[3rd POV]
The battle was over, and the war began.
Leo twisted violently, sinking his claws into the scruff of one hyena and slamming it into the other. They yelped, but more were already pouring in, shadows with teeth and laughter.
Scar didn't rise to fight. He slithered back, rearranging his jaw by opening and closing.
On the other hand, Leo was confronted by the hyena clan. They were 71 adults one and a half years ago, but now they were a hundred without counting the cubs. Much like the lions, the hyena clan had thrived under Scar's rule.
Leo released deep roars that shook the air. His intimidation worked as the hyenas gathered around him without charging just yet.
Leo had been bullying them for a whole year, and that caused them to have immense fear and hatred towards the young lion.
But the hyenas were slowly drowning him in their sheer number, and soon enough, they would find the courage to attack, and Leo would not stand a chance against a hundred hyenas.
Zuri roared from outside the den, but the lionesses held her back.
"Let me go!!!" she roared and then turned towards Sarabi, "Help him!!!"
But she got no reply. Zuri felt her heart weigh heavily in her chest as she looked at Leo slowly being drowned by the number of hyenas. She was helpless; she didn't know what to do.
"There is nothing we can do," Sarafina said. "This is a battle between lion kings; it is no place for a lioness to interfere."
"What do you mean, Mom!! Look at him, he is being attacked by the hyenas. Scar is using underhanded tactics, there is no fight here!!" Nala was quick to argue with her mother while stepping forward.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Sarafina asked her daughter with a stern look.
"Help him, of course!!" Nala answered with a loud voice.
"If you run down and lead the charge, how many do you think will follow you?" Sarafina asked her daughter firmly.
"What do you..., mean..." Nala asked, ears dropping as she looked around her. Zuri did the same, and they looked at the other members of the pride one by one.
There were only three who would have stepped forward in that moment: Nala, Zuri, and Sarabi. But from the looks on the faces of the others, it was clear. No one else would follow.
They wouldn't step up to help Leo.
And why would they?
This was a battle between lions. It was a fight for dominance. Tradition said the lionesses had no place in it, and Scar had never asked for their help. In that way, he hadn't broken any rule. He played the game right, even though he played unfairly.
The hyenas were outsiders, and nothing stopped a king from calling on allies if it was from outside the pride. Just as two or three rogue males could join forces to take down a king, so too could a king call upon hyenas to aid him. Brutal and unfair? Yes. But not forbidden. As long as the pride stayed out of it, it was allowed.
But even beyond that, there was a deeper reason why the rest of the pride wouldn't help.
They were happy and satisfied under Scar's rule.
They had a lazy and pleasurable lifestyle. And for the first time in years, the pride was truly thriving and not just surviving. Barely any cubs had died due to the presence of Scar and his hyenas, and they were living the best life a lion could live.
So why would they throw that away by joining Leo in a losing battle? Even if they rebelled against Scar, a hundred hyenas was still too much for the pride.
So no one was willing to side with Leo, except for those three lionesses. It was just nature to look out for themselves instead of what is right.
Leo was without help as he stood against Scar and a hundred hyenas alone.
"This is not right. Please, this is not right," Nala said as they all gazed upon Leo moving away from the growing hyenas.
"I'm sorry, Nala, there is nothing we can do," Sarafina said and rubbed her head on her daughter to console her.
...
Leo continued to release roars and deep growls to intimidate any hyenas that came too close, but it was painfully obvious that his intimidation was not going to last long. Every second that passed, the hyenas grew bolder.
Soon enough, they got bold enough to start snapping their jaws at Leo's blind side. The young lion knew that he was in deep trouble now, and his mind worked like a machine to find a way to survive the situation.
He looked towards the den and at the pride more than once, but after the third time, he accepted that no one was coming to help him. In the movie, when Simba experienced the same situation, the females, along with other animals, came to help.
But the situation was just not the same. The drought had not happened, which made the lionesses unsatisfied under Scar's rule, and Leo was not the fated crowned prince of the Pride Lands.
So once more, Leo had to grit his teeth and save himself.
His eyes turned wildly and searched for Scar. The moment he saw him, Leo immediately ran towards the older lion. If he were to kill Scar, then he hoped the rest of the pride would accept him as the king and help.
He swung at some bodies trying to stop him, and he lost the hyena clan easily with his immense burst of speed. Scar was prepared to meet him, and they both lunged at each other.
They clashed mid-air and then fell on the dirt with a thud. Dust rose as they thrashed each other violently. Leo maintained his calm and used tactics to win the fight, not just instinct.
Leo twisted his body and aimed his teeth at Scar's spine. The mane was too thick to penetrate, so he went for the open spine.
But even so, a lion's hide was made to absorb such lethal attacks. The skin was not stuck to the meat, so it was flexible. Instead of biting through the spine, Leo clamped down on loose skin most of the time.
The battle shifted; instead of a frontal assault, both parties attacked each other's backs. They tried to bite the spine, tear the hind legs, or chew off the tail.
Yes, tail.
Scar tried but failed to catch Leo's shorter tail. On the other hand, Leo clamped down on Scar's moving tail and then tugged as hard as he could.
Scar released a roar of fury and pain.
Leo pulled Scar away with sheer power. Scar planted his paws on the ground, but his claws only left a helpless line as Leo began ragdolling him.
Leo was not simply moving his neck to thrash Scar; instead, he used his forelimbs to push and explode into power with a rhythmic pattern.
Eventually, Scar slipped and fell on the ground. Leo took that chance to mount him and lunged at the neck. His jaw clamped down on thick, dark mane but also caught some flesh, enough to suffocate the opponent.
But Leo would never have had enough time to suffocate him because time was not on his side.
While he was occupied with Scar, three hyenas slammed into his side. Leo immediately released his jaw when he felt a snap in his ribs. He howled savagely in pain and anger as he shifted his focus to the hyenas.
Scar took the chance to try and run away. He could no longer contend with Leo, especially now that he was blinded in one eye.
His new blind eye was not only affecting him visually but it was throwing off his whole balance and movement. He was just easy prey for Leo at that point.
Leo swiped at the hyenas. He caught one at the side, and the hyena released painful puppy sounds and writhed on the ground. It was clear that one swing from Leo had broken his ribs and punctured organs.
The other hyenas moved back immediately after that.
Leo took that moment to explode towards Scar once more. He reached top speed in just a few bursts and caught up to him. His jaw clamped down on Scar's hind legs.
This time, Scar did not release a roar but the closest thing a lion could produce to a fearful scream. He tugged fiercely, trying to escape Leo, but the young lion was clamping down like a crocodile.
In the end, Scar escaped, but at the cost of tearing his muscles and leaving a chunk of meat in Leo's mouth. He quickly limped away, but before Leo could follow, more hyenas were on him.
They jumped on his back and clamped down on his shoulder. Leo stood on his hind legs and roared before falling on his back and crushing the hyena with his weight. He quickly rolled over to not expose his open belly and fought with the other hyenas.
They came like ocean waves, crashing into him from all sides. The longer they attacked, the bolder they got, and the intensity only increased.
Leo swiped his arms again and again, his paw caught three hyenas at once and another swing felled two more. But where one hyena fell, two seemed to take its place. Leo kicked his hind legs to shield his back, and he would rotate quickly to leave no opening.
But slowly but surely, he was being worn down.
But by that point, Zuri could no longer simply watch. For the first time in years, something overrode the instinct to survive in an animal.
Zuri came down and charged at the clan of hyenas. They were spooked. They howled and laughed as they dispersed before she could get most of them. She came towards Leo, clearing any hyenas that stopped her.
The hyenas moved away and left them alone. The situation changed, and the clan circled around Leo and Zuri. Although one female was a small change to the outcome, the hyenas did not attack immediately.
They contemplated and looked for openings.
Leo's breathing was heavy and loud. The moment of reprieve was much needed, and he stared at Zuri for a moment.
"Are you okay, Leo?" She asked with concern.
...
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[IMAGE]
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Give stones please