1 Destiny

Out on the great plains of Africa lived a prestigious lion, Logan, and his wife Kayla. His rustic golden fur dazzled with pride in the early dawn's light, as their twin sons fidgeted with anticipation of meeting their new little sister, Kelly. Brain, the eldest, looking all too much like his father, prodded him in the side in order for Logan to yield a better view of the nursery. Whilst Jay, the younger of the brothers, of darker whiskey gold fur sat patiently quietly in the background, nothing but the flick of his tail giving away his emotions. Logan's younger brother Victor, and his fairly new step-sister sat even further back, looking on in fondness and jealousy, them too planning a family of their own. No one dared make a sound, straining to hear the tiny squeaks of the new princess.

A few weeks passed and the felicity of the band of lions couldn't be higher. Such joy in the notion that all was right with the world and the family's bond was unbreakable. However, a wise person once said, periods of peace are just short interludes of time between ciaos.

All of a sudden from above the mountains and clouds that surrounded their lovely valley home, burst out a dragon whose roar crackled across the sky like lightning across the ocean. "At last," he said with a deep, gravelly voice, "I have found you Logan. You have evaded what you deserve for far too long." "I was following orders! No one was meant to be hurt!" Logan cried out. "You will pay for their lives with your blood." the dragon replied, showing no sense of pity. At that moment Victor and Logan leapt at the fierce dragon, trying to distract him while the others could run to safety. But in one quick swoop, he easily knocked the brothers off of his thick hide, and with the heat of a hundred suns he burnt the camp to smoldering rubble, showing no mercy. For an unknown reason he then flew off, looking quite pleased and said "to you and your others that have survived, I curse you to suffer this pain for all eternity." he said with an evil smile.

In complete shock, Logan and Victor hardly even heard him, not knowing how important his words would be for their fate. In seconds they gathered themselves in their mind numb states and rushed over to what was left of the nursery where the others had ran for safety. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as they dug through the debris. Their wails of grief and dismay pierced the air as they uncovered the chard bodies of the two queens huddled together trying to protect Kelly; the roof had collapsed on them. Unable to process and grieve in that moment, Logan heard off in the distance the terrified cries of his two sons, calling out for anyone. "Thank God you two are alright." he said, reaching them.

Spot fires still crackling around them, he left his brother weeping over his mate, moaning about the life they never even started together. But alas, Logan had not completely lost everything. He swore right then and there that he would never let anything ever happen to his sons ever again, even if it killed him. But how wrong he was, he would soon enough find out.

Fear gripped Logan as he carried his two young twins far from that tragic place and the fresh gravestones that now rested on the hill next to it. All without the support of his brother, who had decided to throw his grief into the winds of war. Logan ventured into unknown territory, unaware of the rather large tiger tribe not five miles from his new found temporary camp location. It was a nice solid tree with roots that stretched out and intertwined with a nearby bush, forming a shady small enough den to hide the two most precious things in his life, Brian and Jay, the only remnants of his true love.

The next morning, despite the children's clamoring, Logan was fast asleep, the long journey and grief taking an unexpectedly hard toll on him. The truth had not fully sunk in for the children yet, but Logan had spent most of the night crying. Had Jay not tussled Brian into slamming down on their father's tail, Logan may have not noticed the tiger watching them from afar. He immediately stood up defensively and told the boys to get down, but barely having enough strength, he wavered a little and almost fell over. Keeping his vow, he held his ground the best he could without showing weakness. Piercing the intruder with his pale blue eyes, he asked them what they wanted. The tiger didn't reply but simply stared a moment longer, blinked, and turned away, walking off into the savanna brush.

Soul and heart broken and weary, Logan was torn between safety and survival. It had been nearly three days since any of them had eaten. Nearly drained of his reason for living, Logan trudged on with no luck in search of food in this unfamiliar land, hoping and praying that the boys stayed hidden safe in their den as asked. "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!" he wailed to himself desperately. He soon returned to them uncheerful, having caught nothing but a scrawny rabbit. Giving no never mind to himself, he apologized that they would have to share it between the two of them.

Logan sat shivering next to the tree, the mid-day rain flattening his pelt in his sides showing his ribs clearly, his black mane in soggy ruffles. A wild wind began to howl violently to the north and it was at this moment he noticed the tiger lurking in the grass again just watching. Sliding his claws out, but not attempting to get up, Logan once again asked this mysterious tiger what they wanted. Out of the tall grass stepped a beautiful tigress, eyes as green as emeralds. His eyes narrowed with suspicion as she pulled out the severed leg of a zebra. Cautiously approaching him, she dropped it about two yards away. "I have to get back to my clan before they get suspicious," she said. Turning away she glanced over her shoulder and said "the name's Nala by the way… I will try to keep you safe from the rest of my family."

Sure that the tigress was gone, still untrusting of her promise, he could no longer deny his hunger. He drug the leg over to his sons to let them eat as much as they could before he devoured it, bones and all.

The following morning Nala yet again appeared, this time with an antelope big enough for all three of them to share. Logan introduced himself after some time, still trying to work out the motives of this female. Was she toying with them? Surely she would have harmed them by now. Perhaps she genuinely wanted to help. "It must be hard being a single father," she said gently, sitting guard with her back towards them while they ate. "At least I have my family to help me raise mine." Looking off into the distance, eyes brimming with tears, Logan whispered "I lost mine…" Seeing that she had overstepped, neither asked any further questions on the matter and she bid them farewell for the day, leaving him to deal with his hurt alone.

The dawn had not yet broke the horizon when a rustle in the nearby bushes made Logan jump defensively to his feet. Nala quickly ran out and rushed over to him regardless of the potential danger to herself. In a fearful lone tone she said "I have to get you all out of here immediately. I think they're on to you." Quickly she added "I know of a place where all of you will be safe, but we must hurry, it's a long trip." Panic stricken, Logan snapped up one cub, desperately looking down at the other and then at Nala. Cautiously grabbing the other she said "follow me." Off they went at a rather brisk pace, Nala continually glancing back over her shoulder checking on Logan and making sure they weren't being followed. Though his will was strong, she worried that in his weakened state he wouldn't be able to make the journey.

Hours and miles passed as the group made their way up the once distant mountain. Legs shaking with exhaustion, Logan fumbled towards the promised cave, a sanctuary for him and his sons, safe from almost all predators.

It was just past sun high when they finally reached the cave. The mouth was enclosed with bramble and lichen. The inside was covered in moss with a stunning waterfall sheltering the back of it. "This is a sacred magical place," Nala said. "The spirits will watch over you." Acknowledging Logan's confusion, she nodded towards the waterfall with a mischievous glint in her eyes and said her goodbyes. She said "I doubt we will ever meet again, but I wish you all luck and a good life."

Logan sat on the cliffside, watching Nala making her way safely back down the mountain. He could not fathom why God would send him such a merciful stranger. This thought once again made her words nag at him. 'What did she mean by the spirits?' he wondered. Checking yet again that his sons were fast asleep, he padded over to the waterfall to further inspect it. He found a crevice behind it that led to a hidden clifftop pass. He followed it up a steep slope and what it led to, he couldn't believe. It was a giant secret crater shape chasm surrounded on all sides by tall cliffs and waterfalls that pooled into a center lake. At the center of this crystal blue mass stood the most magnificent stone Logan had ever beheld. It shimmered as if it reflected the heavens themselves. He had never seen any place or thing so beautiful and captivating. It was here that he finally felt at peace for the first time since the atrocity. Such silent harmony, it was as if he could hear the angels themselves whispering