Even the tranquil night breeze couldn't calm Vuxta's pounding head. The dark lioness wandered aimlessly through the grass, a cramp in her throat from choking back tears. Why couldn't they understand she just wanted to be alone? A salty orb fell from her glittering amber eye, splashing into the dirt with a dull thump. The headaches have always been painful, but this one was reigning the rest. It was as if a dagger just jammed through her skull, right between her eyes... And it just wouldn't subside. Not even silence could tame it this time.
Vuxta remained hopeful. She thought if she could stay away from her family for the entire night, it'd disappear by the time the sun split the darkness the next morning. The lioness paused and scanned the area for a place to rest. But the scream in her head reminded her it'd be better to keep walking. Walking and walking. It was a good distraction. Ignoring the sudden blur in her vision, Vuxta let her mind roam the events that had brought her here. Just this morning, everyone was wearing a grin. It was the favored celebration of the year... The one day every member of her pride would exchange gifts in hopes of making new friends and perhaps find a mate... But the happiest moments of the day quickly turned foul.
Her three brothers, Iméra, Avgi, and Soúroupo began murmuring amongst themselves as they usually did when Vuxta received praise for the smallest things... And they went completely ignored. Vuxta knew they were jealous... But she didn't quite know how jealous they were. She was referred to as the Princess, though it had no political significance in the pride, it made her brothers rage. The Princess was practically buried in gifts by the first hour of the celebration. Her brothers however... Had none worth mentioning. Vuxta realized this and felt a pang of sorrow for her dear brothers. She loved them so much, but it was difficult to express it... when they snarled and turned their backs in her presence. She gazed at her pile of things... then back to her lonely brothers... And fabricated a brilliant idea that made a warm grin sprawl freely across her face.
By the end of the celebration, her brothers did end up with some gifts... Yet still nothing in comparison to the Princess. Vuxta crawled her way towards her brother's den, blanketed by the darkness of the incoming night. The secret she carried with her caused giggles to sneak their way from her maw. She couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when she gave them all the gifts she'd received that day. From the mouth of the cave she heard deep voices murmuring...
“Avgi?” She said quietly, stepping inside with caution. “Soúroupo...?”
“Oh... Princess.” Iméra hissed, three pairs of glowing orbs appearing in the black of the cave. They didn't look pleased. “We were just going to pay you a visit.”
Avgi, the boldest of the brothers, stepped forward. There was a look of malice on his face that utterly confused their poor little sister.
“Oh, well, I-...” Vuxta was cut short by Avgi's booming voice. Clattering of pebbles could be heard as the vibrations shook stones loose from the cave walls.
“We're tired of you... Taking away what we deserve. More than you ever will.” The orange fur on his muzzle rippled, revealing his shimmering blood-stained fangs.
“Avgi, I...” Vuxta was shaken, startled by her brother's deafening behavior. Her voice had lost nearly all of its volume, and she failed to make herself heard. The thunderous roar had attracted visitors, Vuxta had heard them whispering from the mouth of the den.. Soúroupo noticed them too, and worried features creased the smooth plum fur of his face. But he remained quiet. Soúroupo had always been so quiet.
“We're going to fix this, starting with putting you in your rightful place.”
Vuxta gasped, horrified as Avgi lifted a paw. Black claws emerged, revealing their razor tips and the scars of thousands of kills. Before she could even blink, the paw was slicing the air towards her face. A mysterious force brought Vuxta to the earth, screams and shrieks piercing the silent night air. That's when the headache began. Amidst the chaos Vuxta saw a blur of lions engulfing her brothers. In the next moment she was being gently carried away by the lionesses.
“It's alright,” They cooed. “we'll protect you until it's safe again. Just rest in this den with us...”
“No.” Vuxta snarled, shoving her caretakers away. She didn't want to be held... or fussed over or nursed like an infant cub. “I want to be alone. Just leave me alone.”
Then her journey began. Vuxta's painful memory ended with a whimpering sob. She had to show her brothers how much they mean to her. She gazed over her shoulder, tears streaming like rivers on her black fur. She had to tell them she loved them in a language they would understand. But the tricky part is figuring out how... without being attacked a second time.
Vuxta's tender pads began to bleed, tearing her attention away from the drumming pain in her head. She looked at her torn paws in bewilderment. Had she really been walking that long... ? The evidence said so, and she gazed at the moon's positioning to confirm her suspicions. Deciding it was time to rest for the night, Vuxta claimed a small shelter and tried to sleep. She would find her way back to the pride tomorrow... Though, her headache disagreed with this plan. The pain drilled at her skull.. as if there was an infestation of fire ants within her brain, clawing their way out with powerful toxic jaws. Vuxta sobbed, but it didn't relieve the pressure in her skull. In fact, it seemed to make it worse... Whatever was building up in her head had found a shortcut... her eyes. It was trying to remove her fragile, golden eyes...
Obviously, the night was a restless one. Vuxta couldn't stop her sobbing, and the pain refused to subside. It seemed like an eternity before she was so exhausted that slumber finally gripped her, but it didn't last long... Vuxta woke, pleased to find that the pain had mostly dulled. But in a futile attempt to lift her eyelids and find her way back home.. she realized she couldn't see. Her golden eyes had turned a haunting pale gray.
