Tears dont fall

Kage felt his heart shattered in two, his pure white fur covered in the red crimson of his own blood as well as the blood of his parents. Kage stared at his dead parents as he cried out loud for them. He felt no need to howl. He never did, he simply nuzzled his dead mothers white fur and let their blood exchange. He looked at his father’s whose head was severed from his body that lay only a few feet away. Kage continued to let his tears fall on his mother’s fur. His blue eyes breaking with the grizzly sight that laid before him. Kage lay cuddled in his mother’s belly as he tried to stop crying. But he couldn’t, a moment later he stood at his mother’s maw, her neck torn open and her green eyes dimed. Kage began to cry again. “Mommy…get up… we gotta go home.” He said nudging his mother. He wasn’t ready to admit she was gone, he was only a pup. A child without his mother to guide him. how was he going to survive? Kage circled around the grizzly scene that lay before him. Kage could no longer hold it in, he was panicking. His breath was getting high and he began to pant. Kage Whimpers ad he realized he was badly hurt. His right eyes was clawed and his neck was wounded badly but not enough to be fatal. Just a slick cut across his neck. Kage didn’t care about the pain however; he just wanted his mother and father back. Who was going to teach him how to hunt? Who was going to teach him how to fight? Without his parents to teach him he was defenseless and useless on a number of levels. Kage felt his soul creep down into a dark abyss as he thought of his future.

The Shadowland king had been patrolling the borders that separated the Shadowlands and Pridelands that morning with his friend and pridemate Kidevu. They talked about the future, how both of their litters were growing up strong and fast. Kidevu worried that Ukarimu and Amani might soon have to leave the pride, but Ni calmed his friend's nerves. Ni was never the one to kick out a fellow pridemember no mater of gender or age. The only reason someone would have to leave the Shadowlands was because of disastrous actions, if they attacked the royal family. The royal family was about to grow yet again, Abuto had been showing signs of pregnancy and Ni couldn't be happier. The king wished for them to look like Abuto, like Makosa did as well even though he wasn't biologically theirs. Kidevu smiled at the sound of his king's happiness, glad to know that the new children of him would be coming soon. Ni secretly wanted a little girl, a queen to rule the lands seemed safer in his mind than a king. But mostly he just needed a little girl that he could protect. But unknown to the king, his litter would befall tragedy, a stranger one than most which deal of death at childbirth like some of the neighboring kingdoms had. No, Ni would never be able to watch more than half of his biological children grow up, but the reality of the situation wouldn't hit Ni's mind until after they were gone.

Kidevu questioned Ni, asking him if he and their queen had thought of any names for the cubs. The king shook his head and admitted to not having any idea of what the cubs would be named, it was a bigger challenge than he thought for unlike his other sons who came with names, Ni and Abuto would name these cubs themselves. As their patrols came to an end and both males wanted desperately to get back to their families, Ni heard the slight sound of whimpering in the distance. The two males quietly crept up on the scene and were nonetheless shocked and horrified to what they saw. Ni's heart broke as the little cub wanted his mother to wake up, even though the blood loss was substantial enough for anyone to know that she was dead. The two males rushed onto the scene and Ni stood protectively in front of the saddened cub. Kidevu rushed over to the female and confirmed she was deceased before padding quickly over to the male and almost vomiting on what he saw. The male's large head lay feet away from the body, a sight that would traumatize anyone and especially the little cub who Ni assumed was the son of these two lions. Ni's voice was deep and stern as he turned his head to Kidevu, "There's a murderer in our lands, alert the pride, protect the cubs and Abuto. Send out a search party, these deaths will not go until they are avenged," The male nodded and quickly sped off, happy to be away from the horrific scene.

And now, the creamy-golden lion turned around to face the quivering cub, he lowered his head and his eyes softened at the scene. "Oh you poor thing, I'm so sorry that this had happened. If only me and my friend had heard the fight, we would have been able to save your parents," Assessing the boy's injuries, he saw the bloody aftermath of that battle that had just ensued, Ni lowered himself to the ground as to not intimidate him but to become more friendly. "My name's Ni, I'm the king of these lands but you can just call me Ni. What's your name my little friend?" A slit across the throat that had already begun to heal, a slash across the eye that would give the cub a large resemblance to the hated king of the Pridelands. It then hit the king that if nothing was done, the cub wouldn't die of blood loss but by infection from the wounds that had been created. Ni stood and nodded his head, "We have to get you back to my pride, it isn't safe out here little one. Can you walk or would you like me to carry you? We can talk on the way there if you like," Ni found the cub had just lost his parents, so he wanted to be as fatherly to the cub as possible in this moment of time. He would carry the cub on his back just to keep him off of the ground if he needed it. He didn't want to just leave the cub there, he would surely die out here in the elements. No, this cub needed a good meal and a place to call home from now on. And that's exactly what Ni was going to give him.

(oh crap! how long has this been here? i never saw it )

The young cub has sat there and watched his mother as she r to even budge, his blood exchanging from her own fur to his. His soft blue eyes broken as he glanced over at his father. Kage began to cry harder as the reality of the situation sunk in. suddenly two large lions rushed to the scene, scaring Kage half to death. Kage tried to run but one of the males stood in front of him and blocked his way, trying to stop Kage twisted his paw. The young male scurried away for a moment as the other male examined his dead parents. The two then engaged in a conversation telling the other to warn the pack. The other lion fled the scene. Kage saw the other get down eye to eye and speak to him. The young cub was still scarred and now was unable to walk. “My name is…Kage.” He said as he tried to walk, but as he did he limped and almost fell. “i…I …i…I don’t know.” Kage said as he sunk down into a little shell to avoid this male hurting him. “Please don’t kill me.” Kage said sealing his eyes shut preparing himself for the worst. But as he closed his eyes, after a few moments nothing came. Kage opened his eyes and looked at the male, seeing love and kindness in his eyes. Kage looked around but as his head reached his flank he saw a black male running at him. Kage tried to see who it was but by the time he saw it was too late, the black lion who had murdered his parents was right on top of Kage and grabbing him by the neck, throwing him around. “ahhhhhh!!! Help me!!!” he yelled in pain as the lion began to rip his flesh. Suddenly the male threw Kage into a large rock and hurt him badly. Kage fell to the ground limp on the hard ground. Blood leaking from his sides. Then the black male stood above him and put a paw on Kage’s neck pushing hard, suffocating him. Kage gasped for air as his eyes soon began to roll into the back of his head. His body shaking as the black male looked at Ni. “come any closer and the kid dies, just like his parents” the lion said adding a bit more pressure.

The cub introduced himself as Kage, a name which Ni had not heard before. However, his parents weren't from around the surrounding kingdoms it seemed like which Ni didn't find surprising. He hadn't stepped foot beyond the back borders of any of the lands when he was a rogue himself, so he truly had no idea what else there was out there. It was obvious that young Kage was scared, for he felt that death awaited him at any moment as he curled up into a ball, asking not to be killed. Ni shook his head and cooed, "Kage, I would never kill you! No, I'm not like other kings that you may have faced. You have lost your family, you are unprotected at the time, killing you is not an option," Ni felt some sympathy for the cub, he knew what it was like to lose parents at an early age, especially if they were rogues at the time. Just as it had happened to Kage, the same thing had happened to Ni. However, his parents seemed to be murdered by a lion, Ni's were murdered by the hyena spies that his grandfather had procured. It seemed ironic that now Ni was working with the same species that had killed his and Kimondo's parents, left him alone in the world as a cub. The king offered out his paw, unaware of the approaching black lion behind the cub. Just as he was about to have him climb onto his back it seemed as if everything slowed down. Even Ni couldn't have excepted what happened next.

The cub screamed for help and Ni crouched down into an attacking position as the dark, almost jet black male attacked the cub. It was too dangerous at the moment to attack, Ni might of hurt Kage. Instead he winced when the cub was thrown against the rock and watched in horror as the male placed his paw on the windpipe of the bleeding cub. "Get out of my lands, as the king I order you. Get off of him," The lion chuckled, "And just leave the cub here? No, he's going to die just like his parents. Now, what's the stupid little kingy to do? Just sit around and watch this cub die?" Ni's eyes went from the male's face to poor little Kage, this was a risky move and he had to make a plan fast. But soon his saviors came in the form of Kidevu and Kuvuka. The duo knocked the lion off of the cub, the two lions started to fight as the hyena Kuvuka pulled Kage away from the site. He licked at his wounds, "Don't worry kid, Ni's got this all under control, you're safe now. Just don't move until he says so, you might be severely hurt," The hyena stood protectively in front of Kage, keeping an eye on both him and the fight at hand. While Kuvuka had been tending to Kage's wounds Ni had jumped in the fray taking the intruder head on and leaving Kidevu for back-up if necessary. The rogue slashed at Ni, bringing him down once or twice while the king retaliated with his own blows. Roars and growls filled the valley and Ni was surprised that the commotion couldn't be heard back at the den. In fact, why did Kidevu and Kuvuka come over this way? Did they hear Kage's cries for help?

Finally Ni leaped and brought the lion down, digging both his teeth and claws into the struggling lion's neck. His muzzle was now full of his enemy's blood and he backed away once the other lion stopped retaliating. The jet black rogue coughed, he knew he was dying slowly but if he made it back to the recesses of the savannah he knew he could find a way to survive. With a struggle, his legs refused to stand up and finally the rogue fell into defeat. His eyes looked up at the king, his body battered and bruised but he still stood strong. "W-Who are-?" Ni stood tall, "The king of the Shadowlands; Ni," And with that, the king struck the lion again, this time killing him. The body lay motionless on the ground, blood seeping from his wounds and mixing with Ni's own crimson blood. The battle finally won, Ni was on high alert as he turned to Kuvuka, "Get the rest of our loyal ones, take Kage's parents to the burial grounds. Bury them with dignity so our young one can visit them again. Then?" The male looked at the dead rogue underneath him, "I don't care what you do with this one, the vultures can have him for all I care," Kuvuka nodded and ran off, calling the fellow hyena spies to come and do what the king wanted. Ni then turned to Kidevu and nodded, the lion stood next to his king and would accompany the two on their walk back to the pride. The creamy-golden king padded over to Kage and hoisted him up onto his back, "Don't worry Kage, you're safe now. I need to take you back to my pride, we'll get your wounds taken care of," As the king started to walk forward, the slightly bleeding cub on his back, he looked to the rogue and narrowed his eyes, "He'll never hurt you again Kage, if anyone does? I'll kill them just like I did him," And Ni was truthful, he would attack anyone who hurt any lion who found refuge in the Shadowlands, especially if it was a cub just like this one.

Kage felt his neck begin to be pushed and his breath shortened. as the male kept pushing harder and harder. The night pulling him away from the light. But as the young cub found himself on death door the lion was suddenly pushed of him. Being attacked by hyenas. But Kage was unable to watch the battle for he passed out a few seconds after he was released. The young pup heard roars that seemed to shake the land, forcing himself to open his eyes looked watched as blurry images began to clash into one another. Kage was so confused as to what was happening, soon enough the fight was over and one of the blurs walked up to Kage. At first he was unsure of who t was but sure enough he came to see it was Ni. He felt the mighty kind lift him up on his back and Kage passed back out.