Straight-Up Not Having A Good Time At Night Raven College: Chapter 2

Chapter 16: A Portrait Spying

Through Kat's closed eyelids, she saw the dusty mirror above the fireplace shimmer.
Rippling with light, it drew her in into darkness.
.....Oh, good.
She was dreaming again.

This time, as the monochrome scenery faded in, it looked like the inside of some huge, rocky cavern...
And, apparently, she'd been dropped right in the middle of some kind of musical number.
Because... Why not, right?

"--So prepare for the chance of a lifetime," the singer belted proudly in a dry, sophisticated British accent, pacing back and forth on top of a ridge of stone.
"Be prepared for SENSATIONAL news!"

The singer...
It was a lion.
For... Some reason.

This-- definitely wasn't the lion from her other dream...
This lion had a rangier, longer build than the first.
That wasn't to say that it wasn't intimidating, though...
In fact, it-- or he, judging by the dark, coarse mane rippling across the thin shoulders-- was... Kind of scary.

The way he moved, the taut, sinewy muscles flowing beneath his hide...
And his eyes.
Sharp, cunning, wicked...
And a pale scar slashing diagonally across his left eye.
Well-- that was familiar...

"A shining new era is tiptoeing nearer," he continued, shaking his mane back.

"And where do WE feature?" Another voice-- sardonic and possibly female-- complained.

Kat realized there were... Other animals in the cavern..
A crowd of them, milling around in almost an 'audience', looking up at the lion.
They were roughly dog-shaped creatures with spotted hides, large ears and short, rough manes along their spines.
One of them-- presumably the one who'd just spoken-- sat towards the front of the crowd, scowling up at the singer.

"Just listen to teacher," the lion almost purred, crouching at the edge of his 'stage' and smirking down at the other animal.
"I know it sounds sordid, but you'll be rewarded when at last I am given my dues! And injustice deliciously squared--"

Tossing his head back proudly, he sang at the top of his lungs, so loud it almost sounded like an entire chorus was joining in with him.
"--BE PREPARED!"

The crowd of... Of animals...
God, what were these? She couldn't think much during her dreams, and this one was no different, but she swore these creatures were familiar to her...
Whatever.
The crowd of animals, whatever they were, were getting more and more worked up, starting to pace and skitter.

"Be PREPARED?" Another animal asked, cocking its head. "For what?"

"For the death of the king," the lion replied dramatically, head still tilted back with his eyes closed.

"Why, is 'e sick?" The animal asked, looking more and more confused.

Looking back down at his audience, the lion rolled his eyes, looking disappointed but not surprised.
"No, you fool-- we're gonna kill him," he snapped. "And his son, too! And then I--"

Squaring his shoulders, he put a paw to his chest, tossing his head again and swelling with pride.
"--Will be king!"

On cue, the dark, eerie cavern was suddenly illuminated.
Golden light bathed the walls, casting the lion's shadow behind him, larger than life.
"Stick with me," he continued, voice echoing dramatically, "and YOU'LL NEVER GO HUNGRY AGAIN!"