The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 26: Linkage

Kion, Rani and Kiara were on their way to the Outlands, this time with calm steps, sunrise was still way ahead. "Many times, I wondered what could've happened to him." Kiara said referring to Dogo.

Kion was walking between them. "The jackals are more discrete than I thought." They turned their steps a bit to the east. "They were there all this time."

"I hope this isn't a trap." Rani said.

"What do you think, Kion?" Kiara asked. "Personally, I think it was too soon to accept any kind of invitation."

"I don't." Kion replied. "We can't afford mistrust, not now, at least not with the jackals. If we make the Outlands a land of allies, that would increase our chances against Baturu."

Kiara was thoughtful, unable to take the hyenas out of her mind. "Kion, where could they have gone? The…hyenas."

"I don't care." Kion responded coldly but rather hesitantly. "Maybe to Koto, Dezei…both." He sighed. "Who knows?"

Rani tried to change the subject. "And, is it true what they say? That jackals offer good feasts?"

Kion chuckled. "Oh, it's very true. My father told me several stories about abundant food, good songs, fires at night."

Kiara shared the same brief, nostalgic laugh. "I remember."

"Simba, wasn't he enemy of the jackals back in the day?" Rani inquired.

"Not really. When he reigned, there was some sort of tacit agreement between lions and jackals. They came often, only the important ones at least, almost always to discuss things regarding on how to take the hyenas out of the Outlands." Kion chuckled again. "He used to tell me he was jealous of how they organized their dinners, even in that time when they lived at the most desolated areas of the Outlands, they made them the most glorious of places with their parties."

"Parties?" Rani asked with confusion.

"That's how they call them. Well, that's what my father told me." Kion answered.

Kiara chuckled with a saddened tone. "Yes…I miss him so much."

Kion looked at her. "Me too, sister. Every day, every night..."

"Remember when you told him?" Rani said. "About Emba?"

Kion looked into the sky. "Of course." He sighed blissfully. "I'd never seen him smiling so greatly. That laugh, those eyes." He smirked. "We spent all night speaking about, well, parenthood and all." He chuckled. "Advices, do's and don'ts, things like that." Kion stood silent for a moment, with a subtle yet vibrant smile on his face.

"I know, dad." Kion chuckled along with Simba, who were both laying over the grass while looking at the moonlighted horizon. "I don't think is that hard, you know, I mean…" He looked at his father. "Was I a big trouble for you?"

Simba looked him back. "It's not about trouble, Kion. When you become a father, there's no way back." He put a straight face. "Calmness never shows up again, no matter if your beloved children are right at your side, sleeping in peace. The fear never leaves." Simba said.

Kion nodded, thinking he had understood the words of his father. "Yes, it's dangerous out there."

"No, son. Not that kind of fear." Simba sighed. "Since you two were born, and until this very day, I live with fear." He explained with his gaze on the ground. "Who will they become? The question I ask myself everyday." His voice began to break. "Evil comes in many forms, Kion. And I'm grateful that none of them have reached you or your sister…" Simba looked into the eyes of his son. "…yet."

"Sorry, but…" Kion was very confused. "I don't understand."

"You will, son of mine." Simba said. "When you become king, you will. That's the toughest test of them all." He looked at the front and exhaled deeply. "Watch their steps, Kion. As they can bring joy and peace to the lives of many, they can also become the nightmare of an entire generation." He lowered his gaze. "Please, don't lose sight of them. Please, Kion, as I did with you."

Kion was glaring at his father's enigmatic, worried face. "Yes…" Kion said suddenly. "They'll be fine, dad." He nodded with doubt. "Don't worry."

The three lions were now walking down the path that led to the defile, having already arrived at the Outlands. The dead bodies of the hyenas could be seen already from that spot, and the strong odor of death was brought to them by the wind. They entered the defile and looked around with a caution that had remained in their hearts. The first jackals began to show up, looking at them with less cautious glares, with subtle smiles of gratitude, thing that Kion found strange, not as Rani and Kiara who bowed their heads at each one of them as brief greetings.

The sunset began to cover the gorges and the cracks uniformly, demonstrating the monarchs' punctuality. They began to spot two long lines of jackals that were a pair of minutes ahead, the canine hosts were sitting down before the great feast that was between them. When Kion, Kiara and Rani finally approached them, Dogo and Garia got in their way with welcoming smirks. They bowed their heads while looking at the three pridelanders. "Welcome, King Kion, Queen Kiara, Queen Rani." Garia said.

"My mate, Garia." Dogo glanced at her briefly.

"It's a pleasure." Kion and the two queens bowed their heads at her.

"I hope this modest dinner serve you well after your long trip." Garia said.

Kion chuckled. "It wasn't that long." He poked his head to see all the food behind them. "I wouldn't call this modest either." His eyes and his belly were delighted with all the food that was there.

Rani patted his side with her paw. "Love…"

Kion shook his head briefly and let out a chuckle. "You certainly honor your traditions, Dogo."

"Oh, that's something I'm glad to hear!" Dogo gestured at the crowd. "Come and sit, but guard your jaws, as I want to give a quick speech of our new alliance." Dogo and Garia walked towards their fellows and sat down in the middle of them, at the left line while Kion, Rani and Kiara did so at the right line, right in front of Dogo and his mate.

"Alliance?" Rani whispered at Kion.

"I don't know." Kion responded with the same doubtful tone.

Dogo laughed benevolently before letting out a sigh and looking at all of the jackals that were sitting there. "My comrades, today we have very special guests dining among us, the ones who expelled our longtime enemies. Kion, Kiara and Rani, rulers of the Pride Lands." He bowed down his head while also crouching, thing that his mate and the rest of the jackals mimicked. "Dankie."

"Dankie." The rest said solemnly.

Dogo straightened along with the others, keeping his glare on the three lions. "A great union starts today, between pridelanders and outlanders, the real outlanders." He was looking directly into Kion's eyes. "With the acceptance of both parts, of course." He stood silent to wait for Kion's response.

Kion looked at his sides, noticing the expectant eyes of the jackals, he then looked at his mate, who nodded immediately, then Kion looked at Kiara, who also gave him a confident nod. He looked back at Dogo and Garia, nodding firmly and with a straight face. "Your king has spoken." Howls and barks of celebration were heard immediately after Kion's statement.

Dogo was chuckling with joy. "Well, enough talk for now, let's get our hearts and bellies full, shall we?" The place where Kion and company were sitting at was right before a dead zebra, Rani gave the first bite then Kiara and lastly, Kion took a great piece of meat from the zebra's side, enjoying the flavor of the recently killed animal while munching slowly as he looked occasionally at Dogo and the rest of the jackals, who were also enjoying their respective dinner.

The sun was hiding and the dark blue of the sky was already showing up when the dinner had come to an end, the majority of the jackals remained with Dogo and the pridelanders while the rest was resting in their caves already. "What was his name, again?" Dogo inquired, he and Garia were walking in the defile along with Kion, Kiara and Rani.

"Baturu." Kion said with a straight tone. "He is a threat for all of us, for every animal." He sighed. "Our kingdom got divided for many reasons, but the main one is him. He convinced many lions to join his faction, he built several alliances in secret. His words are way sharper than his claws."

Dogo was thoughtful, glaring at the darkened dirt he walked on. "Do you think we can stop him?" He looked at Kion. "I mean, together."

Kion had his glare focused on the stars. "Yes, Dogo." He looked at him with conviction. "I think we can."

"And what if not?" Garia intervened with a worried tone.

Rani and Kiara looked into each others' eyes as if they both wanted to deliver an answer. "Well, if he wins at the end." Rani decided to do so and looked at Garia. "Then the Pride Lands, the Outlands and every region beyond that…they won't be safe anymore."

Garia's glare showed confusion and intrigue. "But, where will we go? To the Unending Mountain?"

"That's just a myth, my dear." Dogo said. "There will be nowhere to go." He lowered down his gaze again. "Nowhere."

"I've heard stories about that place." Kiara said. "Well, not directly. Zira used to tell Kovu those when he was a cub."

Rani raised an eyebrow while looking at her. "Unending Mountains…I've never heard of them."

"Kovu told me that only a few animals have gone there." Kiara explained. "But the legends say that it's far away from everything we know and see, that only the first kings actually went to that place. There are some poems about it, small descriptions, said to be written by no others but them."

Dogo looked at her with curiosity. "Do you know one?"

Kiara was already trying to remember a poem that Kovu had told her. "Yes." The ears of the rest moved slightly to listen to her words. "Where have our tired paws taken us? Wind is dead, the Great Rock stands, and the wanderers seek for conquest, then their steps lead them back to never return."

Dogo raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?"

"It's the one I remember the most." Kiara replied.

"Real or not…" Kion spoke firmly. "It doesn't matter. We will defeat him."

Dogo looked at Kion's certain, obstinate eyes. "Yes." He looked at his mate and stroked her snout with his. "We will."