Darkness.

Shadows.

A sore feeling in his head.

These were a few of the many things that Barbatus the Hyena brute knew at the moment. To see such a Hyena, never wavered by fear or pain reduced to this heap of fur and spots was nowhere near exciting for anyone. Heck, even his worst enemies would have a hard time enjoying what they would see before then. He lay on his side in the blazing Dry Season sun, as Simba did as a cub so many suns ago. Vultures circled above him. But these carrion lickers were not as meat-craving as the ones in the Outlands. These ones saw that Barbatus was still breathing, and had decided to fly down and see what was the matter.

He had not noticed, however, as he lay on his side with his mouth partially open. They had not enjoyed eating live meat in their lives, as it would most likely upset their benevolent king. He had always retreated every animal in the Backlands fairly. As such, they wished not to upset him. Eventually, they decided that they could not leave him there either, and went to get help.

His head buzzed like a hive of bees. He could not move. His lungs had been full of water ever since he had been dragged by the Backlanders to the healing cave in Komodo Rock. Before he had been lifted away, however, he had passed out again. He remembered a group of Waterbuck lifting him up and carrying him away from the river he had woken up at.

Now, he felt absolutely nothing. He felt as if he had been drowned and brought back in almost an eternity. His head hurt like never before. Wait, did it? He didn't know for sure. Everything before this moment was fuzzy. He was at a loss for words when encountering these memories. There was absolutely nothing he could recall. Whenever he tried to think of anything, his head only felt worse.

"Barbatus?"

"Barbatus, can you hear me?"

That voice. Where was it coming from? It was a female Australian voice. Echoing in his mind. Like the fluttering of bats in a cave. He had no recollection of why exactly he was in this room. And who it was that female hyena who was pacing around was. What was happening? What day was it? She didn't even know he was watching her for all he knew. With this thought, he slowly closed his eyes back.

Meanwhile, Jasiri knew no such peace as her second-in-command. She knew not it was, the reason he was in that river. All she did know, however, was that something had mist likely happened back in the Outlands. She slightly mumbled to herself in a stressful manner as she tried to make out what exactly had happened here. A friendship can make one feel a good bit worried for that certain someone. And for Jasiri, there was no closer friend to her besides, of course, Kion.

One may not know it, but Jasiri knew the true person this hyena was, not just what everyone else saw. What the public saw as a stern, grumpy, un-smiling, no-nonsense figure, Jasiri saw someone who was desperate to find a place on the Outlands. Somewhere where he could live and contribute to the community. Of course she knew of how he treated Janja when her back was turn, when he thought that she wasn't looking. She had tried to ease Barbatus' ill-will towards him, telling him that Janja had already apologized and had been through enough. However, Barbatus did not see it that way, and had continued to beat Janja within an inch of his life. Jasiri had hoped that those mud pots Scar Snout had mentioned would help soothing his temper.

Suddenly, she heard the flapping if wings and saw that Gunge had returned to her after examining Barbatus. "How is he, Gunge?"

"Patient suffers from head trauma and a ruptured backbone." Gunge answered as he perched on a rock, speaking in a small, Brooklyn accent. He seemed rather reluctant to deliver this news. "He'll live if you you're wondering, but there's gonna be a few drawbacks. First off, the injury of his backbone means he'll have to stay off his legs for a while. He can't use them. He doesn't have any feeling in them. Secondly, that injury in his head was cleaned up and healed, but he's got amnesia. Who knows when all of his memories will return?"

"You mean, he doesn't remember anything?" Jasiri asked.

"Right." The Cuckoo bird answered.

Jasiri shook her head as she tapped her paw actively. "Then we have no means of knowing who it was that did this…"

"Now hold on, Jasiri," Gunge out his wings up before sighing. "Yeah, that's not gonna work. Prime Minister Jasiri, Let's just take a little breather here. Are you implying that you think that someone did this to Barbatus?"

"Yes I am." Jasiri out shortly.

"We don't have any evidence that that's the case, ma'am." Gunge hopped closer to her, his small body hopping like a Jerboa. "I mean, what even gives you the idea that someone tried to kill him? If you don't mind my asking, of course."

"Barbatus has been down to the river a hundred times," Jasiri started. "He's climbed over the rocks and stood on the slippery mud almost every morning just to collect leftovers for the clan. He's never fallen in there before. I've known him since we both were cubs and he's never messed up with that unless someone had shoved him."

"Why specifically do you think someone shoved him?"

"I don't know that for sure, but that could've been the only reason behind all this. Gunge, is there any way we can search the place you found him for any evidence?"

"Perhaps there is." Gunge put his wing to his chin as he began to think. He walked around in a small circle as he contemplated. Jasiri had her head down as she began to think as well.. She knew how judgmental it was to jump to conclusions, but she had so much time to think about the reason behind Barbatus' injury. There could have been no other explanation, could there?

"I can search for ye."

The Hyena and the bird turned to see Django entering the room. They also could tell that he was approaching because of the way his artificial tail swayed as he walked. The wood creaked and cracked as its hinges causes it to move. There truly was something about this lizard that made even Jasiri cringe in fear of him. Despite knowing that he meant no harm to her. "Sorry, I couldn't help but over'ear."

"No no, it's fine," Jasiri assured. "Now what was it you were saying, Django?"

"I was saying dat I could check out dis friend I yers and see if I can pick anything up." Django replied in his thick Australian accent.

"I appreciate the offer, Django," Jasiri stepped forward. "But with all due respect, I don't think even you could find anything there. There weren't any paw prints. No additional hair. If there was anything on him, it would've most likely been washed up when he fell in the water."

Gunge then piped up. "Actually, Prime Minister Jasiri, Django has been noted as a professional tracker. Once. He smelt a bunch of Jackals who stole from the Backlands and followed them everywhere they had been until he got back the food they stole. Not even mud could've covered up their scent."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Django waves it off. "But wasn't nuthin too great, y'know? Just knocked a few heads togetha and left 'em wishing dey stayed home. Y'know, a usual Saturday mornin. So yeah, lemme git a wiff'o yer friend, den I'll see if I can trace anything up."

The large green lizard then flicked his tongue at the unconscious body. Gunge stood by and watched as his reptile companion examined the patient with an anxious expression. As did Jasiri. Why it was that her no-nonsense partner was laid up like this was beyond her. She did not want to jump to the conclusion that someone had attacked her childhood friend, but that possibility was more than even that already. She looked at the small bird with an anxious expression, to which he replied with a reassuring smile on his small, orange beak. Django murmured to himself the scents he had picked up from the body, naming them bit by bit. He grunted as he turned to face her. "He was at the south side of the Border, next to the river."

"What else can you pick up?" Jasiri asked.

"Nuthin'." Django shook his head. "I'm guessin dat da scent o' whateva or whoeva knocked him inta dat water got washed off when he fell in."

"So now we have no way of knowing what happened to him?"

"Not necessarily." Django answered. "Like I said, I can smell where it was dat he fell in. You dink dat someone pushed ol' Barbie in, and I dink dat a little bit as well. So 'ere's what I'm thinkin'. You an' me, we go down to da Outlands and sniff up the area. Dat way, we can probably track down whoeva it was dat might'a been 'round dere, if dere even was some'ne."

"We?"

"Yeah. I mean, if I'm gonna be findin' out how dis happened to yer friend, I'm gonna need some backup. And who betta ta help me den da Prime Minista O' da Outlands?"

"Well ok then." Jasiri smiled. "We'd better get going then."

Gunge hopped over to Barbatus as he inspected him. "And I'll-"

"Be coming with us as areal support." Django interrupted.

"-Be standing by for further instructions." Gunge saluted before realizing what Django said. "Say what now?"

"Aye." Django nodded. "If we're gonner git to da bottom o' dis, we need all da 'elp we can git. And the bes' bit o' 'elp we can git dis far is up in da sky."

The little Cuckoo bird then puffed up his chest feathers, making himself look slightly bigger. "Well, if the great Django and Prime Minister Jasiri need a hand in this, then by Kumbukah, you can count me in!" He flapped his wings as he perched himself on Django's back. "So, what about Barbatus?"

"Dhahabu's herd can take care o' 'im." Django nodded. "They can give him their famous 'Frolic and Romp' hospitality."

The three animals then departed out of Komodo Rock and on their way to the river. Neither one of them knew what they would find when arriving at the river, but they did know one thing: whatever happened to Barbatus could have been the start of something bad. None of them were aware of the events happening in the Outlands at the moment. None of them knew of the Hyena uprising against the Pridelands. Notar's treachery. Or Kanuk's future fury. But one thing was for certain: they each would have a role to play in this.

One way or another.

Things have begun to get more interesting. Jasiri, Django and Gunge are going out on an investigation at the scene of Barbatus' accident to get to the bottom of what's happening. Meanwhile, Tombie and the others are requests to take refuge with Reirei and her Jackal family. Will they be able to stay with them?

On another note, for those of you who are wondering, I will be focusing on Janja as well, and his decision to become good and how he is taking to it. But do not worry, I will not be making him go back to being bad, like other stories. "Roar of Distrust" and "Roar of Manipulation", I'm looking at you guys. So stay tuned for more, and stay safe!