𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧's Den

Pride Lore

My father once told me that a king must be wise and kind to earn his peoples respect. That a king was not born to lead a pride but rule a kingdom, but my father was a coward. He was weak and loved too much. At least he was half right in that respect. A King was born to rule. The world is cruel and cold. It is better to be the hunter then the prey. A wise man once said to me that a king rules with an iron fist and earns his subjects respect with either war or fear. There the same to me.

The snow crunched beneath my feet as I approached the oncoming territory with my band of warriors. The ruler weak and submissive, his soldiers hungry for a fight that he is not willing to give. His time has come. His reign over where as mine… Mine has just begun. I shook the snow from mane as I approached the border where my inside lioness sits and waits patiently. “Do you have it?” She nodded her head and pushed an object wrapped in old leather towards me “Here you go my king” She bowed and slowly stood back a bit as I opened the package.

The crown glimmered in the moonlight. The crown of her old king which now belongs to me, its iron twisted in cruel cold arches with stars to honor the gods. I hummed in response and turned to my second “Kill her” The lioness looked shocked and turned to run but wasn’t fast enough as my second sliced her throat open, letting her to bleed to death. I Laughed coldly as I watched her struggle, her life spirit slowly bleeding out from her “You know I rather hate moles, for all I know you could betray me next” And with that I put my paw on her head and crushed her skull.

“Shame she was such a pretty one too” I kept on walking past the lioness’s dead body, more warriors emerging from the trees behind me as we stalked towards the city, snow started falling clouding the stars from the sky, casting the territory into gloom and shadows. “let them fight, if they don’t submit kill them, cubs too” My warriors nodded their heads and fanned out around the city, an old castle now in ruins providing shelter and a home for these lions a safe haven, a city soon to be filled with blood.

I walked through the streets as my warriors attacked the unaware citizens, both hungry for a fight as the two forces collided, blood fell and the screams of cubs rose. I walked through the battle with little in my way. Every lioness that came towards me ended up with slice marks across their throat and bleeding out on the ground as I walked towards where their king hides in fright, coward. Two cubs ran up to me in fright colliding with me, begging for help, I led them to a quiet secluded corner, “Cubs of that coward king will not live to see tomorrow” I crooned. They shook with fear their pleas for help fueling my feeling of glee as I tore them apart bit by bit, before continuing on my journey taking ones ear as my prize.

I walked up the ruined steps and towards the top of the ruins where the pathetic excuse of a king was hiding in fear, unable to control his hungry pride, starving for a fight. My second and third falling in beside me and my sister falling in behind each coated in fresh blood and wounds, glee dancing across their faces as we approached the one room still in good condition, guards standing at the entrance waiting for a fight as I stopped and smiled towards my warriors “Dispose of them” They looked at my sister offering her their heads. She smiled and tore them to threads. Blood coated the door and stone, their insides scattered, my sister covered in their blood.

I pushed open the door as my warriors took guard at the door. The frail lion cowering in a corner, growling as I approached as if to scare me off. “Your growl is pathetic, do you really think that it’s going to work with scaring me off” He growled even louder “It’s worth a try seeing you turned my pride into monsters” I chuckled slightly at his stupidity and dropped the bloody ear at my feet and watched him go pale as stone at the sight of it “I don’t see how, your soldiers were starving for a fight” He snarled and paced in his corner “Go to hell you monster!” I swiped the blood off my muzzle and proceeded to clean my claws of all the blood “No need to visit hell when your one of its frequent guests” I smirked “Gosh where’s my manners, my name is Cassian” I did a mock bow before retrieving my crown and placing it on my head. The lion looked shocked and snarled “Where the hell did you get that!?” I chuckled and carefully circled him, waiting for him to break. “Your mate seemed very eager to give it to me, Elijah”. His face screwed up in fury at the mention of his mate and his name. “What?” I smiled and circled him, brushing my tail against him as he was stone cold still “Oh yes she was ever so eager to help me, especially once she saw what I could do” Elijah growled lowly “Where is she?” I stayed silent waiting for him to snap as I kept on circling him “I said where the hell is she!?” I smiled showing my bloody teeth to him “Dead”.

Elijah snapped, he turned and launched himself towards me, claws outstretched for a killing blow. I stepped to the side and put my paw out to trip him. He tumbled to the ground and grunted in pain. I laughed humorlessly “When she said you where pathetic I didn’t expect this, your worse than I thought” He got up and launched at me again and yet again missed as I sunk my claws into his side dragging them down. He howled in pain as he fell against the stone. “I really would want to drag out this fun but you see I have a crown to honor and a kingdom to see to” he tried to sink into the stone as he cried pleas of help as my sister entered the room “aww brother look at him so damn cute!” she cooed although malice laced every word. I stalked up to him and extended my claws ending the fight for my kingdom with one swipe. I sat there with my sister watching as his life spirit drifted away.

I hauled the body up to the highest point of the ruins and over looked my kingdom, the snow still falling as the sky opened up to let the moon shine through. The streets still crowded with the battle, blood lining the streets. I let out the loudest roar I could, silencing the ongoing fight, all eyes turning to me. I threw the body to the ground below me, letting the thud of its weight set in. “Your king is dead! You belong to me now! You have two choices! Submit or die!” They all looked stunned some furious some happy and some pained as the message sunk in crystal clear. One by one they all lowered their head in submission. My sister and second joined me up on the ledge. My sister smiled cruelly and shouted out in pure glee “All hail King Cassian! Long may he reign” They all followed her suit yelling the words at the top of their lungs. Some in rage and some with pure unchecked happiness. I puffed up my chest in pride and let the glory fill me of this victory and my new kingdom. Now it’s time for me to conquer the surrounding land.