War

It was nearly windless. Most of the hyenas were still asleep when he climbed the small monolith. Only some of them didn't slumber and lay yawning and stretched their limbs. None of them had noticed him yet. It was a peaceful scene, but that would change soon enough. Little did they know that the guard they had set up couldn't warn them anymore.

Finally, one of the hyenas raised its head and flinched at the sight of the lion looking down on them.

For a moment he held eye contact, enjoying the fear visibly overwhelming the creature and grinned. Then, Ushindi opened his mouth and roared, awaking the rest of the hyenas.

Before they could form a defensive line or even fully understand what was happening, Askari stormed out of hiding, Moto and his friends on his heels, answering their leader's call. The hyena closest to him was an aged male, pedaling wildly while trying to get up, a success he would never make. Askari reached him, grabbed him by the neck and threw his head around, breaking the creature's bones with ease. Then he tossed the lifeless body aside and went for the next one.

Not too far from Askari, a large female began bellowing commands at the scattering hyenas and throwing off their initial panic they began to regroup around her, something the lion couldn't allow to happen. With a challenging roar he rushed forward, focusing his primary target. He lowered his head and broke through the loose line of hyenas like a raging warthog.

Taking the older lion's battle cry as a challenge, Moto followed him and pounced at the first hyena that came into reach. Biting and scratching each other they rolled over the ground.

Only a few steps to the right, Fasiki scattered a bunch of male hyenas, wounding some of them, while Singa defended Moto's left against two females.

Meanwhile, Askari made his way towards the female, who he had identified as the one in charge over this outpost. She was indeed a strong specimen, muscular and displaying more than one scar, the marks of a warrior. He threw himself against another male, who had jumped at him trying to stop his assault. A foolish move. Bringing him down and tearing him into bloody shreds slowed the lion down, what only fed his hunger for a challenging fight and pushed him into full battle mode.

Three more hyenas got in his way, he couldn't tell if it was intended or not, but neither did he care. One by one they fell before his claws and teeth while the female he aimed for shouted even more commands and backed away from him.

Apparently out of nowhere, something crashed into him and he was thrown off balance. Askari stumbled, caught himself and barely managed to dodge the pair of jaws aimed right for his face.

The lead female had stopped her retreat and using his brief distraction, launched a full-on attack.

Fending her off with his claws, Askari nearly didn't notice the other female – the one that had tackled him – getting up. Striking at once with the other hyena, she attacked his right flank and he felt her teeth digging through his fur and skin. At the same moment there was something else he noticed, the brief sensation of something touching his tail. The realization flooded his mind immediately. He had ignored one of the most important rules in combat: Never get surrounded! But it was no fear he felt. It was excitement for a new challenge, a new thrill pushing the high the fight had triggered in him up to the next level.

His hindlegs left the ground and he stopped the third hyena's sneak attack with a powerful double kick.

Once again, the lead hyena attacked. With his hindlegs still in the air he couldn't dodge so he lowered his head in the last moment and instead of his face, the female's teeth caught his mane. His feet met the ground again and instantly he raised his head, lifting the hyena into the air. Now her belly was right in front of his jaws.

Before he could strike, the hyena jumped off him, sensing the danger.

Immediately, Askari switched to the other enemy in reach. Throwing himself to the right, he managed to surprise the other female, who was still tearing at his flank. She hadn't expected him to move into her direction and loosened her grip. He turned, got free and delivered a brutal strike. Blood spilled from four deep cuts in the hyena's face and yelping, the creature stumbled away from him. His attention went back to his primary target.

The lead female stared him straight in the eye, scanning his every movement, searching for an opportunity to attack.

He roared, shifted his weight forward, lifted a paw… and stopped his movement with all force.

Falling for the fake attack, the female came towards him, lured into a counter attack that was aimed too short.

His claws found their target. Once, twice, a third time and a fourth. She was already on the ground when he was close enough to use his fangs. There was no resistance anymore when he finished her off with a bite to the throat.

Discouraged by their leader's demise, the other two hyenas tried to get away from him, but Askari lunged after them, caught one – a male – on the hind leg and made him stumble. The unlucky yelped in pain and terror, as the lion's claws dug into him, pulling him into a deadly embrace.

"Retreat! Get out of here!" The shout came from the survivor of the three hyenas, the female now with the bleeding claw marks on her face. "Run!"

The other hyenas, who were trying to fight off Singa and Fasiki instantly stopped their desperate attempts. It was clear that their moral had died with their leader and immediately the first of them fled into the tall grass, while others gathered around the female to cover their retreat.

Another roar sounded and was answered by two more. Soon the hyenas were back, yelping and screaming in fright. Moments later, Shindana busted out of the grass, followed by Tekelea and Chagina. Together they chased them back into the waiting lions' claws.

From above, Ushindi watched the battle coming to an end. He saw Singa throwing an enemy through the air as if it was nothing and Tekelea racing after a male hyena, who tried to escape into the grass. He heard the whining of a wounded female laying in the dust before Askari, desperately begging for mercy. The bloodthirsty expression on the lion's face that was already covered in red was enough to know that it was in vain. In a mad frenzy, Askari rushed forward and the pleading turned into a gurgling sound before it stopped completely.

Ushindi turned his head away and found Moto, still struggling with the very first hyena he had attacked, the last fight that was going on by now. Finally, the young rogue managed to place his jaws around his opponent's neck.

And suddenly, there was nothing else to be heard than the lions' panting. All hyenas had either fled or perished. In the middle of the field, Askari stepped on the corpses of his defeated foes and roared. Moto was the first to join him and the others followed.

A shiver ran down his spine as Ushindi added his voice to theirs, victoriously towering over the battlefield. His enemies lay dead below him. And it was not Askari's victory or Moto's. It was his. A single command, that was all it had taken him to do it. This, this was true power.

He looked at Askari. As if he had sensed his gaze, the other lion turned around and returned it, still panting through bared, blood dripping teeth. He lowered his head, nodding. Or was it a slight bow? Ushindi couldn't tell. Anyway, it was a gesture of loyalty and friendship. But he knew Askari was more than a friend. He was his warrior, his tool of destruction. They all were. And he would use them to get what he wanted.

AN: Ok, hope this one wasn't too bloody...

Not the first fight I wrote, but the first larger battle scene I think. It's meant to be a little chaotic but I'm not entirely sure... Is it good? Is it a total mess? Is it both? Tell me what you think about it (or how you like my fight scenes in genereal). Would be nice to know.