Power of Lions

Sanyu

It was midnight and all life was asleep while the Western Village was wide awake.

Men covered their faces with mud to blend into their surroundings. They were dressed in leather and animal skin.

Women sharpened the knives and spears and loaded the guns.

In Jomo's hut, Nile was finishing covering up his face with mud and black face paint. He replaced his usual attire with a hyena's fur pelt that he received as a right of passage gift. After wrapping his belt around his waist, he adds daggers to the small leather strips. He looks over himself and thought of himself doable for attack.

Someone enters the hut while his back was turned. Nile turned his head and was shocked to see that it was Talon. "Talon, it's good to see you. How is Assaggi?" Nile asked in animal tongue.

Instead of answering, the small liger walked up to him and lifts his head up. A piece of paper was held in between his teeth.

Taking the parchment of paper from his mouth, Nile rolls it open and reads.

'Assaggi's awake and she wants to see you. Now.'

Nile recognized the handwriting from Mesi's hand. He noticed it was written in a rush at how sloppy it was. Something wasn't right.

The two males left the hut and headed to Nile's family hut. The sun's rays beats heavily against Nile's skin, and he immediately started to sweat. Luckily, his paint was resistant from moisture so it would stick to his skin from the sweat.

When they reached the hut, Nile heard loud shouts from inside. With a hesitant hand, he throws open the door and finds Assaggi being held down by his mother and sister. She seemed to be more energetic than before. But looked also rather angry.

"Assaggi, calm down!" Madge shouted over her daughter-in-law's growls.

"Not until I see Nile!" Assaggi shouted back.

"I'm right here! Calm down, Assaggi!" Nile shouted quickly. He runs over to his wife. Softly rubbing her shoulder and calming her down. "What is going on!? I can smell gun powder everywhere and it is making my nostrils bleed!" Assaggi said as she calms down. Her feral cat eyes slowly changed back to human eyes. "Tell me what is going on." she demanded.

Talon walked up to Assaggi and rubs his head against her chest. A small whimper escaping his lips. "They're going to fight the ones who killed our pride." he said. Assaggi was shocked but she didn't react the way Nile thought she would. She just runs her fingers through the fur on Talon's head. "I'm coming with you." she stated before standing up.

"No you are not!" Nile disagreed. He grabs Assaggi's shoulders and tries to push her back down. "You are not stopping me! I want to kill them as much as you do!" Assaggi throws Nile's hands off of her and grabs her furs. She puts on her furs but doesn't take off her bandages. "You are in no condition to fight." Madge argued alongside Nile. Mesi didn't speak but watched as she held a sleeping Nyah, who was obvious to what was happening around her. "I've been gouged by an angry rhino, and I came up breathing. I will be fine." Assaggi insisted before grabbing her spear and walking out of the hut. "Assaggi!" Nile shouted after her.

Assaggi was already speed-walking to the assembling men and women. "Assaggi, stop!" Nile shouted. He grabs her by the shoulder and stands in front of her. "Please listen to me!" he begged. "No, Nile! People are dead, and Imamu needs to be stopped! If my family is alive and being held captive by Imamu. I need to save them myself!"

Silence came over the two as they just stared at one another. Both not breaking eye contact.

"Please, Nile. I can't lose more of my family than I already have." Assaggi begged with watering eyes.