Of Yen

Lamentation (Chapter 6)

This chapter will cover heavy topics of Grieving and how it can affect people in different ways.

If you are not in a good headspace or have had someone recently pass away. Please wait to read the chapter. Moral and I wont be mad if you take a while to come around and read the book.

Please.

-From the beta reader and editor, WatermelonFishGuts

Doovid, his eyes sunken with exhaustion, his muscles aching from hours of relentless running, heard Kittrix's gentle plea. The hunger gnawing at his stomach was a constant reminder of the need for sustenance, yet he refused. The taste of betrayal and death still lingering on his tongue.

"You haven't eaten anything today," Kittrix repeated, her voice soft and laced with concern.

"Please, eat." Chawssia's voice, soft with pleading, pierced the quiet stillness of the afternoon as she looked at Doovid across the campfire. Despite the warm, flickering flames licking at the air, a profound chill still enveloped him, a frost that seemed to have taken root within the very depths of his chest.

With a firm shake of his head, Doovid refused her plea once more, his voice holding a resigned certainty. "I'm fine." He replied. Chawssia's face fell, the hopelessness in Doovid's voice weighing heavy on her heart. But before she could speak, Ark's voice cut in, firm and reassuring. He approached Doovid and placed a supportive arm around his shoulders.

"Chawssia," Ark said, his tone understanding but firm. "Let the cub think. He'll find his way out of that mental cave when he is ready." He paused, his expression solemn as he added, "He's still mourning. We all are. The only thing we can do right now is be present for him."

The atmosphere around the fire was thick with a mixture of shared grief and silent understanding. The pride was held captive by circumstances, forced to suppress their mournful feelings in order to hide.

Doovid broke the silence with a simple question, his voice heavy with worry, asking, "Any word from Lexi or Rose?"

Ark responded with a solemn shake of his head, his gaze fixed on the crackling flames. "Nothing yet," he confirmed. "The last I knew, Rose was on the run, and Mr.Gladiator and the Prideland Police Department were moving at a shockingly quick pace."

Chawssia's voice was a low, seething hiss, her anger palpable as she muttered under her breath, "Damn you, Scar." Her frustration found an outlet in the form of a sharp kick at the dirt beneath her paws.

Doovid, his exhaustion and worry evident in his tone, "We need somewhere both the PPD and Scar can't reach us. A place they wouldn't think to look, a blindspot." His fingers gripped another stick from the ground and hurled it into the crackling flames with a sharp flick of his wrist.

Kittrix's voice cut in with a hopeful suggestion, "What about checking out the Elephant Graveyard? One of the few reports we got from Rose and Lexi was that the hyena's had been relocated to Pride Rock." She paused, her eyes scanning the group as she continued, "Scar might be using the hyena's as protection."

Doovid's expression grew pensive as he mulled over Kittrix's suggestion. Despite his youth and his status as the son of the king, Doovid was no stranger to the nuances of leadership, and therefore, the intricacies of warfare. He replied, his tone measured, "You have a point, but we can't be certain that the evacuation was complete."

Ark nodded, agreeing with Kittrix, but his voice held a hint of caution. "He's right. Some may have been forced to stay behind. If Scar is smart, there will be a few still remaining."

Chawssia scoffed, a mirthless laugh escaping her lips. "This is Scar we are talking about," she added, her voice filled with skepticism. "He wouldn't be that smart, right?"

The thick silence that followed her question hung heavy in the air.

A raindrop hit Doovid's forehead, jolting him from his thoughts. He looked up and saw the dark, heavy clouds rolling with purpose across the sky, and as if unleashed, the rain began to pour mercilessly. Ark let out a frustrated curse as he witnessed the fire start to sputter out. The dry grass and meager twigs were no match for the late rain. "Damn it," he muttered, "Looks like we have to move now."

Kittrix and Ark quickly went to work, using their paws to kick muddy dirt over the now-smothered fire, obliterating any trace of their presence. Chawssia turned to Doovid. "Hood up," she instructed, pulling his hood up to protect him from the rain. "You can't get sick now."

Doovid huffed and took his position at the center of the pride, signaling the start of their journey west. The trek through the pouring rain was exhausting, each step made more difficult by the relentless downpour. As they walked, Ark spoke up, his voice heavy with practicality.

"The journey to the elephant graveyard could take us two to five days," he explained. "And that's if we're lucky and don't come across any PPD or Scar's loyalists along the way."

A bolt of lightning tore across the sky, accompanied by a thunderous crack. Ark's voice cut through the sound of the storm anyway. "We should find a place to hide in the meantime. While the rain does help cover our tracks, it's also slowing us down. And with limited supplies, we need to be cautious."

"This is the grasslands," Kittrix pointed out, gesturing to the open, flat land surrounding them. "There are no caves or boulders to take shelter in, and even the trees are too thinly spaced and leafless to offer any decent cover."

A moment of silence passed as the group glanced around, trying to find any potential hiding spot in the vast openness of the grasslands.

"And if we manage to make a shelter big enough for all of us, it would be nothing short of a beacon to any one close by. It would be the same as trying to hide the smoke of a wild fire on a clear day. It's a lose-lose situation," sighed Chawssia. "No shelter means no protection, but a shelter would make us a walking target. Damn if we do, damn if we don't."

Doovid pulled his cloak tighter around his body, his voice soft in the chill air as he spoke. "What about finding a nearby settlement?" he suggested. "Perhaps we could reason with them?"

Ark looked skeptically at Doovid, his doubt evident in his tone as he repeated Doovid's suggestion. "Reason with them?" Ark replied, his words laced with skepticism. "Not with a price on all our heads."

"Then what do we do? At this rate, Scar will find us and probably execute us."

Doovid's world faded into a hazy blur as a sharp ringing filled his ears, drowning the sounds of Ark and Kittrix arguing. His chest felt as if it was bound tightly, making it difficult for him to breathe, and his lungs burned as he struggled to take in oxygen. He shoved him paws under his arms to cease the shaking that riddled his muscles.

Sitting on a nearby rock, Doovid suddenly found himself overcome by an overwhelming realization. He thought of his father, the king, and the possibility that he might never return. The realization hit him like a ton of rocks, and an intense grief and fear washed over him.

Tears streamed down Doovid's face as he tried to maintain his composure.

"Doovid?" Chawssia's voice was soft as she settled in front of Doovid'd line of sight, blocking the view of the other two fighting.

"I just wanna go home."

Part two in the making. I have to take a break due to school and Moral getting sick. Loser decided to get the flu and strep. Lemonade drunk. -Fish

I hate you (╯°Д°）╯︵/(.□ . \) -Moral

Well, fuck you too. How do I even write a panic attack? like dude, I'm not an evil guy. I'm a good guy! -Fish

Teehee! (˃ᆺ˂) - Moral