Xabryel bounced on the tips of his paws on top of a rock, doing his best to remain balanced. He wasn't having much luck of it, and frequently had to fix his position before giving it another go. The process didn't bother the little cub. His mothers were undoubtedly off napping somewhere while father did something with grandpa. It had been lonely by himself, until he found the rock!
Now he was King of the rock! His bright eyes surveyed his kingdom with glee. Right over there! That leaf was his Queen and that beetle was his enemy, the scary Bugaloo-Bug. A little yippy growl slipped out when he fell of his stone. Oh no! What if Bugaloo-Bug took his throne?
How promising.
At first, Xandeleigh had no interest in watching Safi's brat, and he had been even less inclined to give him to her. However, the parents had needed a little break and she was bored. Besides, she wanted to see if this one was worthy of her cause.
If he was, she might just have to steal him away. Pity.
He was possessive, that much was sure. He hadn't stopped growling at that beetle from the moment it had come near the stone. Although, "growl" was a strong word. What he was doing was much, much tamer than a growl and twice as adorable. "He's going to take it from you, Xabryel. He'll steal it away, and you'll be left with nothing. You'll be all alone, and he'll probably kill you. What are you going to do about it?"
Bry looked up at his Auntie, and panicked. Alone? Like he was before she found him? He didn't like being alone, no, no no. And even if he didn't understand what "kill" meant, he was sure it was bad too.
He turned back to the beetle with a look of concentration. The two stared at each other for ages, neither making a move until Bry stepped out to grab it up in his mouth. At first, he felt good, like he'd done something worth being proud about, until it pinched his tongue in it's pinsors.
The little cub wailed out. "Ahhhh! Wahsa waaahhhh!" He shook his head from side to side, and ultimately fell down when he became dizzy. By this point, tears were pouring out of his eyes and a thick line of snot was trailing from his nose.
Xandeleigh looked down into his pleading eyes, so full of genuine terror, reaching out to ensnare her with his innocence with a look of complete apathy. She got to her paws and crossed the distance. With a rough flick of her claw, she free him from the beetle and cut his lip in the process.
"Stop your sniveling and do it again." She pointed at the beetle. "You are now aware that your enemy will fight back, and you should be prepared." Xandeleigh snarled. Weakness would not be tolerated within her ranks, and she would expect absolute submission.
Xabryel couldn't get over the pain in his lip. The scratch across the top of it was shallow, but it stung and there was blood in his mouth. He sniffled, and brought a paw up to his face to smear it all across his maw. Where was Papa? He made bad things go away, and he really wanted this big meanie to vanish.
He hesitantly padded over to the beetle, careful to stay low and keep an eye on her. When he was close enough, he put his paw on top of it and look up at her with an uneasy expression.
"Now press down until the weight of your paw crushes its shell." Xandeleigh couldn't believe how obstinate this cub was being. Even younglings new how to follow an order, and yet he was paused, looking up at her with doe eyes.
It was sickening.
"Do it! KILL IT!" She snarled, snapping her fangs at him in anger.
Xabryel couldn't do it. He didn't fully understand what she was asking of him, and the whole situation was terrifying to him. So, he pulled in on himself and cried. He wanted his mommas! And Papa! Anyone besides this big, mean lady.
He couldn't take it if she yelled at him again. Xabryel covered his head with his paws and pushed himself as close to the ground as possible, willing himself to disappear.
Xandeleigh curled his lip. "You're pathetic. An absolute waste of space. I'll be surprised if your father doesn't leave you to die in the river." That got another string of wailing from the boy. The older lioness cocked her head to the side. Maybe it was his youth that was causing the boy to act like this? Didn't boys usually have more willpower than this?
It was like she was trying to train some dainty Princess. "Let's find your father. I'm done babysitting you."
He screamed when she picked him up in her mouth. Her fangs were rough against his skin, and when he fought against her grip, she only tightened her hold. This wasn't like how his parents carried him; this was much, much worse.
The blood from his cut had already begun to dry, giving him a nasty dark red ring around his mouth. When questioned by his father later, he would lie and say that he'd been fed from a prey beast. Better to have that, than to make her angry again.
If all cubs were as pathetic as this one, Xandeleigh didn't think she would be able to do it. In order to have an army, she would have to raise one, and if she couldn't handle infancy, then she very well might not have an army after all.
It made her gag. Cubs were nasty, disgusting little brats. As soon as she found Safi, she was dropping this thing off and never volunteering ever again. Especially for this twerp. He had no potential whatsoever, she was convinced, and for that she blamed the overwhelming leopard influence in the family.
Bingo.
Xandeleigh grinned. All she had to do was purify her family, and he would be worthy again. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? Brilliant! And the sooner she dropped off Xabryel, the sooner she could start preparing for his dark, dark future.
(WC: 1049)
