anger and a gruff edge. When the owner of the voice appeared from where he had been hidden, Yejide knew she had found the gray lion she was seeking.

            Ashiki shifted his gaze from Nunka to Yejide, his nose twitched. "An intruder?" he carefully asked Nunka. The gray lion shrugged.

            Yejide stepped forward, unable to hold back a growing smile on her face. "I came here to-" She never got to finish her sentence.

            Ashiki tackled her onto her backside, jaw wide open and ready to attack. Yejide struggled underneath his weight, clawing and yowling in pain when his teeth caught the flesh of her ear, ripping away part of it. Yejide struck out her paw, hitting Ashiki fully in the face, but he retaliated with his own attack, only this time his claws were ready to kill. His claw dug into her face and moved downward. Yejide screamed, feeling the burning sensation to her face and the wetness of what was clearly blood.

            This lion was going to kill her!

            "Ashiki, stop!" pleaded Nunka. "She didn't do anything!"

            "I agree with him. It would be better to cease now, Ashiki."

            As suddenly as he had launched himself at her, Ashiki was quick to back off of Yejide, who now had her paws covering her face to prevent further harm. When she no longer felt his weight on her, Yejide carefully peered up and saw who her savior was. She felt her cheeks burn.

            The small lion turned to Ashiki, an indifferent look on his face. "Well? Explain yourself, Ashiki."

            Ashiki scowled, but nonetheless said, "She was trespassing. Just taking care of business."

            "Interesting..." The lion turned to her, his eyes piercing hers. "Well? What do you want here?"

            Swallowing her fear and mustering courage, Yejide rolled onto her paws and met her savior eye-to-eye. "I want to join your pride," she said. "I'm a good fighter."

            "Not good enough, it seems," the lion responded, starting to turn away. "Go home."

            "Abel, shouldn't we teach her a lesson?" growled Ashiki.

            "Why bother? She's learned-"

            "I'm not going anywhere, Abel," Yejide said, more loudly this time. The lion paused, but did not look back. "I want to join your pride."

            Ashiki moved in front of her, his nose barely within reach of hers. "We don't need you here. Go home or else."

            Yejide refused to move from her place, despite her trembling legs betraying that she was growing fearful of the gray lion. "No. Abel, please, I want to join."

            Abel's head finally turned to her, his expression unreadable. "No. Ashiki, escort our guest out."

            Yejide could not believe his refusal. The ache in her heart grew tremendously, and she didn't wait for Ashiki to make another threat to her face. She turned and fled the lands as fast as her paws could carry her.

 

            It was only a day later when another uninvited guest appeared on Prideland territory. Ashiki went to exterminate their guest, but Abel made sure that this time he followed the gray lion before more harm could be done. He was growing sick of these pests thinking that they could happily wander onto his territory, and not think anything of it. He had been merciful to Yejide, despite Zuri's protests that he shouldn't have, but this time he was more than willing to allow Ashiki to handle their guest his own way.

            When he first heard the news from a scout, Abel had assumed it was Yejide again, which only infuriated him more. But as he and Ashiki approached their unmoving guest, it was clear that his warning had scared Yejide off completely. It was an orange lioness who greeted them, her gaze unyielding.

            Abel hated that.

            "Are you Abel?" the lioness asked of him as they got closer.

            Ashiki leapt forward, not to attack the lioness, but to intimidate her. "How dare you be so bold!" he roared.

            Abel shoved him aside, his gaze toxic. "Enough Ashiki, or I'll have your tongue ripped out. Yes, I am King Abel."

            The lioness smiled at him. "My name is Ishonda. I heard word about you."

            Oh no, not another one. Abel turned to Ashiki. "Get rid of her however you see fit."

            Ashiki licked his maw.

            "I wouldn't do that if I were you," sang Ishonda as Abel began to turn his back on her. "I came here to join your pride."

            "Not interested. Ashiki, kill her if you have to. The next time another one of these lionesses show up, just kill them. No questions asked."

            "I've killed before," the lioness said suddenly. "You'll need me."

            This interested Abel. "You have, hmm?" he asked.

            Ishonda brushed past Ashiki to meet the smaller lion's gaze. "You'll need me," she repeated, letting her words ooze from her lying tongue.

            Abel allowed the thought to settle in his mind. Yejide didn't make a case for herself, on why he would need her, but Ishonda boldly declared that she has killed another. Zuri, what do you think?

            The ghost of the lioness in his head did not immediately respond to his question. But when she did, she seemed considerate in her answer. I think... we'll need allies. To prove our power. She could be useful for us, Abel.

            She's said she's killed.

            She's willing to kill, Abel. We'll need her.

            Abel gazed into Ishonda's eyes, and saw the look of a killer. Of one who would do as she was told. He liked that. "Who did you kill?" he inquired her.

            With the same smile on her face that she had when she first saw him, she stated, "My family."

            Oh yes, we'll need her, Zuri said.

            That would be it then. There was no further need to debate. "Ashiki," Abel said, his eyes not leaving Ishonda's, "escort our guest back to Pride Rock."

            Ashiki's nose twitched. "King?"

            Abel ignored Ashiki's questioning gaze. "Welcome to my lands, Ishonda."

            And that began what Abel could only call a floodgate, a reaction of sorts. Others began to pour into his lands, asking favors of him. Several days since Ishonda's arrival, a brown lioness named Katura stumbled into his lands, asking him to train her, so that she may seek revenge on another lion pride that had killed her mother. Abel had no patience for her request, and would've sent her on her way had Zuri not stopped him.

            We'll need her, the lioness crooned into his ear and heart. So Abel allowed her to stay, and she in turn would serve under him, no questions asked.

            Then a pale lion by the name of Zareb came along. Once again, Zuri urged Abel to begrudgingly accept the lion into their ranks.

            Ashiki was as

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