Chapter 18
Once they had passed through the gateway, Danyal felt his paws on the ground, and ran the claws through the grass. He wasn't ready for the familiar feeling. It was the Pridelands. Unmistakably the Pridelands. Sundar passed through the Gateway behind him, and saw his reaction. She looked on in concern.
"Danyal. Is everything okay?" She asked him, worried. Danyal let out a breath.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just… Just glad to be home." He said. It wasn't the savannahs that surrounded Pride Rock, but it was still home. They were in the south of the Pridelands. Not far from the backlands, where Kion had spent time patrolling during his years as the leader of the Guard. He wasn't the only one who noticed, Kion was affected too.
"It's been so long." Kion muttered. Behind him there was a commotion. Rafiki's brother Shaman was standing upright and the baboon's eyes were blazing with brilliant colour, but something was wrong. The gateway was flickering, flashing as others made where way through quickly. The air itself became sharp. Rafiki was holding him upright, and the two passed through at the last moment as the gateway closed behind them, sealing shut. He let out a gasp of air, and sank to one knee. Sundar rushed over to her teacher.
"Yessen?" She called to him. He didn't respond.
"Is he okay?" Makini shouted. The smaller mandril looked concerned Rafiki was pushing his long beard like fur out of the way as he gesticulated in fury.
"Rafiki said as much!" He proclaimed furious. "Healed you are not!" Yessen didn't look too good. There was blood trickling from his nose and his other wounds looked agitated.
"I'm okay, I just need... I just need a moment…" He said, and then his legs gave out from under him. Lukaan moved in over to him, looking at Rafiki for reassurance but he had none to give.
"Is he okay?" He asked him. Rafiki scowled.
"He has exhausted himself yet again. He has little more to give." He said, looking annoyed and upset. He had warned against such drastic action. Now the baboon was unconscious. Hopefully it was mere exhaustion and nothing more serious. Nothing more terrible. Kion looked concerned.
"How will we get back?" He asked him. Rafiki shook his head.
"We shall need to await his recovery. Properly this time." He told him, sounding uncharacteristically worried. "Rafiki has seen it before. There was once a volcanic eruption which Marsade held back himself. And a flood where he saw Margane hold back what seemed like the entirety of the sea to allow people to escape. Two walls of water the size of Pride Rock… She was unconscious for days." He admitted.
Days? That wasn't ideal.
"Well. We cannot wait for him." Lukaan said. He looked at Kion and Danyal. "This is your home. You lead on. I shall assist here." He told them, and then bent low and allowed the other apes to drape the baboon across his back. Lukaan was tall and strong and not yet so old that he couldn't take the weight even if it was a little undignified. Sundar was proud of her father, and Rafiki nodded in thanks.
"You have my gratitude, Lukaan of the asiatic Pride." He told him. With that resolved for the time being, Kion turned to Jahi and the cheetahs. "Where were Vitani and the rest of the pride heading?" He asked him, urgently. Jahi cleared his throat.
"They fled south, through the Outlands then crossed back into the Pridelands." He said. "We perused them across most of the Pridelands before we broke away from the Shai'tan." He admitted. "They have to be closer to the southern border by now." He said.
"The gorge." Kion said, distastefully.
"We passed through it when we fled the Pridelands the first time." Danyal supplied. It was a dangerous risky place. He recalled narrowly escaping into the briar with the cubs. It had been a close call the first time, but it was the quickest way into the desert at the Pridelands border; and it would have made their journey across the sands the shortest.
"She doesn't want to try to cross the desert with so many." Kion realised. "So, she's taking them through the gorge."
"Could that work?"
"It's Vitani. It could. But if the Shai'tan are chasing her she might not even have a choice." Kion muttered.
"We don't have any time to waste then." Helio declared. "Which way to the gorge?" He said. Kion squinted, glanced at Danyal who nodded.
"It's one of the most famous spots in the Pridelands. Its where Scar killed his brother." Danyal mentioned.
"You better lead the way." He said.
They had landed closer to the gorge than Danyal or Kion had originally suspected. That was the first bit of good news. The bit that wasn't so good news was the lack of any sight of Vitani, her lions, or the other creatures that Jahi assured them she was now traveling with. Harten sniffed the air as they travelled through the Savannah, anxious of birds and surveyed the tricky decent into the canyon that formed the gorge. Danyal blanched as he looked at the dizzying fall.
"Danyal?" Sundar was there, looking worried.
"I'm good. Just the height." He told her. He hadn't had very good experiences with heights. They made the descent down, and sniffed the air. Only narrowly avoiding slipping. Helio was up ahead, tracking.
"I have something!" He assured them. Kion approached and nodded. It was the scent of a Pridelander lioness. And then some. Danyal tried to keep the optimism out of his voice.
"They came this way?"
"And recently! Come on!" He called out.
"Look out!"
A grey shape darted out from behind some rocks and tried to dart between them. Danyal was stunned and Sundar was surprised. It was a jackal! The canine thundered past until.
"Heei-ya!" It was Makini. She shouted out and struck with her bakora staff, swinging it like a club. It cracked into the head of the jackal as she darted past. She fell to the ground and gave a moan. Suddenly Helio was atop of her. Her eyes widened in panic just for a moment as Helio bit out her throat and spat blood to the side.
"A scout!" He declared. Danyal shivered. Jahi had warned them that Vitani was being hunted.
Makini looked pale, but accepted the others congratulations for her speed and ferocity. Monkeys could be vicious when they wanted to be. Mandrils doubly so. Kion scowled.
"We have to move quickly. Bette than it reporting us back to its pack, but it'll be missed." He said, and strode forwards with purpose. "Come." He said.
They followed the trace they had found for hours coming across the others. Eyes were on the ridges now. They felt exposed, especially knowing that the minions of the Shai'tan were out and on patrol. He swallowed. He kept his pace with Kion, but is wounds were beginning to ache, beginning to twitch. He could feel the muscles spasming. He bit the inside of his mouth, unwilling to request a stop to rest. They couldn't afford to anyway.
"More scents." Helio called out, just as they hit Danyal's nostrils.
"Spread out." Kion said, and the lionesses did so. They weren't trying to be unseen. He growled.
Something moved ahead of him, between the crags. Another jackal? He drew his claws as a voice rang out, seemingly rendered louder by the walls of the canyon.
"Stay right where you are!" A female voice called out to him. But it was one he knew. One Danyal recognised. He knew it at once, and held up a claw in reassurance to Kion and the asiatic lions.
"Wait a moment, that's Almasi! We've found them!" He called out. "Almasi! Don't worry! It's us!" He called out to her. There was a stunned silence. Then came the shocked reply.
"Danyal?" And from several crevices emerged people and faces Danyal recognised. Almasi, and shortly behind her Vitani. Vitani stared at the approaching lions and their allies in shock. Evidently, they had heard their approach and made some effort to conceal themselves, expecting another jackal scout. They were completely unprepared for what they saw.
"Danyal?! What are you doing here?" Vitani asked in absolute shock. It didn't seem possible to her. Danyal smiled, and allowed Lukaan to march forward.
"We heard that you were in danger, lady Vitani. We have come to offer our assistance." He said. The understatement was significant. Vitani looked at the lions, saw Lukaan there, and almost gasped. She managed to maintained her composure though. At least until she saw Kion. Kion strode towards her.
"Vitani! I –" He froze as he saw the lioness next to her. Zira grinned.
"My oh my. The Prideland's fiercest. Aren't we fortunate?" Zira asked her. Kion stared at her in shock and horror. Lukaan and the asiatics of course didn't recognise her. Nor for that matter did Danyal, not by sight at least. But Kion knew her immediately, and he froze, and held up a paw, holding back the young lion.
"You!" He growled. Zira chuckled.
"Hello, Kion, son of Simba." Zira greeted him. Her amusement at his reaction quickly faded though. Kion looked from Vitani to Zira as she glowered and fought the urge to swipe at Zira's smirk.
"What? How?" He asked her. Vitani shook her head. She was hoping to have time to figure out an explanation herself.
"Kion. I'm glad you're here. Thinks have changed a little." She told him. Kion nodded slowly, staring at Zira in surprise as the lioness continued to smirk. Despite their situation she seemed to take a certain amount of glee in the shock and fear she clearly caused in others.
"I can see that. Hevi Kebisa." Kion muttered.
Once he had gotten over the shock, he felt at seeing Vitani's mother alive and well and after being appropriately assured that she meant them no harm, Kion took her presence surprisingly well. If he objected to Zira's presence, he didn't voice the concerns. They had bigger problems. It didn't take long for them to learn of Vitani's predicament. The fallen rocks sealing off their main escape route had left them in a sticky situation, and with Yessen unconscious again there was little chance of the Pridelands escaping without a fight. Trapped as they were in the canyon, Vitani wasn't entirely sure she was pleased to see them. The dawning fear that they were stuck in the canyon with no way to escape and no way out hadn't quite seeped in to the Pridelanders yet, but it would happen soon enough. Nevertheless, the arrival of Lukaan and the others was so unexpected she couldn't help but feel a warm sense of relief. Kion especially.
"It's good to see you, Kion." Vitani admitted. "Thinks are… not well." She said.
"You found the cubs?" Kion asked her, urgently. Vitani nodded. Jahi had been right that she had assailed the fortress of the Shai'tan and lived to tell it. But his description of her adventures hadn't quite done justice to the entire ordeal. Vitani looked around and didn't see Kiava at his side, and eventually asked the inevitable question he had been dreading. Kion gave her the same explanation he had given Danyal, and like Danyal Vitani wasn't happy to be told that Kion had found the Prince of the Pridelands, only to lose him again. Kion didn't blame her. But her frostiness soon gave way to grim pragmatism. Had Kion found Kiava, he would be in the same situation they were in. Vitani wasn't sure that was an improvement. Nevertheless, the sight of Kion was a welcomed one. Others in her party, were more concerned with the other lion who was with them.
"Hold up! Get out of the way!" A voice came over the chattering of the assembled creatures. She looked and saw that it was Sara. Her brother wasn't far behind her, and the two of them were pushing their way through creatures five times their size in order to reach them.
"Danyal!" Inti cried out at seeing the older lion. Danyal turned to see him; his face lit up for a moment before he turned pale.
"Wait –" He began, but it was too late. She had already seen him, and she recoiled at seeing his face and the scars that covered it. It was the reaction he had most dreaded. He had wanted to ease them into it.
"Dany!" She gasped.
"Hey Sara. Inti." He said, halting himself. The two cubs paused only for a moment, before Sara rushed forward and nuzzled him.
"You're okay!" She gasped. The last the cubs had seen of him; he was being picked apart by Sekhmet. Almasi had assured them he was fine, but seeing him was another thing entirely. Sara sighed in relief.
"Vitani found you. Thank the kings." Danyal said, finally feeling the relief he had kept at cautious bay since hearing of Vitani's journey from the Outlands. Where's your mother?" He asked.
"Right here Danyal." Almasi said, before he could even set eyes on her. She reached forward and nuzzled him, the cubs between them. "We're all here." She told him. The flood of relief he felt then was unfathomable. Sundar felt her heart twist a little bit as she watched them.
"They hurt you!" Inti said, looking at the scars, and reaching out a paw to touch them, but not daring to touch for fear of hurting the older lion.
"These?" Danyal said. "Don't worry about it. They're nothing! You should see the Shai'tan." He said, cynically. "I'm fine." He lied. "Thanks to your mother and the others. Especially to Sundar. Actually –" He beckoned her over. "You should meet her. This is Sundar. She, and the other lionesses over there are new friends of ours. They come from very far away, but they're here to help us fight the Shai'tan. Also, she's technically a Princess, so be on your best behaviour for her." He told them. Sundar moved over and nodded to the cubs in turn.
"Hello! Are you Sara and Inti? Danyal has told me a lot about you." She said, greeting the cubs. Sara and Inti looked at her, quizzically.
"Hello…" Inti said, looking her up and down. "Sundar, you said your name was?"
"That's me." She said. "It's nice to finally meet you." She said.
"How very sweet." Zira muttered, and Vitani shot her a scowl.
"Of course, you wouldn't understand." She muttered.
Kion had finished speaking to Vitani, and had Kion watched the display as Danyal finally reunited with Almasi and her cubs and smiled. There was a certain innocence to their joy and their profound gratitude in seeing each other once more. He also appreciated the young lion's reaction to being scarred. He had gotten used to his own visage but it was another thing to have acceptance from the others. His own scar wasn't anything like as pronounced at the injuries and wounds that covered Danyal's face and body – though it carried with its own stigma. He also laughed at the young lion's reaction to the small cubs. He had never had any children with Rani. She had liked the idea. But they had been young. They had plenty of time. He was jolted out of his thoughts by a voice.
"Hey. Kion." A voice called out to him. Kion turned, and his mouth dropped open at the young hyena female in front of him. Older. Battle hardened. Her usual cockiness wasn't there. In fact, she looked nervous. Almost anxious.
"… Jasiri?" He asked her, in surprise. She gave him a small smile.
"Fancy seeing you here?" She joked.
"Jasiri!" He rushed towards his friend with a speed that would have made Fuli whistle in appreciation, and collided with her with such force Beshte would have grunted. "You're alive! You're okay! Jasiri!"
"Heh. How's it going?"
"How's it going? How's it going?! Vitani said the Outlands were slaughtered before they destroyed the Pridelands! I thought you were dead!" Now he knew something like what the cubs were feeling. It was as if she had been brought back to life in front of his eyes. The miracle before him shook him to his core and he embraced the hyenas. It was such a bizarre sight it drew the attention of some of the other onlookers. Some of the asiatics or some of the former slaves, but he didn't care. He held his friend close. Jasiri felt tears welling up but squashed them, and instead gave a hoarse laugh.
"It's good to see you too, Kion. So good to see you. I'm so sorry for… everything." She finished lamely. She didn't have the words. Kion sobered and looked at her, at her battle-hardened pelt, and at the haunted look to her eyes.
"Me too, Jasiri. Me too." He said. "I can't quite believe you're really here. I thought everyone…" He trailed off. It wasn't that he had given up hope. He'd never had it to begin with. The very notion seemed laughable. Yet there she was, standing in front of him, the first friend he ever made out of the Pridelands. He embraced her again and almost purred. "You're really alive." The display of affection caught her off guard. She was torn between embracement and her heart soaring with delight at the touch. She settled on the former and pushed him off though she kept grinning from ear to ear.
"Stop it, Kion! People are staring!" She protested. Kion laughed.
"Who gives a flying monkey?" He asked her "Hey, look everyone! Jasiri is alive! Look! My friend Jasiri survived!" He shouted over his shoulder at Helio and Jahi. Jasiri was blushing and conceding, leaned in to his embrace.
"I missed you, my friend." She told him.
"I missed you too."
Vitani didn't quite believe what she was seeing. "How are you all be here?" She asked, shaking her head. She counted Danyal, Kion, she could see Makini and then to her relief and delight, saw the unmistakeable bipedal form of Rafiki as well.
"At the last moment?" Zira asked. "Perhaps the Great Kings really are looking out for us after all." She suggested. Vitani glared at her, uncertain if her mother was making fun of her. Lukaan gave her a smile.
"You can thank King Kion for it, Lady Vitani. He was the one who learned as to your current situation. Might I express how impressed I am at your victories so far?" he asked her. Vitani shook her head.
"Don't be. I should have run with the cubs as soon as we found them. Now we are in a mess because we wouldn't leave the others behind. We might not live to regret that choice." She said darkly, keeping her voice low and hoping it didn't carry. Kion, who was no stranger leading an eclectic bunch of animals looked at Jasiri fondly, and shook his head.
"I wouldn't say that. You found Jasiri. And against all odds your mother." He still wasn't sure how he felt about that, but she knew war. That wasn't a small thing. "We may get out of this quickly. We just need Yessen to recover." He said. Vitani had been relieved to learn that Rafiki had returned to them, but less so to learn he had been accompanied by the strange baboon who had spirited him away from them in the first place. She didn't trust the strange Shaman, even if he seemed more of Rafiki's ilk than Marsade's.
"We have no way knowing when that will be. It was reckless coming here, Kion. Extremely reckless." She told him scowling. Then her expression softened. "But I am glad you did."
"As are we." Lukaan said. "My Pride and yours are to be one, Lady Vitani. We would be poor allies if we did not lend our assistance when called upon." The white lion said. Zira was staring at the strange male and his peculiar colouration intently and it was starting to make him uncomfortable.
"Are these lionesses of yours capable of fighting, Lukaan?"
"They are their own lionesses, Zira." Lukaan said, sharply. "And they have fought Imperials before." He assured her. Zira didn't look convinced. Many of them looked entirely too pretty and entirely un-battle-scarred to have seen much combat in her considered opinion.
"If we make it out of this Lukaan, you're going to have to get into the habit of dropping the Lady." Vitani told him. The blush Lukaan had at that was made extremely obvious by his white fur. He looked around at the various creatures they encountered there.
"I take it then, that your quest, was successful?" He asked. Vitani smiled, and nodded her head to Almasi and Danyal, who each had one of the two cubs on their backs. Danyal had Sara attempting to balance on his back as she had done when she was smaller, though in truth the two cubs were quite large now, and soon enough would be far too big for such things. Lukaan smiled at the sight of Danyal playing with the cub. Vitani nodded.
"Successful, yes. We were more than successful. We rescued every creature that was being held captive beneath the surface of that foul place. I cannot believe I once thought of that pillar of stone as home." Vitani said. The other asiatic lionesses were crowded in to meet them rescued cubs and Danyal introduced them to each and every one of them. With a start, Vitani was acutely aware that Danyal knew each of them by name and introduced each of them separately. She turned to Lukaan.
"I believe that we owe you our thanks as well. I didn't dare dream to see Danyal recover. Though the others were far more optimistic." She said, warmly. Lukaan only nodded.
"No thanks are necessary. The lad is a fine young lion and a worthy contribution to any Pride. We were more than happy to act as host whilst he recovered." He told her. He frowned. "We have much to discuss. Rafiki and his comrade Yessen, returned to us a short time ago. They have barely begun to recover their strength." he said. Vitani lowered her voice, as she replied.
"What were they up to? Do you know where they have been?"
"They went to heart of the Imperium… What they found there…" He trailed off. Without another wasted word he began to fill her in on all that had been discovered. Of Marsade's mountain cavern, his blood magic and black sorcery and of the hints of Asamode's treachery and foul creations.
"When they have recovered their strength, they will have to reopen that gateway." He told her. Vitani growled.
"We may not have the time to wait." She told him, lowering her voice. "They are close behind us. Tell me. Do you think with your people's aid we can move some of those stones?" She asked him.
Moving the stones blocking their way into the canyon quickly proved more difficult than expected, and Vitani hadn't expected it to be an easy task at any point. Several of the lionesses heaved and pulled at some of the larger rocks, but it was dangerous work. At one point they levered it out of the way, only for it to fall dangerously close to another pair of lionesses behind them and land with such thunderous force that it was clear it would have pulverized anyone unfortunate enough to be beneath it. What was more, more of the rocks from above filled in the gap, and sent a scattering of smaller rocks down below. Even clambering over the other rocks was a futile gesture.
"Watch out!" Helio roared as another merely flattened one of the cheetahs. Fortunately, Jahi was able to leap nimbly out of the way, but it was worrying. The cheetahs and the other felines had a better job at it, but Jasiri and Forn both struggled and there was no earthly way the hippopotamus Ghareth was ever going to possess the dexterity to get over the obstacle. It was clear to Vitani after only a few hours, but as the sun crept across the sky, she lacked the will to order them to stop. They needed to do something. Anything, to feel useful.
Not everyone was equipped for the arduous work. Standing nearby and watching nervously, was Almasi and Danyal. The two lions were together, with Almasi barely letting the three of them out of her sight. Damu saw her expression and she nodded to Vitani who was overseeing much of the hard work.
"It's a relief to have some many of us back together." Damu told her. "Even now." She said. Vitani almost shook her head, to proclaim that they weren't all back together. Not yet. But Damu of all people was hardly going to need reminding.
"We will find her. Her and Kiava." She promised her. She knew exactly what Damu was thinking even as she remained completely still. "Kion saw them. They're alive. They have allies. Friends even. The wraith is dead. The Imperium is a bigger threat to us right now than they are to them." She said. She voiced her thoughts, but she didn't know if she was saying it for her benefit or for Damu's.
"You don't know what it's like, Vitani." She said eventually. "To not know. To not want to know some days. When I had Zuri, before she even opened her eyes, I promised her that I would give her the life we couldn't have, in the Outlands. But she's out there in the wilds, alone."
"She's not alone. They have each other." Damu didn't cry. Her eyes weren't damp. They were like stone. And filled with such strength Vitani had to marvel at it.
"I have to believe that's enough." She told her.
"If it isn't, what hope do we have for ourselves?" Vitani asked her. Damu paused and nodded slowly. Vitani was right.
Kion grunted as he hauled at another of the stones. Makini's hands meant that she could get in the crevices and crags where his paws were unsuited, but she lacked the upper body strength to be of much use. It didn't stop her trying to help. Jasiri wasn't. She was maintaining a perimeter with her nose for tracking on the ground, some distance away. She sniffed and snorted.
"There's wilddogs everywhere here, Vitani." She told Vitani.
"I'm not surprised." Zira said. "The creatures are probably scouting ahead." She said.
"I wasn't talking to you!" Jasiri snapped, and Zira grumbled before lending her strength back to the rock she was heaving at with Jahi, Karrina, and Rei. Jasiri turned to Vitani expectantly. Vitani growled.
"She's probably right. But take a pair with you to scout around. The Shai'tan cannot be far behind us now, and Uhani can't have distracted them for long. I want some warning before they are right on top of us." She said, grimly. It was what Zira would have suggested, but her mother didn't say anything. She did however give her an approving glance before turning back to the wall of boulders.
Jasiri took the other panther Ras with her, as well as the wilddog Forn. She didn't say anything to the leopard she passed when she did so. She wasn't sure she trusted them just yet. The three dark furred creatures darted out and left the mix of creatures far behind them. Their camouflage was useful in the warm glow of the setting sun. They looked like shadows cast upon the dark stone of the canyon. It wasn't quite the Outlands, but it was dry and dusty and she knew just beyond the canyon lay the wide-open desert that bordered the western edge of the Pridelands. She wasn't looking forward to the journey.
"Hey, Jasiri?" The panther asked her, as they ran. Jasiri cocked her head. She wasn't usually one for conversation, even though she was in a good mood.
"Eyes ahead, panther. We're on the lookout for minions of the Shai'tan." She reminded him. "Right. But… Uh. I was wondering…" He trailed. Off She sighed.
"Out with it." She said, eventually.
"You seemed to know the lions who've arrived?" He asked her. Forn barked a laugh as he did so.
"Are you kidding?" Forn asked chuckling. The grey dog looked amused. "That was Kion. Former Fiercest of the Lion Guard? The son of old King Simba? Of course, Jasiri knows him. Haven't you heard the stories?" He asked him. Ras didn't seem to recognise them, which prompted Forn to scowl in annoyance. "Where have you been?"
"Well sorry, geezer." Ras said. "Is he famous or something?"
"You're winding me up."
"Quiet." Jasiri snapped, and the two ceased talking. Jasiri inhaled deeply. "There."
"What? I don't smell… Oh. Oh." Ras said as the wind changed slightly. Spirits, how had Jasiri caught that? She scowled.
"Rish'ut is with them. I can smell him." She confirmed. "And… something else. Something I don't recognise." She told him, her brow furrowed.
"Let's let a little closer." Forn suggested. The wilddog stared at his former packmates, glowering. There were nearly two packs of them. And jackals with them too. Most alarmingly was the group of cheetahs, just like Jahi had said. They were much closer than she had guessed they were. Rish'ut must have threatened to skin the wilddogs alive to allow them to keep pace with them.
"Is anyone on sentry?" Ras asked, curiously.
"Doesn't look like it. Hang on, what the hell is that!" Jasiri gasped, catching sight of one of the larger lumbering creatures. Another of the Shai'tan? No, something new. A spotted and striped creature of enormous proportions. It surveyed the area around where the Shai'tan's pack of creatures had stopped to rest and Forn dragged her to the dirt as she was momentarily stunned.
"Kings protect us." Forn muttered in horror. Jasiri wasn't sure the kings would be much use against that thing.
"Damn." She muttered. Their sudden movement had dislodged some rocks and made a loud noise. She paused in silence as she waited to see if they had been discovered. When a few moments passed and they remained alive, she decided they hadn't been.
"We have to get back to Vitani now. There's no way we'll be able to clear that rockslide in time." She told them.
"Why are they just sitting there? Do they know where we are?" Forn asked her, sounding shocked.
"If they did why would they stop?" Ras asked, looking worried. Jasiri swallowed. Her mouth was going dry. She didn't like this one bit.
"Back. Come on." She said, and moved out of the way. They rushed back.
Rafiki kept his eye on Yessen, and inwardly cursed himself. He should have guessed the baboon wasn't fit enough to move yet, but the urgency of Kion's words had moved him. For once he was not elated to have pierced Yessen's stubborn. He had always been a wait and see kind of person, blessed with an abundance of caution and content to wait. Recklessness was not his nature. He shouldn't have tried to commit to such a working of shamanic power. But Kion had been right too. They had needed to do something. If only the baboon hadn't exerted himself.
"Is your friend going to be okay?" a young voice asked him. Rafiki turned and saw a dark furred, dark eyed cub, looking at him. Rafiki frowned. This wasn't one of Almasi's cub, but he didn't recall Vitani saying that anyone else had been caught in the web of the Shai'tan's power during their attack on the Kion's Pride.
"Rafiki doesn't know. He hopes so." Rafiki told him, honestly. Truth be told, the Shaman had survived worse. Things and injuries that for many mortals would be fatal. But Rafiki knew better than anyone that sometimes a healer could do little more than sit back and wait after all herbs and poultices had been administered.
"He's the one who brought you here isn't he?" He asked him. Rafiki nodded.
"That is so." He said. "I am called Rafiki. Who might you be?" He asked him.
"My name is Koron." He said.
"Koron. You were in the stronghold of the Shai'tan when Vitani rescued the Pridelander cubs?" He asked him. Koron nodded.
"I survived there for longer than almost anyone. Except maybe the Oracle." He admitted. He sounded almost proud of that record. Rafiki frowned at that. He didn't like to think what the Shai'tan could have wanted with a cub like Koron. It was a terrible thing.
"And you escaped with the others? You are a brave one, young one. Are you by yourself?" He asked him.
"I'm with Sara and Inti." He said after a moment. "Sara and Inti say we could all be Pridelanders now." He said, looking over at where she sat along with Danyal and Sundar and Inti and Almasi. Rafiki nodded.
"Do you like the sound of that?" He asked him, smiling. Koron sniffed.
"I don't really know what it means." He said. "But it sounds better than being a rogue wandering the middle of nowhere, and much better than being one of the prisoners of the Shai'tan." He admitted.
"Perhaps then you ought to go and introduce yourself to the rest of their Pride?" Rafiki suggested. Koron sniffed.
"I don't think their mother likes me very much." He admitted. "She saw me to try to… She saw me fighting with Init." He said after a moment. Rafiki shook his head.
"I have not noticed the Pridelanders holding grudges. Least of all on behalf of others. If Inti is your friend, then I assure you that Inti's friends would want to meet you too." He told him. Koron didn't look convinced but he nodded. Paused for a few moments whilst worked up the nerve, and eventually moved over to where Sara and Inti were standing. Rafiki watched in satisfaction as he saw Sara excitedly introduce the dark cub to Danyal and the others.
"We've got company!" he heard a voice cry out in fear. That drew attention, and Vitani turned as she saw Jasiri thundering towards them. She was closely followed by Forn and Ras who looked panicked.
"Wilddogs?" Vitani asked. Jasiri spat.
"Worse." She said. It was all the warning they had. A panicked shout went out from some of the other former slaves of the Shai'tan and Rafiki leapt in front of Makini and the others as they made out the unmistakable sight of a tiger stalking towards him. It wasn't Rish'ut. It was Asamode. The One-Eyed leacher who had laid waste to the Night Pride. Rafiki felt his stomach twist as he saw two other shapes walking shoulder to shoulder of him. Tigons. Monstrous hybrids like the ones he had seen at Shien's Spear. Creations of Marsade with powerful and corruptive Shamanism.
"Well." Asamode called out. "Is there anyone among this rabble of former slaves and savages with the authority or courage to negotiate with me?" He asked. Danyal climbed to his feet and tried to move between him and the others, but Almasi held him back, fearfully. Some of the others didn't react quiet as calmly. One of the jaguar sisters gave a yell and darted back and away from him, looking anxiously around for a route of escape. Rish'ut watched the display with a sordid satisfaction. A cruel smile was etched across his face. "I assure you. I come in peace." He said.
Vitani stared at the sight in shock. He made no move to proceed further or to attack them. The Shai'tan was alone, except for the hybrids that bracketed him. Vitani swallowed, and took a few steps towards him. In a few moments, Kion was beside her, and Lukaan was there too. The three lions were standing between him and the other members of their group. If Rish'ut was surprised by the appearance of Lukaan and the presence of even more lions in the form of the asiatics, he didn't show it. He simply glowered.
"Lady Vitani. And King Kion! I did not expect to see you here!" He said, almost delighted. Kion's face was stormy. He took a single step forward but then Jasiri was there by his side, pushed again him.
"You!" Memories came crashing back to him. Of the One-Eyed Shai'tan who had brought devastation to his world. Who had killed his mate and his family. Asamode chuckled. His single eye landing on each of the creatures in turn. It sent shivers down their spines, leaving them with the sensation of being pierced, poked and prodded.
"You were foolish to come here without your packs of dogs." Kion warned him.
"You would attack a tiger here on a mission of peace?" Asamode asked him, sounding amused at the concept.
"The Shai'tan don't believe in Peace." Lukaan spat. Rish'ut stared at him for a moment and blinked. Then he smiled.
"Well, you are not wrong about that. But I do believe in efficiency. At my back there are enough wilddogs and jackals to tear you all into tiny pieces." He declared. "However, with no word of Amun's success in the Shadowlands yet the Imperium finds itself depleted somewhat. These creatures you have slowed yourself down to protect mean very little to me, Pridelanders. I have no orders concerning them. In fact, Golgorath has been purged. Rish'ut is terribly disappointed. I want to do something nice for him." He taunted them. "He is fully prepared to attack you as soon as is convenient. In fact, he is quite looking forward to it." He sneered. He looked past the lions and glowered at the cubs standing behind them. "We know where you are. We know you cannot escape. We know your numbers and your capabilities and we know you shall find yourself dead in the dirt by sunset tomorrow. We know you cannot possibly hope to escape."
"So, you've come here to boast and gloat?" Lukaan asked him. "If you think it makes you look impressive, you're wrong. And if you came here to intimidate us – "
"I am here to offer an understanding. As much as I am eager to see my… creations… in action. I do not wish to spend the next several moons playing cat and mouse with you like Sekhmet or Rish'ut. I have other concerns that weigh on my attention." He told them. "I am here to offer you and understanding. I even have a gift, as a token of my goodwill and affection." He told them. One of the tigons dropped something to the ground, and there was a gasp that went through the crowd as they could finally make out what it was.
"Uhani!"
It was the wildcat. He grunted in pain. One of his legs was twisted at a broken angle, his face was twisted in pain, and he shouted out.
"No! Let me go! No!" He writhed beneath his claws. Asamode took a moment to enjoy the sensation, then looked back at the Pridelanders.
"What have you done to him?! Let him go!" One of the cubs shouted out to him. He chuckled.
"You have a lot of affection for a confessed traitor." He said. He paused as he let the word sink in. "Oh, you didn't know? He is my gift to you. A token of my good faith and honesty. Uhani here was Rish'ut's little whisperer even before your escape attempt, I am given to understand. That was how my fellow Shai'tan knew about your little escapade fixing his precious little games. How he knew exactly where you were heading, and how we knew you were going to try to make it through the canyon to the desert. It was child's play to get ahead of you with some of the cheetahs and seal off the exit with a rockslide." He taunted them. "It's sad. You can't trust anyone these days." He said, mockingly. That settled through the creatures and caused gasps of shock. Uhani? He had been one of them! One of the fighters. Inti looked disturbed and Sara looked about to cry.
Asamode looked amused. Uhani looked at them in panic, and back to the Asamode, who crushed him to the ground.
"What understanding?" Kion asked him. "Because as far as I understand I want to rip you apart."
"Like I said. I have no desire to be chasing you for moons. But most of these creatures mean nothing to me. I want your leaders to surrender to me. Vitani, Former King Kion, and Former Prince Lukaan. Those in possession of royal blood. I can also promise your… eventual… deaths, will be swift." Asamode told them casually.
"Why would we do a thing like that?" Vitani asked him, scowling.
"Well, if you did, I would persuade my fellow Shai'tan to let the rest of you go. Even those cubs you've spent so much time rescuing, save one. Rish'ut has fantasies about mounting heads on spires in the Outlands, but he takes things too personally. Not to mention all those other prisoners you've freed from Rish'ut's rule. Run away into the wilds, far from the Pridelands and we shall give no chase." Asamode said.
"Funny." Kion said. "We're supposed to just take you at your word?" He asked him. Asamode grinned at him.
"That's your decision." He told him. The three lions stared at him, and then looked at one another. Vitani knew that Kion would gladly trade his life for theirs given the choice, but she didn't believe him for one moment.
"What do you mean, save one?" She asked him. Asamode shrugged.
"The Emperor has demanded we hunt down the Prince of the Pridelands. He fears a movement to restore the Lion Kings. For me to be free to act as I wish I require the Emperor to be placated for the time being. A cub he can reasonably believe to be the long-lost Prince of the Pridelands will suffice. It matters not to me." He told them. That sent a chill through the air. Sara and Inti looked at one another, frozen in fright.
"Rut you." She told him.
"It doesn't need to actually be the Prince, or even a male if that –"
"I said rut you!" Vitani shouted.
"Excuse me?"
"You were pushing your luck when you demanded the lives of innocent lions, Shai'tan." Lukaan growled, agreeing with the sentiment entirely. "If you think we will sacrifice the life of a child to save a single one of us, you are sorely mistaken!" He growled. "You should leave whilst you still have a chance, Shai'tan. Do you expect us to take such an offer?" Lukaan said. Asamode grinned.
"No. I expect you won't." He said smiling. His teeth showed through where his lips had been sliced clean of on one side. There, it looked less like a smile, and more like a snarl. The effect was terrifying. "But nevertheless, I would consider carefully my friend. Believe me, I make no idle threats. I am curious: what is it like to be a member of an endangered species? I only ask because the asiatic Prides are all but extinct. Do you really want be responsible for the death on an entire species, should you fail?" Asamode said, lightly. His words provoked a roar of outrage from Lukaan and the sentiment was echoed by Helio and several of the asiatic lions in their company. It wasn't just the lions either. There were roars and growls and calls for blood by animals of all species from the former fighters. To Vitani's relief (and subsequent shame for even thinking they might consider it) none of the former fighters sought to take up the Shai'tan on their offer. Nor did any of the Pridelanders take kindly to the notion of their former captors threatening their most recent of allies with genocide.
Forn gave a loud bark. "We would never offer a cub in payment for our own lives!" He declared. "You would understand that if you had a shred of a soul lingering in that carcass you call a body." He shouted at him. Asamode bowed his head.
"As you say." He said. "I'll leave you with the offer, and allow you till sunrise to reconsider. But know this Pridelanders. If you flee, we will follow. If you scatter, we will hunt you down. If you surrender… you may in the days ahead, find it beneficial to have accords with the mightiest of the Shai'tan. Make your choice wisely. Keep the wildcat." He said to them. He turned around and without the faintest trace of fear or apprehension turned his back to the Pridelanders and stalked away, accompanied by his two hybrid offspring who never so much as uttered a word. Uhani was left writhing on the ground, gasping.
"W… Wait!" He called out. But Asamode ignored him. He grunted in pain.
With his departure, the outrage and zealotry much of the fighters possessed faded with him, and the cold reality of their situation began to sink in on them. Danyal was shaking and Almasi closed a paw protectively around her two cubs. Danyal ran to her, limping slightly as he did so.
"Vitani. What are we going to do?" He asked her. Jasiri glanced at Kion, looking unsure. Zira growled in fury and flexed her claws. Vitani was steely eyed and focused as she always seemed to be. Even when she was hiding inner turmoil. She turned to Lukaan. Those hybrids changed things. Changed things a lot.
"Hold on." Sara said. "We need to deal with this first. Uhani… How could you?" She asked. The injured wildcat flinched away from her disapproving eyes.
"I… He was lying! Obviously!" Uhani protested, but the words didn't even sound believable on his own lips.
"I say we kill him!" Koron barked from the side.
"Me too!" Inti snapped. "How many died because of him? All those people…" He shook his head. The former slaves seemed to like the idea of that, and Vitani was inclined to grant it, but Almasi had gasped at the words coming from her son. Vitani agreed with the sentiment, even if hearing it from Inti was startling. Sara looked between them, looking shock.
"No!" Uhani shouted out. "Please don't! I'm sorry!" He begged. His begging seemed to be directed to the cubs too, strangely. But many of the former prisoners of the Regent did seem to look to the twins for their guidance was a funny thing.
"I would certainly like to." Vitani sneered. Traitors. She hated traitors. She paused. Everyone was looking to her now. She growled. She looked around. Everyone was staring at the wildcat. Except for her mother. Zira was staring at her. It wasn't what her brother would have done. It wasn't what Simba would have done either. "Get out of here." She shouted to him. "If we ever see you again, I'll take your head." She roared.
"Thank you! Thank you!" And he ran way, with a shambolic limp, trying to run on three legs. He almost managed it when Vitani roared after him. Koron growled.
"What did you do that?!" He asked her. Vitani glowered.
"I don't need to explain myself to you, cub." She snapped, and Koron glanced away, but sniffed disapprovingly. Sara looked relieved and Inti looked conflicted. Vitani couldn't resist glancing at her mother who looked… confused.
"You may regret that." She told her. Not as much as she'd regret killing him. She didn't execute people. She would kill in battle. Not a wounded creature who couldn't defend itself. At least that is what she told herself.
"We don't have time to argue about that." She said, firmly. "Lukaan. How long could we hold off the entire group, if Helio, Danyal, and Sundar escaped with the cubs and those too young to fight?" She said quietly. At that suggestion though Danyal growled.
"Oh no. No, you aren't doing that to me again! Vitani, please." He begged her. Vitani ignored her and looked at Kion and Lukaan. Kion though shook his head.
"There are too many. If we split up so would their fighters. And we are still trapped here. Without the Shai'tan to open a Gateway." Kion said. Vitani cursed Uhani and almost moaned in frustration.
"You came all this way just to die with us!" She growled in frustration. "I don't…" She trailed off. "There's nothing left we can do…" She said, angrily. Lukaan swallowed.
"Of course, there is, girl." Zira told her. "We can fight." She declared. "Fight with our all. Make them pay in blood for every inch of ground they cover. Then, when all of the wilddogs and jackals are dead and those creatures are slain, we can deal with the Shai'tan themselves." She said. Kion closed his eyes. Not for the first time he wished he could still use the roar of the elders. He could clear the rockslide. Or even turn it upon the Shai'tan.
"We have numbers here. Numbers we haven't had in a long time. If we scatter and split apart, I don't know when we will next have this kind of advantage." Lukaan told her. That was true enough. With all the animals from Golgorath…
Kion nodded in assent to what Lukaan was saying.
"It's a gamble. If we can pull this off… Two Shai'tan, dead in a single battle? It will be a crippling blow to the Shai'tan. And who knows what that might lead to? There must be more animals like those in the slavepits, who would fight against the Shai'tan if they thought that path held anything other than death… I think we should risk it. I am tired of running. Tired of hiding. I say we fight." he said. The prospect of getting his claws around Asamode… Jasiri nodded.
"They aren't indestructible." She said. She had failed against Rish'ut, but she had made him bleed.
Vitani looked over their shoulders at the former slaves. Most hadn't even had the chance to interact with either of the lions. Most hadn't even had the chance to get a good look at their allies. And yet here they were, preparing to fight alongside them. It would be chaos.
"Then we fight." She said. At this, the other animals gave a small cheer. It wasn't loud, but it was earnest.
The Sun had set and Uhani was still in the ravine. The thought was worrying. Come the morning he might need to deal with carrion. That thought chilled him. Even as he dragging his broken form across the dirty dusty canyon. Every movement triggered wave upon wave of agony through his body and especially his leg. He growled to himself grunting in pain. He was alive. He could adapt. That's what cats did. They always landed on their feet and in this respect, he would hit the ground running.
Asamode was a sadist. It would have been easier to kill him, but… No. He couldn't think like that, and he would punish that mistake. He had assumed he was doing well. He had been well positioned to reap the rewards, and Rish'ut might have granted it, but Asamode, was another beast entirely and Rish'ut had no desire to still his tendencies.
"I was loyal." He muttered to himself, and found himself low on options. The agonising pain was distracting. He let himself rest for a moment; his breathing laboured.
The Pridelanders would never accept his return. But that matter. By tomorrow they would all be dead anyway. The Shai'tan had let him live though, that was their first mistake. But he had always possessed a talent for blending into the background. Most people forgot he was there and it was easy to forget how much a spy could listen to people on both sides. He knew secrets. He knew plans.
For example, He knew the true name and nature of the Emperor's Jewel. But most importantly, he knew of Asamode's schemes and plots. He dragged his body. It was slow going. But he would manage it. He would go to the Emperor, and spill everything. The Emperor would reward him. The Emperor would love to learn of Asamode's plans, and of the tigons. He could tell all.
Then he would be the one laughing. He would ask that Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra sever Asamode's hamstrings, before killing him. All four of them. He would have to pull himself long the filthy ground by his mouth and tongue, rather than drag one leg. He would get his revenge! Soon enough. All that was needed was –
"CRACK!"
A twig snapped behind him. Uhani froze, and then turned.
"Who's there?" He asked. His instincts said to dart to the side, but his injury left him helpless. There was another loud CRACK! to his right, and he whirled.
"Show yourself!" He ordered. He looked left and right. Then out of the darkness, a lioness stepped. Uhani shivered at the sight. "Rish'ut's Oracle!" he gasped. Zira leered at him.
"That is not my name." She told him.
"Zira. Scar's Queen." He said, flinching. "What are you doing here."
"I wanted to see how you were doing, my treacherous little friend. Haven't you heard? I am the queen of traitors." She told him. Uhani swallowed.
"I am hurt… But I am not dead." Uhani told her. "And I have a plan." He said. Zira arched an eyebrow. "Asamode isn't as loyal to the Emperor as he pretends to be. He has his own plans. Rish'ut is out of favour with the Emperor and is easily swayed. If we return to the Outlands, if we inform the Emperor of their treason, we'll be rewarded! I know it!" Uhani told her.
"You really think so?" Zira asked him.
"I know so! I have a talent for surviving!"
"Not from where I am standing. Between here and Golgorath, there are dozens upon dozens of dangerous creatures that might snap up a creature such as yourself." She told him. Uhani hissed. He knew that. He knew that very well. He had survived by always knowing who the powerful were and aligning himself with them. Almost always.
"Maybe." He conceded. "But you can change that. They don't want you here. You're a ghost story they tell their cubs about. I've seen how they look at you, what they think of you! We can have our revenge on Rish'ut and Asamode, and have all the power! Come with me!" Uhani said.
"Come with you and protect you from your enemies, you mean." Zira said. She shook her head. "You misunderstand me, Uhani. The Pridelanders might be merciful. My daughter might even have let herself become infected by them. But a truth that I was never allowed to forget as a child, a truth that I could never erase… Is that I am not a Pridelander. I am an Outlander. And I am here for my pound of flesh." She hissed. Uhani's eyes widened.
"W… Wait!" But Scar had taught her better than that, even she hadn't been able to pass it on to her children. One did not suffer a threat to live. And if they somehow ever escaped from this mess, Uhani would be a serious threat. Zira lunged with a growl, claws extended and Uhani screamed.
Zira had to slink back to the rejoin the others. It wasn't hard to sneak away, but it was dangerous. Still, very few seemed to have noticed her absence.
"Who goes there?" But someone had. Someone with scars, dark fur, and green eyes. She nearly jolted before the shapes formed into the young scarred lion that had arrived with the asiatics. She groaned. She'd obviously woken someone up.
"Just me." She admitted. "I was simply taking care of a little business." She said. It was an appropriate euphemism given the circumstances. She looked to see which of the animals had caught her, and blinked when she was it was Danyal, the young lion she had seen the cubs fawning over, despite clearly being an unrelated specimen, given his darker fur. He was definitely a Pridelander though. Not one of the asiatics. Curious.
"Zira." Danyal said. His eyes narrowed.
"Ah. You've heard of me, I presume." She said.
"Vitani's mother. Who hasn't?" He asked her.
"Then I shan't trouble you further, boy. You aren't frightened of me?" She asked, curiously. Danyal snorted.
"Of what you'll do?" He asked. "All the stories said you were supposed to be smart. If Vitani thought you were a threat to anyone, you wouldn't be standing here, and I trust her. I don't think she always likes me, but I know to trust her judgement. Most of the time." Danyal told her, scowling.
"I'm flattered. I hadn't thought my daughter had won such loyalty yet." Zira said. "What is your name, boy? How old are you? You're too young to have known me before." She said.
"Danyal. You knew my mother." Danyal said, continuing to glare at her. Zira shifted. For once she felt off balance.
"Ah." There was a long awkward silence. He continued to scowl at her. She didn't like that look. "Did… Did I…?"
"Did you kill her?" He snorted. "No. She died a long time ago." He said.
"Ah." She was almost relieved. That would make things… awkward. She tried to regain control of the conversation. "Danyal. Danyal. Are you the one who has been telling the cubs stories of the Great Queen Zira?" She asked him. Danyal blinked unsure now for the first time. He wasn't stupid. He had no intention of making her angry.
"Everyone knows who you are, and what you did. I'm hardly to blame if you don't like the stories, they tell of you." Danyal told her. Zira glowered at that at first but then sighed.
"No. I suppose not. Let that be a warning and a lesson to you, young Danyal." Zira said. "If you think you can learn from me and my tale. I am not a lioness without regrets. Perhaps, you'll tell other stories of me, in time." She told him. Whatever Danyal had been expecting, that wasn't it. His eyes narrowed.
"I rather doubt it. My mother told me all about you. I'll admit you're not how I imagined you, but you are as mad as Scar if you think – "
"How did you imagine me? Eyes of burning fire? A heart of stone?" She asked him with a snort.
"I don't know." He admitted candidly.
"Huh. Well. Feast your eyes." She said, almost preening. But it was a sarcastic, bitter movement. Danyal looked away. He didn't take joy in seeing anyone's injuries. It seemed almost hypocritical. "You should speak to one of the Shaman. Yessen, if he wakes up. Makini if not. I'm guessing you don't want to speak to Rafiki. He was rather shocked you turned out to be alive too. It's hard to surprise him." Danyal suggested. Zira chuckled at that.
"I appreciate the concern." She said. "Though I'll be losing an eye before I subject myself to that raving lunatic of a Shaman." She said dismissively. "Nobody is more shocked than I, that I have lived this long." She said. Danyal continued to glare at her, caught between his intense suspicion and distrust of the devil queen, and his instinct that someone who was wounded needed his help. Zira seemed to enjoy his discomfort. Slowly he allowed her to pass. She nodded her head, and stepped past him to rejoin the others. Danyal continued to glare at her. There was something unsettlingly familiar about him, but she dismissed it. Everyone had been exhausted, and most were resting now. In preparation for the battle tomorrow.
"What were you doing out here?" She asked him. Danyal snorted.
"Thinking." He said. "About what we are going to do."
"Come to any conclusions?" Zira asked him, snorting.
"None I liked." He said, and settled back to down to sleep. He looked uncomfortable. Zira stared at him for a moment. He bothered her. But she sniffed again, and pushed past him and found her own sleep.