The Blood Feud

**Gh0stfire** · 02-13-2012 07:41 AM

I wrote this like 6 years ago, a short story based on a video I saw on youtube once. Its still quite vivid

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The warmth of the golden rays of the sun stirred the great Lion, Ntchwaidumela, to consciousness with a bellowing roar. He took a few deep breaths as he began his daily patrol of his pride's territory. Much to his surprise, he awoke alone. The Lionesses had not returned from the night hunt. "Where are my lionesses?" Ntchwaidumela thought, "It better not be those bloody Hyenas, by Shangu's fury will I kill every last one for interfering in our affairs!" With red-blooded resolve, he finished patrolling and began to search for his pride. Just the very thought of Hyenas filled his heart with a deep-seated contempt for such a lowly and ill-mannered creature.

A memory of a particular night crossed his thoughts.

While they were on the hunt, his lionesses had snagged a wildebeest that strayed from the herd and brought it down with exacting success. He and the other male, his subordinate had waited about 50 paces away for the lionesses to bring the beast down, for it is not the way of a king to bloody his paws in such a manner. He directed and defended his pride with conviction. As he and Ogun began toward the kill, an all too familiar ominous scent crept into his nose. He didn't even think about what he had sensed, he immediately sprinted into action. By the time he got closer the Hyena pack had already psyched the lionesses out of their kill, and were already engorging themselves on the lion pride's kill. Ntchwaidumela spotted a particular Hyena, who carried a haughty, domineering air about it. It was also slightly larger than the rest. It was Atai, the ruthless and calculating matriarch of the mangy creatures. He only sped his pace, eyes fixed upon his target. By the time she had taken notice of him, it was already too late. The overpowering velocity in which he had come upon her caught her off guard, and like a wrecking ball into a wall did he tackle her to the ground, swiping her body repeatedly with his powerful paws and sinking his teeth into her neck, gnashing in every direction. In what seemed like a flash, Atai was covered in blood and her back broken, unable to match the great lion's strength and ferocity.

The thought of it swelled his countenance with glory. He moved onto the outer skirts of their territory, steadily moving along closing in on the scent of his pride. He picked up two different and very familiar whiffs. He heard the faint roars of his lionesses get closer and closer as he moved in toward the conflict. As he arrived on scene, the Hyena pack, in a bold and utterly brash display of disrespect, were taunting and bullying the lionesses by replacing the scent markings of the pride with their own, even doing so with his subordinate, Ogun. The Hyenas outnumbered the pride. They sought revenge for the loss of their matriarch Atai, and were led by the new one, who was younger and full of violence. "No matter, she will meet the same fate," thought Ntchwaidumela with a cool, yet resolved tone. He steadied his pace until he reached the clearing, then charged at full speed. This time the new matriarch took notice early on and intelligently ran the other way to avoid the oncoming tank of a lion. Unfortunately for the Hyena the bigger lion was faster and stronger. He caught up with her, snatching her by the heel and taking her down with the sheer force of his weight and a bite to the back of the neck, severing her spinal cord, killing her instantly. The death of yet another Hyena matriarch sent their pack into a restless and confused frenzy from which they retreated. Ntchwaidumela stood tall above his kill, surging with power and pride...HE is the ruler of these lands. Those Hyenas will never forget his name...ever

It is very fitting that the locals dubbed this great and powerful lion his name, Ntchwaidumela, which means "He who greets with fire." He is the Hyena Killer.