Nirmala's story

A painful past

Surak's POV

I stood on a hill that overlooked the tree of life.

"How did I get here?" I asked as I looked around. I saw a skinny lion watching me, he was a black lion with many scars covering his body. His eyes were blood red.

"You are in my memories." He said as he stood up and walked over to me.

"Your memories!?" I repeated as I stepped away from him in shock.

"Yes, I want you to tell my story or else I'll keep attacking those cubs." He snickered and I looked at him like he was crazy, he was crazy.

"Why do you have so many scars?" I asked as he seemed happy that I noticed them.

"Marks of my battles. They are marks of victory and pride." He said as he stretched as if to show them off. It made me sick that he thought that scars and battles were a good thing. "No wonder they didn't let him into the tree of life" I thought and he seemed to glare at me for thinking that. "Could he read my thoughts?" I wondered.

"Yes." He said and I sat up, staring at him.

"W-What?" I stuttered, I must have heard that wrong.

"Let's dive in shall we." He said as he walked down the hill towards the tree of life. I rushed after him. We walked to the border of the tree of life where we usually welcome newcomers. "I was raised on the plains with my mom." He said then suddenly we were standing on a dry sanding plains with a small cave in front of us. A small black cub ran out laughing, he spun in a circle and jumped around. Soon a skinny lioness came out from the cave, she had a grey fur coat with three circles on her forehead.

"Stay close to the cave, Jabarl!" She called as he raced around.

"Yes, mama!" He called as he raced off. He started to sniff around. A soft cry came from the distance. The cub named Jabarl raised his head and stared into the distance where the cry came from.

"That's me if you didn't know. I was a troublesome cub." He said as the cub ran to the cry. We were suddenly transported to Jabarl's side. He was leaning over a body of another cub but it was a girl. He was shaking her.

"Hey! Ya alive!?" He said well shaking her. She slowly opened one eye and stared at him. She nodded slowly and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Who are you?" She said once he had helped her up. She had silver fur and sky blue eyes. A huge scar covered her ear.

"I'm Jabarl and you are?" He asked and she hesitated as if she was trying to remember.

"I-I'm Malaika." She said a little unsure of herself though. Jabarl smiled though and he clapped her on her back.

"Nice to meet ya. You can live with me and my mom." Jabarl smiled and the two cubs walked towards the cave.

"Things go downhill from now on." Older Jabarl said as we were again transported.