on sand, then turns back to see as with help of adolescent lion, white one is putting dead body of lioness on sand. The other cub (that dead one) is lying there.]

That is never to reach

Just to watch and admire

Just to dream and to pray

Just to crane our desires

[Secretary bird lands down, on shoulder of golden lion and with loud voice he announce something. It’s hard to read from movement of bill, but we could assume he announces the king and his family. All creatures bow down]

And to hope somewhere is better place for us

And to hope that someday makes up for the past

[Then king is grabbing living cub into his jaws and gentle raises her up. Animals are watching that and in spite of common sadness, a collective roar/shout of joy starts. Cub is showed to gathered creatures.]

 

Chorus:

There is no light without a shade

But we’re walking still on way

[We see zoom in on cub – she is cute kitty, still blind and unaware.]

Straight and onward, making steps ahead

And not crying but keep hope instead

And although it’s turn for night

We are waiting for day’s light

p>

There go all lionesses of cave. Sad retinue stops at the end of alley.

Then zoom in on face of adolescent lion. He looks on dead lioness – due to clear similarity also to dead lioness, we could assume that was his mother. Son raises his sight up and narrows his eyes because of sunrays]

Looking into the skies

Reaching heavenly blue

That is too far from us

That is too high for you

[His father passes next to him, nuzzling his side. Sandymaned drops his sad reverie and follows. They all stops at the end of alley. Gold lion carefully puts living cub on sand, then turns back to see as with help of adolescent lion, white one is putting dead body of lioness on sand. The other cub (that dead one) is lying there.]

That is never to reach

Just to watch and admire

Just to dream and to pray

Just to crane our desires

[Secretary bird lands down, on shoulder of golden lion and with loud voice he announce something. It’s hard to read from movement of bill, but we could assume he announces the king and his family. All creatures bow down]

And to hope somewhere is better place for us

And to hope that someday makes up for the past

[Then king is grabbing living cub into his jaws and gentle raises her up. Animals are watching that and in spite of common sadness, a collective roar/shout of joy starts. Cub is showed to gathered creatures.]

 

Chorus:

There is no light without a shade

But we’re walking still on way

[We see zoom in on cub – she is cute kitty, still blind and unaware.]

Straight and onward, making steps ahead

[Cheers of crowd continue. Capture of all desert fauna. Many animals are cheering and crying in the same time]

Second verse:

[Shot back to sandymaned young lion. He looks on dead mother, but being encouraged by all calls round he turns his sight to cub. And smiles, in spite of tears.]

But there’s always a way

To lower sky downhere

To make world better place

Get the heavens at near

[Goldenfurred lioness comes with dead cub. Living one is put down and king takes second kitty, to show her to subjects. Cheers are cut silent in second, all animals are watching in silence. Meanwhile golden lioness takes living cub in her embrace, laying on sand.]

Even for shorter while

Make the day fine and right

Even just for one smile

To warm us in the night

[Then white lion comes with dead lioness and she is shown to crowd. Animals turn their stares to the ground and secretary bird starts to tell something. King puts dead child on the sand then turns to his son. He puts his paw on adolescent’s shoulder.]

And we know somewhere is better place for us

And we know that someday makes up for the past

[They both look up, to the sky]

Chorus:

There is no light without a shade

But we’re walking still on way

[Young lion came closer to father and hugs him. In background secretary bird it still talking, golden lioness is licking living cub, but for longer while father and son stay in hug]

Straight and onward, making steps ahead

And not crying but keep hope instead

And soon comes the turn of day

As we know it always came

[Then finally they turn back. King nods his head – golden lioness put up the living cub and ruler himself grabs dead one. Young lion comes to white one and they both lifting dead lioness’s body. Retinue is going back to the cave, while animals stay in silent meditation.

Fade to black, music

[Shot back to sandymaned young lion. He looks on dead mother, but being encouraged by all calls round he turns his sight to cub. And smiles, in spite of tears.]

But there’s always a way

To lower sky downhere

To make world better place

Get the heavens at near

[Goldenfurred lioness comes with dead cub. Living one is put down and king takes second kitty, to show her to subjects. Cheers are cut silent in second, all animals are watching in silence. Meanwhile golden lioness takes living cub in her embrace, laying on sand.]

Even for shorter while

Make the day fine and right

Even just for one smile

To warm us in the night

[Then white lion comes with dead lioness and she is shown to crowd. Animals turn their stares to the ground and secretary bird starts to tell something. King puts dead child on the sand then turns to his son. He puts his paw on adolescent’s shoulder.]

And we know somewhere is better place for us

And we know that someday makes up for the past

[They both look up, to the sky]

Chorus:

There is no light without a shade

But we’re walking still on way

[Young lion came closer to father and hugs him. In background secretary bird it still talking, golden lioness is licking living cub, but for longer while father and son stay in hug]

Straight and onward, making steps ahead

And not crying but keep hope instead

And soon comes the turn of day

As we know it always came

[Then finally they turn back. King nods his head – golden lioness put up stops.]

 

I. Orphaned Kingdom

 

Death of Malkha came in ruthless, sudden and shocking way. The worse was that those were some signs that pregnancy would be hard. As Arista and all his pride remembered, three months that queen was carrying Sparthi were extremely difficult for lightfurred and were finished with long and painful labour. Then Golden Lions were heavily scared about queen and heir. But mother and child made it, proving monarchess of Golden Sands could bear a cub. And year after that it turned out to be wrong. Not fully wrong, but in case of mother deadly incorrect.

Malkha always had health problems. At least since the day when Arista met her. He saved young lioness from avalanche in Rumble Gorge, as she was wandering homeless with her brother Dhalimu. Prince of Golden Sands (king Ananias was still alive then) decided to take care about siblings and allowed them say in kingdom. Soon after he chose Malkha as his mate, not bothering with imparity she was marked with. Accident in Rumble Gorge damaged lioness’s pelvis, making her constantly hobbling. Also that injure was endangering eventual pregnancy and labour what always worried her mate. But Sparthi was born alive. Zira the same. However Kira hadn’t so much luck and she died just before her mother passed away.

That was a strange day. For almost whole night lasted pre-delivery pains and cubbirth itself. First came female cub that parents decided to call Zira - what was ancient name of lionesses in Golden Pride, even from times when Golden Lions had been living on the North, behind the desert. In legend, sister of Zira was called Kira and those two lionesses were both ruling kingdom just before Great Trek south – so the other cub – if that was to be girl too – was meant to be called like that. Second cub was a girl indeed, but she outlived just about hour.

None of efforts of Arista himself, Sparthi, Hatibu and secretary bird Hatibu, who was current major-domo of kingdom, couldn’t stop exhausted mother from dying. In wave of despair, Arista ordered Hatibu to announce day of Sacred Peace and call all creatures of Desert. Animals would do what turned out to be proper – welcome newborn royal cubs or give their last salute to respected and beloved monarchess. It happened they made both those things.

Kira gave her last breath just a while after Arista announce in cave name of her daughter. In someway fortunately – Malkha was already unconsciousness and she died happy, thinking that her both children made it.

There was another participator of that drama – Dhalimu. Brother of queen was running all the time, carrying water and looking for any eventual help. When he returned to Golden Cave to report sad truth that there was no creature skilled with shamanic lore available at moment, he saw his younger sister dead, as well as his niece.

So there was just one thing to do – tell subjects what tragedy struck them. Arista gently lifted tiny Zira (presenting so young, just newborn cubs, wasn’t normal, but Masa suggested that they can’t be sure about also Zira’s survival), Dhalimu and Sparthi took Malkha and Masa grabbed body of poor Kira. Then with whole pride they came out to meet with animals of Desert.

Ceremony was short. Dhalimu wanted to take Zira p style="text-indent: 9pt;"> 

Death of Malkha came in ruthless, sudden and shocking way. The worse was that those were some signs that pregnancy would be hard. As Arista and all his pride remembered, three months that queen was carrying Sparthi were extremely difficult for lightfurred and were finished with long and painful labour. Then Golden Lions were heavily scared about queen and heir. But mother and child made it, proving monarchess of Golden Sands could bear a cub. And year after that it turned out to be wrong. Not fully wrong, but in case of mother deadly incorrect.

Malkha

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