Chapter 2

Sylvia awoke to the faint golden light of sunrise. Stretching her paws she gave out a long, outsized yawn, showing off her pink tongue and white teeth.

Climbing down from the rock she noticed that mostly everyone was still asleep. She walked lazily down to a small stream and gulped down large numbers of water. An alligator watched closely nearby, but did not move an inch.

Looking around, Sylvia noticed most of the herds of antelope had moved out to a water hole about 50 yards away.

Licking her lips, Sylvia realized how hungry she had been and how empty her stomach was. She considered maybe taking down one of the smaller antelope that had traveled to far from the herd, but then knew she couldn't go out their until the rest of the hunting party was awake.

Irritated, Sylvia stalked to a nearby tree and waited for the others to awake.

Aunt Zee had been the one to teach Sylvia how to hunt, but it had always been with other lioness. Now Aunt Zee had been teaching her two younger sisters Teo and Savanna. Her brother Gail did not have to learn of course because males do not hunt.

One by one the others began to awake as the sun rose higher in the sky. The king and queen already were sitting at the top of pride rock as they awaited the lioness to go out and hunt.

Suddenly Teo and Savanna came rushing out of the cave, tumbling and laughing as they rushed down toward their older sister.

"Sylvia! Sylvia!" They screeched and taunted. They pounced on their older sister, playfully biting her ears and nose.

Shaking her head, she sat up and smiled down at her sisters.

" Good morning you two. I trust you slept well."

Teo gave a very aggravated look. " I would have if Savanna hadn't kept kicking me in the face all night." She sneered.

" I told you! I'm active in my sleep!" Savanna snarled back.

" Yea that's for sure! It looks like your running after a herd of buffalo or something." Teo said grinning.

. " Or maybe just an old run down flamingo," Sylvia laughed.

Teo and Savanna began to laugh too and then Teo pounced on Savanna.

"Race you down to the water hole!" she yelled and went running off.

" Hey no fair! Head start!" Savanna yelled back racing after her.

Sylvia just smiled and shook her head. Glancing to the side of her she noticed her aunt walking towards her. The smile faded and she looked away. She did not want to deal with her aunt at the moment after what happened last night, but she knew it would be hard to avoid her.

" Good morning sunshine," Aunt zee said in a tired, relaxed tone." Ready to hunt?"

Sylvia licked the sharp points of her teeth and nodded.

Every herd of animal was apart of their kingdom and was considered one of their own. But as nature has it, the only way for a lion to survive was to eat flesh. It was how they were made and it was in their blood. You weren't considered a lion if you didn't hunt or eat meat. Yes, it's true its sometimes hard trying to understand it when you're a small cub and you even talk to some of the antelope or deer, but that is why you're taught of how the cycle works. The teaching was past down by the great Mufasa to his son and on through the generations.

The lions eat the antelope and when the lions die they become of the grass and the antelope eat the grass…that is how the circle goes therefore making it easy for Sylvia and the others to hunt, but at the same time they protect the herds from other danger. They also make sure not to hunt too much prey, but also make sure they don't over populate. It is their job as hunters not only to hunt for food, but also to keep a certain balance through out the kingdom.

As the heat of the mid morning sun began to beat down upon them, the lioness finally gathered around and, checking to make sure they were in good health and ready to hunt, they then went off, as a group, out into the valley were their morning meal awaited them.

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As the morning sun rose higher in the sky to become early afternoon, the lioness began to scatter more out through the savanna in pairs. Two of the lioness, Morgra and Sienna, had brought back with them a pair of antelope with their backs gashed by lion claws and their necks broken.

The king and queen and their offspring were always the first to eat and then the second where the other male lions. After that it would be the lionesses turn. When all of the pack was finished, the hyenas would come from their hideout to snack on the last pieces left and to finish that, vultures and coyote would take what they could until all that was left was bone.

Sometimes some lioness would have to watch guard as some hyenas and even other predators like the crocodile or cheetah would try to steal the food before the pack was finished.

Some days things went fine and smooth with everyone taking their fair share, but some days the other meat eaters grew impatient and it was hard to control them as some were brave enough to come into a lions wake and risk the chance of getting shredded into pieces. Few were lucky to get away with a mouthful.

Fortunately today was a much better day. The hyenas had not been seen yet and only a small group of vultures circled high above, waiting for their chance.

So far three pairs of water buffalo and deer had been taken down. Two had already been eaten. The king and queen had finished their share and the lions were finishing up theirs.

Sylvia then knew that it was her chance to catch her own meal. With her two sisters watching safely in the branches of a small tree, patiently watching her sister so to learn to one-day hunt for themselves, Sylvia crouched low to the ground. The tall grasses made it easier to hide her figure.

She carefully scanned the area and then locked on to her target. A lone zebra stood grazing out about a half a mile off near the edge of a small forest. Eyes grown wide with hunger, she softly made her way through the marshes and grass toward her prey.

As soon as she came to a good distance near the zebra she froze still for a second, taking in its sent and then with one great leap she kicked off with her back legs and headed straight toward the hoofed beast.

Dirt flew through the air as the zebra, seeing the lioness just in time, took off as well, jumping through puddles of mud, dirt and water. If someone hadn't known better they would think that they were playing a game of tag, only this game was a matter of life and death.

The zebra was frightened, but it also knew of the cycle of the land as well and knew that if it were to be taken down that it must accept its fate. Eventually that was exactly what happened.

Sylvia leaped on top of the zebra's back and took it down in one swipe of her claws. The zebra lay still on the ground.

There was one thing however that a lion must do before they eat the flesh of their prey and that was to recite the lions prayer. This prayer was spoken to the kings of the past who were said to live beyond the stars:

Great kings of the past, bless this flesh so that

It will give me life. Let the ones that we hunt never

disperse so that we may continue to survive.

When our bodies become of the grass,

let the antelope feed upon it so they may also thrive.

Please help us all to continue the great circle of life.

Once Sylvia finished reciting the prayer she bit into the zebra's neck and carried it up back near her two siblings. Teo and Savanna climbed down from the tree and trotted up to their older sister's side were they all began to eat their first meal of the day.

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When the sun began to reach its highest peak in the sky, the entire hunting party began to head back to pride rock where they would sleep lazily under the hot summer's sun. Sylvia's sisters had gone back with their Aunt, but Sylvia did not follow them back. She stayed behind because something had sparked her curiosity.

It was a faint scent, but strong enough not to be ignored. A scent Sylvia was quite familiar with. A scent that made her heart beat fast in her chest and the hairs upon her back to come on end. It was something Sylvia had been dreading ever since Kilo had died.

Humans….

They were close by and there was more then one. Their scent was being carried by the light breeze coming from the north. Sylvia knew they were in the woods. Not only by the scent but because, with her keen sight, she could see a bright glow in the distance and blurred movement.

Sylvia knew then that she must tell the others. If they were to be ambushed they wouldn't stand a chance. A human without its tools could be considered the weakest prey alive. But they clearly developed some higher trait, which gives them the advantage.

To Sylvia and the others its one of the most embarrassing things they must face. Knowing that a weak, two-legged creature could be a formidable enemy to the so-called king of beasts.

Sylvia then realized how much she truly hated humans. Thinking of her friend Kilo lying on the ground motionless. She then visualized seeing the rest of the pack like that. All dead on the ground the hunters coming to take there prey…

Sylvia growled heavily in her chest. We are not prey…we never will be…they are the ones who will become hunted, Sylvia thought angrily. She then got a strange and frightening idea.

Looking back in the distance towards pride rock, which stretched up towards the sky, Sylvia made sure all the others were gone and, finding the coast to be clear, she headed down near the forest where the humans were settling.

Once Sylvia had found a comfortable hiding place on top of a wide, steep hill looking over the human's camp, she then began to investigate. The humans had stationed themselves in a small meadow surrounded by forest and hills. A foolish idea Sylvia thought, for it made it even easier for her and her brethren to sneak through the forest and attack unexpended.

This had been Sylvia's plan all along. She would wait for some time to see what the humans where up to and then, when she thought they were headed off to come after her pack or up to something suspicious, she would run back to her pride and tell them about the humans before they came.

If the humans did not seem to do anything however, she still had a plan. In the dead of night when the humans rest she will go back and bring a dozen of the strongest, swiftest lions and lioness and they would take them down before they had any idea what was going on.

Sylvia laughed silently to herself thinking of her plan. She had tried to forget what happened to her childhood friend, but now was her chance for payback. With her tail moving back in forth softly on the ground and her eyes just small yellow slits, she then watched and waited.

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As the sun began to drift down in the sky and trees and rocks began to form disfigured shadows Sylvia still began to wait and watch. As for the humans, they did nothing but hang around, looking at strange objects, laughing and playing games and taunting small animals in cages they had caught in the previous days. Some were looking around the forest and examining. None, however, left the site.

Sylvia then became reassured that none were heading out near her land. Standing up she crouched low in the trees and began to move around the site to take a closer look before she headed off. The humans had put up strange shelters made of a soft fur and there were many strange objects Sylvia had never seen before hung on cords and laying on the ground.

Sylvia sniffed at the air, but did not sense anything dangerous. She finally decided it was time to go back and tell the others.

Just as Sylvia started to ascend up a small hill however, something happened that took her by great surprise. The ground beneath her turned into some sort of web and before she knew it she was thrown up into the air and entangled in a tight binding net. Yowling loudly she unsheathed her claws and ripped at the tight binding. Unfortunately her legs were badly entangled and she could barley see with all the holes in the net. A tight rope held the net, which started swing back and forth. Sylvia yowled for help but it seemed no use. Her pride was too far away.

She then realized what a stupid thing she had down seeing now that the humans had most likely heard her from nearby. She was quite correct in her guessing for in less then a few minutes more then a dozen humans were below her.

They began shouting things she didn't understand and she became quite frightened. Not knowing what to do, she just laid in the net waiting for what was to become of her. If the humans tried to touch her or harm her in any way she would try her hardest to defend herself. She would not let them do to her what they had done to Kilo.

Snarling and hissing she struggled to free herself of the net. Suddenly all the humans stopped shouting as another human appeared in the mist of the crowd. He was dressed differently then the others who wore lighter clothing and had darker skin. This one wore heavier clothing with buttons and a belt and big leather shoes and had lighter skin. Sylvia thought that this might be this human pack's leader.

A couple of words were exchanged between the leader and the others and before Sylvia had a chance to react, one of the humans brought something strange and narrow out and pointed it directly at her. Sylvia then realized how Kilo had died and with one look at the strange human object, there was the same noise she heard from before when Kilo died and then everything went dark.