Become a Cheetah
o0o
After the catnip incident, Luo Qiao specifically sought out the plant. It wasn't flowering season, and the green foliage with white fuzz looked unremarkable. But the moment that crisp, minty scent hit his nose, Luo Qiao couldn't resist rolling in it.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he was already doing it—curling his front paws and tumbling through the grass like a housecat.
His head spun pleasantly. When he finally regained his senses, he found himself rubbing against Parson's chin, begging for affection while the other cheetah lay calmly on the ground.
Alright, so Parson hadn't said anything. But Luo Qiao could still detect a glimmer of amusement in those amber eyes.
Was he being laughed at?
Or worse—teased?
Luo Qiao refused to dwell on it.
After several encounters, he finally grew accustomed to the plant and built some resistance to catnip's effects. At least now he wouldn't immediately flop over and start rolling cutely at the first whiff.
Though Parson had told him this plant was rare on the savannah, Luo Qiao decided to err on the side of caution. The safest approach? Avoid it altogether from now on.
Truthfully, this plant affected true cats more intensely. Cheetahs were often called 'big cats,' but they weren't actually cats. Belonging to the subfamily Felinae, they were a different species altogether from domestic or wild cats.
Since that day, Monty hadn't reappeared. After several days of nervous vigilance, Luo Qiao's life returned to normal. The leopard was probably patrolling his territory—a vast domain without brothers to help guard it.
Even if he had siblings, he'd likely drive them off. Leopards were even more solitary than cheetahs. While male cheetahs sometimes lived together, expecting two male leopards to coexist was pure fantasy.
Luo Qiao made sure Luo Sen and Luo Rui also familiarized themselves with catnip's scent. To his frustration, the cubs seemed utterly indifferent—a few sneezes, a shake of their heads, and they went right back to playfighting as if nothing had happened.
Luo Qiao was indignant. Was this discrimination against a cheetah who'd come late to the game?
"Dad, what's wrong?"
The cubs paused their roughhousing to watch as their disgruntled father pawed at the ground. Cheetahs weren't diggers, but right now Luo Qiao desperately wanted to burrow a hole and disappear into it.
"Dad?"
Luo Rui nuzzled Luo Qiao's head. Their bond remained close, though Luo Sen had gradually stopped seeking cuddles as often.
Perhaps this was for the best—even if they stayed together, one brother would naturally assume leadership. If both were dominant, they'd eventually have to part ways.
The living proof stood nearby: Parson and Jairo. In every aspect, Parson was clearly the more dominant of the two.
"Nothing."
Luo Qiao licked Luo Rui and stood up, stretching lazily. He'd never understood why housecats loved stretching so much—until now. It felt incredible.
"Dad's going hunting. What do you want to eat?"
The warthogs in their territory were off-limits—hunt them now, and there'd be none left next year. The adult female warthog was too much for Luo Qiao to handle alone.
For now, animals passing through for water became their primary food source. As long as the pond in the leopard's territory didn't dry up, Luo Qiao could keep himself and the cubs fed until the rains returned.
Leading the cubs onto a flat rock, the cheetahs settled in to wait for prey. Luo Qiao didn't always succeed—he failed once or twice out of every three attempts—but by cheetah standards, he was doing well.
Compared to those desperate early days with Luo Sen and Luo Rui, this life felt like paradise.
"Dad, will there be impalas today?"
"I want gazelle."
"But steenbok tastes better! They're just so small—not enough to share..."
The cubs debated enthusiastically while Luo Qiao resisted feeding them unusual prey. Unless absolutely necessary, he'd never let them near tortoises again.
Not only were they unpalatable, but if Shamu decided to visit and found out, he'd probably beat Luo Qiao senseless.
A sudden elephant trumpet cut through the cubs' discussion. Luo Qiao's expression turned serious. During the dry season, elephants were unwelcome visitors—especially near scarce water sources. A small herd could drain an entire pond.
The cubs instinctively flattened themselves against the rock as Luo Qiao scanned the direction of the sound. A lone bull elephant. Herds were led by matriarchs consisting of females and calves, while males typically lived solitary lives, only joining during mating season.
"This is trouble..."
The elephant wasn't even the worst of it. When two hippos appeared, Luo Qiao's nerves truly tightened, a mother and calf. The baby, likely just two or three months old, stumbled weakly, probably dehydrated. The patient mother followed closely, encouraging her child forward.
Their original water source must have recently dried up. Their ultimate destination was the Ganga River, with the leopard's pond merely a temporary stop. But for the cheetahs, their arrival spelled greater danger.
Dry-season lions and hyenas operated in a constant state of hunger. Starvation could drive them to attack even adult hippos.
The Hosby lion pride lived adjacent to Luo Qiao's territory, and a fearless hyena clan prowled the borders. This mother and calf were essentially advertising fresh meat.
While lions and hyenas might hesitate before a full-grown hippo, the calf was irresistible prey. Worse, the mother's weakened state—evident from her wounds, clearly inflicted by lions—left her vulnerable.
Luo Qiao could only pray they'd leave quickly. Even hunting became impossible now. Sensing his tension, Luo Sen and Luo Rui pressed silently against the rock.
The hippo mother noticed Luo Qiao and gaped her massive jaws in threat. Luo Qiao wished he could shout:
Leave already! He had zero interest in her or her baby! Flashing those teeth at a cheetah was pointless—lions were the real threat here!
His hopes shattered when he spotted movement in distant bushes, Hosby lionesses. They'd been tracking the hippos, hence the mother's injuries.
In turn, one lioness had suffered a crushed jaw and concussion from the mother's tusks. Though the injured lioness survived, she couldn't hunt, so her sisters left her behind while the rest pursued the hippos.
Felix and Ero had joined them.
The lionesses targeted the calf, but the males focused on the weakened mother.
A hippo's sensitive skin made them prone to dehydration under prolonged sun exposure, and last night's attack had left her vulnerable.
If the pride could intercept them before they reached water, a feast awaited.
Willing to brave the scorching sun for this meal, the lions trailed the hippos straight into Luo Qiao's territory. They paid no heed to cheetah boundary markers—if they chose, they could easily kill the land's rightful owner.
Luo Qiao immediately herded the two cheetah cubs back to their cave in the rocky hill when he spotted the first lion. The den had scent-masking dry grass, and the entrance was concealed by tall grass and thorns.
Unless the lions specifically searched for them, the cubs wouldn't be discovered. Luo Qiao then moved to a more hidden position, keeping close watch on the lions' every move. The best way to avoid these grassland rulers was to monitor them carefully.
Finally, when all seven hunting lions had gathered, the killing began.
Though weakened, the mother hippo fought desperately to protect her calf. Hippos were massive creatures capable of surprising speed when charging, but they were trapped by seven powerful adult lions - including two males!
The hippo's formidable tusks no longer posed a threat to the lions. The waterhole remained out of reach as her strength gradually drained away. Despair set in.
The calf pressed close to its mother. Still young, it would certainly die without maternal protection - yet now even its mother couldn't save it.
At last, the lionesses separated mother and calf. The two young males kept inflicting wounds on the adult hippo while the females tackled the calf, sinking their teeth into its neck.
Luo Qiao watched with terror. Having witnessed the Oros pride hunt buffalo, now seeing the Hosby pride take down a hippo renewed his awe of lions' ferocity. Memories surfaced of being wounded by Tiana and other lionesses - what incredible luck he'd had to escape them alive!
Sliding quietly off the rocks, Luo Qiao pushed through the grass back to the cubs' hiding place. There was nothing they could do but wait for the lions to finish their meal and leave.
Ero suddenly lifted his head from the mother hippo's carcass, looking toward Luo Qiao's former hiding spot. Felix kept his jaws clamped on the hippo's neck but glanced questioningly at his brother.
"Nothing, brother."
When Luo Qiao returned to the den, he found Parson and Jairo already there. The cubs immediately rubbed against him upon his arrival.
"Shh, keep quiet."
Luo Qiao turned to Parson and Jairo. Parson approached to lick his ear without speaking. For the first time, Luo Qiao felt genuine gladness at this cheetah's presence.
Though they stood no chance against lions, Parson's company provided at least some sense of security.
O0O