Survival of the Clan

Chapter 5

The clan continued to rest at the acacia. It had been a tiring fight for Amunet, and the other hyenas didn't mind a break. The long silence was broken by Sandfall, one of the clan's huntresses, "I think that we should continue to rest until night. The heat is unbearable, and we are more likely to catch prey at night, when it is a little less hot. We can rest in the shade until then."

"Yes, good idea, Sandfall. That's what we should do, until the heatwave ends." Amunet replied. All hyenas agreed.

The world blackened slowly, unnoticeably. Amunet was in a grey Serengeti, stars sparkling dimly in the sky. Amunet eyed a silhouetted figure. It was stalking closer toward her, and as it got a tree-distance away from her, she could see its face - her face. This figure was Cherry Blossom. Her slitted magenta eyes reflected the moon's light, vibrant in the dark. She padded slowly toward Amunet. The matriarch was frozen in shock. "Hello, Amunet," Those words echoed through the bleak surroundings, immediately tinting everything a salt pink color. "it is me, Cherry Blossom."

Amunet finally built up the courage to speak, letting four words escape from her mouth. "Is... it really you?"

"Yes, Amunet. It is me. You are dreaming, however this is reality. I am here,"
The matriarch said nothing, she was still frozen in amusement. The only movement she was able to make was a simple nod. Cherry Blossom spoke again "I've come to warn you, old friend. It's the lions," Amunet's muscles tensed as Cherry Blossom said this. "they are trying to track you down. You have to run. Run out of the Serengeti, beyond the scorched desert, over the great dunes, through the jungle oasis, over the ancient ruins, beyond those four great trials, you will find safety. A clan territory..." Amunet was about to speak, but the pink tinted savanna started fading back to yellow and the night turned to an afternoon sky as the stars disappeared. She realized she was no longer standing, she was laying under the acacia.

Amunet lifted her head. She scanned the area, noticing that the rest of the hyenas were asleep. She didn't want to wake them, but then she remembered what Cherry Blossom had said about the lions tracking her and her clan down. She couldn't waste time and it was still hours until night. The matriarch stood, her majestic call echoing through the clearing, waking the other hyenas. "I hate to wake you all from your peaceful sleep, but this is very important..." all hyenas immediately faced the matriarch, ears perking in curiosity. She explained all that had happened, and the other hyenas understood it was important, and none of them got angry.

The clan was stalking through the grass, which seemed to be stretching for eternity. Luckily, the blazing sun was falling beneath the horizon and the savanna became cooler. Still hot, but not uncomfortably hot.

The hyenas had been nonstop walking for hours. The grass seemed to be getting shorter, and the sandy ground seemed to get harder. The nearest trees were now a fifteen minute run's distance, the lushness was clearly fading. Shade was getting lesser and lesser, thank goodness it was starting to get dark. As the grass disappeared, stars began to come clear in the bright blue sky. They grew brighter by each minute. The sky was still a bright blue, but that certainly wouldn't last long. Now all that was visible was sandy colored stone. Cracked, scorched. That was the only thing for miles other than occasional rocks and cacti. The hyenas of Dark Sand had entered the scorched desert, their very first trial.