Vipawa's eyes shot open. His pupils immediately contracted as the shimmering light twinkled before his eyes. Vast sways of crystal surrounded him, eclipsing the sky with their soulful stare. The young male tried to rise to his paws, trembling with weariness.
"Vipawa?" A familiar feminine voice beckoned across the large room. Afya slowly approached him just as the other sisters awoke, surrounding the pair. A mixture of relief and surprise spread across her muzzle, reaffirmed upon seeing the shallow, uncorrupted scar across his eye. "I'm glad to see you awake."
"Who... Who are you?" Still un-acclimated to his surroundings, the young male scurried backwards, his scruff tingling upwards as the lioness calmly approached.
"I'm Afya." The lioness replied, sitting patiently before him. She flicked her eye to one of the court room's exits, fluttering her ears up and down quickly. "But unfortunately, we don't have time!" She arose strongly, followed almost immediately by the rest of the sisterhood. Vipawa calmed, following the sister's example carefully. "We should take you to see Kopa." The head lioness glanced over at him, giving a faint smile in his direction. "He needs to hear what you have to say."
Before Vipawa could reply, the sisterhood rearranged themselves. Two of them strolled around behind him whilst two more boxed him in from the left and right. He stared back at Afya, who simply nodded in appreciation. She began to stroll towards the room's exit, followed by Vipawa and her sisters, who marched their captive out of the large court.
The walls closed in, tightening into a thin glistening corridor. Flickering flames bloomed alive when they passed, illuminating the path ahead. Vipawa studied the walls, carefully watching the fires gleam a crystalised blue in time with his heartbeat. The uniformed sound of the lionesses' paws scraping against the crystallised floor snatched his attention away, forcing him ever onward down the glamorous corridor. It seemed to curl and constrict on itself, paradoxically entwining the small gathering in a looping maze.
"Stay close, we're almost there!" The Head Sister announced. A blast of light shone past her gorgeous, glistening fur, enlightening Vipawa's retinas, slowly shimmering down as they marched out into the opening. The sisterhood led their captive into a large, multi staged room in which two males sat, analysing a strange diorama before them.
"But what of the councils?" Shujaa pondered, raising his eyesight to match Kopa's. the Uasian King simply continued to stare down at the display before him. His eyes locked on a small pebble representing Pride Rock, curiously surveying the emanating corruption.
"We'll reform them once we've dealt with Scar." The Uasian King's eyeline slowly swayed away from the diorama, glancing into Shujaa's warm brown orbs. "Once the corruption has been dealt with." Before Shujaa could reply, Afya approached, followed closely by the Sisterhood and Vipawa.
"My lord." Each lioness bowed as one, allowing their captive a quick glance at the almighty king before him. Arising, they moved to the side, nudging the young lion before the Uasian King. Vipawa, overcome with the sheer ethereal power surrounding him, couldn't help but bow in Kopa's presence.
"K...Kopa... I'm so so-"
"Vipawa?" The Uasian King tilted his head ever so slightly, scanning the younger lion who trembled before him. Afya's description had been spot on, all the way down to the utter terror still embroiled in his heart.
"Kopa?" The scarred young male stuttered, splitting his attention between the Uasian King and his advisor. "We don't have a lot of time!" He slowly stepped towards the king, only to be halted by Shujaa. The Royal Advisor snarled, growling in bitterness. His aggressive defensiveness was only cut off by Kopa, who simply raised a paw to his Royal Advisor.
"Indeed." The majestic male agreed, intrigued by the young male's sudden burst of confidence. He watched as Vipawa approached the diorama, scanning the lifelike slit of land with a focussed glance. The Outland's volcano twinkled in his eye, smothered in a corrupting hue, just as he remembered.
"Here!" He rested his paws at the edge of the display, lifting his body up off the floor in the process. Kopa and Shujaa stood at the opposite end of the dioroma, curiously watching as Vipawa studied the map. The sisterhood stood back, closing their eyes as the walls hummed with ethereal energy.
"The Outland's volcano?" Kopa let his head sway to the side, curiously calculating the young lion's thinking. Vipawa kicked off the diorama, landing back on all fours. He turned to Kopa, giving the Uasian King a confident smile.
"Well, yeah!" Building his confidence even further, Vipawa approached the Uasian King closer. "It's where I first encountered Scar's... place?" The young lion pondered, wondering if his choice of words were correct in any form.
"His realm?" Kopa replied, inhaling slowly as the realisation hit him. A smile began to adorn the king's face, warmed by the ethereal glow surrounding him. "That's it!" Before Shujaa could react, Kopa arose, stepping forward to face Vipawa head on. "We could access his realm there, right?"
Afya stepped forward, fluttering her eyes in thought. "Well, the energy fields there have been... intense lately..." The rest of the sisterhood stood still, passing their eyes between their leader and king. Kopa, taking a moment to piece together this newfound information, started to nod.
"Hmm yeah, that could work." An agreeable series of smiles adporned everyone's faces, apart from Vipawa's. The young male was still slightly confused, staring directly at Kopa. He was different, seemingly younger than the one that had saved him from Scar's realm. He placed a paw forward, just as Kopa concluded a conversation with Shujaa.
"Inform the rest of the pride of our plan."
"Of course, your majesty." The royal advisor bowed to his kin before departing the gathered collective.
"May I have a word?" Vipawa whimpered, lowering his head in Kopa's commanding presence. Slightly taken back by the young male's request, Kopa looked up at Afya, who simply nodded in agreement. After a few moments, Kopa turned to Vipawa.
"Of course!" He swayed his paw to the side, inviting the young lion to approach him. As he did, the sisterhood departed, closely followed by Afya, who gave Kopa one last affirming look before entering the crystalised corridor once more. Vipawa slowly strolled over to the Uasian King, sitting before him with gentle, slow movements.
"It's just..." Vipawa's words seemed to tremble from his muzzle as Kopa sat down before him. The sheer presence of the Uasian King sent the young male's heart racing, pulsing with a paradoxical mix of fear and comfort. "How didn't you know? You saved me from his realm and yet you know nothing?!"
"I saved you?" The Uasian King queried, confused by the young male's perception of current events. Vipawa swayed his tail across the floor, reeling his neck back as the king's questioning persisted.
"Well, yeah. Don't you remember?" He lowered his neck, lowering his ear towards the ground as his companion growled. Kopa stared at him, still pondering the younger lion's intentions. Vipawa sighed, taking a long blink. "You pulled me from Scar's realm, placed me in a beautiful plain's biome an-"
"Wait?" Kopa, butting in on Vipawa's story, raised a paw. "Did you say a plain?" The Uasian King raised an eyebrow, slowly feeling the pieces of the puzzle fall into place in his mind. A smile grew across his muzzle as the younger male nodded.
Placing his paw on Vipawa's shoulder, Kopa's voice began to hum with a calming tone. "I wouldn't worry too much, my young friend." Sliding his paw away, Kopa swayed his body beside Vipawa's, guiding him towards the lair's exit. "The universe is a place of many strange phenomena." Vipawa continued to stutter, slowly strolling beside the Uaisan King towards the crystalized corridor. Before reaching the exit, Kopa turned to his younger companion once again. "Trust me, there are greater powers at play here, far too powerful and incomprehensible for you." With a heavy sigh, Vipawa lowered his head.
"Okay." Sensing defeat, the young male started to stroll away, keeping his head fairly lowered to the ground. Kopa watched on, sitting and smiling with all the confidence that only a king could possess. As Vipawa turned the corner, Kopa relaxed, exhaling greatly. He turned back to the diorama, watching as the Darkened clouds began to seep closer and closer to the Uasilands.
"It's okay." A familiar, gentle voice rumbled through his mind. "All will be explained in time, young one." He felt a warm, comforting sensation brush across his face, seemingly originating from the crystalised scar adorning his eye.
Even now, as Scar's corruption grew closer and closer, he knew he'd win.
He always did.
