Kingdom of Fire

CHAPTER TWO

Ezra found himself walking through the grasslands, his first brushing the stems of the grass softly. The night was silent and chilly except for the occasion whistle of a small breeze that whirled through the night. A half moon hung high above in a blanket of gray clouds. The cub didn't remember how he got here or when he had left the comfort of his mother's embrace but the Savanna seemed to be beckoning him deeper, urging him to follow wherever his paws led him.

Ezra lifted his head to taste the air. There was no detection of anything, not even the sweet smell of fresh prey. Glancing around, he saw no one. He was completely alone out here. Where are mother and father? He wondered worriedly. They would never have let him wander alone. Accepting whatever this was, the cub continued on. He kept his steps cautious and quiet but found that regardless of how loud or quiet he tried to be, his paws made no sound against the grass and it felt as though he were walking on air.

The grass opened up ahead and Ezra pricked his ears. He emerged in a small patch of dirt, bare to any vegetation. Still, his paws made no sound or mark in the dirt. He also realized he was frozen in place, unable to move. Invisible vines seemed to bind him to the earth. Confused and scared, Ezra wailed. As if his wail had summoned up something more frightening, the smell of smoke hit his nostrils and with a jolt or pure horror, he saw a spark had lit the grass and slowly it turned an orange-scarlet. A wall of flame engulfed his patch of dirt and fire lapped at the grass, growing bigger every second. The wall rose higher and the flames spread further until all he could see was an endless blaze. What's going on? Panicking, Ezra cried out to anyone who could be near.

But he was met with the noise of screaming, blares and hollars of countless species, predator and prey. Their shrills pierced his air and through the wall of fire, he saw silhouettes of hundreds of animals, rearing and fighting against the heat. Some of them drowned in the inferno, scarlet eating them alive. The sounds of dying animals caused him to tremble and sink to his paws, covering his ears.
Make it stop!!

But he was granted no mercy. Daring to open his eyes for a heartbeat, he saw a leopard facing him, eyes sunken and hollow, pelt burned to the flesh.
"You must save us," it rasped. "Unite the kingdoms as one or we will all burn."
Ezra flattened his ears and sobbed. "What do you mean? I don't know what to do! This can't be real!"

A harsh gust swayed the grass and embers flew in the air. The leopard inched closer. "You are the only one who can save us..."
With those final words, the leopard exploded into flame and let out an unearthly sound of agony before it was burnt to ash. Little by little, Ezra's vision began to fade and black spots danced at his peripheral before the young cub embraced the welcoming darkness and faded from this nightmare.

The feeling of paws shaking him woke him from his nightmare. Opening his eyes, he saw his mother's worried face gazing down at him.
"Oh my poor cub, you were having a nightmare." Dara cooed. Ezra realized he was trembling and his breathing was fast and unsteady. Whatever nightmare he was just, it was replaying over and over in his head and the more he thought about it, the more vivid it seemed. It was as if he had actually been in that nightmare, the feeling of the heat too real to be a dream. He'd never even seen a fire before. Did it really look as evil at if did in his dream? Could it really destroy everything it touched? Why would he be seeing such evil things? Ezra thought of seeking his parents for support but they'd probably ridicule him for being ridiculous and tell him to focus on reality.
But then why did my dream feel like reality or a reality to come?

Seeing the sunrise had already came and gone and most of the lionesses were out hunting, Ezra turned to his Dara.
"Mother can I go hang out with Edith?"
Edith was the eldest lion in the pride, an old nearly white lioness who was blind in both eyes. She was very wise and well respected and all the cubs loved her stories.
His mother licked his early softly. "Going to hear one of her long tales, I assume?" she teased gently. "Of course my dear. Have fun."
Relieved, Ezra hopped out from his mother's grasp and made his way over to the old lioness who had her back turned to the pride and was gazing out wistfully over the savanna.