Welcome to Gaia! ::

While grateful he did not have to physically tackle them to make them stop, Orion was hurt by his aunt's words. He hated being in this position, hated seeing what this was doing to the whole pride, never mind what it was doing to his extended family. Nyota was covered in blood and she was angry—and she was going to take it out on him if he let her. He didn't have the nerve for this but Halili standing behind him, hissing at Nyota and supporting him.. he knew he had to stay exactly where he was.

There was no use denying his status as a traitor, though, it would only make her angrier.

"You can't win in a fight like this, Nyota," he said, his voice wavering, "You're outnumbered."

He didn't like standing up to Nyota this way and his anxiety was clear in his posture and his voice, but his determination kept him where he was. He would fight his aunt if he had to, to keep Halili safe.. but she had to realize this wasn't the right time or place to fight. He didn't need to see what was happening with Andama and Meshach to know they weren't going to win like this.



Once again, Andama was thrown off course and, again, the wind was knocked out of her when she hit the ground- and it didn't help that the clumsy guard who stopped her landed on top of her. She tried to growl but she had no air left in her to do it. She had to give up to regain the ability to breathe again and she quickly realized she had no hope. She had been ignored twice and twice she'd failed to get to Shangyue. Now her path was blocked and she was lucky that was all.

Suddenly, her eyes began to water as a rush of mixed emotions became overwhelming. She was sad over the loss of her parents and sister, angry at Shangyue for causing it and for his motivation, she was scared for her pride and her life and finally she was defeated. She couldn't get revenge, she couldn't change what happened or make up for it. She didn't dare look around for Meshach, she didn't make another move now.

A lot of things happened all at once. Andama was rushing for him and she was intercepted quickly and easily. The fight between Nyota and Halili was interrupted as well, and it seemed Orion was doing a fine job accepting his appointment to the royal guard now that his mate's life depended on it. And then, of course, Meshach made another attempt to get to him.

"Meshach," he said, his voice loud enough to be heard over the commotion though his words were clearly meant to taunt his uncle, to distract him so he couldn't focus on actually fighting back and getting to where Shangyue stood, "You can't win. Andama has already given up, you can see it in her eyes. Did you really think this plan would work?"

Honestly! He could offer plenty of pointers on successful assassination. The first one, of course, would be to avoid a large crowd you're not absolutely certain is willing to side with you. They'd found two allies in a crowd of dozens, even with Meshach's damning speech and clear reason. Despite this attack and attempt at his life, Shangyue's confidence was actually bolstered.

Andama blinked away her tears, still refusing to look to the part of the crowd where she knew her brother fought. She didn't like hearing Shangyue finally address them and their flawed plan. They didn't expect it to be easy, they had hoped that luck and the Great Lion would be on their side. This was the first night since Shangyue's takeover began that the Great Lion had his full attention on the pride and it didn't seem to make a difference to anybody, even Shangyue.

Suddenly, she began to struggle, giving Varinen a good shove in an effort to free herself again. She wouldn't fight anymore, Shangyue was right to say she had given up. She just had to get away from this.

The tumble had left Gaki a tad out of it for a moment. He was not as quick to his feet as the brown lion. But because he was still on the ground he was able to avoid Uchanjaa's wrath of a swipe.



Akahana, however, was in full range and took the fangs to her forearm head on. The lioness let out a roar of pain and pulled her paw back. She wasn't about to back off though. She gnashed her own fangs and made for Uchanjaa, teeth bared and all.


Mean while Gaki made it to his paws to over look the fight between the blood red lioness and brown lion. He debated cutting in, so to say, but ultimately decided to fade him self else where in to the crowd. It was dishonorable to engage on two on one. Gaki, at least, had some morals. Though they were questionable. Akahana on the other hand just wanted to neutralize the situation as fast as possible.

Meshach knew he was loosing the battle. His opponent was getting better. She nearly avoided his last attack altogether. It made things complicated when she started targeting his back legs. The purple lion would turn to move his hindquarters to safety and get in his own attack, only to find she'd followed his tail. To him it felt like he was going around and around. Now was not the time to get dizzy.

With his back legs showing the marks of Tyfu's tender attentions, he growled in frusteration. Finally instead of trying to get her with his front feet the male kicked out with both back legs. If she wanted his back legs then she could have them! He turned his head slightly to glare at his nephew when he heard his name. He couldn’t turn his full attention on the male due to continuing being harassed by Shangyue’s lackeys. Shangyue’s advice would fall on deaf ears. Meshach wasn’t trying to assassinate him; only throw the murderer out of the seat of power. To him that was a huge difference. What was more Meshach didn’t want to rule the pride once Shangyue was out. He was doing this for the pride, not himself.

“The Great Lion will see me true,” was all he said to the male. He wouldn’t believe anything he said about Andama. It was a ruse on the traitor’s part to drive despair into them.

Andama gasped when the royal guard shifted his weight and stood up. She was glad to be able to fill her lungs properly but there was much worse to worry about now. Her mind was completely made up now, she did indeed give up and she wasn't going to stay here to face whatever consequences Shangyue would put on her. She pulled herself to her feet and ran off. She was almost certain she heard Meshach speak again before she went but still couldn't bear to imagine what would happen to him now.

Shangyue turned his attention from Meshach and watched as Andama got up and ran away, mildly disappointed she didn't have any fight left in her but guessing she had more reason to run away. She had a litter of cubs to think about, Meshach would probably be willing to fight to the death. But that would be a rather annoying way to start the night.

"Let her go," he said to the lions who had gotten between Andama and himself. He was no longer worried about anyone reaching him and it showed. He turned his attention back to his uncle, ignoring the on-going fight Uchanjaa was involved in. Meshach was the only one who really needed their attention now and Firaga seemed to be taking care of it.

He decided not to say anything else now, watching with narrowed eyes and waiting for the moment when Meshach would also give up.

It was painful watching her realize that he was right, he didn't take his eyes off of his aunt as she hissed and called them all out as cowards and turned her attention to Firaga and Meshach. He believed every word she said, especially labeling him as a coward. There was no safe way to stand up for himself now, though. He did what he had to do.

When she moved, he started-- and then he followed after her with speed surprising even himself. When she lunged for one of the lions attacking Meshach, he leaped forward to throw her off path and keep her out of the fight. He didn't have time to make any sound and he acted so quickly he didn't have time to think to keep his claws sheathed.

“Don’t dare speak of me of a god you don’t know and don’t believe in slave. You understand less than you think.” He curled his lip in distaste at Firaga. There was a reason the Great Lion had turned his eye away from this one. He gave a roar. “Shangyue is NOT my king. He never will be!” His eyes flashed, not with anger, but determination. Meshach would never bow to his nephew.

The tables turned as his sister turned and fled. Firaga had managed to distract him and Andama had lost heart. He knew it might come to this, though he’d hoped the pride would rally when they heard the truth. The purple lion blinked at Nyota’s fierceness as she condemned the others; her words to Firaga encouraged him. He was grateful for her assistance, until one of the lions she’d been fighting came to stop her. It was then he completely realized this was fruitless. He needed to withdraw and bide his time.

In an instant Meshach lunged between Nyota and Orion, taking the attack meant for her on himself. He roared in pain as claws raked into his shoulder. The force sent him rolling several times before he got his paws back under his body. The purple lion looked sadly around at those he’d known. This is what it had come down too. Shangyue had won. For now. Meshach took to his heels and fled.

Gairnéad had been watching in silent amazement at the chaos that had erupted in front of the Heir. He did know one or two of the lions involved, and was utterly amazed at this side he'd never even suspected they possessed. The sheer violence of the combatants' attacks on each other surpassed anything the maroon lion had ever seen in his life, stampedes included. These lions were intentionally attempting to rip each other to shreds, and for what?

Well, okay, he could understand the whole upset about murder thing. But what was done was done, right? Maybe he didn't understand it so well because he'd never known a family member to die, but Gairnéad had been born and raised a rogue, and it was not at all uncommon to find dead lions lying around. Sometimes you couldn't even tell what they'd died of.

When the one lioness stopped fighting, he wondered if he and Mzi might be safe. Then another lion broke and ran after more discussion. Gair finally stepped back to his place at Mzi's side, feeling that they might be safe at last.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was Andama who gave up first. Caritas suspected she was one of the few who understood the Princess' motivation. There were four very good reasons, probably all curled up in a pile together, hidden away safely. And missing their mother greatly, with any luck.

Being a mother herself, despite the fact that her sons were grown, the black lioness couldn't blame her cousin in the least. She only hoped that the bloodshed had ended, and that no lives would be taken tonight or any other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His paws caught only air, but his teeth sank into flesh and muscle. Of course, that meant that the lioness he'd grabbed had her own mouth free to fasten on him in return, and Uchanjaa roared in pain as most of one ear got chomped in the confusion. He dropped the lioness' leg as he opened his mouth, and swatted at her muzzle with his claws, trying to get her off the appendage.

The drama being played out between Shangyue and Meshach, and the minor one between Nyota, Halili and Orion were all background noise, and quickly forgotten.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gealach made a face as his brother cautioned him to be quieter. It wasn't as if he'd said anything particularly bad! But Sameah was still talking, so the lion swallowed his retort and listened as attentively as a young male could while there were fights going on nearby.

"So you think that if, uh, someone else were King, the fighting would end?" the dark lion asked curiously. Such an idea hadn't occurred to him. Then again, up until tonight he'd been doing what his brother had considered - hiding in his den while the pride underwent total chaos.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lailah was about to snap at Lilo for showing no respect at all to a Prince of the Mwezi'Johari when Hagryphus showed up out of nowhere, which was something of a feat for a gold lioness. The white lioness was thankful for the Midwife's sudden appearance, if only because it saved her from making a fool of herself by getting involved in a stupid, pointless argument.

"Good evening, Hagryphus," she responded automatically before going back to the question that had been asked of her.

"He must have been preparing for some time before King Thoth was killed. That dark lion, Firaga, joined the pride a bit before that tragic event. As did many of these other supporters he seems to have," Lailah commented, still watching the unfolding drama before them. No one had died yet, but there was a lot of blood getting sprayed around.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The black lioness had begun to smile once more with her increasing success at scoring on Meshach's hindquarters when the purple lion abruptly stopped trying to dodge her blows. She had a moment or two to wonder what was wrong, and then she didn't have to ask anymore as the pair of legs she'd been tormenting took her solidly in the belly. Tyfu was thrown back, sorely winded.

She heard Firaga's confident whisper, but wasn't sure if Meshach was really listening. The lioness also heard her master's voice, but he was speaking about a lioness, saying to "let her go". Which meant that she was to continue fighting, as far as Tyfu was interpreting. Unfortunately, Meshach made a decisive choice before she could even get back to her feet, turning and running like the coward he was. The black lioness hissed her displeasure, but secretly was relieved that she'd be able to get her breath back and stand at her leisure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halili laughed, harsh, almost broken sound, at Nyota's words. The older lioness was threatening them with the Great Lion's abandonment? Slaves? What a joke.

"Isn't that what this is all about?" she asked aloud, lavender eyes crinkling in painful amusement. "The Great Lion does not watch over those of us in the low class. He does not bless us. So how could he abandon us, when he does not keep us to begin with?"

The beige lioness might have broken down in hysterical tears if not for the suddenness of Nyota's charge towards Firaga and Orion's instant attack on the blue female. If there was anything Halili had decided tonight, it was that her beloved was not getting into any fight without backup from her! Some of the tears leaked out anyway as she screamed a warcry and tackled the other lioness from Orion's side.

She was too focused to notice that Orion's attack hit not Nyota, but Meshach and the results of that strange contest.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was, once again, pure luck that 'Varinen happened to be looking in the right direction to see Firaga's signal, indicating that he and any other Royal Guards should join in the attack on Meshach. Unfortunately, the rest of the monochrome lion's luck soured again as the Prince took off into the night. 'Varinen made a face at his poor timing.

Well, at least he'd kept Princess Andama from getting to Shangyue. That was good, right?

Akahana took the swat to the face and released the brown males ear. A gasp of surprise, anger and pain escaped her. Shangyues voice had the blood red lioness pausing for a moment. Get them under control was heard loud and clear. A sinister smile unfolded on the lionesses maw and she lunged for the brown male with both claws and jaws.

Under orders to get them under control, Gaki returned to the fight despite his own reservations about fair fighting. Shangyue was who had won his loyalty and he'd promised to aid in any way he could. While against his own beliefs, he too went for the brown male along side Akahana. Business was business.