Chapter 11: Mohatu and Onevu Confront
Mohatu's heart leapt into his throat as Onevu stood up. He was just as big and frightening as Mohatu had remembered. De ja vu crashed upon him like a tidal wave as he cowered in his father's shadow. Onevu smirked and began to make his way toward Mohatu. "My, my, Mohatu," he started, "haven't you grown?"
"You?" asked Mohatu, staring up at his father. "You're the king of the Wastelands?"
Onevu sighed. "It would seem that way, wouldn't it?"
Using every bit of will-power in him, Mohatu forced himself to stand up tall. He stared at Onevu coldly. "You're the reason this land is in ruins," he accused, defiantly, "you're the reason everyone is starving."
Mohatu thought he saw a bit of anger flashing in Onevu's eyes after he said this. Onevu growled. "Now, now, Mohatu," he warned, "let's not throw blame around. It's not my fault that I'm here, you know."
This statement may have kept Mohatu's naive cub self inquiring, really? Whose is it?', but Mohatu knew better. He remembered how well Onevu had trained his mind to manipulate those of others when Mohatu was growing up. He had no doubt that Onevu had had plenty of time to tune his skills since he moved to the Wastelands. "How do you figure that?" Mohatu asked, eyes narrowing at his father.
Onevu grinned, seeming to think that Mohatu had just steered the conversation in the direction he had hoped. "Don't you remember, Mohatu?" he asked. His face turned a bit cold as he started to circle Mohatu. "You banished me."
Anger pulsated through Mohatu's veins after he heard this accusation. "I saved your life!" he shouted, glaring at Onevu.
With a powerful strike of his paw, Onevu sent Mohatu hurtling through the air, and finally landing on the hard floor of the royal cavern. A sharp bolt of pain shot through him as his body collided with stone. He let out a roar of agony. This is just how his first battle with his father had started.
Mohatu could only lay there for a moment. His body had taken quite a beating over the past few days. Various painful events slowly wore away on his mental and physical strength. Now it was dwindling on zero. His entire body throbbed in pain. He couldn't feel his left temple, where his father had struck him only seconds ago. Suddenly, he became overwhelmed with anger. He had saved his father from the death penalty, and this was how he was going to thank him? By playing his sick mind games on him and battering him around? After all he had had to go through since he arrived at the Wastelands, this is the last thing Mohatu needed to go through. A painful trip down Memory Lane; being pummelled around by his tyranical father.
All the rage that he had kept locked inside since he was a cub escaped as he quickly jumped from where he lay and threw his father onto his back. Onevu, startled by the sudden shift in power, stared up at Mohatu with frightened eyes. Mohatu's own eyes burned into Onevu's. "You power-hungry scum," snarled Mohatu, "I should have let Mtundu kill you."
Onevu's own eyes lit afire at this. "You didn't have the strength," he growled back, "what makes you think you have it now?"
"I don't need to use my strength to hurt others just to prove I have it," spat Mohatu. "Unlike you."
Lunging forth, Onevu sank his teeth into Mohatu's throat. Letting out a roar of surprise, Mohatu recoiled and tried to throw Onevu off of him. His attempts were unsuccessful, he learned, as Onevu lowered himto the ground.
Mohatu lay there for a moment, gasping for air. Onevu's bite hadn't been powerful enough to cause harm to his jugular, but it had broken the skin. It hurt. Fury burning in his teal eyes, Mohatu looked up at his father through his dark bangs. Onevu stared down at him. "Everything was going my way when I was king of the Misty lands," Onevu started, "but you took it all away from me." He struck Mohatu, sending him tumbling backwards. He walked closer to Mohatu. "I had a loyal wife, a son who would die for me, and a kingdom who revered me." Mohatu finally lifted his head, painfully and met his father's eyes. Malice filled Onevu's eyes as he continued. "But then...my wife defied me, my son turned on me, and my kingdom looked down upon me like some kind of filthy rogue. All...because...of YOU!" Onevu struck Mohatu harder, sending him sailing again.
Mohatu felt as if his skull had been shattered. Blurry spots danced before his eyes upon opening them. He could hardly think straight. He was in so much pain, and his body begged for him not to give Onevu more reason to hit him. But against his body's pleas, he looked Onevu square in the eye. "You brought it on yourself," he challenged.
Ire gleamed in Onevu's dark eyes. He raised his paw high into the air, ready to deliver the fatal blow. Mohatu stared at his father defiantly, awaiting the blow. If Mohatu was going to die by Onevu's paw, he wouldn't tarnish his dignity in his last few seconds of life by cowering in his father's shadow.
Just as Onevu's paw was about to come crashing down on Mohatu, a dark brown blur shot across the cavern and knocked Onevu to the ground. Shocked by this, Mohatu squinted forth to see who his hero was.
It was Bashasha.
Mohatu's heart leapt into his throat as Onevu stood up. He was just as big and frightening as Mohatu had remembered. De ja vu crashed upon him like a tidal wave as he cowered in his father's shadow. Onevu smirked and began to make his way toward Mohatu. "My, my, Mohatu," he started, "haven't you grown?"
"You?" asked Mohatu, staring up at his father. "You're the king of the Wastelands?"
Onevu sighed. "It would seem that way, wouldn't it?"
Using every bit of will-power in him, Mohatu forced himself to stand up tall. He stared at Onevu coldly. "You're the reason this land is in ruins," he accused, defiantly, "you're the reason everyone is starving."
Mohatu thought he saw a bit of anger flashing in Onevu's eyes after he said this. Onevu growled. "Now, now, Mohatu," he warned, "let's not throw blame around. It's not my fault that I'm here, you know."
This statement may have kept Mohatu's naive cub self inquiring, really? Whose is it?', but Mohatu knew better. He remembered how well Onevu had trained his mind to manipulate those of others when Mohatu was growing up. He had no doubt that Onevu had had plenty of time to tune his skills since he moved to the Wastelands. "How do you figure that?" Mohatu asked, eyes narrowing at his father.
Onevu grinned, seeming to think that Mohatu had just steered the conversation in the direction he had hoped. "Don't you remember, Mohatu?" he asked. His face turned a bit cold as he started to circle Mohatu. "You banished me."
Anger pulsated through Mohatu's veins after he heard this accusation. "I saved your life!" he shouted, glaring at Onevu.
With a powerful strike of his paw, Onevu sent Mohatu hurtling through the air, and finally landing on the hard floor of the royal cavern. A sharp bolt of pain shot through him as his body collided with stone. He let out a roar of agony. This is just how his first battle with his father had started.
Mohatu could only lay there for a moment. His body had taken quite a beating over the past few days. Various painful events slowly wore away on his mental and physical strength. Now it was dwindling on zero. His entire body throbbed in pain. He couldn't feel his left temple, where his father had struck him only seconds ago. Suddenly, he became overwhelmed with anger. He had saved his father from the death penalty, and this was how he was going to thank him? By playing his sick mind games on him and battering him around? After all he had had to go through since he arrived at the Wastelands, this is the last thing Mohatu needed to go through. A painful trip down Memory Lane; being pummelled around by his tyranical father.
All the rage that he had kept locked inside since he was a cub escaped as he quickly jumped from where he lay and threw his father onto his back. Onevu, startled by the sudden shift in power, stared up at Mohatu with frightened eyes. Mohatu's own eyes burned into Onevu's. "You power-hungry scum," snarled Mohatu, "I should have let Mtundu kill you."
Onevu's own eyes lit afire at this. "You didn't have the strength," he growled back, "what makes you think you have it now?"
"I don't need to use my strength to hurt others just to prove I have it," spat Mohatu. "Unlike you."
Lunging forth, Onevu sank his teeth into Mohatu's throat. Letting out a roar of surprise, Mohatu recoiled and tried to throw Onevu off of him. His attempts were unsuccessful, he learned, as Onevu lowered himto the ground.
Mohatu lay there for a moment, gasping for air. Onevu's bite hadn't been powerful enough to cause harm to his jugular, but it had broken the skin. It hurt. Fury burning in his teal eyes, Mohatu looked up at his father through his dark bangs. Onevu stared down at him. "Everything was going my way when I was king of the Misty lands," Onevu started, "but you took it all away from me." He struck Mohatu, sending him tumbling backwards. He walked closer to Mohatu. "I had a loyal wife, a son who would die for me, and a kingdom who revered me." Mohatu finally lifted his head, painfully and met his father's eyes. Malice filled Onevu's eyes as he continued. "But then...my wife defied me, my son turned on me, and my kingdom looked down upon me like some kind of filthy rogue. All...because...of YOU!" Onevu struck Mohatu harder, sending him sailing again.
Mohatu felt as if his skull had been shattered. Blurry spots danced before his eyes upon opening them. He could hardly think straight. He was in so much pain, and his body begged for him not to give Onevu more reason to hit him. But against his body's pleas, he looked Onevu square in the eye. "You brought it on yourself," he challenged.
Ire gleamed in Onevu's dark eyes. He raised his paw high into the air, ready to deliver the fatal blow. Mohatu stared at his father defiantly, awaiting the blow. If Mohatu was going to die by Onevu's paw, he wouldn't tarnish his dignity in his last few seconds of life by cowering in his father's shadow.
Just as Onevu's paw was about to come crashing down on Mohatu, a dark brown blur shot across the cavern and knocked Onevu to the ground. Shocked by this, Mohatu squinted forth to see who his hero was.
It was Bashasha.
