not now that half of us are still left at the Rock.”

 

“But… What do we do then, we can’t just wait here and hope for the survivors to make it back here on their own? We have to do something!”

 

“Indeed we can’t just wait,” dad noted even colder than usual, “We can’t wait here. We have to run to the hills as soon as possible.”

 

“What?” Kali’s mom exclaimed in shock, “You’re not truly suggesting we abandon our home, not to mention all the survivors who are still stuck at Priderock?”

 

In stead of replying, dad just signaled one of the three refugees, who slowly slacked towards him upon being ordered to do so. I can still remember the look in her eyes… ‘t was seemingly empty.

 

“Right, you tell me what happened!” dad commanded to the refugee, “You tell me what the lions did.”

 

“We... we tried attacking them… we did… but they were too strong, they were almost invulnerable! We tried fighting them… but we didn’t take a single one down, we didn’t… Everyone’s gone! When we broke and ran, they hunted us all down… they’ll come get us… They’ll kill us all! We can’t stop them!”

 

Dad turned to Kali’s mom again.

 

“Exactly my point. Regardless of what really happened out there, why the lions suddenly turned hostile and butchered us, it is now only a matter of time before they come here and take care of the rest of us. We’re weak and vulnerable, possibly even leaderless; only if they were lead by a weak hearted fool would the lions not seize this opportunity to eradicate us once and for all. I know I would,” dad explained with mild condescension. Kali’s mom just stared at dad, seemingly shocked, unwilling to follow his cold logic.

 

“But we can’t just leave… any survivors would…”

 

“If we don’t leave, there won’t be any survivors! The lions will come here, I'm sure of it! And when they do, we wouldn't stand a chance; even if we could put up a fight (which I dare doubt), we wouldn’t last: this place is a death-trap! We’d be stuck fighting on lower ground, and the lions could easily surround us and block off all exits. We’d have nowhere to retreat to but the caves, we’d be stuck in those deep and dark caves filled with poisonous fumes. If possible, I’d like to prevent our clan from getting gassed.”

 

“Perhaps. But I’m not leaving here before all survivors from Priderock are accounted for. I refuse to leave them behind, and I don’t understand how you could! Shenzi is with them, for Spirits’ sake! Of all hyenas, how could you just abandon her? I’d rather die than leaving our clanmates behind.”

 

“How noble...” dad noted with a whim of cynicism, “But that’s not what I asked of you, nor what I was sugesting: I was, in fact suggesting you lead the clan to the hills, whilst I stay behind with a handful of able clanmates to recover anyone else who might have made it back from Priderock. I'm just saying we shouldn't risk all of our clan waiting (or Spirits help us, go find) survivors.”

 

“That’s ridiculous, I’m not running from those savage beasts!”

 

“I’m not asking you to run. I’m asking you to lead the clan out of harm’s way. As head of the second-highest ranking family-line, that’s your duty: if no-one else makes it back from Priderock, the clan ‘ll be counting on you.”

 

That was of course an offer she couldn’t refuse: Kali’s mom was practically promised leadership over the clan in case Shenzi didn’t return, even though my sister, the true heir, was still alive. But in times of great need, you often make promises you don’t intend to keep.
Anyway, long story short, Kali’s mom rounded up most of the clan and took of towards the hills (beyond which lay the Wastelands) whilst me, dad and sis stayed behind with a couple of other battle-ready hyenas, just in case we’d have to fight our way back. I often wondered why dad decided not to send us with the clan, to safety, but in stead kept us with him, it seemed a bit odd. But consider this: were we, children of the missing matriarch, really that safe around someone who could potentially become the new matriarch if we were to disappear as well? So we stayed behind, in the Elephant Graveyard, waiting for survivors, not saying a word: it had already become clear to me and Shenya what fate had probably befallen onto our mom, but the less we spoke of it, the less feasible it seemed to become, so we just didn’t speak at all.
Hours passed, and the rain poured down still. Night began to fall. Every now and then, one sole survivor would come stumbling out into the Graveyard, each one more badly hurt and burned than the previous one. And they all told the same story, one of bitter defeat, endless carnage and painful flight All in all, the survivors added up to nine. Half of our enormous clan had been reduced to nine battered, hardly living carcasses.

Then, as we were just about to give up hope of mom ever returning and seek out the remains of the clan, out of the shimmer and rain, one figurine seemed to appear, moving forth provocatively slow. As it came closer, we saw it were in fact two shades to draw near, one dragging the other along with it. But before they reached us, the one shade to still stand upright collapsed, so we all ran forth to help them. At first, I didn’t recognize them, as they were both soaking wet and severely burned on multiple parts of their body, not to mention the many battle scars that covered them. Dad immediately rushed towards the one who had been dragging forth the hyena next to him. Dad could hardly recognize him, as his face had been severely mangled, he had even sustained damage to one of his eyes. But as he moved closer, he could recognize the moaning and incoherently mumbling Banzaï, whom he tried to talk to. Meanwhile, me and sis had moved closer to the other hyena lying next to him, the one he had been dragging along. She was burned and wounded as well, whilst also covered in mud and dirt after being dragged around. I can still smell it; molten fat, burned flesh, scorched hair… sickening… Then I noticed: it was mom. Me and Shenya immediately rushed forward, of course, glad to have our mom back. But we didn’t cheer, we cried, ‘cause it was obvious she hadn’t really come back; 't was only an body devoid of all life that lay before us. We tried cuddling and waking her, but she moved nor drew breath, and she felt cold and wet. Each time I think back, I can’t help but remember the grotesques of it all: her mouth slightly open, manes wet, full of dirt and sticking to her neck, gazing at us with half-open but unseeing eyes…I’ve never again felt as bad as I did then, I really haven’t.

 

*

 

“And that’s it. That’s the one dream to visit me every now and then, to haunt me till the very edges of the world, even to this desolate place…”

 

“It’s not easy losing your mom… I know the feeling…” Vitani sobbed after having listened to Vincent’s tale, “But it helps to talk, right?”

 

“Yeah... It’s always better to come clean with the past…” Vincent sighed. But he lied, he hadn’t come clean with the past, for he had refused to tell Vitani the second part of his dream, the part he hadn’t dreamed ever before (as his dream usually ended when he was confronted with the corpse of Shenzi). And it had in fact been the second part of his vision to bother him the most.

 

*

 

“S-Shenzi?”

 

Mikhail froze after he turned his head away from Banzaï, towards Shenzi’s body. Whilst continuously crying her name, he sat down next to her and slid his paw beneath her neck. He gently pulled her to him. Vincent and Shenya were still both firmly pressed to her. Much to the surprise of any bystanders, Mikhail started to weep as he tried to lick Shenzi’s manes clean; they weren’t used to cold Mikhail displaying such vulnerability. After a while, he stopped and just pressed his face to Shenzi. She felt cold. The badly wounded Banzaï, still lying next to Shenzi, lift up his mangled head.

 

“I-Is… is she alright?”

&nball life that lay before us. We tried cuddling and waking her, but she moved nor drew breath, and she felt cold and wet. Each time I think back, I can’t help but remember the grotesques of it all: her mouth slightly open, manes wet, full of dirt and sticking to her neck, gazing at us with half-open but unseeing eyes…I’ve never again felt as bad as I did then, I really haven’t.

 

*

 

“And that’s it. That’s the one dream to visit me every now and then, to haunt me till the very edges of the world, even to this desolate place…”

 

“It’s not easy losing your mom… I know the feeling…” Vitani sobbed after having listened to Vincent’s tale, “But it helps sp;

Mikhail didn’t respond immediately, but kept sobbing in stead for another minute or so, as did his offspring. Then he suddenly got up, his face covered in dirt, tears and a little blood.

 

“She’s gone… She was already gone when you brought her here…”

 

Banzaï gasped.

 

“But… how could she… she was just talking to me only minutes ago…”

 

But Bazaï didn’t know Shenzi had suffered from massive internal bleeding as a result of countless bites and blow she had endued at the Rock; sometimes, it are the wounds you don’t notice that are most dangerous. It remained unsure just how long Banzaï had been dragging along a corpse.

 

“It doesn’t matter anymore… She’s gone… Thanks, Banzaï,” Mikhail whispered, “You’re a loyal friend to have brought her here, even if she didn’t make it. Now we can at least say farewell in a decent manner…”

 

Meanwhile, the pups were still petrified with grief, and thus largely immobile. Mikhail, however, brutally cut their mourning short as he pushed them away from the

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