Chapter 79 79: The Siringet Pride (2)

[3rd POV] The Mbali brothers and the Siringet Pride,which they led, was a legendary phenomenon unlike anything the world had ever seen. With a total of around 30 members and 16 adult lionessess, the Springet Pride was like three prides in a coalition. They were triple the size of the average lion pride. The sheer dominance of this pride made it so that they occupied a land that should be shared among four or more lion prides. Indeed, they were a band of lions that was worth studying. The pride was shared by a coalition of three brothers lions, but there was also a kind of order and clear separation among them. Especially when it came to the lionessess and the kings who preferred them. The three brothers have females they favoured under them. Roku had five, Makali also had five, and Baraka had six. Roku's females were : 1. Nia 2. Tala 3. Isheba 4. Nydia 5. Imani .... Makali's females were : 1. Kali 2. Asha 3. Lela 4. Zalina 5. Zuri .... Baraka's females were : 1. Amara 2. Neema 3. Sanaa 4. Eshe 5. Kesia 6. Salima .... All three brothers had females of their own but that is not to say that there was no cross-breeding. The females were still a shared property, and one brother could mate with the female associated with another brother. These groups and separation mostly emerged as time went on and the females chose the king they preferred and the kings chose them back. The character and personality of the females also had much to do with it. For example, Roku's females were known to be great hunters. Makali's females were known to be on the younger side and were fierce and fertile. On the other hand, Baraka's females were on the older side, three of them were even older than him. But the pride did not end with just the lionessess. Among the members of the pride, ten of them were cubs, and there were six sub-adult lions, four of them being males. 3 - 8 months old : 6 cubs (About the same age as when Leo fought a Leopard and Scar's takeover} 8 - 14 months old : 4 cubs {Leo's first training arc age) 1.5 - 3.5 years old : 2 females (subadult) 4 males (Ready to be kicked out) In total, the Siringet Pride was around 30 members strong. 32 members to be specific but that number changes rather quickly with deaths and births. .. .. ////////////////// The victorious roar of Leo continued to thunder across the sky, echoing in the plains and among the hills like a new command that must be heeded. It sounded like a storm without rain. The female hunters who had set out to hunt a buffalo along with the kings were slowly making their way back to the rest of the pride. Their heads hung low, burdened by thoughts and emotions. Nine females in total had set out to hunt while the rest stayed behind to protect the cubs. The injuries, the cuts and the bruises sustained from the intense buffalo hunt were long forgotten as a heavier concern weighed on their heart. No one spoke. Not a single voice all the way home. It felt like a nightmare. The way Leo tore apart their great kings felt like a nightmare. It couldn't be real. It must not be real. But the relentless roar echoing in the sky always pulled them out of their disbelief and anchored them to the cruel reality. A reality where their beloved kings lay dead and eaten by vultures and crocodiles. When they saw the rest of the pride, the hunters lowered their heads even more. They felt trapped by the fact that they now had to confront the reality of the situation. "MOM!!" "Mother!!" "Mom!" The cubs came running, with smiles on their faces, excitement on their feet. Now the adults felt like vomiting when they saw their innocent smiles. They were so young they did not even know what was coming for them. The other adults, on the other hand, knew what was happening. They had heard the new roar, and they could see from the returning hunters that something bad had happened. Soemthing that should be impossible had happened. The cubs came to a stop in front of the hunters. They stumbled cutely, sometimes tripping over each other or crashing into each other. They were still getting used to running and stopping. "Mom?" one cub asked with a tilted head, "What's going on?" They might be a little slow, but they were not foolish either. They knew how to read the room and when every adult had their tail between their legs and their ears drooping down, even their young mind could tell that something was very wrong. Nydia could not find the courage to talk to her son. How could she possibly tell him that his father was humiliated and killed in the most ruthless way possible? It was not just Nydia. No adults wanted to break the tragic news to them. Instead, they leave them to their own devices, hoping they will figure things out on their own by watching them. "The kings lost," Nydia said while walking past the cubs and talking to the adults who stood further behind them. "How can that be?" the adults came forward. Eshe was one of the oldest lionesses, so she took charge of the situation. "You didn't help them?" she asked, already knowing that the Mbali brothers could not have lost in any ordinary situation. She was correct to assume. But what she didn't expect was that this extraordinary situation was one single lion. "It was three against one." Nydia answered with a snarl, "Yet they all fell, King Roku, Baraka and Makli. No one survived." "Was it him?" Eshe asked, and everyone knew who she was talking about. The pride was aware of the lion that took on the three kings six months ago and they had also heard the roars of challenge that hunted the kings over the week. "Yes," Nydia answered. You could hear a sharp intake of air from the adults around. After that, all hell broke loose among the pride. The hunters informed the adults about what exactly had taken place in the battle. Running away was not an option since that was not something they should do. The only thing they could do was prepare for this new king. "Do you think he will show mercy?" Eshe asked one of the hunters who had seen the battle. "No," Tala answered while she recalled how ruthless Leo was against the three kings. She had never laid eyes on such a monster before, and she made this clear. "The worst-case scenario has happened," she added. The lionessess could not help but feel betrayed by the failure of the kings that were meant to protect them. How could they fall at the might of only one? They had heard stories about Leo before. No one really cared back then, assured of their safety under the three brothers. But now, those stories came back to their mind. The evil lion that killed for fun. The one that roamed the unwanted parts to the Serenegti and ruled the harsh lands. "Hide the cubs, protect them," Eshe roared out, and the lionesses got into formation. They prepared themselves to greet their new king. Everything was in a frenzy. The transition between the old kings to a new king was always chaotic. But it was even more so due to the drastic situation and the sheer size of the pride. An hour passed just like that, and finally, he came to claim what was his. ... ... ... [IMAGE] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author : This chapter is kind of an info dump. And yes, the brothers had a type. Roku liked capable females. Makali likes them young, and the females also like his bad boy vibes. My boy Baraka was into them milfs who also liked him due to his chill and wise nature. I'll try to give you double chapter tomorrow depending on my schedule.