Of Yen

Chapter 5

Short. sweet. simple! why? 
I have a Beta reader now!! ⊹⋛⋋( ՞ਊ ՞)⋌⋚⊹

so from now on, the chapters will be short but really well written out. I think.
apparently, my writing style was, and I quote! "Lifeless" and "written like a 5th grader got ahold of it."

Thanks fish. ᇂ_ᇂ

anyway! ONWARDS!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tension in the air was palpable. Scar's paranoia had reached new heights, leaving him on edge as he prowled the cliffs of Pride Rock. He could sense the weight of the gazes upon him from the hyenas loitering below, a constant reminder of the precariousness of his grip on the carnivores.

His already strained relationship with the Hyena's priest had only worsened after the whole 'lighting the Tree of Life on fire' incident. His attempt to strongarm them into submission and put a ban on their sacred laws had only served to further alienate him from the other leaders.

He was losing his power. He was losing his control. The blood spilt was now rotting his crown. He just had to listen to a fool hiding behind a mask. He Just had to listen to Ethereal.

"-ar."

Despite the mounting pressure, Scar steadfastly maintained an air of nonchalance. He stood tall, an eerily calm smile plastered across his face, determined not to lose his newly acquired authority. The taste of power he had sampled was intoxicating, and there was no way he was going to let it slip through his grasp now.

"Scar."

The feline jumped as he was pulled from his thoughts. "What?"

Ethereal shot an exasperated glance at the king, who had been caught off guard and was now shifting the pile of papers in front of him. "Did you even hear a single word I said?" The question escaped his lips, his tone dripping with irritation. It was abundantly clear that his inquiry was purely rhetorical.

Scar just waved his hand as he slumped in his chair. It was always in this damn room. Everything that has happened up to this point at had fucked him over, happened in this room. It was always Ethereal in this room. This room was a curse. "Be kind and repeat what you were saying."

Ethereal's lack of movement or words was a clue to his mood. Scar huffed as he dropped the smile. "I wasn't listening."

"Then start listening." Ethereal hissed as he tossed a few papers across the table. Scar's heart sank as Ethereal's sharp tone cut through the air. The king picked up the papers, glancing over them as the human continued to speak.

"Again, the PPD found a lead on Doovid and Pride's location," Ethereal hissed. "They haven't been able to apprehend them since the swamp incident. At this rate, your beloved nephew will start a rebellion."

Scar felt his skin crawl at the thought.

"Are you mocking me right now?"

As Scar glanced at the tablet clutched in Ethereal's hands, he was reminded that the ability to read was a privilege reserved for a select few. He knew that if he wanted, he could catch a glimpse of the tablet's contents reflected on the human's helmet, but the words would remain a mystery to him. He had never been taught to read, a rite granted only to the king and his heir. His brother and Doovid, however, possessed the gift of literacy, while Scar was denied the opportunity to learn.

Ethereal grumbled as he typed on the tablet, his irritation evident. Without even bothering to glance up at Scar, he dismissively retorted, "I don't have time to entertain your antics today, Your majesty. Go pester someone else." His voice curt, hinting at his distaste for the lack of attention.

Scar's voice rang out urgently, his desperation seeping through his words. "Teach me to read." The words blurted out, betraying his growing anxiety. He knew that if he wanted any chance of hanging onto the throne, he needed to be on an even playing field with Doovid. His demand echoed through the air, leaving no room for negotiation.

The mood in the room shifted rapidly as Ethereal froze, looking up from his work. Scar's stomach clenched in trepidation, the air growing tense and heavy with dread. It reminded him of his younger days at Pride Rock whenever he had spoken out of turn. Normally, he would have tried to salvage the situation with a well-placed act, but the human's obscured face robbed him of that option. He was at a loss, not knowing which approach to take to alleviate the annoyance or anger he had caused.

Ethereal set his tablet aside and leaned against the table, his voice laced with surprise. "You don't know how to read?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Scar. It was an unexpected revelation, one that clearly caught the human off guard.

Scar mentally berated himself as he realized the blunder he had just made. He could practically slam his head against the table in frustration. The fact that he couldn't read was a vulnerability that he had just unwittingly exposed to Ethereal. It was yet another thing that the human could use against him, adding to the growing list of weaknesses that Scar had inadvertently revealed.

"Yes." Scar grumbled.

The tension hung heavy in the air as Scar braced himself for the inevitable mockery of his illiteracy. However, instead of belittling him, Ethereal surprised Scar with a chuckle. The human stood up and gathered the papers, a smirk playing on his lips. "Don't worry," he said, his tone laced with a hint of playfulness. "It's a simple fix, as long as you don't slack off."

Scar's mind was in disarray as he struggled to comprehend the sudden shift in Ethereal's demeanor. The anticipated mockery never came, replaced instead with a more light-hearted tone. The human's reaction didn't fit with how Scar had expected it to unfold, and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the man's mind.

Scar's voice broke the silence as he watched Ethereal make his way to the door. "So, you'll really teach me?" he inquired, his tone skeptical. "No hidden strings attached?" The possibility of finally learning to read excited him, but he couldn't help but distrust the sudden kindness.

Ethereal huffed as he walked into the hallway, his tone firm yet lighthearted. "Tomorrow, noon. Meet me here. Don't be late." He didn't wait for a response before exiting, leaving Scar alone with his thoughts in the new empty room.

Scar's voice echoed down the hallway as he ran out after Ethereal. "No strings attached, right?!" he yelled, but the corridor was eerily silent, devoid of any sign of the human. Scar couldn't help but feel a pang of worry. A part of him couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that there was some hidden catch to Ethereal's offer.

"Shit."

Scar's mind was a tumultuous whirlpool of thoughts and emotions as he pondered the impact of his potential literacy. On the one hand, he could finally unveil the enigmas concealed within printed matter. Yet, his enthusiasm was tempered by a mounting sense of wariness. He could not discard the intuition that Ethereal's proposal might entail hidden strings attached. He found himself contemplating whether the benefits outweighed the risks. Just then, an understated beep drew his eye back to the table. There, abandoned, lay Ethereal's tablet.

The screen displayed a sterile whiteness, nearly dazzling in its luminosity. At the center of this sterile canvas, a circular .black symbol spun at a brisk pace, standing out starkly against the luminous backdrop. The interplay between the stark white background and the swirling black disk created a striking contrast, drawing Scar's gaze towards the focal point. Despite its seemingly simple appearance, the ongoing whirling motion of the logo hinted at underlying activities in the device.

Scar muttered under his breath, a mixture of surprise and skepticism, as he cautiously claimed the tablet. Scar found it perplexing that Ethereal had inadvertently forgotten this item. The action appeared deliberate, possibly a sign of some grander machinations at play. Scar's doubts persisted, fueling his curiosity.

"What the hell?"

He found it difficult to fathom that Ethereal had carelessly relinquished his device in this manner. The act seemed deliberate.

"What game is he playing now?"