Scar x Zira: The Lost Heir

Chapter Thirty-Eight

A few days went by and Kito slowly got over Nala's rejection. In fact, he started to play with the hyenas more than he did with her. He knew that she was off playing with the other young lionesses, anyway. He didn't have any competition to worry about.

Kito grudgingly received his daily bath before asking to go explore the Pridelands. His parents hesitated at first, knowing where he would go. Then they just shrugged it off and let him go.
He bounded out of the cave and ran to where Lindia and Moyo would be waiting at the bottom of Pride Rock. When he spotted the young hyenas he crouched down low, his shoulder blades protruding like small hills on his back. Suddenly he lunged forward so that he landed on top of Moyo. The smaller hyena squealed as he collapsed under Kito's weight. Lindia cackled hysterically as the two boys wrestled in the dirt, teeth gnashing playfully and ears pinned back in a threatening display. She joined in and nearly flattened Kito, nipping his ear when she landed on him. He growled, rolling off of Moyo to face her. Suddenly she was right above him, her snout only inches away from his. He gulped and she laughed softly, her breath tickling his face. She stepped aside to let him up and he stood hesitantly, still a little shocked by how close she had been. She had a sly grin on her face. Kito smirked back at her when he felt a pressure on his back. Immediately he was pinned to the ground and he could hear Moyo laughing triumphantly above him.
"Hey get off me!" Kito grunted, arching his back so that he fell off. Moyo howled with laughter while Lindia snickered quietly to herself, her eyes glinting in the sunlight.
Kito rolled his eyes.
"You know, you don't have to laugh all the time."
"Yeah, but what's life without a little laughter?" Moyo joked.
Kito grinned and chuckled to himself. Lindia walked closer to Kito. She nudged him with her paw so that he turned to face her.
"Hey, you wanna check out a really cool place? Apparently it's where we were born," she said, "We remember it vaguely, but our mother tells us about it all the time."
"Sure! Where is it?"
"It's a surprise," she replied mysteriously.
Moyo ran forward and looked over his shoulder.
"C'mon! What are we waiting for?!" he shouted.
Kito laughed as he bounded after his friend. Lindia ran alongside him, a crooked grin on her face.
They ran for a while, getting closer and closer to what he believed was oddly familiar. It was the shadowy place he had seen years before when his father had showed him the kingdom. He'd never asked what it was, but he had always noticed it's forbidding presence.
Elephant skeletons rose up above them, and Kito shivered internally at the sight. His claws clicked on scattered bones and rock as they walked deeper and deeper into the eerie place.
"Welcome to our home, the Elephant Graveyard!"
Moyo's voice echoed through the heavy air. Kito looked at both of them doubtfully.
"So you guys were born here?"
"Yeah. Pretty cool, right?" Lindia said, nudging him with her shoulder.
He nodded slightly, his nerves still on end.
I don't like this place. I don't like it. Not at all. I can't say that though. I just can't.
His mind raced as the hyenas led him further into the graveyard. He heard some cackling from nearby, and his fur stood up on end.
"Relax," Lindia whispered, "it's probably just some clan members visiting. We still like to see where we came from, you know."
Kito offered her a tight grin and kept moving. He was starting to relax a little when a young female hyena leaped down in front of him. He jumped back in alarm and bared his teeth with a snarl. The female only giggled to herself. Then she turned her attention to Lindia and Moyo.
Kito noticed she was thin, almost scraggly looking. Her eyes were beady, but they held a certain beauty in them. A terrifying, deadly beauty.
"So you two are servants to the Prince now, escorting him wherever he so pleases?" she sneered.
Moyo dropped his head and lowered his ears.
Kito knew one crucial thing about hyenas, and it was that males were at the bottom of the pecking order. Females always dominated them, no matter what.
Lindia, however, was the highest ranking young female. She was like a princess among her kind.
"Shut up, Hiari. We're just showing him around, getting him familiar with our ways," Lindia snapped.
Hiari narrowed her eyes and grinned maliciously.
"Oh I'm sure you're getting him very familiar with you, Lindia. Every single part of you. I see the way you look at him. I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to screw him, right here, right now."
Lindia looked absolutely disgusted and shocked beyond belief.
"He's a lion!" she cried, "Why on Earth would you think I would even consider that!? You foul piece of..."
Moyo whispered something and Lindia stopped. She stood up straight and looked Hiari in the eye.
"You just want to make me angry so that I'll do something that mother wouldn't approve of. You want Shenzi and my mother to see you as a better leader."
"I would never..."
"Well too damn bad!" Lindia growled.
Hiari glared at her.
"Look, I came here to have a decent chat with you. I also came to get to know the strong, handsome Prince," she crooned.
Kito tried not to flinch as she sauntered over to him, her hips swaying back and forth purposefully. He felt all of the hyenas' eyes on him as Hiari got very close, too close for comfort.
"My name's Hiari. What's yours?" she whispered, her warm breath blowing against his face.
"Kito," he said, taking a step back.
She took another step forward.
"Well Kito, I'm really hoping we can get to know each other. In fact, I have a feeling we'll know each other, inside and out," she murmured.
Kito didn't know what to say. He went to speak, but he choked when he felt her paw brush up against his. He looked desperately over at Moyo and Lindia, but for some reason he could only see Moyo. Then suddenly Hiari gasped as she was thrown out of his face. He looked over to see Lindia standing over her, her eyes glowing like fire.
"Leave. Him. Alone," she growled.
"What? Are you jealous that you can't have him all to yourself?"
The boys flinched as Lindia smacked Hiari across the face with her paw. The sound echoed and Kito saw blood flow from Hiari's cheek. She whimpered and showed her entire underbelly to Lindia. The dominant female nodded once before stepping aside to let her up.
"Now leave before I have to give you another mark," she muttered, her voice low and menacing.
Hiari nodded and ran off, not even bothering to look back.
When she was gone Lindia lowered her head with a sigh.
"I'm so screwed."
Moyo walked up to her and put a paw on her shoulder.
"Maybe mother will understand if you give your side of the story. Kito and I will back you up all the way. Right, Kito?" he asked, glancing over at his shocked friend.
Kito shook his head to clear his mind and smiled over at the two hyenas.
"Right," he said.