Leo : The Lion King

Chapter 230 230: And so it begins

[3rd POV]

The river had fallen.

Not just in her level, but also in her voice.

The Mara River, once swollen with rain and the promise of grazing lands, now ran thinner under the dry season sun. Its currents were still strong, still treacherous, but the banks had pulled away to expose long stretches of cracked mud and dying reeds.

The dry season had always been brutal.

Beyond the thinning river was the Serengeti. The land stretched wide and open in muted browns of pale gold. The grasslands had turned brittle underneath the sky that ran out of mercy.

Dust rose in soft curtains every passing second. The wind was slowly reshaping the land since there was no moisture to hold their shape. Most trees were bald now, while the resilient kinds still held a little bit of green.

If the land close to the river were this dead, one could only imagine how brutal the land must be if ventured deeper.

And yet they came.

Ten of them.

The lions of the Masai Mara began crossing the Mara River. The water was murky and dirty, but the depth was not even enough to swallow a calf anymore.

The sight of nine lion kings, moving together like a single pride, was something to behold. Even the crocodiles of the river floated away from their presence.

In the animal world, the existence of this single group was akin to an absolute powerhouse. It was enough to disturb the balance of the ecosystem.

Their movements were slow as they crossed the river. But it wasn't because the current fighting them was strong or because they feared even just a little, the giant lizards whose domain they intruded upon.

It was because of what crossing that river signified.

When they came up on the other shore, they knew there was no turning back.

They had set foot on the Serengeti.

They had set foot in his kingdom.

The unspoken leader of this group, King Sumu, was the first to cross to the other side. A deep growl reverberated from his throat as he took in the scent of the land.

Nine other lions followed behind him.

When all had crossed the river, they allowed the water to drip down from their body that was literally aching and itching for a fight. The sun above and their own body heat quickly evaporated the water, giving the impression that they were releasing smoke from a distance.

Like they were a battle machine in full gear.

Back in the Maasai Mara, the land was on the verge of rain. The clouds were already gathering there when they left. Soon the grass would grow thick and the herds would return in droves.

The Maasai Mara would have its wet season while the Serengeti had its dry season.

It would be easy to stay there. It would be wise to stay there.

And yet, they had left.

That alone told a story.

They had come to the Serengeti for conquest and to kill their shared enemy.

"Let's move," Sumu said, almost like a command and the group began moving deeper into the Serengeti.

...

...

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[3rd POV]

A hyena turned her head towards the horizon.

The direction was north, towards the Mara River. Amid the blaring heat, she could see the flickering figures of ten lions in the distance.

Her nose stood vertical, pointing towards the sky. She took in the foreign scent of male lions, each scent different. She could tell much from their smell, like their size, their health, their age.

Their threat.

Danger.

She stood up from where she lay, her tail pointing up, ready for battle. She released a whoop and a holler that sent the few hyenas laying on the ridge into action. They stood up abruptly along with her before they ran down and disappeared behind the mounds.

A growl that sounded more like crazy laughter left her throat as she made her way towards the lions alone.

On the other side, the lions gazed at a skeleton on the ground as they walked past it. The skeleton was that of a lion.

The group of lions didn't give much thought or concern, but they did note that they were walking inside a dangerous territory.

The arrival of such a powerful group could not be hidden for long. In no time, the lions noticed a dozen or so vultures circling in the clear sky. The sun was at the height of the blue sky, so the small birds cast rather gigantic shadows over them as they flew across the sun.

Warning, it was a warning. The vultures and even the corpses of lions who tried and failed.

But the lions, ten strong, did not heed any warning. Even when they saw a single hyena approach them without fear, they did not heed the warnings.

Eventually, the hyena and the lions met.

They stopped when there were a few metres between them.

"Foreigners...." the hyena began, her voice cracking in chuckles. "You are going the wrong way,"

The audacity. All the lions were baffled by the audacity of this weaker, inferior creature.

The lions looked towards Sumu. Had he shown even the slightest bit of aggression, the lions would've burst out and ended the hyena right then and there.

But instead, Sumu tilted his head, an amused grin on his face.

"There is no wrong way for lions such as us," Sumu said. "Perhaps you are the one with the misguided sense of direction. Since when did hyenas walk towards lions instead of away?"

"Ever since we were ordered to," she replied, trotting side to side, "Tell me, foreigners, have you not heard the stories? It is not too late to turn around and go back."

"We are witness of the stories, and that is why we are here," Sumu said, "You hyenas are working for Leo, do you not? Call him for us,"

"I'm afraid the king doesn't concern himself with any intruders," she said, "Only those that pass the trial are fit for his attention."

"Trial?"

And that was when the lions began hearing the sound of hyenas all around them. It came from the back, from the right, from the left, and from beyond where the hyena stood.

One, two, ten, twelve, twenty-one, twenty-two.

Almost thirty in total.

And that wasn't even all their number. Those numbers were only the hyenas that were available nearby.

The Serengeti now had a thriving hyena population, and all were under Leo because he exterminates every other hyena that refused to come under him.

It was easy, really. If they wanted to live, they lived under him or did not live at all.

"I'll admit, we never had success against a coalition of more than three," the hyena said as the numbers began closing in on the lions.

"But if your words and intentions are true, then consider this a welcoming gift from the king," she said.

Hyenas, or animals in general, are kind of stupid. Their stupidity could sometimes be misread as honour and integrity.

They were animals controlled by fear, much more than humans are controlled by fear. A human would have a hard time comprehending this.

The deal they had with Leo was simple. The king would provide them with land, security, and prey. They wouldn't have to fight for their survival again.

But in return, when they fight, they fight for him. And the life which he spared now belongs to him. So they live for him.

It was a fair deal. Too good to be true for the hyenas.

Humans and perhaps animals like lions were the selfish ones. Other animals were content to live and pass down their genes. Their species survival was intrinsically way more important than their personal life.

So as the hyena charged alone at ten lions, she did not feel fear. It was not that she lacked fear towards the ten lions but because the fear she had of Leo was so much bigger than it reduced her fear for other lions to an imaginary zero.

And as she charged to certain death, she knew her children and species would continue to thrive under Leo as she held out her duty.

She aimed at the lion she exchanged words with. Her jaw went for the neck. But the big cat was so much faster than her.

Sumu moved with strength and speed that easily overwhelmed her. His maw found puncture on her head, the fangs piercing her skull and the bite crushing her head.

A violent thrash and she went limp.

But at that point, the other hyenas also reached the group.

A small battle ensued as the lions were introduced to the kingdom that was ruled by Leo.

It was an event that changed their entire perspective on what it meant to be king and what it meant to rule a land.

Leo's rule extended far beyond just having a pride and marking territories.

He was more king than any lion king that ever existed.

..

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[3rd POV]

It was a lazy day for Leo and his pride.

It was midday, the height of summer heat. Usually, that meant nap time for all the pride except the hunting party.

The super pride, over fifty in total members, lay beneath the trees that still held their leaves. The pride was of such quantity that they spread under four different trees that stood in the vicinity.

Leo himself stayed under the biggest tree, and multiple females used his massive frame to lean on. The little cubs were sandwiched between the adults, oftentimes being crushed. Even if they were not sleepy, the stack of bodies was like a cave for them to dive into. A sort of play they could do even when the adults were all asleep.

But the restful peace was disturbed when the sounds of feathers began echoing. Not just one, but multiple vultures began flying down from the sky. The flap of their wings seemed to be purposefully loud to wake the slumbering beasts.

The vultures landed on the ground and on the trees. Their numbers are large enough for one not to want to count and just settle on many.

The rest of the pride woke up first, their ears flinching and their body stirring awake. They looked around, a little surprised at the odd behaviour of the birds.

And then the king opened his eyes.

"Grim,"

"A coalition of ten lions had crossed the river, my lord," Grim answered, perching on the lowest branch of the tree.

"They hold bad blood with you. It looks like fire from the past not fully extinguihed,"

Kindness was punishment to oneself. Leo had developed the habit of not going after fleeing enemies, mostly due to confidence in his strength but also because of mercy.

It seemed like that had come to bite him.

"They encountered the hyenas in the Northern Region, thirty-two lives were lost at the cost of some injuries on the enemies," Grim reported.

"Thank you, Grim," Leo said before slowly rising to his feet.

He bit at the badge that was still covering his broken arm. His teeth tore through cleanly at the fabirc and the whole thing became undone as he began walking towards the direction where the vultures flew.

The pride watched as their king left to do his duty of protection.

When he was far enough, a roar split the sky of the Serenegti.

It was a shattering roar, a knowing roar.

A month, almost two, was enough for Leo to fully recover.

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