Kopa unleashed a soft, shocked sigh. He stared directly towards the older male before him, his brown, warm eyes scanning his so-called half-brother. Approaching softly, he raised a paw out, causing Nguvu to flinch. "It can't be..."
"It's true." The older male smiled softly, his furry cheeks practically glowing with warmth. He couldn't believe he'd finally met him, finally met his famous, handsome brother. He looked so much like their father. The messy, if attractive mane, the warm, loving eyes, even if they were now cautious, seemingly torn in thought and feeling.
Nguvu let Kopa brush closer. The sense of fear brushed past his fur as the Uasian king raised his paw, stroking the older male's face. "But father... He told me..."
"Father?" Nguvu exhaled sharply, his words but a whimper in the air. His eyes shot up to meet Kopa's slight tremble spreading through his body as they both stood within breathing distance. "He's... he's alive?" Kopa lowered his head, releasing a single, soul-deep sigh.
"No..." he raised his head, meeting Nguvu's widening eyesight. "He died... a long time ago..."
"Oh..." Nguvu closed his eyes, lowering her head to the rocky ground. Kopa felt the sorrow rush through his half-brother's heart. He closed his eyes for a second, sitting there as Nguvu strolled back to the mandrill, slowing her to continue to heal his wounds.
"We're sorry for your loss." The soft, regal tones of Queen Janna's voice brushed past Kopa's ears, causing them to spike slightly, he turned his attention up to the old queen, a focused look spreading across his face as the fungi light glistened across his tear-stained face.Karimu turned to Kopa with just as much curiosity, slight panic even. Regardless, the Uasian king stood strong, slowly approaching the edge of the Tree of Life's ascended, rocky throne. His scarred left eye glistening in the fungi illuminated light. "We come to seek a solution to a... conflict."
"Conflict?" Queen Janna's curiosity grew larger. Beside her, Rani leapt up to the throne, looking down at the Uasian king and queen beneath her. She held her ground, shifting her sight between the two. "What kind of conflict?"
"Scar has returned." Kopa's eyesight didn't drop nor whither. "Even now he consumes the savannah, spreading, feasting..." Janna's head remained lowered, her mind processing. The others looked up at their queen, as if confused, with a hint of uncertainty about what Kopa was talking about. All but one. Surak inhaled sharply, his eyes widened as his brain ticked.
"Scar?" The elderly lioness asked, puzzled. She watched as the light glistened across Kopa's scarred left eye. The flash of green, like lightning crackling across the night sky. Her body shuddered. A strange, worrying sensation spread through her fur. "Hmmm."
She approached the Uasian king, looking deeply into his scarred eye. Inhaling sharply, he continued to explain. Yeye sent us. He said there's a secret hidden here." Janna smiled softly, leaping down from her throne to meet the Uasian king head-on. She sat before him, raising her paw slightly.
"There is no secret here." She raised her paw, slowly moving it towards his left eye. "But here..." Kopa's eyes widened, a shudder rushed through his fur as the elderly queen brushed her paw against his scar. "Unimaginable secrets." The slightest spark crackled from his scar, splintering to her fur. A green, demonic hue bolted between the two before Janna pulled her paw away, sharply inhaling.
She stood before him; concern etched across her muzzle. She waved her paw at the other adult, brown-furred lioness in the lair, summoning her to the queen's side. A single, lush flower hung behind her ear, twitching softly as her ears spiked. As she approached, her eyes scanned Kopa's face, focussing on his scar in an instant.
"This is Nirmala, she will assist you in your search." Nirmala bowed her head slightly as Janna introduced her. She smiled at the Uasian couple, remaining her attention on Kopa.
"It would be my honour." Her smile didn't falter, standing proud and strong before the Uasian king. She swayed her paw towards the exit to the lair, only halted by a sharp call from the corner.
"Wait!" The mandrill who had tended Nguvu's wounds arose, waving her arms into the air. She moved a single-arm down to the laying lion beside her. "He should go with you." Nguvu arose, faintly trembling as he stared towards Kopa and Nirmala. The young lioness healer bowed her head in respect of the much wiser mandrill, placing a single paw forward.
"Very well, Gyaan." Upon hearing Nirmala's blessing, Gyaan nudged Nguvu forward, letting the adult male lion stroll softly towards the younger lioness. Kopa held his ground as his half-brother approached. Despite the warm and loving reception, Ni's words still echoed in the Uasian king's mind. Nguvu could not be trusted. Could he? This conflict sent his attention away from the rest of the conversation, his mind clashing with ideas.
Karimu, folding her ears downward, slowly crept towards Kopa, only to be halted by Queen Janna's wise, soulful voice. "He'll be okay, your majesty." Karimu's hazel, worried eyes shot up to the Tree of Life's queen. Karimu could only watch as Nirmala led Kopa and Nguvu away, past her fellow pride members. Soon, they disappeared up the twisting, turning root laden tunnel, back up to the surface.
The Uasian Queen lowered her head, exhaling softly. As she did, Queen Janna and Rani slowly approached her, followed closely by Surak and Baliyo. "We will take care of both of them."
The elderly lioness smiled as she passed the Uasian queen, looking back at her with a wise, friendly gaze. "Perhaps we may find a way to heal them, of their scars." Karimu's heart pounced as she heard this. Kopa had been agitated since he had received his scar. Perhaps some time in the quaint, lush land would do him some good. She smiled softly, slowly approaching the Tree of Life's queen with a pleasant trot.
"Indeed." She agreed as Baliyo and Surak conversed with Rani before strolling off, taking a swift look at the Uasian Queen. They strolled out, just as Rani approached her grandmother.
"Grandmother, the Night pride are taking a rest, today's been... tiresome." The young lioness yawned just as he finished speaking, shaking her head slightly as she focussed back on her grandmother's calm, gentle face.
"I understand." Janna strolled forward, signalling with her paw for Rani to follow. Karimu turned back around to see the mandrill, standing upright, leaning slightly on her staff. She turned her attention back to the two lionesses, who had moved slightly closer to the lair's exit. "But our guest here needs a place to stay." Rani thought for a moment, sighing softly as she looked back up at her grandmother.
"I guess." Rani's eyes fell to the ground, her body sulking downwards as Janna turned, slowly approaching Karimu with a welcoming smile.
"Come... Karimu..." She quickly turned to the exit, letting her head rest towards Karimu's position. "Let me give you a tour of our kingdom and find a place worthy of such royalty." Karimu bowed her head in acceptance, slowly strolling towards the elderly lioness. Rani sighed once more, slowly following them as she held her head softly down, matching the ground as she clambered her way out of the lair.
All that remained was Gyaan. The wise old mandrill clambered across the lair's rocky floor, using her staff to support herself. She halted about halfway towards the inclined throne, slowly and gently lowering her hand to the ground. A strange, foreboding sensation rushed through her fur, tingling to her brain. As she rested her hand on the ground, she noticed a slight, almost invisible hue seeping from the ground. A green, thunderous wave swept across the floor to her hand, seeping from the root ridden walls, seemingly rushing from deeper within the earth. She quickly raised her hand off the ground, looking around, her breathing intensifying as the power intensified before... fading?
She grasped her staff, a worried, confused look adorning her primate face.
"No..."
