[8 Months ago]
Tau had finished chasing a couple of jackals back into the Outlands after their failed attempt to escape into the Pridelands. Behind him giving aid is his best friend and trusted companion, a female hyena named Jasiri.
"Did you see that Jasiri?" Tau asked her with a chuckle in his throat at their squirming back to the Outlands. Jasiri couldn't help but join in the amusement of their victory and those jackals' humiliating defeat.
"You mean when you and that jackal both came toppling down the hill side?" Jasiri mocked the lion with laughter, to which Tau found unamused and annoyed at her bringing up his humiliating moment.
Jasiri couldn't help but find the grump from Tau's expression much more hilarious, "Relax, I'm only teasing you, you were pretty brave handling two jackals on your own." She said encouraging him to hopefully lighten his mood.
Tau simply rolled his eyes at this, "Not really that great when you were up against four of them." He said losing a bit of his encouragement and excitement he had earlier to a humiliating defeat of his own.
Jasiri had grown a bit distraught at his sudden attitude, "Tau?" she asked him a bit nervous at his sudden slouch with the ears. "It's not so bad, you did save my life." She said to try and cheer him up a bit.
"yeah." Tau responded a bit moping as he slowly walks away with a dread, Jasiri felt hurt watching Tau leave looking like the world had disappeared from under him.
Tau had headed over towards a lone pillar to lay on to calm himself, 'Why did I act like that in front of Jasiri?' he thought to himself letting out an annoying grunt while swiping his front paws in his face.
He stayed motionless on the pillar, soaking up the sun ray almost hoping it could regain his joy. "What is the problem?" a voice sounding with a hissing tone. Tau looked over to where the voice came from to see an Egyptian Cobra with a red body and a tan underbelly.
"Who are you?" Tau asked the snake, he let out a small snicker at the lion's confusion, "Just another resident of this place. The name's Ushari." He said giving his greeting.
"Ushari? I don't remember hearing of an Outlander with that name. Are you new around here?" Tau asked curiously for an answer.
Ushari let out a hissing chuckle for some strange reason, giving Tau a bit of confusion as to what he found funny, "Yes, I had to leave my previous home due to some-" he said giving a pause as if he was hesitant about something, "'unfortunate' events." He finished.
Tau was left confused even more at this cobra's mention, but giving how he is unaware of his personality, it must be just his way of speaking. "I forgot to introduce myself, I'm-" Tau said but was cut off by the cobra.
"Tau, I heard a lot about you from a 'friend' of mine." Ushari said letting out another snicker. This left the lion more confused but let it still slide as just this snake's personality only.
"What did your friend have to say about me?" Tau asked him curiously about the mention that someone was talking about him.
Ushari gave a shrug with his coiled body, "That you are a lion raised by a family of hyenas only to be cast out." Tau's eyes quickly raised a brow at how their friend knew that, "And that you were living with your adopted brother Janja while protecting the Outlands." He further stated to which Tau was not surprised that someone knew this. "And that you murdered a pup!" Ushari finished with a sinister smirk.
Tau's eyes widen in shock at that last statement, fear shuddered over as he recalled the incident with the hyena pup named Usiku, 'How does he know?' Tau questioned onto the cobra who looked back at the lion with a sinister smile. Though Tau was unable to notice of such smile.
"w-who told you?" Tau asked shaking a bit in surprised, the cobra quickly change from a sinister smile to a fake concern for the lion, "Someone who wants to speak with you for what had happen." Ushari said as he led away.
Slowly moving away and stopping to allow the lion to slowly ascend off the rock and started to follow behind the cobra.
The two had been journeying for a while as it felt like they had ventured for miles away, watching as the cobra continued to slither across the ground leaving a streak in the sand unlike which Tau who left paw prints.
He was not used to the body of a snake, how they were able to move without limbs, and even now as he looks at the cobra from above still can't figure how he moves his body.
"How much longer do we have to go?" Tau said curiously only to get no response from the cobra. He was getting a bit annoyed, walking under the hot sun for some time with no rest or any idea how much longer he has to go was getting to him.
It wasn't until the sun had started showing signs of approaching the end of the day before Tau stopped walking. Ushari took noticed of the sudden stop of the footsteps behind him and looked behind, "Something wrong Tau?" he asked the lion with a hint of laughter behind his voice.
"I was not expecting a marathon to meet this friend of yours." Tau said with exhaustion in his voice as he tries to catch his breath, though he wasn't breathing heavy as he was only walking, it still felt harsh on him for the amount of walking he still took under the sun's heat.
"There is not much longer to go, in fact you could say we are already here." He said with a sly smirk becoming visible to the lion before a sound of laughter could be heard around him.
Tau quickly looked around for wherever that laughter had come from, only for his blood to clot cold at who let out such a laughter as that, "SAFIA!" he shouted at the gray coated female hyena with two white lines streaking across her forehead down to her mane.
He glared back at the cobra who was smiling with a satisfaction letting the lion know that he had just fallen into a trap, "You set me up!" he shouted at the cobra, expecting Ushari to give his explanation only to be getting it from the hyena instead.
"Did you really believe some strange animal who just came knowing of your past? You truly are a foolish lion Tau." She mocked Tau to which received a grunt from the said lion.
"And now that you are all alone, I'll prove that we hyenas are more deserving than you lions!" Safia further stated with an annoying grunt. Tau looked back at her with an annoying growl.
"I told you before! I had nothing to do with Scar! I never saw lions better than hyenas, I believe we can all wo-" Tau tried reasoning with Safia only to receive a shout from her, "SHUT UP! I don't care if you believe Hyenas and Lions are equal, hyenas are better than lions and you should know your place! At the bottom of the food chain!" Safia said with rage in her eyes.
Tau let out a deep sigh, she never had changed since they've known each other. Always believing that hyenas should be superior to lions, that the Pridelands should belong to the hyenas instead of the lions. Why did she always have to pin it like I had anything to do with those Pridelanders?
Safia gave a growl at Tau, "And I'll be the one to do it." She said making a charge towards Tau.
Tau quickly tried jumping back to avoid her swipe from her claw just scratching the tip of his fur causing a few strands to drop, "Had you only grew to know how to dodge?" she taunted. Tau scrunched up his muzzle at her taunt, "I'm warning, I don't want to have to hurt you." Tau said back.
Safia took a moment pause at this before bursting out in laughter, "You? Hurting me? That is a good one! And I thought only us hyenas made jokes!" she said between her laughter which received an unamused expression towards her.
"You might want to watch your flank before making such claim." Safia said with a sinister smirk, Tau raised a brow at her statement and looked over to his side to remember that it was not just them two. Ushari made a leap towards with his fangs baring at the lion cub, "WOAH!" Tau shouted as he further moved away to dodge.
Barely managing to dodge, getting another tackle from Safia knocking him to the ground with her looming over him, "You can't handle two against one I see." She taunts with a smirk.
"Then let us have a fair one on one fight!" Tau shouted up at her with annoyance, Safia giving a simple chuckle at his demand, "Like I care about fighting fair." She said with no care for his demand.
She lowered her claw against Tau's throat to threaten the cub, "You should be glad, marking the day us hyenas stand over you lions on the food chain!" she said with a sinister smirk. Tau laid there in shock, she was going to kill him, and he couldn't do anything to escape.
'Am I going to die? No, not like this!' he thought with eyes widen as she raises her paw ready to let it swipe down to do the final blow.
A quick charge of something tackling Safia off of Tau, the other paw having swipe pass Tau's frontal left leg leaving a scratch across it. The pain from it shock him out of his fear as he took notice of Safia knocked away from him.
He looked over to where the figure that shot her away was to see another hyena, he saw another female hyena standing between him and Safia, her coat was a dark gray with black mane with a white patch laying over where her right eye is.
"Tau!" another female voice shouted from behind, turning around to seeing the hyena with the purple gray coat and purple mane, "Jasiri? Miiba?" he said looking at the two hyenas. The hyena that stood between Tau and Safia let out a snarl at Safia, "Don't you dare harm my rival!" she said letting out a growl.
Safia looked annoyed at this, more hyenas going out of their way to protecting a lion. "What is wrong with you hyenas? Protecting a lion, where is your pride?" she said to the two. Miiba gave a scuff at her word, "Where is your pride if you need a snake's help to take down a lion?" she retorted back.
Tau looked at them giving a confused look, "How did you know where to find me?" he asked wanting to know an answer too.
Miiba gave a chuckle at his question, "Isn't it obvious Tau? We were tracking your scent when Jasiri grew worried that you had disappeared." She said getting a nervous embarrassment from the said hyena.
"You didn't have to say it like that!" Jasiri said a bit worried how that sounded, Miiba only laughed at her concern, "If you're done smooching your kitty friend and help keep an eye on this hyena's companion, that would be appreciated." She said getting a red blush from both Jasiri and Tau.
Safia let out a sickening gag at the sight of them two currently, "Don't tell me you actually have feelings for hyenas now, I know you grew up with them, but to actually have feelings? Same for you hyena!" she spoke out to the two blushing.
"It isn't like that and who care if it is Safia!" Tau shouted back in defense to which the two took notice of their conversation, "Tau, you know her?" Miiba and Jasiri asked curiously. Tau let out an annoying grunt, "Yeah, she used to be a part of my mother's pack." He said unamused towards her.
Safia gave a smirk at this, "That was until you and your family were kicked out. That scar is proof of that!" she said to Tau which got him to let out a growl, "NEVER MENTION THE SCAR!" he said digging his claws into the ground.
Jasiri and Miiba looked at Tau in shocked, never having seen him get mad before, 'What happened?' Jasiri thought to herself, 'I've never saw him ever act like this before.' Miiba thought to herself.
The two had quickly joined up with Miiba to aid in fighting back, "I'll help against Safia!" Tau said and Jasiri looked over at Ushari, "I'll take care of the snake." She said growling at him.
Miiba and Tau quickly darted around Safia gaining on opposite sides of her, leaving her confused between the two to focus against, "Ready?" Tau asked Miiba.
Miiba gave a quick nod before darting towards Safia, she quickly turned towards the hyena charging at her and gave a swat as Miiba took a step away from the attack only to find being pounced by Tau from behind.
She quickly gave a swat with a paw though just barely able to touch his fur to knock him away out of fear before she made her way back on her feet, "Some honor, you fight dirty Tau!" she mentioned to their fighting style.
Tau scoffed at her comment, "You're one to talk! This is our fighting style, and it shows hyenas and lions working together as equal!" he said getting another gag from Safia.
Miiba gave an eye raise at their conversation, 'It sounds like they have some kind of disagreement with each other.' She took noticed from their current conversation.
Their fight had remained one sided when Tau's friends had arrived, Jasiri was able to keep Ushari away while Safia was struggling to handle two, "You'll pay for this!" Safia said as she was now racing away from the group, Ushari following close behind.
Jasiri and Miiba laughed at their fleeing, "See how they run away?!" Miiba commented with a laughter. Jasiri looked over to seeing Tau laughing along with them, only...He wasn't. He was looking away from them with a sadden expression.
Jasiri's mood quickly dropped when she saw Tau sad, "What's wrong Tau?" she asked approaching next to him wanting to look him in the eyes, but he refused to even look at her coat for that matter. "You had to come and save me in the end." Tau said sounding depressed.
Jasiri grew curiously at this, "Yeah, so?" she asked. Waiting a moment before he gave a follow to the answer, "I'm supposed to soon protect the Outlands, but how am I supposed to do that when I can't even protect myself?!" he said with sadness in his voice.
"It doesn't hurt to depend on your friends Tau." Jasiri said to comfort him, "Yeah but-" Tau was going to say something before Miiba let out a groan, "Who cares what argument you have to your problem? You can't handle everything on your own!"
The two looked at Miiba who gave a surprising encouragement, though she was a bit rude about it that was something they were not surprised about. "Now if you both are done kissing; can we get back home before it's too late?" she asked with an irritating tone.
"We're not kissing!" Tau called back only to get a sly smirk from Miiba as she bumps Jasiri towards Tau making their muzzle touch one another as she topples over him. They had quickly taken noticed and Jasiri rose up looking away hiding a burning red blush and a giddily smile from Tau.
Tau kept his head lowered as he regain his footing to hide his own embarrassment, trying to calm down his heart beating that he swore that was shaking like an earthquake. Miiba was a bit further away giving a chuckle, "Enjoyed your kissing session?" she taunted to receive a scorn glare from Jasiri.
"That was mean!" she said to Miiba who simply ignored, "Hey! Don't ignore me!" Jasiri shouted again to chase after her for that prank she pulled. Miiba quickly kept a distance away from her pursuer as they raced home.
Tau was lost in thought, 'IKISSEDHER' repeated over in his mind as if on loop. He felt in his chest something warm and tingling, what was this feeling? It felt rather nice, a feeling he wants to keep forever. He looked over to where Jasiri and Miiba had ran off towards, "Maybe Grandfather would know what I'm feeling." He said following the direction they had headed, thinking of the interaction he just had with Jasiri.
"What is wrong? You had a crush on that lion since I've known you, I just helped you two move a step closer." Miiba teased Jasiri who was blushing hard while still chasing after her, thankful that Tau was not near enough to hear that.
Author Note:
Happy 15K VIEW! I am thankful for how far my story had progress and for everyone enjoying my work. I now need to get things ready for the 20K view.
I know I am a little early as there is currently when posting this Bonus, I am about 60 Views short, but this also served to also connect with the next few chapters that will be coming after. This was an exceptionally long chapter as it had exceeded over 2.9K words.
Thank you all for the continued support and I will try to get the next chapter out as fast as possible, see you all soon!