Kalabhiti

“I warned you…”

The heads of what remained of the once booming pride’s lionesses snapped towards the echoing and haunting voice of the exiled and disgraced Soothslayer. He stood by the side of their once benevolent and graceful savior, the one who had freed them from their cruel king’s tyranny, as well as the slithering servants and shadows of evil gods.

He grinned in contempt. “I warned you not to let this one kill your king. I warned you that if you allowed it, you would need to sacrifice all of cubs and any born for the next year. If you didn’t, unimaginable consequences would follow. For your previous King was never evil. He was good, doing what had to be done to allow the land to survive as well as to allow you to keep your pathetic lives. All the evil actions he did were for a better future. He saw the big picture. He kept the true evil at bay, sealed away and kept tame with sacrifices. For it is this land that is evil. This land has always been evil and the very first “King” who decided to be selfish and ignore the warnings by settling his pride here awoke that evil, hence why this Pride’s history has always been riddled with “Evil” kings and “insane” lionesses. It was the land. And what did you do? Scoff at me. Attacked me and labeled me an insane fraud, chasing me out and doing the exact opposite of my advice. And look at you now.” He swept out a paw to gesture their surroundings.

“Evil has broken through the seal, your savior has become nothing more than a vessel for the evil gods and all of your cubs have been sacrificed to them. Your pride has been crippled to a mere shadow of what it was and the lands have become polluted with evil. All because of your selfishness. Did you notice the only ones of your pride remaining are the ones bearing your ‘saviors’ cubs? Here is my final prediction for you. Those cubs are the devils spawn and will be born in his image. They will be grotesque monsters who will likely kill and eat you once you have no use to them.”

The lionesses wailed in despair. One lunged for the Soothsayer, determined to kill the one she blamed for everything. But their savior leaped to his defense, slashing out her throat with the strange stick he carried. She fell to the ground, gurgling blood and choked out curses. “You still blame me for this…” The Soothsayer sighed and shook his head back and forth before lifting it high into the air.

“I warned you.”

*Continued on “Princes” Bio!*