Cub of Destiny: Premonitions (Chapter 7, COD II PREVIEW!)
All seems peaceful in the Pridelands as Meric watches his friends and family grow together, but there is a storm on the horizon, and the Great Kings send the Guardian of the Pridelands a firm warning. His is a nightmare which may all too soon become reality.
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The days passed uneventfully. The last harsh winds of the late dry season gave way to the storms of the rainy season. Under the watchful eye of their parents, the cubs grew strong together. Nala and Simba were rarely seen apart. Masuko was more reclusive, more inclined to play by herself, just as her mother had been. But neither Nala nor Simba would leave her out of their games. The three developed a strong bond of friendship with one another as their strength grew.
During this time even Scar seemed to relax. For awhile, his bitterness and envy seemed to give way to a more sedate, unemotional lion. It was an improvement, but he never became social as I had hoped he would. Simba spent as much time as he could with the older lion, pestering him without end. Mufasa and Sarabi seemed to think it was very amusing to watch the young cub constantly harass his uncle. Scar on the other paw showed no such enthusiasm. Still, it seemed nothing would come of it. The orange-furred lion took it in stride.
It was during one stormy night that the trials began, or at the very least, I received warning they were soon to begin. The skies grew darker than normal, thick clouds blotting out the starlight and blocking us from the view of the great kings. Thunder rumbled across the savannah, punctuated sharply by brief flashes of lightning. The sharp spears of electricity tore open the clouds, rain water falling in sheets to the earth. Even the most nocturnal creatures took shelter to wait out the tempest. The only real activity that night was within an ancient Baobab tree, some distance from Pride Rock.
An old mandrill scrambled to and fro within the tree, collecting herbs and rainwater as well as a single gourd from his supplies. Thoughtfully, he sat down and began to paint a small picture, a lion without a mane. Cackling softly, the mandrill dipped a single finger into the juice of a broken gourd and smeared it across the picture's forehead. "Hehehe," Rafiki smiled, "Simba..."
The den was quiet but for the snoring of one or two of the lionesses, and Mufasa himself. The cubs slept nestled close to their mothers' warm flanks. Sarafina and Nala laid in our usual place near the rear wall, but for some reason I had felt compelled this night to sleep alone, near the entrance. I tossed and turned, my fitful sleep not coming easily. Voices cried out, distant, strange and familiar at the same time, overlapping one another. To my horror I found myself looking down upon Pride Rock. The entire landscape around it was in flames, eerie shadows playing over its surface. More voices came, drowning out the roar of the fire.
"Everything the light touches, is our kingdom..."
"I have to leave, Zulu, for Masuko's sake, and yours..."
_"If not for you, Killer would still be alive..."
"Hey, Uncle Scar! Guess what..."
"Something's wrong. I can feel it."
"Outlanders! ATTACK!"
"Meric, Zulu is dead..."
"An elephant graveyard is no place for a young prince..."_
_"What're we supposed to do? Kill Mufasa?..."
"Mufasa! Quick! Stampede, in the gorge!..."
"Long live the king..."
"The land won't last long under Scar's rule. He doesn't know..."
"Out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise..."
"Scar, Outlanders cannot be welcomed here..."
"MURDERER!!!!"_
A sudden flash of lightning punctuated that last, ominous word. I gasped as I jolted awake, flanks heaving, cold rainwater streaming down my face. It had all been a dream... Just a dream... That last voice... Scar... But who was he accusing of murder? I looked quickly around the den. Everyone was still peacefully sleeping. Turning my head, I noticed the storm moving on. The skies were clearing as the great kings once again looked down upon the Pridelands. All those voices. Some of them had been so familiar... Scar, Mufasa, Sarafina, Simba, Killer, Sarabi, and even my own voice among them... But others... At least in a couple places, were foreign, strange voices I had never heard before in my life. I couldn't shake the single image I had seen within the dream. Pride Rock, once so majestic and welcoming surrounded by flames, as though hell had literally broken loose about it.
It was then that a terrifying realization hit me... That fire... That fire was predicted in the ancient prophecy. "A fire unlike all before shall spread upon the land..." I whispered to myself. I had thought the fire only to speak of trials... Was it possible that it was a literal fire? And what would cause it? Pursing my lips, I came to a decision. There was only one other in the Pride Lands that had any idea of the meaning behind this prophecy... And he was the only one that might be able to answer some of my questions. Neither waiting for the others to awaken, nor for the dawn to come, I stood and headed for Rafiki's tree.