Fierce Kamili cowered in the shade of the baobab tree, trembling as a thick black shadow loomed over him. “Give it up, cub,” a voice growled. Claws flashed in the midday sun and Kamili’s eyes widened in fear. “K-Kazi, this is mine!” Kamili stuttered, pawing the gazelle leg closer. Kazi tipped his head. “What if I take it from you? Then it becomes mine,” his thick black mane gleamed, the sun a halo of light shining from behind it. Kamili looked at his paws and pushed the meaty meal toward Kazi. Kazi’s eyes lit triumphantly and he sauntered away, leg in his mouth. Kamili curled up in a ball with a sigh, letting the tall grass close around him. He winced as his tender ribs scraped against an anthill. They seemed to do that a lot lately. Kamili let the sun soak his scarred golden fur in warmth and smiled slightly. Life would be good, if only he could manage more than a few scraps of food a day. But right now, thoughts of Kazi’s tyranny could wait. This was his moment to forget about the months of torture Kazi had inflicted upon him, the days when he had to eat dry grass to stay alive, the pain he felt when Kazi left him, bleeding, for the vultures. He was a survivor. Kamili wasn’t about to let Sahara down. Kamili squared his shoulders. Kazi faced him, lips curled into a smirk. “You want to fight me?” he said incredulously. Kamili nodded, letting his curved claws sink into the sun-baked dirt. “This ends now, Kazi. I’m done dealing with your torture,” Kazi’s eyes widened the slightest bit. “Torture?” Kamili gritted his teeth. “Yes. Torture. You’ve seen my scars, heard me moaning in the night from lack of food,” Kazi bared his teeth. “You could have fought back!” “That’s what I’m doing now,” with a roar, Kamili leapt toward Kazi, seeming to hang in the air for a moment before crashing down on Kazi’s shoulders. Kazi’s knees buckled and he was thrown down. Kamili flipped him over so he could see Kazi’s face. “But you know what, Kazi? You weren’t there for everything. Whenever I disagreed with you, tried to stay strong, you attacked. Every dispute tore a chunk out of my heart. Nobody was going to get between us, try to fix things. Because they thought I was a worthless cub. But not anymore,” he shook out his mane, almost full. “My name is Fierce. If you ever try to take my food again, I won’t hesitate to attack, without mercy,” Kamili snarled. He let go of Kazi and watched the older lion scamper away fearfully, sending wide-eyes glances back in Fierce’s direction. Fierce looked up at the stars, now twinkling in the darkening sky. “Sahara? Are you up there? I finally did it. Finally lived up to your expectations, I hope,” A deep, quiet voice whispered into Fierce’s soft ear fur and he could almost feel a larger lion’s fur brushing against his. “You’ve done well, my love. I'll watch over you always. Maybe we’ll meet again one day…” “No, wait! Don’t go!” Fierce wailed, an empty feeling in his stomach. But she was gone, as if she had never come in the first place. Fierce's eyes glowed in the fading light, tears glistening, but a new hope settling in his heart. “I guess I’ll see you again one day… Mother,”
Another short story :P Please give feedback!
