Resolve
[1st POV]
The humans were surprisingly, chill.
The short interaction that I had with them was enough to tell that they meant no harm at all. I realised that they were those kinds of people obsessed with nature and love wildlife as much as they love themselves, like Steve Irwin.
Of course, they could not compare to the legend himself, no one could, but they were giving me the same vibes.
I learned that they were full of personality, even from the short interaction. There was the woman, Hana, as they called her, who was a little obsessed with me. The Mexican boy Ramirez was the cameraman, the African guy was called Makhali or something? And they referred to the old guy as a doctor.
I could still catch their conversation after I walked away, so that's how I got their names.
I allowed the researchers to fade into the background as they wished and went on with my day. I head back to the watering hole and take a place under the shade of a tree nearby.
My eyes carefully observed the animals around the watering hole. I watched them come and go as they drank the water. My eyes scanned over every animal that passed by, looking for the opportunity for possible prey.
It was the main reason why I came here in the first place. If I wanted water, I could just drink from the small pool back in my place. It was the opportunity to study the animals that I was seeking.
Meanwhile, I stretched my body under the shade. Big muscles were cool and all, but if they hindered my flexibility, they would do more harm than good. For this reason, I always did a lot of stretching to keep my muscles loose.
Although I prioritise size and power, I never forgot the fact that I was not a bear but a cat. Even if I gained mass, it should not come at the cost of my natural agility and flexibility.
The afternoon rolled around quickly as I spent my time under the tree. When the sun was heading down towards the horizon. Grim flew down and landed beside me in a flutter of wings and gravity.
"The other lion kings are on the move," he said and eyed me carefully for my reaction.
I did not show any surprise. "It's about time for their usual patrol, so it's not out of place for them to start moving."
Grim shook his head, "They are not patrolling, they are heading straight towards your home."
My ears perked up, and I turned fully towards him. "How many?"
"Two of them. The one you fought last night, Roku, is not with them and is staying with the pride. He can barely move; he spent the whole day moaning in pain from the wounds. The most he did was mount a female in the morning," he said.
Roku came out of the fight even worse than me. I did not voice out my pain, but I was sore all over my body. Each movement took effort, which was why I did not even bother hunting prey.
Now imagine him.
Coupled with the injuries, it was logical to assume Roku would be out of the equation for a while. I hoped for a week or two.
"Tell me more about these other two kings," I asked Grim.
"They are known as the Mbali brothers, said to be the sons of the legendary king Mbali in the Masai Mara region, which is beyond the Serengeti. The brotherhood consists of three; you already met Roku, who is said to be the smartest among them. The other two brothers are even fiercer than Roku himself, " Grim said.
Of course, he introduced himself as Roku the thinker. Usually, the smart characters are usually not the strongest ones.
"Makali is one of them. He is the most aggressive among the three and has also seen the most battles. You could tell him apart from his numerous scars and jagged dark mane. Then there is Baraka, who is quite honestly more gentle compared to his other two brothers. He is also unlike other lions because he has white fur instead of the usual yellow fur," he said.
"How big are they?" I asked the most important question.
"Both are bigger than you," he replied without skipping a beat. Facts do not hesitate.
Well, that was not good. I was the size of an average male lion, which meant the two brothers were bigger and stronger than average.
"Makali will be much bigger than you but not overwhelming. Baraka on the other hand is a different beast. He is almost twice the size of his brothers. His sheer size and powers earned the respect of his brothers, even though he is quite gentle in nature and rarely fought," Grim said.
I sucked in a breath while digesting the information.
Okay, let's analyse this. The average full-grown male lion is around 190 - 200 kilograms, which is my current size. Roku was slightly smaller than me, but that was by a negligible margin, so we would be roughly the same size.
Makali was said to be a bit bigger but not overwhelming, so I could expect him to weigh around 230-240 kilograms. This was already a noticeable size difference, but it was not too much. I could probably still match him in sheer power because, unlike normal lions, I trained so I had muscles and power where it mattered.
It was not just about how big you are, but where you are big. Two people can have the same weight but a great difference in power. Power is also about build, and I was certain I would not lose to any other lion in that regard.
I forged my body with deliberate intention and built myself for power. So even if we were not equal in power, I would be strong enough to match him and fight him on even ground.
But the main problem came from this Baraka. A white lion was it? I remember watching videos about white lions in my past life; most of them were always bigger than normal.
Almost twice the size of his brothers seemed like an exaggeration, but it was also possible. I think the largest living lion ever recorded was nearly 400 kilograms. But that should be in captivity, right? I didn't remember.
I would speculate Baraka to be around 280 kilograms, if not a bit more or less. I did not believe he would surpass 300 kilograms. Perhaps he was long and wide, so he looked bigger than he actually was.
But 280 kilograms was already insane. That's in the size range of a grizzly bear. Holy shit.
How long would it take me to be that size? I would like to believe I could eventually reach such a size, but only after I was fully grown or close to fully grown.
"Are you certain of your information?" I asked Grim, to which he replied.
"Why would I lie to you?"
I gritted my teeth and looked towards the sky. I would have to trust him on this because I sure as hell was not taking a peek to confirm any time soon. If I got close enough to see them, it meant I was in range for an attack. They would also be aware of my presence through smell way before I could see them.
Right on cue, I heard roars echoing in the distance. Two distinct roars to be exact.
ROAR
ROAR
ROAR
ROAR
A lion could tell much from the roar of the other. I always knew they were big, powerful and in their prime, but I seem to have underestimated them still.
I did not roar back but released a growl that shook the ground. I got up from the shade and walked away. I was walking towards the opposite direction from my home.
"Where are you going?" Grim asked from behind me.
"Away from them," I said, "If they really come to my home, I want them to think that I left. I will return at night when they are done with their patrol."
"So you are running?" Grim asked while hopping awkwardly to my side. He eyed me curiously, hoping for a reaction to his remark, but I gave nothing.
....
"I'm waiting for my time to come," I said and forced a smile to cheer myself up. "I am not the main character favoured by fate. Ever since I was born, the odds had been stacking against me and only got worse as I age."
Like, who would've guessed that the first pride encountered would be led by three kings? All of whom were powerful individuals in their own right.
But you would never hear me whine or cry over it. Instead, I was glad and happy that such odds were against me.
The only thing I was sure of was victory in the end, so all these hurdles only worked to make me stronger and better.
"More. Give me more," I said in an almost chanting manner, "Give me more challenges to overcome, more struggles to walk through,"
"Throw me more threats. Make me stronger,"
Because you know what? God didn't send a crown when he wanted to make David the king.
He sent Goliath.
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[IMAGE]
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Author : You might not get a chapter tomorrow as I am trying to go to the bank for student loans. Those things take a long time.
But if you don't get a chapter, I'll do double release the next day.
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