In the Outlands, the Lion's Bane was thinking of better ways to try and kill Kion, and anyone else who would stand between them thr next time these evil animals would try and kill the cub when they see him again. "Grrr, that stupid monster." Harif mumbled to himself. "I won't be able to sit for a week." Indeed, the Emela-Ntouka did a number on his butt, and he was lucky that his skin was very tough. At least, force from Adewale would have broken his bones, or even his spine.
Mpishi was tending to her rather hurt left wing. "Gah! Note to self," she said, "whatever that thing is, never make him angry. Ah!"
"I've faced many hippos in my time," Draak admitted, kicking a wound under his right arm. "But I don't recall a fight to be that tough. That guy was relentless. Tough, with a capital T."
"Why can't I have a bite as strong as a hyena?" Makucha wondered. "If it was that simple, I would just much a big piece of skin from his hide."
"Bah, what would be the point?" Tuma said. "That guy's armor is tough as rock. I say we just go for the throat, or the face. Something like gouge his eyes out. That way, he won't know what would hit him."
"Hello?" Harif said. "Haven't you geniuses realized what we were supposed to do before? Kion will always be our top priority over anyone else. Besides, if that rhino thing does want more trouble, than we just give him more trouble. Draak, you're the biggest, so you will deal with him more."
"Got it. I'll try to bite down on his face until I completely rip it off with my bare teeth."
"Good luck with that." Makucha said. "I say you should drown him if we're near water. I don't think rhinos can swim like goy hippos can."
"For now, we should just take it easy." Mpishi.
"Agreed." Tuma added. "I think we should just lay low and take it easy. Who knows that animals king Simba as sent to attack us for almost killing his kids and prince of the Pride Lands."
"Yeah, I guess we should just take it easy, and have a more precise plan of attack." Harif admitted. "Try something more subtle, too. Besides, we might have lost now, but there will always be another time. Perhaps we won't win now, but someday, someday it will he our day."
Mipishi saw some gigantic birds in the sky, and a smaller bird leading them all in front. Using her very keen eyesight, the harrier hawk looked closer with her eyes narrowed and saw what it was. Zazu, along with some saddle-bill storks, maribous, and a few birds of prey flying with him in some kind of attack formation.
They all looked like they were heading straight to the direction where the Lion's Bane was now. "Uh-oh. Guys! We're going to have company."
"What is it?"
"It's Simba's stupid hornbill slave, and he is coming to attack us with a bunch of other birds."
"Heh, that sounds more like a playdate to me." Makucha said, sounding quite confident and bold that this battle would be easy.
"Ready yourselves, guys!" Tuma exclaimed.
Zazu, and the birds came swooping down on the Lion's Bane like harbingers from the sky, and pecked at Harif's back. The honey badger retaliated by swiping his claws at other incoming birds that tried to swoop down on him.
Mpishi, being the only winged member of this group, hovered and sliced her talons at a couple of storks. A few fell dead, and some were just hurt, but tried charging her again.
Makucha didn't really have a problem in trying to fight off the birds, for he grabbed a nearby saddle-bill, and bit it's neck, killing it instantly. Now he will have some food to eat for himself, and he took pleasure in fighting off some birds that were attacking him on the ground, using their feet to try and hurt him.
Tuma, thanks to his strength, used his heedy fists to punch and pound any enemy hird that dare tried to swoop down and peck his skin with their sharp beaks. Draak easily swayed at any incoming birds with his head and chomped on some birds that crossed him. Despite that, Zazu and his cronies were putting up a good fight and pecked at the Lion's bane mercilessly without end.
"Show them what happens what they try to kill royals, chaps!" Zazu shouted triumphantly.
"Tell Simba that we will be back one of these days!" Harif shouted. "You hear me, Zazu?! This is not over!"
It looked like Zazu was getting the upper hand in this, he saw more and more birds getting hurt, and the others had to save their comrades from getting hurt or beaten by this terrible posse. "Grr, fall back!" Zazu said. "Let's go! Back to Pride Rock!"
Just like that, the aerial squad flew back to the Pride Lands to find more safety. About fifteen birds had died after that, and it meant some food for Harif, Mpishi, and Makucha, so it wasn't a complete loss for the Lion's bane.
Still, the pecking they received hurt like something piercing in their bodies. "Thank goodness they're gone." Draak said. "They don't know when to quit."
"We're no quitters either, my friends." Harif boldly said. "No, we're way too noble for that. If they wanna go down fighting, then we'll fo down fighting as well."
"Not right now." Makucha said. "Look at the food we caught."
"Heh. Good point."
"Not to mention we're tired from all that fighting." said Draak. "We should at least rest, and find some water to drink."
"Yeah, I haven't had a feast like this since the Outlands Famine three years ago." Mpishi licked her lips in a hungry gesture. "Meet my stomach!"
the more carnivorous animals began eating the dead birds that were killed in the ensuing fight. Tuma and Draak just waited under the shade of a nearby rock formation until it was time to look for some water.
