Murder
Something had happened. Something terrible. He knew that even before the cheetah arrived at the baobab, where he and Siyo had spent most of the day. The shouts of the feline could be heard from afar and even though Guma couldn't understand them yet, he surely could tell they were anything but joyful.
Ignoring all decency rules, the cheetah rushed through the hyenas' lair and finally slowed down. "My queen!", he shouted and tried to pass Guma.
"Wow, wow, wow, slow down buddy", the hyena said and protectively stepped in his way. "Who are you and what's the hurry?"
"Ch… Chapua", the feline answered panting heavily. "My… queen, you… have to follow me! They… they're killing them!"
Instantly Siyogwaya was on her feet. "What?"
"One is down already! Please, follow me! Now!
"Guma, take your boys and go with him", the queen quickly decided. "I'll grab some of the girls and be right behind you. Now move!"
With a nod Guma gestured the cheetah to lead the way. "Get up and follow me!", he shouted at Chege and Chadi, when he passed them while leaving the lair. Both were seemingly confused about his hurry but immediately did as he said. Side by side with them he followed Chapua into the savannah.
At the time he noticed Fupa flying over his head he already knew where the path the cheetah used led to.
"Attack on sight", he heard the vulture from above. "Siyo is right on your heels but we can't waste a second!"
"You heard it boys!", he confirmed the order and busted into the lions' lair. "Get them!"
The grass, that had been trampled down within the last weeks was covered in blood splatters. As the cheetah had said, one of the lions was already dead. Ifu was laying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood that was running out of several deep biting wounds that covered his neck. Next to him was the corpse of a male hyena. Due to his short mane, Guma had known from the beginning that this lion was no born fighter but at least he had managed to defeat one of his attackers.
Enraged by the sight of the dead lion, Guma threw himself against the hyena that stood the closest to him. Taking him by surprise, he grabbed the guy by the neck and pulled him away from his current victim.
With a hateful roar the young lion got up and shook the second hyena off. Despite his ferocity he fought with, his young age and inexperience made it hard for him to keep his opponent from bringing him down again.
"You!"
His teeth still around the first hyena's neck Guma looked up. On the other side of the lair stood Masoka. He towered over Kara, who was laying in front of him on her back.
"Get away from her! Don't make this worse!"
"Worse?" Salvia drooled out of his mouth as Masoka laughed at him, his voice full of hate and madness. "But you already took everything from me!"
"Let her go and maybe Siyo will have mercy on you!"
"Mercy?" Masoka shook his head, now with an even crazier laughter. "Don't tell me about her mercy! After all I've done for her, she chose you instead of me! Humiliated me! Even preferred those filthy lions over me!"
"She preferred justice over cruelty! Now let Kara go!"
His jaws close to the lioness' throat, Masoka looked around. The fighting was over. Chege and Chadi had managed to take their opponent down. Moto on the other hand had Behind them the sound of paws beating the ground could be heard.
"Masoka!" Finally, the queen appeared, followed by four of her most trusted hyenas. Standing on the end of the path she stared at the dead lion, then she slowly lifted her eyes and looked at him. "What have you done?"
"Oh please! Did you really think I wouldn't seek vengeance for what happened? You were everything to me and these lions and that wimp you call your favorite now are the reason everything we had was destroyed!"
"We never had anything", Siyo snarled at him. "Yes, it is true, I casted an eye on you. You were the strongest male I knew so far and seemed to be a good choice at first, but guess what? You ruined it all yourself by proving to be a jealous, ignorant show-off and a coldhearted brute! Things went down with us long before these lions or Guma showed up."
"Lies. It's their fault!" He lowered his jaws closer towards Kara's throat.
"Hold up, ok?" Coming to the conclusion that reason couldn't convince Masoka, Siyo tried another tactic. "How about this? You let them go now and we will talk about their guilt. Only the two of us. What do you say?"
For a moment, Masoka looked like he really calmed down a bit. A shimmer of hope appeared on his face, but then his eyes met Guma's. "You can't fool me, Siyo."
"Masoka…"
"Not anymore!"
"Please…"
"They took everything from me and now I will return that favor!"
"MASOKA NO!"
Blood splattered his face, as Guma rushed forwards. Somewhere on his left he heard Moto screaming out, in front of him he saw Masoka turning around while the lioness dropped to the ground. He noticed Siyo and three of her hyenas rushing after the male, as he bent over Kara. "Fupa, get the shaman!", he shouted, as he met the lioness' terrified eyes. Coughing blood, she gasped for air. Not willing to accept that his attempts would be in vain, Guma pressed his paws on the wound on her throat, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Moto…"
A quick gaze over his shoulder told him, that the hyena, who had tried to do the same to the young lion as Masoka had done to his mother was already on the ground, mortally wounded by the fourth female, the queen had brought with her. Moto lay next to her, but he was breathing. "He's safe!" Guma looked back a Kara. "He'll be all right, he…"
The coughing had disappeared. Motionless, the eyes of the lioness looked up to the hyena in an expression he couldn't read.
In devastating certainty, Guma stepped back from her. There was nothing he could do anymore. He had failed. The lioness was dead.
"We… we lost him."
Guma turned around from the baobab and saw Siyo coming towards him. Her fur was wet and she looked downcast and exhausted.
"He managed to cross the river. The crocodiles showed up right after he passed it. I nearly lost two of my girls to them. It was too close. We couldn't risk another try with those beasts around." Shaking her head, she sat down next to him. "What sorry excuse for a queen am I?"
"What…? Don't say something like that!"
"But it's true. I should have seen it coming. I knew him better than anyone else. I…"
"He became totally insane! No one could have predicted what he did. If at all I would have thought he would attack me and not the lions." He swallowed hard. "It… it should have been me, not them…"
"If I'm not to blame for what happened, neither are you." Their eyes met, as painful groan sounded from the tree. "How is he?"
"He will survive. The shaman says none of his wounds are fatal. They have to be cleaned so they won't be infected. But…"
"His losses are way more painful than the wounds", Siyo finished his sentence with determination in her voice. "And the least we can do for him is to ensure that justice is done. Masoka must die."
"And he will." Looking at the tree, Guma nodded. "I'll make sure of that. He will pay."
AN: Or will he? We'll find out! Btw, I'm curious, how do you like this subplot?