JxK Chapter 6
Imported from SF2 with no description.
Kion was on patrol near the edge of the Pride Lands, Scar had been attacking more frequently during the past month and two of them took night watch each day. He’d caught himself shivering multiple times this night, as he walked along the border of the outlands. “It’s a bit colder than usual, isn’t it, Kion?” Jasiri said to the lion, coming up alongside him.
“Yeah, I’m thinking we might wanna wrap it up tonight. No one in their right mind would attack tonight.” The wind shifted, carrying a new scent to him. He looked towards the source, the lands they’d lost earlier last year. He stalked towards the area carefully, all senses on alert.
Jasiri quietly followed behind. She recognized the scent Kion was following but held her tongue for the moment. When the hyenas came into view, she put a paw on Kion’s shoulder. “Hold on,” she held the lion back, “just look at them.”
Kion paused, looking more closely. The hyenas were huddled close together, sharing body heat in the chilly night. “These aren’t your clan, right?” When Jasiri shook her head, he broke away from her and padded towards the group calmly. When he got closer to the group, a head popped up from the edge. “Janja?” Kion immediately recognized the hyena.
The hyena broke off from the group, shaking weirdly as he approached the lion. “Kion.” He sounded angry. “Looking f-for a fight?” He involuntarily shivered.
“No, Janja.”
“Well, g-get off our t-turf then,” the hyena mentally cursed himself for not repressing the shudders.
“Are you alright?”
Janja looked at him like he’d sprouted another head. “Whad’ya m-mean? I’m perfectly f-fine.”
“Ya sure you’re alright?” Jasiri came up beside Kion. “Lookin’ kinda cold to me.” She stalked in closer to Janja and rubbed up against him, “Nothing to be ashamed of with so little meat on ya.”
Janja jumped back from the female. “Hey, I already told ya I don’t like ya, Jasiri.”
“Oh, that’s right. Maybe Kion could cuddle with ya instead. He’s warmer anyways.”
“Jasiri!” Kion was startled by the hyena’s insouciance.
Janja, meanwhile, seemed taken aback. After a moment, he broke his silence. “Jasiri, you’ve g-gone too far.” Despite the stutter, his voice sounded menacing. He darted towards the other hyena, biting at her. She barely avoided it by shying away.
Kion didn’t give it much thought. He unleashed a roar at full power, sending the hyenas flying back towards the outlands. He kept on roaring, and the ground began to crack and shift under the pressure it was experiencing.
Jasiri put a paw on his shoulder again, “Kion! Calm yourself!” she said sternly.
The cub quickly cut off the roar. Looking to Jasiri with worry in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”
“Of course I am! I’m more worried about those guys, Kion. You lost control on them.”
“But I was worried about you. Janja—”
“I can handle Janja, Kion!”
“But he doesn’t normally act like that. Something was wrong. You–”
Jasiri frowned. “Don’t be so incorrigible.” When Kion was about to speak up again, she immediately snapped at him, jumping into his space. “Kion…” she bared her fangs.
The lion backed away from her. “What’s your problem, Jasiri?”
Jasiri looked at Kion fiercely, “You always blow them away without thinking about it, Kion! You act right away, without ever considering it. It’s been getting worse, too. His clan has been starving because you drive them away, Kion… And beside that… I kinda deserved him going after me.”
“What do you mean?” The lion cocked a lid.
“I kinda promised Janja not to let anyone from the Pride Lands know about his interests.”
“What do you…?” The lion’s eyes went wide. “You don’t mean?”
Jasiri tilted her head to the side. “I’m not saying you in specific, Kion. He just likes guys.”
“Well, that’s a silly thing to wanna hide… More importantly, did you say his clan is starving?”
“I-its like I said, Kion. I listened ta’ them. They’ve been excluded from the rations in Scar’s army because they fail more often than the other ones.”
“So, couldn’t we help them out?”
“And embarrass them?”
“How would that be embarrassing?”
“Think a’ how yad feel if ya had ta’ accept handouts from them, Kion.”
The lion paused, “Well, can’t we do something?”
“Short’a lettin’ em win?”
“I-“ Kion shook his head as if trying to rid himself of an errant thought. “Let’s wrap up for tonight, alright?”