Fyra lay there, bruised and bloody from the fight she just endured. She waited for the throbbing pain on her left flank to stop, leaving only it's nasty mark behind so she could walk without such excruciating agony. She saw other lionesses and lions, her brothers and sisters, her best friends, laying on the dusty ground as their life ebbed away. How could they have been so foolish as to go into this battle with another pride that was so strong and immense? She, daughter of the Vicious Nicholi was laying, defeated, because of some wild lioness who had enough nerve to challenge her. Her father would be ashamed. Although her mother was only a wild lioness who had been taken in to the pride, at least she wasn't so foolish as to attack such a figure of importance. Surely Fyra's father would get revenge on that pride. Surely he would stand up for his favorite daughter.
She was jolted awake by the presence of someone who was licking her wounds. She looked up. It was Asher, her mother. She was accompanied by Fyra's brother, Fyre. He purred. Fyra was startled to realize that he had already grown so much. The last time she had seen him, he had barely been 6 months old, just as she had. Now he looked maybe a year and a half. That meant she had grown too. In all the attacks on her pride that had been happening, she hadn't gotten the opportunity to see her own brother! "Oh Fyra," her mother whispered as she brushed a stag beetle of Fyra's paw. "Mother, where is father?" she asked. Asher's eyes brimmed with tears. "We do not know. He may have been captured by the enemy pride," she answered. "Does... does this mean that Fyre will be the new king?" she asked. Asher said nothing. "But he is just an adolescent!" she cried. Fyre scowled at her words, even though he knew they were true. "We can't have him lead our pride!" "I know Fyra but he isn't the heir. For now, Atuka will take over the pride temporarily. We will have Delcomonte lead the pride once he is ready," she explained. "Ok mother. Ok." Fyra whimpered, scared at the thought of not having her strong father to protect her.
It was late night. Fyra was laying down to sleep when she heard heavy thuds. She sprung to her feet, ready to attack if it was an enemy pride. It wasn't.
"Father!" she cried. It was Nicholi, staggering through the cave entrance. "My daughter, my dear daughter," he murmured. Then he collapsed. Lionesses started to wake up and noticed Nicholi. They rushed over and Asher started to tend to his many wounds. "He has been tortured," she muttered. "I - I barely escaped," Nicholi groaned. Asher shushed him, making sure he didn't use up any more of his energy. "Go to bed!" Atuka ordered all the cubs. They dolefully went back to their corners of the cave where they had been sleeping. Troubled by the thought of a tortured and battered Nicholi, Fyra fell into an uneasy sleep.
"We must arrange Fyre and Fyra's transfer to the other pride," Fyra heard someone mumble. She jumped up. "No! Please don't make me leave!" she wailed. It was Calnala, a lioness who she didn't like very much. "Go to bed!" Calnala ordered. Beside her stood Atuka, the temporary pride leader. "Fyra, please understand," Atuka pleaded. "Most pf the adolescents and cubs are being sent to other prides. We just can't feed you all. We are in too bad a condition!" she said. Fyra started to sob. "I-I d-don't want t-t-to leave f-father and m-mother," she wept. "This is for your survival!" Calnala said. "It is already set! You are to go to a new pride tonight. The king's name is Leiland!" "FINE! If you all hate me then I might as well leave!" Fyra screamed. She stormed out of the cave into another area, which had a floor covered in maps. She studied the map labeled "F and F Transfer." She knew that the 'F's stood for Fyre and Fyra. She memorized the way and then went to wake up Fyre. Once he was awake and ready to depart, they started their trek to the new pride. It was a long one but they finally reached there. "Welcome Fyra, and you too Fyre," a deep voice greeted them.
"I am Leiland," he said. Fyra looked at the large dust colored lion with a pollen colored main that stared down at them. He was accompanied by a yellow lioness with a white underbelly and paws. "Hello cubs, I am Sahara," she smiled. "H-hi," Fyre stuttered. Leiland and Sahara led them to a large mountain ridge where multiple other lionesses lay, snoozing or chatting with each other. Suddenly they all were quiet and the ones sleeping woke up. One lioness who was white, tinged with brown, stood up. "I am Irene," she said, her voice soothing. An adolescent, adorned in orange spots and covered with deep red walked up to them. She sniffed them and her ears perked up. "I'm Saphira," she said. Each lioness introduced themselves and once finished, Leiland brought out a large elephant carcass and a Walia Ibex carcasses for everyone to eat. Fyra and Fyre had lots of fun with their new pride and they fell into a routine with them. They soon forgot about their old pride. Nearly. Fyra just couldn't help but think of her father, Nicholi and her best friend, Thunder Foot, and wonder what became of her old pride.
A beautiful picture of Fyra and her brother, Fyre, done by the ever so talented Adri (#35186)
