The Lion King: Rise of the White Pride
Chapter 14: Search
"Got something?"
"For the fifteenth time in the last five minutes, NOTHING! Dammit, Kasi!" yelled an exasperated Kula, Kimbia sighed not far from them.
Her anger was dissipated by a smack on the head by Vitani. "Keep it down!" she forced her breaths. "You'll alert the enemies!" she said venomously before warding off between the trees.
"Like something would live here," Kula scoffed. "This place didn't get the name 'Waliopotea' for nothing," commenting the forest. "It's easy to get lost in here," she said, her eyes wandering through all directions, which looked the same.
She jumped and landed on an opening with a small lake. The others slowly followed while searching for something that could give a clue about either Kovu's, Haraka's, or Shaka's whereabouts.
Dark grey clouds covered the skies. Thin pillars of light breached through and illuminated the ghostly forest.
"Paw prints!" said Tojo, drawing the attention of the others.
Vitani took a first glance. "Claws," she said, referring on the sharp shape on the end of prints. "Carnivore paws."
Silence breezed through the group. Learning more about the attacker just made whoever it was stronger that they thought.
"Lion's paw," Tojo said when Kimbia put his paw on the prints, which looked alike.
"Whoever attacked you . . . ," Vitani turned to Kasi. ". . . was a dangerous foe," she said seriously. "Be on guard."
"Shaka . . ."
"Huh?!" everyone looked at the source of the voice.
Kimbia was there, on the edge of the lake, staring to something on is paws. Kasi hurried to his side while the others scanned their surroundings to make sure no one uninvited came.
Kimbia reached for the thing he stared at, and showed it to the group.
"Silvery fur. Shaka's," Kasi identified while showing it to the older lions.
Tojo evaluates the facts and pulled off some things. "Then our target is not only fast, but strong enough to carry those three."
Kula raised a question, "What made you think so?"
"The prints are very deep. See?" he gestured to one near him. "As deep as my wrists."
Vitani growled, catching everyone's attention. "The prints don't deviate too much," she tracked a straight line of the prints. "Kovu's attacker must've gone straight home and if we find it, we'll strike. Let's go!"
Vitani ran to the way the prints led followed by the others after nodding at the order.
Shaka was in the room underground eating a zebra along with Haraka. Kovu hadn't wake up but they left some for him in case he woke up.
"How long you think we'll be here?" Haraka asked. Her eyes were filled with despair when Shaka looked at it. "What would happen?" she asked. Turned her sight on the limp but breathing Kovu.
Shaka didn't answer. His mind wandered to his friend's doings. "Hasira . . ." he whispered nonchalantly, hollow of hope. "What happened to you?"
He flashed back a few minutes ago when he and Hasira stood beside each other. Before Hasira struggled to nothing and yelled at him to return to the room. Shaka complied and let Hasira alone.
Meanwhile, on the rocky ground above, the all-white lion was laying around on a shade of a big boulder. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep.
"What are YOU doing?! You hated that bastard, you always had!"
"Shut up! You are the darkness of me. You won't take control of me anymore!"
"Oh I will. Once the hatred you have inside erupts, I'll once again tear apart ones in my way. HAHAHAHAHAH! And maybe that girl would be first on the line . . ."
"You won't lay a finger on her! I won't let you! Ever!"
"Fuh . . . Fuhahaha . . . HAHAHAHAHAHAHA . . . !"
"Hasira!" shouted a loud voice startling the white lion. "At last! You're awake! About time!" the voice said sarcastically.
Shaka started to move around. "What is it, Giza?" he said the last word while standing on his paws, facing the unseeing lioness.
"Juu and Chini went hunting and haven't come back. Find them and bring back food!"
"Do it yourself!" he snapped, nearly clawed the face of the old dark lioness.
She chuckled. "Hasira. Hasira. Hasira," she circled him, taunting. "He'll be here soon. You don't want to upset him don't you? Huh?"
Shaka's face changed when he was mentioned. "Tch! Fine!" he stormed off from the rocky ground.
Giza chuckled. "Juu and Chini. I didn't make him any use, at least only half of him," she whispered while the sun was descending on the horizon.
An old and weak wildebeest was being cornered by a pair of peach lionesses each closing in second by second following the disappearing light of the sun.
The wildebeest wouldn't give up that easily, no he wouldn't. He flailed around trying to scare the predators. The lionesses backed off but closed in again. Just when the wildebeest flailed randomly again, a roar echoed behind the two and something landed between the prey and the hunter.
Both lionesses hissed in union, "Hasi-!"
Hasira high jumped and landed on the wildebeest's back before furiously clawing out it's back rendering it limp and fell.
"That was ours!" Juu said, exhausted.
Chini approached the wildebeest. "You can't just break in and ruin it!"
"You're welcome," he said, as if the two lionesses were ants. "Hurry and get that old man to Giza already. Her face disgusted me when she's mad."
The lionesses said no more and dragged the prey toward the ravine. Leaving Hasira alone in the glimmering light from the horizon. In front of him, was the dark Forest of the Lost darkened by seconds. Something in him made him walked straight into the forest.
He walked around, deeper into the forest, and then . . .
"Fool."
A sound of steppes stopped him on his track, but it was too late. Two lions and three lionesses stood not too far from him, separated by trees that obstructed the view.
Crap! he thought. He didn't have the time to think. He ran to his fastest, but not without a chase from the group.
"Get him!" a male voice shouted from the chaser.
Okay, it's not too interesting but it should make the story progress. See you next time! Don't forget to R&R!