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Allegiance.
The Wilders.
King
Kiongozi-Chivalrous-
Queen
Hekima-Friendly-Catcher.
Heir
Damunzai-
Heiress
Shanza-Down to earth-Catcher.
Princesses
Nanda-Romantic-Broodmother.
Arista-Stingy-Chaser.
Khadija-Needy-Catcher.
Khadaja-Harsh-Catcher.
Prince
Armon-Loner-Catcher.
Shaman
Clover-Gentle-Chaser.
Royals
Tigra-Loud-Catcher.
Thistle-Loud-Catcher.
Fikira-Inteprid-Catcher.
Kamara-Joyful-Catcher.
Subordinates
Lupus-Patient-Chaser.
Huntresses
Lolita-Messy-Catcher.
Ruby-Warm-Catcher.
Nova-Friendly-Catcher.
Dawn-Humorous-Chaser.
Rain-Humorous-Chaser.
Light-Awkward-Catcher.
Rose-Friendly-Catcher.
River-Sarcastic-Chaser.
Winter-Soft-Catcher.
Crystal-Focused-Catcher.
Leaf-Focused-Catcher.
Daisy-Stubborn-Chaser.
Lydia-Laidback-Catcher.
Dusk-Evasive-Catcher.
Flurry-Wary-Chaser.
Selma-Prudent-Catcher.
Lady-Laidback-Catcher.
Falcon-Friendly-Chaser.
Galaxy-Messy-Chaser.
Broodmothers
Mina-Timid.
Ivy-Awkward.
Sorrel-Proud.
Nanda-Romantic.
Adolescents.
Viper-Humorous-Catcher.
Storm-Intrepid-Catcher.
Whisper-Humorous-Chaser.
Fawn-Graceful-Catcher.
Cubs
Willow-Laidback-Catcher.
Whisker-Humorous-Catcher.
Wing-Graceful-Catcher.
Dew-Laidback-Nature Reserve.
Berry-Distrustful-Chaser.
Cloud-Evasive-Chaser.
Sky-Distant-Catcher.
Canyon-Loner-Catcher.
Cold-Cold-Catcher.
Coral-Stingy-Catcher.

The Startreaders.
Cosette-Evasive.
Naomi-Warm.
Ariel-Sassy.
Blizzard-Gentle.
Karitas-Snarky.
Charlotte-Warm.
Salka-Lazy.
Ronja-Laidback.
Luna-Warm.
Khaleesi-Laidback.
Lea-Vain.
Kat-Soft.
Sheilah-Snarky.
Emma-Distant.
Venus-Gentle.
Flames-Warm.
April-Gentle.
Koda-Wary.

Personalities of important characters.
Ω The Wilders Ω
Kiongozi- The humble king of the Wilders. He is merciful and understanding. He's patient and wise. Before he chases other lions out of his territory, he always asks what they are doing there and tries to get explanation for their trespassing. He's intelligent and clever, but he does make mistakes like anyone else. He's rarely aggressive but he does snap sometimes, but not without good reason. He stands up for the innocents and the weaker. He's loyal to his pride and to his clan. He's courageous and brave, and he always thinks before acting. He has a lithe, lean body and long legs, allowing great agility and longer strides. Kiongozi allows everyone to voice their opinions, but it can be a bit hard to change his mind. He's affectionate and puts his pride before himself. He's hard working and focused. He is charming and kind, and not many have seen his rude side. Although he's rarely rude, mean or aggressive, he keeps his lions in line, and let's them know who's the king. He's cautious and independent. Kiongozi is tough and rarely gives up or admits defeat. He's generally laid-back but tends to be a bit emotional. He, as well as his queen, loves to take part in pride life. Take a look at new cubs, assess the adolescents training and talk to his lions about how their day was.

Hekima-The kind queen of the Wilders. She was a lone adolescent, wandering the wilds when Rocco, the former king of the Wilders, found her. She was starved, thirsty and her bones jutted out like cliffs from her body. Kiongozi was originally meant to have Leaf as his queen, but he fell in love with Hekima when she came to the pride. He helped her with kindness and affection. And because of that, Hekima has grown to be the powerful, mighty queen of the Wilders. She is kind and friendly, gentle and calm. She can stay calm when most others would panic and some feeling seems to radiate from her when someone is upset or are having their fur ruffled. She is intelligent and clever, with great sense of strategy and is very manipulative. She is one of the best hunters in the pride, and many young lions tend to take her as a role model, going to her as well as any other elder for support or advice.

Thistle-Thistle is a generally snarky and a sarcastic lion, with a sharp tongue and a rather cruel personality. Young lions scatter out of her way when she is angry, and have every reason to. She is a dangerous lioness if not treated with respect. Many don’t think she deserves the right to be a royal, but the reason she is a royal is because she was Hekima’s best friend when they were younger, and is loyal to the fault. Manipulative, strong, powerful and rude are some of the many words that can describe her. She is manipulative and a powerful lioness, and also very aggressive.

Tigra-Tigra is a loud lioness, with not so graceful movements, but not clumsy though. She is small, yes, but she has a bulky body that is full of muscle and thick fur. She is very strong and mighty, and one of the best fighters in the whole pride. She is encouraging when hunting and fighting, but she tends to insult others. She is very independent and dedicated to do what is right. She is proud and strict and doesn’t tolerate any silliness. She is serious and expressionless but powerful with eyes that can kill. Tigra is Thistle and Hekima’s best friend, which is why she is a royal. She is a great advisor, not as reckless as Thistle, and more reasonable.

Clover-Clover is a gentle lioness, with graceful movements and a long, lithe body with thin, long legs. She is fast and is very skilled with herbs and contacting the Startreaders, which she has a special connection with. She is smart and intelligent. She is not judgmental and is kind and a good person in general. A flaw about her is that she lets others walk over her, push her around and play with her feelings. It’s as if she doesn’t know how to be mean or say ‘no.’ She has weak feelings and lions can see it. She is Hekima’s best friend, but she has never liked Thistle or Tigra although she hasn’t told anyone about it.

Nanda-Nanda, the first-born princess of the Wilders. She is kind and a generally a very good lioness. Although, she is romantic, which means that Kiongozi has to chase a lot of nomads away from the territory, as they know her feature. She is cunning and bold, but even as an apprentice, she was responsible and always knew the difference between right and wrong. She is charismatic and has a lot of friends within the pride, as she is popular and friendly.

Shanza-Shanza is the future queen of the pride. Her bloodline is pure and she will definitely be a popular queen. She is down-to earth, which means she always knows what she’s doing. She never does anything wrong, and is not the typical rule breaker. But she is fierce, strong and loyal. She is determined and bold. She is sassy and a bit sarcastic and has an amazing sense of humor. She’s thoughtful and compassionate. Shanza is not afraid to stand up for herself or what she believes to be right. She is sympathetic and passionate. She is not serious all the time, but she is no fool and doesn’t let anyone drag her into something she doesn’t want to do. She’s tough and defensive. She is sly and unbelievingly courageous, and her charismatic skills are known throughout the great pride lands. Shanza doesn’t break the rules often, but she does when she believes the need is great. Although, the Startreaders fear that she might do something she’ll regret later, but that choice will either be something she’ll forget, or it’ll be something that will have a lot of effect on her life. When she was only five moons old, the Startreaders sent Clover a sign. A sign that said Shanza would be the next queen, but darkness hovered above her, like a lion waiting to strike. Something hidden, something that threatens to destroy the princess and her pride.

Arista-Arista used to be a hyper, excited and happy cub. But as she grew older, she became more and more different. She is reckless, bold and brave. She is ambitious and craves nothing more than to prove herself worthy of her parent’s time and pride. She was devastated when she realized that Shanza would be queen and not her. And something, something dark began to rise up inside her. She’s become rude, cold, mean and a bit evil, but only sometimes and she does her things in secret. Arista is so ambitious and she would do anything to gain power. She is jealous of Arista. She has everything Arista doesn’t have. Shanza has beauty, charisma, kindness, etc. But Arista has a dark side. Oh, yes, a very, very dark side that has yet to show itself to the real world.

Armon-Armon is typically very shy, awkward and likes to be alone. He’s a brooder, and doesn’t like to be interrupted in his lone time. Very few have actually heard him speak. He’s been jumpy all his cubhood, but hopefully that’ll change one day. He’s always had a hard time making friends, just like his sister Arista. He’s always been different, and other cubs tended to bully him and harass. But he has grown strong, and when he gets older, he’ll get even stronger. The Startreaders know things about him. He will grow into a great, strong lion when he gets older with many to look up at him. But some say that something is waiting for him. Something no lion ever wants to see.

Ω Startreaders Ω

Euronus-The founder of the Wilders. Many say that he was a rather small lion, but extremely agile, fast and clever with blazing eyes. But he was a gentle giant with a great charisma. He was kind and proud, and never showed any weakness or any of the like, which tends to run through a Wilder’s veins. He took in motherless cubs and raised them as his own. (Examples-Blizzard, Ariel, Karitas, Salka, Khaleesi.) He was known to be responsible, reasonable and merciful.

Rocco-Rocco was very wise, brave and powerful. His courage and strength was known throughout the lands. Rocco was a loving king. When not doing his duties as king, he was quite playful and had a great sense of humor. He was rarely frightened, never undaunted, and many believed that he wasn’t scared of anything, which was of course not true. His biggest fear was elephants. But his bravery was greater than his fear, which of course was proven to be true when he jumped into an elephant herd that was about to kill one of the hunting parties that had tried to hunt one of the calves. He was killed in the process, but he managed to save Blizzard, Ariel, Naomi, Ronja and Cosette and has been honored for his bravery ever since.

Naomi-Naomi was a kind lioness with great charisma. She was warm and gentle and one of the wisest lions in the pride, and the first one to go and join the Startreaders. She tended to stay out of conflict, and when other prides attacked their camp, she stayed in the dens to protect the cubs. She is very much like Clover, and once when Rocco visited Kiongozi in his dreams, he told him that Naomi and Clover were almost the same lion, but with different bodies and different hobbies. But for Naomi's last days, her hind leg was crippled from the elephant attack.

Ariel-Ariel was always snarky and rude with a sharp-tongue and quick to judge. She was confident and mischievous, and was usually the one to teach young cubs how to get into trouble, even though she was very protective of them and loyal to her pride. She was smug and could be a tad awkward sometimes. She was noble, majestic and selfless, which resulted her death when she saved a cub from getting trampled by a stampede.

Blizzard-Blizzard was a gentle lioness. When Kiongozi came to the pride, he took comfort and shelter when he was with her, and almost immediately, they made a special bond. She was merciful and kind, and never quick to judge. She was beloved by all young lions, cubs and adolescents. She always had some good stories and her kindness was so pure. She was careful and a bit protective. She paid good attention to when others told her about their problems, and always had some good advice. Blizzard was prudent and thoughtful, noble and caring. She was selfless and loyal. She was killed by an elephant herd, saving Kiongozi, and he is still heartbroken and still hasn’t recovered from her loss. But every time he needs advice, Blizzard is always the one to come to him.






Ω Ω Ω

Bringing Kiongozi to the pride.

Stars glittered in the night sky, shining brightly down at Africa’s plains. The herds grazed calmly on the sunburned savannah. Echoes sounded from their grass munching. A cheetah was devouring an antelope, giving her cubs their first bites of meat under an acacia tree. The locusts had destroyed much of the plants, making it harder for the herbivores to find food. But the locusts were dying by millions, thanks to the lion kings. A screech split the air as some predator killed its prey, probably a gerbil or something of the like. Suddenly, something moved in the dark. A shadow flickered on the grass, forming a lion with a large mane. It moved slowly, staying alert, but fast enough to stay undetected. Its paws thudded on the ground because of its heavy weight. It stopped dead as twigs snapped some distance away. It pricked its ears, one flicking as a bush rustled under a large tree. A familiar scent hit the lion’s nose. It gave out a low roar, just audible for the other lion. More rustling sounded from the bushes and out of them stepped a brown lion with folded ears and hetero eyes. His belly was white, reaching the beginning of his back legs. His paws and muzzle were also white, his body covered in scars. After him stepped a beautiful lioness, white belly and throat, onyx brindled back and a maroon coat by the look of it. The black lion sighed in relief. “You came.” He murmured, his tail flicking. The other lion nodded. “Of course we did, Rocco. I won’t go back on my word.” Rocco’s eyes swept from him and to the lioness. In her jaws was a reddish cub with onyx markings all over his body. Its eyes were closed, as if it was sleeping. The lioness carefully placed the cub at Rocco’s paws. “He has good stats, by the look of it. He’s large too.” The brown lion said, shaking his mane. Rocco nodded and drew the lion cub a bit closer to him. “How old is he, Armagadon?” He asked, looking from the cub up at Armagadon. Armagadon shot the lioness a look. “Around 1-2 months.” Rocco’s ears flicked. Why were they selling such a young cub? He didn’t dare ask, for it was a bit offensive to ask if they were in trouble. “Take care of my son, will you, Rocco?” The lioness asked worriedly. Rocco approached her carefully and gave her a quick lick on the head in sympathy. If he showed himself to comfortable around the lioness, Armagadon would probably think of him as very disrespectful. “He’ll be my heir after I’ve changed him up a bit. He’ll be in good paws, Lykophos.” Lykophos nodded as she stared down at her cub. “What are you going to call him?” She croaked without taking her eyes of her son. Rocco looked down at the cub that lay at his paws, the future king of his pride. “His name will be Kiongozi.” Crickets chirped around them as a bird shot into the air. The three lions stared down at the cub until Armagadon cleared his throat and nodded. “Alright, Lykophos. Say goodbye, then we’ll be on our way.” He said to the lioness. Lykophos gave out a little whimper as she crouched down in front of her son. Rocco moved back a bit, giving the parting mother and son some space. The cub was still sleeping so Lykophos prodded him carefully in the ribs. Kiongozi opened his amber eyes groggily and looked up at his mother. “Where are we?” He asked sleepily, his question ending with a yawn. Lykophos crawled a little closer and gave Kiongozi a long and a soothing lick on the head. “You are going to a new home, my dear.” She croaked, her voice cracking. Kiongozi got shakily to his paws. “But I want to stay with you.” He said, gazing into his mother’s eyes. Rocco realized how hard this must be for Lykophos. “You can’t stay with me, and I’m so, so sorry.” She said giving him another lick on the head. She lifted her head and looked up at Rocco. He stepped uncertainly closer, unsure whether to do so or not. Rocco’s heart twisted in pity when he saw the hurt, sadness and sorrow in Lykophos’s eyes. Lykophos looked down at Kiongozi again. “This is Rocco, your new king. Be good and do as he says. Because if you do, you’ll become a great, great lion when you get older.” She said, her voice high-pitched with sadness. Kiongozi cuddled closer to his mother’s chest as Lykophos wrapped her paws around him and drew him closer. She stroked her cheek along the back of his head and murmured her goodbyes. Then she unwrapped her paws and stood up, stepping back. Armagadon laid his tail comfortingly on her back as he lowered his head a bit as he gazed at her. Lykophos edged closer to him and buried her face into his mane. Armagadon nodded to Rocco, signaling for him to leave. Rocco nodded and lowered his head, so his eyes were on Kiongozi’s eye level. “Come on, let’s go see your new home.” Kiongozi stared at him with terrified eyes as Rocco raised his head again. He took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing. He already had Nero as his heir, but Nero was too bold, confident and proud. He would not be happy to hear the news. But, then, most of his pride wouldn’t be happy. They were struggling with space, and he already had 7 male lions back home. No lioness was currently expecting cubs, but he had already asked two kings to sire Lolita and Ruby next time they were in heat. He shook his head to clear out his thoughts. He lowered his head and gently grabbed Kiongozi between his jaws. He raised his head again and nodded to Armagadon as he tried to comfort his lioness, before turning around and walking away from them. He felt Kiongozi’s body trembling and hurried his steps. He crossed his territory’s scent marks. Lupus and Nero had remarked the borders earlier that morning to keep out any trespassers. He shuddered as he remembered when a two lions from faraway lands came to take the territory. He was only the heir then, Euronus, the founder of the pride, had been king that time. He’d died young, at eight or nine years if he remembered right. He’d learned so much from that noble lion, who had been his mentor until he was killed. Kiongozi would be the third king of the Wilders. Finally, as the moon was setting and the sun rising on the distant horizon, the pride’s home came into sight. His heart dropped when he saw Ariel, the snarky, grumpy elder sitting outside the dens. Kat, Sheilah, Khaleesi and Rocco’s sister, Ronja, lay outside by an okapi’s carcass. Ariel sprang to her paw and trotted towards him. The other lionesses, disturbed by Ariel’s actions, sat groggily up. “What is this?” Was the first thing Ariel snapped at him as she came close to him enough. Rocco flicked his tail as he put Kiongozi down. “This is your future king, Ariel.” Rocco said calmly, looking at her with a glare. Ariel’s jaw dropped. “What?” She growled, curling her lip. “We already have a fine heir, if you ask me.” She continued, stepping closer, her eyes blazing. “What’s going on?” Ronja asked as she trotted up to them, the other lionesses following close behind. “Rocco has decided to pick a new heir without even our approval.” Ariel said, raising her head without looking at the other lionesses. “What?” Kat asked, shouldering her way through the others. “Oh, my whiskers! He looks starving!” She said worriedly. She flung her head down and began murmuring something to Kiongozi. Kiongozi shrunk away behind Rocco’s paws. “Shh, it’s alright. I won’t hurt you. Are you hungry?” She asked, crawling closer. Kiongozi nodded hesitatingly. Sheilah pushed her away. “A new cub? We have many cubs, Rocco, too many and we don’t have enough dens for them! This was not a good decision you just made. Use your stupid brain for once, and if you can’t use it, ask someone else to help you make decisions!” She growled, sticking her muzzle into his face. Rocco growled a warning to her. Sheilah stepped back a bit, but still held her furious glare. “Khaleesi! Go get April, will you? She still has milk.” Kat said to Khaleesi. Khaleesi just shrugged but turned around and trotted to the den where April slept. Sheilah had swung around and strode over to the pond that lay beside the dens. The pond always dried up in the dry seasons. Khaleesi returned soon after with April following. She shot out from behind her and hurried over to them. Rocco gave out an exasperated sigh when almost all, if not the whole pride hurried out of their dens. Sparrow wailed for his mother, April, to come back. Koda, April’s sister, turned around and trotted over to him to quiet him down. Blizzard, the albino lioness was murmuring something to Rocco’s mother, Naomi as they padded out of their den. Cosette and Karitas followed them out but stopped in the entrance and watched from there. Rocco was a bit relieved that Karitas didn’t come; she could be just as bad as Sheilah. But Cosette was alright though. Flame, Silver, Ash and Lotus came tumbling out of their den, growling and squealing playfully at each other, their mothers hurrying after them. Mina, Winter and Crystal, the female cubs, played with a skull of a caracal, pawing it to each other, swiping at it and swatting it away and the others would chase it. River, Dawn, Light and Rain shot out of the adolescents’ den, Rose, Lily, Whisper and Feather tumbling out after them. The other lionesses came out of their dens, licking their furs to smooth it down. But then Nero padded out of his den. He arched his back into a long satisfying morning stretch. Lupus padded out after him and shook his ruddy mane. His mate, Lolita, trotted towards him and even above the loud chattering of his pride, he could hear their delighted purrs as they nuzzled. Rocco felt bad for not being able to let them mate and have cubs, but that was every pride’s rules. But Lupus would be a foster father soon. Rocco stepped back as Kat and April crouched down in front of Kiongozi. The chattering came louder and louder as his pride gathered around him. Rocco pricked his ears as he tried to make out their questions. He took in a deep breath then let out a ferocious roar. “Quiet!” He roared loudly. The pride immediately stopped talking and froze as they stared at their king. “I have news for you, that will greatly change the future of the Wilders.” He said, loud enough for the whole pride to hear. Questioning murmurs began to spread through the pride as they gave each other shocking and questioning glances. “Nero, a loyal lion of ours, is no longer our heir. We have a new one and his name is Kiongozi. I want you all to take good care of him and treat him with respe-.” A furious roar cut off his sentence. “What?” Nero roared as he shouldered his way through the throng, Lupus following. Of course, he would’ve chosen Lupus to be his heir if he had more markings and stats. He was kind, respectful, humble, even-tempered and more things that anyone could count. “Hey! He is your king, and he makes decisions! Be respectful and handle this situation more delicately than that!” Blizzard growled, stepping forward. Ariel was the oldest of the lionesses, but she was grumpy and not a good influence. But Blizzard was just a bit younger than the snarky lioness. She was respectful and the kind of a lioness that everyone could come to for advice. Nero growled at her, then shot Rocco a furious glare before whipping around and striding over to his den again. Lupus watched as he passed him, then turned back to Rocco to listen. “Thank you, Blizzard.” Rocco murmured, relieved, but didn’t show how much he’d needed that as if he hadn’t been able to handle the situation. “As I said, treat him with respect and kindness, and if I see anyone who’ll be mean to him, they won’t eat for four days.” He said, eyeing Ariel and Sheilah especially. “Understood?” He asked, his eyes traveling over his whole pride. Most of them nodded. “Good. Now I want some hunting patrols. “Lea, will you lead Luna, Emma, Venus and Daenerys to the grassy hunting grounds?” He asked the mongoose colored lioness. Lea nodded and turned around. She gathered her patrol with a flick of her tail and then whipped around and the five lionesses raced away. The pride had split into groups as they talked about these shocking news. “Lupus, take a look at the northern border, will you?” Rocco asked the grayish lion. Lupus nodded and trotted away. “Try to find some carcasses!” Rocco called after him. Lupus acknowledged him with a flick of his tail. Rocco had to narrow his eyes to be able to see his subordinate male as he trotted towards the rising sun. “Blizzard, April, can you take Kiongozi to the nursery? He needs to feed.” Kat nodded and Blizzard carefully grabbed Kiongozi between her jaws. Then the pair turned around and padded to the nursery. Rocco watched them until Blizzard's tail disappeared into the darkness. He padded toward his own den under the rock where he informed news and ceremonies, etc. He sat down and watched his pride. Rain, Dawn and Light were playing ‘tag’ with the cubs. Nova, Flames and Venus were dragging out a large buffalo carcass from the storage. He always allowed his lionesses to eat before him, and whenever they wanted. Expect if they were to be punished. Feather was pouncing onto a large locust, crushing it to the ground. Rocco looked up at the sky. Hopefully the locusts wouldn’t be too active today. His heart swelled with pride at the thought of his heir. He’d have to train him well. He stood up and turned around to peep into his den. On a flat rock lay eight, dead golden beetles beside a large amount of silver beetles. He’d have to go to the oasis soon, if he was to change Kiongozi’s eyes into hetero blue and green, add onyx points and change his personality into chivalrous. Kiongozi would become a great, great king that the Wilders of the past would be proud of.


Ω Ω Ω

A new era.

Darkness. Complete darkness. The long, black night stretched far, far above. Countless of stars dotted it, with one, big moon waning in the middle. A gentle breeze stirred the savannah, whistling through the sunburnt grass. Rocco let out a gusty sigh. Kiongozi and Hekima stood beside him, their tails waving. Lupus, Lolita, Thistle and Tigra bounded up to them. Their pelts were ruffled with worry. “Have they not returned yet?” Lupus asked, his eyes shining in the dark of the night. Rocco shook his head. “No,” he murmured, gazing out across the Great Plains. Silence gripped the camp. Blizzard had led out a hunting patrol, but she hadn’t returned since dawn. Then, Tigra broke the silence. “Do you think something has happened?” she whispered. “Something must have. Blizzard wouldn’t have stayed out this long, and if so, Ariel would have flipped out already and gone home,” Kiongozi said, exchanging a worried glance with his mate. Rocco’s heart clenched. “We must send out rescue patrols,” Rocco decided, turning around. He hurried to the Rock and leaped up. Kiongozi bounded after him. “Are you sure that’s a wise idea? Waking the pride up? Maybe they’re just having a struggle dragging the prey back,” he reasoned, looking up at him as Rocco made himself ready to roar. “If so, then they would’ve sent for help,” Rocco mewed. Then, he pricked his ears. A faint roar sounded in a distance. So faint that he thought he must’ve imagined it. Kiongozi turned around. Hekima and the others rose to their paws from where they had been sitting, murmuring to each other. “Did you hear that?” Thistle breathed. “I did,” Tigra whispered. Then, someone roared again, louder this time, and Rocco’s heart leaped in his chest when he recognized the roar. “I know that roar!” Kiongozi squealed like a cub. “It’s Blizzard!” Rocco’s heir took off, hurrying to the entrance of the camp. “She’s in danger.” He said. “It must be!” Rocco narrowed his eyes and opened his jaws wide and breathed in the air. The faint scent of elephant bathed his tongue. “Elephants.” He growled. He leaped from the rock again. He hurried to one of the dens. He rushed in, waking up the lionesses. “Tell the others that I’ve gone out and won’t be back till the morning.” He ordered Ruby. She nodded warily, her eyes confused. “Kiongozi will be going with me. Hekima, Lupus, Lolita, Thistle and Tigra too.” He said before turning and springing out of the cave. “Let’s go.” He growled before rushing out of camp. They bolted through the savannah, the brittle grass brushing against their pelts as the breeze picked up. “Careful for snakes!” Kiongozi warned the others. A momentary pride flared up inside of Rocco. He has trained his heir well. Their paws thrummed on the ground, tails streaming out behind them as they stretched their legs out, allowing longer strides. Rocco felt his legs going wearier, and his lungs fought for breath. He looked to his sides as the younger lions outran him, speeding past him. The sounds of battle came clear into his head now, and in a distance, he could see elephants running around, as if surrounding something. Then, he could see shapes moving from inside and he recognized Blizzard, Ariel, Cosette, Ronja and Naomi. They were fighting bravely, lashing out, their claws glinting in the moonlight and their fangs flashing as they tore through the elephants’ skin. “Lolita, wait!” Rocco ordered. The whole patrol skidded to a halt. “We have to hurry or they’ll all die!” Kiongozi cried out. “Lolita, go back to camp and get a backup.” Rocco said. “We’ll need more than just us to deal with these monsters.” He growled. Lolita exchanged a glance with Lupus before she pressed herself up to him. Then, she turned to Rocco. “I’ll do it for my pride.” She murmured before rearing and leaping forward, shooting past her king and hurrying back to camp. Rocco strode past the rest, shoulders bunching. “Let’s go.” He snarled before breaking into a full-speed run. He recognized the battle cry of Blizzard, the angry roar of Ariel, a furious snarl from Cosette and a painful cry from Naomi. With a ferocious roar, Rocco and the others pelted into the circle of elephants. They were 10, outnumbering the lions. But they were rather small, only two or three of them were adults, Rocco guessed. With a roar of fury, Kiongozi sprang at a nearby elephant that was trying to get at Blizzard. Hekima leaped after him, clawing at the elephant’s giant feet. Lupus hared in front of Cosette, interrupting an elephant that was trying to get at her. Thistle and Tigra were scaring one of the adults away with loud, threatening roars. Rocco flexed his claws before leaping at a fully-grown elephant. He hauled himself up the flank. The elephant lashed out with its trunk, trying to get a grip of him, but with years of experience, Rocco dodged it. He knew his claws wouldn’t do much affect on the elephant. Lunging down, he pierced the back of its head with his fangs, sinking them in. He felt blood gush into his throat and he gagged at the tough flesh. The elephant let out a loud bellow, making its body tremble. It shook itself, furious. Rocco almost lost his balance, but he dug his claws into its back as his hind legs dangled out onto the elephant’s side. He scrabbled at its flank before it could get at him and dragged himself up. He balanced delicately on its spine before shooting forward. He leaped off it, but not too far. He twisted in the air, using his ear to turn, and fastened his claws into its ear. He tore through it as the elephant let out a roar of pain as he split its ear, feeling his claws rip through. He landed no more than a meter away from its feet. He scrambled away as it swung it towards him. Rocco hopped to his paws only to see Kiongozi being swatted away with a powerful swipe from an elephant’s trunk. He landed with a sickening thud. Hekima sprang in front of her mate as the elephant swung around to face him again. She let out a shriek of fear as it rushed towards her. But Blizzard heaved herself to her paws, glaring at the elephant. She took a few deep breaths, fury and hatred banishing the fear from her. Then, she let out a roar so loud that it rang in Rocco’s ears. He’d never seen Blizzard so furious, nor heard such a ferocious roar from her. The elephant stopped in its track and swung its head around to face her. She curled her lips into a snarl before springing forward, spraying up dust and other grit in her wake. She stretched her jaws into a furious roar as she charged into it. She scrabbled at its spine with her claws, blood spraying out onto her white pelt. She leaped off it again as it swung its trunk towards it with a loud, trumpeting sound. Blizzard jumped off it and the moment her paws touched the ground, she spun around, shot behind it and aimed a couple of blows at its feet before clamping her jaws around its tail and yanked it back with such force it lost its balance. But it regained it, whipped around and swung its trunk at her. She let out a squeal of pain as it crashed into her side, sending her flying away. She landed with a sickening thump. “No!” Kiongozi roared, and at the same moment, furious battle cries and ferocious roars exploded from behind the herd. Lolita bolted forward with almost every lioness from the pride behind her. In that moment’s distraction, Rocco didn’t notice the elephant that came bolting towards him on a full-charge. He could feel the ground trembling and spun around, only to see the elephant a meter away from him before a terrifying pain pierced through him. Blurry shapes appeared in front of him as his beloved pride surged over the elephants, clawing and slashing in the moonlight. Then, a non-blurry shape appeared in front of him. It was Kiongozi. He pressed his paw onto the wound in Rocco’s neck, where the elephant’s tusk had pierced him. “Rocco?” He croaked. Rocco took a deep, gurgling breath. Pain stabbed him. He could feel that his bones were broken, and blood gushed out of his wounds. He knew, he just knew, that this had been his last battle. “Kiongozi.” Rocco’s voice shuddered as he spoke. “Take care of our pride, and treat every member equally. Make the Startreaders proud.” He whispered. Behind the astonished Kiongozi, an image formed and Rocco recognized Euronus. “Come with me, my friend.” Euronus’s voice echoed in Rocco’s mind even though Euronus had never opened his mouth. Then, Rocco closed his eyes for one last time.

Kiongozi padded after Lupus as he carried their king’s body on his back. His head hung, his trail dragged in the dust. Hekima pressed herself up to him, but she was stiff and every bit as nervous and devastated as he was. They were the rules of the Wilders now. But were they ready for it? They’d been trained for years and years. Kiongozi stopped when he felt the light body on his back falling. “Hekima.” He whispered. His mate stopped before turning and positioning Blizzard on his back again. He looked at her white pelt. Blood streamed out of her wounds. Her blue eyes were closed. Kiongozi took a deep, trembling breath as his pride members passed them. The sun was rising and complete silence ruled the savannah. Hekima pressed her cheek up to his. “We’ll be okay.” She whispered. Kiongozi looked up and gazed into the depths of her grey eyes. “You’re not even sure of that yourself.” He murmured. Hekima flicked her tail before saying. “A king never doubts himself.” Kiongozi felt the old spark of their relationship inside of him again. “Isn’t that what Rocco used to say?” She asked, her eyes shining with affection. Kiongozi pressed his forehead up to hers. “I don’t know where I’d be without you.” He purred. She ran her cheek along his. “I love you, my dear.” She said. “I love you too.” He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he could see Leaf, his former mate, standing some distance away, staring back at them while the rest of the pride headed home. Fierce jealousy blazed in her eyes. Kiongozi glared at her before nuzzling Hekima for a few more moments. “Let’s go home, my queen.” Kiongozi whispered. Hekima gave him a quick lick on the cheek before entwining her tail to his and padding towards their camp, after their pride.

Kiongozi took a deep breath as he gazed up onto the Rock. His pride stood beside him, clustering together. The air was tense with excitement and grief. Hekima padded towards him. The sky was blue with the sun shining with only a few wisps of clouds. Kiongozi then took a step forward before leading his mate towards the rock. They stopped in front of the steps. The exchanged glances before strolling onto the rock. Their steps matched as they slowly padded onto the edge of the Rock. Then, they took deep breaths, puffed out their chest before letting out roars so loud that they echoed throughout the savannah. As the pride exploded into roars and shrieks, something shimmered above Rocco and Blizzard’s bodies. Kiongozi gazed as their spirits rose from their bodies. They glanced at each other before dipping their heads, and then, the breeze picked up, ruffling Kiongozi’s mane. He closed his eyes as they watered because of the wind. And when he opened them, they were gone. He let out another roar as Blizzard, Rocco and another voice unknown to him whispered on the breeze. “Well done, and may you rule for many seasons to come.”

Ω Ω Ω
New lives, new times.

Kiongozi’s eyes flickered open and he lifted his head. He stretched his jaws in a wide yawn. Rain pounded on the earth outside of the den. He’d been a king for a few seasons now, and so far, everything was going well. He looked sideways. Hekima lay on her back, her large, swollen belly exposed to the air. She was still sleeping soundly. Kiongozi heaved himself to his paws before bending his head and pressing his forehead up to her cheek. He glanced at her belly and let out a sigh. He gently placed a paw on it. He could feel his cubs squirming under there. “Sleep well, my dear,” he whispered to his queen before turning and padding out of his den. Rain crashed into his face as he emerged from the cave. It tugged at his fur, threatening to blow him over. But he held his balance. Dawn, Rain, Rose, River and Light were sheltering under an overhanging tree, shoulders hunched. “Are we really going to hunt in this weather?” River called. Kiongozi bounded over. “The pride needs to be fed,” he said as he sheltered underneath the leaves. The lionesses groaned and sighed. “Unless you want it to starve, of course,” Kion-gozi joked. They glared at him before clambering to their paws. “Do you want us to take any apprentices with us?” Rose asked, flicking her tail. Kiongozi nodded. “Yes, take Falcon and Galaxy. I’m worried for their training. Falcon needs to work on her hunting crouch and Galaxy just can’t shut up,” he confessed. Rose nodded. “I’ll go get them, then,” she said before heading into the rain and heading over to where the adolescents slept. Kiongozi shook water out of his pelt. “Good luck,” he said before bounding over to the den Lupus slept in. He plunged into the cave. He prodded Lupus, waking him. “Wha?” Lupus groggily opened his eyes. “Come on, we need to go patrolling,” Kiongozi said, nudging him. Lupus sighed. “In this weather?” he asked. Kiongozi nodded once. “Yes, in this weather.” He nudged him friendly once again before turning and heading into the rain.

Kiongozi padded through the dripping forest, Lupus only a few meters behind him. Thankfully, the tall tress and the thick undergrowth sheltered them from the worst of the rain. “Smell anything?” Kiongozi asked. “No,” Lupus murmured. Kiongozi leaped over a fallen tree trunk. Fog wreathed in the forest and the air was damp and misty, blocking out all scents. They couldn’t hear a thing, and Kiongozi guessed that the animals were still sleeping in their nests or it was too wet for them to go outside. Then, a horrifying, familiar sound echoed through the forest. Kiongozi stopped in his tracks, eyes widening in horror. Lupus also stopped. “Did you hear that?” he whispered. Kiongozi nodded. Lupus bounded towards him, careful not to make a sound as his paws slipped on the rotten, slimy leaves underpaw. He stopped beside him and pricked his ears. “You don’t think the poachers are back?” he whispered. Kiongozi glanced at him. “There’s only one way to find out, my friend,” he whispered before heading into the forest. They crept around the tall trunks, slinking through the undergrowth, careful not to make even the slightest sound. Then, a loud, booming rumbling noise rang in Kiongozi’s ears. He froze, his heart sinking. He closed his eyes and Lupus crawled forward and stopped beside him. “So the poachers have returned once again,” he murmured.

Kiongozi and Lupus emerged from the forest. The rain had stopped, and the sun was breaking through the clouds. “How will we get rid of these poachers?” Lupus muttered. Kiongozi exchanged a glance with him. “We’re going to the Great Roar tonight, I guess we’ll warn the others about it if they haven’t noticed them already,” he said, the tip of his tail twitching. “They just had to come when wet season came, didn’t they?” Lupus muttered as they hurried into the savannah. They kept to the tallest grass, in case of any poachers roaming the lands. Their paws treaded lightly as they stalked through the long stalks, muscles and shoulders tense, ready for battle. Kiongozi flexed his claws. He may need them. Then, they spun around as someone came crashing through the grass. Kiongozi let out a threatening snarl and a growl rumbled in Lupus’s throat. Then, Lydia, Fern, Dusk and Flurry exploded from the long stalks, panting. “What is it?” Kiongozi could feel their fear as if it were his own, and their fear scent wreathed around him like mist. “What is it?” he demanded loudly. Lupus warned him with a growl, reminding him that there could be poachers around. The lionesses’ eyes were wide. “Hekima is birthing,” Lydia panted. Excitement surged up inside him, but it faded away as quickly as it had come. He opened his mouth to say some-thing, but Dusk cut him off. “But something’s wrong, and we can’t find Clover,” she said. “No,” Kiongozi whispered. He sprang towards them, shot through them, shouldering them aside. He charged through the grass, forgetting that there could be poachers around. His paws thrummed on the ground as he bolted forward, not caring about anything else than his family. He burst from the tallest grass. Brittle bushes met him. He swerved past them, pelting on. The wind buffeted his face, flattening his mane against his sides. He stretched his legs, taking as long strides as his legs allowed. He sprayed up grit and dust in his wake. Then, a loud boom echoed in his ears and piercing pain shot through him. He let out a roar of agony as a bullet scraped his spine. He fell onto his flank, feeling blood trickle out of the bullet wound. “Kion!” Rain shrieked. She was about to spring forward, but Flurry exploded into her way. “No!” she roared. “Don’t you see?” she asked. She flicked her tail towards a truck were humans waited with riffles and guns. “If you go out now, they’ll only kill you too,” she snapped. Lupus hoarded them back into the grass, chest heaving with shock. “What should we do?” Kiongozi could hear Fern’s trembling voice. “They’ll get him if we don’t go now!” she cried. Lupus looked around, first at his king and then at the truck and then back at Kiongozi. Kiongozi stared at him, his eyes wide with pain and agony. He’s not going to leave me, is he? “I’m sorry.” Lupus glanced back at the terrified lionesses before looking at Kiongozi. No! He tried to get to his paws, but someone thrust him down again. He looked up to see Blizzard standing over him. “Stay down or the poachers will get you!” Her shimmering outline faded away, but Kiongozi could hear her voice on the wind. Trust in you and yours, Kiongozi! He closed his eyes. They flew open again when he could hear the truck approaching with loud rumbling noise. He scrabbled frantically at the ground, clawing up soil and grit. The humans jumped from the car. They aimed their guns at him. He moved his long fingers, and a clicking noise echoed in Kion-gozi’s ears as he stared, terrified and paralyzed, up at the human. Fury and fear blazed in his eyes. The human cleared his throat before fixing its aim. Betrayed by my own pride, my own best friend. Then, something swooshed behind Kiongozi. He pricked his ears. Shapes were moving through the tall grass, passing each other. But the humans didn’t seem to notice. One of them snapped something at the gunman. And a moment later, a furious roar sounded from behind Kiongozi. Paws thrummed towards him, and the poachers’ eyes lit up with fear. In a gray blur of movement, Lupus flew over him, paws outstretched. He wrapped his paws around the poacher’s neck before nailing him to the ground. The other humans aimed their guns at Lupus, and fear flared up inside of Kiongozi. Then, his friend let out a roar. “Attack!” And a moment later, the lionesses exploded from the long grass, claws unsheathed, fangs glinting as they ambushed. Crystal threw herself at one of them, slashing fiercely at him. Flurry swiped a paw at a tall human with such force that it sent it crashing onto its truck before it sank to the ground. Dogs barked and whimpered inside of the car. “Dogs!” Thistle roared. Tigra, Lady, Lolita, Ruby and River hurried to the open car while one of the humans screeched something, waving its hands. Lolita and Tigra clawed open the trunk of the car, and dogs burst from the entrance. Ruby let out a roar of surprise when she saw how many they were as they swarmed from the car. River roared in agony as two fastened their teeth in her hind legs. She shook one off before swiping at the other one, sending it flying away with a whimper. Lolita pierced one of them with her long claws before sinking her teeth into its neck. Tigra let out a roar as three of them swarmed over her. But Thistle was quick to her best friend’s aid. She dug her claws into one’s shoulders before hauling it off. She flung him away with a mighty heave before swatting another one off Tigra. Tigra jabbed the one that was left in the belly, unbalancing it as it tried to snap at her neck. Its paw slipped and she swiped at its shoulders, sinking her claws in before rolling over and finishing it off. Lady swiped up with a forceful blow before spinning on her hind paws and leaping at her mother’s attacker. Dawn lashed out with her hind legs, sending another dog flying away. Lydia crashed into one of them, carrying it off its paws before springing at it again and killing it with a swift strike to its neck. Blood gushed out of the wound in its neck. Lupus let out a loud roar of victory as the lionesses chased the last dogs away. He still had his claws in the gunman’s chest, crushing his ribs. Kiongozi felt pride warm his heart as he gazed at his pridemembers. Of course they didn’t abandon you! Blizzard whispered in his ear. Now, get to your paws and go see your new cubs. Lupus turned around and hurried to his king’s aid.

Kiongozi limped into his den. Scent of blood mixed with milk filled his nostrils. His foster daughter, Nanda, lay beside her mother, looking over the cubs. She scrambled to her paws when he saw his state. She hurried towards him and pressed herself up to him. Clover had plastered poultices onto his wound, and his pelt felt sticky and smelly. “I thought you were going to join the Startreaders by the way Fern described this,” she whispered. He rasped his tongue over her ear. “I’ll never leave you, Nanda,” he purred before limping over to his mate. The queen lay curled up around three bundles of fur. Their pelts were fluffed out so they looked like fluffy pieces of clouds. Hekima raised her head when she scented him. “Thank the Startreaders that you’re alright!” she whispered as he pressed his forehead up to hers. “I’m alright, just some scratches,” he lied. His wounds were burning with pain, but he ignored it. Hekima gave him a lick on the cheek before looking down at her cubs. “Look,” she whispered. “You have a son and two daughters,” she purred. Kiongozi sniffed them. “Oh, they’re so beautiful!” Pride warmed his heart as he gazed down at the cubs. His cubs. Nanda was gazing at them, her eyes warm with love and affection. “I’ll leave you, then,” she said before turning around and padding slowly out of the den, her tail disappearing into the bright sunlight. “What should we call them?” Hekima asked as he sat down beside her. He ran his tongue over her ears before looking down at the cream she-cub. She had a white underfur. “I think her name should be Arista,” he murmured. Hekima looked up at him. “That’s the name of Euronus’s mother, isn’t it?” she asked. Kiongozi nodded. “Yes,” he said. Hekima took a deep breath. “I think our son’s name should be named Armon, because Armon means ‘warrior,’” she said. “That’s perfect,” he whispered. “What should we name her?” Hekima then asked, pointing at the smallest cub. “I think we should name her Shanza. Because that means ‘lioness of dignity,’ and your mother’s name was Shanza,” he said. Hekima pricked her ears and her eyes lit with surprise. Hekima’s mother, Shanza, had been killed by her cruel mate when the queen of the Wilders had been only a cub. They gazed down at the new lives of the pride, the new prince and princesses. “They’ll be great, great lions in the future,” he whispered. “Will one of them be a ruler?” Hekima asked after a few moments of silence. Arista let out a tiny wail, gaping her jaws. Hekima rasped her tongue over her head. The king of the Wilders nodded. “Oh, yes,” he said. “One of them, one day.” He rose to his paws. He gave Hekima a lick between the ears. “You must be exhausted, I’ll let you rest,” he said before having a look at his cubs that squirmed at their mother’s belly, suckling. Hekima let out a purr before laying down her head. Kiongozi took a deep breath before sighing and heading out of the den. A jolt of surprise met him when he saw that his whole pride had gathered in front of the den. Their ears were pricked, eyes curious. Lupus stepped out of the throng, his head raised proudly. Kiongozi flicked his tail as his eyes met his best friend’s. Then, he took a deep breath and said, “lions of the Wilders, you have three new royals! A prince and two princesses, Armon, Arista and Shanza,” he said. Purrs and roars rose from the Wilders, calling out their congratulations and approval.
“Congratulations, Kiongozi and Hekima!”
“We’re lucky to have them.”
“They’ll be great lions in the future.”
Kiongozi dipped his head before glancing at the den. His reign would pass on to generations of the Wilders, and it had only just started.

Kiongozi sat on the Rock. His pride was sleeping. A light, gentle breeze whispered through the Great Plains, ruffling his mane. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The bullet wound ached, but the pride was stronger. A bird let out a call, and Kiongozi opened his eyes again, only to see Rocco and Blizzard standing in the entrance to his camp. He slowly rose to his paws, surprised to see them as if they had never died. Though their fur shimmered, and he could see through them, they looked young, strong and healthy. He turned around and leaped off the rock before padding over to them. They gazed at him, darkness and fear shadowing their eyes. Kiongozi began to breathe more worriedly. “What is it?” he whispered. Blizzard glanced at the king’s den before taking a deep breath before staring straight into Kiongozi’s eyes. “Stay strong, my dear, as something dark hovers above your reign,” she murmured before the two Star-treaders faded away. Kiongozi stared blankly ahead of him. Something dark? Why would anything bad happen to his kin? He whipped around as Clover scrambled out of her nest. “Clover?” He bounded over and stopped in front of the panting healer. “Clover, what is it?” She glanced at him. “I’m so sorry, I can’t tell you yet. I haven’t received the full message,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “What?” Kiongozi snapped. “You can’t just burst out here like a whole hyena pack is on your paws! Tell me what happened.” Clover shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t. The Startreaders have forbid me to,” she whispered before turning around and heading to her den again, shoulders hunched, leaving Kiongozi staring after her. He looked around, only to crash into a small lion, although, his eyes were so intense that Kiongozi backed away. The lion was expressionless, his yellow eyes staring right into Kiongozi’s. And, as if something had paralyzed him, Kiongozi couldn’t open his mouth to speak. Without opening his jaws, the lion said, “the peace is running out. Take care of our pride, and do not doubt yourself. Only doubt those you trust the most.” Then, the lion faded away. An icy shiver ran down Kiongozi’s spine as he realized whom he’d just seen. It was Euronus. Kiongozi turned around gazed up at the stars. “What darkness have you waiting for me, Startreaders?” he whispered. “What is waiting for me?”



First hunt.

Excitement surged through the Arista as she followed Clover, Thistle, Hekima and Tigra out of camp, her sister by her side. Their pelts were spiked with excitement and apprehension, their eyes wide, their claws flexing. Their mother was at the head of the patrol, her eyes calm though she looked proud as she treaded through the long grass. “Watch out for poachers,” Tigra murmured back to them. Her cold voice sent a shiver running down Arista’s spine as they padded after the older lionesses. Before they’d left the camp, Hekima had ordered them to keep their ears pricked for even the slightest sound, poachers, prey or predators. Arista’s grey eyes flickered around herself; her mouth open to breathe in the scents that surrounded them. Her heart pounded in her chest. This hunt would decide whether she would be a catcher or a chaser. Hekima was heading to the waterhole, her tail waving behind her. Their pawsteps barely made a sound as they thudded softly against the long grass stalks. Then, Hekima lifted her tail and Arista’s heart pounded in her chest as they froze in their pawsteps. She scented the air. A couple of days ago, Rain and River had been ambushed by poachers, but they’d quickly fought them off and brought them home to eat, so Arista knew their scent well. Thankfully, she could taste none of their scent. “What is it?” Shanza breathed. Thistle shot her a warning glance before slinking towards. She carefully yet quickly scraped away some stalks. ‘What is she doing?’ Arista tipped her head. Then, when only bare earth and soil showed, Thistle placed her paw on it and directed her to do the same. Arista glanced at her before placing her paw beside Thistle’s. “Can you feel that?” she asked. Arista nodded. The ground seemed to vibrate, though only faintly, and her pads tingled. “There is a stampede in a distance,” Thistle told her. “Which means that a herd is being hunted,” she rose to her paws again. “Should we call for backup, Hekima?” Thistle asked. Shanza and Arista exchanged glances. ‘Backup?’ “Why do we need backup?” Shanza asked, stepping forward. Clover was tasting the air. “The herd wouldn’t be in such a rush unless something would spook it,” she explained. “We’re upwind, I can’t smell anything,” Clover told the other lionesses. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, I tell you,” Thistle snarled as she scraped her claws on the ground. Then, a distant roar sounded in Arista’s, so faint that she thought she’d imagined it. “Did you hear that?” Tigra breathed. The roar sounded again, stronger this time. Hekima took off on a full speed, the other royals following her. But then, Hekima skidded to halt, and a thrumming noise as loud as thunder that only became louder and louder with each passing second rang in her ears. “It’s coming this way!” Clover shrieked and at the same moment, a herd of zebras exploded towards them. Their hooves thundered on the ground, whirling up dust that got into Arista’s eyes as her mother bundled her clear. But it was too late. Pain shot through Arista as she and her mother got run over. They rolled on the ground with zebras stamping just above their heads. She let out a roar of pain as one of them stepped on her tail, but most of them jumped over them. Hekima tried to haul herself to her paws, but as she propped her upper body up, a stallion slammed into her, sending her flying. “Mom!” Arista roared. Panic throbbed in her chest when she saw her mother unmoving a few meters away. She risked a glance back, and between the never-ending legs and hooves saw a flash as Shanza sped away. Thistle and Tigra then let out ferocious roars before springing into the stampeded. While they tried to make a path, Clover hurried after them, her eyes wide. Making up her mind, she steadily began crawling towards her mother. But when she had almost reached her, another scent filled her nostrils above the overwhelming aroma of zebra. ‘No…’ She looked up to see a couple of leopards making their way through the stampede. Arista lunged forward and grabbed her mother’s scruff. She felt heavier than an elephant! Her legs trembled with effort as she hauled her mother in front of a fallen tree trunk. “Hurry!” she roared at Tigra and the others. She gasped when a zebra barreled into Tigra. Clover quickly leaped over her and covered her body with her own. Arista glanced at her mother. ‘If I’m going to be a queen, I have to be the one to live!’ Hekima was too heavy for her, but could she leave her? At the distant roaring, she craned her neck to see Kiongozi streaking ahead of Lupus, Rain, Light, Rose, Crystal, Dusk and Flurry. His roar rang in her ears as he crashed into the stampede. Together, they made a path through the rushing zebras, slashing and swiping, jaws snapping, claws flashing. “Dad, hurry!” she called on top of her lungs before flinging herself onto her mother. Pain rippled through her as powerful hooves crashed into her. Half blinded by pain, she saw the leopards bolting towards them. With a roar, Arista reared up onto her hind legs. They were bigger, stronger and more experienced, with battle scars covering their bodies. As the zebras flashed past them, buffeting their pelts and threatening to trip them over, the first leopard lunged. Arista dodged just in time to prevent its snapping teeth, but the other one dug its claws into her back before dragging her onto the ground. Agony seared through her. “Help!” she cried as she flailed her paws, but her blows would not connect. She could feel blood trickling out of her wounds. The other leopard was hurrying towards the queen of the Wilders while the others made their way towards them. Kiongozi’s eyes were wild with fear. His roar echoed in Arista’s ear as he got run over, rolling through the stamping hooves. Arista was snapped back to reality when the leopard flipped her over and pinned her down, one paw on her throat and the other on her chest. It roared something to the other one who was standing above her mother. Energy slammed into Arista when it tipped her over, claws unsheathed. With a mighty heave, she lashed out with her hind legs, raking her claws over the soft skin on the leopard’s belly. It leaped off her with a growl and Arista scrambled to her paws and arched her back. She risked a glance back just in time to see the leopard lunging at her mother’s neck. “No!” she roared. She spun on her hind legs before leaping at it. Gathering all the energy she had left, she tore the leopard off her mother. She sank her teeth into its scruff and wrapped her forepaws around its neck, her claws digging into its throat. Hekima gurgled and thrashed, blood sputtering out of her neck. Arista risked a glance back, only to feel a lightning bolt of fear surge through her when she saw the leopard in midair, flying towards them. But before it could, Kiongozi crashed into its side and they became a writhing ball of failing paws and tail, blood spraying out of their wounds. Finally, the last of the herd was shooting past, the mass zebras thinning out. Then, the leopard shook her off and she slammed her head against a rock. But a moment later it disappeared under a sea of furious lionesses. Clover hurried to Hekima and, after a moment of hesitation, Shanza followed her. ‘Thanks!’ Arista clambered to her bloody paws. “Shanza, lay your paws here,” Clover ordered, her voice calm yet trembling. Shanza did as she was ordered, putting her shaking paws onto her mother’s neck. “This will prevent further bleeding,” Clover told her. “Kion, we need cobwebs,” Clover called to the king as he flung the leopard away, and it landed with a sickening thud. Kiongozi was panting as he sprinted towards them and crouched beside his mate, pressing his forehead up to her cheek. “We need cobwebs,” Clover murmured as she opened the sack on her side and pulled out a few bitter-smelling herbs. She pushed some of them to Shanza. “Chew these up,” she ordered. Shanza’s eyes were wide with fear as she lapped them up and chewed them into a pulp. Arista’s wounds were throbbing with pain. Why was Clover fussing over her mother? Arista’s wounds were just as great! “Kion, if you don’t fetch cobwebs right now I won’t be able to save her,” Clover snapped, making the king flinch. He nodded before heaving himself shakily to his paws. Shanza’s paws were bloodstained as Clover pushed them aside and placed her own. The other lionesses were gathering around, their fear scent filling the air. “She’ll be okay, won’t she?” Flurry asked, her voice shaking. But Clover’s silence sent a shiver running through Arista.

Armon sat on his haunches, his tail drooping. His heart ached with worry. He was sitting guard outside his parents’ den. Clover was with them. He pricked his ears. They’d been in there all night, and the sun was only just rising, turning the sky indigo, the last of the stars fading. “Are the Startreaders watching?” Armon wondered out loud. “We are, young one. We’re always watching.” Armon stiffened at the familiar voice. April and Koda had died not so long ago, and he still remembered their voices. He took a deep breath before whispering, “will my mother live?” Faint outlines shimmered just in front of him, one darker, the other lighter with golden spots shimmering on their pelts. “Only fate can decide that,” Koda whispered. Armon pricked his ears. “But will she live?” April nodded. “Yes, young one. She’ll live.” Relief spread through his body at April’s words. “Thank you,” he whispered before they dipped their heads. The wind picked up, and they were gone.

“… And fate has decided that…”

Armon trotted through the brittle grass of the savannah, the long stalks brushing his flanks. The sun beat down from the clear, blue sky, though in the distance, dark clouds hovered over Africa’s plains, threatening to engulf everything in its reach with darkness. Lupus shouldered his way through the grass a few meters ahead of him, his tail tip twitching. They had found some poachers, but quickly gotten rid of them. Armon sniffed the air. “I wonder how it went with Arista and Shanza,” he murmured to Lupus. The grey lion nodded. “I hope it went better than last time,” he muttered darkly. Armon felt as if an icy claw had raked down his spine, but he banished the dark thoughts away from his head with a good shake. His mane had started growing, and leaves and other debris kept getting its way to the onyx razor mane. He flicked a ball of moss from the thick hair with his tail before hurrying after Lupus. “Can you smell anything?” Lupus asked him. Armon opened his jaws and took in a deep breath. “Nothing dangerous,” Armon reported and L