[1st POV]
I expected to reach the Pridelands in over two weeks at our fastest speed of travel, but we were able to complete the journey in less than two weeks.
This was mainly because of a few adjustments I made in strategy. After our third day of travel, I noticed that the sun was a great bother in our travel. It sucked our energy to walk under the searing heat even though we walked slow and steady.
So I thought to myself, why not travel during the night? Lions have night vision built in our eyes. We were not nocturnal and it was not tradition for lions to be active during the night but who gives a shit about that when I was king?
And so I decided we travel from early evening when the sun was about to set until sunrise when it was bright. In the morning we lay in a shade and sleep peacefully.
This not only saved us from the sun but it also increased our travelling speed every day. Without the heat of the sun bothering us, we were able to maintain a consistently fast pace while not getting tired.
The main issue was that we could get lost at night but that was not an issue with vultures to scout our journey beforehand.
Due to this strategy, we were able to reach the Pridelands in under a week.
Well. saying we reached the Pridelands might not be the right word. We were in the region right beside my home. From here, we could see the elevated plateau which was the Pridelands. So we were basically in the Pridelands even though we were not.
I stopped our journey there and decided to give at least a day of rest to the pride. We had been travelling non-stop and we were equally tired. If we went up the Pridelands and conflict starts, we would be at a disadvantage and I didn't want that.
We stopped in the middle of the night and slept to recover our strength. The pride slept in the next morning as well. Lions were not just killing machines but also sleeping machines. If given the chance, they could sleep for days while only getting up to drink and pee.
So even now, as I stood awake as the king, the rest of my pride cuddled under the shade of a giant tree. Even if they were not in deep sleep, they loved to close their eyes and do nothing.
The sun was not unbearable like it was in the Serengeti. The tree was mostly dry and did not provide the perfect shade but the lions had no problem with the heat.
Perhaps only Nala was the one who stayed awake with me. Both of us had a lot on our minds after all.
"Will you look at that, the vultures followed you," Nala said while coming up beside me.
Her words directed my attention to the sky and I saw the flock of vultures that were crying and circling above. They were not as many as back in the Serengeti but they were enough to fully decorate the infinite sky.
"Of course they do," Grim said, appearing suddenly beside us. He flapped his wings a few times to smooth his feathers before trotting towards us.
Instead of coming beside me, Grim insisted on butting in between Nala and me. He shook his head in quick twitches and cleaned his feathers before staying in rest.
"The vultures serve the king and so we shall follow him wherever he goes," he said after doing all that.
"It's a wise decision. With my absence in the Serengeti, there won't be a whole lot to go around in terms of food," I said.
"I assure you my Lord, they follow you for more reasons than just food. Our lives circled around you now, we are loyal," Grim said.
I shook my head, "Don't get it wrong Grim, it's not your loyalty that I question but your friends. The vultures exist in one part, and then there is you. Both of you are not one entity in my mind,"
"But even the others will stay loyal as long as I provide them with the benefit. And I plan to do that for as long as I live so there is no issue really," I said.
Grim stayed silent, not really satisfied with my mindset but he didn't argue. His fierce devotion and loyalty were too much that he wanted the rest of his species to share the same feeling.
But I knew that was not realistic. I only need him really, I never cared too much about the others.
"It's good that they came with us. We will need them soon. I hope they like hyenas," I said with a smile.
"My friends will eat anything that has blood," Grim said.
"Good, tell your friends to count their meals then. I want to know their exact number," I gave the command and Grim was happy to comply with a smile.
"As you wish, my Lord," he said and then flew up in the sky.
I did not know if vultures had kings or leaders but Grim was something like that for the other vultures. He flew with the rest, circled a few times before he began leading them towards the plateau which was the Pridelands.
They would enter first before we did. I did not want to go in completely blind after all. I knew the numbers could not be exact but a rough estimate of their number would help plenty.
"So how long do we have to wait until we enter the Pridelands?" Nala asked me after we watched Grim and the others fly into the territory.
"As long as it takes us to fully recover," I said and tilted my head, "So a day or maybe two. We travel at a moderate pace so we are not exhausted, just tired,"
"Food would help though..." I said, my voice trailing off as thoughts followed my words.
"But where will we find food here? There are barely any animals in the Pridelands or the region surrounding it," she said, a good point.
I laughed, "If you are not in a complete wasteland, there is always food for a predator that can name any beast prey."
It was a lesson I learned in my first dry season.
"Take a look at the tree under which the pride is sleeping," I said and Nala looked as I asked.
The rest of the pride were a good distance away. They piled and cuddled in groups under the shade of a tree.
"That's an acacia tree. Notice how, although it's a dry region, it still retained leaves at the top of the trees enough to provide shade for the pride," I said and Nala nodded.
"That is because the acacia has deep roots underground. So even during the long dry season, they can retain their small leaves," I said. It was a piece of knowledge I got from one of the older lionesses in the pride.
Those old gilfs were absolute treasure troves for knowledge. I learned many things about nature after I took over the pride. Chatting with lionesses my age was fun and flirty, but spending time with the older lions always made me wiser than before.
"And I have one animal in mind that loves to eat those leaves. It's why they can survive in harsh regions. They don't rely on grass like most prey and their tall body could reach the top of those trees," I said.
Nala blinked and turned to me. Her face said that she finally realised what I was talking about and the animal I had on my mind.
"Do you want to see me kill another giant?" I asked with all teeth.
Nala matched my smile, her paws padding the ground excitedly. Her expression of excitement was the same as when we were cubs. It made me laugh,
"Yes!!"
And so I roared towards the sky. It was a call that the vultures recognised instantly. Three of them flew down beside me as quickly as they could.
"Find me a giraffe around this area," I said and with a nod, the vultures took off.
But I didn't solely rely on the vultures. I set out with Nala to track down prey as well. The vultures were simply a help, it was never good to solely rely on them.
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[IMAGE]
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