Chapter 8: Another direction awaits

(A few minutes later, in the stealth warehouse...)

The hunters were inside, resting a little in some chairs while the baby animals cried in fear. One of the bad guys, who woke up, began hitting the bars of all the boxes in order to silence his victims.

"Shut up, you crazy beasts!" he yelled at them, waking up his companion, "Hey, it's morning, let's take these animals to the airfield before they drive me crazy."

"Okay, okay," the second hunter responded. Next, he lit a cigarette, got up and walked towards the door, "I'll start the car... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The reason for the scream was that a large lion had suddenly knocked him down, immobilizing both his arms so that he could avoid grabbing his weapon (which had rolled on the ground). The other hunter tried to help him, shooting him with a pistol.

With a quick reaction, Dan dodged the shot. However, the other had also managed to take his gun, so he was cornered. It was that moment: he raised a paw, as if it were a sign of surrender. As he did so, a quick but powerful glow came from the insole of his paw towards the eyes of both hunters, who fired, hopelessly missing.

"I see nothing!" one shouted.

"I'm blind!" shouted the other.

And it was true: his irises had turned white, as if his eyes had lost any hint of color...or light. Likewise, both hunters collapsed, as if all their strength had been taken away from them. Almost immediately, Dan understood what the shaman had told him:

"...the darkness is blinded by the light…"

"I didn't know it was so literal…" he said to himself, "You can come in now, Ono!"

The egret entered through an open window and was impressed at how Dan had already pinned the two hunters down.

"Woah, I've never seen power like that…" he commented.

"I don't plan to use it many times, to avoid attracting attention" Dan replied, "Now help me: we're going to free everyone. Let me know if you find Simba first."

"Alright!"

Dan was in charge of opening the cell locks, because he knew how to do it. While Ono went from one place to another, guiding the newly freed animals and looking for the prince. However, Dan's heart sank deeply when they had several kids (antelopes, gazelles, zebras, hippos, giraffes, etc.) but there was no sign of Simba.

"Simba! "Simba!" he shouted desperately, hoping that he was somewhere in there.

"Excuse me…" said a small gazelle, "I saw that they took a lion cub…"

"Really little one?" the king asked desperately, because it was normal for a father to worry about his son.

"They said they would take it in advance even if... Sharp."

Dan had a strange feeling: somehow, that name sounded familiar... from where? Before he could think endlessly, one of the hippos accidentally broke a wooden table.

"Oops, sorry your majesty…" the creature apologized.

But Dan had found a clue in that accident: a notebook had fallen from the table and was open to the last page. On it, an address was written: 'Master Sharp's Circus.'

(Flashback)

One night, when Dan was a human child, he was hungry. His uncle had sent him away without dinner, only for being in bad mood. However, he had managed to sneak into the kitchen, hoping to find at least some bread.

While passing by the trophy study (from the hunts), he almost went into cardiac arrest when he heard his uncle's voice. Luckily for him, it was not him he was addressing, but someone who was inside the studio, with him.

"You should work for Mr. Sharp, the pay is considerable…" said the voice.

"You know I'm not interested in your ridiculous circus; I have better hunts than just seizing stupid animals…" his uncle's voice responded, "Besides, your boss and I don't get along: that guy is really crazy, have you seen that piece of hawk you have?"

He couldn't hear the rest, because his stomach was growling. However, after a while, he could hear the sound of a car moving. Looking out the window of his room, he could see a car driving away with some initials...

(End of Flashback)

"M.S.C!" Dan exclaimed.

"Hey?" Ono asked confused, "What do you mean, your majesty?"

Dan came back to the present and put together a quick plan. He glanced at the notebook again. He not only had the translation of the acronyms but also a list of the pier schedules.

"Ono, please: lead the freed ones to the edge of the distance and finds Queen Jasiri's messenger. They will be in charge of returning them to their homes in the Outlands and Pride lands. If you are tired, stay with them"

"I won't be tired; I can help again…"

"Okay... Then I won't be here anymore: meet me flying over the town. Towards the west you should see the edge of the sea, a large machine over the water expelling smoke. "We will see you there"

"Alright!"

Dan then headed to the pier.

(Meanwhile...)

Simba had passed out from the pain in his paw, and when he woke up, he felt the pain again. He blinked a few times as he realized that he was no longer inside the box. When he tried to get up, a human hand stopped him...

"Calm down, I want to help you," a voice told him. However, instead of the deep voices of the hunters, this was a soft and innocent voice. Turning, he saw a human boy tying a bandage around his injured paw.

"Ready, you're done…" the boy finished.

Simba moved his paw, feeling better and almost recovered. He tried to get up, but the pain still persisted.

"It will hurt for a while," the human warned, picking him up and carrying him. The cub could perceive how the contact with that human was different: no evil intentions were perceived. However, he did not speak to him.

Finally, he carried him to a barred wooden cart and introduced him through a small entrance. The floor of the place was wood, but some parts were covered with sheets of straw. Simba tried to turn to try to escape, but his paw still hurt. Even though the human child was locking him up, he told him:

"Please rest for now… If I had it in me, I wouldn't leave you here, but…" he tried to say, but another voice interrupted him.

"Talking to animals again, brat?" another half-obese human, with broad shoulders and dark glasses, told him. While he was talking, he was smoking a cigarette.

"I-It's not what it seems... sir..." the boy answered timidly.

However, the subject stopped seeing the child and fixed his gaze on the newly arrived lion cub.

"Is this the new lion?" he asked, "Well, we'll see when we sacrifice the old one. I hope that bandage is temporary, he will have his first performance in two days. He will have to be ready for that."

The subject left. The boy stayed for a while looking at Simba through the bars: it was clear that he had no bad intentions. Then he left while he said:

"See you later, I hope you like your new friends."

"Friends?" Simba wondered as he left.

"Hello, are you new?" someone behind him asked, "Has Milo healed you?"

From the deepest part, where it was dark, a female lion cub had appeared.

"What is your name?" she asked him.

"Um... Simba," he responded, "Who are you? Who is Milo?"

"My name is maya. And Milo was the human child, of course."

"And by the way, where are we?"

"Well, at the circus."