(In Progress) The Lion King: The Three Rulers

The General and Lieutenant

MAKUCHA: "Show no mercy!", he growled.

       The leopard watched as his snow leopard comrade battled a lioness. While the lioness had the advantage of strength, she did not possess her adversary's stealthy and evasive footwork. Within moments, Chuluun pounced on the lioness who had lost the battle with endurance by this point. Chuluun had just about won her position,with this victory, as Makucha's Lieutenant as portions of the army cheered her on. But now...

ZIRA: "Good... now... end the battle...", the scrawny lioness chillingly commanded.

       Chuluun hesitated and with her head down she backed off the terrified lioness. Zira just stared at the snow leopard then sighed and waved her paw. To Chuluun's horror, a group of predators broke into the middle of the combat ring from the outer circle and descended upon the lioness like a flock of vultures on a fresh kill. The lioness begged for mercy, but her cries became gurgles quickly. Zira approached the shaken Chuluun.

ZIRA: "My dear, you say you want to be a Lieutenant to Mshindi, and yet you refuse to finish the job you started. I start to wonder whether you will be of use to us at all...", her at first chillingly calm words now became a malignant growl, "...and you know what happens to those who are of no use to us..."

      Luckily for Chuluun, at that moment Makucha joined the two.

MAKUCHA: "General, a word if I may? General to General?", he spoke while gesturing Zira away.

       Zira growled lowly, she hated that this leopard was the same rank as a lion of her prestige, but who would she argue with? Mshindi? Makucha meanwhile continued his proposition.

MAKUCHA: "Zira, I want her as my Lieutenant, she is a skilled warrior with her strengths! Look at what happened...", he argued.

ZIRA: "When she didn't make the kill?!", she fired back.

MAKUCHA: "Perhaps she just needs more training, a mentor. Haven't you mentored Hera as General?", he asked.

       Zira scoffed.

ZIRA: "I haven't needed to, Hera obeys my command and if I say kill, she does.", she stated flatly and coldly.

MAKUCHA: "Zira, I see more in Chuluun than you do! She is a powerful fighter. She will learn to kill in time. I will make sure of it.", he replied.

ZIRA: "Mshindi made you travel here so that you could discuss your decision on whom your Lieutenant would be, with me. You may be the same rank, but I hold seniority on the fact that I have had some time holding this rank.", she stated with a proud gesture.

       Makucha was livid, but she was right, that was why Mshindi sent him to the Tree of Life.

MAKUCHA: "So, what is your judgment then?", he said through angry teeth.

       Zira turned to leave as she spoke.

ZIRA: "You have my approval...", she said with a smile that made Makucha growl.

       Before Zira left completely, she turned back around.

ZIRA: "However, I would recommend that you teach her soon... Mshindi will want to see results when he arrives in a few days to discuss our next attack..."

        With that, Zira left. As the crowd dispersed around the carnage and Chuluun, Makucha walked over to the snow leopard.

MAKUCHA: "That was the last time I can cover for you like that...", he spoke sternly.