Emmanuel_Capricorn
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TLK : Chapter 117
🕑 Added 2025-08-30 19:19:12 +0000 UTC[1st POV]
"347 hyenas in total," one vulture said in front of the pride.
Multiple vultures were standing in a line before us, so we looked to the other one after giving a nod to the previous one.
"I count 321 of them," another vulture said.
We nodded and looked at the next.
"401," another said.
"367."
"289."
"301."
"322."
"345."
"330."
And so on.
The number each counted was different because it was not so easy to get the exact number from above. There was also an issue: while some counted the pups, others only counted the adults.
I should've been clearer on my command, but this was fine too.
"So it's around 300–400 hyenas living in the Pridelands," I said. That was the rough estimate.
"No wonder your kingdom is a wasteland. That many hyenas would eat away even the Serengeti," Eshe commented while looking at Nala.
"Grim, what is your estimate?" I asked my most trusted vulture. Unlike the rest, he was sitting beside us like he was a part of the pride.
"The same as you, my Lord. But I think it's more around 300 than 400," he said. "The lions, on the other hand, are much fewer. There are a total of 12 fighting-age lions and lionesses."
"The pride wouldn't matter. It's Scar and the hyenas that are the enemy," Nala said, hopefully.
I nodded. "Okay, you can go now," I said to the vultures.
After they left, the pride held a sort of committee with the new information. We discussed the danger, the strategy, and how we would approach the enemy.
"Hyenas are weak by themselves, but 400 of them are not easily defeated. That's almost eight hyena clans together," Salima, one of the older lionesses, said.
"Yes. But those numbers are manageable with our king. The main question is what role he is going to play in the battle. Are we going to hold off the hyenas while our king defeats Scar? Or should we fight the hyenas together first, and then the king challenges Scar afterwards?" Eshe said.
"That depends on how Scar's death will affect the battle. If the hyenas lose morale with his death, then the former is a better strategy," Kesia added.
"Hyenas are not lions. The death of Scar will have virtually no effect on them. We need to think of them as different entities," Salima said.
"Does that mean fighting the hyenas first will be the better option? But what if the king suffers injuries and struggles in the fight with Scar? Even with all his power, an exhausted lion is still vulnerable," Eshe said.
The younger lionesses were quiet and just listening. It was the old lionesses and the top hunters who were discussing.
I didn't say anything either. I was the king; the final decision lay with me. But before making that decision, I should listen to what my pride has to say and base my final choice on that.
"I don't think Leo— I mean, our king— will struggle with Scar in any situation. Scar is old, is crippled, and lost one eye. He suffered permanent injury from their previous clash," Nala added, the only young lioness who was speaking out.
But that was mostly because she knew more than the older lionesses when it came to the Pridelands. That was why she had that privilege.
"Our king defeating Scar might not affect the hyenas, but it will affect his pride. If the pride accepts our king as their new ruler, then they will help us fend off the hyenas later on, making the battle much easier," Sanaa said.
Everyone nodded at that. It was a good point. But still, it was not sure, because a pride usually doesn't accept their new king so quickly like that. But this was my home, and I was the rightful heir, so they might.
"Why are we planning for one big battle? Can't we think of another strategy? They are starving in their land, right? What if we leave them alone for now? They will starve and get weaker, and we can kill whoever comes down to hunt, reducing their number," Amara said, giving a fresh perspective. That's what discussions like this are for.
"That is a great strategy, but you miss out the part where we might starve too. A pride as big as ours is not easy to sustain, especially if we can't cover ground since we are guarding them from hunting outside their kingdom," Eshe said.
The discussions went on for a while until everyone had nothing to say. I stopped the discussion by getting up from my lying position. At my gesture, everyone stopped, realising that I was going to make the final decision.
But before I spoke, Grim stopped me.
"I have something to report. I thought it would not be of much importance, but listening to all this, I think it's vital that you know," Grim said.
And I let him.
What he said next was indeed a vital piece of information. It managed to change even my previous decision completely.
Grim talked about what he observed from above: about two lionesses that briefly fought their king, Scar, before he effectively kicked them out of the pride, and they retreated to their den ever since.
I did not need names; from the way they acted and the way they rebelled, Nala and I could guess who they were.
"I'm sure of it, my Lord. Those must be Zuri and your mother," Nala said after listening to Grim report what he had seen.
"I know, Nala. I know," I said. No one else spoke. They looked at me with surprised faces because it might be the first time they saw me worried or concerned.
With the way things went, I realised what Scar was planning to do with them. By effectively kicking them out of the pride like that, he was leaving them to be killed by the hyenas.
"The real battle will have to wait until we rescue those two. And before anyone says anything, know that those two are the reason why we are fighting this battle in the first place," I said.
If we start the war without rescuing them, Scar, in his final moments, might decide to hurt me by killing them or doing something to them. While he was sane, I didn't think he would, but if driven to the corner, he might lash out.
And if he does something to them, that would hurt me more than a thousand jaws could.
"We can't reveal ourselves until those two are safe," I said. "Grim, I will need you for what I have in mind. No one else can do it but you."
The vulture stood straight and puffed out his chest before he nodded, his eyes determined to complete whatever mission I was going to give him.
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[3rd POV]
It was night in the Pridelands, but the pride was still out scouring the kingdom for prey. That left only Scar, Sarabi, and Zuri in Pride Rock.
The king perched on top of the rocky hill, sleeping peacefully with a hopeful dream where the prey and vegetation returned to the Pridelands. The kingdom was thriving once more in his dream.
On the other hand, Sarabi and Zuri had not gotten a wink of sleep. It was hard for the mind to rest when it was aware of its own impending death.
"No, it can't be like this," Zuri said as she paced around the cave. Sarabi, on the other hand, was deadly calm while watching her.
"We need to do something. We need to leave," she said and looked at the entrance of the cave.
But both of them knew it was impossible. The Pridelands were infested with hyenas that would gladly kill them. They were not allowed on PrideRock, so they were safe here while they stayed.
But the moment they went down... that would be it.
They also knew Scar had stationed some hyenas on the path that led down to the outside world. He did this after Nala left, so no one could escape without permission.
"I'm sorry. You got into this trouble because of me," Sarabi said. "But there isn't much we can do, Zuri. It's either we try to fight our way off the kingdom or we starve here to death."
"No, no!! We can't think like that. I just need a few more months. It's already been one and a half years," she said, her tone was pain.
"In a few months, he will come back. He will come back for us..." she said. "He will come back for me..."
Sarabi sighed at the blind hope of the young lioness.
"We just need to find a way to survive until then," she said and turned to Sarabi. "Please, at least we need to try."
Sarabi was full of guilt when she looked at the young lioness.
But right then, when all hope seemed lost, they heard a flap of feathers and wings.
!!!!
Both lionesses paused before turning towards the vulture that had landed at the entrance of the cave.
Grim did not bother scanning the cave. Instead, he fixed his feathers and shook his body to smooth himself. As the most loyal servant of the king, he must always look presentable. He can't look rugged and wild like the rest of the vultures.
He twisted his head and plucked a small ingrown feather from his neck, and finally turned towards the two lions.
"Okay," he began. "Greetings, lionesses of the Prideland. I come to you as— AHHH!"
Grim leapt from his spot just in time to dodge Zuri, who flew towards him like a bullet. With the state of her stomach, she would eat anything. Now, a vulture just presented itself in front of her, so of course, she would take the chance.
"Is this how you treat your— WHAAA!!!"
He jumped again while flapping his feathers wildly. Zuri barely missed him.
They chased each other around the cave for a while, a blur of flapping feathers and claws. Grim had success in dodging her for a few seconds, but ultimately, she got him.
Zuri bit him by the end of his feathered tail and then brought him to the ground. She pinned him under her paw, her weight pressing on his chest, and that made him wheeze.
"I really didn't think this through, did I?" he wheezed out.
"Stop it, Zuri!!!" he managed to say before she bit his head off.
The mention of her name made her pause. Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?"
"I am here to help, please do not eat the help," he said. "I come at the command of my king, Leo, to rescue the two of you before the war starts."
"What?"
"WHAT?!"
Sarabi and Zuri said in sync. The old lioness came up to Grim immediately. Zuri also stopped her snarls and blinked with confusion and hope.
"But first, please get off me," Grim said, wheezing.
"Oh, sorry!" Zuri moved her paws off him. Grim took in a deep breath before slowly getting up. His talons came up to lightly smack his own chest.
"Okay, where was I? Right," Grim began once more. "I come at the command of my king Leo, whom you know of. And I have come to rescue you from your peril."
"Leo? He is here?" Zuri asked, her eyes perking up, her voice so hopeful that you would rather weave a thousand lies than disappoint her.
"Yes, Zuri," he said. "Your king has returned."
"Then where is he?" she asked and immediately looked around, as if wishing dearly for him to appear out of thin air.
"He is waiting for you," Grim said. "On the other side of all this."
"We just need to wait for a signal," he added.
"A signal? What signal?" Sarabi asked.
And as if on cue, thunder split the sky.
No, not thunder. It was a roar.
It tore through the night like the earth itself was breaking apart.
Sarabi and Zuri froze at the sound. Then they both ran outside the den to listen to the roar. After the first roar died down, another came. This time, it was even louder.
It was a guttural avalanche of sound that rolled over the wasteland and shook the marrow of every creature still clinging to life. The silence of the Pridelands, starved and hollow, only made the roar louder.
It was no ordinary lion’s cry. It was so much more than the pathetic roar that Scar used to bellow in his patrol. Scar's roar sounded like a meow compared to this.
It was deeper, heavier, as though a mountain had found a voice. It dragged low at first, a growl from the pit of creation, then rose into a shattering bellow that punched holes in the night.
Every ear turned. The scouting lionesses froze mid-step, the sleeping hyenas snapped awake to feel fear, and Scar himself woke up from his dream to a nightmare.
The roar filled the night.
"That's the signal," Grim said, and urged the two lionesses.
"We should go while everyone is distracted."
Zuri and Sarabi did not need to be told twice as they followed Grim. They were not aware of the plan, nor did they know if they should trust the vulture. The reason they moved was because of the command in the roar.
*ROAR!!!*
Zuri felt her heart beating loudly in her chest. She couldn't help but adore the angry roar threatening the sky.
'You did it, you fulfilled your promise.'
"You came back," she said as she ran, leaving silver tears behind her.
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Author : Grammarly got an update. I normally just use it by checking the red lines where I don't do it correctly. Sometimes I even use grammar incorrectly because what I write makes more sense to me. But in this chapter, I try to follow the guidance correctly even in terms of punctuation. Just wanted to know if it's noticeable or if it's better.
Comments
DarkApocalypse
Zuri finna get breeding after this then all the others will be next lol they been patiently waiting & will he bring Simba in after scar u gone have to let him find his own mates since Leo not sharing lol but I would to see Timon and Pumbaa reaction to Leo when they meet him 😂😂
Elle
I love the part where Zuri lunged to eat Grim in the middle of his speech! It was so hilarious! My loud laughs woke up my dog🤣🤣🤣
