Chapter One: The Rogues.

The sun rises on the continent of Africa.

In the morning mist, antelope stir from their night time hiding spots in the tall grass. Crocodiles lay on the banks of the Urembo River, mouths agape as they bask in the sun. Singing birds tend to their newborn chicks, who are eager to explore the nest. In Kilio Valley, elephants begin their daily march to the watering hole, young ones clinging tightly to their parent's side.

This is a day like any other in this land, but one that nevertheless heralds change, for the wet season has begun in the Serengeti. With it comes migration as the nourishing rains cascade onto the plains of the savannah, providing plentiful grazing for the great herds. They come from every corner of the east, eager to feed and roam free.

A time of plenty for all is about to begin, and with plenty comes the struggle of life. The hunters too have come here, their own dry season fasting nearing its end. Both sides of nature are hopeful that this year will be a blessed one, for both hunter and prey have a covenant with nature, a bind made in blood, and the promise of rebirth from the life giving rain.

They call this the Circle of Life.

But for some places, a time of plenty means a time of unprecedented growth. None more than the rocky border region known as the Outlands.

In this place, generations of harsh weather had taken its toll on this arid, dilapidated hinterland. Even in the wet season the badly needed rain always managed to narrowly pass by, locking the area in a state of neglect. It was something the few denizens of it had come to expect over many years of hard living. Some believed the Outlands were cursed, forever sentenced to be a place of little, and death. In the last few years however, radical change had come upon the land.

The Outlands had always served as a convenient border between the Pridelands to the south and the Great Plains and Tsavo to the northeast. That border was now being erased. With the recent reunification of Simba's Golden Pride and the departure of the fanatical Zira, it was like a metaphorical dark cloud had been lifted and replaced with a literal cloud of rain. The sharp cliffs and sprawling termite infested hills were slowly being covered with the emergence of something that had not been common in the Outlands in living memory: grass.

Seasonal weather had returned. For two years in succession the wet season had brought rains that quenched the thirst of a land long since starved for water. As such, this once deathly place was healing, becoming a desirable land in its own right. Once, it was unheard of for herd animals such as wildebeest and antelope to stay in this place for long. Now the option was being seriously considered, and not just by herbivores. The mass immigration some predicted had not yet occurred, as the stark reputation of the area remained. But that was about to change, if luck would have it.

It would never reach the majestic beauty of the Pridelands or the seemingly infinite grazing fields of the north, but it was on its way up in the world. This new place of plenty was what the hyena Jasiri had inherited.

She cut a striking figure. Her neck fur has grown long now that she had reached her prime, with piercing blue eyes that are unusual for her species. She wasn't the biggest hyena in her clan, nor the most skilled hunter. But she easily possessed the most commanding presence of anyone in the group. That presence made her a natural leader. A role she had taken to with gusto, and with that role came plans for the future.

It's no paradise yet, but it's something to be proud of. A place where we can be safe. We can start over now, on our terms. Who knows, the 'Kingdom of the Outlands' has a nice ring to it...

She quickly checked herself from comparing her position to the royals of the Pridelands, she never thought of herself as a would-be queen. She had always been self made, enterprising and resourceful. She couldn't see herself lording over her clan. But even she had privately admitted that the imminent growth of the region meant that a degree of governing was now required if peace was to be maintained. With the influx of food and water; came disputes over them. To the surprise of only herself, she was proven to be more than capable for the task of handling said problems.

She considered the success of her clan to be a sort of reward, karma for being the first among her species to oppose Scar. A real life example of following "the golden rule." Her job today would be the crowning achievement of her philosophy: the atonement of her mate Janja.

Jasiri sat on a large, flat rock underneath a protective cliff face as she bathed herself, the shade providing some shelter from the sun. It was hot, the beginning of the wet season kept the air muggy and the ground damp, so her fur needed tending to. Beneath her on the ground lay the aforementioned Janja, who was sound asleep, a thin line of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. Tired from their midday hunt, the pair lounged together for an afternoon nap.

As she licked her paws clean of the last morsels of food from her midday meal, she leaned over to playfully scratch his neck, massaging her paw up and down his spine. Janja mumbled something under his breath but otherwise did not wake from his nap.

Jasiri rolled her eyes and stretched her paws out with a 'Pop!' of her muscles. She dropped down from her rock and gave Janja a not-so-gentle nudge.

"Come on you bum, it's time to get up. We're supposed to be meeting Fuli today, remember?"

Janja, startled, raised his head and yawned before giving her an annoyed look.

"Im up, i'm up! Damnit Jasiri, she's not going anywhere."

He placed a paw under his chin and continued his complaining.

"You just had to do this today. There's a lot of work left to do here ya know. Didn't Madoa fill you in? Chungu and the gang got into a brawl with a group of jackals this morning and im sure im gonna have to be peacemaker, again. I'm getting sick and tired of dealing with those idiots."

Jasiri chuckled to herself. Janja wasn't really that concerned, he was just trying to get out of his work today, hamming it up for her sake.

"Actually, Madoa did fill me in before we left. Not to mention a few things you missed from the morning report, since you were only half paying attention. Should I bring you up to speed, dearest?" Jasiri said with a smirk.

Janja narrowed his eyes and prepared for yet another lecture.

"No? Done complaining? Good. I've already nipped this in the bud. In regards to the fight this morning, I've already got Madoa on the job. Im sure they are just climbing the cliffs with boredom, so she'll find something for your friends to do to keep them busy, and make amends with the jackals. She can more than handle the clan while we are away for a day or so."

Janja gave her an exasperated look but could only sigh and nod his head at her leadership. There was a reason she was in charge, and she had once again demonstrated it.

"Come on, this is the last day of your sentence that you owe the King. Don't you want to get this over with? It would put a part of your life behind you," she added.

She strolled out in front of him, her long neck fur flowing slightly in the wind.

"Besides, it's a royal command. You can't refuse the King's orders, not yet anyway. This is one kind of trouble you can't get out of, believe me."

Janja rose to his feet with a stretch of his paws and adopted a sullen, but resigned look.

"Fine, it's not like I haven't done this before. What's another day of being a glorified errand boy? Might as well finish the job. If it helps you move on, I'll get it over with."

Jasiri raised an accusing eyebrow and gave him a glare that seemed to pierce right through his soul, finding his faults and laying them bare.

"I'm not the one who has to move on from anything. You're the one who did wrong Janja, and im not about to forget it."

She gave him a derisive turn and walked off.

"Ok, maybe the wrong choice of words." He muttered under his breath.

Janja sighed softly and began to follow her, ears hung low in shame. He didn't want to admit it, but she was right. What he had done to her was going to take more than saying "I'm sorry" in order to fix. A few minutes passed in silence as he slowly caught up to her, not wanting to draw her wrath too much. He carefully considered what to say next.

"I love you, you know that?"

"I know Mapenzi, I know. I love you too. It's just…" She replied.

"...this isn't something I can run from. You're right. I've run away from this for too long." He finished for her.

Jasiri looked him over with soft, caring eyes and rubbed her head against his neck affectionately.

"I just want you to be accepted again. I can't stand it when they talk behind your back. I want them to see what I see in you. But you have to prove it to them, slowly but surely. Show them you've changed Janja, like you showed me."

"I will. I promise."

It was more of an oath than a promise, deep inside Janja felt he truly had changed but old wounds die hard. The deep political problems that had festered in the region remained largely unresolved, and that served his reluctance to move on from past animosity with the lions of Pride Rock.

As they walked together, Janja looked to the sky and wondered how he had gotten so lucky, to have a loving companion like her and a new lease on life after serving a mad psychopath like Scar. Especially after he had once tried to kill her in his name, in an event that seemed like a lifetime ago. If even she could forgive him after what he had done, perhaps one day he could learn to forgive himself.

The two entered through a narrow canyon flanked by the cliffs above. This was a natural ravine carved out by the Urembo river that connected all the way back to the Pridelands. It was dammed by fallen trees that fell here after some past event years ago, long before anyone alive was born. The walls the cliffs formed around them served to carry sound, in this case voices. Jasiri could hear her Prideland contacts just ahead.

She didn't like the place. This was the same river bed that the battle between Zira's pride and Simba's had occurred above almost two and a half years ago. They had never found Zira's body and something about it just gave her a bad feeling. But this was the place that her contacts had insisted on. She couldn't imagine why.

The two stayed close to one another, stopping only briefly to drink from shallow pools created by the recent rains. After an hour or so they reached the agreed upon meeting place, a stagnant pond with a dead tree in the center, its roots just sticking out of the water.

The tree had been there for generations, a lone landmark in an otherwise featureless canyon, but now was part of a growing ecosystem centered around the low land where it had died years ago, perhaps dying not long after the Urembo river had dried up on this side. Jasiri observed tadpoles and small flying insects laying their eggs in the muddy pool. She considered this further evidence of the rapid change overtaking the region.

Janja swatted at mosquitoes as the pair reached the meeting point. She chuckled and gave him a playful kiss on the cheek, he never failed to find something to complain about. Despite his outward nature, there was a caring and giving creature underneath that few but her saw. She hoped one day others would, if she could only bring it out of him.

Jasiri looked up at the tree and realized they were not alone. Fuli the cheetah lay on one of the lower branches, the former protector of the kingdom noticed them as they approached. At the base of the tree was her friend Bunga, the honey badger was content to sit and eat the many flying insects that populate the pond.

Janja thought it a sad sight, one he couldn't help but snicker a little bit at.

Oh how the mighty Lion Guard has fallen, reduced to guarding mud pools from nothing at all. Oh that's right, former Lion Guard. I guess they have to slum it with the rest of us now.

Fuli leapt down into the shallow water with a splash, the tree branch she had been laying on bouncing slightly from the momentum of her jump. A growl of disgust emerged from her as she quickly left the water. Her discomfort with getting wet was well known.

Fuli called back to her long time friend as she approached the hyenas.

"So you chose this place just because you knew you could grab an easy lunch while we waited? How come you never worry about what I have to eat?"

"That sounds like a you problem, not a me problem," Bunga snarkily replied.

Bunga had noticed the two hyenas approach, but didn't bother to get up. Being lazy was his new life's purpose, and it showed. He was now very overweight, a shadow of his former self. The best he could do was offer a half hearted wave at Janja and Jasiri.

"You told me you were gonna go on a diet. You promised Binga remember?" Fuli added one last remark, teasing him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah I remember…" Bunga softly replied, aware of how his laziness was affecting his relationship.

Jasiri smiled as she and Fuli met for a quick hug. She had not seen Fuli in some time, but always considered her the best friend she had left among the Pridelanders.

"How have you been? Things good with you and Azad?" Jasiri winked at her.

Fuli rolled her eyes at the mention of her prospective mate.

"More like things are impossible. He's being...him, I guess. Cant keep him around. Insists that the 'south is just too calm for his tastes'. Which really means that he's too shy to be with me in front of everyone. He talks a big game, but doesn't back it up. Typical male."

"I resent that remark." Janja butted in.

"Hmm, I think I can relate. Speaking of being impossible, when is Bunga gonna get serious about his weight? He can't exactly help the Lion Guard out in his condition."

Jasiri gave Janja a little side eye as she replied, one eyebrow raised in amused judgement of him. Janja didn't fail to notice and gave her a perplexed look as he checked the size of his own belly.

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

Jasiri laughed as Fuli gave a bemused look at her honey badger friend. Bunga literally had an entire pawful of horseflies in one paw.

"I'll get back to you on that."

Jasiri nodded and then cleared her throat. Down to business.

"So, what's the plan Fuli? This should be Janjas last day right?"

Fuli nodded as she gave Janja a disapproving glance.

"Yup, the King has given me permission to grant a pardon for past crimes to him. He'll have a clean slate. Depending on your opinion I guess."

Jasiri and Janja were both well aware of her disapproval of their relationship. This wasn't the first time she had made no secret of it. Jasiri chose to ignore her comment, as she often did when Janja was criticized. Arguing the point never got anywhere and it was better for Janja to simply prove he was reformed, that was the only way anyone would change their minds on him.

Fuli continued after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"There's a surplus of wildebeest in the Pridelands right now, more than usual due to the rainy season starting early this year. Simba asked for some of these herds to be moved to the Outlands, given that there's actual grazing out here now."

Jasiri's eyes went wide at the proposition, this isn't a punishment, it was a gift. With wildebeest roaming the outlands, the clans would have no shortage of food. Maybe the extra abundance would help keep the infighting between hyenas and jackals and others in check. A peace offering from Simba? The start of something more? It could be.

"I...well, thank you. Simba didn't have to do this. Make sure you tell him when you see him again that my clan is grateful. They'll be ecstatic when they hear the news."

"You can tell him yourself, the King is calling for some kind of summit at Pride Rock in three days. Different from the Savannah Summit, it's about you guys in particular. He's asking for the leaders of the Outlands to be present. Don't know what he wants, but you're invited. He claims he won't start without you."

Janja looked over at Jasiri with pride. At the very least he had learned enough humility to be happy for her. She had become a leader, someone her clan looked to for guidance and he was happy to let her have the role. He had long ago disqualified himself from that position.

As their conversation continued, Janja began to notice a change in the air. The gentle breeze suddenly died, an erie quiet settling on the ravine, apart from the sound of Jasiri and Fuli talking. Distracted by their conversation, they didn't notice it the way he did. The sudden silence surprised him, and old habits encouraged him to check his surroundings.

He glanced at the cliff face above but saw nothing. For a moment the sun was blocked by the clouds, allowing him to see but only damp jagged rocks were visible. A few strands of stray grass here and there. Otherwise, nothing to make him concerned.

He was about to put it out of his mind when he seemed to have an epiphany: how perfect the situation was. Years of fighting and stealing for everything he had had taught him many lessons on ambushing prey. In the midst of their talk, their guard was down. If he was planning on an attack, he would have planned it for a moment like this.

In the distance a rock fell from the cliff face, landing with a loud 'Thwack'!

Janja turned and looked up again but saw nothing atop the cliffs. The sun shined on his eyes, blocking his vision. He blocked the sun with a paw and used his excellent sense of smell, taking a deep whiff.

That's when he caught the scent. The dying wind had shielded it from him for a time but now the smell had to be close, for it was coming through clear and unmistakable.

Lions.

Janja took another deep sniff of the air as he startled to attention, taking a few steps away from the pair in order to not confuse their scent. The conversation between his two female friends slowly died off as they noticed this sudden shift in attitude.

Jasiri tilted her head and gave him a confused look. "What's happening? You smell something?"

He turned on them, incredulous. "You don't? Lions, gotta be."

Fuli and Jasiri both sensed it soon after, almost simultaneously realizing what was happening. They copied Janja, ears peeled back and eyes scanning the horizon for trouble. Like him, they slowly caught on to the situation they were in.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Jasiri questioned her cheetah friend.

Fuli shook her head. "No, Kovu and Kiara are with their grandmother in Kilio Valley. Everyone else is at Pride Rock, apart from the guard, and they are investigating a disturbance near Kilimanjaro. That's very far away."

Bunga, previously clueless, finally figured out that something was amiss. Even his dulled senses couldn't miss such a sudden change in demeanor like this.

"Hey guys, what's happening?"

He struggled to his feet, preferring to walk on all fours these days. He didn't share their sense of smell, days digging around bee's nests for food having taken its toll.

Fuli turned sharply in his direction, speaking quickly. "Bunga, stick close. We're leaving."

"What? You don't think…"

There was a hint of excitement in Bunga's tone and a faint smile, he was always up for a fight. He hadn't been the bravest of the guard for nothing, and not even his newfound laziness could damper his natural instinct.

The cheetah nodded, far less enthusiastic than he. "Yeah, I do. Outsiders. We need to go, now."

The hyenas could sense the urgency in her voice, which they shared internally. This wasn't a joke, intruders were present in the Outlands. Janja wasn't known for raising false alarms. This was something that hadn't happened in many years but everyone knew that rogue lions were not known for being friendly.

The four of them turned and quickly began to make their way back up the river bed where they came, with Bunga huffing and puffing in his attempts to climb the slowly increasing incline and keep up.

"Wait for me! I can't run on a full stomach, sheesh!"

Fuli looked back to him and cursed under her breath, baring her sharp teeth.

"Hurry up you slug! Do you wanna get eaten?!"

"Ha! Like im afraid of of some rogue…" Bunga started to reply.

Bunga trailed off as his three friends ahead of him suddenly stopped. Cresting the hill was the reason why: a large male lion with a mane black as night.

"Oh boy, thats a big one."

By big he meant huge, the biggest lion Bunga had ever seen. Bigger than Simba by far, who was the biggest lion in the kingdom. He did not look friendly. His face and mouth bore the scars of countless fights and one of his ears was partially torn. His fur was a mix of dark browns. With his black mane, he stood like a dark hole in the world.

There was a moment of silence as the strange lion seemed to size them up and the foursome stood petrified, unsure of what to do. Jasiri decided to take the initiative and try to diffuse the situation.

"You are in the Outlands stranger, this is my home. I am in charge here. My name is Jasiri, my friends here are Fuli, Janja and Bunga."

Summoning her courage, Jasiri took an adventurous step forward. As the leader of her clan, it was important for her to be seen as a figure in charge.

"Are you alright? Are you hungry? We can provide food and shelter if you are in need."

The lion did not budge or reply, instead locking eyes with the young hyena. Gold spheres that shined like stars against the black night of his mane. Her instincts told her that something was off, that he was hostile. Trying to suppress her fear, Jasiri spoke again.

"There's no need for us to fight. There is plenty of room here for all of us, we simply want to go home."

Again, the lion said nothing. He looked over them, as if selecting a target. Examining each of them for a weakness to exploit. Fuli had been around lions most of her life and knew what was about to happen next.

She could easily escape and outrun him, but Jasiri and Janja couldnt and especially not Bunga. She didn't want to abandon them, but a cheetah is no use in a fight against a powerful male like this. If it came down to it, someone had to warn the Pridelands, and she had a duty to perform.

Her fur on the back of her neck began to stand on end as the silent tension rose by the moment. In all their focus on what lay ahead of them, no one was paying attention to what was behind. Bunga, already worn out from a few short minutes of running, was particularly vulnerable, his senses dulled somewhat by a few years of leisure.

He was about to pay for it.

Bunga never heard the second lion coming up behind him, he only saw the shadow looming over him right before he was struck. He didn't even have time to turn around or yell a warning, a pawfull of razor sharp claws raked him across the face and knocked him flying to the ground. He fell unconscious and limp on the hard earth, blood seeping from his face, four claw gashes disfiguring his head forever.

Triggered by this attack, the black maned male roared out in a deafening display of anger and rushed forward at the hyenas. Fuli didn't even have time to see if Bunga was alive, before the second lion sprang at her with frightening quickness and swung his powerful claws again. She leaped away, far more agile than he.

Or was it a he? It appeared to be a lioness, as it lacked a mane. Then again, it was bigger than most females. The naturally inquisitive Fuli couldn't help but remember that some males did not have manes, though she had never met one in her lifetime.

She didn't have time to debate its appearance, as she was swiftly pursued in a deadly dance on the canyon floor. She could outrun and out-turn him, and that's exactly what she did, using sharp turns to make him lose his footing and looking for an opportunity to get a blow in of her own. Such a hit wouldn't hurt him much, but it would keep his attention on her while she formulated a plan. But it became clear he wasn't necessarily interested in catching her. Fuli realized that he just wanted her out of the fight, as each time he had an opportunity to spend valuable energy to chase her down, he slowed to a crawl, always standing between her and Bunga. She needed to try something different.

Fuli opened up the distance between them in an attempt to get him to follow, to lead him away, but he didn't fall for it. He turned away from her and approached the fallen Bunga and gave him a careful sniff to confirm he was unconscious. Fuli ran forward in a brief moment of panic as she thought she would have to intervene to prevent the lion from finishing him, but the death blow never came.

With a final glance at Bunga the lion proceeded back up the hill to assist his companion. He didn't bother to finish him, a badger was no threat. Clearly he had larger concerns, and targets of higher priority to consider. If the cheetah chose to escape in this moment, that was of no concern of his.

Fuli thanked the creator for her luck or his mercy, either way now she had her chance to grab Bunga. She tried to grab him with her mouth to put him on her back but quickly realized the futility of it. Instead, she used her lithe form to slide underneath his belly, placing him on her back. She groaned under his weight, cursing him under her breath.

Janja and Jasiri had their own problems. Jasiri bravely held her ground while Janja strode off to the side, ready to pounce. The far larger lion launched himself at her with his teeth bared, but underestimated Jasiri's speed. She quickly undercut him and ran underneath his belly as he grasped at nothing where she once stood. She gave a hard bite to his left foot as she rolled back to her feet, pulling back as she did.

An experienced tactic meant to incapacitate, pull tendons and break ligaments. This move would have dislocated the leg of a weaker, less powerful animal. But not him.

He merely growled and gave her a swift kick to the face as he landed. The power in his leg knocked one of her fangs out. Jasiri spat the bloody tooth out as Janja tried to leap unto the lions black mane, biting at his neck. He sank his teeth into him, but it was like the bite of a flea to such a massive specimen. Far worse for Janja was that he was expecting it and he chose this moment to strike.

He reached his powerful paws behind him and grasped him with his long claws, sinking them deep into his flesh. He threw Janja on to the ground and pinned him underneath him. The immense force of the blow knocked the air out of Janja's lungs. Before Jasiri could react, he lowered himself, opened his massive jaws and bit down on Janja's neck with a sickening crunch, writhing his head back and forth to inflict maximum damage.

Janja's eyes went wide and he screamed in pain. He tried to push the far heavier animal off him, to no avail. He was at his mercy. With only a little more pressure, he would certainly die.

Then, as if someone had issued a silent command, it was all over.

The second lion crested the hill and stood next to his companion. Getting a look at it, Jasiri realized the same thing Fuli had. A maneless male. His fur was a pleasant light beige and contrasted completely with the brown and black of his companion. Clearly, these lions were not from the Pridelands.

The mane-less one looked over at his fellow attacker, green eyes glancing at the rapidly bleeding Janja with morbid curiosity.

"The cheetah ran off. Took the badger with her," he spoke matter-of-factly.

"Mmmm." A low growl was all that emerged from his larger companion, his mouth full of hyena flesh.

The black maned one released Janja from his mouth as he fell to the ground, blood pouring from his neck and him gasping for air. He choked on his own blood and looked up at his mate, eyes watering as he tried to put on something resembling bravery for her.

"Sisi ni Sawa, Jasiri. Get out of here!" He croaked out.

Jasiri's heart sank at the sudden realization that they both could die in the next few moments. She looked on helplessly, petrified, as Janja struggled to get to his feet, before one of the lions pushed him back down. He continued to cough up blood, taking deep huffs of air as he struggled to breathe.

"Why are you doing this?!" She accused the pair with tears in her eyes. "We haven't done anything to you!"

"It's not what you've done, it's what you're going to do. For us."

The black maned male looked down at Janja with a look of contempt. His voice was a deep baritone, but sinister.

"Is this your mate? He'll bleed out soon. You are welcome to join him in death if you like."

He took a few aggressive steps towards Jasiri. She stood her ground, pushing her natural instinct to flee deep down inside her. She swallowed hard and prepared herself for what was about to happen. She didn't want to die here, but wouldn't dare leave him, no matter what. Not after all they had gone through together.

The lion stopped right in front of her, but did not attack. He towered over her head, gazing right into her eyes. She could smell the blood on his mouth, Janjas blood. She had never been more terrified in her life, her legs shaking.

"Please, let him go. He's no threat to you. Neither am I. If you have to kill, take me instead."

He laughed, seemingly impressed. "You've got guts hyena, i'll give you that. Tell you what: I'll let you know why we are here. You are going to do us a favor."

He leaned down to put his head at her eye level, almost treating her like a child.

"I know that there's a lion here, a lion who has some kind of power. A power that shakes the very earth, and sweeps all that oppose it aside. Is it true? Have I come all this way for nothing?"

Jasiri couldn't believe what she was hearing. Those damn lions and their ancient powers were about to get them all killed. She mentally cursed them.

"Its true, its real. Its a power only one can wield. The power to defeat anyone, if the ancient kings of Pride Rock will it."

"The ancient kings! How terrible their wrath must be! Surely destruction will rain down upon us any moment now..." He sneered, letting out a contemptuous laugh.

He turned, still laughing, and walked back to his companion who stood with one paw on Janja's chest, pinning him in place. The maneless lion remained silent, clearly not interested in whatever mind games his friend was playing.

"Here's my offer: We will keep your hyena friend here from bleeding to death. I'm not interested in your pitiful mate, your land or even the Pridelands themselves. I just want this lion. Or is it a lioness? I don't know, don't care either. But for your sake you better hope they aren't on an extended vacation."

He paused to let his words sink in.

"Bring this lion to me, in three days time. If you aren't here with what I want by the evening of the third day, im gonna eat your mate for dinner. I'll make sure his head finds its way to you."

He looked her in the eye with a menacing look on his face, giving Jasiri no doubt of the sincerity of his words.

"You understand?"

There was nothing Jasiri could do. It was the only way to save Janja, and she knew exactly who he was referring to.

"Yes. I do."

"Good. Run along now, young one, before I change my mind."

Sisi ni Sawa love, i'll be back. I promise.

Mournful thoughts raced through her mind. Was this the last time she would see him alive? It could be. She quickly pushed these ideas out of her thoughts, that wasn't helping the situation. She needed to believe, needed to think they would keep their end of the deal. If they didn't, she wasn't sure what she would do with herself.

She turned and ran, wasting no time in fleeing the scene. She ran as fast as her paws could carry her, faster than she had ever run in her life. She quickly exited the river bed canyon, her paws hitting soft grass as she headed south, towards Pride Rock.

The implications of what she was doing was not lost to her. She realized she should stop to warn her clan about the new intruders in the region, but that would waste precious time that Janja did not have. Failure to do this would mean consequences for her, a loss of trust among the clan. They would be blind to the danger. If they moved just a little bit to the west, they would bump straight into her pack.

She slowed down and eventually stopped, heart racing, conflicted. The afternoon sun was now setting in, a parable to the sense that time was against her. Crippling indecision wasted precious minutes, as she considered heading home first. She thought of her friends and family, all of whom would be unaware of what lurked only a few hours away. It was the hardest choice of her life, her family or her mate. She closed her eyes and choked back tears of grief.

For the first time in many years, she made a selfish decision and went straight for Pride Rock. She was prepared for whatever consequences came from this, prepared to lose her position as clan leader for him. She wasn't, however, prepared to live without Janja. She prayed her family would understand, and forgive her.

As for the lions back in the canyon, they both looked over their new captive. Each had a different assessment of what had just happened. The mane-less one spoke first, eager to be done with the day.

"You better call for Jakai before he bleeds out, Sefu. I can stop it for a little while, but not forever."

True to his word, he placed a paw on Janja's bleeding neck to stem the flow. The black maned lion named Sefu seemed unimpressed at the suggestion.

"Always so concerned for our enemies, aren't you Ghost? It's a weakness. You just haven't paid for it yet. But you will, if you don't wise up."

"It's called 'respect' Sef, not that you have any." Ghost replied with contempt.

"Respect? You just helped in an unprovoked attack on a peaceful land, and not for food either. Don't talk to me like you are somehow the noble party in this. You aren't any better than me, and you know what the consequences will be if we fail here."

Ghost didn't bother with a response, if only because he was right. He knew what kind of lion Sefu was when he agreed to this. He may be Sefu's partner, but they definitely weren't friends.

He looked up at the sky and and let out a resounding bellow. It wasn't a roar of triumph, but a command. As if on call a red feathered hornbill, who had been observing the entire ordeal from the cliffs, landed next to him. An elderly fellow, much like Sefu.

"Yes sir?" The bird named Jakai spoke in a soft, almost hard to hear voice.

"Keep him alive. We'll need him."

"Of course. Please keep the pressure on his neck while I fetch the necessary herbs and leaves for a bandage." Jakai replied.

It was a skill few outside of the apes of the world understood, the art of healing. Where Jakai had acquired this knowledge was unknown to him, and Ghost certainly knew nothing of its secrets. One thing was clear, serving a lion pride constantly at war with its neighbors certainly gave him opportunity to practice.

Jakai flew off with a flutter of his wings, off to scrounge for his ingredients.

Sefu feigned a yawn as he laid down next to Ghost, licking the blood off his claws and giving a glance at the bite marks Janja had left on his neck. Janja himself had long since passed out from blood loss. Whether or not he would actually survive depended on the care he received next.

Given Sefu's temperament this seemed unlikely to Ghost.

"I suppose it's for the best. Jakai can tend to my neck while he's at it."

He gave a smile to his smaller companion as Ghost dutifully remained standing on Janja's wound.

"A good fight."

"Hardly. No challenge in it, and certainly no honor."

"You're naive. Any fight you win is a good fight. Get in enough life and death scraps and you'll change your tune. When you've seen as many as I have, you'll agree with me one day. Besides, you're going to get your chance at a real fight soon. You'll see."

The black maned terror looked up at the afternoon sun with a malicious grin.

"All we have to do now is wait."