Stray lions went out hunting early near the grasslands, knowing they weren't allowed to go but they went anyway because Pride Landers had more food than Outlanders and they just clearly didn't care what the king said. Débil slowly got up, facing back to father and his siblings sleeping soundly together. He quietly walked to Keya and woke her up by rubbing his head on her side.
"Keya," Débil whispered, "let's go out." The black lioness opened her eyes and looked back at their father and older brother nervously then back to Débil, shaking her head "no" in response, too afraid to leave the cave because she was afraid they would notice that they were missing. "Don't worry. We'll be quick, I promise. They don't care about us anyway. What makes you think they'll come looking for us?" Keya looked at Débil with one eyebrow up and with her head tilted. Débil walked out of the cave and took a deep breath, looking up at the clouds feeling content about the journey. Keya also took a deep breath and got up, quietly following him through the Outlands. They walked and looked up to see a huge rocky dirt cliff that went around them like a gorge. "Uh... wait! Don't worry, I know where to go." Keya followed as Débil ran to the right side and saw how the large rocks were on top of each other, going up to the top of the cliff where grass mostly grew. Sometimes even antelopes and wildebeest were seen up there. He wished he'd learn to catch them one day and with how hungry it made him be as he watched them from below feasting on the grass. Débil, of knowing himself as a very small cub, didn't stop him from trying to do things on his own. He almost managed to climb a rock leaning against the cliff with other small gray rocks crumbled on top of it. He held onto it but his claws slipped and he fell embarrassingly right in front of Keya on his back. "Hey... I thought cats usually landed on their feet." Débil said jokingly, making fun of himself. Keya glared down at him with a smile and lightly shook her head. She pointed at him with her paw, gesturing with her head telling him to walk to the side of her so he'd be able to watch her climb up the rock. And just in case she fell she wouldn't land on him. She made a pouncing position and leaped up on the large boulder with her long strong legs. She turned to face Débil, who seemed to copy her position and leap up on the rock as well. She quickly grabbed hold of him by the scruff before he fell again and pulled him up, tossing him on her back and used all her strength to climb up the large rocks. When they reached the top, Keya lightly placed him down on the flat healthy ground of grass. He saw Pride rock from there. It was still, of course, a long ways away but that thought didn't stop him from doing what he always wanted to do. And that was being part of the pride. He immediately ran and pranced facing the Pride Lands. The rock then collapsed under his paws and he fell, going headfirst doing somersaults down the smooth rockslide, Keya's mouth making an "O" as she saw him.

SPLASH!

Keya sprinted towards where he fell and sighed, relieved that it was a river but a thought got to her head that there might be crocodiles in there. She leaned forward but clumsily slipped off the cliff as well, falling and rolling after him down the cliff into the dirty shallow water. Keya's eyes widened and stung as she brought her head up, continuing to panic as she looked around for a rock, tree branch, or something that she'd be able to grab or climb on. She looked up seeing Débil out of the water and swam towards him.

"Watch out!" Débil shouted as he noticed green spikes rising out from the water, moving closer towards her. Débil gasped, backing away in terror as Keya got pulled in by a crocodile, looking around for her in the water. "Keya!" Débil called out as he then saw her, watching as she struggled her way to swim away from it. She unsheathed her claws and grabbed hold of a dead branch of a tree hanging lowly to the river. Suddenly the crocodile grabbed hold of her leg again and tugged on it. Débil cried running over to her and leaped on the branch, reaching out his right paw down to her. She tried to reach back but the crocodile snapped down more on her leg, her eyes widened with agony as her got torn from the force of the bite. Débil yelled and quickly slashed the crocodile's face, causing it to growl and fall back into the water. Débil quickly leaned forward to Keya, grabbing her by the scruff. Her eyes shut, her mind filled with shock from her leg made her faint. "C'mon, stay with me," he murmured as he struggled trying his best to pull her off the branch and drag her back home, which he managed to do since she was slightly bigger than him. "I'm so sorry, Keya. I didn't mean for this to happen," Débil sobbed as Keya slightly opened her eyes. After struggling to drag her toward the cave, Débil looked back at the blood trail Keya made and comforted her. Kiburi's eyes widened as he walked out of the cave seeing Keya's badly injured leg. Niro ran out of the cave towards Débil and Keya, also comforting her as Kiburi quickly looked over at Débil.

"How dare you," Kiburi growled, walking towards Débil who backed away, cowering.
"Father, I- I'm... I didn't mean for this!" Débil stammered as tears ran down his face. Keya faced away and closed her eyes as Kiburi ran at him. Niro's eyes widened, watching as extreme hatred erupted out of his mouth as he lifted his paw, slashing Débil's cheek, causing him to plummet on his side. Niro closed his eyes, looking away when hearing his yell. Blood and parts of fur flew off his face, Keya opening her eyes noticing Kiburi's claws had his blood on them.
"GET UP you horrible, unbelievable, insignificant moron! You know how dangerous it is out there. Keya could have gotten killed, and it would have been your fault!" Three scars visibly showed on his right cheek. Débil lifted his paw and lightly touched the slashes, his cheek stung and blood ran down his paw, staining. He sobbed, slowly looking up at his father in surprise. Kiburi roughly grabbed hold of Keya and dragged her into the cave as Débil glared at him sharply. Débil did not feel like himself. He felt... anger, disappointment, and lost.

"Well deserved, don't you think?" Niro fiercely faced Débil as Débil slowly looked back, still with a bit of shock. Niro scoffed and followed behind their father as Débil sat silently by himself. Many things have happened recently and he couldn't figure out why they were happening. He wanted to run away with Keya, though Keya couldn't speak or walk. He didn't like this place where he was, where he was forced to live. It didn't feel like home. Every day he'd think about leaving and finding a safer place like a pride that would take him in and would always appreciate him for who he was. Anywhere other than living with his strict father, and his siblings. He felt bad for Keya. He didn't want to leave her behind if he ever got a chance to escape. Even Kiburi took better care of her. Débil always watched Kiburi as he sometimes hugged and would groom Keya with his sharp scrapy tongue. Débil couldn't even bear to look, it badly hurt him in his chest, made him feel sick. Every time he felt this way, he thought it was some kind of feeling that he was supposed to feel, like it was his fault or if he did something bad that made Kiburi not care about him. It felt like it was the meaning of something just only for him to experience. It seemed like every lion that Débil met, their life was better. No one would call you names or pick on you for your name, size or strength. Débil didn't believe that it would have been his fault, or whatever he did to make Kiburi so violent. It was just a feeling, not something to believe. Débil looked back facing the blood trail. He heard Kiburi growling and looked behind, noticing him watching before sprinting towards him from the cave. Débil jumped and ran as fast as he could. Kiburi roared at him to come back but Débil kept running until he reached the cliff. He looked back to see Kiburi right on his tail and he screamed, jumping and trying to climb the rocks. Kiburi grabbed hold of Débil's left leg with his teeth causing him to shout and try shaking him off.
"We'll see how you like your leg torn off," Kiburi roared. Débil cried, bite marks appeared on his leg. Kiburi bit again and pulled, making Débil slip and kick Kiburi's face, allowing him to climb the rocks, gladly getting away. Kiburi fell down the rocks, some even tumbling on him. Débil sighed in relief as he finally got away, thankful that he was still alive. Shakily looking down the rocks, he saw as dust blew around down below, seeing that Kiburi wasn't there so he continued on his journey through the Outlands, limping as he walked. He looked up at the sky seeing gray storm clouds appearing and it started to rain.
"Please, help me," Débil pleaded purposely at the sky, sensing that maybe the kings were upset with him for what he said to them earlier, "if you're all still there..." the sound of thunder began and rain began to pour down on him and other animals who were trying to get out of the rain. As for Débil, he kept going. "I-is that all you got?" he sobbed, "I'm sorry! You've known I've always believed in you! I believe!" he panted. "You live in all of us. You help those in need who deserve it, please forgive me!"

Débil then awoke on a large boulder, not remembering laying down and falling asleep on this boulder. He got up and looked around for a cave that he would be able to rest more in, his eyes then suddenly caught a mouse scurrying around near his paws. He remembered how Niro used to hunt and how he pounced on tiny creatures. But he also remembered one time when Niro laughed at him for not being able to catch it. Débil stayed still, focusing as the mouse scurried passed and he quietly snuck behind the mouse, copying Niro's pouncing position, which he found pretty amusing to see Niro do. He then jumped as the mouse noticed him and his paw went down on top of the mouse, trapping it, Débil looking down in surprise. "I did it. I... I did it!" Débil looked up. "Oh, kings, look! I did it!" Débil said happily as he never experienced this kind of happiness before, knowing that he did something that he was never able to do because of how lions used to speak and treat him everyday. The mouse bit one of Débil's toes causing him to yelp and lift his paws. "Ow!" he watched the mouse run. As the mouse ran, it sounded as though it was laughing at him. "Oh rats!" he pouted, disappointed that he messed up on his breakfast. He continued on then in search of an abandoned cave that he could stay at. He then saw a whole bunch of holes in the ground. Dens, he knew those were dens, but from who? Walking towards the one he spotted, a sudden loud yap came from the den causing Débil to flinch as he noticed bright red eyes peeking out from inside the dark hole.

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