Part Five: Northern Fires


    CHAPTER 61 – SCENT OF THE CUB


    “He’s still breathing, listen! It’s faint, but still there.”


    “We need to do something…”


    “Take him” Excelsior motioned Orion over to Bridger.


    “What?” he said, his eye swollen after Excelsior’s punch.


    “You know the way better. Take Mitakahn with Orion to Compis Falls. This old hound can make it. He knows Mitakahn needs him.”


    Orion barely flinched when Bridger hopped on, but as they slid Mitakahn over his back the poor dog’s knees began to buckle. If it hadn’t been proven already, Orion was just another one of them, part of the company, and willing to do whatever it took to save one of their own.


    The supposed Lion Kingdom border troops glided down from the trees with the wind.


    “We’re too big, Excelsior” Bridger pushed off, “It won’t work.”


    “Have faith prince, now go” Excelsior slapped Orion on the hind parts before drawing his swords.


    “What do we do?” Kunezar struggled to get his sword out.


    The assassins surrounded the party.


    “We have to do something!” said Tron.


    Orion stumbled to get free of the encircling mercenaries. The dog’s legs gave out for a brief moment before he recovered. At that same moment Bridger had to deflect an arrow with his sword and lost grip of Mitakahn. The dying prince began to slide off Orion’s hide. A clever assassin found himself close enough to capitalize on the situation. He lunged for Mitakahn’s neck with his sword. He pulled his sword over his head and brought it down as hard as he could.


    Before the assassin’s sword could connect a beige blur crossed his line of sight. It would be the last thing that the assassin would ever see. The other assassins crashed in on the remaining group. Bridger put away his sword, drew his bow, and shot down two assassins in one fluid motion, snatching Mitakahn before he fully fell off Orion.


    “I’m telling you, Excelsior, we’re too heavy. We won’t make it.”


    Another growl from the trees made the hair on the back of everyone’s necks stand up.


    The beige blur knocked two more assassins off their feet and dragged them into the brush. Tron used this time to capitalize on the distraction. He and Kunezar cut down assassins too busy trying to locate the jungle threat.


    The predator reappeared in an instant and attacked another enemy. Its pounce crushed the assassin’s neck. Its claws carved into his flesh quickly and smoothly. The assassin helplessly crumbled to his knees before getting his head snapped off his spine. The animal was now fully revealed. I was a lion from the north, after all this was still considered Serengeti territory. The lioness melted the assassin within moments. It was a wretched sight. Never before had men looked so… worthless. Just slabs of meat held together by skin and bones.


    He never stood a chance against her ferocious and fatal design. The lioness brandished the dead assassin’s head as it rolled around in her mouth and then drooled out the side, bouncing on the floor, as she walked up to Mitakahn. She nudged Mitakahn off Orion’s hide with her head and got around to the other side to catch him, sliding the unconscious prince face-first onto her own back. Bridger watched Mitakahn’s fingers graze upon the lioness’ fur and take hold.


    “That’s Mitakahn’s lion!”


    “How did it find us?”


    For most of them this looked like something straight out of a northern legend. The spirit of the Pride knew no bounds. Mitakahn was not only prince of the Lion Kingdom, but he was also the prince of the Lion Lorde Magnanimous, and with that came certain apparent graces. Of course, Anilithion knew exactly who the fortuitous feline was. There were only three lions he had the privilege of meeting up close in his life, all of which were pets of the royal gardens of Zepathorum. Being of the same kin with Mitakahn, he was very well acquainted with them. Not so much Raja during his time, and Maximus was friendly to all, but Anilithion spent enough time with the lady of the pride to recognize Gabriella in the wild. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    She handled Mitakahn carefully but intently, like one of her own cubs. They all watched the royal lioness cradle Mitakahn with such tender control and then kick away from the skirmish in a flash, getting Mitakahn to safety. Bridger, who was still on Orion, took off after her. Bridger could tell after he caught up that the big cat was pacing him. Without skipping a beat, he pulled ahead and led the lioness to his people.


    He knew… This was how they saved Mitakahn.


    Bridger led the lioness to Compis Falls. It was by no means a short journey, but if they rode fast and hard enough they could make it in time…hopefully.


    Excelsior watched them make a clean getaway before turning his full attention on the remaining assassins. He threw one sword into the head of a guard attacking Kunezar’s blind spot. And cut the knees out from another battling Tron. He was not wasting time, no games. No prisoners, Excelsior’s every swing was a kill-stroke.


    Tron regrouped with Humbler, still sword-less, taking on his foe by catching blade with blade. Humbler then kicked the foe’s knee out from under him, using the fall as momentum to bury the assassins’ sword back into his own head. Humbler pulled the sword out of the corpse and sliced the head off the last surviving “guard” squirming on the floor. He looked at the rest of his friends.


    “Shall we get going then?”


    The morning infiltrated his dreams and just like that they were pulled away from him. All Mitakahn could remember were a bunch of mossquirrels huddling in the sunlight. He couldn’t open his eyes right away. Suddenly awake and still so tired, so exhausted, completely wiped of energy, Mitakahn tried to open his eyelids, the struggle almost hurt.


    He thought it best to rest for now. Why was he awake? He could barely move, but he could feel. His arms were resting gently on either side of him. At the end of his left hand, his fingers grazed the luscious fur of a lion’s head. A soft purr gave it away, it was Gabriella.


    Mitakahn wanted to cry if he had the energy. Enough of what he couldn’t do, what could he do? Mitakahn tried everything. He sniffed the air around him. He could smell. He smelled the scent of his lioness. It was immediately comforting to him. Mitakahn concentrated on the golden hair in her fur. He wanted to thank Gabriella for saving his life. He stroked the fur on her head. He was moving his left hand! The big blond cat purred even louder. Mitakahn loved that noise. Gabriella nestled her large nose into his side and Mitakahn’s eyes shot open. He was getting his wits back. He turned himself over, still laying down, and immediately felt the wound going through his torso, but he wanted to pet Gabriella on the head and look at her, eye to eye. So, he persisted through the pain.


    “Thank you for not giving up on me, girl.”


    Gabriella stared back at Prince Mitakahn. Her pupils were like golden-amber suns being eclipsed by absolute darkness. They gushed at the sight of him. Mitakahn could read it all over the lioness’ face, she was relieved. Her prince was going to be okay. Slowly, he adjusted his body and lowered his head so he could rub foreheads with the lioness. The warm gentle fur felt good on Mitakahn’s skin, a feeling he knew very well. This brought Mitakahn’s mind back to the Citadel and the royal gardens in Zepathorum.


    For a brief moment, it felt to Mitakahn like he was home again, and he truly, most deeply, to his core, needed to feel that. She closed her eyes when he did this. An exchange the lioness had grown accustomed to over the years and pined for recently. It immediately made the motherly cat feel at ease. Gabriella let out a loud purr, sniffed Mitakahn’s forehead, gave it the tiniest of licks, her seal of approval, and finally left the side of the bed. She curled up on the floor between the bed and the door, abruptly falling asleep.


    He wanted to fall back asleep in the comfort of this high quality bed, but curiosity over where he was and what happened got the best of him. He had a lot of questions. Where was he? Time to examine the clues: the sheer white curtains with resplendent green trim decorated the windows lining the entire side of this bedroom. They were not rectangular windows. These were like alternating teardrops and giant “V’s” completely filling out the wall. The thin window lace curtains with the green trim and tree and vine patterns. That’s when he realized exactly where he was.


    “She hasn’t left your side since you fell.”


    A voice from the door of the room.


    Mitakahn tried to focus his vision, getting his head up to peer over. The sun cast through the room and made it light enough to see Bridger’s blue eyes and a big smile.


    “Wonderful to see you awake, Mitakahn. It was touch and go there for a while.”


    “Thank you for saving my life.”


    “Don’t mention it. I feel responsible for putting you in that predicament anyway, so it is only right.”


    “It was my decision to take the shortcut, you were merely supporting me. It doesn’t matter anymore. Look what it ended up costing.”


    “It has only been a day, Mitakahn. We still have time.”


    Mitakahn felt a brief glimmer of hope flicker within him.


    “What happened to the others?”


    “No word, but they should be arriving any minute now, unless we ended up being the lucky ones.”


    Mitakahn looked worried.


    Bridger continued, “But I was there, I saw what your lioness did to the ranks of those assassins. We left our friends in good standing. Have no fear, Mitakahn. They will catch up and together we will continue the course.”


    “The goddess told me-”


    Mitakahn groaned as if he was straining himself. “The people I surround myself with have the potential to change the world. We need them.”


    Bridger gulped. He looked at the door as if expecting someone, or perhaps in penance of something. He scratched the back of his head pensively before coming to and responding to Mitakahn.


    “They will not let us down. Have faith in our friends. Get some more rest and before you know it, you will be on the way to Mount Fire. I promise you.”


    “Thank you, Bridger. I cannot express how good it feels to be under your family’s roof. In many ways it feels like home.”


    “Welcome to the Woodland realm, Prince Mitakahn Arkenoir.” Bridger made it official.