Power of Lions

Capture

Silence was all that was between Nile and Assaggi. She stared at him with her new gold eyes. A look of surprise and terror was seen in Nile's eyes. His entire body was tense, and he looked ready to run at any moment.

"How in hell is that possible?!" Nile exclaimed. He takes a step toward her but stepped back the same time. The look on his face showed he was having an argument in his mind of what to do.

Taking a step forward, Assaggi tries to speak. But Nile took another step back in fear. "You've fought Tau and you're afraid of me?!" Assaggi exclaimed. The look her lion self made was odd. Her jaw was slacked and her eyes were wide. For an animal, it looked very weird.

"I just witnessed my fiancé turning into a lion! And you expect me to be calm!?" Nile shouted. If she was able to, Assaggi would be frowning at him. "Out of everything you've experienced with me. You didn't think something weird is going to happen?" she asked vehemently.

Now becoming very frustrated toward him, Assaggi takes in a deep breath and concentrates. 'Change.' she thought. She closes her eyes and imagined herself as a human again.

It felt like wind rushed through her from the inside.

Opening her eyes, Assaggi looks down at her body. The fur was gone and her bones were back in their original place. She felt no tail and her ears were normal and at the sides of her head.

Standing up on her two human feet, Assaggi twirls around. She was happy that she was a lioness like she always wanted. But she knew a great change is going to happen.

"Assaggi, since when were you able to do this!?" Nile asked exasperatedly.

"Since about just now." she replied.

The look on Nile's face was priceless. It reminded Assaggi of cockatoo squawking except without the squawking. "My father came to me in a dream. He and the constellation Leo gave me the gift of being a lioness to fight this battle." Assaggi said happily. She looks down at her hands and saw her veins were still black. "I vowed to use my ability to protect you, Nyah, and the village with my newborn ability." she said confidentially. She takes Nile's hands and holds them tightly. "I promise that I won't harm anyone other than the ones who should be punished." she promises.

Their eyes met and held. The intensity of Assaggi's eyes could break any shield, any stone. "I know you won't." Nile responded after what felt like an eternity. He closes the distance between them and kisses her.

**********

"What's taking so long?!" Imamu demanded angrily. He and his second-in-command Kondo, a tall and masculine African American, walked to a crowd of Imamu's men. "We are having trouble taming three of the felines. They keep fighting though they are drugged." Kondo responded.

'This is not what I had in mind.' Imamu thought.

The fight between his men and the lions and tigers was tougher than he envisioned. Three percent of his men were injured. One fourth of his men were dead.

Suffering a terrible gash on his thigh, Imamu still fought. He was able to capture three felines. A male tiger and two female lions. The three were the most violent and protective of the pride. It gave Imamu a hunch that they must know Assaggi.

"Sir! One of the lions just mauled my brother! We need to put her down!" screamed one of his men.

"No! We keep them alive!" Imamu shouted. He looks at the large, bloody lioness guarding the captured lions and tigers. The lioness stood over the man she had just killed. A warning growl to all that moved closer.

"Give me the prod." Imamu ordered Kondo. He holds out his hand without looking at his second-in-command.

Given a long metal prod with an electric tip at the end, Imamu shoves pass his men to stand in front of the defending lioness. Once the lioness caught sight of him, she began to growl threateningly. Her eyes glowed a dangerous gleam that showed the murderous side of the lioness. "How about we all calm down and get into your cage? No harm needed." Imamu tries to reasoned. He pushes the button that triggers the electricity and sparks shot between the two tips of the prod.

The hairs on the lioness's back stood on end. She stood in a launching position, ready to attack when needed to. Imamu was certain she was the mother of Assaggi because of her witted spirit.

"C'mon, little lady. Let's dance." Imamu challenged.

Instead of the lioness attacking, the male tiger attacked. It takes Imamu by surprise, and he is clawed in the shoulder.

A shot suddenly rang out and the tiger collapsed. The lioness let out a horrified yowl as the tiger fell. She lunges forward and passes Imamu at amazing speed. Spinning around on his heel, Imamu sees what the lioness had targeted.

"Run, Kondo!" he shouted as the lioness ran at Kondo. His second-in-command held a rifle that he used to shoot the tiger.

Without a word, Kondo jumps back as the lioness lunged at him. He barely avoided the claws that almost slashed his face. Dropping down to his knees, Kondo rolls backwards and lands back on his feet. The lioness jumped over him but turns to face him when she landed.

Growls thundered through Kondo's throat as he challenged the lioness. He balls his hands into fists and gets into a fighting stance.

"You!" Imamu hisses at a man with a shaved head, pointing at him with the prod. "Get the tranquilizer!" he ordered. Nodding quickly, the man ran toward where they stocked their weapons.

Turning back toward the fight at hand, a startled expression appears on Imamu's face when he sees Kondo circling the lioness. The two were challenging one another. Both daring one another to make a move.

'What kind of man is he?' Imamu pondered as he watched.

"I got the tranquilizer, sir!" spoke the man with the shaved head. He handed Imamu a large tranquilizer gun. "Good." Imamu said. Taking the gun from the man, he quickly takes aim at the lioness. "Stand back!" he shouted before shooting.

The tranquilizer dart hit the lioness's lower back. Almost immediately, she began to start getting drowsy. Her stance weakened and she begins to sway.

"Take her down!" Imamu shouted quickly once she fell.