BRAVESPIRIT ~ A Lion King Fanfiction

Chapter 7: Claims

Days earlier...

Regardless of how much the Pridelands struggled throughout the dry season, it would never compare to the outlands. Scarce vegetation, less food and even less water would make even the most hopeful question his creator. It is here that only the smallest of creatures should survive.

A desert rat climbs from his burrow under the cover of a crescent moon. While eyes wide and nose and ears primed for stimulus of any predator that should stalk him. He breaks from his home, scurrying across the dark floors covered in rocks and decaying bones, illuminated only by the moon to feast on seeds left behind by shrubs.

The sudden cracking of bones behind him causes the rodent to freeze in his tracks, looking in every direction trying not to make a sound. His heart pounds and eyes widen as multiple dark figures emerge from the darkness, more than hungry for a midnight snack.

The beasts cackle and laugh psychotically, flashing smiles wider than the rat thought were physically possible. He sprints as fast his little legs can to a nearby tunnel, all the while the barks and trampling steps of the beasts close in on him. He blows past the entrance to the small tunnel and wipes his brow in relief, only to come to the horror that one of the beasts had gripped his tail under its paw. The paw slowly retracts, dragging the rat along with it to a grizzly fate. He reaches to grab something, anything for dear life, but it's to no avail as the beasts pull him from his cave, only to leave him with one wish, that it would all be over soon.

"Bwana! What the hell are you doing?" An elder Hyena barks through a horrendous cough at his son and four of his friends.

"Dad, this is the first meal we've had in days, can't you forgive us for a little extra noise?" The son replies.

"Son, it's late, and it's the high of the dry season, let me rest." The elder replied.

"It's ok Bwana, with the new king of the Pridelands we will eat less than ever." One of the hyenas let out a sarcastic huff.

The elder Hyena halts his march. Turning his head to face the young hyenas, with a look of confusion on his face, if not one to soon be replaced by anger.

"...King of the Pridelands? Am I missing something?" The elder hyena spat with curiosity and a sense of impatience.

The younger hyenas looked at each other, then to the ground, with one stepping forward to take responsibility. "Slash, open the stones to the chamber we found. Dad... we've got something to show you."

A younger spotted hyena, with scars up and down his flanks, left there by Lions named Slash races off deep into the cave, while the others standby with the glare of the elder hyena watching over them.

"Is no one going to answer my question!" The elder spat.

"Father... this was much to take in for all of us. But we found something. Something from the era of Jasiri and Janja. A prophecy." The younger Hyenas looked at each other, trembling at the thought of it.

"Than tell me now, who is claiming to be king?" The older Hyena hisses at his child.

"No one, King Sumo. He is not of age yet." The hyena called Slash calls from across the cave, motioning them to follow him.

Sumu motions for the other hyenas to stay in the cave while he takes his son Bwana and Slash under the cave. The darkness becoming evermore present as they could barely see there own paws in front of their faces.

Until the light of the moon shines through holes in the rocks, bringing light to the underground cavern, and the writing on the walls.

"Here." Slash states, pointing to the very prophecy of the new king. To which Sumu reads aloud.

"In a land of judges and false hope, one king will arise from the ashes of his family and unite the two great predators of the Savannah to bring hope and unity to a scarred land. Whoever follows him will receive life in a new home, and those who remain, will be left under the wrath of their land." He stares in disbelief.

"Didn't we just kill the damn queen of the Pridelands!? How could this be possible!" Sumu yells at Bwana and Slash with sick red eyes.

"We believe he has already been born, father." Bwana says trying to keep calm in the face of his angered father.

"Born? Where? Where does it say where he was born?" Sumu hisses,

"In priderock, father!" Bwana cries, clearly nervous.

"Priderock... priderock..." Sumu whispers with widened eyes, to which he turns and lions at the writings once more. Staring them down intently.

"Slash, Bwana, gather all of the Hyenas of the clan, take them to pride rock when the moon is at its darkest, and smite every infant male lion there. There won't be too many, but every one of them must die. If this prophecy is allowed to come true, we and out grandpups will surely continue to starve." Sumu says to the two.

"It will be done." Bwana says, leaving as quickly as his words were said, to which Slash followed.

"Slash..." the elder hyena called.

He turned to face him, as he motioned for the young hyena to join his side. Slash complied and visited with his elder.

"Slash, it takes a male to raise a male right?" Sumu questions.

"Yes, sir." Slash replies.

"I have a special task for you. In addition to the murder of the infant cubs. Slay every male lion of any age in his sleep inside priderock, for good measure." Sumu states as he gives Slash a wink coupled with a sinister grin.

"It would be my pleasure, sir." Slash replies,

"This isn't the last time we will... let's say purge, priderock of its population. We can't let our kind starve because we were to weak to act. Now run along, and make this a night the lions of the Pridelands will weep over for years." Sumu laughs as he pushes Slash out of the cave, screaming and coughing hysterically while doing so, trampling over the bones of dead hyenas below his paws.

"What is happening!"

"They're dead! It's a massacre!"

"My Son!"

The promise of a new king, threatens those in power and the way of life in the outlands. The cries of lionesses echo throughout the Pridelands to the massacre of the innocents. Every Male in the pride from infancy to adulthood, is murdered in the dead of night. Leaving no surviving candidate for King in their wake.

All but one...