Mtukufu

Mtukufu's POV

I am Mtukufu, Taka's brother and the next in line to become king. My father, Adahari, leader of the Embu tribe and king of the Pride Lands, will pass on to the next life soon and join my ancestors, but he will always be with me in spirit.

I want to be king as soon as possible. Everything that touches the light will be mine. I can tell every creature to do something and they will bend to my will. My father tells me that a king's a job is to protect. He keeps telling me that I don't own this kingdom. What sense does that make? A king owns everything in his sight. Every animal should bow down to me.

My father, Adahari, grew up with Azizi from the Luo tribe. They were best friends. They always went on adventures. One day my father decided to take a trip to the elephant graveyard. All he saw were bones, dead animals, and pools of mud geysers. While he was exploring, hyenas began to corner him and were about to attack and kill him, when Azizi jumped on them. If not for Azizi, my father would have died. My father owed Azizi a favor. When Taka was born, Father promised Azizi we would marry his daughters, and that was repayment enough. Azizi's first born, Zuri, is my wife and her little sister, Zahara, is Taka's fiance´. Zahara is quite beautiful; maybe I'll have her for myself one day.

Ever since I was young, Father had always taken me out at night to appreciate the stars. He always taught me about the place of every animal. He calls it the "Circle of Life". The Circle of Life is what he describes as the place of every animal in the environment and how it affects each and every creature in the Pride Lands. "The Circle of Life is a strong foundation for the spirit of every thing on Earth. All animals are created equal" is what my Father always told me. Of course everything has meaning, but how is a bug's life worth the same as mine? I believe that lions are the greatest animals to ever roam the Earth. The life of a lion is precious and should be favored. When I become king, everyone will understand the true meaning of "The Circle of Life."

Taka's POV

Sometimes, I can see bits and pieces of color throughout this black and white. When a new baby bird is born and the flock circle around it to admire its beauty, or when a leopard is teaching its kid how to hunt. These small things are what make living life here in the Pride Lands worth more. Things like the sunset or the overabundance of trees and plants don't phase me.There's no spark. I see it too often; it is not special anymore.

I never knew my purpose here. Father told me that I am to serve and protect the animals here, but there's something missing. Surely, living my whole life trying to please others and and risking my life to serve the other animals is not the only thing I was meant to do. I know the ancestors had greater plans in store for me, but I don't know what. At times, I feel lonely and it is not because I want to be with someone; it's because there's a hole where my heart should be. It's an empty void that I can never seem to fill. Maybe, finding what I was meant for, will fill whatever absence of space there is in my heart. I have to find it. If not for myself, than for these animals and my descendants.