Chapter 3: Ashen Inferno

This place reeked of death and barrenness. Little more than a wasteland, it was desolate and devoid of all life. It reminded Hasira of the Badlands. He didn't want to think about that place. He had been travelling for weeks in pursuit of his prey. Even this lifeless place would not deter him from his mission, he was far too determined. The only source of shelter from the oncoming storm was a large, outlandish structure resembling a termite mound. It would serve. Hasira entered the towering structure. It was dark, but dry. It was far from ideal, however. Hasira was used to a certain lifestyle. Ever since he had retaken his home from those filthy intruders, he had settled for nothing less than luxury. He was nothing short of a king. There were tunnels here, too. They likely led above, to the top of the termite mound. Judging by the hollowed-out tree stump and the claw marks stretching across the walls, this had been home to a pride not too long ago. Hasira wondered if the one he hunted had taken refuge here. With the thought of his former ally on his mind, he laid down to rest. The morning sun did not shine so much as blaze throughout the sky in this wasteland. Hasira rose. There was no time to waste. He had already given his victim a head start. That fiendish lioness had seen to that. He wondered how long it had been since anybody had been here. Surviving here would be near impossible for even the weakest of beasts. Plants were nowhere to be seen, never mind herds of animals. Exploring this place would be wise. If the one Hasira sought was hiding around here, it would be foolish to leave the land unsearched. It was a tedious few hours to say the least. By midday, the hulking lion found himself in a cave of sorts. Steam hissed as it escaped from underground and elephant bones littered the area. There were two hyenas fighting in the centre of the cave. What they were fighting over was a mystery; there was absolutely no meat in sight. Those hyenas would make a tasty snack for Hasira, if a bit insufficient. He was not one for words. Instead, he opened his gaping maw and let out a tremulous roar that would have terrified the bravest of beasts. Suffice it to say that the hyenas stopped their petty fighting immediately and turned to face this stranger, shivering slightly.

"Pardon the interruption," Hasira began, "but I have questions if you two have a moment." The hyenas did not speak. "Not big on talking, eh?" He moved towards them until they could feel the heat of his breath. "Well, listen, then. I've been tracking a…friend of mine for quite some time now. A lion with a black mane…ring any bells?"

"Uh…nope," the first hyena answered. "Can't say we've seen anyone like that around here. Not in a long time, anyway…" Hasira narrowed his purple eyes menacingly.

"You two look well-fed for hyenas. I assume you hunt elsewhere…is it possible my friend resides there?" He could practically smell the fear radiating from the pathetic animals before him.

"There's only one black-maned lion there," the second hyena piped up.

"Yeah, and he's been there for a long time now." Hasira grunted, extending his claws ever so slowly with each word the hyenas spoke.

"Oh, that can't be him, then, can it?" he asked.

"Uh…no?"

"No, indeed!" He launched himself at the two snivelling beasts then, pinning then both to the ground beneath his muscular front legs. "I can tell you two aren't the brightest so I'll ask once more. Have you seen the lion I'm looking for? He would not be easily missed!" Fear seemed to jog the memories of this terrified pair. How convenient.

"Oh, uh…I think I did see your friend. Yeah! Yeah! Just the other day, he was on, uh, Pride Rock. Just north of here."

"That's right, that's right! He was talking with the King, too!" So Shuja had allied himself with the ruler of whatever place these hyenas referred to. How lucky for him. Catching him would not be as easy as Hasira had originally planned. He would need help when the time was right.

"My thanks, gents," he spat at them, turning to leave at once. "You've been plenty helpful. If you see me in this place, stay out of my way. You don't want to know what happens to those who displease me more than once." The hyenas shaken and his destination nearby, Hasira headed north swiftly. He would likely not be able to infiltrate this place alone. Judging by what the hyenas said, there were at least two other lions there, three including Shuja. And where there were lions there was a pride. This would be tricky. The best approach would be to sneak in and find out what he could. Stealth was something Hasira was good at. Crossing a large, crocodile infested river by means of a fallen log, he knew he had entered the lands Shuja had fled to. The prosperous plant life and abundance of birds was a drastic change from the wasteland he had just exited. Yes, this place was a treasure to behold.

"…and see what you can find…" came a faint voice from nearby. Hasira spotted a large, red-maned lion not too far away. Flanked by two lionesses, he was speaking to a hornbill. The bird flew up into the air then. Hasira dropped as low to the ground as he could, nestling himself beneath the long blades of grass. The voices were getting closer.

"…safe this way," the lion spoke up once more. "I promise. Nothing will get near us without Zazu knowing about it."

That was almost too ironic not to laugh at. Had this lion known how close to danger he was, he would not be so quick to assure the lionesses that they were safe from harm. Hasira carefully inched forward, doing his best not to disturb the grass so much that the hornbill above would notice.

"I trust your plan, Simba," one of the lionesses spoke up. "I just hope it keeps Shuja's pursuer away. We don't need any trouble, not again." That confirmed it, Simba-the alleged King of these lands-was harbouring Shuja. That was an offence Hasira would be sure to make him pay for.

"We'll be okay, Nala," Simba assured her. "All of us. I promise you both."

"How touching," Hasira whispered to himself. Carefully peeling a blade of grass aside, he examined the three animals. Simba was enormous, boasting sheer length as well as musculature. He would not go down easy. Hasira, however, was just about the same size. He had taken on many lions almost as large as Simba in the past. They had proven to be no trouble. He assumed Simba would be the same. The lioness identified as Nala was likely his mate, judging by the intimate embrace they were sharing. The as-of-yet unnamed lioness glanced around her energetically. Judging by her manner, she was young. Young enough to be their daughter, perhaps. She would be useful. As the three of them left the area, Hasira noticed something that gnawed at him. A warthog, trotting along without a care in the world. The lion had not eaten in some time. This poor, clueless animal would prove to be a tasty meal. Upon nearing the beast, however, a second voice became audible.

"I'm telling you, Pumbaa, we're sitting ducks out here! Why do you think Simba has us out here?"

"You know, Timon," the wartog replied, "he needs all the help he can get. We're lookouts!" The meerkat that now came into view sighed as Pumbaa took a seat below a stunted, gnarled tree. They were keeping watch, apparently. How preposterous that the enemy they were watching for approached from behind with bared teeth.

"You don't get out of Pride Rock much do you, buddy?" A thought came to Hasira then. These two imbeciles seemed none too bright. They would surely know some useful information. An interrogation would prove more worthwhile than a killing, despite the vicious hunger that raged within Hasira's stomach. "We're bait, Pumbaa! That big, scary lion comes traipsing in here and sees us, he's going to be on us faster than you can say 'fresh meat!'" Hasira rose from the grass then. He was sheltered by the overhanging branches of trees, hiding him from Zazu's keen eye.

"I think you've got the wrong idea," Hasira interjected. Timon jumped with fright before turning to face the speaker. His widened eyes were likely a result of seeing a lion with a white mane. Hasira was part of a dying breed. The unique colour of his fur had more intimidation value than anything else. "Lost for words, meerkat?" Timon hopped down from the warthog's back.

"Gee, you're a big fella, ain't ya? What brings you to our neck of the woods?" His speech was nervous and awkward. That pleased Hasira. It made him feel in control of the conversation, made it easier to get the information he needed.

"You know why I'm here. You're King, Simba…he's harbouring a lion. I want him turned over to me."

"A lion? There are no other lions here, no sir!"

"Yep, just you and Simba!" Pumbaa added. " We don't get many lions around here."

"Is that so?" Hasira asked, his voice dripping with malice. "Well, it just so happens that I know there are three lions here. Your King, an unknown and Shuja." He circled them now, pacing gently as he spoke to them. "This would be a lot easier if you told the truth. Lying to me proves rather…unpleasant. Return to your King with my offer. Bring Shuja to me or his sons and daughters will suffer." A sloppy bluff, but deliberate nonetheless.

"But he's only got the one daughter, Whitey," Timon blurted out then. He immediately realised his mistake.

"Indeed," Hasira hissed. "And what a vulnerable little thing she is. It would be a shame to see any harm come to her, wouldn't it?"

"What is the meaning of this?" The source of the voice came from above, a baboon perched on the rotting branch of a tree.

"Rafiki!" Pumbaa yelled in panic.

"Drop this maniac!" Timon screamed. Patience was something Hasira never had. He launched himself at the tree, using his claws to climb as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, Rafiki was faster, swatting his attacker across the nose with a stick before jumping to the ground. The baboon, the meerkat and the warthog all fled the scene. Hasira would not pursue them. If Timon told Simba of his offer, his plan would work. These people had no idea who they were dealing with.