It could have ended very badly for him. But the lion simply exhaled softly, as if understanding that the man was not an enemy. The man carefully touched his skin and began removing the ticks with his bare hands. Hundreds of parasites.

He tore his shirt into strips and wiped away the pus, pressed out the larvae from the wound, and cleaned it as best he could. Blood and dirt ran down his fingers, but he kept going, teeth clenched.

The lion winced but did not pull away. He stood there like a condemned creature, entrusting his pain to the only one who chose not to turn away. Minutes felt like an eternity. And when the man was nearly out of strength, something happened that sent a chill down his spine.

The lion slowly lowered his massive head onto the man’s knees. As if thanking him.
And in that moment the man understood: he could no longer step back. He would fight for this lion’s life until the very end.