cubbish sob. “Now let’s take him out of here.”

Tanabi was still unconsciousness when lionesses uncovered him from gravel and lifted on the slope. Vitani ordered to put him next to nearest waterhole and try to water him. Then she fell down on the ground, next to Dhahabu and Anasa. Both cubs were crying.

“He is alive.” She whispered to her son, then felt asleep due to exhaustion.

*

However they awoke her, when Thamath ordered to. Queen found herself in royal chamber, hugging sleeping Dhahabu. On next bedding, few metres from here was Tanabi, lying still, but breathing regularly. Queen sighed with relief.

“Yes, it could be much worse.” Nodded shaman, looking on monarchess. “However it could be much better.” He looked on sleeping cub in queen’s arm. “Ma’am, before we will speak, order some lioness to take prince away.”

Surprised queen whistled to call Kucha. Sandymaned lioness took sleeping cub without question and left chamber, as if she wanted to avoid next scene. Meanwhile Vitani slowly return from state of being half-stunned. She started to think and feel fear.

“What happened with him?” she asked with weary voice, then coughed again.

“He is alive… but I can’t say anything more right now.”

“He is still… unconsciousness, right?

“If you were just a lioness, I would have just nodded.” replied shaman. “But you are a queen. I say you, he is comatose.” Eyes of Vitani narrowed. “I can’t say what damages are. All I know he was choking for few minutes before you dug him out. His pulse, temperature and reflexes are normal, but…”

“Will he…” it was hard to ask that question, but Vitani gathered all her strength and finished. “…ever wake up?”

“I believe in that… but I can’t guarantee.” Said shaman honestly.

“Believe…” murmured queen. “That what we could do. You!” suddenly said with fresh decisiveness. “Just wake him! You are shaman, Stars dammit! Just call Kings of Past for help and fix him up!”

“I’m afraid it’s not so easy to get such an assistance at once.” Replied Thamath. Vitani closed her eyes and instinctively extended her claws.

Than she stood up and came to sleeping Tanabi. She laid down next to her mate and just silently nestled to his side. Lion was so close and absent in the same time. Breathing, warm… deaf. Queen couldn’t believe in what had happened.

“Call for my son, if he is awake.” Ordered Vitani. “He should know the truth.” Mandrill nodded and left the chamber. “But how I would tell him?” asked herself Vitani. “And how do it, to assure him, it wasn’t his fault?” She needed an advise. A wise advise that Tanabi could give her. But Tanabi was next to, yet still not there.

 

IV. Who once a king…

 

On morning Border Swamps were very still and sleepy. That part o land used to wake up a bit later that other, waiting for sun to warm up its inhibitors. About half a hour after sundawn there was almost no movement on lazy backwater of river. But there were creatures who wanted use that opportunity.

“Timon, is that the best idea?” asked Pumbaa, carrying on his back meerkat.

“Come on, it still so early.” Rodent yawned and laid in more comfortable position of friend. “All big-teeth-nasty-beasts are napping.”

“I think we should ask Simba for help.” Proposed warthog.

“Pumbaa, Pumbaa…” replied Timon, not moving an inch. “He is also a big-teeth-nasty-beast and he is sleeping too. Relax, guy, we’re safe.”

After crossing range of small hills, they entered on marshy grasses, slowly coming to the bank. Indeed – there was still. Almost all creatures - except of some birds – were motionless lying in mud, waiting for sun to warm their bodies and give more energy to daily activities. So Pumbaa – calmed down by meerkat – entered a shallow pool to reach colony of fallen trunks.

“Nice!” smiled Timon. “Just imagine all the bugs that creep here.”

They came to first stem and warthog with well trained move lowered the trunk. With heavy effort and loud cheering of Timon, he lifted the weight.

“Cool!” called meerkat and jumped down into water. He grabbed first insect and…

Water splashed around him, when Pumbaa let trunk loose. Timon wanted to shout and scold his companion, but then he noticed what Pumbaa saw. What they initially took as more tree stems, were several crocodiles, lying still in water. Timon instantly cuddled to side of Warthog, shivering on whole body.

“A… and what now?” asked Pumbaa.

“Let’s… just go somewhere else.” Whispered Timon and made a first step to the shore. But it was too late.

One of “trunks” blinked its eyes and fully emerged from mud. It was old, powerfully-built male with two lighter scars on skin of his head. He was more than four metres long and when he lazily opened his jaws, meerkat noticed that predator’s teeth were longer than he was in width. Crocodile raised his tail, stopping two insectivores from escape.

“Good morning?” asked with powerful, yet sleepy voice.

“No, no… it’s still <good night>!” screamed Timon and jumped into the air, above crocodile’s tail. But after just half metre of flight, he was brutally stopped by tail of second crocodile. As a ball he pounced from skin of predator and hit in Pumbaa’s side, then fell to water.

“Why are you in such a rush?” asked male crocodile. “Why don’t you stay on breakfast.”

Timon tried to swim underwater in bank direction, but he hit side of female reptile’s side – that one who just had caught him in air. Seeing that Pumbaa yelled with fear, but also with little hope that call would reach Green Den and bring some help.

“Ow, easy, we are cultured creature after all.” He smiled, showing all his teeth. “Let me introduce. My name is Msaka and this is my family.” He round his tail, showing six more reptiles, just emerging from mud. “And you, won’t introduce yourself?” Asked, slowly coming to Pumbaa and sniffing air around him.

“We are…” started warthog uncertainly.

“We are friends of king Simba!” called Timon with decisive voice. “Beware! If you hurt us, you will offend his majesty and…”

“King Simba?” asked Msaka.

“Yeah!” nodded meerkat. “Don’t you tell me you don’t respect king’s authority.”

“I do.” Smiled crocodile. “But as far as I know current rulers of that land is lord Tanabi and lady Vitani. Aren’t they?”

“But we are friends of Simba and Simba was a king.” Added Timon, but his voice shivered a bit.

“Was.” Said Msaka. “So you admit you are not friends of king, is that right.”

“Once a king, always a king.” Murmured Timon and took again step to shore, but was once again stopped by tail of Msaka’s mate.

“Once a snack, always a…” stared crocodile and in that second meerkat again dived into mud.

When two reptiles rushed to get him, Pumbaa jumped ahead, passing by predators. Somehow surprised children of Msaka let him get on bank and focused on smaller, but much more irritating Timon.

“Get that swine!” called old crocodile and three youngsters turned back to Pumbaa. But it was much too late – as reptiles were fast and agile in water, on solid ground could be easily outrun by warthog.

Pumbaa stopped after reaching nearest hill, safe from deadly waters. He turned back and looked down, to see Msaka with Timon, desperately trying to free from his jaws. Crocodile stopped and just savour with fear of victim.

“Let him go!” shouted warthog. “I will go for Simba.”

“Give former king our regards.” Said crocodile and because he opened his mouth, it gave Timon few seconds to jump into water and dive. Msaka cursed and looked on surface of swamp. Pumbaa held his breath, looking for friend. Reptiles froze too, waiting for meerkat to get short of breath. Warthog decided that it was the last chance of doing anything.

“CHARGE!” he shouted and ran down to the pool. Of course he had no intention to hit any predator, he wanted just to draw their attention, but surprisingly two young crocodiles stepped aside before him. He didn’t stop before mud and hit the swamp, drowning under. When he emerged his head he also heard well known roar.

“Simba!” he smiled with relief.

“Leave them!” called lion from hill nearby.

“Ow, sir Simba is really here.” Said Msaka, smiling, but still searching with paws for diving Timon.

“I said, leave them alone.” Repeated brownmaned.

“You order me?” asked reptile with grimace. In that moment he raised his paws with meerkat in it. “How could you be still in charge, if your son is a king? Huh?”

“All right.” Said Simba, coming down to the pool.

“Simba, wait!” called Pumbaa. “Don’t enter that mud.”

“No, let him go.” Said crocodile. “Do you really think I could attack my once beloved king?” he nodded his head, partially submerging it underwater, but in that gesture was much of sarcasm.

“I appreciate your respect, Msaka.” Said Simba and crocodile narrowed his eyes, clearly surprised lion remembered his name. “But now I ask you to let him go. Not as a king. As Simba.”

Reptile burst in laughter, letting meerkat loose. Rodent fell into water, then swam and run to bank and after few seconds was next to lion.

“Ow, thank you, boss!” said hugging to predator’s paws and stopping it with mud. Then climbed on Simba’s mane on his neck, to look down on crocodiles with pride and bossy stare. “Now, I’m waiting for apologies.”

“No apologies today.” Said Simba and Timon murmured with surprised. “You trespassed they territory and if you were eaten, I couldn’t have any grudge again them. You just risked on your own.”

“But it doesn’t mean they could push about king’s friends!” yelled meerkat. Simba sighed.

“I’m terribly sorry, Msaka, that they disturbed your quietness.” Said to reptile.

“Not a problem, sir.” Replied reptile. “Just keep then away from troubles, all right?” Simba nodded.

“Come on, Pumbaa.” Said ex-ruler, exiting the pool and climbing on hill. “We will find another place for your meal.”

When they were going away from swamp, they heard Msaka’s voice.

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