A day had passed since Kopa and Karimu informed the savannah's leaders of their plan. The royal couple had broken off from the main forces, creeping through the dry canyons that led to the Outlands. The Pridelands were still a few days away, but this didn't stop the pair from marching on.
"I can't imagine the pain you must have gone through." Karimu slowed her trot, keeping an eye on her dearly beloved as he marched beside her. "To be trapped in that... Hell..."
"It was nothing." The Uasian King shallowly replied, as his queen's attention turned away from him. He slowed, halting in his tracks. The weight of his nightmares rested heavily on his shoulders. Karimu caught his attention just as a shudder shot through his body. "But... I wished I'd escaped sooner, helped you and-"
"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Kopa." She snuggled up to his shoulder, rubbing her ear into his Royal Mlinzi mark. In response, he gritted his teeth, hoping to contain the scarred memories of his past that had begun to sprout once more.
Neither of them noticed the growing wind blowing through the canyon. It howled down the rocky heavens, blasting the two felines out of their affectionate senses. The pair glanced forward, reeling in the benevolent sight of the howling winds rushing in from the far off Theluji Mountains.
"It can't be!" The Uasian King's ears sank, the pulse of his heart slowed as the realisation hit him. From the depths of his freezing, hopeless soul, a spark of desperation burned. The blizzard swooped down from the havens, blocking their path with a pulsating bombardment of snow and ice. Or so it seemed.
"Curse the Giza!" Kopa slashed the ground, thrashing out in a seething broil of rage. Karimu simply sat nearby, analysing the blizzard that roared before them. It remained still, holding its ground. She noticed its velvet smooth surface, paradoxically gently and harshly bombarding the path ahead.
"Wait! That's the-"
"Kizuizi cha ulimwengu..." The Uasian King's voice trembled as each syllable sliced through his tongue. The storm seemed to react to his words, blackening as a series of twisted growls ruptured its veil. Karimu stepped back, watching as Kopa lowered his head.
"I... I encountered it in the depths of the Theluji Mountains..." His eyes didn't move, staring down as a single blackened strand reached out to a nearby pebble. "Alone, I couldn't break through... I couldn't reach you..." He stared at the howling boundary, a single droplet dripped from his mane, crystallising before it reached the ground.
"Well then..." Karimu arose, swaying her body beside Kopa's. She stood strong, her leg muscles bulging with readied energy. "We'll break through... Together..." The two felines stared forward, an empowering sense of destiny building in their hearts. Kopa's chest slowly began to bulge outwards once more, filling with pride with each passing second.
With an intensifying blast, the blizzard lashed out, only halted by a spark of light high above the two felines. All they could do is watch; their eyes glued to the light as it began to crystallize before them. Kopa relaxed, his ears peeking as a familiar, heart-warming voice boomed through his mind.
"Kopa!" The voice called out, catching Karimu's attention too. The Uasian Queen seemed surprised, her left ear flickering forward at the sound of her dear friend's voice.
"Afya? What's wrong?" The curious lioness analysed the anomaly forming above them. She had heard the stories, the true power of the Sisterhood. but to see it in action, even in this smallest splinter. She was glad to have them on her side.
"It's the Kizuizi cha ulimwengu!" The Head Sister spoke calmly, her voice rippling before the storm. "We're sensing it expanding out from the Theluji Mountains." The crystal swirled towards the mountainous horizon, leaning back slightly to allow its creator a better view of the landscape. "It's just... resting here, along the border of the Pridelands and the Outlands."
Kopa remained still, staring forward at the roaring storm. He could've sworn he'd seen something swirling through the storm! Squinting his eyes, he noticed it again, a canine like figure, staring back at him before turning around, disappearing deeper into the blizzard. The Uasian King's ears peaked, catching the attention of his beloved.
"Kopa?" The Uasian Queen's curious tone dripped with concern. Her mate quickly shook off his focus, blinking rapidly before turning her. The cream coated lionesses nuzzled up to his side, humming gently as their eyes met once again. "You okay?"
"Yeah... Yeah." The scarred male focussed his mind, turning his attention up to the all-seeing crystal. Placing a paw forward, he took a deep breath. "Afya? Can you sense anything on the other side? Any movement?" Karimu simply glanced between the crystal and Kopa, her mouth agape in intrigue as Afya paused. The crystal she spoke through dimmed, flaking slightly as the howling winds beyond continued to intensify.
"No... We can't" The Head Sister returned, her voice bringing light and life back to her crystalline construct. A tremor of doubt splintered from the core, causing a crack to physically appear at the crystal's centre. "We haven't detected anything for a few hours now, not even a spec of a soul!" Kopa raised his chest up, grinding his teeth together as his breath quickened.
Without muttering a single word, Kopa nodded at Karimu, giving his mate a knowing glance. She nodded back, her heart racing as he glanced back up at Afya's shard. With all the affirming grace he could muster, the king spoke. "We can't wait any longer. Afya, we're breaking through!"
"Wait! No!" The crystalised anomaly cracked once more, sending small splinters down to the building snow pile beneath. "Kopa! That will cause the barrier to shatter!" Karimu glanced over to Kopa, who simply stared at the oncoming storm. "If you roar through it, you'll-"
"Let me worry about that." Kopa spread his legs, anchoring himself into position as his breathing slowed. Karimu shook her head, dispersing herself of any doubt. Kopa surely knew what he was doing, right? She joined his side, preparing herself for the challenge ahead. Afya's crystalline construct dimmed once more, releasing a sweet, soft sigh.
"Very well, your majesty." She replied. The crystal's surface began to crumble upon itself, crackling back to the realm from which it came. "I'll let the others know to keep guard." As her words reverberated through the canyon, Afya's construct collapsed, leaving a sprinkling of Uasian crystal; to fall to the ground in its wake.
The roaring blizzard provided the only sounds the two lions could hear. The snow piled around them, spreading out from the blizzard. Karimu nodded to Kopa one last time, feeling the flow of his soul sweep across his body. He was ready. With a sinking feeling embroiling in her chest, the Uasian Queen closed her eyes, feeling the power within grow.
Both felines focussed hard, their minds and bodies irradiating with ethereal power. Kopa focused on the pain, the memories of being separated from his love, from his family. His fur began to glisten, a roaring breeze brushed against his and Karimu's fur as the blizzard held its ground. The Uasian Queen focused on her concern, her fear of losing Kopa. The power within agreed, matching her mate's aura well, even if it was weaker and unstable.
As both their souls peaked, the Kizuizi cha ulimwengu charged. But even such a powerful storm couldn't hold back their love. Perfectly in unison, the two lions roared, sending two blasts of spiritual air towards the storm. It morphed and bent against their will, lashing out to retaliate. But this beast wasn't going anywhere. Digging his claws into the ground, Kopa focussed harder, his roar shallowing into a strong, dominant beam. The almighty gleam of Uasian energy harmonised with that of Karimu's intensifying hers in the process.
The storm tried its best to fight back, to no avail. As their eyes flickered open, the pair watched as cracks began to form in the blizzard's presence. Cracking their reality. A darker, foreboding realm started to peel through, seeping through the cracks in a dark green hue.
Neither of them had time to reflect on their decision, however. For every second they fought the storm, their hearts beat slower. They couldn't give up, not now. As the storm tried one last ditch attempt to break free, Kopa took a breath. Every muscle in his body tensed, siphoning the power within to his face. His mane illuminated with ethereal energy, crackling in its paracausality.
It was time.
With one final almighty roar, Kopa and Karimu broke through, the storm gave off one last roar as it collapsed. The barrier within cracked and shattered, revealing the corrupted land beyond. The dimensional breach sent shards of Uasian crystal hurling towards a pack of Giza's, destroying them where they stood. With their hearts weakened, Kopa and Karimu fell to the ground, their lungs desperately gasping for air as the weight of their triumph fell upon them. Both felines glanced at each other, giving a comforting, loving smile. A small chuckle began to grow between them. They did it!
But as the pair recovered from this achievement, the cracking barrier continued to shatter across the length of the savannah, breaking the boundaries of the uncorrupted and corrupted realms.
The battle was truly about to begin...
