[COMPLETE] African Pride

11. ... and Consequences

When I arrived at the animal sanctuary, I was first greeted by the bodies of the dead wardens littering the grounds. They all had gaping holes in their chests, or their heads twisted in an unnatural angle. This was a slaughter. Bending down, I closed one of the Warden's eyes, whispering a silent prayer for his soul to reach the heavenly kingdom.

The yowling of lion cubs aroused my fury, my eyes cutting to Halima with a silent command. My animal guide nodded her head, running off in the other direction. As for me, I pressed my hand to my necklace, summoning the power of the Chameleon so I could blend in with the different surroundings. For the simple-minded, I couldn't be seen, but if someone looked hard enough, they might see a slight ripple. Slipping into the lion's enclosure, my eyes widened at the scene before me.

Moyo and Jaha stood in front of their cubs, their hackles raised, their black lips pulled back to reveal knives for teeth. Their claws were fully extended, their tails whipping side to side as they stood to protect their cubs. In their hands the poachers held thick chain leashes and leather collars, muzzles, cattle prods, and nets; trying to get past the parents so that they could reach the cubs.

Jaha got distracted with Man who zapped her with a cattle prod, and another man seized the opportunity. He leaped forward, throwing his net over Jiona and yanked her to him. The cub squealed and thrashed, fighting to be free as the Poacher stuffed her into a sack and tossed her to another man. Moyo saw this and roared in protest, lunging at the man who had grabbed the cub first, tackling him to the ground and began to maul him.

"Stop playing with those cats and get me the other two!" a man barked in a thick British accent.

Tall and lean, this man looked more like a model than a poacher. His eyes were bright blue and his black hair was slicked back, his face cleanshaven. He was dressed in khaki from head to toe, with his pants tucked into knee-high boots. Although he had a gun on his waist, what caught my attention was the knife strapped to his thigh. From the scabbard, the blade appeared to be at least four inches long, the handle made from a golden molded into that of a hyena's head with rubies for the eyes.

Glancing behind them, I could see Halima's outline move in the darkness. She was going to rescue the Jiona while I focused on men. The click of a gun made me turn my head, just in time to see one of the poachers point his weapon at the head of Moyo.

"Enough of this," he growled. "We need the damn cubs, but we don't need their parents. I'm turning this one into a nice coat for my wife."

"STOP!" I yelled, my camouflage peeling away.

Twirling my staff in my fingers, I called on the power of the elephant, slamming the end of it against the ground. The earth shook violently, rising like a wave, tearing itself open to swallow several of the men whole.

"That was just a warning," I growled, standing in front of the reaming lions. "Give me the cub and leave!"

The men who had survived the earthquake I had summoned took several steps in fear, glancing uncertainly at each other. They all appeared to be frightened, except for the Leader. Tall, pale skin with a chiseled chin, slicked back black hair, and sharp blue eyes. Rather than looking frightened, the Leader raked his eyes up and down my person almost curiously, tilting his head to the side before his eyes zeroed in on my necklace.

"The Mlezi," he said, his lips curving into a smirk. "I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence."

"How the hell do you know about me?" I growled.

"Let's just say that I'm the type of man who likes to keep himself informed about things."

I twirled my staff between my fingers, getting in a fighting stance. "Then if you know who I am, then you know what I can do. Give me the cub, now."