Power of Lions

Falling Stars

The night was pitch black with no moon. The clouds hid the stars that lit up the sky. But the village was surrounded by flaming torches.

"That little bitch thinks she can declare war on our village just because we killed her damn father!" Imamu roared at his men.

After he returned to his village far into the east from Jomo's village. He gathered the men from the ages seventeen and up. Telling them all of what happened in his visit.

"She believes that our lives aren't important! That her lion daddy should be avenged!" he continued. He takes off his shirt to show the long cuts down his back. "She gave these to me. And I will not allow it to be simply dismissed!" he bellows.

Every man roared in agreement. They all raises their fists, beating them in the air. All screamed bloodlust.

"She wants a fight. Well she's got one!" Imamu roared venomously. He unsheathes his machete and holds it high. "That lion bitch will learn her place!" he screamed.

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"You didn't have to drive me to the Rock. I could've ran." Assaggi said, pronouncing the word 'drive' as 'dr-ee-ve'. She had Nyah sleeping soundly in her arms wrapped in a wool blanket. The wind brushed over Nyah's head and it made her squirm a lot in her sleep. Assaggi had one arm wrapped around Nyah while the other was holding one of the poles that held the roof together on the jeep.

"Not if you were planning on running or having Nyah between your teeth." Nile said, meaning it to be a joke. "It's not normal?" Assaggi asked curiously. "No, it's not!" he exclaimed.

Silently laughing at him, Assaggi sits down in the passenger seat. She wiggles in the seat because she wasn't familiar with the leather on her rump.

Closing her eyes, she lays her head back on the seat. Her hair flew behind her softly. The touch of the wind made her want to sleep. "I still enjoy running instead of riding a metal monster." Assaggi commented. She opens her eyes to see they were almost to the Rock.

"I hope Mother will love meeting her granddaughter." Assaggi thought aloud hopefully. A twinge of pain poked at her heart when she thought that. Knowing that she will never meet her real mother. Her mother will never meet her granddaughter. Assaggi never even knew her mother.

The happiness she once felt was gone. Now she felt nothing but dread.

Nile stops the jeep and takes out the keys. He lays back against the seat. "It's very odd coming to the home of my fiancé when it is a giant rock full of lions and tigers." Nile laughed. He looks at Assaggi with love in his eyes. "And I don't mind at all."

"Wait until you meet the newborns. They have grown and are on their teething phase." Assaggi warned with a bright gleam in her eyes. She jumps out of the jeep and was careful not to wake up Nyah.

"I'll hold her." Nile insisted. He holds out his arms, and Assaggi hands him Nyah carefully.

Kissing his cheek, Assaggi lets out a purr. "Hold her close while climbing. I had made a path to make it easy so don't worry of climbing." she assured.

Instead of taking the pathway she made. Assaggi climbs up the sharp, pointing rocks. Not minding being scraped against the hot flat surface. Her arms and legs burned from the lack of exercise. But she kept on going.

Her hand grabs the last rock and was about to climb up. She stops when her hand lands on something wet and sticky. Looking at her hand, Assaggi's eyes widen in horror when she finds the sticky substance was blood.

"Assaggi!" Nile suddenly shouted from above.

Being shaken from her gaze, Assaggi quickly climbs the rest of the way up. She pulls herself up onto the flat and gets up. When her eyes look in front of her, she immediately began to tear up.

Blood was everywhere. There weren't any bodies but puddles of blood was all Assaggi could see and smell.

"MOTHER! TAU!" Assaggi shrieked. She quickly runs toward the cave, painfully ignoring her daughter's cries of distraught.

Please by alright!, her mind pleaded.

The smell of blood was stronger at the mouth of the cave. It made Assaggi dizzy as she got near. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and Assaggi nearly heaves all of her stomach contents at the sight.

Assaggi saw a pile of bodies lying at the side of the cave. Blood was all over them, and she didn't see any signs of life. "Mom?! Tau!?" she spoke in almost a whisper.

"Oh, my god." Nile breathed. Assaggi turned toward him and saw him with a white face. He had Nyah's head tucked in her blanket so she couldn't see the gore.

"Those Poachers!" Assaggi hissed in the tongue of a snake. She walked through the bloody pile of dead felines. Holding in all of the tears that wanted to fall. "Assaggi?" Nile asked worriedly. "Don't come closer. Just stay where you are. I don't want you to see this."

A sudden whine quieted the two. Assaggi listens closely to the sound. She begins to follow the noise, careful not to make a sound so she won't startle the creature.

She finds a small hole big enough to hide a cub. Getting down on her knees, she peers through. Surprise appeared in her eyes at the sight of a liger cub. It was curled in a ball. Blood ran down its left hind leg. The liger's left ear had a tear in its ear that ran down the middle and almost hit the bone.

Softly, Assaggi lets out a purr that echoed off the cave walls. She slowly reaches out to touch the liger cub.

When her finger tips touch its fur, the liger cub shot its head up to look at her. Fear could be seen in its yellow eyes as it watched her. "No need to worry. My name is Assaggi, I'm Sanyu and Ekon's daughter." Assaggi spoke softly. "Can you please come out?" she asked.

Very slowly, the liger steps out of the hole. Assaggi could see it shaking from fear or lack of blood. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." Assaggi assures. The liger walked in to Assaggi's open arms. It's shaking came to a vault when it came into warmth.

Taking in a deep inhale of the liger's scent. Assaggi smelt that it was a young boy.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Talon." the young liger answered.

"Okay, Talon. Can you tell me what happened here?" Assaggi asked. She holds Talon close to her chest to give him comfort. "Poachers . . . they attacked mercilessly. Shot us all with those thunder sticks. Sanyu told us to run. The ones that survived fled. I tried to save my sister . . . it was too late." Talon whimpered.

Anger flashed in Assaggi's eyes. 'Imamu, you are gonna die a slow, painful death', Assaggi thought venomously.