Chapter 12: The Battle for the Wastelands
"Bashasha?" exclaimed Mohatu.
Bashasha stepped away from Onevu, who was laying on the ground, moaning in pain. She turned to him. "Who were you expecting?" she asked.
Mohatu blinked in confusion. He was almost certain that she despised his very being since the moment he told her he already had a mate and could not accept her love. She was the last one who he suspected would come to his rescue. "But...I thought--"
"You think too much," she interrupted. Her lips turned upward in the form of a subtle smile.
A relieved smile creapt onto Mohatu's face. "You're probably right about that," he replied.
"Idiots!"
The two looked over to watch an angry Onevu stumbling to his feet. After slowly regaining his footing, he glared at them and bared his terrible white teeth. "You both want to fight me?" he asked.
Bashasha and Mohatu both looked at eachother. Bashasha gave him a wink of trust. Mohatu winked back. With this, they turned back to Onevu. "No, we don't," Bashasha replied, "but if it is what needs to be done, then I guess..."--ambition twinkled in her brown eyes--"...it's on."
This was obviously not the answer Onevu had anticipated. He let out a roar of anger, then lunged at Mohatu. With a war cry of her own, Bashasha dashed between the two. She and Onevu collided, then rolled across the hard floor, clawing, biting and thrashing eachother. All this was happening so fast. Mohatu stood in a trance for a moment, a bit bewildered at the pace of the battle. Finally, he dove into the fight and latched his teeth into Onevu's neck.
It took a moment for Onevu to realize what Mohatu was doing. Upon his realization, he roared, then reached one of his paws back in a blind swipe, missing Mohatu completely. Discouraged by this, Onevu tried with his other paw. Mohatu dodged it.
By this point, Onevu became so enraged by his missed aims that he abandoned Bashasha, and focused all his energy on his son. With another roar, he flung himself onto his back, crushing the stunned Mohatu under his great weight.
Mohatu roared in pain as he felt Onevu come crashing down on him, knocking the air out of him. Panicking, he began to shove at Onevu's massive bulk with his paws. Onevu simply rolled off his back and positioned himself over Mohatu, pinning him to the ground. He grinned maliciously at Mohatu, whose eyes were wide in fear and surprise. "I hope you're having as much fun as I am, Mohatu," he snarled, "we're finally spending some quality time with eachother."
Baring his great teeth, Mohatu pressed all four of his legs into Onevu's underside and used all the strength he could muster to throw Onevu off him. The force was so great that Onevu staggered backwards a few feet on his hind legs before finally regaining his balance. Just as he obtained he equilibrium, Bashasha lunged at him and knocked him to the ground. She sank her sharp teeth into the side of his neck. With a loud growl, Onevu threw her off. "Stay of of this, Bashasha!" he warned. "This is between me"--he glared at Mohatu--"and him."
He threw himself at Mohatu. Mohatu, who had since gotten to his feet and was well prepared for his father's attack, lunged at Onevu as well. The two collided. They battered eachother violently with their paws, bit eachother viciously and began a dual-noted roar battle song as they exchanged blows.
Bashasha couldn't stand to watch the two fight this way. One of them would soon be killed, and probably in the most painful, bloody way. What if it was Mohatu? She furrowed her brow with determination. No. She wouldn't let Onevu kill Mohatu. She would never be Mohatu's mate, and this had long since been apparent. But that didn't make it right for her to make him pay by dying by his father's hand. Whether this involved her or no, she would fight. She would not let Mohatu die like this. With a mighty roar, she lunged at Onevu, claws and teeth bared.
Just as she was about to knock him to the ground, Onevu whirled his head around. Bashasha's pupils shrunk in terror as Onevu's face broke into an evil grin. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Onevu's massive paw hit her square in the temple. She sailed several feet, tumbled across the ground, then finally skidded to a stop.
Mohatu watched in horror as Bashasha lay motionless on the ground. "No," he exclaimed in a whisper. He started towards her. "Bashasha--"
Onevu's head rammed into Mohatu's ribcage, and he toppled onto his side with a wheeze of pain. Rendered helpless, he clenched his eyes shut and gasped for breath. Onevu shook his head at Mohatu in false sympathy. "I'm sorry it has to be this way," he said. He started towards Bashasha, who was still unmoving. Coming upon her, he loomed over her body threateningly.
Her eyes opened groggily. With a wince of pain and confusion, she looked up at Onevu. Onevu leered at her. "I told you not to get involved," he reminded gravely, "but you didn't listen."
Mohatu, finally regaining his breath, looked over to see what was going on. "Bashasha," he murmured.
"And this is what happens when you don't listen," Onevu continued. He raised his paw high into the air. Lightning bolted in the skies behind him, and thunder rumbled, enhancing the drama of the moment. Mohatu's eyes widened, as he realized what was going on.
"Bashasha!" he shouted.
Unable to move, Mohatu watched in terror as Onevu's paw came crashing down onto Bashasha. "NOOOOOOOOO!"
A huge blare of thunder shook the pridal rock, and a painful roar resounded across the land.
"Bashasha?" exclaimed Mohatu.
Bashasha stepped away from Onevu, who was laying on the ground, moaning in pain. She turned to him. "Who were you expecting?" she asked.
Mohatu blinked in confusion. He was almost certain that she despised his very being since the moment he told her he already had a mate and could not accept her love. She was the last one who he suspected would come to his rescue. "But...I thought--"
"You think too much," she interrupted. Her lips turned upward in the form of a subtle smile.
A relieved smile creapt onto Mohatu's face. "You're probably right about that," he replied.
"Idiots!"
The two looked over to watch an angry Onevu stumbling to his feet. After slowly regaining his footing, he glared at them and bared his terrible white teeth. "You both want to fight me?" he asked.
Bashasha and Mohatu both looked at eachother. Bashasha gave him a wink of trust. Mohatu winked back. With this, they turned back to Onevu. "No, we don't," Bashasha replied, "but if it is what needs to be done, then I guess..."--ambition twinkled in her brown eyes--"...it's on."
This was obviously not the answer Onevu had anticipated. He let out a roar of anger, then lunged at Mohatu. With a war cry of her own, Bashasha dashed between the two. She and Onevu collided, then rolled across the hard floor, clawing, biting and thrashing eachother. All this was happening so fast. Mohatu stood in a trance for a moment, a bit bewildered at the pace of the battle. Finally, he dove into the fight and latched his teeth into Onevu's neck.
It took a moment for Onevu to realize what Mohatu was doing. Upon his realization, he roared, then reached one of his paws back in a blind swipe, missing Mohatu completely. Discouraged by this, Onevu tried with his other paw. Mohatu dodged it.
By this point, Onevu became so enraged by his missed aims that he abandoned Bashasha, and focused all his energy on his son. With another roar, he flung himself onto his back, crushing the stunned Mohatu under his great weight.
Mohatu roared in pain as he felt Onevu come crashing down on him, knocking the air out of him. Panicking, he began to shove at Onevu's massive bulk with his paws. Onevu simply rolled off his back and positioned himself over Mohatu, pinning him to the ground. He grinned maliciously at Mohatu, whose eyes were wide in fear and surprise. "I hope you're having as much fun as I am, Mohatu," he snarled, "we're finally spending some quality time with eachother."
Baring his great teeth, Mohatu pressed all four of his legs into Onevu's underside and used all the strength he could muster to throw Onevu off him. The force was so great that Onevu staggered backwards a few feet on his hind legs before finally regaining his balance. Just as he obtained he equilibrium, Bashasha lunged at him and knocked him to the ground. She sank her sharp teeth into the side of his neck. With a loud growl, Onevu threw her off. "Stay of of this, Bashasha!" he warned. "This is between me"--he glared at Mohatu--"and him."
He threw himself at Mohatu. Mohatu, who had since gotten to his feet and was well prepared for his father's attack, lunged at Onevu as well. The two collided. They battered eachother violently with their paws, bit eachother viciously and began a dual-noted roar battle song as they exchanged blows.
Bashasha couldn't stand to watch the two fight this way. One of them would soon be killed, and probably in the most painful, bloody way. What if it was Mohatu? She furrowed her brow with determination. No. She wouldn't let Onevu kill Mohatu. She would never be Mohatu's mate, and this had long since been apparent. But that didn't make it right for her to make him pay by dying by his father's hand. Whether this involved her or no, she would fight. She would not let Mohatu die like this. With a mighty roar, she lunged at Onevu, claws and teeth bared.
Just as she was about to knock him to the ground, Onevu whirled his head around. Bashasha's pupils shrunk in terror as Onevu's face broke into an evil grin. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Onevu's massive paw hit her square in the temple. She sailed several feet, tumbled across the ground, then finally skidded to a stop.
Mohatu watched in horror as Bashasha lay motionless on the ground. "No," he exclaimed in a whisper. He started towards her. "Bashasha--"
Onevu's head rammed into Mohatu's ribcage, and he toppled onto his side with a wheeze of pain. Rendered helpless, he clenched his eyes shut and gasped for breath. Onevu shook his head at Mohatu in false sympathy. "I'm sorry it has to be this way," he said. He started towards Bashasha, who was still unmoving. Coming upon her, he loomed over her body threateningly.
Her eyes opened groggily. With a wince of pain and confusion, she looked up at Onevu. Onevu leered at her. "I told you not to get involved," he reminded gravely, "but you didn't listen."
Mohatu, finally regaining his breath, looked over to see what was going on. "Bashasha," he murmured.
"And this is what happens when you don't listen," Onevu continued. He raised his paw high into the air. Lightning bolted in the skies behind him, and thunder rumbled, enhancing the drama of the moment. Mohatu's eyes widened, as he realized what was going on.
"Bashasha!" he shouted.
Unable to move, Mohatu watched in terror as Onevu's paw came crashing down onto Bashasha. "NOOOOOOOOO!"
A huge blare of thunder shook the pridal rock, and a painful roar resounded across the land.
