Chapter I

Tears of pain traced their cold path through his fur, he shivered and pulled himself back to his feet. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen, he was supposed to win. A battle cry escaped his bloody mouth and, through the pain he leapt at his foe, claws and teeth flying. His coal black mane rocked as a large tan paw swept across his jaw, the smaller lion flew into the wall of the cave, "Soless! You are here by banished from my land. Take your mate, your cubs and your followers and leave."

Soless sighed and pulled himself to his feet, his whole body hurt and he couldn't see through the blood, sweat and tears. With his head hanging he turned and glared at his once, best friend. "Angelos, when I return the outcome will be much different." Limping he moved to the exit, what he and the king didn't know was that a fight had grown outside, the pride had split and now a war was being waged.

In the dirt, hidden only by their mothers limp and lifeless body were two tiny lion cubs, the offspring of Soless. The bolder and more mischievous of the two was first to venture from their hiding place, he stood strong and searched for his father, the sight he saw was not at all what he had expected. A tear stained, bloody silhouette emerged from the cave. How could this be the cubs father? He wasn't even half the lion he'd been earlier. Soless was broken, his spirit had been crushed by the ruthlessness of the king, at least that's how it seemed to the young lion. "Father?" The words barely escaped his lips as he glanced back at his brother, the cowardly cub was peeking out from behind their dying mother. Soless didn't utter a word though, he eyed his youngest cub then shook his head. The cub would surely die. Growling lightly he lifted his stronger son into his mouth and stumbled down from destiny point, his angry, defeated pride trailing behind.

"Wait up, SOLESS!" A slim fair ,manned lion growled tripping over his front paws and tumbling forward taking a few lioness' with him. "Oww." He groaned sitting up and rubbing his head. Soless rolled his eyes but continued to walk. "Hey, I wanna come with you guys." The other male said quickly pulling himself to his feet and smiling apologetically at the lioness'. Soless slowly turned round, placing the young cub, who was a spitting image of his father, on the ground.

"Desmona." He growled his eyes turning to a beautiful young lioness with long strawberry blonde fur from her forehead to her shoulders, she nodded at him and moved towards the small cub carefully she stepped over him and waited for her clumsy brother to be judged. "Casmir, my friend of course you are welcome to join my pride." Soless nuzzled his friend causing the other male to stumble back a bit, damn he was strong.

"Thanks." He smiled running to stand beside his sister as Soless lifted his son in his huge, powerful jaws and they continued towards the marshland.

Scanning the land Angelos sighed, he could see the head strong lion moving slowly through the grassland. Why had his most trusted friend turned on him so suddenly? He sat down and kept his eyes on the small group, he only wished it had have gone differently. He hadn't just lost members of his pride but he'd lost a friend, "Angelos." Zuri said coming up beside her mate, she rubbed her head under his jaw and looked up at him. "Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions to protect those who will come after you." Both lions looked down at the ground where a young cub emerged followed by his baby brother and sister.

"Dad, where's vulture?" The eldest cub asked looking confused, his father merely looked down at him and sighed.
"He no longer lives here young prince." His mother said saving Angelos the trouble.

Too be continued...

Author note Please can you review...