Kingdoms Of The Savanna #1 Alone

Chapter 7

The moment that Jaquin dropped her, Kima knew she had to run. Terror lent strength into her stocky body, allowing her to begin sprinting at top speed. The sounds of battle were just starting to fade when suddenly a heavy weight threw itself on top of her.

"Oh no you don't!" A shrill voice snarled.

Kima screamed as cruel, hooked claws dug into her spine and sunk deep within her flesh. Out the corner of her eye she saw her attacker was quite a young lioness, not much older than Oel. The young lioness roared and flipped Kima onto her belly and placed her heavy golden paws on the hyena's chest, pinning her down.

I can beat her... Kima thought.

"Let go!" She growled.

The lioness didn't reply automatically though he grip didn't lessen. "No. I have to kill you." She said quietly, almost unwillingly.

She doesn't want to do this! Kima felt a flare of hope rise within her.

"No you don't. If you let me go, no one will see. Please, have mercy." Kima pleaded.

"Mercy? You're better off dead, hyena scum." The innocence that had shown on the lioness's face moments earlier disappeared, replaced by sudden fury. "You know nothing! I have to kill you, got it? I have to kill you!"

Kima tried to stay calm. She could talk her way out of the situation. She just had too keep a clear head and think up a plan.

"If you let me go, I'll never come near the Pride Of Hura again. I'll even let you fake my death." Kima took a deep breath. "My blood is already on my claws. You can say you threw me in the water-hole or something. No one has to know!"

"My father will want to see a body. The whole Pride will." She shook her head. "You don't understand! I am Cature, Karacore's first daughter. If I kill you, I'll bring great honer to my father!"

"Please..."

"Sorry, whelp, 'please' just isn't enough." Cature bared her gleaming fangs and lowered her head so that they grazed Kima's throat, ready to rip it out.

"Get off her!" Someone roared.

Kima twisted around to see Oel hurl herself at Cature, throwing the lioness off balance and sending her rolling away.

"Oel!" Kima gasped, leaping to her paws.

Oel was bleeding heavily from a gasp across her left flank and one of her ears was torn. She stumbled towards Cature, her lips drawn back and her fur spiked up in fury.

"Get out of here." She spat.

Cature let out a hoarse laugh. "Make me."

Oel barely had time to register the words before Cature leaped at her with outstretched claws. Already weakened from her terrifying battle to escape, Oel crumpled beneath the weight of the other lioness. She fought to heave upward but was unable to.

"Help!" She cried out.

Kima charged at them and bit down hard into Cature's shoulder until her teeth scraped bone. Cature roared in agony and rolled over, releasing Oel while shaking Kima off at the same time. Kima struck again though, biting down hard on the base of the lioness's tail. Oel followed her foster-sister's example and slid underneath Cature, burying her fangs into her soft underbelly while raking it with her claws.

Cature let out a cry of shock and spun around in a frenzied circle, trying to shake them off. She delt a dizzying blow to the back of Kima's skull do that the hyena whelp crumbled to the ground. Oel kept fighting though, scoring her claws down the lioness's flanks over and over.

"Sharna! Yahara!" Cature roared. "Help me!"

Oel paused for a moment to see two familiar lioness's thundering towards them. The rich golden-pelted Sharna and the hideously scared Yahara. Oel felt her blood turn to ice. She and Kima had no chance of taking on such experienced lionesses!

"Oel! We have to get out if here!" Kima barked frantically.

Oel narrowly missed a swipe of Cature's claws. "I know!" She growled. Oel gave a well-aimed kick to Cature's head and sprinted away from the stunned lioness.

Kima ran alongside her, running as fast as her short legs would carry her. The two young animals could hear the sounds of their pursuers not far behind.

"Don't slow down!" Kima ordered.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Oel grunted in reply. "Which way?"

Kima had no idea where they were running. Aside from her misadventure with Oel, she'd never been so far away from the den.

"Er... This way." She panted, veering away to the right.

"They're heading towards the river!" She heard Sharna snarl behind them.

Kima and Oel barely heard the words. They kept running and realised with relief that they were no longer being chased.

I wonder why... Oel thought.

They charged down a steep bank until they reached a great churning brown snake of water. The river. They stopped and flopped down beside the water, panting with exhaustion.

"Jak... Mum... Lullen..." Kima moaned as she rested her head on the ground. "What happened?"

"I... Lullen dropped Jak and a massive lion, Karacore himself jumped on him. He's dead, Kima. Jak's dead. I think Jaquin is too. Lullen was still fighting when I fled but..." Oel trailed off, her body growing numb as the recent events washed over her. Dead, all of them.

"No..." Kima whispered weakly.

Oel curled up beside her and pressed against the whelp, seeking comfort. Exhaustion flooded her body. All she wanted to do was sleep.

She didn't notice the dark shapes stirring in the mud and water around them.

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BAM! What's in the water? Is it fish? Is it the Loch Ness Monster? Comment your thoughts!

Fact: Lion's have a total of 18 toes. Five on their front paws and four on their back paws.