The herd was much more easily controlled while following the river. The pride kept their eyes out for any of them that were tempted to cross the waters. More and more stops were taken as the air got hotter the further north they walked. The great deserts and home of the dungeon was approaching. Only the river would keep them alive.
Gugulethu approached at a double pace. “We have scented a male. Clothes came down the river with the musk of lionkin.” Tension went down my muscles as inwardly I prepared for battle. With a nod the matron led me off ahead of the herd.
Nerves filled me as I looked back and saw Bandile approach Bongani to shield and protect him from others. Still thoughts of him being beaten and left to die once more fluttered in my chest as I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.
Shaking my head I focused on the battle to come. Instead of excitement I felt worry inside me. What happens if he is ascended? My heart quickened. Sweat beaded on my back and spine. The sun felt like it was beating down on my shoulders as we jogged north up the waters.
Minutes passed as the ground disappeared beneath our feet. I could smell nothing on the wind. That was when it happened, bursting from the water came a large Lionkin male. Water glistened down his rippling muscles and a large fish wriggled in his mouth. His eyes fell upon the two of us, teeth ripping through the morsel of food in his mouth. His animal like face and thin mane shaped a young figure.
His skin was dark brown around his shoulders at the thick fur stretched down the center of his chest and abs before thickening around the base of his shriveled dick. Compared to his size it was comically small. Easily thinner and shorter than my own package.
There was no aggression in his body as he stood there chewing through the bloody fish. Silence stretched between all of us. Gugulethu whispered to me, “I can’t smell him with the water. I can’t tell if he has ascended or not.”
I stepped past the matron and looked across the ground, defensively covering the older woman. The lion looked relaxed and amused. His voice rumbled and was smooth. “Good morning ladies,” He polished off the last of the fish as he ran a hand through his soaked mane. “What brings two… ugly and old women out here.”
My body tensed at the insult he had delivered to us. “Watch your tongue male.” I kept my voice low and full of the promise of violence.
He rolled his slit eyes as he plopped his body down in the waters. “I’ll do whatever I want, I won’t listen to some hideous excuse for a person. What even are you, you smell awful. Like sweaty balls and diseased pussy.”
Bristling the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the insults piled on. “You dare! I’ll slay you where you sit for what you are saying!” My hand pulled out the club, my grip so powerful it made the wood creak.
Shaking his head he leaned back resting his weight on the shore, “I don’t see that happening, you may have some strength to you but I doubt you have enough.”
Gugulethu stepped forward, she whispered to me. “I’m going to get closer and see if I can smell him.”
Stepping past me I grabbed her by the arm. Thoughts of watching Darela getting her head crushed in because I wasn’t fast enough. I hadn’t been there to stop the blow from falling or from healing her. “I don’t like that.”
“Then come next to me, he doesn’t look ready to fight.” Slowly we approached as the male lounged relaxing in the cooling waters during the hot midday. Gugulethu’s nose twitched and took in as much air as it could with every step but I could tell she smelled nothing. The water washed away too much scent to help.
I was ready to cast my entangling roots spell the moment he showed that he was hostile. “You two smell like younger women. Ones that should be mine. Yet you are old, and disgusting.”
Gugulethu tensed at the insults. “Why not step from the water? We can talk about things.”
Instead of listening he picked at his teeth with one extended claw, “What is there to talk about. One of you smells ready for violence while the other is quivering with fear. Both of you would be pointless to me. How about you two walk away and I take the women?”
The air grew thick with the intention of violence. My blood was boiling inside my veins as I looked at the male relaxing in the waters. Gugulethu finally got a noseful of his scent and stepped back. Her eyes looked at me with conflicted feelings in them. She nodded once and I felt my heart drop. This was something they were looking for. I thought I had a week left.
Finally he stood and smiled at us both. “Looks like you two have decided something. But I don’t think I’ll be letting you two walk away. See,” He stretched, muscles creaking, “I don’t need someone that can’t breed. And she looks like she has been fucking my soon to be women.”
Taking a deep breath I stood straighter, “You will let us walk away. The other women will be coming along the river soon enough and it will be easy for you to take your place. No need for blood to be shed. You wouldn’t look too good in the eyes of the other women.”
“Let you walk away and guide the women away from me? I can tell that both of you are leaders, which I don’t need to make others question what I can do.” Kneeling he pulled a spear from the waters. It was long and barbed viciously. It would give him the range advantage over me. I longed for a shield to wield but in my haste I did not have one.
Pulling Gugulethu back I tossed my head to the side, “Go back to the women. You know what to do.”
Her hands wrapped around my arm, “Please don’t kill him. I can tell he will be a powerful person to follow.”
“He plans to kill you and me. I don’t think I can let that happen.” His steps were slow, deliberate and measured as he approached.
With the quietest whisper, “I’ll come with you two. Your male and us. I’ll get the supplies and tell the rest of them to continue on.”
My mouth filled with sour bile at the thoughts of what had to be done. To see some groups matron be tossed out because some cruel male wanted it to be so sat like a stone in my stomach. “He won’t let me walk away, I can smell his intent in the air.” It was true, the scent of killing intent was in the air.
“Please, figure something out.” Gugulethu started running away and that triggered the male to charge after her. I bolted between them and dodged a flashing spear as he suddenly turned on me. It had been a ploy to lower my guard but I thanked my enhanced stats that I could dodge in time.
He thrust a half dozen times in the space of a breath as I slipped and dodged back, giving ground to his aggression. I called forth to the roots to tangle him up but he tore free of them easily.
Batting away another blow I tried to throw him off balance but his skill with the spear was exemplary. The sun fell on our shoulders as my heart went into overdrive. This male would kill not only me but all the leaders of the pride and Bongani. The weight of their lives settled on my shoulders and more sweat fell down my back and forehead.
Flashing a blinding spell I got him to flinch and I stepped in at that moment and smashed the spear hand in the front. All my power came down and I could feel his bones crack as his hand went loose and dropped the front of the spear. He lashed out in that moment and I used my free hand to swat it aside while I twisted out of the way.
A flash of pain filled me as he reversed the moment I guided it away and the cruel hook on the tip of the spear caught my hand, threatening to sever my fingers with its insane sharpness. As quickly as I could I smashed the club into his knee to hobble him but with some sort of sixth sense he twisted with the blow lessening the impact and shoved a shoulder into me.
The mass of his body was more than enough to send me stumbling back as he cleared his eyes of spots and thrust his spear with one hand a few times. It was slower, easier to dodge now that he didn’t have two hands to power the attacks.
We danced back and forth as I tried to step past the thrusts and close the distance while he was able to cover those openings with skill that rivaled my own. My free hand was too bloody to risk grabbing onto the spear and control it. The slick grip would let that hooked barb dig into me too easily.
I waved my hand in a mimicry of the last time I flashed and he closed his eyes looking away to avoid being blinded for quite so long. I took that moment to leap in and bring down the club on his shoulder. Once more he went to twist with the blow as his wounded hand lashed out in a backhand. I rammed my forearm into it, sending him roaring in pain.
I leaped ramming a knee into his exposed ribs as I kept too close for his spear to be successful. I impacted with my full body’s force and sent him stumbling back a step. I kept on raining another blow on his shoulder, making it numb and useless. He batted and swiped at me as I kept on his weakened side aiming for his knee and shoulder. Just enough to hobble him and leave him alive for the women.
Kill him and keep the women. A call came from deep inside me. Gugulethu won’t know. Thoughts of Bandile and all the other women I hadn’t claimed yet. The experience I would get from killing him and taking more of the women was tantalizing and delicious.
It felt wrong. To betray someone I barely knew. To have lied to her and not given it my all to honor the deal that I had made. My mouth soured as sweat fell down my nose. I couldn’t betray her, I had been foolish and selfish before and it had only ended with me banished and alone.
I smashed down on his weapon, finally knocking it free from his hand before I leapt up and planted two powerful feet into his chest to kick him down. His weakened knee gave out and he tumbled down to the water. Snatching the spear up I stepped twice before hurling it with all my might away and across the river.
My chest heaved up and down as I looked at the wounded and hobbled lionkin. FINISH HIM! I knew the voice. It was Ade, from all the years of training and showing no mercy in spars. It would have been so easy to stand above him and smash his brains in. I spit on his weakened face and walked away, leaving him groaning in the waters.
You have pleased Hathor, -25% xp deficit removed. Current deficit -50%.
