Palandasya Broken

[Lindani]

(Missing a few posts from the very beginning of the RP, but whole as it gets.)

Uzuri was about to sail right into Katibu, but he spotted her easily. "Aww, how'd you know I was coming?" she asks with unhappiness. So much for a surprise. "Oh, I bet I can take you anyway!"

Katibu chuckles warmly, lips peeling back in an amiable grin. "I'm sure you could," he tells her. His eyes shift towards the entrance to the kopje, where Kiume is. He'll keep an eye on the young one, too . . . even if he's attacked by Uzuri.

Kiume watches the others nearby, knowing they may try to stop him... but oh! The sights! The sounds! Well, not so much sounds, but smells too. He can spend his whole rest of his life exploring out here! He puts one paw out, and...!!! Nothing. Huh. That was boring. He pokes his head out a little further, staying close to the rock in case he has to dodge back behind it for any reason. Just a couple inches more... ease out now...

Chioh raises his head up at the noise around him, and he just lays there watching the members of his pride interact. He'll do something in due time.

Kingukera digs a last hole and picks up the stack of pebbles with a flourish of his beak. Returning to the tree branch the crane mutters to himself with a gravelly drone and looks to the southwest, towards the swamp.

Uzuri blinks. Aww. Katibu is taking all the sport out of it without them even starting. Frustrated, she flops on the ground and looks out to the Lerai Forest where she likes to play alone. Sigh. She wonders if Tunu is okay. She's been missing for so long.

The caracal observes Kiume for a time, making certain that the cub isn't getting into any trouble. When Uzuri gives up the fight without much effort, Katibu glances to her, eyebrow arched, his mouth bent into a frown. He looks again to Kiume, then to Uzuri, then back again, and finally he stands. "I wonder if Kiume could learn a thing or two about wrestling," he comments in an off-handed way.

Kiume isn't in the mood for wrestling, thank you very much! The little cub has taken his first tentative steps into the big, wide world, and he's enjoying himself immensely. He plops onto his rump and leans back to try and accomodate the vast expanse of sky above, and falls over backwards. There's so much open space in front he makes himself dizzy spinning around to keep track of it at once. It's bracing, exhilirating, and a little bit frightening. In short, if he knew what the word was, it's awesome.

Chioh glances back at his son and he chuckles to himself. Right now, he's just going to watch over him. The others aren't as important as someone of his blood right now.

Now comes the harbinger. The hyena who left his scent on the middle heights of the kopje yesterday is returning...step by awkward step. His pace is quick, but his feet drag because he's distracted. Looking everywhere...sniffing everything. He tries to remain mostly out of sight, coming from the west, but it isn't easy here. He notices the stack of pebbles first...and the crane returning from them to the tree branch. Well, if that isn't fascinating. On goes the shaggy hyena, regardless of the danger the lion king Chioh may pose to him.

Kingukera spreads his wings and flies to the southwest, passing over the hyena on his way to the wetlands. Odd! What would a hyena be doing here so close to the cubs? Another one of Chioh's guests? "Certainly he wouldn't...!" the bird exclaims, circling once more in a wide loop in order to see the reaction of the group below.

Uzuri has not met the hyena like her uncle has. Though, her excellent and newly-developed huntress skills picked up the scent. "There's a hyena here!" she exclaims. She stands and looks around.

Katibu's quick to dash to Kiume's side when the scent and news of a hyena's presence becomes known. He stands protectively over the younger cub and then begins to glare about, trying to get an exact bearing on the intruder. No hyena's going to make off with a cub on his watch.

Juujini has arrived.

Chioh stands up, knowing that Katibu is near his son and he walks to the edge of the Kopje, letting a low growl echo thorugh the air. "Why have you come back to my lands?" The question nicely asked, can't show anger in front of the cubs afterall, role model and everything.

Kiume drops down to his belly when Katibu suddenly drapes himself over him. It's his instinct, and heck, that freaked him out! He looks up to the caracal questioningly, still overwhelmed with his surroundings too much to really notice that there's something truly alarming going on. He hears Chioh's growl and presses himself against Katibu's legs.

Harimu has arrived.
Sem'Nome has arrived.
Kijani has arrived.
Haki has arrived.
Sem'Nome has disconnected.
Kijani has disconnected.

Roho, as it happens, is in a perceptive mood, and he actually recognizes the crowned crane. "Oho!" he exclaims as it passes overhead. "You there!" he shouts to the sky. "You kept company to us in the north, along that lengthy desert rock! It was almost like a hunt, only I don't remember who were were nearly hunting. Do you recall?" His shout results in a bad fit of coughing and internal displacement, which convulses the hyena for some time. His fur goes spastic. He glances to the caracal and the cub, frowning as he wheezes. Then he sees Chioh and takes a slow breath to calm himself. "Not good enough for me merely to have dropped in, I take it? Pity, that. Hospitality--that's the thing. But King Lion, I thought you'd want to know. The trouble I spoke of--it's real. I've been back and heard it from the creature's maw."

So it is time. The rogues have come, all from the same place, gathered, everyone is just here, ready for some action, ready for blood. The so called King of Rogues, Harimu, is there, in front of the others, leading the way.

Juujini is above, having circled around so that he approaches /away/ from the sun, such that he wouldn't cast a shadow to alert the targets to an attack from above. Stealth eagle!

In the air, an odd-looking fruit bat is wheeling forth and back, yelling encouragement to the lions below, and scouting out the position. "Halt!" he yells. "Regroup! Plan D7-rabbitears, as we discussed!" he yells shrilly. "They'll see our numbers! Point guards!" It appears he's been yelling this sort of thing for quite some time...and not wearying of it, either.

Kingukera completes his circle and drops lower in the sky, ah...indeed this is the hyena from the desert boulder! A rather polite hyena, if he recalls correctly. "A good afternoon to you." he clatters amicably as he lands a respectful distance off. Tilting his head he drones, "Ah! I remember it well! A caracal it was, I spent several mornings trying to capture the sight of it falling in my dance. It was an impressive performance!" With hardly a pause, the bird changes gears and inquires, "And what brings you all this way? Surely you still are not wandering?"

Uzuri is in full Red Alert cubbeh-fighter meanie mode. She heard something more. She growls and approaches the hyena. "And a coward like you is leading the attack. Or showing them where we are!" she says, extending her claws and bearing her teeth, growling. For a juvenile, she is becoming quite a sight. I suggest you leave.

Katibu remains steadfast in his position over Kiume. The caracal's sharp eyes are focused on Roho, and as such he does not notice the rogue band.

Meanwhile, Sem treads alongside Harimu, head slung low, his teeth exposed in a vaguely villainous grin. The very thought of spilling blood today sends a shiver of anticipation down his spine.

Chioh looks over from the hyena, and his eyes drop onto the rouges coming onto his land. Dropping the 'be nice in front of the children' act, the king bares his teeth and lets out a roar at the rouges. Basically he's saying 'Get the hell off my land before I bathe it in your blood' but who listens to that really. He starts to walk...no stalk down the path of the Kopje to the ground. Guards coming out of the den and following his suit, right now only four are following.

On the opposite side of Harimu from Sem, is Kijani as he has a sinister smirk on his face. This brings back memories to the lion, and he's relishing in all of them that flow through his mind. Claws out and piercing hte ground as he walks, he glares over at the king as he roars, and doesn't send one back at him. That's Harimu's job. He always had a lovely roaring voice.

Wheeling shadows circling in the air signal other arrivals as a bevy of vultures thump down upon the rock formations. "What did I tell yah?" one squawks, "Something's going to happen here--and right quick by the sound of it!"

Kiume of course is in no position to know what's going on. He just knows it's suddenly gotten loud and creepy... he presses up against Katibu, whimpering softly. What's going on? Did he do something bad coming out here?

The hyena, seeing not only the approach of the hostile band in question but also that the lion king has espied them, realizes that his work here is done--until he can ascertain what role to play in the fight, that is. He eyes Katibu and Kiume suspiciously, and rolls his tongue around in his mouth. "Well done, then, to make terror into art," he says to the crane. "Art...now that's something I never understood. I know it holds power, but...it's one kind of power I've never been able to tap. Mrf." He coughs slightly, then takes a step toward the caracal guardian. He ignores the brewing conflict utterly. "Here's another caracal, by the look of it...but this one seems to have something of a better command over fear, wouldn't you say?" he remarks.

Juujini sweeps circles away from the sun, waiting impatiently -- though silently -- for the King to initiate the attack.

A long walk... or was it, hard to tell when all you see is the back side of raging males the whole trip. Not that she minds to whole aspect of trailing behind; it gives her time to think, to go unnoticed. This is a lions fight, who would ever expect a lioness to fight along side her kin of solely males. Far back, but not so far back she can't tell whats going on, Shausha emerges from the grasses with watch full eyes. Her motives are simple, but revealed only in action.

Now that the air is growing metaphorically bloody, the bat Chiro is shrieking as he loops about through the sky. One would think he was a vampire bat, not a fruit-eater. But then, fruit juices can be similar to blood, in some ways. "No, you fools! Have you forgotten ~everything~ we went over?" he shouts. "They've seen you! Quickly, before they can call for reinforcements...take the small and weak! Take the cub--once he's dead, you'll drive the leaders to insane overreaction! They won't fight smartly when they're enraged!"

[Lindani]

The rogues stand there, not far from where the kopje is. They already have Palandaysa blood on their fur, every pride has guards and huntresses, right? Well, not anymore, the kopje is all there is left to kill, "Look well on thy foe, and his sanguine minions, pitiful followers, full of blood, blood to be shed, blood to bathe in, and partake of from their living skulls! There stand the weak and simpering followers of the cantankerous, hedonistic Palandasya kings. Fat and frail they are from months of lazing about and enjoying their bloated and shrill whores!" Now that Harimu has the Kings' attention, he's ready to warn them, this is the last time someone will hear of the lands of Palandaysa as a lion pride, "Ripe for the picking are the eyes from their heads! Tender and tiny are their cubs, with whose deaths we wilt bring great misery and despair on our enemies. Thine own strength is exponential, a sight to be feared in battle. Let us unleash our most fearsome wrath on these fools, poor in soul and unredeemable in weakness! We will show them the purity of our strength, and the tranquility of death. Thou art the bringers of this final and sublime death, thou who sow terror and destruction across the plain of bloodshed we will wreak! We know no fear! For we are fear incarnate! Go now, slayers of many, devils of the savannah, and annihilate those who dare to step beyond station and oppose our inexorable might!" The rogue turns to face his followers, grinning like a devil, this is the real Harimu, the one possesed by greed and lust and the mere desire for blood, "Let them quake at our coming! We will see blood flow like rivers this day! We will be Deaths brethren! We will be masters of the earth! For the balance, for the Circle, go now, make us proud!" The rogue roars as hard as he can. This is it, make him proud, give him blood, give him the Kings' head on a silver platter. Harimu turns around and starts running to the kopje's direction, Chioh shall be the first to fall, without a King, the lions will have no one to follow.

"Uh...yeah," chirps Chiro. "That's what I meant to say."

Uzuri hears the damn bat call out the order to kill the cub, and she cycles through her training. Taking a close look at them all, she decides her prime target is the hyena. She's a juvenile, but a *strong* juvenile and believes herself to be a match for the hyena. She looks over at Katibu and nods. No way in hell is Kiume going to take a scratch if Uzuri can do anything about it. She turns her fierce stare of death on the hyena. Her claws have been extended for a while, teeth bared. Ignoring Harimu, she calls up to the bat. "Nobody touches him." she says. If she can band with another quick and strong, then she could take on one of the smaller lions. "Just give me the word Uncle Chiohj and I'll rip the hyena apart." What has happened to our little cub?

The caracal's lips peel back from his fangs when Roho takes a step forward. "You'll find out just how much in control of my fear that I am if you take one more step closer, dog," Katibu snarls at the hyena. When Uzuri nods to him, Katibu doesn't take any perceivable notice. He does, however, glance to her briefly when she speaks of dealing with the hyena. Perhaps a caracal and a juvenile lioness could take on the creature. "Kiume," he utters to the cub at his legs, "go back into the kopje." Judging by the state of things, the situation is going to turn ugly.

Sem rolls his eyes at all the chatter. Let's /kill something/ already.

Chioh stops walking, hearing Harimu's threat and taunts and he chuckles to himself. If only everyone knew who was really having fun with those wenches. The four guards that came out with Chioh move to the side as the rouge continues to talk. The king of Palandasya spreads his feet out and watches Harimu with a deadly gleam in his eyes as he tenses up his legs. Sure, others have been resting and getting lazy. But then there are others who have been keeping their strength up. He looks up at the bat who called out to steal his son, and he turns his head around, "Katibu! Get Kiume out of here!" He swings his haed back around and glares at the rouge. Speaking of keeping one's strength, Chioh's been doing just that as he then charges forward as the rouge leader does as well. The four guards rushing right next to Chioh. And thus the fight begins.

The brother to Harimu chuckles as he listens to his brother's speech. When his brother charges forward, Kijani does as well and thanks to his lighter frame, he's faster then his brother. With his claws out on all four paws, he leaps off of the ground and collides with two of the guards that came with the Palandasian king. Atleast Harimu will have less trouble fighting. Then the blood brother starts to have some of his own brand of 'fun' with the two guards that he collided with.

A bird's gotta do what a bird's gotta do ... the pathetic crane is eyed, but is not a threat except to maybe gather reinforcements -- but its doubtful they would arrive in time. No, its time to go for the heart: a cub. The eagle had spiralled upward to gain altitude so that his first attack would be all the more devastating ... and now it begins. No warning scream and no shadow to draw attention to the sky, the bird of prey swoops down where no immediate danger is spotted as attention is focused on the bird's land-slave comrades. Freshly sharpened talons extend and his dive and aim are dead-on ... target: Awiti.

Kingukera clatters his beak and drones in a low tone to Roho, "And perhaps you were mistaken when you said all these nice things about his temperament." Is it not always thus? "Still, I think of it not a way of making art from terror, on the contrary it was quite enjoyable!" He looks up in alarm as the battle begins, "Murder and violence!" he cries his warning, and flaps up into the air!

Roho, meanwhile, is staring back at Katibu and Uzuri. It's hard to read his sunken, furry face, but it seems he's something like astonished. "Harm me?" he says in a tone of slow comprehension. "You would use your energy on me, when those savages--" He points his nose toward Harimu and the other lions..."and that imbecile..." He points upward to the fruit bat..."...are actually trying to harm you? I--I have no need to do that. I'm not inclined to throw my weight around indiscriminately--are you saying your ilk is? Harrumph!" It's not an innocent harrumph, either--a bit of orangish fluid comes out of the hyena's mouth. Looks like something's brewing inside him. He eyes the birds--one fleeing and abandoning what might have been a fruitful dialogue, and the other zooming down for a kill...and growls softly.

Mwizuri has arrived.

Uzuri isn't convinced. "You seem to think I'm stupid. *And* hard of hearing. I heard what your little fruit bat friend said." she says. She takes a tentative step forward. Katana's words ring true. Your enemy is only one you know you can handle. Let him come after you first. And Uzuri suddenly smiles. She remembers something she invented herself, and something Tunu taught her. Both would get her to that hyena's throat if he were to charge after her.

"I will use my energy on the defense of the cubs," Katibu snaps in retort. "I will use what force I deem necessary to ensure their safety." He'd probably say more, but his quick eye spots the falling form of the eagle. Damn, they have a /bird/ on their side. Katibu's specialty. He's unfortunately pinned down by ensuring Kiume's safety, and so he can only look on in horror as the bird plummets towards . . . "Awiti!" the caracal cries out.

Now /this/ is more like it! As the guards rush forward, Sem's grin widens. He won't waste his energy on the larger beasts; no, no, he'll go in for more subtle kills. Thus, the assassin drops back and leaves the guards and king for the others to deal with. Once the guards and king are engaged in battle, the assassin will move in to the heart of the pride: the inside of the kopje. And the cubs.

Kiume stares up at the carcal, only vaguely understanding his instructions. He nods slowly and slinks back into his homem hurrying up when the roaring starts. Sheesh, all he'd wanted to do was explore outside! But back in the kopje, he'd be scared and alone... but he'd much rather be scared and alone than scared and stuck in the middle of whtatever spat was going on out here.

Four lepper lions and the King of Palanda, pfft. Harimu was expecting more. The rogue doesn't stop, even as his brother runs past him, he just stares at him and the two lions that decide to have fun with his brother. The rogue meets the King, ignoring the other guards. With a loud growl, the rogue leaps to atack Chioh, claws extended and aimed for the King's face. Devhan is here too, but there's no way that wimp is getting close to the king and his folowers, insted, Devhan decides to help Kijani. War, woohoo, sarcastic woohoo, he's just there for his cousin. The young lion snarls as he lashes his claws to the lion Kijani is NOT attacking. (pause for a drink) Awiti has no idea what is going on, the cub just wants to know where his father is. The cub perks his ears, whimpering as he tries to call his father... But no go, instead, there's someone there to help him, Uzuri! Awi runs for her, hidding behind the other cub.

The speech could of gone without, but its like Harimu to enter with a bang. Maybe it was enough for the Pal to gather themselves, maybe it'll just cause laughter among them.. who knows, but there is one figure here who could care less about words when the enemy stands not savannahs away. She watches carefully as each rogue lunges forward to shed the blood of a pride long past its due date. Creeping forward, much to her demise, Shausha takes aim for one of the smaller, yet younger members of the pride - she'll always been into the death of newer generations. Away from the larger fights, she goes, right up to Uzuri and the young cowering Awiti.

Juujini alters his descent, expertly swiveling his wings as he runs for cover. As the eagle is striking from behind, Awi isn't protected behind the other cub, but his intended grab and run won't quite work from this vector as instead of pulling the cub through the grass, he'd be pulled through another cub which could be enough weight to pull Juujini down. He swings an arc to attack from the side, instead, but his shadow is now visible from this vector, zooming over the landscape with speed from the dive that would impress a cheetah.

Uzuri realizes he'll have to get Awiti safe and sound before attacking the hyena. She refuses to be afraid. She only wishes her father was here. She'd be a lot more confident fighting by his side. When Shausha approaches, Uzuri acts swiftly and in a flash. She discovers two creatures going for Awiti. Oh hell no! She'll have to do some desperate things. She calls out to Katibu. "Katibu! Catch!" she yells, then with all her might, grabs Awiti swiftly and rolls him fiercely toward the caracal. She knows Awiti won't reach him, but if he's quick, he can dive for Awiti. That out of the way, Uzuri keeps an eye on the bird just as Shausha reaches her, she yowls fiercely and makes her stand. "Three moves. I dare you to charge, you damn fool!" she challenges.

The bat, now fully incensed and disgruntled, swoops low next to Haki and then Kijani, chittering: "What are you doing? Haven't you got the slightest sliver of discipline in your chunky frames? You're SUPPOSED to be following a PLAN!" He dodges destruction and speeds over the initial clash. "None of you are following plan D7-rabbitears! None of you are showing any prudence, or any desire to follow orders!" Now high in the air, he hovers and yells, "Well, if you won't accept expert leadership when it's gifted to you, I can't any responsibility for what happens to your hairy hides! Maybe I'll just join the other side! You can bet ~they'll~ be grateful for my leadership!" He swings over toward Hukumu, meaning to discuss terms.

As Harimu swings his claws towards his face, Chioh moves his head to gets his mane in the way to block the claws' damage to allow him to get close enough. Once the claws meet hair, Chioh bring his paw up, calws extended to the fullest and brings it down strike down onto Harimu's face. His mouth open and a loud growl coming from his throat. Out from the shades, well comes Shade to help protect the Kopje from any danger.

Haki does not join in the running. Oh no, he doesn't want to be in the front line, he's playing defensive in this fight. Instead the young rogue just follows behind Harimu with hastened steps, though targeting at whichever of the four guards who may think they're going unnoticed. The king will be left to be dealt with by Harimu himself, he shan't steal any kills in this game. But before any action begins for Haki, the fruit bat announces its betrayal. Should've eaten that cursed winged thing when he had the chance.

The vultures jostle for position and watch the action. Double Boo and hiss! If you think the action down there is getting intense, the praise above is critical. "Hsss...!" "Bah!" "Not the little ones! Put some thought into it!" "No meat on them bones!"

With Kiume now in the kopje, Katibu can leap to Awiti's defense. The caracal launches himself towards Awiti, his plan being to shield the cub from the talons of the eagle. Any bird foolish enough to attack a caracal is as good as dead.

Sem, meanwhile, also hears the betrayal of Chiro, and the assassin's ears pin back. Leaving Shausha to deal with Uzuri, the maneless lion bounds forward after the bat. He'll shut the squeaker's mouth for good.

Joining the vultures is a 'vulture' of another sort. Mwizuri, the little jackal, sits on the sidelines, largely obscured by tall grass and brush, only the tips of her triangular ears poking above the vegetation as she observes, calmly.

[ Chioh ] (Kijani slams a lion's head into the ground and lets out a roar to shake the fighting spirit of the Palandasyian lions. He looks around and lets out another growl as he spots the other lionesses and guards and then spots Sem going after the bat. "Atleast someone is going to shut him up," mutters the lion darkly as he delivers the killing bite to the lion's neck, and he steps away from a bloody muzzle and then rushes back to the guards around Chioh, taking down a third one and fighting with him.)

It's not long after that Shausha arrives at her target point; claws bared. She'd look a like inoccent by standard if it wasn't for her rogue apperance, but who care about apperances when its blood thats covers it. Glaring at Uzuri who makes a daring attempt to save Awiti from the grasp of death, Shausha smirks. "Whose the damn fool... the child that thinks she can take on death itself, or the lioness who seeks to end her thirst for blood." she says coily to the juvenile as she steps closer. "I'll take those three moves, and the many that follow after."

The hyena bristles, which isn't a trivial sight at all. He swings one of his forepaws pendulously. "I don't take dares," he growls forcefully at Uzuri. He eyes the descending eagle and clenches his jaws. "If that other cub there is any friend of yours...I'd worry about the eagle, were I in your place!" He glances at the stupid bat. "And as for that deluded frugivore...he's no friend of mine. Nothing but a conversation piece. And I think he's overserved that purpose. I've got no quarrels here. Just yet, anyhow." He makes room for Shausha...not out of courtesy, but out of prudence.

Wow, the King knows how to fight. Bleh, who cares. Now that Harimu was practically toyed with, he'll make sure the King falls, he'll feast on the King's flesh. But uhm. . . Who is that? When harimu lifts his head and spots the lioness, his mind just goes away. The lioness must be loyal to the King, lets bring the King's morale down. The rogue, without warning, leaps to the lioness, hoping his fangs to make contact with the lioness' neck. But the King is not left alone, Devhan, not knowing that Chioh is the King, finds the large lion an easy target. Leaving the corpse of the dead guard behind, Devhan runs to the King. This is not going to be good. Rawr! Fear me!

Haki observes as Harimu and Kijani seems to be handling things pretty well, alongside with Dev. There's no reason for Haki to risk being scratched here really, and he has no intention to hurt anyone who doesn't attack him first. He is, after all, playing defensive. So he does no more than to pace around the fight, hoping for a chance to tear some deserving flesh. But it seems Harimu has suddenly got his attention on a female, leaving Devhan to face off with the king. Does he know what he's getting himself into? Perhaps this is where Haki steps in. He follows behind Devhan's reckless charge towards the larger lion.

Chioh head for the Kopje to try and save his son from the lion that's now head for it and he spins around when he sees Devhan coming at him, inexperienced lion that he may be, and the king lets out a growl. He pivots as best he can on his paws and goes to slam a paw into the side of Devhan's face. Not strong enough to kill the lion, but strong enough to get him out of his way. After he does that attack, he's off once more to go protect his family, who's in the same Kopje as the Concubines. And what's this? More guards coming from another part of the lands and two of them see Haki. Charge!

Ooo…the Kopje entrance is within his sights, and Kijani is heading right for it. He spots out of the corner of his eye the fight between caracal and eagle and he brings that out of his mind. He sees Shausha and a cub fighting, and he pushes that out of his mind as he heads for the inside of the Kopje, there will be lioness blood and meat for this lion tonight! Shade lets out a growl at the larger rouge and takes a few steps back to dodge his attack at her neck. Once she's out of harm's way, she leaps at him; hoping to sink her own teeth into his flank.

[Lindani]

So she has missed the little rat... no biggie there are still chances left. Uzuri rolls and Shausha side steps to counter act it. So the little brat wants her to actually try, well that can be arranged. Moving around Uzuri, Shau waits a moment before taking a second swing at her target, but with the other paw. As she does so however, she adds a little something; she takes the other paw and swings it low, leaving her open to a side pummel.

Not far behind Kijani is Sem, who has given up the idea of attacking Chiro and instead turned his attention to the inner workings of the kopje, and the inhabitants thereof. Sneak in quick and low and kill fast and sure. That is the way of Sem.

The rogue doesn't move after his attack, he failed, but that's ok with him. What's NOT ok is the attack from the lioness. Shade scores, but Harimu feels no pain. In fact, bitting him was a mistake. The rogue simply twists his upper body, able to reach his paw to the lioness' face with one mighty deadly blow. Take that, no one bites him! Devhan was about to strike the King, but darn the King, he's fast! Devhan feels the burning flesh from his face, searing? Backing off and letting the King go away, he just growls, turning around almost hitting Haki. But no! It's Haki, Haki = friend, right? "Behind you!" Dev warns the other lion, waiting for the other guards to get close to Haki and himself. He'll fight!

Roho is not exactly enamored with the situation that has erupted. He wishes people of Chioh's stature were more inclined to take him seriously. If only they'd prepared for the worst...ah, well. The land doesn't leave, only the inhabitants. Those are ephemeral anyway. The hyena looks back on the raging fight with a dry expression, and then paces quietly away.

Juujini chooses another target when the cub is protected, swerving away and finding himself approaching a lioness from a side. He swoops down to swipe-as-he-glides upon the lioness' back ... not a lethal strike, but a painful one and bound to cause distraction.

Kingukera has left.
Roho has left.

Uzuri does the duck and roll again, but that only resulted in her rolling straight into Shausha's other blow. Heavy blow, and Uzuri is sent sprawling. Ache. She shakes her head. "Well, that was a little better." she says, and rolls over to stand back up. "I was anticipating something a little more deadly from 'death.'" she taunts. "Luckily I've been training well." And Uzuri dashes back over to Shausha. "And I learn quick." And unleashes one, two, three blows, one is aimed for the eyes, other, muzzle, and the other, a planned roll to the side and against the flank.

Katibu's claws and teeth snap down on empty air as the eagle swerves out of reach. The caracal, too, has avoided grievous injury, but he would have taken it gladly if it meant Awiti got away safe. The cat drops once again to the ground, then turns to Awiti and nudges the cub with his muzzle. "Quickly," he utters, "to the ko--" but he stops mid-sentence. The kopje is otherwise occupied and is not safe. So the caracal simply stands over the cub and glowers around at the battle. What else is he to do?

Behind? Haki turns behind to spot the approaching guards. Two of them. It seems Chioh is too far to reach now, but he will pay for attacking a weaker lion, later perhaps. For now Haki has two opponents to face, and hopefully Devhan will be of some help here. He stops in his tracks and faces the approaching guards, stance defensive and ready to dodge their upcoming attack.

To the Kopje? Are you crazy? Oh heck, Awiti obeys! Silly cub. The cub nods wuickly to the caracal before turning around and running straight to the kopje.

Chiro's cries are lost in the sound of battle. He narrowly avoids an incidental smashing by the eagle, but the dodge sends him out of control or a second, and he winds up crashing into a spire of the kopje. His body hugs the stone, half-senseless. "Oooooiiiig!" he cries.

Late but not too late, Hukumu arrives at the scene, alerted to the attack on the kopje by a mortally wounded border guard who saved his last breath to warn him. He zeroes in on the most important player on the battlefield--his daughter, Uzuri. Long, powerful strides carry him through the tall grass, past Chioh, past Katibu; the only thing that exists in the entire world is the scene unfolding mere meters away. With murder in his eyes, he lets loose a bloodcurdling roar and launches himself at Shausha, jaws aimed at the base of her spine.

Juujini can strike with relative impunity if he does so skillfully, but the tradeoff is it takes time to regain altitude to strike again. Lioness blood dripping from his talons, he spirals back upward with skillful, powerful strokes of his wings when he spots his King, the one true King -- Harimu -- being double-teamed by a lioness. The bird decides to even those odds a bit with his next attack, swooping down upon Shade with his talons outstretched ahead of himself again. His plan is to fork her: if she tries to prepare for his attack from the sky, she'll be vulnerable to Harimu; if she ignores him, she gets to feel some talons.

Chioh puts more power into his legs as he shoots across the battleground and for the Kopje itself. Thankfully, he has a few shortcuts to get up onto the ledge before Kijani does, and he takes one of them. That gets him right in front of the rouge as his brother shoots past him to save his daughter. That moment of pause allows Kijani prime time to knock Chioh off of the ledge and onto the grass below, thank god for soft landings...kinda. The two lions fight while everything else goes on. ~ Shade lets out a roar of pain as the paw slams into her face and she lets Harimu go. Okay, bad idea. She lets out a low growl and paces slightly before leaping at him once more, aiming for his face! ~ The two guards spilt up, one heading for haki, a loud roar coming from his throat as he brings up a right paw and aiming to slam it down onto the lion's face. Not all the lions here are weak! THe second guard looks over at DEvhan, and spreads his legs out. He's more of the defensive type as he waits for the other lion to attack.

Tired of these foolish games Uzuri is playing, Shausha takes the senile hits from the juvenile; a few scratches never hurt anyone right. As a swip is aimed for her muzzle, Shau plays the part of the game Uzuri had asked for. At the exact moment Uzu strikes so just she, lashing out with claw and fang. However, before she can cause any real damage the bloodlusting roar of Hukumu catches her attention. Her eyes grow wide - this can mean only one thing. With just enough time to turn to the raging king she's taken down with little effort. This she had not planned. A roar of her own escapes her maw; not of anger but of sudden pain.

Uzuri smiles. "Three!" She calls. Ha ha! She wins, if only because her dad just leapt in to save her. She watches the carnage sweetly. "So, when you said you were 'death...' did you mean... 'dead?'" she asks innocently, watching her dad.

"No, Awiti, /wait/!" Katibu cries, then he ducks down when Hukumu goes soaring past. It's chaos here, and in the chaos it's hard to keep track of all the cubs. The caracal is beside himself with worry. He releases a low growl and charges after Awiti, as he is in the most imminent of danger.

And imminent danger it is. When Hukumu goes hurtling by, Sem scrambles backwards to avoid being plowed over. Then, Kijani is taken down by Chioh. The assassin growls low in his throat and spots the form of Awiti galloping towards him. Well! First kill of the fight. Sem leaps forward to intercept the youth, fangs aimed for the back of the cub's neck. One bite, right through the vertebrae, outta do it.

Hukumu sinks his teeth into Shausha's backbone and his claws into her haunches, bringing her down like a common herd beast. His jaws are like steel, clamped down too tightly to allow for speech--but then, no words are necessary. The King's eyes, wide and wild, do all the talking for him. Uzuri, run!

Haki smirks, every single action of this supposed lion guard was anticipated, as he recklessly throws himself towards the rogue with his right paw reached out. Haki springs forward right into the approaching lion, lifting his left paw with claws facing outwards to block off the strike and perhaps even dig into the opponent's paw, while his other paw launches its claws straight for the lion's throat. The force between the two clashing lions should cause his claws to sink into his opponent's throat deep enough to be instantly fatal. If Haki is successful in eliminating this guard, he will help Devhan with the other shortly.

Uzuri doesn't hesitate, and she spots trouble at the Kopje. Awiti! Oh crap! She runs as fast as she can, animal howling! Oh heck! "I said nobody touches him!" she screams and leaps as high and far as she can. Intercept Awiti, or plant some teeth in Sem's back. She's still a good distance away. Not far from Hukumu, however.

Like not being there at all, a rather large figure for most youths, has obsevered the carneges from a distance. He knows better then to join the battle for blood amongst the warmungering adults, but the sudden downfall of Shausha is enough to modivate him. Departing his spot in the shadows, Runako makes for lion and lioness, but they are not his trailing point, Uzuri is. If Shau can no finish her off, then he shall. Bounding for the female juve he watches his back incase a flying body comes his way. Shausha on the other paw can do little as teeth sink into her back like a knife through butter. She lets out another roar but is silenced by the digging of claws in to her haunches. To risk defending herself would be fruitless, the risk of snapping her own spine is not an option she is willing to take.

Come on girl, you can do better than that! Harimu grins as the lioness lets go. The rogue wastes no time either. As the lioness goes to attack him, he does the same thing, briefly standing on his hindlegs, tall, huge and dangerous. The lioness can't reach his face, but surely gets a piece of meat from the rogue's chest. It's a miracle she managed to hurt him, the mane was there. But, the lion CAN'T stand on two for long, and he has to come down again. As he goes down, he brings his paw down on her face with all his weight. Take that girl. --- Awi, well. Clumsy cub. He manages to hear Katibu's call, all that growling and roaring and crying. . . But he manages to hear the WAIT part, and he does! But that wasn't a good idea. Wait and die, oh yeah! "DADDY!!!" The cub yells when he feels something on his back, not sure what it is, but it hurts like crap! --- (this is annoying, really) Devhan making the first strike? The lion stares at the guard, but he doesn't care for the guard. Instead, he helps Haki, one two three attacks to the one attacking Haki, just his paws trying to catch anything he can from the attacker.

Juujini swipes across Shade's back, causing the lioness a great deal of unexpected pain from behind as she continues brawling Harimu. Juujini's tactics rely on being able to swipe with his talons as he glides with a blurrying surge from a dive, so unfortunately lions with manes are a bad idea -- tangling his talons in a mane could tumble him to the ground where he would be vulnerable, and picking up a rock poses similar problems. So, more lionesses and cubs it is! Spiral up, dive and glide 5-10 feet above the ground to a target at high speed. Like a cheetah, but he can keep coming and coming. Where did that traitorous bat go!? The eagle ponders going after him, but ... well ... he's not as much of a threat to Harimu and Juujini's other comrades as the adults are. The eagle unleashes a scream as he dives at another cub, this time intentionally trying to draw attention, hoping to distract the maned enemies to render them more vulnerable to Harimu.

[Lindani]

Hukumu twists his neck sharply. Snapping the adolescent's spine is just what he's trying to do. If her back breaks, it's nothing she can't survive--if and only if Harimu is willing to nurse her back to health. Unsurprisingly, Shausha's well-being isn't very high on his list of priorities; youth or not, she's the enemy. "Die," he hisses through his teeth. "You flea-bitten whore!"

Katibu picks up speed as the assassin attacks Awiti, but the caracal becomes distracted when he hears Uzuri cry out. He glances back and spots the form of Runako charging right for her. /Damn/ it. The caracal looks back once again to Awiti, but he knows it's too late for the boy. Thus, the caracal skids to a halt and whips around to run back and help Uzuri fight off Runako. He's got a distance to travel, but he's closing fast.

It is, indeed, over for Awiti. Sem's teeth hit true, and he gives a quick bite, latching on. Then, he lifts his head and gives it a sharp whip from side-to-side. The action should snap Awiti's neck like a twig.

Chioh pushes Kijani off of him, both are close to the same weight and well Chioh's a bit more angry then Kijani right now. While the rouge his being tossed through the air, Chioh is back up onto his feet and running back up the Kopje. "Kiume!" yells Chioh as he heads for the Kopje. ~~ Shade is dead. Easy as that. ~~ Guard1 is dead from Haki's superb move, and Guard2 is now heading for Haki to tackle him to the ground in revenge for his friend's death. ~~ Kijani, on the other hand, gets back up onto his feet and shakes his head. The king does know how to fight, he will give him that. Now, he's just trying to regain composure.

OMG! Can someone have mercy on his soul? Awiti stares at Katibu. He knows Katibu isn't going to help him this time. Not a sound, just a tear coming down his eye before the assassin does the trick. Now he *IS* a ragdoll.

Uzuri stops. For two reasons. One, she saw Awiti's death and realized she would have been next if she continued, second, she's got... another cub charging at her? She smiles. Hey! Shausha may not have ben stupid enough to fall for her trick, perhaps this one will. She she gets low to the ground, facing him. She thinks to herself. Heeeeere kitty kitty.

Great, the lioness is dead, one down, more to go. Harimu glances around, how are things going? Great... No wait. The rogue's golden eyes focus on the other King, his blood starts boiling. No one touches his lioness. The rogue lets out a roar as he charges at the standing King. Now now, if he attacks him, she'll die... Ok, it's a risk he's willing to take. Harimu takes advatange of the situation, as Hukumu is there entertained with Shausha, he knows he can have a clean shot at the King's neck.

Ok, so the guard is down. Devhan lets the guard go and now fully berserk about the battle, he leaps to defend Haki, striking the other lion before he gets a chance to attack Haki.

Sem can taste the blood in his muzzle and feel the deadweight of the cub in his jaws. It's sweet, sweet death, and the assassin relishes it by tossing the corpse high into the air. Then, before it even drops, he turns and slinks inside the kopje to deal even more death to the pride. His target: concubines and cubs.

A ragdoll flies in the air. A terrible sight, the gore and the vilany and the cracking bones when Awiti hits the ground again. Yup, he's dead-ed.

Haki smirks as he makes his first kill, and so easily. Justice has been done for, well, attempting to attack me. But the moment of triumph doesn't last long, in no time the guard that Devhan was /supposed/ to be fighting targeted Haki instead, and Haki cannot dodge this attack from his current position. Thankfully Devhan came in useful, as he had hoped, and his intervention should've saved him from being brought to the ground. Dev's aid will not go unrepaid for, as Haki makes a quick turn and aims a powerful strike at the guard's face. Two on one, you lose.

So she is a flea-bitten whore now.. Shausha would take that as a complement if she knew she wasn't about to become a cripple. Bracing herself for whats to come.. she just lays there; the thought of being dead already in mind. Making may for Uzuri, Runako may appear dumb at times, but his no weakling when it comes to defending himself. Trained by a few individuals in the area, one who doesn't look to be on the winning stand point, the other... he doesn't take the time to look. Runa's scared face peers onward as he loses track of Uzuri through the grass. Damn. Coming to a stop just feet from the couching juve, Runako drops down into the grass himself. He's never liked being the hunted. Creeping forward with no idea of Uzu's intentions, he braces all the while tempting to attach with the female is sighted.

Katibu comes in low and fast, running right for Runako. He'd never kill a cub, even one threatening to murder one of his charges. His intent is, instead, to hit Runako from the side and distract him long enough for Uzuri to flee. The caracal uses no fangs nor claws in the attack--just blunt force.

Uzuri smiles. Well, a distracted target. And suddenly, Runako is prey. She glides silently through the grass, hunting. She is the earth. Where she was, she isn't now, Uzuri's looking for a way to overturn the cu and make some good damage. Maybe not kill, but a good chase off. She assesses the cub, he looks a good deal younger than her. Finally, she is at Runa's side, when Katibu flies out of nowhere at Runako. Oh darn.

And just like that, the guard that Haki threw himself at is dead. Not many can take beserking lion to the face and live to tell about it. Congratulations, Haki. Your limit breaker meter is full.

Hukumu releases Shausha just in time to see Harimu barreling full-force at him. In an instant, he's readjusted his stance, bracing for the inevitable impact. The King of Rogues might have a difficult time getting his jaws around Hukumu's neck, but that doesn't mean he can't bite down elsewhere; as he turns, he shows Harimu his shoulder, giving him a larger, meatier target.

Harimu looks at the King, and the King's shoulder, bleh. Keep your shoulder King, Harimu wants something else, something lethal. The rogue ignores the offering, and instead of bitting, he lashes his claws to the King's face. That worthless piece of King is not worth bitting! Dev on the other paw stays there, looking at the carnage. Well? What now? He glances at Haki, smilling. They are such a great team! But his smile fades when he sees his cousin like that, "Shu!" He cries out, rushing toward the lioness.

Chioh skids to a stop in front of the den entrance, sliding into the entrance itself. Though Sem has already entered the Kopje, Chioh looks back at his brother and Harimu. Screw the past problems, and the concubines - which Chioh never really liked anyway - coming to the Kopje. Chioh leaps at Harimu, claws out and aiming to get him away from his brother. He has to do /something/ to save him from his death.

On the other hand, Kijani follows Sem's pawsteps into the Kopje after Chioh leaps at Harimu and he gives a soft chuckle as he slinks into the darkness to kill the cubs and other concubines. Hey, he has to have fun as well.

The swipe may have been a mistake on Harimu's part. As the claws fly at his face, Hukumu lunges forward and snaps at the paw, trying to seize it in his vice-like jaws. If he should succeed, he pulls abruptly down in an attempt to pull the rogue to the ground.
As Sem and Kijani enters the kopje, they are greeted by a nasty sight: two cubs, surrounded by six angry lionesses. Cornered females with children are a force even for the Blood Brothers to reckon with, and with nothing to lose (except their lives and their cubs), they hurl themselves at the attackers the momen they show themselves. Two of them remain behind to carry Kiume and Kasia to safety; the last of the living royal litter must be kept safe at all costs.

Haki makes another victory, and the triumph music plays again. But that is quickly interrupted by Devhan's cry, as Haki turns and watches him rush towards Shausha, or what looks like Shausha. He follows the adolesecent closely behind. This looks bad, hopefully his favorite lioness isn't dead.

When the worse was thought to happen, the pressure on her back is released. Shausha is no longer the target, but who is. She is in no position to find out. Knowing his has now become a target of Uzuri, Runako comes to a halt in her search.. but a sudden feel comes over him when Kat breaks Uzu's attack. So much for cub fun.. looks up at the caracal, he growls but does nothing till proboked with violence. Hearing the voice of her cousin, faintly, Shausha looks up to his nearing form, but quickly lays her head back on the ground. Poor Shaush, she hopes Humuku gets what he deserves.

Juujini is starting to feel the strain, climb after climb, dive after dive, attack after attack. His wings are tired and yet he feels energized by the feline blood in his feathers. Still, he is feeling the munchies ... felines don't make the best food, but he's not picky ... and the thought of eating the heart of the enemy has its own appeal. He changes tactics, and to throw off anyone studying his attack patterns, his target as well ... this time not concerned with being on the ground, now that so many targets have been eliminated, he again spirals up high, and this time soars at that great height directly over the battlefield and doesn't dive-swoop and glide, but dives straight down and this time upon a maned lion, one of only three males still standing on the battlefield aside from Hurum's clan. He struggles from the enormous rush of wind to keep his talons forward as some loose feathers trail behind (above) him ... in the straight down dive, his plummet really pours on the speed and at the last moment, pulls his head back as his talons pierce down into the lion's skull. The lion goes down quickly under the bird and does not get up. Its just the two kings left now and the lionesses huddled with a few cubs. The eagle hops over to the lion's chest and rips it open easily with his talons, biting into the flesh between his ribs, literally going for his heart.

The first lioness to leap at Sem gets a nasty, lethal surprise. The assassin moves quick and sure, and his jaws clamp over her throat. Against a full-grown lion, Sem is useless in an all-out fight. Lionesses are another matter. They're more his size--in fact, some of them are bulkier and slower. So once he's dealt with the initial attack, Sem leaps at the next lioness, aiming directly for her throat as well.

Katibu will not invoke violence on Runako. The youth is just that: a youth. It goes against Katibu's instincts. So the caracal resolves to simply stand between the two cubs, teeth bared at Runako. "You had better /run/, child," he snarls at the cub, "before things come to blows between us." It's likely a bluff.

Harimu will make sure of that, Hukumu will get what he deserves. The rogue doesn't move away from the King, and it was definitely a smart move. There's no way Harimu can escape from this one, but it gives him a good idea. The rogue gladly lets the King get his paw, and the moment he feels the King's teeth on his paws, he brings his paw down to the ground. If the King doesn't let go, both will get hurt, Harimu's paw will suffer a dangerous bit, but the King's jaw likely will suffer more damage when it meets the ground. Devhan ignores haki, he's unaware of the other lion's prescence, what's important is his cousin. When he gets close enough, he nudges the lioness with his nose, standing tall again and looking around, ready to attack anyone who gets close to his cousin, "Go help the cub!" He yells at Haki, tilting his head to Runako's direction.

In the Kopje, Kijani gives a dark laugh as he spreads his paws out and then he brings his teeth up against a lioness' neck to take her down. He applies maximum pressure to the lioness' throat as he looks at hte other lionesses. Almost as if saying, 'Bring it.'

Chioh watches his brother and Harimu fight and he growls loudly. His teeth grinding together as he then tenses up his legs, the claws comingout once more and scratching against the rock beneathe him. "You bastard," growls out Chioh as he then presses off of the ground and he leaps at Harimu. To get him off of Hukumu if he can. Though he's probably going to cause more harm then good.

Not one to complain that something horrible could happen around her, Shausha just lays there. Lets act dead shall we. When nudged she looks up to Devhan... well are you just going to stand there or are you going to help her up. Glaring at the Caracal, Runako had no intentions on attacking him, its Uzu he wanted, but it seems to late for that. Stepping back, he takes the open hole to save his own skin from a few extra marks.

The other lioness in fact has not wasted time in attacking Kijani, having leaped on him in a rage known only to the desperate and those protecting their blood, trying to sink her teeth into his shoulder as he attacks the other lioness. Sem's target is brought down with relative ease, but the split second distractions is all the remaining two need to carry off the two terrified cubs, running like demons were behind them. Which in effect, they were.

Hukumu's muzzle is plowed into the ground, momentarily stunning him long enough for Harimu to close his jaws around the back of his neck--if he's quick enough.

Haki watches Devhan as he nudges at the helpless lioness. He doesn't know how they're related, but Devhan seems to care for Shausha as much as he does, if not more. Though his thoughts are quickly interrupted by his command to help Runako. Haki isn't keen in taking orders from the younger male, but well, he owes him one. Thus he heads towards where Runako is, apparently just to aid in his escape.

Uzuri hears Hukumu, and turns to look. Her heart stops. Daddy! No! She takes a less then cautious step forward to get a etter view. Get up!

Harimu is quick enough, just watch! The rogue smirks as the King hits the ground, "Now die!" He growls at the King on the ground, lowering his muzzle to take a bite on the neck. Just as fast as he bites him, he twists his neck, hoping to hear a crack on the King's bones. Let Chioh leaps and hear the bones breaking too.

Sem whips around to give chase to the two lionesses, but no. They're far away by now; he has no hopes of catching up. Besides, the battle is as good as through now. The assassin, growling softly, watches Kijani's struggle.

Katibu notices Uzuri's concern once Runako has fled. He calls after her when she begins to step forward, then leaps to intercept her. He won't let her get in the way of the adults fighting; she'll just be killed.

Uzuri, against all better judgement, just runs for her father. "Daddy!" she yells, blowing her cover. She's Not about to attack anyone, she just wants to get to her dad!

Since when was ganging up on Kijani part of the deal! This lion has been at worse odds then this, and he's having fun. He kills the lioness that he has his teeth into, and then he brings his paw up to sink his claws into the lioness on his back and drag her off of him.

Making his escape, Haki doesn't even need to comes over, but who wants to appear useless... Runako sure does, but lets not let go tell everyone ok.

Katibu doesn't really notice Haki running forward; he's more concerned with chasing after Uzuri. "Uzuri, /stop/!" he cries out. If she gets in the middle of the fight and dies, the caracal will be quite upset.

Hukumu feels Harimu's jaws close around the back of his neck. He's in a bad position, but his bones are strong enough that they refuse to snap under the strain. Instead, his hind legs crumple and his body is forced into the grass. "I know you," he growls out, eyes rolling back to get a better look at his attacker. "Bastard. You want a bird for your eyes? So be it!" With all his strength he twists, not trying to wrench free of Harimu's grasp, but to shift in it; his entire body turns like a crocodile rolling with its prey. Fangs glistening with saliva, he thrusts his muzzle at the rogue's one remaining eye with the intention of ripping it out with his teeth. If he's going to die, he'll take the rogue's vision with it.

Well, when a lion the weight of Chioh tries to tackle a lion the mass of Harimu...there's not much moving going on. Infact, Chioh rebounds off of the lion and growls...but then he watches his brother lash out once more and he can do nothing but watch for a moment. Hukumu's final moments.

Haki slows down in his strides as Runako seems to be safe enough on his own. Now what? Then out comes Uzuri heading for her fallen father, and Haki seems so conveniently in the way. Plus there's another one, caracal, coming right after her. Both seem too easy targets and hardly acknowledge his existence. He eyes the little one as she heads in his general direction. Should he?

Uzuri doesn't stop.. She's getting nearer. "Dad! Dad! Don't die! I love you!" she cries out. She's ignoring Katibu. As Haki gets in her way, she just stops to turn out of his way. Dad!

The lioness flops to the ground from the power of Kijani's throw.

And in a flash, Sem is upon the lioness, aiming to tear into her throat, just as he had done with her pridesisters before. The strike is silent, not even announced by a snarl. In and out.

Haki is now getting rather annoyed. The cub treats him as if he's transparent. Right before the cub could make her way around Haki, he grabs her tail in his paw, then lifts her right up. "And where do you think you're going?"

Watching Sem dispatch of the lioness, Kijani laughs slightly as he then walks out of the Kopje. He heard a voice through out this fight, valiantly helping the cubs. The Caracal. His eyes spot the small morsel of food and Kijani starts to stalk towards it. His muzzle stained with blood from other lions and lionesses with a devilish sneer on his face. "Here, kitty, kitty."

When Haki lifts Uzuri, Katibu emits a low growl and picks up speed. He's no longer intent on stopping Uzuri; he's intent on making Haki /release/ her. Thus the caracal leaps for Haki's shoulder/ribs area, claws and teeth bared. "Let her /go/!" he bellows in the most fearsome caracal-cry ever.

It's unlikely for the King to get free from Harimu's graps. it is not the King's strenght. The rogue was bitting hard, there was no escape... But then those words. He knows him? What the? That makes Harimu lose the grip on King's neck, just in time for Hukumu to get the rogue's face, one single fang making his way inside the rogue's eyeball. Nasty! But ok. The rogue growls in pain as he leaps upward, trying to get away from the King. But everything that goes up has to come down. And the heavy weight of the rogue needs to go down. Blindly, the rogue's paws land on the King's face. Harimu is really fat, so when he comes down, it¿s probable that Huku's skull will break like an egg.

When Haki lifts Uzuri, Katibu lowers himself for a spring towards him. However, the spring never happens, for just then Kijani's voice cuts in from behind. The caracal whips around, and his ears go flat against his skull. What's he going to do? He can't fight a lion, let alone two of them. There's no way he can turn his back on Kijani either. So the caracal squares himself, facing Kijani with the most fearsome of caracal-snarls ever.

Hukumu falls away from Harimu's face, the rogue's eyeball clenched firmly in his teeth with ribbons of blood and sinew trailing like a banner in its wake. His victory is short-lived. When the paws come down on his head, his prize pops in his mouth--but so does his skull.

Chioh snaps out of his small little trance there when his brother dies, and he shakes his head. When he stops shaking his haed, he spots Haki and his niece and he growls. Uzuri may not be his daughter, but he still loves her like one. "Drop her now," growls Chioh in a low voice towards Haki.

Chucling deeply and darkly, Kijani keeps on walking towards the caracal. "Oh? You are going to stand up to me now, are you?" He sneers once more at the little feline as he takes a few more steps closer. "Let's see how /powerful/ you think you are." With that, he bolts forward, a paw coming down to slash at Katibu.

[Lindani]

Uzuri manages to see her father fall to the ground, crushed under the weight. If there was ever a time this cub were to kill someone, now would be it. Her heart sops, her blood freezes, then a massive heat inside her grows unchecked. Tears in her eyes, she screams. "Daddy!" and starts squirming like all get out, then takes a nasty, strong, quick, enraged and sharp swip right at Haki's paw for him to release her. "I'll kill *all* of you! Starting with the *bastard* who killed my dad!" she screams

Katibu won't go down so easily. The caracal leaps backwards, away from the offending slash, then retaliates with one of his own. Caracal-slash won't do much damage to a lion, but no one can say the cubsitter didn't try.

Indeed they don't do much against lions, but Kijani gives the caracal props for trying. He shakes his paw slightly, he clicks his tongue at Katibu and says, "Now that's no way to treat your killer. It just makes him angrier!" He bolts forward once more, this time faking an over head swing, and bring it into a horizontal swing.

Harimu feels something below his paws... Like grapes, the blood running between his claws and paws. Now's the time when he wants his crappy eyesight to come back. At least he could see blurry shapes, now he can only see... Darkness! Bwahahaha! "Let the King go!" Harimu growls, turning to where the remaining King's scent it, growling and snarling and clenching his fangs, "Let him go... Let him live through this. Let this story live across the savannah." Yeah, let him go so Harimu lives tonight... He'll need to get used to his blindness if he wants to fight again.

Katibu is quick, but he's no fighter. He isn't expecting the feint, and thus Kijani's claws dash open the side of his neck and face, and the caracal is sent sprawling to one side by the force of the blow. He lets out a strangled 'hrgack!' and lays where he fell, dazed.

Haki just swings the cub to one side for her attack to miss. Ain't gonna scar my pretty paw. "Such courage." He smirks, but meant it not as sarcasm. It is indeed admirable. He then turns to Chioh. "Drop her? Sure. But I want you to kill yourself first." No really, it's a deal.

Sem, having dealt with the lionesses--and eviscerating some of their corpses, for good measure--exits the kopje covered in blood. He surveys the area with a very pleased smile. Death, destruction. All these things are his favorites. He can rest easy for weeks now. The assassin sits on his haunches and simply watches the final Palandasya pride members receive their dues.

Chioh growls loudly, and his teeth are being bared greatly as he says, "Me, kill myself. You have to be f**king joking." Language is great right now, isn't it. He takes steps closer to Haki. Though Haki seems like an adult, Chioh's got years on him. "Boy, drop my neice now before I pull your tail through your mouth and hang you up for the buzzards to feast upon!" ~~ Kijani on the other hand, walks over to Katibu's body and chuckles slightly. "You fought valiantly, but in the end. You are just food." He lowers his muzzle down and goes to bite Katibu's neck as the final killing blow.

Katibu is too dazed to offer a resistance. He does give a feeble struggle, but in the end, the final thing the caracal sees are Kijani's fangs. It's over very soon.

Uzuri is still berserk and insane. She is out of control. She again makes an attack on the paw, this time to sink her teeth into his paw. "Maye I'll *kill you first!" she screams.

Haki frowns, perhaps he isn't in as much of an advantage as he thought he was. The larger lion seems angry enough to do anything for the cub right now. He shakes the cub again to dodge her fangs. "Fine then, if you want her so much," Haki smirks, "catch." He /throws/ Uzuri at Chioh.

Harimu roars to make things calm now. Ok, now that everyone is listening, the rogue speaks again, "Do as we say! Let the King go. He can take his niece. Let him have her. King, go now before we change our minds. Let the world know what happened here." Just let Uzuri and Chioh go darnit!

It seems the battle is winding down, so Sem takes this opportunity to creep over to the body of his first kill: the cub Awiti. This he picks up gingerly in his jaws. It will be something to amuse himself with later.

Chioh does his best to catch Uzuri without harming her, but she's bound to be harmed form the impact on his body and then the fall to the ground. He wouldn't dare catch her in his teeth. He bends down and picks Uzuri up in his teeth, "Calm down, Uzuri. You will have your revenge later." Then he's off walking towards Pridelands, hpoefully they will take them in. his family already escaped earlier.

Walking over with a caracal meal in his mouth, Kijani walks over to his brother and nudges his head to point him in the right way, muttering, "Talk that way." Then he's walking over to a corner to eat his meal.

Uzuri snarls and yowls angrily as she is thrown at her uncle. She is also yelling out profain things and rather graphic (Yet creative) things she will do to Harimu one day. And she almost slashes at Chioh, but something aout a rought impact with him and the ground seemed to calm her nerves, plus now he has her in his mouth. She can't hurt him. The violent angry things continue until she fades away from Palandasya forever.

Harimu waits.... And waits for a long time. Ok, there's only that smell of blood he loves, "Brother?" Where are you!? The rogue sniffs around, catching the lioness' scent. Where... How and why? The rogue starts moving to the female's scent. Awiti is food for Sem, glee! And Dev stays there, looking at the rogue as he gets closer, snarling at him. Don't touch her!

Slamming his foot down in front of Dev, Kijani growls loudly as he says, "Go near him, and I'll make the King's threat to Haki a reality on you." With the way Kijani's looking right now, he's pissed enough to do it Devhan.

Shausha is a motionless figure, the fear of moving a injuried body just isn't worth the pain it may cause. Looking up at everyone, she remains silent.

Backing up Kijani is Sem, who has moved down from his place and now sits behind the rogue brother. He's not terribly fond of a blind rogue leader, but whenever there's a fight between Dev and a family member, Sem will side with anyone other than Dev. In the assassin's mouth is still the limp body of Awiti.

Ahhh what a glorious battle. So much blood and death. Mmm...blood...my how the tables have turned for the little dog. She scoots, slinking through the brush toward the nearest corpse, ears swiveling to and fro, ever on the watch for a lion who may suddenly decide they'd rather not let the jackal in on the fun.

Ok, Dev is cornered. This is imposible, after figthing, helping them, they still ahte him!? The young lion lowers his head, flatenning his ears and just giving up. Ok, he won't do anything stupid this time, "Is everyone alive?" Harimu asks, standing in front of the lioness. Come on, say something.

That's right, boy. You better stand down. Kijani looks back at Harimu, stepping away from Sem as he walks over closer to his brother. "Yes, brother. We are all alive. Injured, but alive." And who said being injured isn't part of teh fun.

Shausha huffs. After a long moment, she can be seen stuggling to change position. Why the back.. "Oww." she lets out, soon just giving up. Someones going to help her right?

Haki sighs, glorious? Maybe not so much. "Yeah, I'm here." If anyone really cares, anyway. The young rogue turns to observe the losses, his injured 'family' members and his blinded leader. Was it all worthwhile?

Success! So far so good, no one's tried to stop her. She crouches next to one of the dead lions and starts tugging at the frayed edge of a wound.

It was in Sem's book! The assassin ignores Shausha's struggles to stand--it's not in his nature to help the weak--and instead amuses himself by flipping Awiti's corpse high into the air and watching it drop to the ground. As he rises to retrieve his new toy, the lion spots the jackal. He lifts a lip at her in disgust, but makes no move to stop her feasting.

And then the vultures show up. Sikusiku shoves and pushes through the vulture crowd like a senior citizen at an all you can eat buffet!

Mwizuri freezes as she's spotted, lips curled back over her teeth in mid-tug. She stares at the big scary lion for a moment until he turns away. She wags her tail a few times, then returns to tugging and tearing.

Yes it was worth it. What, a few scratches, one eye missing? That, compared to the corpses laying on the ground is worth it, amen, "Good. Kin, take a walk... See if someone wants to come back. You have twenty minutes." Sure, scout the area, no one comes back, but he won't ake chances, "Devhan, you go with him." Yeah, take that whinning carpet off his blind face! The rogue lowers his muzzle, sniffing the lioness. Ok, she's alive, "Haki, get food." Just in case she wakes up.

Fling! Thud! Sem continues his demented game of Cubbet-Ball, oblivious to the world, or so it would seem. Fling! Thud! Until he spots the vultures. Then, the assassin picks up his carcass and holds to it possessively. He knows how vultures get around dead things, and this dead thing is /his/.

Shausha can't stand being on the ground anymore... she wants to get up... no she has to get up. Trying once more, paining herself to do so, she takes a deep breath and... pop! That sounds like it had to hurt, but all in all it felt good at the same. Getting herself to a seated position, the best she can that is, she takes another look around; quite displeased by what she sees. She said invasion and they took it literally... such blood thirsty killers shes hooked up with.

Over at the foot of one of the kopje's spires, a rustling sound comes. The weeds and rocks there fall, and suddenly a sneeze--Chiro is awake. He looks around, groggy...at the devastated scene.

Rip, tear, munch, slurp...a happy jackal gorges herself upon the corpse of one of her species' eternal enemies.

[Chioh]

This has to be the longest, bloodiest, and death filled rp ever....

[Nyigakali]

Yeah, could it have been more awesome?

Okay maybe with a little less OOC ick ...

[Bahati]

And less power-playing eagles.

[Yaro]

Aw darn! I spent a lotta time cleaning up the log and someone beats me to it. Ah well.

[Rynoah]

admin said:

And less power-playing eagles.

[IceHeartedLion]

ROFL! Just.... OMG!

[Ajazi]

xDDDD

[Chioh]

*rolls on the ground laughing!!!!*