The Lion King Chronicles: Vitani's Vengeance

Chapter 9

Something sharp prodded me right in the ribs which jolted me awake instantly. Looking up, I found myself eye to eye with Issa. Her cream-colored fur appeared very pale in the weak morning sunlight that began to fill the cave. I stretched my front legs as my jaws parted in a wide yawn.

"Come on Vitani, today is your first day of training," Issa announced.

Almost instantly, I was on my paws at the mere mention of training. "Do we get to go outside?"

Issa chuckled and shook her head at my antics. "Yes, Vitani: we get to go outside. Now come on, I've got to wake Kovu as well."

Without a word, I ran to Kovu's throne where he slept peacefully and undisturbed. I launched myself at him un-apologetically with enough energy to race a gazelle. "Kovu!" I exclaimed, pouncing on him. "Wake up, wake up! We start training today!"

Kovu rolled over with a groan and attempted to shove me off of the throne. I didn't budge. "Kovu!" I grabbed his ear between my teeth and gave it a tug. "Get up!"

Issa appeared beside the throne to prod Kovu awake. "Kovu, your training as a Prince officially begins today. You wouldn't want to disappoint your mother, would you?"

Kovu slowly opened one eye to peek at Issa and me. Disgruntled, he began to stretch. "Why so early?" He complained.

"Kings wake at the crack of dawn," Issa explained. "You've got to start conditioning yourself to be King. I'll be waiting outside with Katura. Then your training begins." Issa turned and left the cave with me still at Kovu's side.

I turned to my brother with unmasked excitement. "This is what we've been waiting for, Kovu: a chance to prove ourselves! We can't let Father down."

Kovu huffed and rolled his eyes at me. "You knew Father better than me. I don't think he wanted me to be his heir..."

The fur along my spine rose in alarm at Kovu's words. This is exactly what Mother warned me about. I couldn't let Kovu doubt himself or his ability to become King. He needed to be strong, for Father.

"Kovu..." I scooted closer to him so that our fur was brushing. "Of course this is what Father wanted. In his final moments, he named you. This is what you were born to do." I stood up and budged him with my head. "Come on, you'll see."

There it was: the smallest smile spread across Kovu's face. He stood up to follow me out of the cave. We emerged from the shadows to step into the sunlight. I lifted my head and breathed in the fresh air. I'd missed the feeling of the sunshine on my pelt. Only now did I realize how cold the cave really was without the sun to warm it.

A little ways away, Issa sat alongside Katura, a wiry gray-brown lioness. They stood up to greet Kovu and I as we approached. I could barely contain my excitement at finally being able to prepare for the war. My claws unsheathed to dig into the dirt beneath my paws. I imagined it was the pelts of those Prideland usurpers. I wanted to see their blood stain the grass.

Issa cleared her throat to speak. "Every morning at the crack of dawn, we will meet here to train. You two will become fluent in the language of war. There is no room for fear or doubt, only vengeance and ambition." Issa began walking closer to Kovu and me. "Power is survival. Love is weakness." She paused and stared down at us with a hard look in her eyes. "Kings don't have weaknesses."

She turned her back on us to walk back to Katura. "We will begin with the basics. The best fighters are offensive, but first, you must learn to be defensive." Issa glanced at Kovu. "Attack Vitani."

My brother rounded on me almost instantly with his claws outstretched. I ducked and his initial blow missed me. Then he fell on me, pinning me down. Growling, I twisted and easily slipped from his grip. Sometimes, it paid to be really small. I retaliated with a blow of my own that caught him alongside the cheek.

"Good, Vitani! Quicker, Kovu!" Issa shouted.

Kovu came at me again, this time with fire in his green eyes. He knocked me over and attempted to pin me down. I kicked up with my hind legs and sent him tumbling over my head. His claws still clung to me and drew blood as he rolled. I hissed at the pain but ignored it as best as I could. In a heartbeat, I stood over him with my fangs bared.

Suddenly, a roar reverberated through the air that shook me to my bones. In an instant, Issa was standing over Kovu and I protectively with Katura at her side. When I looked, I realized two strange lions were approaching. Zira appeared from the cave with Ramla and the other lionesses at her flanks. They charged at the two strangers without hesitation.

Kovu cowered beside me, but my blood was racing at the prospect of battle. The lionesses fell on the strangers like an unstoppable dark tidal wave. Claws glinted in the sunlight, roars echoed off the termite mounds, and the smell of blood filled the air.

"Stop!" Katura cried as realization filled her eyes. "Zira! It's Aba and Viper!"

The fight finished as quickly as it had begun. Zira and the lionesses surrounded the two strangers with suspicion alight in their eyes. Katura left Issa's side to inspect the two strangers. "Aba? Viper?"

The male lion relaxed when he saw Katura. He had brown fur with a light brown mane. I realized that he bore an amazing resemblance to Katura's son, Cato. At his side was a young lioness that looked a lot like Katura.

"Katura?" The male, Aba, murmured. He approached her and they embraced.

Cato wandered closer and paused when he saw Aba. "Father?"

The young lioness glanced at Cato with a smirk. "Hello, brother."

Zira narrowed her eyes at Aba and Viper. "Katura, you know them?"

Katura nodded excitedly. "Yes, this is my mate-Aba-and our daughter, Viper." She then proceeded to embrace Viper. "How'd you find us?"

"Word reached us that Scar was executed and Simba had returned." Aba answered thoughtfully. "We were told that all of Scar's supporters were banished to the Outlands."

"And we figured you could probably use some help for you cause?" Viper added with a smirk.

A sly grin pulled at Zira's lips. "Welcome to the Outlands."