Chapter 84 84: Pridelands (1)

Auhor : ???? Double chapter. .... [3rd POV] (The Pride Lands) The golden grasses of the Pridelands swayed less than usual today. A dusty stillness hung over the land, the first true sign of the incoming drought that would last for years and leave the kingdom bare. Patches of cracked earth lay exposed between thinning vegetation, and every pawstep kicked up fine sand that clung to fur and throat. The Pridelands did not have dry seasons, so those were concerning sights for the experienced animals. Sarabi crouched low near a sloping dune, her seasoned eyes locked onto the scattered wildebeest herd in the distance. Sarafina was not far from her. She was observing the herd as well but was more focused on the sound. Her ears twitched frequently. They were stalking side by side, working as a team. Sarabi was focused solely on sight, meanwhile Sarafina was making sure they stayed quiet by listening to the tiniest sound. When one of them felt something was wrong with their specific senses, they stopped together. It was the kind of teamwork that could only happen after years of hunting together. Flanking the herd from the opposite side were two younger lionesses. Their lean and lithe bodies were brimming with youthful energy. Both were working together nearly as well as the two older lionesses. Zuri and Nala were both three years old now. They were just about reaching their sexual maturity and yet they were already one of the best hunters the pride had to offer. Lastly, Tiara was stalking from behind the herd. She was careful to stay downwind and she was going to be the main chaser of this hunt. The five lionesses worked together like a machine, each of them playing important parts to make this hunt successful. After stalking for a few more minutes, Sarabi gave a flick of her tail and that was the signal to start the chase. All of them exploded out like living missiles. They fanned out, guiding the herd of wildebeest so that they could pick out the most suitable target for the hunt. The chase lasted for a few seconds. The hooves of the prey galloped across the savannah and among them, one younger wildebeest was slower than the others. It lagged just a few steps behind the rest of the herd and that was all the hunters needed. Zuri surged forward. Now they were not controlling the herd but singling out the lone wildebeest. She was like an arrow shooting out of a bow. Nala followed right behind her, she was not any slower than Zuri and they both sprinted towards the wildebeest whose fate was getting sealed. A heavy breath, a scream and a moo. The wildebeest turned back and it saw them too late. Zuri came flying with muscle and claw. The wildebeest veered right but Nala was already on that side. The prey slammed shoulders with the young lioness and promptly lost balance. Zuri crashed down on the back of the wildebeest and latched on tightly. Her claws sank into the hide of the prey and her teeth hooked onto flesh. With her weight on its back and the pain sending signals through its body, the wildebeest slowed down. Nala leapt at it from the side, biting down on its neck instantly. This time, the wildebeest finally stopped completely. It tried to struggle with its last strength but by then, Sarabi and Sarafina were there. The experienced hunters ended the wildebeest in mere seconds. It collapsed in a cloud of dry earth and silence, becoming a source of sustenance for the pride. Zuri released her tight hold on the prey as she stood on top of its fallen form. She watched with concerned eyes as the other wildebeest did not stop and continued running to the end of the horizon. They left a cloud of dust in their trail. "Will we ever see them again?" Zuri asked the question that would've been outrageous only a year before. Animals in the Pridelands did not migrate due to its evergreen and lush vegetation. Herd animals thrived, and so did every other creature under the sun. But starting from this year, the rainfall had stopped and became rare. The Pridelands was getting drier and drier. And with the dying land, the herds did not migrate but leave. Never to return again. It had been a slow process but as the year rolled by, the land was getting visibly yellow and the prey were increasingly rare. Now it was a cause of celebration to see a small herd here and there. "Of course we will see them again Zuri," Nala said, but her tone was hopeful. All the hunters gathered around the kill and Zuri promptly came down from the fallen prey. They walked around the carcass, sniffing and poking to make sure the animal was dead but no one dared eat the prey. "Should we take a bite?" Nala asked after getting impatient. "Don't even think about it Nala," Sarafina was quick to warn her with a serious face. "What? Why?! We are the ones who killed it. Why does the king have to eat our hard-earned meal?" Nala asked with an annoyed snarl. "Because, as you said, he is the king. His job is not to hunt prey but to protect us," Sarabi said, her tone equally dead and serious. It was rare to see her smile these days, she had become a grumpy old lioness. "You don't even believe what you said," Nala argued, "And protect us from who? The Pridelands do not have any other male lion to challenge him. If it did, he would never even be king," Scar was only king because he was the only lion, not because he earned it. "That is quite enough from you. Stop before you say too much," Sarafina scolded her daughter while glancing at Tiara. The fifth lion among them was not a close friend and might whisper unwanted things to the king. "No way. You agree with me, don't you Zuri?" Nala turned to her best friend for help. Zuri stayed silent and only stared at her for a long time. And then she said, "Scar might not have earned the throne through fighting but he did earn it by surviving." "And he is the only thing protecting us from the hyenas," she added, "Throughout the years, the hyenas have thrived and multiplied. I'm afraid if not for Scar, they could take the Pridelands for themselves now," "And we won't be able to do anything about it. It will be the kingdom of hyenas, not lions," she said. Her words were measured. Even though she said all these things, there was a cold detachment to her words. Like what she said did not matter to her, not even for a single moment. Like she was commenting on an irrelevant fictional story. Nala groaned in disappointment. Feeling like she was the only one in the world with a sane mind and everyone had been brainwashed by Scar and his rule. Zuri continued looking at her, she felt for her friend but she could not force herself to care. She could not find it in her to be rebellious like that. What was the point? But at the same time, she had not accepted her situation like Sarabi or Sarafina. The reason she was acting like that was because she remembered something. It felt like she was the only one who remembered the promise. Leo. He would come back in two years. He promised he would. And for all she was worth, Zuri believed it. There was no doubt in her mind. So what was the use of being rebellious during that time? She would not achieve anything by herself anyway. Instead, she was waiting for the right moment. She was waiting for his return, and then she would rebel. Until then.... Leo needed her safe. He needed her strong. And that was what she was going to do. She gazed into the horizon, wondering if he was doing the same at that moment. How far was he really? Was he somewhere she could find him if she tried? Was he healthy? Was he bigger now? Stronger now? Was he still kind? Was he still the kind of lion that would bring home food to the cubs of his enemy? ... *ROAR!!* Zuri was brought out of her thoughts by Scar's roar. The roar was weak and had no substance to it, but it demanded everything. All five lionesses turned towards the sound and quickly moved away from the wildebeest. Not long after, Scar strode forward, carrying himself like a king. Behind him, the rest of the pride followed. "Good job, Sarabi," Scar praised in a flat tone the leader of the hunting party. Sarabi bowed slightly to acknowledge the hollow praise. Scar. The king of the Pridelands had no regality or dignity on him. Not to say he had such things before, but he looked even worse than he did in the past. Although a year had passed, the beatdown he suffered from Leo was still present. His mane was rugged and some parts no longer had fur due to scars from Leo's bite. One of his eyes was gone, leaving it gaping slightly with rotten-looking flesh. There was a limp in his walk as he had a visible lost chunk of meat on his hind legs. It was the place Leo had bitten off while Scar ran away for his life. Scar was bigger than he was before and his body was no longer too fat, which showed that he had been keeping himself in decent condition at least. He would be around 220 kilograms, smaller than Makali but slightly heavier than Roku. But the mass and muscle he gained could not make him look well. His limp and scarred body gave him a ragged appearance that made him look like a homeless lion than a king. And this beggar-looking lion came before the wildebeest and began eating as much as he wanted without giving a second thought for anyone else. His pride, which had been starved due to the increasing lack of prey, could not have mattered less to him. His children who were now entering their sub-adult phase were the first to join him. They shared many similarities to the king himself and they dined together. After that, the mothers who bore Scar these cubs joined in. Therefore, Sarabi, Sarafina, Nala and Zuri were the last to eat the wildebeest even though they were the ones to hunt it down. Scar had no regard for the traditions of pride anymore. He ruled as he liked, commanded as he pleased. He was the worst king the Pridelands ever saw. Perhaps that was why the drought had started. The land did not want such a lion to be her king. It had been over two years since Scar took his place as the king. And the Pridelands cried for a new king. .. .. .. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author : Bro is so cooked.