Nakala

Chapter 93

Nakala thought about it for a moment and smiled. Perhaps Rafiki was right, maybe somehow he could put things right. But for now, his stomach demanded all the attention. Soon the lion was digging into the meat of the zebra's leg. After he got his fill Kiara returned to the hollow.

"Hey, Nakala. We should spend some time together," Kiara suggested. "I don't have anything else to do today."

"That may be a good idea," Rafiki agreed.

"Alright," Nakala nodded. He stood up and took his sister's side. "But where are we going?"

"Hmm... Follow me," Kiara smiled, already bounding off. Her brother was caught off guard by her speed but he smiled and took off after her. Together the siblings ran off away from the hollow and towards the savanna.

It had been a long time since Nakala had seen the expanse of the savanna. He had forgotten how lush the land was. Kiara walked into the tall grass and gave a content sigh. Her brother followed suit and chuckled awkwardly. The tall grass brushing against his underside felt strange to him. He was used to dry, prickly stalks and loose earth under his paws. The soft grass and fertile soil felt nice but it was something different than he was used to.

The two of them walked through the savanna until they came across someone else, a herd of chatting antelope. Upon seeing the lion and lioness approaching they all looked at one another before quickly bounding away. Kiara blinked in surprise while Nakala was a bit confused.

"Huh, that's never happened before," Kiara said. "The antelope usually love to gossip with me and Tiifu."

"I think they were running away from me," Nakala answered plainly.

"Well, don't worry about it. They'll get used to you," Kiara said.

"It's okay, Kiara. Do they even know that it's me?" the lion asked.

"Well... No. My dad wants to keep it a secret," a huff of annoyance came from the lioness.

Nakala couldn't help but roll his own eyes. "Well, let's just keep it that way For now."

Soon the siblings were walking and talking just like before. Kiara led the way, showing Nakala a few things about the Pride Lands. There was so much that had changed for the lion. The Pride Lands seemed to change so much but at the same time it seemed to be the same as when he left as a cub.

"Things have been really quiet around here lately," Kiara said as they walked near the watering hole. "Each day kind of feels that same. After you left the hyenas stopped invading the Pride Lands and that meant there were hardly any problems for the Lion Guard to solve.

A small chuckle came from the lioness as she stopped and turned to face her brother. "You know, I'd never thought I would have missed the hyenas. Things got pretty dull around here. I guess I'm kinda jealous. I know it's not easy, but it must be pretty interesting in the Outlands. Sounds like things are always happening."

"Yeah, each day is a challenge in some way or another," Nakala chuckled, thinking about the hyenas waiting for him back home. "We always have to keep an eye out for something. It can get pretty scary sometimes."

"Really? Hey, what are the hyenas like?" Kiara asked.

That question made the lion's ears perk. "Well, we're a clan. A really big family. Everyone knows each other and we look out for one another. There's cubs, adults, and even elders. We have patrols at different times of the day: dawn, hunting and night patrols. We eat together and help each other prepare for threats."

"You should meet Amana. You'd really like her. She's strong and works as the clan's healer. Chungu looks kind of threatening from a distance but he's really caring. Enzi and Chuchi are always arguing with one another but they're best friends. Enzi drives everyone crazy and Chuchi's pretty lazy but they're part of the clan and we can depend on them when we need to. There's Hani. He's pretty standoffish but I can tell he's got a good heart. I told Janja to make him the new retainer while I'm gone."

"So, you and Janja, huh?" Kiara smirked. "Who would have thought?"

A small blush crept across the lion's muzzle as he chuckled awkwardly. "Hehe. Yeah... Janja is...incredible. He's an amazing leader. He puts the clan before himself and he cares about each and every hyena, even me. It was a side of him I never saw before. I spent more time with him and liked him more and more..."

"Aww, look at you," Kiara chuckled. "Guess you have a thing for other leaders, huh?"

Nakala blushed again and cleared his throat. "Anyway. I was afraid that he didn't feel the same way I did. But I'm lucky that he did feel the same way about me that I did about him. I really love him so much. He always supports me and is always there when I need him. Every risk I took, sneaking into the Pride Lands, was for Janja. It's only been one day but I already miss him. But I'm here to get a grip on my powers so I won't hurt anyone else. Especially him."