion pride was struck by another male.
"What are you doing, lion?!" snarled the one who's face was now left with a pathetic rake.
"I am part of the Broken-Claw!" Hawkna growled back, now in attacking position.
Blinking in surprise, the lion said, "You betray your own kind. These are just murderers! Join us and know what it is really like to be a lion!"
"I am a lion! I am a true lion unlike you!" Hawkna yelled in rage, and quickly the two were at each other's throats.
A flock of nearby birds quickly took off from an acacia in the distance. They could not stand the startling sounds of bloodshed any longer.
"Meersha!" screamed the young male as he watched his beloved mate disappear into the fight.
Dust, blood, and bodies everywhere blocked her from his view now. But that wouldn't stop him. Zarazu snarled as he prepared to rip into the fight. Suddenly, though, his own breath was torn from his body as he found himself on the ground, gasping for air. A lion had attacked him! Quickly, he staggered up.
"No! I need t' find-" he began to say aloud, but was once more crushed as the lion pounced him.
Kikaru found the face of an angry lion inches from his own. The fangs glittered in the twilight, and even the music of death from all the others was gone. This stranger was going for his throat! Zarazu was able to tuck his chin down so that the lion's teeth met his nose instead. A roar of agony was overlapped by everyone else, but Zarazu could feel the sharp pain of skin breaking, and soon warm liquid was gushing from his nose. Almost instinctively, he kicked the lion atop him, in the gut, making him fly over. It was not his time yet. He had to find Meersha.
Staggering up, Kikaru forced himself into the fight, away from his attacker's path. At least, away from that lion. Now he had to move through everyone else. Perhaps it could be easier than expected, though, for the lionesses knew him very well, and the lions could think he was part of their pride - just another fighting rogue. But no. Again Zarazu was knocked off his paws. He found himself in danger of more lions.
