Ears prick, head lifts from grazing grass. A few small blades still hang in her mouth as she surveys the surroundings. The grass almost appears red tinted, perhaps the leftovers from some predators meal earlier, yet now only grazers remain. Zebra, some wildebeest and Kudu.
As far as the eye can see it is Savannah, scraggly trees and windblown grasses. A plume of dust is unsettled as she stomps, flicking an ear back. Her name is Dianna, but kudu don't have names. They are prey animals, creatures of instinct and lacking true reason, lacking identity.
They are nothing like lions. Lions with their complex social structures, their thoughts and feelings, their variation, religions, traditions.
Dianna has a name, because she isn't just Kudu. It is just how she wishes to appear.
She only leaves the most subtle clues to any potential onlookers. Her coat is slightly different, she doesn't eat the grass she pulls from the ground. She has horns even as a female.
But sometimes just those little hints are enough.
Enough for the fun to begin.
There. A dark shape in the grass, stalking forward, eyes pinned on her. A lion, but one a little different to the last few she’s seen. It's far fluffier, making Dianna strangely disappointed. They have no chance, that fur will get caught on bushes, or cause them to overheat in such weather.
Dianna decides to be merciful. She returns to grazing, acting as if she hasn't seen the fool, approaching from the wrong direction, their scent blowing towards her. It's a male, a young adult and confident.
She can hardly help it, her tail starts to sway, already eager. He creeps closer. And closer. Closer and -
Bam! Dianna is racing away, hooves thundering on the ground, her horns high as she tosses her head, wild energy overtaking her.
This is what she is made for. She runs, putting distance between them quickly. She heads towards a hills edge, knowing she’ll lose him and hoping that the next competitor will be more worthy. Its no fun when lions are simply too slow, too dumb to-
Twigs. Branches. Sky Earth sky earth dirt pain. Dianna pants for a moment, legs under her, branches digging into her fur and some scratching her skin. Her heart is thundering, pounding and she stumbles to get back onto her hooves.
He shouldn't have been able to catch up so fast, Dianna had seen him falling behind, crouching down as if to hunt down easier prey.
She gazes up the hill she was thrown down. Even panting as she is, scratched and a little bruised, what she sees makes her pleased.
The lion has wings. Wings and a grin that told Dianna that he knew she had underestimated him. It was a grin filled with arrogance. But it was a grin Dianna returned.
A low rumbling filled the air, signalling a change the lion couldn't have predicted. Unaware, he leaps into the air, blunt claws outstretched, tail trailing behind.
Dianna doesn't waste another moment.
She runs, sprinting
towards the approaching lion. Her body low, lower, too low to be an antelope. Her face shortened, hooves splitting, becoming soft pads tipped with razor sharp claws. Fangs on show, laughing as the lion turned from his attack, letting out a yelp as he frantically tried to retreat.
Oh yes. He had made a huge mistake now, deep growl like chuckles coming from deep within Dianna. Hunter becoming prey. Prey becoming a terrible sight to behold.
But he was faster than Dianna had thought. His wings were small, beating the air frantically as the two raced across hills, leaped across rivers and streams. Mile after mile passes, the lions sweat tempting her on even as they reach the ends of her territory. Even as they leave it behind.
She hasn't had a challenge in so long. She speeds up, legs starting to burn. She hasnt had to go so fast or far in hundreds of years, not since cars existed. This lion is far more than mortal. It should make her cautious but she hasn't had anything so exciting to run for for far too long.
She was getting closer as the brown lion panted, his white face pinched and strained. Her eyesight narrowed down, ready to take him down and feast. It was more than just the food, it was the lions soul as well. It was all that intelligence and personality that fuelled Dianna’s own.
It took her a moment to realise that it wasn't just her own concentration that had narrowed. It was the world itself, stretching out and changing.
Dianna wasn't exactly sure which one of them had slowed down or when. It was a brisk trot, both staring at vines and huge trees. A cacophony of sounds and scents, water dripping out of sight. She dove at the lion, more than a little concerned now and planning to make him return them home. But the lion just dove out the way and sped up.
“None of that now, don't you want to know what we ran all this way for?” Oh Dianna did hate it when her meals spoke.
“No.” She responded petulantly. The lion tutted his smug little face.
“You run for me now.”
“Get real.” She snarled, she would teach this lion just who was boss. He sighed, waved his paw and-
Grass? Water? Loud. Scared. Lion. Run. Scared. Dianna could feel herself losing everything she had gained. Becoming Prey in the truest sense, her identity and intelligence fading and yet being totally aware of it happened. She yelled, mentally and just like that it stopped.
“Is that real enough Dianna?” He said. Dianna trembled, head bowed low yet she nodded. She didn't want to know how he knew her name. Didn't want to know what else he could do to her.
“Yes, fine, I'll hunt your foes. But don't you dare attempt to threaten me again”
“Deal.”
by
Silveralm (and me a little)
(995/1000 words, 3 art)
Username: minifun990
Lion name: Dianna
Lion gender: Female
Pride:Mystic IslesPride Status: The Great Lionhunter / Assassin
Prompt: (Above : P)
