Chapter 781
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Chapter 781
The sound of a crashing tree caused Three Squeaks to duck into his hole. It was instinct, even though he was expecting the noise. As a traditionally weak group, meerkats were prone to hiding from whatever dangers showed themselves. And a toppling tree was certainly one of those.
In this case, it was on purpose. Contented Grunt brought down the tree like many others- though most of them werent from this area. They didnt want to give away their plans.
They tended to do most of their work during the day. It was when they were most comfortable, and the lions might come for them at any time so it was simply better to work when they pleased.
Three Squeaks checked his little burrow. It was barely large enough to keep him below the surface, out of paws reach. But that was just the right size, even if not the purpose of the structure. Instead, it was meant for a lion to get a paw trapped in. Even if it only hindered them for a few moments, throwing off their coordination would be worth it.
And realistically, they didnt want to fight the lions at all. But every indication from their sneakier members was that the lions were going to make another attempt. And soon.
That was why they had to take the initiative. Their training was as good as it could be in the near future. So the only other thing they could do was pick their battlefield. And perhaps prepare it a bit.
Sustained Chittering had come up with the plan for traps. Sometimes, meerkats hurt themselves on sharp rocks and sticks on accident. Why not do the same but on purpose? That had expanded out to what they were currently doing. Three Squeaks watched as warthogs ran their tusks against the bark of the tree, rubbing it off- and sharpening parts of it. They would set up the bigger sticks in just the right way to hopefully cause damage, partially burying them in the dirt dug up for their little pits. All of this was concealed by tall grass mostly.
Everyone was working diligently, with the eagles currently gathering rocks. The biggest they could carry, with the intention to drop them on the enemy. Soon they would have to finish their preparations and then provoke the lions to come fight them here.
But first, there was another night. It was nerve wracking, staying just on the edge of the lions territory. Especially with him stomping about. Nobody knew a proper name for him, but he made a Bloodcurdling Roar as he patrolled his territory. Even the alliance was unwilling to enter that territory. Fighting the lions in a place they knew well would result in too many deaths. They would inevitably have some, of course, but more deaths.
-----
Forceful Snort was the one responsible for drawing the attention of the lions. He had volunteered, even. The warthog leader was quite a large specimen that would be a tempting feast and sending more than a small number of individuals would make their ploy more obvious. If they could think of it, their enemy could see through it. Anton said that no plan should rely on enemies making a mistake. Which mean, in the worst case scenario, their preparations might go to waste if Forceful Snort wasnt followed.
He didnt just go stomping into their territory with his head held high, directly taunting them. No, the warthog leader did much better than that. Since he was in the area it would be a waste to not root up something to eat. And it added to his natural look as well. He just kept a pair of eyes open for any trouble. And his extra senses, because while the lions might hide in tall grass well enough they hadnt learned to conceal their natural energy. Or at least not very well.
The same would likely be true for the whole of their alliance, if they didnt have the teachings of Anton the Tall One of Energy. He knew so much, but he said that was the result of many generations and hundreds of years. Almost a thousand, which was a number they had never had a reason to count to before he arrived. But now they stored food, and the number came up occasionally.
A few meerkats and warthogs were looking to the rear, as if thinking they might run. But how could they, with Three Squeaks rushing towards them?
Even as he fired his bow, he drew ever closer. Closer to them, and closer to the lioness with the missing eye. We can beat them! he said. And as he said it, he chose to believe it.
Contented Grunt slammed one of the lionesses into another, just in time to spin around and toss the first at the incoming beast. As a hippopotamus, there was very little that could match her in mass but Bloodcurdling Roar was at least half her weight, with an emphasis on his sharp claws and fangs. More than that, his natural energy was near the peak of what Anton called the Body Tempering stage. Given the power of a lion to begin with, it was terrifying to even consider fighting alone. But Contented Grunt knew that her allies were pressing towards her.
A shower of rocks did little more than make the lion blink as he charged forward. But perhaps every little bit would weaken his energy.
The lioness with one eye pounced towards Three Squeaks as he got within her range. He did the most terrifying thing he could do in such a position, which was to dive towards her. And under. He could only scramble along on all fours with his bow barely clutched in his hand, seeing powerful hind legs land on either side of him. He made it out just before her rear end came down upon him, trying to crush him into the dirt.
With the state things were in, he was willing to take some more serious risks. He swiveled, firing a single arrow behind him one made of flame. It struck next to her tail, and while it didnt do more than burn away some fur instantly without real ignition it had some effect. Which was to make her yowl in pain and filled her one eye with even greater bloodlust. So much so that she basically ignored the handful of warthogs she had to push through to pursue Three Squeaks, letting them get easy damage on her sides.
More than half of the lions were dead, now, and the alliance was doing their best to use lion hunting tactics against the lions themselves, including Bloodcurdling Roar. Contented Grunt was just barely able to hold her own against him, huge scratches on her face and upper torso notwithstanding. Several brave warthogs found themselves with their skulls crushed by him, despite their recent training, or torn apart.
The meerkats he basically ignored, even as they danced around his feet trying to cut into his ankles somehow. There were a few patches of blood, but ultimately he could do enough damage to them by accident rather than needing to focus on them.
He prepared to roar once more, but as he raised his head a great screech came, followed by several others. Several eagles slammed into the back of his head, talons extended. Others targeted everywhere along his back. Forceful Snort found that a perfect opportunity to charge, digging his tusks as deep as they could go into the massive creature. He at least got a decent flow of blood.
It might have never even crossed the large lions mind that he could lose. Especially not to a bunch of prey- with the potential exception of Contented Grunt who was a rare treat for a lion. But away from the water she was in a riskier position.
But regardless of what the lion thought, he was not going to leave the battlefield. Eventually miniscule wounds began to build up, and he fell from blood loss. His natural energy was basically exhausted regardless, and his body was quickly torn into by his numerous attackers.
Dead on the battlefield were five lionesses, one great lion, nine warthogs, and fifteen meerkats. Five of them from the guard, and the others who simply couldnt choose to not fight such an important battle.
Of the numerous wounds on the great lion, nobody noticed a thin but deep cut towards one artery on his neck. The matted blood on his mane could have come from any number of places, and it was likely they wouldnt have questioned it even if it were noticed. But beyond their knowledge, it played a significant role in the battle though not enough to discount their teamwork and sacrificial bravery.
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Chapter 781
The sound of a crashing tree caused Three Squeaks to duck into his hole. It was instinct, even though he was expecting the noise. As a traditionally weak group, meerkats were prone to hiding from whatever dangers showed themselves. And a toppling tree was certainly one of those.
In this case, it was on purpose. Contented Grunt brought down the tree like many others- though most of them werent from this area. They didnt want to give away their plans.
They tended to do most of their work during the day. It was when they were most comfortable, and the lions might come for them at any time so it was simply better to work when they pleased.
Three Squeaks checked his little burrow. It was barely large enough to keep him below the surface, out of paws reach. But that was just the right size, even if not the purpose of the structure. Instead, it was meant for a lion to get a paw trapped in. Even if it only hindered them for a few moments, throwing off their coordination would be worth it.
And realistically, they didnt want to fight the lions at all. But every indication from their sneakier members was that the lions were going to make another attempt. And soon.
That was why they had to take the initiative. Their training was as good as it could be in the near future. So the only other thing they could do was pick their battlefield. And perhaps prepare it a bit.
Sustained Chittering had come up with the plan for traps. Sometimes, meerkats hurt themselves on sharp rocks and sticks on accident. Why not do the same but on purpose? That had expanded out to what they were currently doing. Three Squeaks watched as warthogs ran their tusks against the bark of the tree, rubbing it off- and sharpening parts of it. They would set up the bigger sticks in just the right way to hopefully cause damage, partially burying them in the dirt dug up for their little pits. All of this was concealed by tall grass mostly.
Everyone was working diligently, with the eagles currently gathering rocks. The biggest they could carry, with the intention to drop them on the enemy. Soon they would have to finish their preparations and then provoke the lions to come fight them here.
But first, there was another night. It was nerve wracking, staying just on the edge of the lions territory. Especially with him stomping about. Nobody knew a proper name for him, but he made a Bloodcurdling Roar as he patrolled his territory. Even the alliance was unwilling to enter that territory. Fighting the lions in a place they knew well would result in too many deaths. They would inevitably have some, of course, but more deaths.
-----
Forceful Snort was the one responsible for drawing the attention of the lions. He had volunteered, even. The warthog leader was quite a large specimen that would be a tempting feast and sending more than a small number of individuals would make their ploy more obvious. If they could think of it, their enemy could see through it. Anton said that no plan should rely on enemies making a mistake. Which mean, in the worst case scenario, their preparations might go to waste if Forceful Snort wasnt followed.
He didnt just go stomping into their territory with his head held high, directly taunting them. No, the warthog leader did much better than that. Since he was in the area it would be a waste to not root up something to eat. And it added to his natural look as well. He just kept a pair of eyes open for any trouble. And his extra senses, because while the lions might hide in tall grass well enough they hadnt learned to conceal their natural energy. Or at least not very well.
The same would likely be true for the whole of their alliance, if they didnt have the teachings of Anton the Tall One of Energy. He knew so much, but he said that was the result of many generations and hundreds of years. Almost a thousand, which was a number they had never had a reason to count to before he arrived. But now they stored food, and the number came up occasionally.
A few meerkats and warthogs were looking to the rear, as if thinking they might run. But how could they, with Three Squeaks rushing towards them?
Even as he fired his bow, he drew ever closer. Closer to them, and closer to the lioness with the missing eye. We can beat them! he said. And as he said it, he chose to believe it.
Contented Grunt slammed one of the lionesses into another, just in time to spin around and toss the first at the incoming beast. As a hippopotamus, there was very little that could match her in mass but Bloodcurdling Roar was at least half her weight, with an emphasis on his sharp claws and fangs. More than that, his natural energy was near the peak of what Anton called the Body Tempering stage. Given the power of a lion to begin with, it was terrifying to even consider fighting alone. But Contented Grunt knew that her allies were pressing towards her.
A shower of rocks did little more than make the lion blink as he charged forward. But perhaps every little bit would weaken his energy.
The lioness with one eye pounced towards Three Squeaks as he got within her range. He did the most terrifying thing he could do in such a position, which was to dive towards her. And under. He could only scramble along on all fours with his bow barely clutched in his hand, seeing powerful hind legs land on either side of him. He made it out just before her rear end came down upon him, trying to crush him into the dirt.
With the state things were in, he was willing to take some more serious risks. He swiveled, firing a single arrow behind him one made of flame. It struck next to her tail, and while it didnt do more than burn away some fur instantly without real ignition it had some effect. Which was to make her yowl in pain and filled her one eye with even greater bloodlust. So much so that she basically ignored the handful of warthogs she had to push through to pursue Three Squeaks, letting them get easy damage on her sides.
More than half of the lions were dead, now, and the alliance was doing their best to use lion hunting tactics against the lions themselves, including Bloodcurdling Roar. Contented Grunt was just barely able to hold her own against him, huge scratches on her face and upper torso notwithstanding. Several brave warthogs found themselves with their skulls crushed by him, despite their recent training, or torn apart.
The meerkats he basically ignored, even as they danced around his feet trying to cut into his ankles somehow. There were a few patches of blood, but ultimately he could do enough damage to them by accident rather than needing to focus on them.
He prepared to roar once more, but as he raised his head a great screech came, followed by several others. Several eagles slammed into the back of his head, talons extended. Others targeted everywhere along his back. Forceful Snort found that a perfect opportunity to charge, digging his tusks as deep as they could go into the massive creature. He at least got a decent flow of blood.
It might have never even crossed the large lions mind that he could lose. Especially not to a bunch of prey- with the potential exception of Contented Grunt who was a rare treat for a lion. But away from the water she was in a riskier position.
But regardless of what the lion thought, he was not going to leave the battlefield. Eventually miniscule wounds began to build up, and he fell from blood loss. His natural energy was basically exhausted regardless, and his body was quickly torn into by his numerous attackers.
Dead on the battlefield were five lionesses, one great lion, nine warthogs, and fifteen meerkats. Five of them from the guard, and the others who simply couldnt choose to not fight such an important battle.
Of the numerous wounds on the great lion, nobody noticed a thin but deep cut towards one artery on his neck. The matted blood on his mane could have come from any number of places, and it was likely they wouldnt have questioned it even if it were noticed. But beyond their knowledge, it played a significant role in the battle though not enough to discount their teamwork and sacrificial bravery.
Chapter 781The sound of a crashing tree caused Three Squeaks to duck into his hole. It was instinct, even though he was expecting the noise. As a traditionally weak group, meerkats were prone to hiding from whatever dangers showed themselves. And a toppling tree was certainly one of those.In this case, it was on purpose. Contented Grunt brought down the tree like many others- though most of them werent from this area. They didnt want to give away their plans.They tended to do most of their work during the day. It was when they were most comfortable, and the lions might come for them at any time so it was simply better to work when they pleased.Three Squeaks checked his little burrow. It was barely large enough to keep him below the surface, out of paws reach. But that was just the right size, even if not the purpose of the structure. Instead, it was meant for a lion to get a paw trapped in. Even if it only hindered them for a few moments, throwing off their coordination would be worth it.And realistically, they didnt want to fight the lions at all. But every indication from their sneakier members was that the lions were going to make another attempt. And soon.That was why they had to take the initiative. Their training was as good as it could be in the near future. So the only other thing they could do was pick their battlefield. And perhaps prepare it a bit. Sustained Chittering had come up with the plan for traps. Sometimes, meerkats hurt themselves on sharp rocks and sticks on accident. Why not do the same but on purpose? That had expanded out to what they were currently doing. Three Squeaks watched as warthogs ran their tusks against the bark of the tree, rubbing it off- and sharpening parts of it. They would set up the bigger sticks in just the right way to hopefully cause damage, partially burying them in the dirt dug up for their little pits. All of this was concealed by tall grass mostly.Everyone was working diligently, with the eagles currently gathering rocks. The biggest they could carry, with the intention to drop them on the enemy. Soon they would have to finish their preparations and then provoke the lions to come fight them here.But first, there was another night. It was nerve wracking, staying just on the edge of the lions territory. Especially with him stomping about. Nobody knew a proper name for him, but he made a Bloodcurdling Roar as he patrolled his territory. Even the alliance was unwilling to enter that territory. Fighting the lions in a place they knew well would result in too many deaths. They would inevitably have some, of course, but more deaths. -----Forceful Snort was the one responsible for drawing the attention of the lions. He had volunteered, even. The warthog leader was quite a large specimen that would be a tempting feast and sending more than a small number of individuals would make their ploy more obvious. If they could think of it, their enemy could see through it. Anton said that no plan should rely on enemies making a mistake. Which mean, in the worst case scenario, their preparations might go to waste if Forceful Snort wasnt followed.He didnt just go stomping into their territory with his head held high, directly taunting them. No, the warthog leader did much better than that. Since he was in the area it would be a waste to not root up something to eat. And it added to his natural look as well. He just kept a pair of eyes open for any trouble. And his extra senses, because while the lions might hide in tall grass well enough they hadnt learned to conceal their natural energy. Or at least not very well. The same would likely be true for the whole of their alliance, if they didnt have the teachings of Anton the Tall One of Energy. He knew so much, but he said that was the result of many generations and hundreds of years. Almost a thousand, which was a number they had never had a reason to count to before he arrived. But now they stored food, and the number came up occasionally.A few meerkats and warthogs were looking to the rear, as if thinking they might run. But how could they, with Three Squeaks rushing towards them?Even as he fired his bow, he drew ever closer. Closer to them, and closer to the lioness with the missing eye. We can beat them! he said. And as he said it, he chose to believe it. Contented Grunt slammed one of the lionesses into another, just in time to spin around and toss the first at the incoming beast. As a hippopotamus, there was very little that could match her in mass but Bloodcurdling Roar was at least half her weight, with an emphasis on his sharp claws and fangs. More than that, his natural energy was near the peak of what Anton called the Body Tempering stage. Given the power of a lion to begin with, it was terrifying to even consider fighting alone. But Contented Grunt knew that her allies were pressing towards her.A shower of rocks did little more than make the lion blink as he charged forward. But perhaps every little bit would weaken his energy.The lioness with one eye pounced towards Three Squeaks as he got within her range. He did the most terrifying thing he could do in such a position, which was to dive towards her. And under. He could only scramble along on all fours with his bow barely clutched in his hand, seeing powerful hind legs land on either side of him. He made it out just before her rear end came down upon him, trying to crush him into the dirt.With the state things were in, he was willing to take some more serious risks. He swiveled, firing a single arrow behind him one made of flame. It struck next to her tail, and while it didnt do more than burn away some fur instantly without real ignition it had some effect. Which was to make her yowl in pain and filled her one eye with even greater bloodlust. So much so that she basically ignored the handful of warthogs she had to push through to pursue Three Squeaks, letting them get easy damage on her sides. More than half of the lions were dead, now, and the alliance was doing their best to use lion hunting tactics against the lions themselves, including Bloodcurdling Roar. Contented Grunt was just barely able to hold her own against him, huge scratches on her face and upper torso notwithstanding. Several brave warthogs found themselves with their skulls crushed by him, despite their recent training, or torn apart.The meerkats he basically ignored, even as they danced around his feet trying to cut into his ankles somehow. There were a few patches of blood, but ultimately he could do enough damage to them by accident rather than needing to focus on them. He prepared to roar once more, but as he raised his head a great screech came, followed by several others. Several eagles slammed into the back of his head, talons extended. Others targeted everywhere along his back. Forceful Snort found that a perfect opportunity to charge, digging his tusks as deep as they could go into the massive creature. He at least got a decent flow of blood.It might have never even crossed the large lions mind that he could lose. Especially not to a bunch of prey- with the potential exception of Contented Grunt who was a rare treat for a lion. But away from the water she was in a riskier position.But regardless of what the lion thought, he was not going to leave the battlefield. Eventually miniscule wounds began to build up, and he fell from blood loss. His natural energy was basically exhausted regardless, and his body was quickly torn into by his numerous attackers.Dead on the battlefield were five lionesses, one great lion, nine warthogs, and fifteen meerkats. Five of them from the guard, and the others who simply couldnt choose to not fight such an important battle.Of the numerous wounds on the great lion, nobody noticed a thin but deep cut towards one artery on his neck. The matted blood on his mane could have come from any number of places, and it was likely they wouldnt have questioned it even if it were noticed. But beyond their knowledge, it played a significant role in the battle though not enough to discount their teamwork and sacrificial bravery.
