Cubhood: Chapter 16
When Taka and his mother descended from the top Pride Rock, the sky was dark, and night was coming on hard and fast now. Despite that, the den was a buzz of activity. There was shouting and barking and roaring.
"What on earth…" Taka muttered, looking about in confusion.
"Sauda! Please calm down!" he heard his father's voice. There was shouting and angry growls. Taka pushed his way to the forefront of the gathering.
"What's going on!?" He asked urgently, and took in the scene. Standing before him and encircled by a number of agitated lionesses, were three recognisable figures. The hyenas he'd found in the Pridelands not long ago.
"Taka!" Ahadi turned to him. "These hyenas say they know you?" He asked him. Taka swallowed.
"Oh. Um. Yes. I know them. Shenzi right?" Taka asked them. The lead hyena sighed in relief.
"Oh Boss, thank goodness you're here. We don't have a lot of time. Mind calling off the ladies?" She gestured to the lionesses, one of whom was growling threateningly. Ahadi looked puzzled.
"How on earth did you meet a trio of hyenas?" Ahadi asked him. Taka shook his head.
"Long story. Never mind it now. What on earth are you doing here?" He asked them.
"Oh now they ask. I told ya, Shenzi we ought to not have bothered! But she's an honourable soul and insisted. Those two lionesses ya guard hangs out with." He pointed a claw at Kasi, who had emerged from the den with the rest of the lion guard. "Ya sister, and that other lioness of yours. Sarafina."
"What about them? Are they hurt?"
"They will be."
"What's happened?"
"Caliban's happened. That grain brained pile of wildebeest dung has got it into to his head to try and strong paw his way to a free meal. Using ya friends as leverage. He's dragged them back with him to the Shadowlands. He wants meat, and hunting rights within the Pridelands, else he'll start carving up the lionesses instead." Shenzi said. There were loud gasps from around them as the lionesses heard this. Sauda blanched as Kasi and Jicho looked about in panic. Sarafina's mother shouted in Protest. Taka felt as if he'd swallowed a stone.
"I knew he was planning something…" He muttered. Ahadi roared in anger.
"He's done what!" Ahadi shouted. Shenzi repeated herself, and Ahadi shook with rage. "Caliban is this Black Hyena the Lion Guard keeps having to deal with?!" He asked Taka, who nodded, looking furious.
"They've taken the two lionesses to Carrocscirr. The Ivory Tower. The seat of the Matriarch in the Shadowlands." Banzai told her.
"Sire! What if they hurt Zira!" Sauda protested, looking anxious.
"Don't worry, Sauda. We'll get her back, I promise you." Ahadi assured her, but he looked furious. The hyenas looked uncertain as he roared. Taka however, pushed to the front.
"Thank you, Shenzi, for informing us of this." He thanked her. The hyena pup looked relieved, but Banzai looked agitated, clearly eager to leave and remove himself from the possibility of becoming the target of Ahadi's rage.
"Father, what are we going to do?!" Mufasa asked Ahadi, looking concerned. Ahadi looked to Sauda and grimaced.
"I will tell you what we're going to do. Uru: Rally the huntresses. Every able-bodied lioness who can fight. We'll go to Carrocscir in force, tear down that tower stone by stone, if necessary and get back our cubs."
"Sire, Carrocscir is guarded by dozens of hyenas!" Shenzi protested.
"Then I'll slaughter dozens of hyenas." Ahadi said firmly. "You'll be the first if you don't remain silent." He snapped. Shenzi growled in anger, but she found few allies amongst the judgmental and furious gazes of the various lionesses, each indignant and looking murderous at the thought of hyenas stealing away their children and ransoming them for pieces of meat. Giving a bark of anger, Shenzi turned about and fled, Banzai and Ed close behind her. Taka watched them leave, shaking his head.
"Dad!" He moved forwards. "You can't take the huntresses. They'll kill them as soon as they see you coming!" Taka warned him.
"And what would you have me do?" Ahadi asked him.
"Let me and Guard handle this. We've dealt with Caliban before." Taka said.
"You had your chance to deal with this! If you and the Guard had done your job properly, Zira and Sarafina wouldn't be in danger in the first place." Ahadi snapped. Taka stood still, his eyes widening.
"I am not the one who marks our borders. I don't discourage poachers, I deal with them when they come." Taka said frostily. Ahadi's eyes narrowed at the unspoken criticism.
"That's enough." Mufasa said smoothly. "We have a job to do. Our friends are in danger. The hyenas have never been this bold before, so who knows what else they'll do. What matters now is that we rescue Sarafina and Zira!" Mufasa said. There was a general murmuring of agreement.
"Father, gather the lionesses. We'll bring a show of strength to bear. Remind the hyenas why they never dared try anything like this before now. Taka, you and the Guard train for this. You defend the Pridelands, and its people. You need to scout ahead, figure out what it is we're up against. This is no time for fighting amongst ourselves, people! We have a duty to Zira and a duty to Sarafina! Come on!" he said. That galvanised everyone though Taka growled and turned away. He wasn't in the mood for pretty speeches, or for games. He was going to rescue his friends. Uru watched him leave and looked panicked.
"Taka, wait!" She called.
But Taka was already gone. Kasi and Jicho dashed off behind him, ignoring Sauda's pleas for her children to stop, to come back. She didn't want to risk them as well, but they ignored her. They had a sister to rescue. Imani was merely moments behind them, followed by Nguvu. The Lion Guard departed from Pride Rock, even as Ahadi was gathering his lionesses.
"Taka wait!" Imani shouted after him. Taka slowed to a halt.
"Come on. We need to move, if we're going to catch up with them."
"With who!?"
"With the hyenas. Shenzi and the others. They know Carrocscir, they know Caliban. We'll need them. Forget my Father's plans. If he attacks Carrocscir in force, they'll kill one of them just to show they're not bluffing." Taka said, his mind racing, whirring with the possibilities, trying to piece together something, anything that might resemble a plan to rescue their friends.
"So I was right. We're going to get my sister and Sarafina back ourselves, without the lionesses." Kasi said, the young lion gritting his teeth in determination. Taka nodded firmly.
"I don't think Ahadi is going to like that." Imani admitted.
"Dad doesn't know Caliban. If he tries to get them back by force, Caliban will kill them without a second thought, then run for the Outlands." Taka seethed. "He's going to get them killed."
"Caliban's never gone that far before." Jicho warned him. "Are you certain?"
"He's never gone this far before either. But he's gone too far this time." Taka said. "Dad just doesn't know that."
"The King seemed to think this was our fault…" Nguvu said, speaking for the first time. He was frowning. Taka snorted.
"If my father spent half the time he spends training Mufasa marking the borders, those hyenas would never be bold enough to try this… Instead he wastes away his time trying to make a half decent king out of Mufasa… He'd have better luck chiselling a new cave in the den." Taka snapped.
"Oh. Is that right?" They heard a familiar voice. Taka whirled, and saw Mufasa coming after them. The elder Prince was staring at Taka, who winced.
"Ah… Mufasa… I didn't mean…"
"Taka… Don't…" Mufasa shook his head, looking hurt.
"Brother, I am sorry, I didn't mean…"
"Forget it, Taka. We have to move quickly. You're right. Our father is angry. He wants to do something to rescue Sarafina and Zira, but he's going to rush in blind. Go. Take the Lion Guard and go. Rescue our friends. Do what you train day in and day out for. Do what you were called to do the day the kings gave you that mark." Mufasa said.
"What about all that just now about working together, and gathering the lionesses!" Jicho asked him, surprised. Mufasa arched an eyebrow.
"I'll keep my father busy long enough for you to do what you need to do." He grimaced. Taka nodded.
"Lion Guard!" He called. "Let's go."
"Good luck, brother. Save our friends." Mufasa told him. Taka turned, and with Kasi and Jicho, Imani and Nguvu, the five lions rushed to the Shadowlands, as fast as they could, desperate to reach their friends in time. The sun was setting, and night was truly falling now.
Zira crawled to her feet, looking about herself as she regained consciousness. She must have been knocked out, or else fainted. The walks were dark and grey, and unnaturally warm. Caves like this ought to be damp, but she found the air to be humid and unpleasant. Almost sticky. She shuddered as she beheld half a dozen hyenas. The black furred creatures looked at her through eyes of red and yellow, teeth bared in expressions of aggression and vague curiosity." Zira cringed.
"'Fina?" She called around her, and quickly found her, the paler lionesses was nearby, and wide awake, her eyes full of fear.
"Zira. Thank the Kings." She sounded relieved. Zira swallowed, and looked about.
"Where are we?" Zira asked, nervously. Sarafina grimaced.
"Somewhere in the Shadowlands, I think." Sarafina said. She lowered her voice.
"They're guarding the outside of the tunnel, but seem to leave us alone… for now…" She whispered to her. Zira looked to the entrance of their small den and winced, knowing that just beyond it, vicious hungry predators lay in wait, just waiting to tear her limb from limb. It made her shudder.
"What are we going to do?" Zira whispered back. Sarafina shook her head.
"I don't know… Caliban said that he'd try to get meat from the King…"
"Ahadi won't agree to that…" Zira muttered. Sarafina looked at her helplessly.
"I know…" She agreed.
"What's going to happen to us…?" Zira asked. Sarafina picked the ground with her claws nervously.
"I don't know… I…" She trailed off. She stared at Zira. "We need to get out of here..." She told her friend. Zira's eyes widened, but she nodded in agreement.
"You are right… We can't stay here…" She said. The two looked towards the guard.
"Two of us are harder to catch… they couldn't get both of us." Sarafina said. Zira swallowed, her mouth dry, but she nodded in agreement. There was no way that Ahadi would give in to the hyenas' demands. It would only encourage them to continue their campaign against the Pridelanders. There was no need for them both to suffer, no need for them both to risk death at the paws of the hyenas. The severity of the situation hit her like a cold wave, but Zira surprised herself in how she steeled herself, and nodded in agreement.
"Go." Zira said, and the two lionesses pushed themselves past the guards. Their sudden swarm of activity took one of the guards by surprise, and Sarafina charged past him, shoving him to the side as she did.
"Hey! Hold up!" The hyena screamed after them, and behind them, they could hear the scrape of claws on stone as he scrambled into pursuit, and the terrifying guttural growls that echoed through the cave.
"Run Zira!" Zira heard Sarafina shout. There were more hyenas on their tail now, three or four at least. Zira and Sarafina ran through the twisting and turning tunnels of Carrocscir, being chased the whole time. Behind her, one of the hyenas snapped at Sarafina, who flinched away in panic, and stumbled. She crashed to the ground with a yelp of pain, and Zira felt her heart in mouth. Another stab of fear struck her as she heard Sarafina cry out in pain again.
Ahead of them, she could make out the dim orange of dusk, and the pale glow of natural moonlight. There was the exit.
She lunged towards it as yappering and snarls echoed behind her.
The heart in her mouth dropped through to her stomach as she halted, her whole body jerking as she reached what she had so naively assumed to be safety.
She could see outside alright.
The height was dizzying. It made her head spin. High above them, the moon, a pale crescent illuminated the grey ashmounds of the Shadowlands. In the distance, she could make out the dark green grasslands of the Pridelands. But the reason she could see so far, was the terrible height from which she stood. Though she had no way of knowing it, she was in the great Ivory tower of Carrocscir. The Elephant Graveyard.
Behind her, the yelping and snarling became cruel and mirthless laughter, laughing at her, as she beheld the true nature of their imprisonment. If there had seemed few guards, it was because there was nowhere to run to. The fall was huge. Death awaited anyone who risked the perilous descent that way. She'd need to find her way through the twisting catacombs of the ivory tower, and even then make her way back through the razor sharp maze of rocks below before she'd even get to the Pridelands.
And she'd have to do it in the dark.
Alone.
Behind her, the laughter echoed again and Zira felt a rush of humiliation and fear. She turned and saw Caliban leering there.
"Like the view, lioness?" He taunted her. "It's not quite as good a look as you get from Pride Rock, but I think the location is better." He mocked her, eyes glinting. Zira felt tears coming to her eyes, as she saw Sarafina pushed to the ground, a pair of hyenas looming over her, forcing her to the ground painfully. There was a visible welt on her face, and she looked just as defeated as Zira felt. Zira swallowed. Caliban stalked towards her, and grinned slyly. Then he struck her across the face with a clawed paw. Hyenas weren't meant to hunt with their claws, they hunted with their jaws, and the bone crushing force they could bring to bear when their teeth snapped around their prey limbs or necks. But the clawtips were kept sharp, and they scratched into Zira's face as she gave a shout of pain and fear.
"Stop it!" Sarafina called out in fear for her friend, even as the hyenas about them laughed.
"Caliban!" A loud piercing voice snapped. The voice was like sharp claws on stone, and all froze when they heard it. Stalking towards them, out of the darkness, came the biggest Black Hyena Zira had ever seen, several times her size, though she was but a cub. Caliban looked at her nervously.
"Mother…" He greeted her. The looming figure moved closer, and several of the black hyenas pulled away, giving her a cautious level of respect. Sarafina could tell this was a high-ranking hyena, of some distinction. Caliban's mother glared at them.
"So these are the lionesses you poached from the Pridelands." She said.
"They are, Matriarch Vastra." One of the hyenas confirmed for her.
"Huh." She eyed them up, baring yellowed teeth.
"I hope for all our sakes that Ahadi brings something more… substantial… to trade for them. There's not much in the way of eating on them if it comes to that… Still… We aren't picky, here in the Shadowlands." She said, licking her lips. Sarafina tried not to shudder under her gaze.
"Take them back into the cavern. Alert me when Ahadi arrives. I sent a vulture." And she turned about and left them there.
"Who… Who was that?" Sarafina found her voice. Caliban's lip curled, and he laughed.
"That, lioness, was my mother. Matriarch Vastra… Matriarch of the Black Clan… the most powerful hyena in all of the Shadowlands." He said. Sarafina almost gasped.
Caliban was a Prince?
She compared the black maned hyena to Mufasa and Taka in her head. Caliban was unkempt, and his eyes were filled with malice. He was nothing like Mufasa or Taka. Nothing like any nobility or royalty she had ever known. But it certainly went someway to explaining his air of arrogance. They were dragged back to the tunnels, and Caliban snapped as they passed. He looked disappointed when Sarafina didn't flinch. Not because she wasn't scared, but because she lacked the energy to do anything else. They had tried to escape, done their very best. And all they had to show for it, was a couple of welts, and a couple of cuts.
Unknown to them, the Lion Guard was moving through the labyrinth of stone below the ivory towers. Shenzi was muttering to herself, counting. The Guard was on edge. Leading the way were the three hyena pups the Guard had encountered, the same three that had met such a frosty response at Pride Rock.
"This place gives me the creeps…" Imani muttered to himself, looking anxious.
"We aren't here to sightsee, Imani. We're here to rescue our friends." Nguvu reminded him.
"How much further?" Taka asked Shenzi. The hyena looked annoyed.
"Not much further now… Remind me again why we're helping you out?" Shenzi asked him.
"Because you owed us big time, and you don't want to see what my father is capable of if two children from his Pride are killed by a group of inbred hyenas looking for a free meal." Taka said. Shenzi rolled her eyes.
"Yeah yeah." She said, but didn't disagree. He had a valid point. They had a good thing going in the Pridelands, and didn't need Caliban ruining it for the rest of them.
Banzai was counting.
"One, two, three, and four…" he muttered. He looked at the edge of the wall, and saw four lines cut into the rock. Claws, or horn marks from the look of them. He nodded to himself.
"Jump the canyon, duck the swipe,
Moonlight is not your friend,
Cheetah's claw and leopard fang
all will meet a sticky end."
It sounded like some sort of nursery rhyme, but was far darker than anything Taka had heard as a young cub. Despite it, the it seemed to do the trick, as Banzai nodded once, twice, in beat with his own words, then leapt forwards over the geyser, and immediately ducked. Behind him, the geyser erupted into a searing hot pillar of steam. He didn't pause to celebrate his victory, instead lunging forward on his belly, just in time to narrowly avoid the second geyser which erupted a second later where his head would have been had he remained in place. Rolling, he avoided the razor sharp stalagmites in front of him, ignoring the well-lit crevice, and keeping to the edge. A moment later, a third geyser erupted, and seared through the crevice, narrowly missing Banzai. The hyena was through safely. A moment later, Shenzi replicated the feat, and Ed tapped the ground, waiting for the cycle to repeat so he could do so too.
Taka blinked.
"Huh." He said. It was like a dance, he reflected. A deadly dance that could easily end in intense pain and injury if he misplaced a foot. But time was short.
"Where did you learn that?" Taka asked her. Shenzi snorted.
"Since I could eat meat… Ya learn quickly in the Shadowlands. Or ya burn." Shenzi reminded him. Taka arched his eyebrows as the thought of young pup navigating the deadly path in front of him. Shenzi laughed at his hesitation. "You gonna come lion prince?" Shenzi asked him.
Swallowing, he moved forwards, and emulated the hyenas as best he could. He felt the third geyser prickle his skin as it scorched past him, and missed him by a hair. But he was also through. Although Imani wasn't keen, Jicho and Kasi moved quickly behind him, and followed. Nguvu wasn't confident. Easily the slowest of the group, Nguvu looked nervous, and had to wait for the cycle to repeat twice, as both times he lost his nerve at the last moment.
"Come on Nguvu! Sarafina and Zira are counting on us!" Jicho urged him. That steeled Nguvu's resolve, and on the next cycle he was through.
Behind him, and grumbling the entire time, Imani watched them. He knew exactly what to expect, but even so, the idea of navigating such dangerous terrain on the words of an old rhyme was ludicrious.
"You're mad." He told the hyenas, who watched him with some amusement.
"What? Never tried to slip through before? You got to get the steps just right… that's why we remember the rhymes. Makes it easier to remember them." Shenzi said. Imani shuddered.
"Burning steam. Razor sharp rocks. Why the hell would you ever live here?" He asked her, then bit his lip. It was obviously not their first choice. A said a lot about the state of the average family of hyenas if this was safest dwelling they could make. Shenzi noticed his hesitation and shot him a dark look, which Imani chuckled nervously at.
"We don't have time for this…" Taka urged him. Imani nodded, and on the next cycle, he too made it, but even so the whole ordeal shook him.
"Are there many of those?" Taka asked the hyenas. Shenzi and Banzai exchanged a look.
"One or two… but we can bypass most of them." Shenzi said. Taka looked around. The whole place was a maze. They were lucky to have guides with them.
"Lead the way…" Taka told them, and the hyenas continued on their way. Privately, Shenzi hoped the lions wouldn't recall the rhymes or steps in too much detail… if other hyenas found out they'd willingly shared the secrets to navigating the ever changing, twisting maze of rock below Carrocscir with lions, well… things could become very uncomfortable at the next family reunion, that much was certain.
They continued in this war for some time, until they finally found what they looking for. The labyrinth of passages and tunnels below Carrocscir gave way to the base of the unmistakable shape of the Ivory tower. And at the entrance were at least half a dozen guards. All black hyenas, vicious and murderous.
"Great." Imani said, looking anxious. "How the hell are we getting past them?"
"We… need a distraction." Taka said, thinking carefully.
"Split the Guard? Taka, that's a very bad idea…" Jicho protested.
"No, that's not what I am suggesting." Taka said thoughtfully. He was looking at Shenzi. The hyena met his gaze, and her eyes widened.
"Oh no. No. Taka, please, I did my part. I told you this was going down… I even showed you the way here, don't ask for more!" Shenzi said, looking agitated.
"Shenzi…"
"Prince Taka, they'll rip me to pieces!" She said.
"I am not asking you to fight them…" Taka said. Shenzi growled softly.
"…What did you have in mind?" She eventually asked.
A few moments later the trio of hyenas rushed towards the black hyenas, yappering and shouting as they did so.
"Yo boss! So you're the hyenas who moved in here… I thought the striped clan controlled Carrocscir…" Banzai said aloud. The black hyenas leapt to attention and growled angrily.
"Push off, ya spotted inbreeds. This is Black Clan territory." He said. "Ya don't wanna be messing with us." Shenzi gaze a wheezing laugh.
"Oh that's rich. You guys were able to take down the striped clan? Oh that's a laugh."
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, just the thought of you guys beating anything aside from a mouse… It's hilarious. I thought the striped clan had better guts than that… No that's a lie I never thought that."
"We can show you your own guts in a minute, you screeching wench." The Black hyena growled at her mockery. "Get out of here, before we decide to turn you into shreds." Ed gave a laugh. "And take ya freak with you." He said.
Shenzi laughed, and turned about. Then they heard a sound. The Black hyena's eyes bulged in rage, as the trickle of Shenzi's urine bounced off the stone in front of them. She shook herself and laughed.
"I change my mind. Make her squeal." The Black hyena snarled, and the outraged and angered pack of hyenas rushed towards Shenzi, leaving only a pair of hyenas guarding the entrance.
High above them, within the confines of the Ivory Tower, Caliban heard the unmistaken sounds of conflict. He snarled.
"What now?" He asked. To his right, his mother gave a contemptuous snarl.
"Either Ahadi, or some of the striped hyenas? We've only take the tower recently, it was under their control for a long time…"She noted. "Take a pack of dogs, and go and see what the commotion is."
"And then?"
"Kill it." She said, dismissing her son. Caliban licked his lips, and looked about him.
"With me." The adolescent hyena said. Without pause, the other hyenas fell in behind him, and he led the pack through the turbulent crevices of Carrocscir. They crawled through the stone passages and came across another pair of hyenas.
"What's going on?" He barked the question.
"The sentries reported seeing some of the spotted hyenas out the front." The black hyena reported. Caliban snarled. He was cunning, but not the brightest creature.
"They must be probing our defences… They know we've only just won the tower from the striped clan and must want to know if we can hold it." His face distorted into a cruel grin. "Let's show them the error of that little idea. With me, all of you!" He ordered, and the hyenas joined his pack as they rushed out of the tower.
Watching them from out of sight, the Lion Guard lay in wait, concealed by the vast amounts of rubble, stone and ivory around the shadowlands. They watched as the great pack of black hyenas thundered across the shadowlands, chasing after the spotted hyenas, assuming them to be the vanguard of an attacking force of spotted hyenas. Coincidently, they left only two hyenas guarding the entrance. Taka gave a sly grin as he watched his plan take shape. As soon as the hyenas were out of sight, Kasi and Taka leapt from their hiding place, and growled at the hyenas. Nguvu smashed one against the stone tower, and it went down like a wet sack of meat. The second gave a growl as Kasi rushed into it, knocking the air from its lungs. Taka slashed at it viciously, knocking it to the floor, and then Jicho was there, seizing the hyena head in his jaws, and slamming it against the ground.
In a few moments, both of the larger hyenas were out cold. Taken down by a group of cubs. Taka nodded, looking satisfied. Imani looked to where Shenzi and the other two hyenas had ran with the black hyenas in hot pursuit.
"Think she'll be okay?" He asked them.
"Who cares?" Kasi snapped. "Let's get going – quietly. We need to rescue the lionesses!" he said. Taka frowned, but nodded in an agreement.
"You're right, let's go." He said.
And the Lion Guard crept into Carrocscir.
"We won't have long. Shenzi and the others will lead them on a wild ibex chase, but not forever. We need to find Sarafina and Zira and get them out before Caliban comes back."
"Shame. I'd have liked a piece of him". Kasi muttered. Taka privately agreed, but they had a mission.
The Lion Guard moved through the ivory lined tunnels of the tower of Carrocscir. It was no Pride Rock, that was for sure. It was dark, and looming, and not at all welcoming like his home was. But it was imposing, he had to give them that. And highly defensible.
"Ugh, this place is just… creepy…" Imani said flatly. The air was scented with dampness and carrion, and Taka had to agree. Ahead of them the sound turned worrisome as they could make out the sounds of more hyenas.
"I thought you said they were all distracted!" Jicho asked, already backing up. Imani gave a growl.
"Oh come on Jicho, we didn't want this to be boring did we?" He asked, unsheathing his claws.
"We're out numbered!" Nguvu warned them. He gave a growl as half a dozen more black hyenas poured into the tunnels with them.
"Well well well! Look who it is!" The leading hyena exclaimed, looking in surprise. "It's not those striped freaklings after all. It looks like Ahadi has sent his own son here!" He said, looking pleased. "What an idiot." He noted. Oh sweet irony of ironies.
"Where are our friends?" Taka asked him, sounding eerily calm.
"The lioness cubs? Heh. You think I'll tell you?" The hyena asked him. He barked an order, and the other hyenas began to advance on them. The Lion Guard looked to Taka, expressions concerned.
"Taka… We can't afford a fight…" Kasi warned him, looking anxious. The hyena licked his lips in anticipation. Taka inhaled, his eyes narrowing.
"One more chance." He said. The hyena leapt at him.
Taka roared.
And the elders roared with him.
The sound of the roar reverberated around them, shaking the foundations of the Ivory Tower, and the Lion Guard looked at Taka. They hadn't heard Taka's roar sound like this before. It was deeper, and saturated in the anger and fury and fear that Taka felt. The roar pulsed around them, and the hyenas were hurled backwards against the stone wall with a sickening crunch. The lead hyena managed to hold his footing for a fraction of the second longer than his comrades, and then he too was thrown backwards.
"Wow Taka…" Imani uttered, looking shocked. Taka breathed out, panting.
"Did… Did you kill them?" Nguvu asked uncertainly.
"Who cares?" Kasi snapped, "We need to move. That roar will have been heard throughout all of the tower. Any hyena who wasn't chasing after Shenzi and her ilk will soon be on their way down here." As if on cue, they could hear the sounds of more hyenas coming up behind them. Nguvu turned about. Taka inhaled again, but Kasi shook his head.
"No. You go and find my sister. Find Sarafina. We'll deal with these hyenas. They're our problem. You find our friends." Kasi said.
"Are you sure?" Taka asked, but Kasi was determined.
"He's right Taka. Go! Taka! Find the girls! We'll deal with these mangy hyenas!" Imani told him.
"Lion Guard! With me!" Kasi shouted, and Imani, Jicho and Nguvu joined his warcry and charged to meet the oncoming hyenas.
Taka turned about and continued through the twisting tunnels ahead of him.
It was quite a maze. He only hoped that he found them quickly. Kasi and the rest of the Guard were no pushovers, but they couldn't hope to hold out indefinitely.