The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 36: War

The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 36: War

The moon was raised over the dark and cracked gorges of The Outlands, the cold wind entered through the rocky passages and silence reigned for long hours. Until chaos arrived like a flash of lightning. Fierce lions, swift cheetahs and stout rhinos entered the caves with no previous warning, killing every jackal in their path, confronting the warriors and the ones of brave heart, chasing the weak and young, the parents and their children, the old and the ill.

Dogo gasped after being woken up by the terrible noises of battle and death. "He's come!"

"Sweetie..." Garia expressed with fear and desperation.

Dogo breathed in and out with great worry. "Garia..." He approached her and licked her. "Run, run the fastest you can and shelter in the Pride Lands. Also, make the howl to alert our allies."

"But you..." Garia said with a broken voice.

"I'll be fine, honey." Dogo licked her face and nuzzled her. "Please...please!"

Garia gasped then nodded slowly, with tears on her face. "Alright."

Dogo got his snout close to her belly. "See you later, little one." He smirked confidently.

Garia stroked his neck strongly and licked him. "Be very careful, Dogo." She was crying.

"I will, don't worry." Dogo gestured away. "Now, run, howl the alert." Garia nodded and ran away from him, getting out of the cave.

Dogo turned and closed his eyes. "This is our land, mother." He was thinking on Reirei. "I will protect it...for you...for my kind." He slowly opened his eyes and with a battle howl he exited the cave in search for the enemy.

Meanwhile, Garia was running intensely in the narrow paths of the gorges, crouching when reaching low spaces, jumping natural rocky obstacles and even running through paths unknown until she finally reached the top of the cliff, where she continued running en route to The Pride Lands, now in a flatter surface, still rocky and cracked. Garia didn't look back, she just maintained her glare at the front, with tears running down her face, flying away with the wind as raindrops. Her child and the moon were her companions, the stars also shone bright in the far, dark blue sky.

After a lot of exhausting running, Garia exited The Outlands and was now stepping over the tall grass of The Pride Lands territory. She slowly stopped running and stood over a rock to recover her breath. After her lungs rested a bit, Garia took a deep breath and howled strongly at the sky.

The warriors of the Pride Lands and Ferezan understood the call immediately, some of them had been sleeping while others did surveillance labors. "Lions and cheetahs!" Koca exclaimed, standing over a tall rock, he was the captain of the unified forces of Ferezan and The Pride Lands, a strong yellow maned lion. "Our allies have made the call, war has arrived!" He let out a powerful roar, then the lions and the cheetahs roared and chirruped with the same strength.

Kion, Rani and Kiara arrived, approaching Koca. "Are they ready, Koca?" Kion inquired.

Koca nodded with a straight glare. "They are, my king."

Kion walked past Koca and stood firmly over the rock's edge, roaring boldly at his forces. "Pridelanders, ferezans! Tonight, a common goal unites our kinds, the search for peace and thrival! Baturu has come, but not for long, my warriors. He will perish along with his legions!" The warriors replied with chirrups and roars of courage. "Now go! Fight at the side of your rulers, victory awaits us, hasty and glorious!" Kion roared again and jumped off the rock, followed by Koca, Kiara and Rani, heading to The Outlands. All of the warriors ran along with them over the darkened grass, with the same mission and conviction in their hearts and minds.

Garia kept running after hearing the rowdy battle screams. After several minutes, she encountered with Kion, who stopped his rush to talk to her. "Garia." Kion said, the rest of the warriors just kept hurrying.

"Kion..." Garia was crying and panting. "They just appeared there and s..."

"Hey..." Kion expressed reassuringly. "We're gonna take care of it all, alright? Did you come alone?"

Garia nodded. "Yes...I...I need a place to stay in during this war...my child...The Outlands are not as safe as your kingdom right now."

Kion gasped. "Oh, you're pregnant...congratulations, Garia, I mean it." He thought for a moment then nodded with certainty. "You're right, you and your cub cannot stay in your homeland. I'll make you a place in my kingdom, Garia, so you and your child can live and sleep cosily until the battle is over."

Garia let out a cry of gratefulness. "Thank you, Kion." She nuzzled his neck as a sign of gratitude.

"We take care of our allies, Garia." Kion gestured away. "Go and ask for Nyumbani, she'll give you a cave to stay." She nodded at him one last time and kept hurrying to The Pride Lands. Kion saw how she left then turned and followed his warriors, getting between Rani and Kiara rapidly. Koca was also among them, roaring with conviction, fearless and certain on the ability of their warriors.

Dogo had reunited with Bedor along with some of his warriors inside an area still unknown to Baturu's legions, a big cave hidden behind a set of huge rocks that blocked a small crack that served as the only entrance. "These are all of the forces that came, king of mine. The others must've fallen already, or maybe they're battling as we speak."

"It's fine, Bedor, the battle has just begun. We'll avenge our fallen and join the ones that still breathe." Dogo said firmly. "But we also have to refuge the wounded."

Bedor looked at the warriors around him, about ten young jackals. "My brave warriors, half of you will rescue the wounded you find in your way and take them to a safe place. The other half will come with me and the king to battle. Understood?"

"Kukubali!" The jackals exclaimed.

Dogo nodded. "Go." Half of the jackals exited the cave one by one through the narrow crack.

"My king." Bedor approached him. "Where's the queen?"

"Safe, I hope." Dogo looked at him. "I told her to alert our allies. They must be on their way already." He looked at the warriors. "Come with me, brave Mbweha!" Dogo howled strongly, being immediately mimicked by Bedor and the young jackals. He ran towards the crack and exited, having crouched for a moment to fit in, followed by the rest of them.

The gorges, the paths, the caves, the defile, almost all of the corners of The Outlands were being rapidly covered by jackal corpses, the rhinos punctured the canine warriors relentlessly, the lions teared them apart with ease and the cheetahs threw quick but strong bites at them. "Avoid the rhinos until reinforcements arrive!" Gorger told his comrades while facing a female cheetah that was growling at him menacingly. They were at the defile.

"You sordid fools." The cheetah chuckled mockingly. "We can't be stopped! Baturu's kingdom will never be defeated!"

"That's about to be seen!" Gorger stood still while she ran at him rapidly, he then moved to the side when the cheetah almost had her snout rubbing his neck, Gorger threw a strong bite at hers, making her screech loudly, he kept piercing her fur and skin with his jaws and began to shake his head violently, growling with rage. He threw the cheetah to the ground, the feline warrior didn't make any noise, Gorger approached her with quick steps and finished her with a strong bite on her head. He looked around and ran towards another horde of enemies to confront them.

Dogo, Bedor and the young warriors arrived at the defile. "Do not separate!" Bedor commanded. "We'll have more chances if we attack them in group!" He rushed towards the most numerous horde along with his king and the young jackals. Bedor noticed that the rest of his warriors and some others that had decided to fight were actively avoiding the rhinos, running from them, dodging, hiding and coming out again to keep battling with the lions and the cheetahs. "Listen! We'll deal with the rhinos later! Focus on the cheetahs and the lions!"

The forces of The Pridelands ran unceasingly, stepping on the cold rock of The Outlands already. After a few minutes, they entered the canyons of the territory and then got in the defile. Kion was the first one to spot the battle that was taking place from the distance. "Brave and strong, everyone!" He let out a loud roar of courage.