Tangled Life (Former Seasons)

ch 36; loopholes

Louis furrows the eyebrows, while walking next Scar, with the gaze a slightly lowered.
The deer isn't sure yet. Does he wants to see Ibuki there, or not?
Despite he would feel happy to get any prove, Ibuki'd really care about him as a family member. He doesn't wants Ibuki to get hurted...
Maybe he should die as food, as he was supposed to?

They are walking outside in the gorge between cliffs, where the ground is lifeless. No grass or plants, wherever you are looking...
The ground underneath Louis' feet, burns at his bare skin. And the peebles are hurting the feet when he accidentally steps on them, in wrong direction.

Behind Scar and Louis, is three hyenas, where one of them, is laughing wickedly while another chuckles.
The third hyena, is silent and seems much more serious than the other two. Could it be 'Cause she is female, while the others are males?
Or she is only an exception among the hyenas, where she is the serious one?

"He is here-..." Scar says in low trembling voice, with excitement only Louis could hear.
Louis' voice hitched, and he looks nervously up, where his eyes wide in shock to see Ibuki.
"I-...Ibuki..." Louis mumbles with increased heartbeats.

Ibuki didn't noticed them until Scar spoke up.
He was deep in thoughts, where the past is haunting his mind.
How the guilt to cause his father's death, is grasping his body.
Being here, reminds him about the past. There he was the reason why, his father died.
The shame of killing his own father, made him to run away.
And someday when he was teenager, he got kidnapped by a group of hyenas, and got sent to Japan. There he was about to be sold as an item.
An item, where customers could choose any part of his body to themselves.
Lucky him, he got out from that place without getting hurted.
The only reminder from that place, was the tattoos on his body. Where parts of his body was marked, and with an explanation what they would do medically.

The lion with glasses, looks slowly up at them.
Despite his heart pounds a slightly faster from seeing Scar and the three hyenas, he exhales in relief from seeing Louis.
Relieved 'Cause Louis seems fine, and without any sign of being harmed.
Ibuki extends the hand slowly toward the young buck. Which Louis responds by, taking a step toward him.
But before Louis got any chance to approach him, Scar stops his steps forward by grabbing his shoulder.
The deer gasps shocked when he jolts back a little, and 'Cause he couldn't walk forward.
Ibuki inhales sharply and drops the hand, while anger starts bubbling up inside him.
When Scar could hear Ibuki's low growling, he chuckles, and clicks the tongue while shaking the head.
"Nah uh-... The deal to get back your 'son' was, you should give me that 'thing'... Remember?"
Ibuki glares at him in annoyance, clearly upset how smugly Scar is over the situation.
But since he doesn't want to take the hard way, he sighs.
"Alright-... Then you can follow me, and I will take you, to the secret place where my father hidden the crown..." Ibuki says and starts turning around.

Louis glances curiously at the smirking Scar.
No way that lion would exchange him for that 'thing'... Scar will most likely trick Ibuki.
The deer shakes the head.
"NO!" Louis protests to everyone's surprise.
Ibuki froze in middle of lifting one foot, to take another step.
Scar and the serious hyena stare shocked at the deer.
"No?" The dark furred lion asks surprised. Not sure if he should be amused or annoyed.
The two male hyenas start bursting out in loud laughing, where they start kneeling down a little.
Ibuki parts the lips and turns back to them.
Louis gulps, and clenches the hands.
"No-... Ibuki won't lead us to the hidden place..."
The lion next him, raises an eyebrow.
"Why not?-... Don't you want to survive?... If he doesn't give me the treasure, I will kill you..."
Louis nods.
"I know that... But as you said-...You only want the crown... So-...He doesn't need to take us with him... Instead he can get the thing alone..."
Scar's lips tug slowly upward, where he bursts out laughing.
"HAH!-... Don't tell me you are tired, and don't want to walk more than necessary..."
While Louis is rolling the eyes and let's out a scoff, Ibuki is eyeing him and tries understanding what Louis tries saying.
"No-... But... " Louis swallows hardly, with the heart pounding faster. Scar won't get very happy with him, after this...
The red deer exhales.
"If you want the thing-... The deal will be... Ibuki gets the crown and the exchange will happen at the airport..." he starts saying and makes Scar's smile drop.
"You will get the thing... And Ibuki and I will get on the plane right away..." he adds with a nervous smile.
The two lions wide their eyes.
Ibuki 'Cause he thinks the plan is really clever, while Scar hates how Louis found a loophole.
Scar really wanted to trick Ibuki to give him the crown, and also eat Louis.
Now he wouldn't be able to do both.