Nakala

Chapter 34

Nakala stirred in his sleep, trying to find the comfort to continue his sleep. But he only felt hotter and hotter. The lion grumbled, the sensation gradually growing from a slight warmness to a heat that spread throughout his entire body, making him feel almost suffocated. The lion continued to lie there until he just could not take it anymore. He gave an annoyed growl and pressed a paw down on the ground to lift himself. But it was the surface under his paw that made him feel..off. It wasn't right... And the heat would not go away, only sinking deeper into him. Feeling like his very fur might catch on fire, Nakala dared to open his eyes.

His breath caught in his throat and he lifted his paw from the ground to his face. He rubbed his eyes, the lion just could not believe what he was seeing. But he didn't just see it either but he felt it, too. Underneath him, around him, beating down on him. Nakala jumped to his feet and looked around him.

"What?" Nakala weakly asked. Just how did I get here? Nakala found himself outside of the caverns. In the Outlands itself. There was no doubt about it. The sandy dirt under his paws and the unforgiving sun that he should have recognized from the beginning. But the question of how he is in the Outlands once again came to the lion. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in his den, right next to Janja.

Well, I'm not gonna figure this out just standing here, Nakala huffed to himself, determined to get back to the cavern and get some explanations.

Within just one simple step a strong wind kicked up in an instant. Nakala winced and attempted to shield his eyes from the dust being kicked up and blown around him, only growing stronger and stronger. Daring to open his eyes, the lion couldn't see anything farther than the whiskers on his muzzle. Though it felt completely ridiculous to do so, Nakala called out in the whipping wind, hoping that someone could hear him.

"Hello?!" Nakala couldn't hear his own voice in the overpowering wind, but he was sure that he made noise that someone else could possibly hear.

"Hello.." Nakala flinched at the voice that seemed to be talking directly in his ears. It was so clear like there was no wind or dust at all. Even stranger than that it sounded...just like himself. Eerily like himself, perfectly like himself. Nakala dared to look around to see that the wind and dust had all stopped. The ground felt different as well and as he took another look around him Nakala realized that the entire landscape around him had changed. The dirt under his paws had a stronger firmness underneath and the sky above his head was filled with gray clouds, dark and menacing.

"Nice place isn't it?" Nakala whipped around and felt his entire being go cold. Standing right in front of him was him. Another lion that looked exactly like him and sounded just like him, too. But there was something wrong with the other lion. It's fur was rough and wild. The iris' within its eyes were a striking green. The thing that struck Nakala the most was the fact that the lion's muzzle, fangs, and paws were all soaked in what Nakala knew was blood. The other lion began to circle around Nakala, looking him over.

"W-who are you?" Nakala growled at the other lion.

"Me?" the lion chuckled. Nakala flinched upon seeing the other lion's red-stained fangs. "Heh. I'm Nakala."

"You're... Nakala..?" Nakala asked in complete confusion.

"I just came here to congratulate you," Other Nakala grinned at the confused lion.

"For what?" Nakala had no idea why he even dared to ask that question but he did anyway.

"For using your powers the way you did. Um...Killing that leopard I mean.." Other Nakala simply answered.

"That was an accident," Nakala growled. Other Nakala simply tilted his head and narrowed his eyes in response.

"Who are you?" Nakala asked at the lion staring at him.