Kripa Arc I

In the roaring wind and thunder, the Mayurs managed to sneak up to the camp that seemed pretty abandoned and ruined on closer examination. There was one sole silhouette standing amidst the rocks and plants that made up the camp and Makuta wondered for a minute if that could be a trap, but then decided that even so, he had survived many ambushes before. With a flick of his tail he pointed Ishtar to go around the other side and with a few graceful leaps she managed to do so. Slowly and carefully the couple crept up to the lone Saliko until it noticed them and raised it’s head. It was a sand colored female and her eyes widened immediately as she saw the strong male come towards her threateningly.

«What’s a Kumba like you doing here all alone? Where’s the rest of your tribe?»

His face was disturbed by a wide grin and he made himself look even taller by ruffling up his fur.

In the meantime the female tried to walk backwards away from him until she stumbled against the leaf colored jill behind her and was brought to a sudden halt. The loner put her ears back and cowered in fear of the two strange looking Salikos that had caught her.

«N…no this isn’t my tribe. I just came by, but I can leave if you let me go! I won’t fight you.»

«That won’t cut it. I’m afraid I have been letting myself go recently but you, sweetheart, will make me find my way again.»

He kept coming closer and closer until he was standing right in front of her and looked deep into her green eyes, her whiskers twitching with fear.

He raised a paw and unsheathed it’s claws, which began shimmering as a flash lightened up the sky for a moment.

«Why do you want to hurt me? What did I do to you?»

«It’s not about you, it’s about the world as a whole and you just happen to be a part of it. Only with chaos there is order and death is an important part of life, you see?»

The green jill behind her pushed the Kumba so she fell, pinned the defenseless jill to the ground and talked to her in a sweet, alluring voice.

«It’s just how things go sometimes. I was at the same point that you are right now before as well and if Kydos or whoever you believe in still has plans for you, then your story won’t end here. But this experience will be a crossroads. You either get molded by it or you break from it, your choice.»

«No, please don’t…»

Makutas paw rushed down, targeting her throat but the jill struggled under Ishtars grip and managed to turn around, so his claw slashed up her thigh instead.

«Didn’t you say you wouldn’t fight us? What was that all about?»

Panicked the loner looked around, trying to find help or a way to escape. In the distance she saw two thin, bright colored Kumbas just standing there and looking at them.

«Please, you two, help me!»

One of them started to move towards her but the other held it back and whispered something in its ear.

«Why aren’t you doing anything?? I beg you! Somebody help me!»

«Stop squirming so we can get this over with. I haven’t tasted Saliko blood in such a long time…»

The caramel colored one raised his paw again but in the raging thunderstorm they didn’t notice someone else appearing. The newcomer, a heat colored Kumba hob, leaped and landed right between them, blocking off the next attack that was going to hit the jill.

«Wha…and who are you now??»

«This Saliko is defenseless and pleads for your mercy but you still won’t stop hurting her? What’s wrong with you?!»

The Mayurs were surprised and confused about the male appearing out of nowhere and confronting them so fearlessly, so the leaf colored one let go of the Kumba beneith her, which immediately got to its feet and stumbled back, glad to finally be free from the inescapable grip.

Now even Shiro and Ruvik trotted towards the group and the male scoffed at Makuta.

«Well, I guess that did not go as expected.»

Furiously the red one whirled around and snapped at the albino.

«You keep out of this!! No one asked for your opinion!»

«I see. So you want me to SHOW you how it is done correctly?» Ruvik grinned.

Now it was enough for the male Mayur and he lashed out at the white one but he dodged the claws with ease and jumped away. Shiro made a move towards the hobs, but Ishtar softly held her back, shaking her head, and the cream Kumba sat down again, trusting her.

«This time you won’t hide behind your little friend!» Makuta shouted joyfully.

Another hit – but he missed again.

«Who needs to hide when you are so slow? Come on, show me what you got!»

The bigger and stronger male with the full mane leaped at the albino but this time his opponent didn’t dodge. Instead he prepared for the impact, dropped to the ground and, using the momentum of the other ones jump, he pushed him up and over with his hind legs, then turned around to see him get up from the dusty sand.

«I told you that you are not the first one who tries to kill me, but I assume you did not listen to me, am I right?»

The stranger stepped in once more, separating the two and breaking up the fight.

«Enough of this! Get it together, you’re no wild Asferatus, are you?»

«No but this one is as dumb as one.»

«You little – !»

Suddenly a lighting struck the ground next to the group and all of them were numb from the loud crack and blinded by the bright light. As they looked around they found a large black spot on the ground where the lighting had discharged and smoke still rose from the burnt sand.

For a moment they were all silent, waiting for something to happen or someone to say anything until the Kumba hob raised his voice again.

«See? Kydos is furious! It’s time to stop whatever’s going on with y’all! Why are you even fighting in the first place?»

Three snarls answered him at the same time as Makuta, Ruvik and Ishtar yelled at him to keep out of their business. Shiro and the other female were motionlessly watching the whole situation from the sidelines, though the prior kept mumbling to herself in awe about «how pretty that bright light was!» and her new friend just stared at the black dirt in fear, her heart pounding like wild.

Still the storm raged on, making everyone else uneasy as well. The air was pulsing with electricity and the tension of the fight, but the squabblers had calmed themselves down once more. Shouting at the top of their lungs to drown the howling of the wind, the newcomer tried to make sense of everything.

«I'm Roywan, who are you all?»

At first everyone remained silent, but then Ruvik decided to speak for his companions. He pointed his tail at all of them in turn and told the hob their names. At the end only the victim of the demon was left. They collectively looked at her and she stepped forward, now talking with new hope in her voice.

«My name is Saori. Thank you for helping me, Roywan.»

«Don't mention it, my paws were itching for a brawl anyway. So which one of you still needs some new scars to tell others about?»

Makuta snarled to himself but didn’t accept the Kumbas challenge. The wounds from his fight with Shiro have not healed yet so he might lose again because of that weakness. And despite him wanting to shred someones pelt, another defeat would be unacceptable for him.

«Come on...nobody? Seriously? You need me to insult you first before you gain enough courage? I just want a fair brawl for fun and to impress the ladies.»

His amber eyes wandered around, remaining on every present Saliko for a second until Shiro started to scream joyfully.

«Shiro will! Shiro will!»

The hob smirked and went into a battle stance, but Ishtar put her tail over the other females muzzle and silenced her with that.

«I’d gladly fight you as well, but I sincerely doubt that now’s the time.» She said, then looked up at the clouds with a concerned expression. The heat one nodded quickly and shrug his shoulders, relaxing again.

«Another time then, I’ll keep you to it.»

The spotted jill with the sand colored pelt had sneakily gotten closer to him, looking for his protection in the group of monsters, but his interest seemed to have faded now that she was out of danger. Still, just standing next to him she had gathered more confidence and felt comfortable and optimistic enough to talk.

«There’s something bothering you all, I can see that. I’d love to help you work it out if I can. Where are you two from if I may ask?» She looked at the Mayurs.

«Bit more than a weeks walk from here, out of the jungle. We were chased out of a territory and ended up in the desert somehow.» The green jill summed up their past as short as possible, but the strangers didn’t seem to know the rumors about them as they just accepted that answer without hesitation.

«I see…but it’s surely difficult for you to live here, is it not? Why aren’t you going back?»

Now the albino snickered maliciously, his red eyes glittering in the light of another lightning flash. «Nobody knows that! They are simply not telling. Or maybe they just do not know what they are doing here themselves. Trust me, I have tried to figure it out but I have not discovered their reasons yet.»

«That's because it's none of your business, remember?!»

The caramel hob was getting furious again but he quickly resigned and exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down again.

«You know what? Fine. I'll tell you what I'm here for and if any of you try to stop me, it will be the last thing you do.»

Everyone looked at him and listened eagerly to what the red devil had to say.

«It's no mystery I want to cause chaos and destruction on Ibea, but no one can deny that I also have excellent leadership qualities...»

Ruvik coughed loudly in response and the Mayur looked so madly at him as if his gaze alone could kill the white hob.

«I want to rule the biggest territory there ever was. I wanna be the feared king of an empire so large that not even Gils or Ataris would dare to set a foot into it. And my conquest begins at the bone desert. It's the most infamous area of all and once I rule there, no one will dare to keep me from anything else.»

Saori and Roywan seemed shocked at this revelation, coming to realize who was standing in front of them, but Ruvik grinned.

«Alright I see what you are getting at. Your plan is as simple and badly thought out as I imagined it would be. But I will help you.»

«Why would I accept YOUR help, out of everybody here?»

«Trust me, you need me to make up for all the bad decisions you are going to make. And like I said, I want to see what your life turns out to be, so I swear I will not sabotage you. I will be your advisor until one of us, whyever it may be, takes their last breath.»

«Shiro will join as well! Shiro always helps her friends!»

The demon smiled and looked at his partner in crime. She looked a bit irritated still, but was glad she finally knew what was going on in his mind. Her bright yellow eyes glowed in the darkness and she smiled at him.

«And I will be your queen then.»

Carefully they bumped their foreheads together as a small sign of affection. They didn't want all others to watch them exchange any bigger gestures of love though.

«Now back to you two. I doubt you'll be of any use to me so you better get lost now or become part of the bone desert if you know what I mean.»

With an angry growl the striped hob stepped closer towards him.

«Not like I would want to support a crazy maniac in a crusade like that anyway.»

Then he spit on the ground next to the Mayur and turned around to leave.

Anxious about who to trust and where to go, Saori followed him, only making a short glance back to see if anyone was following them, but the group of thugs stayed behind. They were fighting and quarreling with each other before she intervened, but now they were brought together and she would have to live knowing that whatever they'd do together, she was the one tipping the scales of balance towards evil – even if it was unintentionally.