Still looking a little scared at what they will find, Kion was getting closer to that unfamiliar smell that he, along with his sister, and his girlfriend couldn't recognize so well. The mixed scents were getting stronger than before and they knew that it had to be these strange... creatures.
At last, they have reached some kind of structure ahead of them, something like a dome or a hill ahead of them. This structure looked rather odd and peculiar that they had never seen before.
Ahead in the distance, Kion, Kiara, and Rani heard some voices ahead of them since lions had a good sense of hearing, abd it was something almost similar to a family talking to one another. The leader of the Lion Guard ducked and hid himself in the tall grass for protection, along with the other two lions. This dome looked like some kind of fabric structure or something elastic. "Wow. what kind of a thing is that, Kion?" Kiara whispered to him.
"I have no idea. But we should keep our heads." her brother replied quietly. "there's no telling what they can do."
"Right behind you, Kion." Rani sounded confident."
Closer and closer to the site, the three lions saw a group of creatures that looked similar to... apes or some kind. at least; their hands looked similar to a gorilla or a chimpanzee.
They seem to be tall, and lean while standing on two legs instead of all fours. All of these humans were mostly hairless, except for the top of their heads, and the largest one, who is presumably a male, had hair on his arms a little.
"What... are they?" Kion thought as he and the other two lions watched closely.
"Christopher, try not to get lost in the grass." said the largest one in a deep, masculine voice. "there's no telling what snakes or scorpions might be hiding in it."
"OK dad." said the smallest one, who seemed like a... kid, probably no older than Kion or maybe a little younger.
This seemed to be like a family of four in them. The second largest of these apes seemed to be female, and the third one seemed to be female too.
Perhaps they seem to be a family if they are out here together. It's like they are some kind of Pride.
"Dear, can you please help me with the firewood?" asked the second largest of these apes.
"Coming, my creampuff." said the biggest one, helping his mate out with some wood like some sort of... kindling for a fire to be made for warmth.
Not only that, but there seems to be some objects that these lions have never really seen before. One was a tool that can project light from it with the push of some sort of button.
The third largest member of this family seemed to be on some sort of device while tapping her fingers on it repeatedly. "So, when can we look at more wildlife out here, mom?" she asked. She almost sounded a little bit like Kiara.
On the other hand, the smallest one sounded almost similar to Kion as well. "Absolutely, Tara." the second biggest creature said. "Just let us finish setting up camp."
"I can't wait to go out and see those animals." the youngest one added.
"Not so fast, Christopher." the daughter said while chuckling. "We don't want you to go out too far."
"Yeah, we know what animals are out there, but we all need to remember to watch our step when walking out here." said the ape-like father, pulling out... some kind of tube from the fabric structure. "Good thing i brought my shotgun along just in case we get attacked by a predator."
"Is that really necessary, Joel?"
"Come on, if there is something you should remember being in Africa, like Tanzania or Kenya, you should always watch your step. Animals here can pounce on you at any moment, Persephone."
"Stay sharp." said Kiara in a whisper. "we don't know what they can do if they see us."
"I have to go to the bathroom." said the child.
"Here, let me take you to a spot where you can use it." said the father before doing just that. The three lions tried so hard not to alert their presence to the attention of these animals, or whoever they were. Yes, these... animals were rather strange and peculiar to the lions indeed. This was something rather new to them all.
As this child went to do his private business while his father looked away, Kion, Kiara, and Rani stalked around them to get a closer look at these aliens.
while stalking then, Lion accidentally stepped on a sharp thorn on his right paw, making him yelp in pain, and startling the creatures he was watching.
"What was that?" asked the child.
"I don't know." said the father. "but keep your eyes out for anything. something can pop out."
"OK, dad." said the boy.
"Kion, are you ok?" Kiara looked worried.
"Yeah, just a thorn up my paw, Kiara." Kion replied before pulling it out and he let out a small but low growl. "There, nothing serious. But, why don't you look at the big one, I'll look at the smallest one."
"Well... OK." his caring big sister looked a little unsure, but she knows that Kion will be alright. "Just be careful."
"Right."
"Come on, Rani."
"Got it, Kiara." Rani herself gave her boyfriend a worried look on her face, but went over to take a look at the largest ape-like being that seemed to be wielding some kind of weapon, like some long claw.
Closely inspecting the boy from in the grass, Kion watched him, and the boy looked a little scared at the feeling he was being stalked.
Suddenly, Kion tripped on a loose vine and fell on his right side. The boy heard it and looked in the grass to see Kion, face-to-face.
"Oh!" the child looked a little surprised. "It's... a lion cub." he said to himself. "whoa. I never thought i would see one up close."
"How... do you know about us?" asked Kion.
The boy looked even more surprised and he said: "a talking lion?"
"Who- who or what are you?" Kion asked.
"I'm Christopher." said the child.
Suddenly, seeing her own brother was spotted by the small being, she gasped and rushed to his aid by jumping out the grass to save him. It caught Christopher by surprise and it made him help and fall flat on his hindquarters.
Kiara made a small Roar and barred her teeth while growling at him. Christopher looked quite scared at the sight of that and felt like wetting himself. "Get away from my brother!" she snarled.
"Another talking lion?" Cody said. "please! don't eat me!"
"Kiara wait," Kion said.
"Chris!" exclaimed the voice of the largest ape. he rushed over and saw his own son was in danger. "oh my god." he gasped. "Chris! don't worry, buddy! I'll save you!" he pulled out his large shiny tub from behind him and aimed it at Kiara. "I'm gunning her down!"
before the ape could pull the thing's trigger on the future queen, Rani jumped from behind him and tackled him, and his rube flew out of his hands, right on the ground.
"Wait! Stop!" Chris got up and tried to stop Rani from clawing his father to pieces of meat.
Rani was taken aback at the response. "Chris, what are you doing?"
"They talk!" said his son.
"Look, we mean you no harm." said Kion. The father himself was taken aback and he realized that they can probably talk.
"do.. do my ears lie to me?" he said.
"Kiara, please, stand down. You too, Rani."
His big sister stopped baring her teeth and looked really calm. "Sorry." she said in a more calm voice.
"What in the name of God is going on here?" said the dad.
"We don't mean to scare you." said Kion. "We just want to talk." he looked at the boy. "So... Christopher, we won't hurt you."
The child looked more calm and said: "So, what is your name?"
"Kion, Kiongozi, but you can just call me Kion."
"Well... hi, Kion." said Christopher.
"I'm sorry I scared you... ape, or... whatever you are." Kiara said to the child.
Rani got off the dad's back and he was thinking about reaching his tube, but stop since he realized if Lions can talk, he can reason with them.
"My name's Kiara, the princess of the Pride Lands. Your name is Christopher, right?"
"Yeah. But my friends call my Chris." he clarified.
"Well haven't you ever seen a human before?" asked the largest being.
"Human?" said Rani. "No. We haven't... unfortunately."
"Oh. That kinda surprises me. "Sorry if I was about to shoot you." he looked at Kiara. "My name's Joel, I'm Christopher's dad. I would shake hands with you, but you don't have opposable thumbs."
"hands?" said Rani. "what are hands?"
"Joel!" said a voice in the distance.
"Dad!" said the third one. they belonged to the other humans in that peculiar sight with the domed object.
They both appeared and gasped. "Lions!"
"What is happening here?" said the third human.
"Tara, Persephone, take it easy!" Joel intervened. "You might think we're crazy, but... these lions can explain everything.:
"Yeah, and I think I made a new friend." Chris said, looking at Kion, who smiled at being called that. perhaps these"humans" are not very dangerous after all.
