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 Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:38 am
Kimeti growled. "How dare you! Putting down your ancestry as you have! That lioness behind you is not worthy to be a part of this pride and should be honored that she was considered good enought o be a slave and now you have joined with her, plotting against your own pride! I won't have this Kidondo!" Kimeti advanced upon his son, using his bulk to keep the younger lion where he wanted him.
"This pride has survived on its own for centuries! Never have we needed any outside help! We have flourished on our own and will continue to do so, growing stronger with each passing day. Training or no, we are still the strongest pride to walk these lands and we have the Goddess Finar-si watching over us!" By this point Kimeti's face is riht up in Kidondo's his breath rustling his son's ever-growing mane. "That lioness of yours will face the consequences aswill you for talk of treason."
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:08 pm
To this, No stepped forward. A rush of blood was thrumming behind her ear and veins like a fire, but she was surprised to find that she did not shake. She did not feel rushed. They were in very real danger now, there was no hiding that. But when had they not been? The black cat moved from Kidondo- but not so much as to openly warrant a retaliation by Kimeti. She knew it was her the outraged king had his eyes on now.
“Turning a blind eye to the outside world will ride you until your end, but if you care about your kingdom and your progency then you would know that even as we speak the outside world flourishes like a wildfire! The plague is over in every land but this- and the thrumming masses outside grow hungrier for land as their children multiply and grow anxious for power. How long do you think it will be until they realize that the great firekin are hiding behind rocks in the sun and have thrown their fates to the gods?”
"Your son speaks nothing of treason. And I am no slave." She articulated, and jutted her head forward.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:15 am
They were in a very dangerous situation, Kidondo knew that, but he had no idea how to get out of it. His father's massive form held the entrance blocked and there was no escape. Maybe if he could distract his father long enough No could escape. She could run to the jungle and hide there safe from the Firekin who might otherwise tear into her.
He remained silent as No spoke, gritting his teeth as his father cursed her and belittled her. Did he not see her elegance? Her beauty? If she had been born a true Firekin she would have been the most esteemed female of all.
His heart thumped with affection for her and he was suddenly terrified of losing her. However, having his father's face so close to his own threw him off balance a little. He knew his father's power and he feared it. Kidondo was really no match in a physical onslaught. All he could truly hope for now was his father's mercy but that was slipping now as he realised that Kimeti was simply growing angrier and angrier.
"Treason!? Father! I'm trying to protect our Pride, don't you understand? I love this pride will all of my heart. I don't want it to fall!" He rounded sideways, away from No so as maybe to distract his father long enough for her to escape.
He gave her a fleeting look, but in that second there was a clear message of what he wanted her to do.
"Father. Don't you understand what I'm trying to say?" He replied desperately. "I'm trying to help. I'm trying to make the Firekin stronger!" He swallowed back his fear and tried to think of anything that might distract his father, anything.
"If you go on underestimating the outsiders then one day you will meet your end by them. They grow stronger every day father, stronger than you could imagine." He flattened his ears and drew in a deep breath. "In some ways they are superior to us and I know this because I have spent many days with one. I have seen her strengths, I have seen her stamina and witnessed her intelligence. I fell in love with her."
He flinched.
Ripuka was growing more and more agitated by the minute. The voices from the dens rang clear and true, thick with anger and desperation.
She heard the voice of the slave and felt herself trembling with fear. What would they do with no heir? She knew there were other siblings but to think of one of those untaught creatures taking over chilled her heart. No, no, Kimeti could have another litter, a better one!
She barely noticed Ny approaching, not until she spoke. Ripuka turned on her, snarling angrily. She couldn't let anyone else hear what she did - though by now it was highly likely the whole pride had stirred.
"Ny!" She growled, relaxing a little. It was okay, this was one of the cubs she had spoken to herself, the girl who showed spirit despite her lack of red. "Treason, Ny, Treason. Listen for yourself and witness what such a crime brings." Her hackles were up as she swung her head back to the dens.
Then Kidondo's declaration of love came and Ripuka felt truly heartbroken. Her prince....her lord...when had he strayed from her teachings? Why hadn't she noticed?
"Oh...Kidondo." She sunk to the sand.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:13 am
At Ripuka's words Ny turned to look in at the arguing and she smirked though it was a smile inside. She wasn't going to show her support for the prince and his girl who she decided she had been right about and that if the prince had become a king then she would have been a queen.
She kept her mouth shut about it though, the last thing she needed was to be chucked out the pride while bearing cubs.
The white female had trouble keeping her mouth shut, Ripuka's snarls got Ny's defences up which probably looked good as it seemed everyone was getting angry at the prince other then No.
Ny lowered her body a little before turning to Ripuka once more after the declaration was made. It wasn't a smart move for the prince to take and it seemed impossible now that he would ever rule the pride.
"Ripuka. Who will rule if Kidondo does not?" She spoke softly and in a confused sort of tone with a little bit of disapointment thrown in, she just hoped it was convincing.
Ny wanted to talk to Kidondo and No but knew she could not. What was going to happen to their plan now though? She decided worry wasn't best, what would come would come and by then she would have trained her own cubs up to help, if it took that long.
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Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 7:38 am
Kimeti'ss rath turned from Kidondo to No. Eyes a blaze he pushed his son to the side, eyes a blaze. "You have no say in this slave!" Claws dug into the sand as the itch to strike the lioness grew more and more powerful. One good swipe would take the female to the ground then he could himself and his son of her. There was still a hope in his heart that if he got rid of the female his son's mind would return to it's natural state and Kidondo would realize what he was talking about. "Any onslaught pon my ruling is treason no matter who it comes from." Eyes turned to Kidondo as this was spoken but Kimeti did not move from his place in front of No.
"The pride is strong!" Kimeti spat out. "You have no idea what this pride grew from! The Firekin were wipped down to just my mother, my siblings and me. I brought this prideback from extinction and I will not have my son who knows nothing of trial and tribulations to questionmy authority and ways of ruling!" He turned his gaze back to No. "And I will rid the pride of the pest that has taken it upon herself to corrupt the heir!"
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:50 am
No tensed her jaw and felt her skin prickle. Kimeti was coming for her, but she wasn’t about to shrink away. She was done with being a slave. In fact- she was done with being a child. If she was to fight for a people who she had adopted like-it-or-not, she wasn’t about to look like she had nothing to show for it. “You brought them back, but it’s no use if outsiders crush it all! You should listen to your son, or see the outside for yourself.” She snapped.
He’d be coming closer now- and briefly, the black cat flicked her eyes towards Kidondo. How were they going to make it out of this one?
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:59 am
He met No's gaze and his heart was in his mouth. What could he do? What could he possibly do? Could he defend her with his life? Would he fight to the death to save her? He had gotten her into this mess and he'd be damned if he didn't get her out of it.
"Father." And his body shuddered with pent up rage, fear and grief. "Father. Apparently my love for you means nothing. You cannot see what I propose is our best path. You have been blind and you will always be blind but I will not submit anymore. Make a martyr of me if you wish it, but leave No out of this."
He closed his eyes for a moment and flinched his whiskers forward. "You cannot even see within the boundaries of our lands, let alone to the outside world. You have deafened yourself to the whisperings of our Pride and have ignored their worries for far too long. I will stand and my voice alone will speak for them. We are a dying breed, father. Why do you pretend otherwise?" He hissed then and flung himself forwards, claws unsheathed and fangs beared. Had it come to this? Were father and son truly going to clash in a physical fight to the death?
If his death meant No's life, then so be it. He would die with honour.
"Kimeti is still young. He shall mate again." Ripuka hissed, lowering herself too. Her ears flattened against her skull and suddenly she wished she was not hear to witness this.
If only she had been deaf instead of half-blind.
"His second litter shall be stronger, better. It will be perfect." She was mumbling now, talking as if trying to convince herself. "None of us will make the same mistakes with their upbringing and none of them will be allowed to leave, especially the eldest. The heir." She was bitterly upset about Kidondo's change of heart and she felt almost crushed on the inside.
Her hops and dreams had died and now it felt hopeless. Completely hopeless.
Was this truly the end for their kind now? She had a feeling that it was and it almost killed her to think of it.
"Ny..." The elder croaked. "My dear Ny. You may have less red on you than most, but you show spirit. You have the heart of a Firekin. If a cub such as yourself can be born then there is still hope for us."
If only she knew...
If only the old fool knew.
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Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:22 am
Ny listened to the old lionesses mumblings while keeping one ear on the argument, she didn't want to miss out on anything that was said.
Ripuka's words hit her hard though and she suddenly felt as if she was betraying the old lioness and it was true, completely true. Ny was on the side of the prince and his love not the Kings. She just sighed and said nothing not for a while anyway.
"Maybe the slaves are just getting too strong..." She mumbled the words but shook her head, she had to hold the act of being on the kings side for the cubs that she held inside her. "I am sure Kimeti will find a rightful heir." She didn't say anything to the lioness about what she had said about her. Ny couldn't face the sadness it gave her, knowing that Ripuka would be one that she would fight one day, but for now she could use it as an oppportunity.
"Whatever happens Ripuka, I carry my own cubs which you can teach untill the king has another litter, then you can practice to help with the next litter." Ny hoped Ripuka would agree, it was a bad place to ask but it would keep Ny's cubs safe untill a time came when all would rebel though looking at the picture in front of her she wasn't sure it would happen at all.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:56 am
He could not see what his son and thia slave were telling him. It was a hopeless battle for the two youngin's. They were speaking to a lion who had been one of the few to survive the plague within the desert. Kimeti had lived through hardship and in his mind, the pride was flourishing and in well condition. That knowledge brought pride to the King. He had been the one to revive the pride and he'd be damned if he was going to let his son break that apart!
The rage building in the King was enough to blind. Anger swirled within the King's eyes as muscles tensed. In a quick swift motion, Kimeti's paw rose and lashed out at Kidondo's face. The contact knocked the youth to the sandy floor of the cave where Kimeti pinned his son. "You are no longer a member of this pride...and you are no longer my son. My son died the day he stepped foot outside of the pride." Letting his paw rest on his son's pinned body, the King's claws dug into the young flesh before Kimeti pulled away. Anger still radiating from his body. "Leave! And take your slave with you!"
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 6:12 am
No’s body lurched as Kimeti suddenly switched his attention from her to Kidondo, faster then No’s heart was prepared to take in. The great king lurch the paw that had been so squarely aimed at her and struck Kidondo in the face, taking him down in such a ferocity and continuing to puncture his chest with black claws even after the fact. A strangled snarl tore across her throat at the same speed a whip lash of adrenaline hit her body; but somewhere in the frenzy she froze long enough to hear Kimeti speaking. That fool! How could he say such things to his own son! Damn his own pride! But she knew better then to test the situation. They needed more help; for now, the plan was to escape this alive.
The moment the king withdrew, the black cat moved forward and stepped over the felled Kidondo. She kept herself hovering above him, both to give the king another target should he grow more agitated, and to ward Kidondo from retaliating.
When nothing more was said and the king continued to pace with rage, No gave a gentle push in the direction of the cave opening. Now wasn’t the time to fight.
But there sure as hell would be.
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 10:35 am
It was quicker than even he could follow and in barely a second, Kidondo was being forced to the ground, pinned beneath his father's hulking weight. He felt the pain of claws lash in his body and wanted to cry out in pain. However, he did not. Instead he remained silent, his eyes scrunched closed as he lay subdued to his father's wrath.
Any moment now...any moment and his throat would be torn.
He was aware of No's body but dare not open his eyes in case he witnessed his father atttacking her too.
Then Kimeti spoke and the young adolescent realised that perhaps he was not such a tyrant after all. No. There was mercy in the King, a mercy that he was showing now when he could so easily have killed him.
A shame that mercy was going to be one of Kimeti's biggest mistakes.
He dragged himself to his paws as he was released and flexed his whiskers as he tried to hiss with anger. Instead he remained quiet and followed No's guidance out into the fresh air. The light was almost blinding and he almost missed the two lionesses watching on. Ny and Ripuka. Oh Ripuka. He could see the anger in her good eye but there was something else there too...a terrible sadness that he never thought he'd see in the steely lionesses' face.
Trusting that No would follow, Kidondo took off, though this would not be the last time that he stepped on these lands.
She watched him leave with a breaking heart and wished that this had been but a dream. Deep down Ripuka knew that what she desired would never come to pass.
The land was changed and the Pride along with it.
One day the ways of the Firekin would be lost and she would have no place in this world. She turned sadly to regard Ny and there were unshed tears in her eyes. "I wish you were my child." She whispered. And if she had known the treachery in Ny's heart, who knows, maybe Ripuka would have died of a broken heart that day.
"You have witnessed a great tragedy today Ny...you have witnessed the end of our Pride." And with that the old lady stalked off. She was too old for this.
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Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 11:48 pm
Ny watched curiously, not showing any true emotion untill Ripuka spoke and it felt as if something twisted her heart. She felt so guilty that she would betray the old female but right now, Ny knew it would be best for her cubs to follow the prince and not the king.
She just nodded at the old female and as Ripuka left Ny turned to leave, she felt wounded but she had to do what was best for the cubs growing inside her. She still had a message for the king but now wasn't the right time to talk about the sister he banished.
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