[1st POV]
After Rafiki and his troops swore their allegiance to me, they also helped me locate a prey. Another giraffe, it seemed there were a lot of them in the area as they were most suited to survive in a region such as this.
The air was hot and heavy that day, carrying the faint hum of insects and the distant calls of vultures that circled lazily above. Even though the land was dry and cracked, the giraffes managed to find life in what little thorny trees remained. Their tall necks and long tongues gave them access to what no other animal could reach, allowing them to thrive where others starved.
They were also big enough to feed the whole pride if taken down, so they were the best prey in the situation.
But I did not set out alone to hunt my third giraffe. This time, I called my pride to help me with the hunt. It was similar to how I brought them to my buffalo hunt to teach them the correct way to take it down.
With our combined forces, the young bull that we made our target fell easily enough. Even if I had not used any strategy, more than 20 lions were too much for any living creature on land. We overwhelmed him and then killed him.
We ate our final meal right then and there. I told my pride to enjoy the meal because it would be our last before we head back to the next battle.
Three days quickly passed after we had that meal and by that point, we were all in perfect condition. I had fully recovered, there was no complaint on my side when it came to my physicality. In fact, I felt stronger than ever.
The rest of the pride were also void of injuries, including Tala. The heavy meal we had three days prior had been digested, and we were now brimming with energy and the intent to fight.
So in the morning, exactly ten days from our first battle, I woke up my pride before the sunrise woke them.
"It's time to move," I said softly, but the darkness and silence of the night made my voice echo.
The pride stirred, one by one, eyes glowing faintly in the starlight. The air was cool before dawn, but already it carried the weight of the coming day. Paws shuffled, tails swished, and soon the silent army stood behind me, ready to follow.
And so, I led my pride towards the Pridelands once more. This time, I felt that we would finally take back the land, no matter how bad it had gotten.
This would be the final conflict in the war.
We went up the same gorge where the last battle took place. The corpses of the hyenas had been turned into skeletons, but the smell of old blood remained, clinging stubbornly to the rocky walls.
I was the first to step into the Pridelands. I kicked up a musty dust when I took that first step into the hollow shell of my former home. By that point, the sun had risen on the horizon but the sheer absence of life in the Pridelands made it seem darker than it really was.
The land stretched out before me, once green and alive, now nothing but gray and yellow. The rivers had thinned into trickles, the watering holes turned to mud, and the wind howled across empty plains that used to sing with life. The Pridelands was not just dying anymore,it were already dead, and Scar's reign was the rot that had killed everything.
My pride followed me one by one until all of us had emerged onto the plateau. I stared into the distance, the trees were dry and hollow, the land was void of green vegetation so it provided an unobstructed view.
I could see the tall Pride Rocks looking like the size of a needle on the horizon. What used to be a castle of pride and power now seemed like a pillar that barely held up the land.
It was, in all senses of the word, a tragic sight to see.
Nala, Sarabi and Zuri all came forward and made contact with me from each side. The four of us shared the emotions that no one else in the pride shared.
"We have faced them once before, more unprepared but we won. This time, our victory is all but certian," I said. I leaned down and lightly kissed Zuri's head.
"Let's take back our home," I said.
My words caused a wake among the vultures as they began soaring in the sky. Many of them had stayed in the Pridelands, feeding on the decaying corpses of the hyenas. And right now, they all jumped up and began soaring through the sky.
It was an omen when the herald of death took the skies.
And with their presence quickly filling the sky, we began a slow march towards the Pride Rock where our enemies reside.
..
..
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[3rd POV]
"See that?" Grim said while looking up at the sky. The other vultures were slowly filling up the blue expanse.
"That's a sign, the final warning," he said.
By this time, Grim was already in the Pride Rocks. He was surrounded by groups of hyenas from all sides and yet no one attacked him. He carried with him the dreaded scent of Leo, so no one dared attack.
Instead, they listened to him like a crowd would listen to the preacher.
"The choice relies on you. Oppose him and die, or join him and live. I advise everyone to choose wisely, because this wouldn't have any effect. He will do what he promised, regardless of what you choose. It's only your own life that will be affected," Grim said.
He opened his massive wingspan and with no hurry at all, he too took to the sky and became a herald of what was to come.
The hyenas below on the other hand remained in their place. They looked up at all the vultures and the scene was a reminder of what took place just ten days ago. Even for a wild animal, the battle was traumatizing still.
After gazing at the sky, the hyenas looked among each other. No one knew who was going to be the traitor and who were going to be loyal to Scar. Grim had explicitly told them to hide and only reveal themselves after the battle.
This sowed a great unease among the hyenas. How could they possibly work together if no one trusted each other? The hyenas were an army bound to fall, and it is from within that it would begin.
..
On the top of the Pride Rocks, Scar and his own pride too were gazing up at the sky. It was only the second time that they saw the gathering of vultures but they knew already what that entailed.
"They are circling the sky like they would a dying prey," Zira said with a shake of her head, "How ominous,"
"Leo is on the move," Scar said, "The time has come,"
Scar walked towards the edge of the massive rock and he roared into the sky. It was a warning, similar to what a king would scream to ward off intruders. It also got the attention of the hyenas that camped at the base of the kopje.
The army of hyenas got up and quickly joined Scar in his roar. The hyenas did not exactly roar but they screamed horrific sounds and cries that oppressed the surrounding.
And in return, a single roar exploded out from the far horizon. It was only once but it silenced everything else briefly. The sheer volume and the echo made it so that no one could tell from where it came.
It only told them their fear.
He was here.
And he was here to take it all.
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[IMAGE]
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Author : This and the chapter before was one chapter but I split it into two because of the rapid POV changes. Next chapter is usual 2000+ words length.
820 stones so you get 1 extra chapter.
Thank you for all the lovely stones!!