Shadowland
Chapter 9
A New Chapter
I am not Walter Disney, nor am I related to Disney in any way, except for being a fan of his work. Shadowland, Chapter 9: 'A New Chapter' is property of Troy Wong, a.k.a. Chookooblash, and is not to be resold or posted on any other site without my permission.
I hope you enjoy reading my stories. Long live the king!
"If you know how to, you can stop anything from happening.
You can stop evil from winning, or you can stop good from being triumphant.
You just need to know how.
Plan it all carefully."
-The Legendary Shaman Barkara, Master and Trainer of the
Great Shaman Rafiki of the Pridelands.
"It will take us until noon to reach Utopia River." said Kalandro, as he looked to the sky, trying to find the sun hiding behind the many thick, dark clouds.
In this land, almost no light was present. It must as well have been late evening in Amber Valley.
As Sapphire and Coyle walked through the giant wall that obviously marked the boundaries of the land, Kalandro's whole pack followed. They formed a barrier around the two lions. Perhaps there was danger in their land. Maybe that was why they massed together so readily, like they had been trained to do it.
Or maybe it was to stop the newcomers from escaping.
"Coyle." breathed Sapphire, nudging her companion softly.
Coyle was busy studying the fascinating stone dividers with his eyes. He did not reply.
"Coyle!" she called, still whispering.
"What is it?" he replied after some time.
She looked at his face, at his tired eyes. Suddenly, what she had wanted to say before this just disappeared. Instead, she asked, "Why do you look so tired?"
Sapphire was, no doubt, looking a little bit tired, herself. It was definitely due to all of the recent stress, and overworking. But nonetheless, she was looking better than her counterpart.
"It's nothing." He quickly replied, as if trying to keep new questions from arising.
Sapphire looked more carefully. "It is something." she insisted. "What's wrong? You don't look normal."
"Okay, look." he began, lowering his voice so that no one else would hear him. "I had a few unpleasant dreams while I was sleeping on that day…"
"The day when we arrived here?"
"Yes. I woke up… And soon, I realised that I wasn't going to be asleep again anytime soon. So I took a walk."
"What happened there?" she asked.
He paused to recollect. "I found a strange branch off a tree. It was smooth… And it had these fruit shells, and little trinkets attached to it. I could have sworn that there was this voice telling me to walk up to it and grab it. So I did. As soon as I touched it, I saw things… I don't know how. I don't know why. I just…" he trailed off.
"You just what? What did you see?" she asked. "What is it?"
He glanced at her for silence, looking squarely at the walls behind him. Upon one of the walls stood a shadowy figure. Sapphire turned to look at it as well. The moment she laid eyes on it, she felt a sense of comfort, as well as a chill. What was this thing?
It sent shivers down her spine. Then it ducked down behind the stones and disappeared. The two lions turned away, not knowing what to expect next.
They had not walked for a minute into Shadowland before the ground began to shake furiously and abruptly. Towering fortifications began to; quite literally, disintegrate into sand that poured down into the path, which began to fill up like a puddle trying to manage a whole lake of water.
Sapphire stared at the dust as it plunged to the ground dangerously close to her in large portions. Her eyes grew large with fear.
"You have brought lions into our land! Lions!" bellowed an old, croaky voice from the crowd. Sapphire's heart sank. These hyenas knew what they were. And it seemed that they believed that she and Coyle were the ones causing the quake. If they made it out alive of this one, they would not be welcomed when they reached the home of the new creatures.
"We could try to escape!" Sapphire thought, aloud. "The falling sand would conceal us!"
"No! There is no time!" Coyle yelled back, over the loud noise. "Over there! Run!" he roared, keeping his gaze down, to avoid the dirt stinging his eyes as he ran ahead. Sapphire followed. Now, with Orion gone, the two remaining travelers relied on each other more than ever. They could not afford to go their separate ways.
She turned back one last time, to the entrance. Deep inside, she knew that this passage would be closed to her forever. She could no longer return.
And she spotted something else, too. Standing atop some elevated, natural tower, she saw a lion with eyes glowing red like frenzying fires. One moment passed, before finally taking after Coyle, and running.
xxx
Koori's curious eyes moved from left to right as the figures moved by. They reflected the shadows, the movements, and every breath that the lions in front of him made, and took.
He peered outside. Night had fallen upon the land, and the moon shone brightly; it was the only light in the night sky. But still, so many shapes moved around in front of the entrance of a domain that was temporarily his, that it made him question, 'why is everyone up?' Were they having nightmares, as well?
Nightmares of the first few days of their life? Nightmares of carnage, and slaughter?
Then the cub looked around him. Nothing else lay in the grotto with him, but the darkness.
From his own little spot at the back of the Den he could hear their mumbles of confusion, their gasps of shock, and their shouts of rage. He had no idea what was going on. He had just woken up. The voices of his pride echoed through the cave and pierced his mind like the blades of stones that litter the Grey Mountains do. The sound of a thousand stampedes boomed inside his head.
But there wasn't much time for dreams now. He was going to find out what had happened.
"Mother? Mother!" he called, running outside, dodging the movements of the other lions. The child looked around once more, spotting his mother in the crowd, not too far away. Making his way over to her, her saw that the others seemed to be surrounding something.
He felt like he was running through a dark forest. Their sturdy limbs were the solid trunks of trees with scary faces, and their bodies were the canopy. The canopy that covered all in darkness.
Running through a dark forest, running away from the thing. Running away from the lights. The thought of it nearly made him cry.
But he needed not to. He had reached his mother. She was like an emotional cleanser to him. With her, he would never be sad, or angry, or disappointed. With her, nothing could stop him. Without her, though, was a different story.
"Koori." called his mother, looking down at him. He was brushing against her leg.
"Mother." He looked up at her with eyes wide open, gleaming in the light. "What has happened? Why is nobody sleeping?" he asked.
"Something very important has happened…" She trailed off, lifting her view to a place so high up that Koori could not see it.
Her cub looked right at her, waiting for the answer impatiently. "What is it, mother?"
She turned back to him. "Remember when I told you that everything would be alright again? When I told you that we were going to a better home?"
He nodded. "That was before you brought us here."
"Well, we are on our way." she whispered, as a voice that seemed to be coming from the middle of the circle started to speak.
"One our way where, mother?" he asked. No answer came. His mother had already turned back to whatever she was trying to get a good view of before, and was no longer paying attention to him. "Mother?"
"Hush." she breathed, nudging him to make him look where here eyes were fixed.
"Now that I have explained to you most of what we already know about him and all of what I do… We can get to the plans." spoke a voice from the center. It was the same one that Koori had heard earlier.
"What plans?" he asked in a soft voice.
"Quiet, my dear. We will find out soon." answered his mother with haste.
"Without even asking you," continued the voice, "I know that we cannot stand for Torres' rule to continue any longer. We all remember the days when things were good- when he was a good leader for us all, and when food and water were plentiful." It paused.
"But those days are gone! Torres has changed. In our time of need, when the wild dogs attacked not so long ago, he was nowhere to be seen. We suffered three casualties, and many wounds. If not for that strike of dark lightning that took place in this spot, we would not be standing here now… It has now become very clear that he no longer cares for us as his people.
So now is the time to strike!" shouted the voice, with courage and strength. It was Daeon. Koori knew that he had heard that sound before.
"The coward is gone for now, and we do not know when he will be back. Lookouts have been scattered around this area to notify us of his return, which could take place at any time. That is why we must plan quickly.
Here is an idea that Gharah and I have thought up with the help of several other lionesses throughout the pride. The first part of the plan: We send two of our number as spies, to follow Torres the next time he leaves this place. Those two will investigate, and return as quickly as possible. It is unlikely that Torres has any hidden powers, or allies on his side, but if he does, this will make us aware of them.
Next, using the information we would have gained from the first phase, we set an ambush for Torres. We capture him…"
'And then? Then what do we do?' Koori asked himself.
"And we do what we must." The violent words cut through the air like a slate through water.
In a short time, that plan was agreed on. Earlier on, Gharah and Daeon had decided on having themselves carry out the first chapter, but now that Gharah's limbs had been badly wounded, it would be far too dangerous for her.
So another was chosen to take Gharah's place. Her name was Ryun, and now that Gharah wasn't at the top of her game, she was the best huntress in the pride.
The replacement had been replaced.
Ryun's eyes shone a bright auburn colour, and her ears naturally folded backwards. Because of this, it looked like she was always on the prowl.
All they could do now was wait. As they all returned to sleep, Torres slipped back into the Den, as if he had never left. But he had returned to their home, which lay at the southern edge of antelope territory long before that.
So long before that, in fact, that he had heard every word of Daeon's plan. He was ready.
xxx
Several days had passed since the night of the meeting. Taruwa was still having dreams about her distant son, Orion. Torres' random bouts of fury and anger were in remission, which had made life smooth and relatively easy for his pride for the time being. For those few days, all their troubles seemed to just melt away in the sun.
But that would only last until the day of the next arranged hunt.
Ryun was teaching Daeon how to hunt, and stalk. With him being a male and having never going hunting in his life, it was not an easy job. Lionesses had been the only ones hunting for hundreds of years. The males had just learned to sit back and watch them do their thing, then, somewhat unfairly, get the first bite of the fresh meat.
The Great King Simba had hunted. But when he fell, along with his mighty kingdom, justice was lost. Fair trials became a thing of legend. An easy life was a thing of dreams, and, above all, the Circle of Life left the people that had lived by its laws and rules for centuries. It left them without a trace.
"One more shot. That's all I need." breathed Daeon, as he crouched low and began to slither through the grass. He was targeting Ryun. He had told her that he was off to The Small Oasis for a drink of water, and a chat with the animals.
She couldn't have been expecting anything. Slowly but surely, he would make his way over to her. Then, when the time was right, he'd pounce, flying through the air, tackling and pinning her to the ground. It was simple. The perfect plan.
"I'll take her by surprise." he said to himself, confidently, as his straight face twisted into an anxiety fuelled smirk.
One step, two steps. Just three more metres. Four more strides. A few more seconds. He couldn't wait. He had to do it now. The wait was killing him.
He roared as he flew out of the grass, into the air. His mouth was open, though his claws were safely out of the way. He didn't want to hurt Ryun. He just wanted to embarrass her.
Daeon was nearing her. She turned to face him. It was his time. She could not react now. She was too slow. He reached out his front limbs to grab her. He felt a thump as he landed, and the impact of his own weight onto the ground shot up through his body.
He had landed humiliatingly short. He had landed conveniently right in front of his teacher. She wasted no time. In a second, he was on the ground, where she was supposed to be. Daeon had been pinned. But it wasn't meant to be that way.
"Pinned. Easily." she proudly announced, looking him in the eye.
'Pinned ya.'
Daeon eyed her face and chest carefully. She wasn't even panting. But he could hardly breathe. Before he had opened his mouth to speak, she had cut in.
'Hey, lemme up!'
"Next time, be patient. Do not get anxious. Do not leap when you know that you won't make it, and don't stride. Creep. Long steps disturb the grass far too much. You made a lot of noise." she scolded, before unpinning him and setting him loose.
Daeon stayed on the ground long after that. His last attempt at glory took a lot out of him. Maybe he should have gone to the oasis for water, instead of staying here, for humiliation.
He got up as soon as he caught his breath. "You heard me coming?" he asked Ryun, who was now well on her way back to the Den.
She stopped and turned. "Of course I heard you coming-" was all she could say before Torres' voice cut in.
"My pride!" he shouted, calling his lions and lionesses like children. He stood on the same boulder that he had officially exiled Sapphire, Orion and Coyle from. The voice echoed throughout the land.
"We should go now. I'll teach you again tomorrow."
"After some negotiations, I managed to get one leopard to tell me that the plague we have recently suffered from has returned. A young wildebeest child has already fallen victim to it. Apparently, she was the one that alerted her herd of your presences before you were disgracefully overrun by them!" he yelled, directing the message away from Gharah.
Ryun and Daeon arrived, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Torres' eyes followed them to the center of the crowd before he continued. "And so it seems that, now, with this plague, you are able to see things that you cannot normally see. Namely, upcoming danger. It could well be a rumor, but, rumor or not, it is worth investigating." He paused.
"I have decided to travel the land in search for more information. I do not know when I will return. It could be in a day, or it could be in a month. One sure thing is that I will return."
Torres slowly stepped down from his elevated position. "I am confident that you can manage by your own for the time being… But I do expect you to be here when I come back." He let out a lonely chuckle, as if that, that he had just mentioned was not a possibility. His pride just watched him, displaying mixed looks and expressions.
"Until we meet again." he finally said, turning and walking off.
His pride scattered and moved amongst each other to find someone to discuss the sudden change with. Voices and chatters erupted from them as if they had been contained for the duration of the short speech, like water rushing forth from a broken dam.
"Looks like we have places to go." Daeon suggested to Ryun. They nodded to each other, and began to say their goodbyes.
xxx
"Hezakiah! Stop this! It's crazy!"
"Don't try to reason with me, fool!"
"I didn't want you to do this! You never needed to! You can stop! I don't want the Pridelands!"
"Close your mouth, you ungrateful idiot! Drawtt, this is your birthright! Do not be afraid to claim it! Hyenas are the rightful rulers of the Pridelands, not lions!"
"… I thought I could trust you. I thought I could trust lions. I finally changed my mind, after I met you. After all those years of hate."
"What are you saying?"
"I was wrong. I will let every hyena in the land know that lions cannot be trusted. I promise you, by the end of my life, there will be no person that calls themselves a hyena that has not heard my story. I will do it if it kills me."
"… Fine. Fine! Go on your stupid quest! They will call you and fool! They will taunt you and ridicule you until you are nothing but a sobbing wreck! Because they will know that I am their hero long before you get to them with your lies!"
"Let them do so. I have nothing to live for, now."
"You don't know a friend when you see one, Drawtt! You do not know a friend!"
"COYLE!"
"Coyle! Wake up! Wake up!" called Sapphire, shaking him violently. "Wake up!"
"Hm? Huh? What?" He woke suddenly.
Sapphire gave a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, good. We were caught in the landslide."
"Where are we? Where are all the hyenas?" he asked, sounding panicked, as he got himself back onto his feet.
"They're gone. It's just me here." A familiar voice cut in. It was Kalandro.
"Kalandro? What are you doing here? Where is your pride?" questioned Sapphire.
"Pride? You mean 'pack'. They are gone for now… But there is no time for that. Quickly. Follow me."
"But-"
"No! You are in danger!' he yelled furiously.
The sound of voices shouting to each other, mixed with footsteps and barking could now be heard. They were coming from around the corner, and by the sound of it, they were coming closer.
Kalandro turned around with a horrified look on his face. "Oh no. You must go without me. Follow the walls of the gorge to Utopia Rapids. Hide there for the night. When the sun rises in the morning, make your way out of the canyon, and follow the path in the dead grass to Utopia River. Rest there, and hunt the warthogs for food. Just make sure that no one sees you. If they see you, then you must kill them before they alert anyone else. Stay there until I come for you." he whispered hard with haste, looking them both in the eyes to make sure that they were registering. "Do you understand?"
"Yes." Sapphire nodded.
"Good. Go! I will distract them!" he yelled, before he ran around the corner.
Coyle and Sapphire said nothing. They ran as fast as they could, with all their might.
"No, my lord." They heard Kalandro say as they disappeared into the fog.
"You're lying!" boomed an evil, rasping voice.
"No, master! No- ARGH!"
Sapphire winced as she heard him yell out in pain. A part of her wanted to turn back and help him, but the rest of her told her to keep going.
They sprinted down the canyon floor endlessly. It would not end. Their lungs and hearts ached terribly, and their heads throbbed. They both felt like collapsing at some points, but they knew that they could not. Kalandro needed them to be at Utopia River when he got there. He didn't actually say that, but they both knew that he did. Somehow, they knew.
When the two lions reached the river, they let themselves down even more quickly than they did when they arrived in the land at first. It seemed that days of starvation and sleep deprivation were no match for ten whole minutes of sprinting.
Coyle rolled onto his back as Sapphire plunged her head into the rushing water, quickly bursting back up and gasping ferociously for air, realising how cold it really was. She slowly got up with a groan, and made her way over to dry ground that she could call her bed for the night. Coyle eventually did the same.
Just when they thought their troubles had completely gone, more complications had arisen. The next day would bring another emotional, physical, mental and spiritual mountain to climb. It would bring another part of the quest to them.
They could only wait.