He strode down the border of the Pridelands as he had done for years. It was quiet that morning, being this close to the Outlands. The river rushed fast next to him as he kept his gaze on the wasteland on the other side. And he watched it with pure hatred.
If there were one thing that Kanuk hated more than the Outlands, it was those who inhabited it. Well, that, and perhaps those who ruled over his home. Both of the mentioned individuals had done so much to hurt his soul so much that day, that he had cursed the day that they were ever born.
At a glance, any person who saw Kanuk, and had barely gotten to know him, would think of him as a lion of untrustworthy nature. And you know what? Kanuk didn't give a darn. He didn't care what most people thought of him at the time. All that mattered to him was all of the things that he had lost. That fateful day had judged him very harshly.
He had never once seen fit in his heart to blame himself, however. They were supposed to be their allies now that Scar was gone. He regretted not being a part of that battle. But he had another obligation.
His cubs were being born.
It was the happiest day in his life, in his opinion. He smiled at that memory. It was the only time of his life that he found himself with tears of joy in his eyes. They were the most beautiful cubs he had ever seen. And he loved them with every ounce in his heart.
He promised that they would be safe from the day of their birth. And that he would protect them from any harm. But what harm would come? After all, the Outlands had made peace with the Pridelands at long last.
But he was too arrogant after that. And because of that arrogance …
"My gosh, Via…"
His silent moment of mourning was interrupted by a strange sound. He lifted his ears and listened, not comprehending. He swore he could hear some talking. He followed the sound until he realized that it came from somewhere in the Pridelands. He crawled behind some rocks and saw that it was the one animal he never wished would be in his land.
A Hyena.
Not just any Hyena. It was Jasiri, Prime Minister of the Outlands. She was in charge of all Hyenas of the Outlands. The Hyenas who had ruined his life were part of her clan. They were completely loyal to her, every word she said. Every order she gave, they obeyed her blindly. They had never once done anything without her say so. But that one day…
Where was she that day?
And she was not alone. She was with a large green reptile with a wooden tail and a small bird. They looked as if they came from the Backlands. Any animal outside of the Pridelands would never be welcomed here. He glared intently as he listened to them speak.
"See, just like a told yas," Gunge complained as he stood on Django's back with his wings folded. "That double-crossing little twerp ran out on us!"
"Yeah, the little runt lost us the first chance he got," Django grunted as he dragged his tail around grumpily.
"Don't jump to conclusions, you guys," Jasiri said to them. "Harige probably got a little too far ahead. I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later."
"Eh, don't bet in it, Jas." Django sighed. "The way I see it, he probably found some food and kept it all for himself."
"Guys, really. We shouldn't judge him so harshly." Jasiri chided. "He did say he preferred me over Notar. Right now, I don't blame him. My clans always left leftovers before. We've always respected the circle of life."
"That's why we have to find 'em and git to da bottom of dis." Django nodded. "And that long-eared fleabag told us that he'd help us out."
"I've been flying up all over." Gunge shrugged tiredly. "I ain't seen hide or hair of dat guy."
"Well, I'm sure he'll turn up," Jasiri said hopefully. "If he says that he'll help us than I have faith in him."
"Why though?" Django huffed as he swayed his wooden tail around.
Jasiri sighed. "Because he's like me. He's desperate for things to go back the way they were. He wants to get to eat freely again, and I want to keep the good relations with the Pridelands. And a guy like Harige can't very well hide from Lion's, now can he? Neither one of us would stand a chance if-"
She was suddenly cut off by a sound that filled her eardrums. It was the sound of a great Lion roar. They turned their heads to see Kanuk jumping out from his hiding place, a look of ill intent on his face. The lion leaped forward in a bounding step and caused Gunge to let out a yell of fright and fly overhead.
Kanuk shoved Django aside and charged towards Jasiri. He pressed her down to the ground and snarled in her face. "Jasiri. Leader of the Outlands. Did your sister not deliver my message?"
Jasiri looked at him questioningly. "What does Madoa have to do with this?"
"So that's a no," Kanuk grumbled before breathing in her face. "You and your kind are no longer allowed anywhere in the Pridelands for betrayal to the crown. And as such, your death here will be an example for all other hyenas in the Outlands. Quite frankly, Jasiri, I've been waiting a long time for this."
As he bared his fangs, he growled and lunged for her throat. But Jasiri was too quick quickly squirmed out of his mighty grasp. She got to her paws and glared at her attacker. "Guess this is how it is then, huh? You know, I told Kion that Lions and Hyenas were all the same-"
"DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME!" Kanuk thundered, making Jasiri jump in fright. "Kion is a filthy heretic who wished to bring his ancestral home to ruin. He was a fool!"
If there was one thing you needed to know about Jasiri, it was that she never tolerated anyone speaking ill of her friends. "Before I rip your organs out of your mouth, allow me to ask you a question. Will killing me satisfy you?"
Kanuk let out a "Hmm…" Before answering. "It's a start. Then I'll rid the whole Pridelands of your threat." He then pounced at her to try and attack her again. But a large green blur rammed into him.
"Jasiri, get outta here!" Django yelled as he bawled with Kanuk. Jasiri obliged and ran to the Outlands.
Kanuk snarled at the Komodo. "Well, what's this? First the Outlanders harass us nonstop, now the Backlanders choose to turn as well?"
"Don't flatter yourself," Django grunted. "I ain't out to hurt da Pridelands. I'm here ta help it. And da Outlands if I can. So if you would jus' kindly step aside, we'll be on our-"
He felt Kanuk headbutt him aside, a fierce snarl on his face. "I think not. I cannot allow your outsider filth to intrude on our sacred lands without a fight. You stain the ground you walk on; you know. You and all your out-of-pridelanders are as lowly as the dirt we walk upon."
"Save yer narcissist naggin', lion. What do you know about Jasiri's clan? Why're they followin' Notar?"
"How is it I should know?" Kanuk tilted his head before being dive-bombed by a speedy Gunge.
"You better start talkin, ya big-maned jerk!" Gunge flapped in the air. "The mighty Gunge's gonna give ya something to be scared of!"
Kanuk merely smirked before swatting the bird into Django, knocking the two out of his way. He turned his attention towards the Hyena. His fangs gleamed with glee as they thirsted to taste her blood. "Now then, what an ensemble you have gotten for yourself, Jasiri. Half a Dragon and a little Pigeon."
"Hey!" Gunge glared up at him. "Who're you calling a Pigeon?"
Jasiri lowered her head in defense as she glared at the Lion. "Why are you even attacking us? We never did anything to you!"
Kanuk scoffed at this. "Never did anything to me? I disagree, Prime Minister. No, you don't even deserve that title, do you? A Prime Minister is supposed to be a leader. A leader does not leave their own unattended. They do not abandon them to their own devices. And you, Jasiri left the Outlands, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did." Jasiri was never known as a liar to anyone. She especially never lied about doing something beneficial. "But I did it to bring Kion and the guard back when Zira and her pride were planning to attack. Why are you bringing this up?"
"Because I had thought that you had known." Kanuk narrowed his eyes. "I thought you knew what happened. What a few rebellious teenagers in your clan did. You see I once had a family. I had a beautiful mate. And we eventually became the parents of two cubs. And what your hyenas did to me that one day ruined my entire life. And now, dear Jasiri, I will have my revenge. I will obliterate every Hyena in the Outlands until the whole species is but a memory. And I will start… with… YOU!"
He then wasted no time in pouncing forward at the Outlands' leader. His roaring maw gave no comfort to Jasiri. She had tried to escape, but she felt herself be thrown back by his jaws. The Lion stood above her as he shoved her face into the dirt. She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it was all useless.
Kanuk was entirely happy inside while being entirely furious on the outside. His claws u sheathed as they dug into her skin. He had desired this moment ever since the day he lost his family. He wanted everything to work in his favor.
His thoughts of sick but justifiable rage were interrupted by the sounds of rumbling. He watched as Django carried Gunge as he ran out of the way of a large boulder rolling towards him. The big rock flipped over a smaller one and missed Jasiri by an inch. It did, however, knock Kanuk off of her. The lion was then thrown off of the small cliff that was near where the fight was taking place. When they heard the thud of his body, it was followed by a groan.
Jasiri and her three comrades looked down to see him laying at the bottom. Alive, but wounded. He struggled to stand but slumped back onto the ground. They heard him growl in pain and fury as he laid there. The two heard a smooth chuckle behind them. They turned around to see Harige climbing down with a branch in his mouth.
He spat it out. "Terrible things, Lions."
"And where the heck have you been?" Gunge put his wings on his hips.
"Looking ahead you know."
"What brought ye back?" Django asked.
"Looking behind. But we can all thank each other later. Right now, I've found a trace of our clan leading near the volcano. If we hurry, we can make it there by nightfall." Harige then flicked his tail and scampered forward. He only stopped to turn back and say smugly. "You're welcome."
The group then followed after the fox. Django waddled along with Gunge on his back. Both of them had been ruffed up from their fight with the Lion. They had also been discussing their thoughts on how trustworthy Harige was at this point. As for Jasiri, she had followed behind the two of them. From what Kanuk had told her, teenage hyenas in her own clan had acted out in her and Janja's absence so long ago and messed him up really good.
This had earned her something new to ask her clan when she won it back.
Well, first of all, I would like to apologize for my absence here everybody. You see, a few personal things had happened at the beginning of this summer break. On a better note, I also have a summer job as a sports counselor. But now, I have a lot more time on my hands for side writing.
Welp, it looks like we have a little more insight on Kanuk's character. We have a little showing off why he hates Hyenas, and we will soon see why the royal family does not like him as well. I guarantee that it will make you want to hate Simba even more than you did in TLK II. So stay tuned and keep following the Circle of Life out there!
P.S., to the one person who leaves reviews after chapters of this story, who calls herself Anna, I would like to address you. Please, please, PLEASE stop asking about Makini. I will only have her as a mentioned character here and there. And please don't tell people to include Makini just because YOU want them to. Yeah, I saw that you did in "Return of the King of the Tree of Life" by The Reference Man. If you want a story about Makini, then why not make one yourself? I also get the feeling that you're not even reading my story. You never say that you like it, only Makini this, Makini that.
P.P.S., to KIONXRANI, while I can honestly say that I enjoy being your co-author, I also find it a little bit of a distraction for my stories. A recommendation I would make is to get more than one Co-author for your story, "Rani's Trickery." That way, it can be done faster. I also apologize for always taking a long time to finish them.
P.P.P.S., check out another story that I would rate the top on this Archive. It is called "The Restless Wanderer" by a good friend of mine, FirePhoenix11. If you want some character development and cute shipping, then this is your story.
P.P.P.P.S., have a good summer, and stay safe out there!