|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 2:42 am
 |
|
|
 |
Liuhe couldn't hide his confused look when prompted by Yueyun to comment on the battle with Meshach. There was no obvious answer to that, if Yueyun imagined there was one then Liuhe was definitely not smart enough to figure it out. But he'd come here expecting to wing it so.. he said the only thing he could think of.
"Kind of disappointing, if you ask me," he said awkwardly, glancing from Yueyun to Shangyue, "All that build up and Meshach didn't even put up a good fight."
His answer was honest, though incomplete.. and likely to be misinterpreted by their father.
Of the two of them, Shangyue was more familiar with Liuhe and Liuhe was obviously acting strangely but the king lumped that in with the disturbing spectacle of the evening. Meshach had done better this time, he'd actually managed to reach the king, had drawn blood.. he was not inclined to be forgiving but Parisa was right, now was the time to try to draw back and let the pride see it did not have to choose to fight.
"Disappointing," Shangyue repeated, glancing away from his sons and off in the distance thoughtfully, "And interesting choice of words."
He'd won, it was hard for Shangyue to be disappointed. Meshach had been easy to beat but the king had intended for that, planned for that. The fight with Uchanjaa, on the other hand, was marvelous. It'd been so long since he'd been in a good fight, and this one had been far more satisfying than when he blinded his father.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 2:56 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:13 am
|
|
|
|
Liuhe's heart began to race as his father looked away, his mind following the exact same logic as his brother-- and when the locked eyes, he knew this was it. They were so close to having back-up, so close to not being forced to do this.. but perhaps it was better that way. Shangyue killed his parents, his grandparents, his son.. this was exactly what he deserved.
He tensed, mentally reviewing everything he had ever learned from their grandfather and what there had been to learn from the fight earlier in the night- it was all a horrible blur against the rush of adrenaline that burst through him as he watched, as if in slow motion, Yueyun lunge.
Shangyue turned his head back towards his sons, seeing Liuhe's panic a split second before he realized Yueyun was lunging at him. He roared in surprise as he was shoved unexpectedly to the ground-- there was no chance to use this momentum to his advantage, no way to convince his aching muscles to catch him. He simply hit the ground, completely stunned.
Time seemed frozen for Liuhe as he watched the king hit the ground and stall, processing what was happening. It wasn't until he began to move defensively, letting out a more aggressive roar, that the prince snapped out of his stupor and lunged forward as well. While Shangyue was busy worrying about Yueyun, he was foolishly forgetting about Liuhe. The king had not hesitated to go for the most vulnerable areas of his opponents that night, and Liuhe did the same. Shangyue was strong and determined, there was significant chance he would get back on his feet.. but if his head could not come with them, he would be stuck..
So the prince lunged for his father, narrowly avoiding the paws flailing to get him righted and fend off Yueyun, and aimed his claws right for the king's face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:26 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:38 am
|
|
|
|
Seeing stars as Liuhe's paws pressed into his eyes, feeling the claws dig into his face.. flailing wildly in an effort to get himself righted against the surprise attack-- his sons, his own sons! He should have known! He'd always known. He'd never wanted to produce an heir so soon, if he hadn't been so careless-- no, if he hadn't let the others convince him something more needed to be done than taking Antara--
All at once, Shangyue stopped moving. It was hard to submit, to still his paws when he knew he needed to get himself righted to stand a chance.. but above all else in this, he doubted their resolve. It made sense now, why Yueyun had been nervous. They didn't truly have this in them.
Liuhe felt his father go limp beneath his paws and for a moment, his grip on the king's face tightened in anticipation of some sudden strike as he gathered his strength inward-- but it didn't happen immediately. He made the mistake of glancing to Yueyun and in that moment, Shangyue pulled his head free. Liuhe was left scrambling to hold him down again but his target was too small, his focus too narrow.
With his head free and Yueyun working so chaotically, Shangyue had his only chance to gain the upper hand here- and with a grunt against the pain of it, he shoved at Yueyun in an effort to get Yueyun away from him and get himself away from both of his sons. It all happened in the blink of an eye after he went still-- now he just had to get to his feet and he stood a chance.
His vision was blurry but he could see his target- it took absolutely no thought to know Yueyun was the one to focus on. Liuhe had a better grasp on fighting but he cared about his brother and that would be his weakness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:03 am
|
|
|
|
Nonononono he was getting up this wasn't working they needed to want this...staggering back slightly, Yueyun was confronted with the cold hard fact that if one of them didn't hit something real, something vital, Shangyue wouldn't even be incapacitated. And if he wasn't, they were going to die. Liuhe was still going for the face--if he could hit, he realized the king would maybe be blinded by blood at the least, but his brother wasn't having much luck. He needed to do something, now.
He could see the murder in his father's eyes as they locked onto him. His resolve hardened. With a roar louder than he would have ever thought possible, he lunged to the side, attempting to bypass his father's front and his brother's efforts. Instead he tried to grapple Shangyue's abdomen, the claws of one paw trying to dig in deep to the softest place the prince could think of--his belly. The other paw, and snapping teeth, fought to gain purchase in his father's back as he tried his hardest to disembowel the older male.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:23 am
|
|
|
|
At Yueyun's roar, Liuhe reacted. The purple prince got hold of the king's middle and Liuhe lunged forward and twisted around keep the king's front end under control. He put all of his weight down on his father's neck, determined to keep his sharp teeth away from Yueyun while he put himself so close.
Shangyue barely had time to get to his feet when Yueyun was upon him again-- followed closely by Liuhe. It was an awful strain but he had to fight it- Yueyun was closest to his teeth, easiest to access-- he could almost get hold but every time he did, Liuhe was tearing at his ears or clawing at his eyes. The instinct to curl inward was all that kept Yueyun from his goal. He could feel the claws tearing at him but Liuhe was keeping the wrong part open.
He could feel their mistake, knew exactly what they were doing wrong-- but the things they were doing wrong were done so well, there was nothing he could do about it. Old wounds reopened, fresh wounds burned, if he had much of his ears left he'd be surprised.. and yet on it went.
"Liuhe! Yueyun!"
Kimondo had been among the last found by Behram- and when she hurried toward the royal den, there were already several scuffles going. She had no interest at all in them. The princes had found their opening, they may not have been able to wait for help-- she didn't know if Tamaa had made it, if anybody with experience had stepped in.. and the sight that greeted her by the time she found her friends was horrific. They had him subdued, though barely, and had the same disorganized style of an adolescent learning to hunt.
The initial shock dissipated quickly and she went right into hunt mode. In that moment, it was no different. Her prey was there, the others almost had it but they needed the help.
With a snarl, she lunged forward- aiming between the brothers and directly to the king's exposed throat. It was far from easy getting through his mane but the way they had his extremities occupied.. it was much easier than it could have been. And it was over in an instant.
Shangyue's struggle ended abruptly when Kimondo got her teeth into his throat. He fought hard while his idiot sons failed to finish the job but he recognized mercy when it came to him- he went limp and the life drained out of him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:35 am
|
|
|
|
A snarl he didn't recognize at first, movement in the periphery of his vision. At first, he thought that guards had come at last to end their attempt at regicide. And then...and then...the fight went out of his father in a terrible, final way, somehow different from his false submission a moment ago. Stomach sinking, somehow knowing, Yueyun released his grip and shoved himself to his feet. Eyes hollow, he looked to the lioness as he spat out fur, recognizing Kimondo now that he could see her. Then he looked back to the king. Unmoving. Lifeless. They...they had done it. Shangyue's reign had ended as it had begun, in blood and violence.
Starting to shake from his feet on up, the (former?) prince barely had time to turn before his stomach violently emptied itself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:45 am
|
|
|
|
Liuhe barely had time to register Kimondo's arrival before she was in the fray and made quick work of it. As his father's body went limp, the prince followed until he too was on the ground-- he looked down and was immediately thankful a paw had gone in front of his father's face as he steadied himself. He could feel the blood all over his face, he could taste it.. in any other situation, he might have been impressed by how expertly Kimondo had managed to finish that. But he could barely form thoughts.
He glanced at Kimondo, barely registering her presence or the state of her before looking to Yueyun.. just in time to see him shakily get to his feet and then get sick.
Kimondo had quickly disengaged and put several steps between herself and the others. The reality of what happened was sinking in. She had not been expecting it, to take part in any of the violence.. but now it was over, the three of them had accomplished something others had spent years trying to do. And she could barely look at Yueyun as he vomited and a glance was more than enough at the bloody and stunned Liuhe.
"I- I'm sorry," she said, closing her eyes and choosing just to look at none of it for now.
While Kimondo analyzed the situation and stammered out an apology, Liuhe got himself away from his father's body and started testing his shaky limbs. He sputtered, though there was nothing in his mouth to get out except the taste.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:59 am
|
|
|
|
Breath coming in harsh pants, Tamaa practically skidded to a stop near the group. He'd begun moving as soon as word got to him, but broken into a sprint as soon as he'd heard the roars coming from the royal dens. Too late to be of any help, it seemed...but he hardly cared, because he was viewing a sight he'd worked half his life to see. That Umepatwa had died trying to accomplish.
Shangyue was dead.
At first he wanted to grin--it was done! Things could get better now that they no longer thad a king that would violently quash any voices of dissent. And best of all, his friend was avenged in some measure. But a look around stilled that impulse. Kimondo was awkward, and the princes...well. They weren't doing well. Was there anything he could do, or say? ...Maybe. Feeling incredibly self-conscious, he coughed to gain their attention. "For what it's worth...I think Umepatwa would be proud of you. All of you."
Not that the princes had known him. Still, it was all he could offer.
---
Yueyun glanced up, recognizing the blond spotted male from the strike. He had taken over for Umepatwa, then. His words were like a fly's buzzing--the prince was too much in shock to make much sense of them at the moment. Numb, he looked from Tamaa, to Kimondo, to Shangyue's body, and finally to Liuhe. Unsteadily, he made his way over to his eldest brother and offered a shoulder to lean against, unsure if he trusted himself to speak just yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:07 am
|
|
|
|
Kimondo opened her eyes against when she heard Tamaa speak, looking at him and offering an awkward sort of smile. He was right. This is what Umepatwa had wanted, what he had given his life for.. this moment, when the pride was free of a murderous king who did whatever he pleased and ruled by fear. That was over now.
"We need to get word to Meshach and my mother," she said carefully, glancing from the Tamaa to the princes and back, "We need to find the shaman."
Liuhe stepped around Shangyue's body and met Yueyun, leaning against his brother with a sigh. Tamaa spoke and the words rang in Liuhe's ears.. they didn't register.. not nearly as quickly as the words Kimondo said. She was right. Without a king, the shaman was all they had.
"Are you OK, Yueyun?" he asked, looking to his brother.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:20 am
|
|
|
|
"You find your mother," Tamaa offered, "And I'll get the shaman." Kimondo's mother would probably know where to find Meshach, too. Feeling unbearably awkward remaining--he might be a hunter, but that was still a dead body, and a rather torn-up one at that--he took off at a brisk pace before the huntress could countermand him.
---
Taking long shuddering breaths, Yueyun tried to look everywhere but at Shangyue's body. His eyes kept wanting to slide back to it, though, like a tongue wanting to poke at a sore tooth. "Not really..." he admitted, eyes dull, voice pained. "Not too long ago, I thought he was pretty okay--he was our dad--and now..." He couldn't finish, but the thought still hounded him. We've killed him. We've done the same thing he did, and are we really all that different?
He had a feeling that it would be a long time before meals stopped being a trial.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:29 am
|
|
|
|
There was no easy answer for what Yueyun said. Liuhe was in the exact same situation, he had an argument with the very lioness who had spared them the gruesome task of finishing off the king. He had blamed the rebels, defended his father's actions, saw only the good in what had come of it and ignored the bad. His fresh view of the world was still shaky at best and still, he had taken part in something so awful and so final..
"We did the right thing," he said, sounding far more sure of himself than he felt, "Especially after what we saw today.. I have no doubts. We did the right thing."
Kimondo nodded as Tamaa took up the task of tracking down the shaman, knowing it made more sense for her to go looking for her own mother.. but she couldn't just leave the princes here. She turned and looked at them sadly. Their grief was plain as day.
"Come on," she said, "I won't leave you alone but I need to go find my mother. Behram should be back, let's go find him and .. get away from here."
She hoped their cousin was an acceptable choice. She had no idea where their remaining family members were, she had not seen any sign of the Queen or other princes and princesses. Word would already be starting to spread, especially after all of the commotion and the silence that followed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:38 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:46 am
|
|
|
|
Liuhe nodded when Kimondo suggested going to find Behram. For how much better he seemed to be doing than his brother, he still felt like a lost cub and he was grateful the other lioness was there to guide them. It was some consolation knowing that this feeling of disgust and horror made all the difference. Nobody could tell him they were no better than his father now, his father had walked away from death like nothing.. so many times, including earlier in the night.
Suddenly he stumbled.
"Firaga," he said, "The royal guards-- someone will need to do something about them."
Kimondo walked slowly, leading them away patiently. She stopped and turned when Liuhe reminded them that there still lions to be wary of, and she nodded.
"Don't worry, Meshach and the others will be able to handle it," she said, "Everything will be OK."
She wasn't sure they believed her, Yueyun especially, but it needed to be said. Multiple times, most likely. The worst was over, just like Shangyue had said. The sheer volume of rebels would make any straggling loyalists easy to handle. It would be fine.
Fin!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
