Cubhood: Chapter 11
When the mist cleared, Scar noted once more that they hadn't left the Pridelands. Some time had passed, and Scar remembered what had happened after that visit from the Southron royalty. Kusini and his father left the Pridelands in the morning, much to the cubs' disappointment. Kusini might have been a quiet and shy young cub, but he was pleasant to be around, and the cubs missed their new friend, even though he promised to return to the Pridelands to visit soon. Later, Ahadi took his sons aside and thanked them for treating their guest so well. He added that Huruma had told him that he felt that Kusini meeting the two Pridelander princes had been good for their Southern counterpart's confidence. He had left to travel onwards to the Mountain Pride with a good deal more enthusiasm than when he had left to visit their own. Taka had been pleased to hear that. He had liked Kusini, and felt that the Southlands would be a lucky people indeed to have him as their monarch. If, as seemed likely, Kusini's experience in his native pride had been a more sheltered experience, then his meeting new cubs and making friends might have been more important than he had initially suspected. He was also fairly envious. His father had never taken him on a diplomatic expedition to visit the neighbouring Prides. He could only imagine the exotic places and people Kusini was experiencing.
When the mist cleared, Scar noted once more that they hadn't left the Pridelands. This time they remained right at the base of Pride Rock just outside the den. Scar looked about and could see no one. Was he meant to enter? He hesitated. The thought of seeing all those familiar faces at the same time was daunting to him at the moment. It was hard enough to watch his former self with his former friends. He resisted the urge, although it excited and revolted him in equal measure. It was night time and the moon was barely a sliver up there in the sky. The night was still dark. But, peering through the shadows, he could just about see a pair of eyes glinting in the thin light of moon. Soon enough, it was joined by another pair. And as he watched, he could see them moving as the lions they were attached too made their way out of the den. Green and brown. Himself and his brother, he guessed and sure enough, the unmistaken figures of the Princes Taka and Mufasa detached themselves from Pride Rock, and rushed down to the base of Pride Rock.
They moved about for a few moments in silence, before a hissing voice called out.
"Sarabi!" Mufasa called, and in a few moments, he found the eyes of Sarabi and Sarafina, the two lionesses were also creeping out, and the lions seemed relieved to see them. They were clearly taking great pains not to be seen or heard by the others within the den.
"I am here, Mufasa." Sarabi replied, looking about. "Where are the others?" But before Taka could respond, there was a loud whisper from nearby, and Nguvu and Imani called out to them, making Sarabi jump at the loud noise.
There were two lionesses and four male lions, and Scar immediately recognised himself. All six of them were young, and still had the lanky form of preadolescent lions. Thin, with manes barley stretching beyond the tops of their heads.
"Hey guys. Sorry that we took so long. Couldn't get past Zuzu. We're here now." They explained, as Sarabi grinned in greeting.
"Good to see you guys. Is that everyone?" She asked him, looking puzzled. Taka shook his head.
"Not quite. Wait a moment…" He nodded. "There." And out of the darkness, three more shapes loomed. Kasi, Jicho and Zira, the children of Sauda.
"It's this way." They heard Jicho whisper. "I can see them."
"How can you see anything in this darkness?"
"Sssh. Just trust Jicho, he's got really good night vision." They heard Zira mutter. Sarafina giggled, and waved up a paw.
"Pssst! Guys! Over here!" She whispered as loudly as they dared and sure enough, the three more lions joined them, peering at them through the darkness, and looking pleased to see them.
"Good." Taka said. "That's everyone." He nodded, relieved. Mufasa counted. Kasi, Zira, Jicho, Imani, and Nguvu, Sarabi, Sarafina, himself, and Taka. Nine of them. He whistled. That was quite a few.
"Alright Taka," one voice whispered in the gloom, clearly irritated. "Bout time you started 'splaining. What is it that was so pressingly urgent that you needed to share with us?" Sarabi asked him.
"Is this your cunning plan you were going on about?" Sarafina asked as well.
"What cunning plan?" Sarabi asked, looking confused. Taka rolled his eyes.
"Essentially, Sarabi," Taka told her, "You may have noticed that things haven't been too great between the nine of us recently. Things have gotten a little… tense. Anyway… I wanted to help that. So I have decided that we're going to do something together."
"What?" Sarafina asked, looking curious.
"It's perfectly simple." Taka responded to the lionesses' question. "We are going to go hunting." The young Taka said, pleased with himself. The three lionesses were clearly deflated by this seemingly mundane task before them.
"Taka, we haven't completed our first hunts yet!" Sarabi exclaimed. Sarafina nodded.
"We'd never bring anything down!" She protested.
"Not so fast! Sure, you haven't hunted alone yet, but Sarafina and I aren't the only ones who've hunted as a group, are we?" Taka asked. There was a pause. That was true. All of them had hunted in some form or another before now, usually following and emulating their mothers the best they could and rarely participating in the kill. But even so, they had to learn somehow, and they had begun to learn to hunt.
"You want us to hunt together? By ourselves?" Zira asked, sounding unsure.
"I think it sounds like fun!" Imani agreed eagerly. Mufasa nodded.
"Sure, why not? Get us working together again. Trusting one another again." He eyed Imani carefully, and the young cub laughed awkwardly.
"But why do this at night? I don't see why we can't hunt during the day – after a good night sleep!" Nguvu said, looking slightly annoyed. Taka snorted. Where was his sense of adventure? Back in the den probably; even so, he felt a flash of annoyance.
"You and your petty complaints!" He smirked. He tried a different tactic, thinking carefully. "If you think about it, sure, we're tired, exhausted, and sleep deprived –"
"Very good points. Good night." Nguvu agreed, and stalked away.
"But," Takacontinued, "if we feel tired and in need of rest – then so will they! Come on, guys, I wouldn't have thought you would shy away from a little hard work. It'll be well worth it!" Taka promised them.
"There is something to that Taka," Zira said, finally understanding. She looked admirably to him. "You always do come up with the best plans! Okay. I am in." She said, smiling. Why not? Hadn't she lamented not being able to join her friends as often as she'd liked in their games? Surely this was better.
"Thank you Zira, at least you show some backbone – Come on ladies, I thought you were the huntresses in the Pride – the next Generation of fierce hunters! Why not show them what you've got? They might even decide that you're ready to do your first solo hunt…" Taka teased.
"Well..." Sarafina hesitated. "You make a good point. I guess I am in. What about you Sarabi?"
"Well, I am not going to be the only one to say no – even if I do think this is a waste of time – we'll never see what we are doing. Still, if you're all going, then I will too."
"Guys?" Mufasa asked. Kasi looked to Zira, and nodded. If she was in, then so was he. Jicho nodded. And Imani was grinning, having already given his agreement.
"There you are then. It's agreed." Mufasa said flatly. "Let's get started."
"What is this?" Kivuli asked Scar as he appeared beside him.
"I think this is one of our hunting trips. The first probably." he smiled at the memory. "Oh! Oh. You're going to like this one. This gets interesting!" Scar said, looking pleased with himself.
As one beast, the nine lions slunk swiftly away from the den and along the flat grasslands, lying low and keeping to the ground. Mufasa took the lead, followed by Sarabi and Sarafina. Kasi and Nguvu paired up, as did Imani with Kasi, and Taka, with Zira bringing up the rear. After a time of skulking the hunting team came upon a small group of gazelle, but Taka shook his head when Sarafina made to go closer. He shook his head.
"Don't. It's too dark, and those horns are sharp as stalagmites. If we fudge this up, then you'll be walking into a phalanx of horns." He scolded her. Sarafina grinned. She'd agreed to this whole mad escapade, but if she was going to do it, she might as well go all out.
"Why not? I love gazelle." She teased. "Come on Taka, we can take them! Since when were you scared of a few gazelle?" She asked him, playfully. But to her evident surprise, Taka wasn't laughing, and gave a snarl. Then he moved forwards and physically blocked her path with his body.
"Don't even think about it." He warned her. "In the dark, that's pointlessly foolish. This may come as a shock to you Sarafina, but you are my friend and I care about what happens to you. No risks, and no gambles. We stick to my plan, and we are doing it my way – is that understood? If you are a liability to this, then I won't think twice at aborting this and then we all go back empty handed. Have I make myself clear?" He asked her.
"Crystal." Sarafina murmured and broke herself away from his penetrating stare.
"Good." He said cheerfully. "Glad we got that cleared up. Let's move. We don't have all night." He said. He moved forwards and went to speak to Nguvu and Imani, who were doing their best to pretend to not have been listening. Thankfully, everyone had similar thoughts on the perils of leaping blind into the natural spears of the gazelle horns as he had, and nobody else suggested they do so. Sarafina gave a disappointed sigh and was obviously thrown by his sudden change in mood. She shook herself, watching Taka's back as he moved away.
"Well. Someone's full of surprises tonight." She muttered to no one in particular and was surprised when she received a response.
"Yes..." Agreed Zira from beside her. "He is that..." Sarafina looked at Zira who was staring after Taka, and arched her eyebrows at her.
"You know it's actually very rare for males to hunt as much as he does." She told her, curious as to whether Zira's upbringing in the Outlands had reflected the Pridelands traditional values. Zira shrugged.
"Males aren't just for fighting rogues. They have other uses. Besides, if he has to get good at killing stuff, he may as well earn a meal out of it." She pointed out. Sarafina threw back her head and laughed at that. She made a good point.
"Girls, are you coming or not?" called a disgruntled Mufasa from the further afield, and the two hurried to catch up with Sarabi and the male lions.
"Why did you not go for the Gazelle?" Ammit asked from the shadows. Scar glared at him.
"For exactly the reasons I told her – if one of them made a mistake then things could have gotten pretty hairy in the dark. It was easier to move on... I didn't want her to get hurt… This was my idea, wasn't it?"
Ammit chuckled.
"Got a little soft spot for Sarafina, did you? Wow Scar, Zira was right! You are full of surprises.
"Shut up!" Scar snapped at the creature. "I warn you I am this close to ripping you to shreds!"
Scar snarled. He had just been beginning to feel nostalgic for his cubhood memories, though he was lost as to what he was supposed to learn from them. But Ammit was always there with a jibe or snide remark to ruin the moment.
"Just try it Taka. Give me a reason..." Ammit taunted. The dark ghostly form looked dangerous in that moment, crouching down. His ragged mane only served to wreath his face that was grinning like skull with a sinister darkness. His eyes though glinted with a bright cruelty, and told Scar that, yes, he did just need a reason. Scar wasn't put off though, and growled. He made as if to strike at Ammit, but Kivuli put a restraining paw on his foreleg and shook his head.
"No Scar. And Ammit! Stop provoking him!" Scar wasn't placated though and started muttering to himself. Kivuli sighed in exasperation.
"Enough! We have a job to do, so be silent and watch."
After a time of walking the group had come upon what they were looking for. Zira hissed and called out to the others.
"There! A herd of zebra are nearby and they all look asleep, except for one, a sentry I think." Jicho told them.
"How can you see all that in this dark?" Imani muttered, impressed. The lions looked at each other.
"Can you deal with it… discreetly?" Sarabi hissed, at them.
"Yes. I can take it without it ever seeing me." Zira replied confidently.
"Do so." Taka ordered quietly, and Mufasa nodded in agreement. Sarafina and Zira moved up first, and Sarafina jumped out, practically in front of the sentry.
"Hello there!" Sarafina spoke clearly to the Zebra.
"What the-!" the Zebra gasped, looking at the lioness before him, but no member of his herd heard him. Distracted by the lioness before him, he failed to notice the other one stealthily moving into position behind him. The zebra leapt backwards and as he did the shape of Zira leapt out of the gloom from his left, affixing herself to his throat. He tried to shout a warning to his sleeping companions, but could only manage a soft gurgle from his slit throat. Without a word, he collapsed to the ground.
"One down…" Mufasa muttered and the lions spread out and approached the herd from all sides, as silent as ghosts. They were lucky the wind was so still that their scent wasn't conveyed to the herd. As one they crept towards the sleeping forms, and at a signal from Taka, dived into the fray.
As Taka had predicted, they scored six or seven more kills before the zebra became aware of their presence, but in doing so alerted the survivors to the night-time slaughter. Taka was glad of the numbers of his side, for if not, the wanton slaughter and madness they inflicted on the herd would have shocked him. In contrast to his controlled adrenaline, sudden shouts of panic and terror escaped the creatures, as they darted this way and that in an effort to avoid the phantom lions who leapt out of the shadows to feast upon them. Jicho and Imani rushed out together, and dragged down one, two more forms.
Mufasa scored a tenth kill as one thundered right towards him, not seeing his form in the night, while Sarafina and Zira scored another by herding another into each other's awaiting paws.
"Oh no you don't!" Kasi shouted, and charged after the last straggler as it sprinted away, desperate for survival. Kasi moved with blistering speed and leapt at it. He gripped at its neck, and within a few seconds, he'd dragged the beast to the ground.
The cubs weren't especially big. Nguvu and Imani together had taken down a few of the larger beasts, but most of the slaughter had taken place in the dark, as they slept. In the night time gloom, the smallest lion cub could kill just as easily as the largest and mightiest rogue. If it could get close enough to bite through its throat of course. And if they picked young old or sick zebra. And they didn't mind leaving the unfortunate zebra to choke on their blood, instead of quickly and instantly breaking its neck, or suffocating them. But Scar didn't lets the little details bother him. Even though the majority of the kills were of the young, old, or presumably already injured. It was a magnificent haul. The remainder of the herd escaped into the night but that didn't bother the cubs in the least, who looked upon their slaughter with pride.
"Look at this Sarabi! The Pride will feast for days!" Sarabi counted the kills and nearly fainted.
"Twelve kills! A dozen in a single night's hunting! Taka, I am sorry I doubted you, you're a genius!" She looked around her in amazement.
"How come no one's ever thought of this before? Surely someone considered hunting at night before now!" She pondered the scene before her.
"Well" Taka said hesitantly, not wanting to spoil the moment. "I suppose most night hunters hunt by themselves, while we usually hunt during the day to make use of all our senses. Because we worked as a group we could rely on each other instead."
"We acted as each other's eyes and ears!" Imani realised, grinning.
"Well done guys!"
And the cubs cheered, as he licked the blood of his snout.
"Let's go then, the Sun is rising… Let's get these home for breakfast." She suddenly laughed. "Can you imagine the look on our mothers faces when we bring these home! What will your father say?" She asked the two princes.
"How on earth are we going to get this back to Pride Rock?" Kasi asked, curious. Taka hesitated. He had a brief mad idea, possibly piling the meat onto a piece of tree trunk, or piece of bark and dragging it back to Pride Rock as a sled, before he was interrupted, by a loud voice.
"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem…" it said menacingly. Taka froze, and looked about in panic. Then he cursed. Emerging from the shadows, surrounding the cubs atop their pile of carnage, a dozen hyenas of various ages and sizes made their presence known. Black Hyenas, their fur a pitch midnight black, and luminous eyes of sickly yellow, orange and red. One laughed a maddening shriek of mirthless laughter, as the others grinned.
"Thank you kindly for all your hard work, cubs," the leader of the pack grinned, "but we'll be taking it from here." He said.
Imani cursed, and Nguvu whirled around, trying to keep all the hyenas in his vision at once. Sarafina and Sarabi each gasped, and edged closer to each other.
"Mufasa…" Taka muttered, and heard his brother's reassuring growl nearby.
"No… Spirits No. No no no no no…" He heard Zira shaking behind them. One of the hyenas saw her reaction and gave a delighted grin.
"What's the matter dear? Scared?" it asked, and gave a crow of laughter.
Oh sweet kings.
"What are you doing here?! This isn't your territory – oouughh." Jicho's words were cut off as hyena snapped at him, its jaws smashing shut over thin air, and Jicho stumbled back, shocked, giving a yelp of panic. Mufasa growled.
"Enough of this! These aren't your lands, hyenas! Get out of here!" Mufasa shouted. The lead hyena gave a laugh.
"Or what?" It asked him. "The night is our domain. The light touches nothing here, cub. We come and go as we please."
"So long as you don't get caught you mean. You're poachers aren't you?" Sarafina asked him, finding her voice. The hyena barely looked at her, merely grunting in acknowledgement.
"I don't care what you call us." He snarled. "I am going to make this very simple. Get out of here. Run. Run back to your parents. Leave the kills behind. And maybe. Maybe, if you start running now, some of you will make it back before we catch you, and spend tomorrow picking your skin from our teeth. Deal?" He leered at them. Taka backed away, swallowing, feeling a sudden and very real fear within him.
"Taka… what are we going to do!" He heard Kasi hiss. The lion cub had gone pale, and seemed to be struggling to keep his voice from shaking. Zira was in an even worse state, she was deathly quiet and seemed to be on the verge of screaming.
"Blast it!" Taka cursed. The hyenas didn't move. They seemed to be enjoying the abject fear they were inflicting with their mere presence.
"Taka?" He asked, his eyes widening in recognition.
"Hey! Hey Caliban! This is that lion cub from all those weeks ago! You know! When our parents caught those rogues on the borders!" One of the black hyenas jabbered excitedly. Caliban glowered, his eyes glinting. Kasi looked up in horror, recognising this as the same pack of young hyenas from his memories, the same pack that stalked his nightmares, the same pack that had murdered his parents and hounded him and his sister through the Outlands.
"Heh heh ha! It is you! Are those the two brats who got away, hiding at the back there?" Caliban grinned, leaning into look at Zira, who let out a low moan of fear.
"Leave them alone!" Taka shouted, panicked, but shrank away, when Caliban moved closer and pressed his muzzle into his face.
"Or what?" He asked him. "Not so tough now, are you, Prince Taka of the Pridelands?" he mocked. Mufasa growled, and he glanced at the elder lion and gave a mocking bow.
"And this must be big brother. Your Majesties." He bowed low, brushing his chin on the ground as he did so, grinning all the time, eyes alive with mirth.
"Damn it. You're nothing but bullies and thieves, the lot of you. You thought you'd come in here and steal our kills? Well you can't have it." Imani protested.
"Imani!" Taka hissed. "Not a great plan!" He told him. The hyenas laughed.
"Yeah! That's right! He's got the right idea there!" Caliban laughed.
"Caliban!" Mufasa shouted, and the hyenas turned to look at him.
"I don't care that you've been sneaking into the Pridelands to poach meat. I don't. But if my Father finds you here, he'll rip you to pieces. You know the penalty for poaching in the Pridelands, hunting for sport, killing without need." Caliban laughed.
"But we didn't, did we? You did. And as for your father." He laughed."I don't think I need to worry about him." Mufasa's eyes widened, and Caliban crowed at his reaction. "Tsk tsk tsk. Oh dearie me. What are… nine… little brats like you doing out in the savannah so late, hmmm? I thought my parents hated me but none of them have ever tried to get me killed out of sheer neglect… I wonder… do they even know you're out here?" The lead hyena asked them. Taka's eyes widened, as the leader glared at him. He grinned, letting saliva drip from his mouth.
"Ah ha! I didn't think so! In short, your parents have no idea you're even out here… And that means. That means that they can do nothing to help you." He said. "I can have my pick of the meat. My pick of the Zebra. And have a nice juicy cub, for desert. I've been reliably informed that lion meat is oh so tender. A meal fit for a king, wouldn't you say?" Caliban asked.
"Wait!" Taka shouted. "You stopped before! You ran before, when you were chasing Zira and Kasi, and then it was just me! Just think! Think for a moment! Think about this! Why did you stop then, Caliban! What made you back down!" Taka shouted desperately, aware that it sounded like he was begging for his life and not caring in the slightest. Behind him, he heard Zira crying again, Kasi growling, and the others in silence, mute with fear. The hyenas looked to Caliban as he hesitated.
"It's the same as before. If you kill me, then my father will hunt down every single hyena in the Outlands in revenge!" Taka proclaimed.
"Caliban! Just gut the cub! You can't let him talk down to you like that!" One of Caliban's companions shouted. Caliban growled his expression one of cold fury.
"Shut it! I am thinking!" He said, pacing, his claws managing to make the quietest of hisses even on the grassy savannah.
"I mean it Caliban! Kill me or Mufasa and you kill yourself and your families!" He warned him. Caliban glowered, and for a terrible moment Taka thought he'd dare call their bluff.
"You are so right." He conceded, looking angered. Then his face contorted into a sickly grin once more. "Leave the Princes alive. Kill the others." He ordered.
"No!"
And the hyenas leapt at them.
Kasi was the first to react, turning about and slashing at the hyena who leapt at Zira. Zira gave a shriek of horror, frozen where she stood, but Kasi was there, and the tips of his claws raked the hyena across the cheek, causing him to buckle and twist away.
"Run!" Taka shouted, and the cubs made a break for it. Maybe they'd be lucky? Maybe all they were interested in was the meat and would leave them be if they just… No. He could hear the sounds of the hyenas behind, snapping and laughing in a hideous melody.
"Mufasa!" Taka cried out in panic. The dark of the night that had so aided their hunt now cloaked their pursuers in darkness, and concealed themselves from each other. The pounding of his heart in his ears deafening him.
"Keep running Taka!" Mufasa shouted, and Taka turned and saw Sarabi and Mufasa running side by side. Sarabi looked frightened, and Mufasa's usual determined expression was nowhere to be seen. He looked about. Nguvu, broad shouldered and strong, leapt as one hyena jumped at him, and the black hyena crashed to the ground with a sickening thump landing where he had stood. Kasi was a blur, weaving twisting as he sprinted ahead, forging ahead their way.
"This way!" He heard Jicho shout. "Keep going! This way!" He heard his voice, and couldn't make out its source, but Jicho could see him, that much was clear. "Sarafina – MOVE!" He heard Jicho shout in a panic. Sarafina lurched as unseen, another hyena, midnight black and almost invisible against the night time, but for a pair of eyes that glistened like embers in the night, barely missed Sarafina as she lurched forward, staggering as she did so. The hyena vanished, but it was close!
"Imani!" Taka shouted in panic. Where was he?
There was yelp of pain – someone gasping for breath. Someone had been hurt! Taka's heart thundered as he looked about. Zira! Where was Zira! No no no no! Zira! He heard a growl, and looked about and there, ahead of them, lying twisted on the ground, her leg sprained painfully and dripping in blood. Standing over her, his mouth streaked with blood from where his rows of sharp pointed teeth had bitten at their attacker, an adolescent hyena leered at them. Zira gave a shout of fear, and tried to stumble away, but her leg was injured, it couldn't carry her weight!
"NO! Get away! You can't have her! Get back!" Imani snapped, growling, showing his teeth.
"ZIRA!" Kasi shouted in alarm.
"Imani run!" Zira shouted, but Imani was going nowhere, he growled and met the charging hyena head on. The hyena snapped his jaws and grappled with Imani, who bit and clawed, lashing out. The hyena yelped and tightened his grip, lifting Imani clean from the ground and throwing him aside. Zira shouted in horror as he landed with a broken scream.
Jicho and Nguvu rushed to their friend, but were immediately intercepted by three or four more hyenas who darted towards them both, a hungry gleam in their eyes. Imani groaned, crawling to his feet, the only thing between his friends and Caliban.
"I SAID GET BACK!" Imani's voice cracked in terror as he swiped out at Caliban. Caliban nimbly dodged the blow, and surged forwards with a bark, ready to murder the cub in cold blood.
This was madness.
"NO!" Taka screamed in panic, rushing forwards to Imani and Zira, and placed himself between Caliban and his friends. Caliban hesitated for a moment, and bit at Taka. Pain surged through him, coursing along his forepaw at the shoulder where iron hard teeth snapped around, plunging into flesh and bone. Taka screamed as pain, pure and hot like fire or lava flowed into his joints, lighting up his body in agony. He howled in anguish.
"Pathetic." Caliban taunted, and gave a laugh, as Taka screamed, his voice cracking in terror and pain.
The pain blossomed on his shoulder. He felt it. Like a spike of ice rupturing through him, fixated on his shoulder.
"Get back!" A voice cried. Taka turned desperately into the sound of an adult voice, as pale blue light illuminated the darkened clearing. It was diffused and indistinct, rippling around them like mist, and brought with it the scent of sea air. Standing silhouetted by the glow, a bipedal shape moved towards them.
"Rafiki?" Imani asked in wonder and amazement, but as the figure approached, he could see that this was no mandrill. This was a chimpanzee, rare for this part of Africa. The ape lumbered towards them, hunched over a stick of wood not unlike Rafiki's staff. This however was a darkened brown, and had its length ordained with tendrils of polished round stones like beads on strings. The light that was blooming from her was emanating from the rod, and her eyes shined brilliantly. Unnaturally so. Caliban gave a shout of rage and lunged at Taka.
Taka screamed.
And the scream became a roar.
He howled and cried and roared.
But it wasn't the pathetic mewl of a newborn cub, oh no. It roared, deep and echoing from the pit of his stomach, unnaturally loud and unnaturally long. The roar was ear-piercing, so loud that he thought that even the kings above must have heard it. The hyenas leapt away in shock at the sound emanating from the cub, impossibly loud for his size.
Taka continued to scream as pain from his injury burst into new blossoms of agony, blood flowing from his shoulder.
Beneath the blood, beneath the mutilated flesh, a burning light could be seen, like the moon against the night, glowing with a brilliant intensity that in the darkness hurt Caliban's eyes. It burned through the blood and filth, bright and illuminating, lighting up the savannah. Taka could see the others. Nguvu, lying on the ground, two hyenas atop him shocked into stillness before they could deal a deadly blow. Sarafina and Jicho a short distance away, several more hyenas hot on their heels, Mufasa and Sarabi, back to back, surrounded by a trio of other black hyenas. Kasi darting between two more hyenas, and Imani and Zira staring at him in shock as the light that glowed around him burst forth again, emanating from his shoulder, where Caliban's fangs had dug deep into his flesh. It was as if they had struck a wellspring of light and that light was pouring out to escape, flooding the area even as the sound of Taka's roar reverberated in their ears.
"ON YOUR KNEES!" Taka commanded,in what was more of a shout than a roar but reverberated with unnatural volume. The other hyenas bolted, terrified by the light and sound they saw in the starless dark of the night, terrified by this vision of the Lion Prince, standing, steeped in blood, alight like a flame, with a roar that shook the ground. Caliban stared at him in horror, and then made a desperate lunge towards him, uncaring perhaps of repercussions from Taka's father.
Taka gave a roar in response, and the very air seemed to resound with his fury.
"GET OUT!"
There was a sound like a thunderclap and the force of the roar struck at Caliban like a physical blow. Caliban was sent sprawling. He looked up at Taka's dreadful visage, the image of him standing there, dripped in blood and the light of the heavens burnt into expression. The clouds high in the sky twisted and shifted, blotting out the stars of the Great Kings, hiding away the moon, plunging the Pridelands into darkness, but for the burning, brilliant light on Taka's shoulder, glowing through the blood which seemed to evaporate.
With that, Caliban's resolve broke. He turned and ran in fear. And with his unabashed act of cowardice, the moral of the remaining hyenas vanished like smoke in wind, and they ran for it too.
Taka's shoulder continued to burn, hurting, throbbing with agony. Taka turned and got a look at it for the first time. Something was pressed into the wound of his shoulder, outlined in gold and glowing with a strange ethereal light. The indistinct shape of something carved into his left shoulder.
And then, the energy that had filled him left him. The light dwindled and faded in moments, and Taka sank to the ground, the floor falling from beneath him as he fell into a daze, feeling the blood from the injury pool around him. His vision blurred.
"Taka!" he heard voices cry out. His brother? Sarabi? He couldn't tell. Then the new shape was there, this mysterious shaman. It reached down with hands, hands softer than he'd expected.
"Prince Taka…" She said, and Taka was surprised. He hadn't considered that it would be a female.
"Taka!" Another voice. Then there was darkness.