Chapter Five: The Elephant Graveyard

Scar traveled alone through the Pridelands for nearly six months. He was still not sure what he was searching for, but he knew it would be obvious when he saw it. The only problem was, he had no idea where to look.

One day, he came upon the Elephant Graveyard. The area had always been forbidden to him while he grew up and his mother made certain he was never near it. She was no longer there to smother him and attempt to blind him from reality. It was time he saw what was so forbidden.

He walked around massive piles of bones and skulls, a heavy fog rising above him. He looked at an enormous skull with the tusks still intact and stopped when he heard the strangest sound. He held his breath and listened as hard as he could. It came again, louder. Was that . . . laughing?

The laughter increased with more voice, surrounding him. A high-pitched, dangerous voice came to his ears.

"Well, well, well, lookit here, boys," it began. "We got a strangler on our hands."

"Where's your mommy and daddy?" another voice sneered. "Don't you miss your home?"

"I don't have a home," Scar answered loudly, his head tilted upwards. "I don't need one."

The laughter cackled again. "Oh, we got a tough guy!"

"Well, what should we do with 'im, Anza? Invite him for dinner?"

"No, I have a better idea," a female voice answered.

Scar whirled around as he heard a soft thump behind him. An strong female hyena stepped forward. Her fur was a dark brown with black spots. Her eyes held a dark fire. She knew what she was doing and she wasn't afraid of anything.

Scar stared into her eyes, his fear evaporating. Fear was Miru's weakness, not Scar's. He wouldn't run with his tail between his legs. He would fight every hyena if it was necessary.

"Go home, cub," Anza shook her head, a laughing wheeze escaping her. "You don't belong in a place like this."

"I'm not going anywhere," Scar said dangerously. "If you want me to go, make me."

"You have quite the attitude. You sure you're a lion?"

"Yes, I am sure. I'm just not weak like those pride lions."

"Weren't you a part of them once?"

"Miru was, not me."

"Miru? That cub's dead. I killed him myself."

Scar broke his intent gaze, startled. "You attacked that mother and cub?"

"Hyenas got to entertain themselves somehow, don't they? Why, they still alive?"

He looked down at his dark paw. "No . . . they're both dead."

Anza scoffed. "Good riddance, if you ask us. Lions are no good to any of the other animals around here. They just walk around and act they control everything. I mean, they do nothing but sit by the pond and sleep all day."

"Or take all the good antelope from the herd and leave us with the gangly ones!" another hyena exclaimed.

"Hardly any meat on 'em!" one agreed.

"Shut up, all of you!" Anza cried. The agreeing voices silenced immediately. She looked at Scar. "And what do you go by?"

"Scar," he said with a voice that was unfamiliar to him.

"Well, Scar, I like you. I think we can let you stay for a little bit, but first you gotta talk to the Boss."

"The Boss?"

"Yep, follow me."

She walked off into the fog. Scar looked around at the rotting bones and sighed. Well, welcome home, Scar, he thought. He walked off after Anza, the fog swallowing him up. Miru stayed behind. He drifted above the dense fog and out into the clear skies. He floated onwards and away from his body, never to return again.