The Lion Guard: The Northern Crocodile

Chapter 29

Kiburi didn't have to wait long before something erupted out of the bushes and sent him tumbling back into the clearing.

"You looking for me?" Tuma taunted.

"Why wouldn't I be when we still have a fight to finish?" Kiburi questioned as he regained his footing and went back to battle with Tuma.

Despite the entire thing being put on for show, they did their job of making it look like a real fight. Kiburi and Tuma were matching each other stride for stride, but both crocodiles soon began to tire-out, and before long, Kiburi managed to tackle Tuma one last time before pinning him. Tuma struggled to free himself, but he had spent too much of his energy already, and so thought it best to just give-in. Kiburi felt some satisfaction from this surrender, since he still didn't like, let alone trust Tuma in the slightest. He also felt pleased about having finally beaten someone as well, especially after all of the countless times he's fought Makuu and lost. Thinking about the seemingly unbeatable leader, or at least unbeatable by normal crocodile standards, Kiburi's concern began to grow.

{What if Makuu doesn't make it through this? I mean, he has to, right? Then again, he is facing-off against Nkiru, and she's made it perfectly clear that she's the strongest member of her float. Makuu may be the best fighter in the Pridelands, but there's no way he can possibly defeat Nkiru. I don't think anyone can, except maybe Nneka, but she's long gone now.}

"Get the hell off of him!" A female voice cried.

Kiburi was so entranced in his thoughts that he didn't notice the fight taking an intervention, and a rather serious one at that. The leader lifted his gaze, which turned into one of surprise as he scanned the clearing. What was once a chaotic bundle of fighting animals was now a quiet circle of onlookers, who were staring at the few in the center of the clearing. Masika, the powerful newcomer, was glaring at Nkiru, who had Makuu pinned to the ground, her claws digging into the back of his neck.

"I might consider releasing him...assuming Kiburi's willing to let my own crocodile up first," Nkiru calmly replied, turning her gaze towards the exiled leader.

Kiburi felt a pit of anxiety form in his stomach, but he wasn't going to be threatened by this specific crocodile any longer.

"Nice try, Nkiru, but I'm not going to get off of Tuma unless you release Makuu first," Kiburi snapped.

"That's not how this works! Get off him now, or else I'll pierce this croc's head with my claws!"

"I wouldn't recommend doing that! Of course, that's assuming you want to live!"

It took the animals a few moments to realize that the voice didn't belong to anyone on the ground, but rather, belonged to a male crocodile who stood on top of the stone pile.

"Zaire?!" Masika gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry, sis, I have everything under control!" Zaire reassured. "Anyway, I just wanted to warn Nkiru regarding the huge mistake that she's about to make."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, kid, but I've been careful so far, and I know for a fact that everything is going according to plan," Nkiru responded.

"You could say that, but I should let you know that your statement isn't entirely true."

"What do you mean by that, kid? No one can possibly stop me!"

"We'll see about that in...oh...I don't know...a few seconds from now? Ah, whatever. Let's just say that you should have thought about the impossible."

What happened next is exactly what Zaire was talking about, and the ironic part is, no one was expecting, let alone prepared for it. No one in the clearing was given any time to react before something lunged out of the underbrush and knocked Nkiru off of Makuu. The attacker, who was a crocodile, didn't hesitate to clamp their jaws around the dazed leader's exposed neck. Kiburi watched in horror as the newcomer ruthlessly tore a now helpless Nkiru apart, clawing at her underbelly and lower jaw, as well as shaking her neck back and forth. Within a matter of seconds, there was a loud crack and an overflow of blood as the other crocodile literally tore Nkiru's throat out. Only when the stranger dropped the battered body of Nkiru did Kiburi recognize who it was, but he wasn't willing to believe it.