Chapter 108 - The Missing Maya
Evening.
The sun had yet to set.
On the withered gra.s.sland, the temperature was still hot and unbearable.
However, Chu Xiaoye could not wait anymore.
He left the camp alone and walked towards the distant rocky hill.
Before confirming that Maya and the two young cubs were really dead, he would never give up.
The cold father and the female lions were injured and could not go out to take risks.
Mei Mei needed to take care of Little Curly Tail.
Only Catherine followed behind him silently.
She had been running around the rocky hill from last night to noon, and she was already exhausted.
However, she still followed him stubbornly. No matter how he chased away the threats, she did not leave.
The gra.s.sland in the distance was endless.
However, there was only withered gra.s.s, flying dust, and hot air.
The herbivores that had once formed groups had long disappeared.
Some died and some migrated.
The remaining carnivores could only struggle bitterly in their hunger and thirst.
They did not have a large group, did not have the endurance to run a long distance, and could not defeat the compet.i.tors of other territories.
The compet.i.tors who occupied the best territory had stronger strength and groups.
The pride of the cold father and the Seno brothers each had only one adult lion and five female lions. They were the weakest pride.
As for the other large prides, some had more than ten, and there were even dozens of members. Among them, there were even five or six adult lions in the super prides.
Whoever dared to enter their territory would be doomed.
As for the other carnivores, they each had their own territories and would never allow compet.i.tors from their same species to enter.
Therefore, they could only stay here and wait bitterly for the rainy season to arrive and for the return of the herbivores.
If they were lucky, their group would also slowly strengthen. Then, they would slowly expand their territory and even become a strong group that occupied the most favorable territory.
However, Chu Xiaoye did not have any extravagant dreams for his pride.
He only hoped that every member could survive and be safe.
Of course, this hope was very extravagant in this cruel gra.s.sland.
He only wanted to use his limited strength to help this pride survive every crisis.
He did not want to give up on any member.
Maya had just lost her children and finally gave birth to two more. Nothing must happen to her.
He quickened his steps.
The wound was a little itchy and should be recovering.
However, the pain had already disappeared.
The heat in his body seemed to be nourishing and healing those wounds at all times.
He recovered very quickly.
It was okay that he lost his claws.
His sharp teeth were still sharp!
If those d.a.m.n hyenas dared to hurt Maya and the young cubs, he would make them completely extinct even if he had to chase them all over the gra.s.sland!
The rocks under the hot sun were so hot that it was difficult to stand on them.
He followed the low bushes and climbed to the place full of rocks. He found the cave that Maya had given birth in.
It was empty and still smelled like her and the cubs.
However, there was no blood nearby.
Catherine followed and brought him to a hill not far away.
The ground there still had the feces and fur of hyenas.
Chu Xiaoye walked around the hill and did not find any other useful traces.
Since Catherine had already searched everywhere, there was no point in continuing to look.
He decided to take a look at the hyena"s camp.
Catherine followed behind him silently like his shadow. No matter where he went, she did not hesitate.
When the sun set.
They arrived at the hyena camp.
However, there was no sign of hyenas in this gra.s.sland that had once housed many hyenas.
The ground was full of caves and the caves were empty.
Clearly, the hyenas had already moved away.
Chu Xiaoye"s heart was heavy. He raised his head and looked at the boundless gra.s.sland that was covered in night. He did not know where to look.
He already had an ominous feeling.
Usually, after the lionesses gave birth to the cubs, they would take the initiative to change places with the cubs every few days to avoid other carnivores smelling and tracking them.
However, due to the cubs being a burden, they could not walk too far. Most of them searched for new caves not far away.
Now, Catherine had searched the vicinity but did not find them.
Then, the situation was very bad.
Chu Xiaoye searched the gra.s.sland aimlessly. Unknowingly, he entered the territory of the Seno brothers" pride.
Seno seemed to have not come to the border to mark the territory for a long time. The lingering scent of the lion on the ground was very faint.
He hesitated for a moment but still walked in.
Right at this moment, a roar suddenly came from a short bush not far away. It was filled with anger!
There seemed to be two lions fighting intensely.
Chu Xiaoye was stunned for a moment before he immediately quickened his steps and ran over.
Catherine followed closely.
After coming close, Chu Xiaoye suddenly saw a familiar figure!
It was Maya, who had disappeared!
At this moment, a female lion in the Seno brothers" pride was fighting Maya crazily. It seemed that they had an irreconcilable hatred for each other and were all biting with all their might!
Maya was not a match for her and retreated continuously.
When she saw Chu Xiaoye and Catherine, she hurriedly turned around and ran over.
The female lion still did not let up. As she roared angrily, she chased after her crazily.
"Whoosh—"
Before Chu Xiaoye could speak, Catherine suddenly rushed up, pa.s.sed by Maya, and grabbed the lioness"s head!
The female lion was caught off guard. Her body tilted and she fell to the ground, her head dripping with blood.
She struggled up from the ground and looked at Catherine fearfully. She was still roaring angrily at Maya, her eyes filled with hatred.
Outside the low bushes at the side, the ground was dripping with blood. There was the corpse of a young cub lying on the ground, and only half of it was eaten.
Maya"s mouth was covered in blood.
That cub was not Maya"s child.
Maya stood behind Chu Xiaoye with her head lowered and licked her mouth. She faced the lioness"s roar and did not dare to respond. She looked a little guilty.
Her gaze was blank and her stomach was shriveled. She was clearly very hungry.
Chu Xiaoye"s heart trembled as if he understood something.
When Catherine"s gaze was cold and she was about to pounce on the lioness again, he hurriedly called out to her.
He looked at the lioness silently, then turned around and gestured for them to leave.
Maya looked at him and immediately lowered her head and followed behind.
The female lion"s head was covered in blood and her body was trembling. She still stood in place and roared, looking sad, angry and in despair.
Catherine looked at her coldly and turned to leave.
"Roar—"
At this moment, with a roar, Seno rushed over with the other four female lions.
Catherine"s gaze turned cold as she quickened her steps and protected the figure.
However, the originally murderous Seno suddenly stopped not far away. His gaze was terrified and he did not dare to come over again.
Chu Xiaoye looked at him and left quickly.