[3rd POV]
It was the height of noon.
The sun was relentless in punishing everything below. The gentle warmth of the morning was gone, now the rays of the yellow star had only one purpose and that was to burn the earth slowly.
The air that blew was dry and hot like air from a hair dryer; it provided no real relief. It was like the whole region was inside an oven, the winds just the fan mixing the hot air.
But even under such brutal weather, nothing could wipe the smile on Dr Tonson's face. He was sitting under a shade, a small roof that came from the side of the jeep made from sticks and cloth.
He sat on the ground, occasionally pinching the ants that crawled on his legs, but even that was not enough to bother him. His laptop was on his lap and he indulged in the simple act of flipping through the gallery.
He should be working, there were so many questions unanswered, so many reports to write, but at the moment he could not be bothered. He looked fondly at the images of the team interacting with Leo's pride.
The small help they offered Leo had changed everything. The distant lion pride that ignored their existence completely was starting to interact with them.
Their interaction was still very limited but it was a huge difference from the status quo before. It was yet another show of Leo's intelligence. He was smart enough to repay good with goodwill and also polite enough to show gratitude.
Leo himself was still a bit shy and only briefly interacted, but that set an example for the rest of the pride.
Dr Tonson flipped past one image after another. One showed Dr Robert with the young lion Zael, named Makali Jr by them. The old doctor was all smiles as he hugged the giant cat. The human was nearly swallowed by the mane and Zael himself looked at the horizon, he couldn't be bothered. He was treating the doctor like a playful, curious cub.
Another image showed Dr Hana with the younger cubs. The cubs were all bigger than her but they still had a hint of juvenile on them. One tried to climb on her from behind while another tugged at her hair. They were always gentle with the humans and in the image, Hana was laughing.
One image showed Ramirez between four lionesses. He was hugging them from both sides and his expression was cocky with sunglasses on. He was acting like a pimp in the middle of the ladies.
Another image had Malik on his back, his expression mockingly fearful while a cub sat on top of his belly and licked his neck and chest. The slight pain in his eyes however was not fake, as lions had very rough tongues.
And finally, Dr Tonson paused at his own image. Leo was laying down, his arms crossed in front of him like the dignified king that he was. On the other hand, he crouched beside Leo, their bodies making contact.
Even though Leo was not propping himself up and only laying, his head was still above Dr Tonson. His face and his mane were as big as Dr Tonson, who was crouching.
But different from the rest, Leo and Dr Tonson were looking straight at the camera. It was as if both were professionally posing for the camera.
Dr Tonson lingered on that image for a long time. A satisfied sigh left his mouth while his eyes looked at the picture fondly.
In all his years, he never had such commitment or connection with an animal. Leo was special, not just as a specimen but as a proper living creature, same as them.
But while he was occupied with the picture and lazy thoughts, an email came to him. The notification popped up on top of the screen. He was going to ignore it but the sender's email caught his attention and he opened the mail.
It was a report from the leader of the crew back in the Serengeti. The mail also had videos and images attached, so Dr Tonson decided to read it immediately.
Minutes passed and slowly but surely, the smile on his face turned into a frown. His relaxed posture where he leaned on the jeep also turned into something stiff as his face got closer to the screen.
The absence of Leo had created a huge vacuum in the Serengeti. The land was already humongous, the whole territory was enough to sustain multiple prides. It was barely functioning when it was ruled by dominant rulers, first the Mbali brothers and then Leo.
But after Leo left, that thin order erupted and the Serengeti was plunged into chaos. Without a proper king that they could challenge, the rogues began fighting among each other for the land. There was no solid lion whom they could target, so everyone fought for the empty throne.
In an astonishing turn of events, the death of lions nearly doubled since Leo left. If Leo left bodies everywhere he went, now it was even more brutal. The Serengeti was slowly turning into a lion's graveyard as everyone fought for land they were not worthy to rule.
But that was about to change soon.
The email talked about the Four Musketeers. A coalition of four lions that brought about a new era in the region they were from, the Maasai Mara.
It had not even been a year since they became the kings of the Maasai Mara, but now they were already looking for more lands to conquer. Perhaps they had caught the news of the chaos in the Serengeti.
They crossed the river and took their first step in the Serengeti three days ago. All four of them, Scarface, Morani, Sikio, and Hunter.
And only after four days passed, the four brothers had killed nearly a dozen other lions and on that morning, they began patrolling, roaring, and marking the territory as if they owned it.
The Four Musketeers had claimed the Serengeti.
And from what the researchers had seen so far, there were no lions or coalition in the Serengeti that could challenge the new order.
The email ended with regards from the sender. He wished Dr Tonson and his team luck and also gave a warning.
Do not let Leo come back to the Serengeti.
The land now belonged to the Four Musketeers, the four new kings, legends of their own right. If Leo came back, there would be war and he feared Leo might meet his end there.
The Four Musketeers were not like other lions. They were much like the Mbali brothers but even more powerful with their number. Instead, the sender advised Dr Tonson to make sure Leo stayed there and ruled the new land.
...
Dr Tonson released a huge sigh and took off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes, the moment of peace and smile was gone, now it was back to full worry and concern mode.
"What the hell is happening in nature?" he asked, "Was it always this hectic and dramatic and we are just now seeing it?"
He didn't know.
But before he suffered long in that thought, Ramirez jumped out from the jeep.
"You gotta see this!!" he said and slid next to the doctor. His action kicked up dust that made Dr Tonson cough but before he could scold the young man, his eyes caught the footage on the screen.
"..What?" he asked dumbly and snatched the drone controller and the tablet from Ramirez.
Upon a closer look, you could see Leo on the footage. Not only that, there was a full troop of mandrills that were kneeling down to him as if paying respect to the king.
"This is…" he began but no words found life.
In the end, he pushed his hand through his hair and submitted completely to the things happening around him.
..
..
[IMAGE]
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Author : Sorry for the small chaper. Sometimes it's 2500, other times it's 1500. We need to learn how to accept them. It's not the size but the content and the excitement it gives.
In the meantime, you can ask questions here and I will answer by tomorrow again like the Q and A
[Questions here - or leave it in chapter comment for website users]
Usual goals, 500 stones for on extra