The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 9: Promise

The battle in the Outlands was coming to an end, hyenas kept appearing from every unexpected corner, every crack around Kiara, Rani and their far smaller group, already diminished by the abysmal advantage the hyenas had achieved, the number of lions at the battlefield could be easily counted, contrary to the vast hordes of hyenas that were battling them. Kiara was anguished, seeing dead lions everywhere she looked, knowing the battle had been lost. "Lions!" Kiara screamed loudly, roaring after the call. "Retreat!"

Rani fought with five hyenas on her own, evading their bites and jumps, biting their sides with precision, she could manage for a while, but two of the hyenas reached for her and bit her side, near her front leg, Rani moved quickly by the pain, unable to get her skin off their teeth, screaming as a plead for help, two lions arrived to aid her, jumping at the hyenas with a roar, tackling them, freeing Rani from their powerful bites, laughs of struggle were heard before the fatal bites of the lions, who didn't hesitate to attack the other three hyenas.

"Run, my queen!" One of the lions said while throwing blows at the hyenas.

Rani was getting into her paws, effortfully as she was gravely injured, blood was dripping from her wound continuously, which hurt her even more at each step she took. "Kiara!" Rani exclaimed, trying to get her attention as she was between the group of lions that was left, getting surrounded by more hostile hordes of hyenas, who didn't let them retire. "Kia…" Rani suddenly fell to the ground, breathing brokenly, groaning by the intense pain she was feeling. She closed her eyes and only felt that someone carried her before getting completely unconscious.

Kiara growled at the menacing hordes along with the remaining lions and lionesses, the lions that had helped Rani had perished under the claws of the hyenas. "Today, the lineage of Simba loses her first born, a punishment, for the ones who abandoned us!" Jazanu, captain of the Outland's main legions, said.

The laughing of the enemy increased after their captain's statement, making the lions to adopt more defensive positions, growling and locking their eyes on theirs. A powerful, strong laugh was heard from afar. The laughs stopped simultaneously. Kiara raised an eyebrow, sharing the same look of confusion with what was left of her group. The lines of hyenas separated to open the way to their queen, who walked with authority and determination while carrying Rani on her back. After a long moment of expectation, the queen of the Outlands arrived where Kiara and her group was, crouching a bit to let Rani slip down to the ground gently. Kiara gasped and approached her, seeing she was still breathing, also noticing her wound, she then gestured at a pair of male lions, who nodded with acceptance and respect, walking towards Rani and carefully getting her over their backs. Kiara nodded at them with thankfulness and then glanced back at the hyena, who was looking at her with a straight face, sitting down with her lower jaw raised a bit, demonstrating power and authority. "Jasiri." Kiara said.

Jasiri didn't say anything for a moment then sighed and looked upwards. "The sun is still young, Queen of the Pridelands." She got into her four paws and walked towards Kiara, stopping right in front of her. "And the blood of your pride already paints our land."

Kiara growled at her. "What does this means?" She gestured briefly at Rani.

"It's a chance, Kiara." Jasiri began to walk around her, not minding the menacing growls of the lions. "A chance I'm giving you and your pride to leave our land and never come back!" Her statement echoed among the rows of hyenas, laughs of warning were heard after so.

"You broke the decree, Jasiri." Kiara stated, also walking while looking into her eyes. "You knew the consequences."

Jasiri chuckled with mockery. "Consequences?" She gestured at the piles of dead lions. "The only thing you've shown is the great weakness of Mufasa's kingdom."

Kiara growled. "Stop invading…our land!" She let out a powerful roar, Jasiri didn't flinch.

"Your land?" Jasiri suddenly stopped walking, turning and glaring at the sky. "That's not what Kion promised me time ago." She thought for a long moment. "I still remember the words of the king."

Jasiri and Kion were hunting together at the savanna, among other lions and hyenas, running between the occasional trees and lakes. Jasiri glared at him. "You think you can beat me?" She chuckled arrogantly. "Let's see who throws the first bite!" She focused on the families of zebras they were chasing.

"Oh, is that a challenge?" Kion playfully raised an eyebrow, they both had reached the early adulthood, his mane had grown considerably, still being vaster on the top of his head.

"Maybe." Jasiri didn't slow down her rush.

"Well, if that's the case…" Kion chuckled and started to run faster, briefly getting past Jasiri, who shared his daring chuckle and hurried her steps.

They kept running, followed by their respective groups, the glares of Jasiri and Kion never deviated from the zebras that got closer at each quick step they took. They started to get fatigued but kept hurrying, finally reaching the zebras' hind legs, jumping at them, sending three zebras to the grassy ground, the other lions and hyenas reached the remaining zebras and began to attack them.

Kion and Jasiri killed the three zebras with several fatal bites, eating some of their meat and laying over the ground for a moment to recover their breaths, sighing while the other lions enjoyed their meals. Kion chuckled and looked at Jasiri. "I won."

"Hey! I bit first and you know it!" Jasiri argued.

"It's a…tie, then." Kion smirked at her, raising his eyebrow.

"No, I won't accept that." Jasiri stood up and approached him. "I won, Kion."

Kion smiled and lowered his head, shaking it, he then glared at her and gestured at the dead zebras, giving her the reason. "Alright, after you."

Jasiri bowed her head with thankfulness, looking at the feast with arrogance. "Thank you." She walked towards one of the zebras and started to eat, expressing satisfaction.

"Is it that good?" Kion inquired, walking towards her.

Jasiri munched the zebra's meat a few more times before speaking. "I can't remember the last time I ate zebra." She chuckled before taking another bite.

"Well, you could eat zebra every day." Kion got closer to the zebra and started to eat too.

"That would be good." Jasiri kept eating. "But there are no zebras in the Outlands."

"That I know, Jasiri." Kion looked at her. "This place is big enough."

Jasiri stopped eating and looked at him. "I don't know, Kion. I respect your father's laws on hunting, but I can't say the same of the others." She poked her head, seeing her equals eating way faster than the lions. "They can't control themselves, so, it's better to keep them out of your land, but I appreciate this, uhm, invitation."

"You are the leader, aren't you?" Kion asked

"Yeah, but...I don't know." Jasiri said. "Maybe I could, uhm, ask them what they think about it." She smirked at him. "But thanks, Kion. I really appreciate it."

"Hey, there is nothing to be thankful for. I promise you that some day, the Outlanders will be welcome to live in the Pride Lands." Kion stated firmly, making her smile with thankfulness, he returned her the smile and then they kept eating.

Jasiri's direct, confident glare was locked on the clouds that covered the sky. "Promises are promises, Kiara." She looked at Kiara over her back. "And royal ones are even stronger."

Kiara growled at her. "That deal, or whatever you're talking about, it was broken by the council's decree. You belong to the Outlands." Kiara stopped walking and sat down a few steps behind her. "You know who proposed the decree, Jasiri?"

Jasiri stood silent for a moment, reflecting on Kiara's words, lowering her head, glancing at the ground. "He is not the same." She got into her paws and started to walk calmly around Kiara. "My friend, my brother got lost time ago, and I…"

"Don't you call him that way." Kiara warned with a growl.

Jasiri frowned at her. "Kion." She said the name loudly. "He betrayed his past, his values." Jasiri stated. "But I'll still take the promise he made to me, as it came from the Kion I knew, the joyful, fair and compassionate lion that was my friend! He was my friend!" She exclaimed with tears on her eyes. "And a friend's promise, is greater, much greater than a meaningless decree!"

"Then you leave us with no more choice than war! To all of the hyenas!" Kiara exclaimed with anger, the remaining lions roared fiercely.

"And tell Kion to come with everything he's got!" Jasiri approached her rapidly, enraged and determined. "Tell him to bring his fiercest, strongest legions to the Outlands! As a great army, the greatest of armies will await with open jaws." She growled at her. "And that I'll be waiting for him, to kill him for breaking the promise that he once made to all of us."

Kiara grunted and turned, looking at her pride and gesturing frontwards, starting to walk away. She stopped walking and gave a final glare at Jasiri. "You are in no position to ask me anything, Jasiri. But be sure that devastation will rain over these lands, when you less expect it."