Chapter 92 92: Documentary Episode 3 (3)

[3rd POV] [Name: Dr. Elias Thorne Field: Behavioural Ecology - Specialises in Interspecies Cooperation and Scavenger Dynamics Nationality: British (from Cumbria, England) Age: 44] "The King's Tongue Hypothesis might seem far-fetched to you now, but as this episode progressed, you would realise that there is simply no other possible explanation for what Leo had with the vultures," he said and then laughed. "I swear we are not crazy guys. Leading Leo to possible prey - herds and injured animals - is one of the mildest things the vultures did. Imagine them following complex instructions and strategy in order to create a favourable situation for Leo, imagine them going against all their natural instinct and breaking all tradition. I can't explain everything right now but those will be explored further as this episode progresses," he said. The screen changed and this time, it showed the three kings of the Serengeti. It showed them patrolling their territory, roaring to ward off challengers and marking the trees with their scent. "Another vital role the vultures played was between Leo and the three kings of the Serenegti. Initially, we believed that Leo did not encounter the three kings due to the sheer magnitude of the land. We thought that it was a coincidence that the three kings could not find the young lion, even after all the conflicts they had. But no," he said. "The vultures were actively helping Leo avoid the enemies until he was ready to face them. The kings did not have the time to track after one male with their duty as a king and so that gave him enough time to grow strong until he could overthrow the kings," he said. Now the screen cut back to Dr. Elias Throne as he sat down in his office desk. His eyes looked up, gazing through the ceiling and into the vastness of the universe. He had a smile on his face while his mind went elsewhere. "Just thinking about that for a moment. The way the vultures....." he could barely find words, "The way that Grim knew Leo's death would bring an end to their feasts and so they opted to protect him from the kings of the pride that left no remains in their hunts," He took a deep breath, "Or was it just Leo commanding them to do so. Am I looking too deeply into this that I miss the simpler truth?" "Which is more believable. That two very intelligent animals come together at the same place at the same time, or is one lion that smart? At this age, they are showing more intelligence than the average person," he admitted with a laugh. He fixed his posture upon his seat and you could see he was gathering words as he did so. He fixed his collar ever so slowly before he spoke again. "It's one of those ways that this very special lion changes the world that surrounds him like a true king. The partnership had a massive effect on the ecosystem." The scene finally changes again, from the office to the open savannah. The video showed ground footage taken by a cameraman. It shows the blue sky that was slowly being decorated by vultures soaring high and excited. Vultures have been associated with death since the beginning of time. So nearly a hundred of them circling in the sky gave off a foreboding feeling. "What you are seeing now is the consequence of Leo's presence after a few months. The vultures are guiding him towards prey and they are circling around, waiting patiently for Leo to hunt them down," he said. They circled slowly, methodically, like spirits forming a dark halo in the heavens. "Vultures have long been associated with death," Thorne's voice returned, quieter now. "It's one of the oldest symbols in history. Where there is death, vultures follow." Then, with quiet certainty, he spoke again. "But that saying has gone old." A beat. "Now..." "Death follows them." ... ... ///////////////// The videos of vultures flying continued to play on the screen. It went like that for a while as Dr. Elias Thorne's presence slowly faded away with the lack of commentary. The vultures released anguish cries in the sky, not because they were in pain by any means but they seem to reflect the disasters that happened on the savannah. The dry season. The camera zoomed out to show not only the sky but the ground on which the vultures circled above. The earth was dry and cracked, with few persistent vegetation here and there but even those were more yellow than the usual green. And upon the ground was a small herd of buffalo grazing. It seemed those were going to be the main target for today. Dr. Thron's voice lingered in the mind of the viewers as they watched the vultures circling above the buffalo herd. Death follows the vultures. ..... [Name : Hana Park Role : Zoologist and Big Cat Specialist Nationality : Korean-American (from Seattle} Age: 34] "Bravery and recklessness are two very different things, even though they may share the same principles," Hana said as she sat in front of the camera in the studio of the production. She was one of the few researchers who overlooked the production of the documentary. The other researchers, like Dr.Tonson, were interviewed in their office and so on and were not directly involved in the intricate directing of the content. "The very first instance that we realised Leo was hunting buffalo, we thought that it was a reckless move on his part," she said, "We know that the dry season had many problems and challenges which all predators have to face. But Leo was not among them. In fact, he still maintained his habit of hunting down prey once every three days at least. He ate meals that would look like death sentences to any other lions due to the sheer quantity." "Therefore, he was in no way desperate or in need to do what he did. It would seem that when every other animal was trying to survive the dry season, Leo was determined to thrive," she said. The scene then changed to show a video of Leo walking with deathly focus through the savannah. He was being guided by one vulture, the one people had been familiarised with, Grim. Meanwhile, the other vultures were already soaring above the herd that Leo was heading towards. "We deployed two drones to capture every moment of the hunt. Although most of us thought that hunting buffalo was a reckless move, none questioned if he could do it or not. Because honestly, if a single lion was ever going to take down a buffalo solo, it might as well be, and always must be, Leo." she said, a small amount of pride in her tone. The video continued playing for a few seconds more before it cut to Leo standing before the herd of buffalo. He gazed at them for a long time before he began circling around them. The footage was taken from above, so it revealed everything without skipping over even the tiniest detail. The people got to witness how Leo was slowly circling around the buffalo while tightening that circle each time he completed one rotation. He was not stalking them. He was already hunting them at this point. Looking for an opportunity to lash out and select a target prey. It was like someone looking over the menu in a restaurant, observing whcih one he wanted to eat. In the meantime, Hana gave some information about the buffalo. "The African Cape Buffalo, Syncerus caffer, is one of the most dangerous animals in all of Africa. Not because of venom, speed, or stealth. But because of raw, unfiltered rage." The bachelors began moving to the outer parts of the herd. They released loud huffs and scraped the ground with their hooves, ready to attack Leo at any moment. "They are one of the few creatures on land that do not run from lions. They don't fear the kings of the jungle. Nicknamed 'The Black Death', they kill over 200 people every year and are known as the most dangerous animal in the African savannah due to their aggressive nature," she said. "To bring one down, even a healthy pride must gamble with injury and death," she said and then paused briefly before continuing. "The reason might as well be beyond our understanding or comprehension, but for whatever reasons he might have, Leo decided to take on this beast alone," "It was the ultimate test for an apex predator." *BOOOOM!!!* A thunderous explosion sounded out, spooking the viewers to the extreme. The sound was that of a bachelor bursting forth towards the lion that was hunting them. The beast was fury and rage made flesh. Bestowed with incredible strength by nature, the buffalo knew a single lion was a victim in their clash. On the other side, Leo smiled. ... ... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author : 500 stones for one extra, 1000 stones for second extra. Let's get the documentary over with quickly for those that don't like these.