many persecutors, as they would be able. So, Rama was already lost and Amini was ready to sacrifice himself too. That was too much. She was unable to stand so much suffering. She was losing her dear friend... two dearest friends and one from them was father of her cub. She failed them, as well as she failed Scar.

“Rama...” cried out Zira, but she didn’t slow, then old lioness stopped in place and turned to pursuit.

“Come on...” whispered Rama, extending her claws and preparing to swansong fight. “I’ll show you, how dies Golden Lioness!”

Simba and five lionesses passed desert one, still chasing queen and Amini, but remaining six jumped on Rama and covered her like a locust. Exhausted lioness even didn’t feel the pain of tearing body. She was just inflicting her blows, mainly to foe’s legs, not caring about own wounds. Somehow, she dodged second, third and next blows. Just like her body was guided by some unknown force, that allowed old and weak lioness to cut younger and stronger adversaries. Instead of burning pain from slashed back, she felt some soothing and well known presence of old friend. “Your majesty!” called in mind, seeing Sparthi, guiding her paws with his own. Ghost was fighting with living one, in almost perfect union. Extended senses of Ancient warned Rama from every incoming hit and his strength helped her to fight with her own claws. Lioness felt that she was dying – first cut on side, from back to armpit, cut paw artery, that was flooding grass beneath with hot blood. But until there was some life in Rama’s veins, she was slashing and biting hard, thanks to support of her monarch. When finally, her sight started to fade, she knew, that she severely wounded two enemies and painfully hit third one. Zira’s chances grown... Now it was Amini’s turn.

“Sir, I was trying!” whispered Rama, falling under cruel blows of Pridelanderesses.

“Hush, my dear... It all is over now.” Said Sparthi and grabbed lioness’s spirit, leaving the fallen body.

*

“Stop them!” shouted Tarki, gripping Mufasa’s neck.

Both ghost were laying on invisible floor over Prideland’s savannah. Small cub was keeping giant lion in steel grip, not to choke him (what was impossible), but to prevent dead king from others interventions. Scene might looks really weird, but in skyword the real strength was that hidden one. Older, but smaller ghost was surely mightier.

“Get of me... uncle!” panted Mufasa with effort. “It must be... that way!”

“Stop Simba!”

Then both Ancient Ones felt bolt of pain and understood that someone had died. Blood had been spilled, there was no way back. Tarki hopelessly get his nephew loose.

“Don’t let him kill Zira!” ordered starcub. “Or we will kill Simba!”

Mufasa looked on greeneyed with sudden fear. Then he noticed well known aura, speeding through plain. That was Scar, his brother, ready to support Amini in his fight.

“Do you understand?” gasped Tarki. “Let her live or I will let Scar do his job.”

Mufasa started to run after his son. On his route, he met Sparthi and Rama, slowly descending up.

“Forgive, my friend... I will back for you.” Whispered golden king to ear of his pridemate. “But you know I must stop this carnage.”

He ran just after dead and living king.

 

15 – Crushed dreams

 

“Tell Scar, that I’m his loyal son... and heir!” called Nuka and pushed laying body of Simba into fiery abyss.

But suddenly smoke was blown out by unexpected blast of wind. Nuka saw clearly that Simba shook with bolt of new energy, jumped ahead... trampling on vivid shadow of the lion. King flew next to Scar’s son and started blind run to outset of gorge. It was impossible – lion saw that usurper had closed eyes, whole covered with tears, but he was still speeding, avoiding any vents and gaps in rock floor.

“Wait!” screamed and pounced on running Simba.

But somehow wounded lion jumped with even greater speed that Nuka missed him by centimetres. He wasn’t sure if what was real or just phantom, but he noticed shadow silhouette, following Simba. And when Scar’s son hit with paw in usurper’s back, he felt resistance of this shady specter.

“No!” growled and crouched to pounce on enemy.

But in that moment seismic shock caused small avalanche of rock and dirt from gorge’s slope. Nuka jumped after Simba to solid ground, but there his legs were pinned down by mass of falling stones. He yelled with pain and felt on the ground. Usurper, still followed by lion’s phantom, left dangerous zone and was speeding ahead to the river. Nuka’s plan failed.

Lion cried out from both pain and anger and turned back, to see, what had happened. His legs were covered with gravel, made him immobile. That was an accident not dangerous enough to kill him, but serious enough to stop his plan. Simba was gone. Nuka started to unearth his pinned down limbs, but this was work for long minutes. Too long, to do it and chase Simba, before he leave volcanic zone. And even if... Brown maned lion was guiding by unnatural force, that neutralised Nuka’s trap. Scar’s son felt bolt of shame so painfully, that he regret that Simba didn’t return and kill him in place.

“Mother... Hawaa... I’ve failed you...” sobbed, digging in heavy gravel.

*

Simba didn’t know, what was happening with him. Just a second before sure doom, he just felt new wave of energy and somehow he started to see again. He jumped on ledge, passed surprised Outlander and started to run through gorge. Although he was seeing again, his lungs were crying for fresh air. He was choking.

Maybe because of chocking dim of mind, he saw nothing unusual in his sudden rescue. He didn’t  see lion’s phantom, who appeared next to him and pushed him back on the ledge. He didn’t understand, that he was looking through not own eyes, but eyes of the dead protector. He calmed down not before outset of gorge. And there he saw another surprise.

Young, beautiful, grayfured and blue-eyed lioness was standing on his way to the river. She was looking on Simba with terror and when he came closer, she burst in sudden tears. Felt on the ground with loud sobbing and whispered.

“...Nuka...” then she turned her stare again on Prideland’s king and gasped with freezing voice. “You... killed... him...” and pouncean lang="EN-GB">“Tell Scar, that I’m his loyal son... and heir!” called Nuka and pushed laying body of Simba into fiery abyss.

But suddenly smoke was blown out by unexpected blast of wind. Nuka saw d on mighty lion with unbelievable speed.

*

“Wait for Simba!” ordered Nala, seeing lionesses starting in tight formation to river ford.

“With all due respect, my queen!” replied Sorphi. “We would be squashed here. Next to the ford we have greater chances... and escape route.”

Nala froze in place. For the very first time she understood, in what danger they were. They just had seen some Outlander, running on cliff up, so assumption that Zira knew, Pridelanders were there, became more than probable. Going on Northern Bank, they wanted to do theirs mission quick and quit before Outlanders would be alarmed. Fight against Zira’s pride was on such area was a suicide. Enemy knew terrain and he wasn’t exhausted with river passing. Also, foes could strike on then from cliff in total surprise. They had to get nearer Graveyard Ford, where at least that threat was minimal, due to cliffs - lower and more distant from river. So responsible leader should order to draw back to better position... and responsible leader wouldn’t guide them there. “What has possessed us, that we are here?” asked queen in mind. “This all looks absurd, like... it was set up!” finished with heart beating fast. “Simba! This is a trap!”

“Get girls to the ford.” Ordered Nala to Sarabi. „Mom, you stay here as a our liaison.” Turned to Sarafina.

“Where are you going?” amazed her mother.

“Simba is in danger!” replied she and started running on bank, in gorge’s direction. “Try to hold until we’re back...” called and disappeared in darkness.

“Don’t think too much.” Advised Sarafina. “We would start to panic.”

Pridelanderesses started in tight formation on west, to Graveyard Ford.

*

“Tell Scar, that I’m his loyal son... and heir!” called Nuka and pushed laying body of Simba into fiery abyss.

But suddenly smoke was blown out by unexpected blast of wind. Nuka saw lang="EN-GB">Zira was speeding on lead of her pride. She was amazed and she still couldn’t believe in what had happened. It was something between a miracle and a disaster and could become any of them. She was cursing herself, that she hadn’t Nuka’s idea earlier. If this was executed perfectly, it could bring flawless victory. Now, without Kovu, victory was still unsure. But all was about to revealed, when they would be in place. On time.

“Faster, sisters! This is our chance!” called and speeded up.

*

Simba was shocked, that he survived only by coincidence. Or maybe, he was still supporting by those unknown force.

Charge of Hawaa threw him on the ground. He fell awkwardly, hitting head in rock surface. Probably because he lost his balance so early, hit directed in his eyes just cut just his forehead. But before he stood, he was once again hit with lionesses body. Simba didn’t believe that female could move with so stunning speed, that she managed to land and prepare to next pounce in few seconds. He knew only one lioness, who was so deadly fighter, that could be grave threat to much heavier and stronger male. It was Zira, but attacking lioness wasn’t Outland’s queen.

“So, there are two of them.” Thought Simba and then terrible pain enflamed his neck.

Hawaa jumped on enemy, pinning him to the ground and grabbing his neck. She stabbed him with extended paws of both paws and started to tear his fur and muscles apart. Just millimetres before reaching of left neck’s aorta she stuck, because of long and thick hairs of lion’s mane.

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Next page