The Orb of Opar
Chapter 1
The famous tomb raider was going through the jungle of Central Africa on another adventure. In her recent research she had went on to discover the fable city in the jungle, similar in legend to Shangri-La hidden deep in the jungles of Africa. By all accounts her gut was telling her where it was and she was determined to find it. At this moment she was climbing a mountain cliff to get to the other side, that cliff would usually need climbing equipment, but in her case she could do it without having to use it.
"Urgh, I hope that I wasn't mistaking when I pinpointed where I could find this lost city." She said to herself climbing the mountain still climbing up each rock, using all her force to get herself up till she managed to reach the top at last getting on the cliff she encountered more of the African vegetation but this didn't dithered her determination and advanced on through the vegetation till she noticed something out of the vegetation. Removing some branches she noticed several stone buildings with columns similar to the Corinthian style, there were buildings of all sides and the water that was coming from the mountain and under the city was falling down in the lake below, the water been split in 4 canals and each having 4 statues each representing one of Africa's big cats but they were all bipedal with human features: a jaguar, a lion, a panther and a cheetah at the overflowing of the river.
"At last I found it the Lost City of Opar, the city of the feline people." She said getting out her camera to film it. "It isn't yet known why it is called the city of the feline people. From what is known it might have been a civilization that was worshiping different feline gods as presented by the statues of the 3 anthropomorphic felines." She said while holding her camera to record everything, not aware that behind her 3 shadows were waiting to strike her.
"I wonder if I the theories made about this place could be answered with a closer look." Lara said closing her camera and placing it in her backpack, wanting to walk on to take a closer look she felt some force hit her legs forcing her to trip and in the next moment she was in freefall. For the moment she seemed to now be done for. A free fall, if one wants something exciting this was on top of the list with no parachute, or even a chance, or is it…..the water from the lake was something that she could use although from such miles it would hurt but better then kissing the grounds and the rocks. And so adjusting herself to fall in the water with her feet.
Splooosh
"Do you think she will be the one who will help us liberate ourselves?" Asked the bigger one of the shadows.
"We have to try. By all accounts if she managed to get here then she might be our best or possibly only chance now." Said the more slender one, that was holding the staff.
"But for now however let's 'fish her out' and 'invite her' in my house."
Somewhere else
Lara was sleeping in a mysterious place and surprisingly where she was staying was also comfortable, her peaceful sleep wasn't however going to last long
"Where-?" She asked herself looking around her in confusion; part of her was of course thinking that she wouldn't wake up while the other believed she would have half the lake in her lungs. She didn't at all suspected that she would be waking up in a room on a comfortable bed covered in animal skin in a room that looked like it was from ancient times finely decorated. And they even took the liberty of dressing her up, her original clothes been replaced by what appears to be an African tribal clothing that includes a short red loincloth with a short sarong, alongside a red short crop top revealing her mid rift and her long legs and now been barefoot, Lara now wondering if there was a pervo with a camera. Getting on her feet she started to move towards the window believing that she could be in only one place. And she was right she was right in the city of the so called cat people and it was far more beautiful and magnificent then she would have hoped for. Leaning on the window frame she looked around knowing that she had discovered a city as ancient as Atlantis all the noise of the 21 century seeming years away in this valley.
"Welcome to our city." Said a friendly young man's voice from behind her, turning around however she noticed no one.
"Who is there?" Lara asked.
"You don't need to worry. I am only a friend, I can assure you. Welcome into my home." Said the voice in a very calm tone.
"The pleasure is also mine; however I wish to see you, or are you a ghost?"
"I am not a ghost I am very real but I don't wish to spook you or make you believe I want to hurt you in any way. I need your trust Miss Lara Croft." At this the tomb raider grew more and more suspicious.
"First of all I saw many things that could spook me over the years and how do you know my name?"
"I looked into your idea I do admit and of course I heard about you and your adventures, quite impressive I would say." He said.
"Hope you are not some crazy fan who kidnapped me to do God knows what?" She said knowing full well what she meant.
"Not at all, why should I do that. We need to trust one another after all."
"And how could I trust someone who doesn't want to show its face?" Lara said in a calm voice but playful.
"Fair enough." Said the voice and from the corner came to her surprise an anthropomorphic half-human cheetah with digitigrades feet with visible tendons, slender but very well built seeing his squares on his belly and his arms and feet, dressed in a blue loin cloth that also covered the hips around him, also wearing a blue armband on his right shoulder and a golden bracelet alongside an anklet on his right foot.
"Sorry about this, but as you see I must try to behave in a way that one could trust me, due to my appearance one would usually try to run away.
"Lucky for you I am not that someone who would run away of freak out that easily."
"From the famous tomb raider it's doubtful for sure. Not many find this valley but those who do enjoy exploring it when it isn't under troubling figures." Said the cheetah man.
"Like the ones that made me trip from the cliff, I know someone wanted me to be thrown in that lake."
"I would consider myself lucky if I were you in this case." He said.
"Maybe." The tomb raider said before asking "What is your name by the way?"
"Oh yeah I didn't introduced myself my name is Ti'Maar." He said bowing to her "At your service."
"A pleasure to meet you." Lara said.
"I guess that you have a lot of questions regarding those things."
"Indeed I do."
"I will tell you everything I know, but fist, please come with me." He said with a smile leaving the room and went on the hall while Lara with a bit of reservations followed this young cheetah-man till they reached a pair of stairs to what appears to be a nicely decorated living room in Fenician style but with feline drawings on the wall and on the ground there was a place with several cushiness near some red carpet and there sitting was a small wooden table set with 2 cups of water and 2 of hot tea all made of wood or coconut, a bowl of fruits, several plates made of wood that included cooked meet probably from a gazelle, an ostrich or zebra, there one has to sit either on its knees or in lotus position both however kneeled.
"So what questions would you like to be answered?" Asked Ti'Maar looking across the table to the tomb raider.
"First of all do all the citizens of this city are cheetahs like you?" Lara asked taking up the cup of hot herbal tea that included many African medical plants.
"Not quite the citizens are different species of felines, cheetahs are few compared to lions and leopards. Even smaller is the number of panthers here." He explained with a calm voice taking a sip from his tea.
"And how old is the city, is it true it might be during the time of Atlantis and how many are people like you live here?" She asked.
"The city is during the time of Atlantis but they abandoned it a long time ago but not without living some things behind like the scepter of the monarch that is in the palace in the center of this city. And as for population, there is a total of 500. Anything more?"
"How come that this city became a city of feline people? How did you all evolved to occupy it?" She asked and for the moment the young cheetah felt a bit uneasy and sad.
"This is now where things aren't so great. You heard about the story of the mythical city of Shangri-La now isn't it?" He asked taking another sip from him tea.
"The city where time forgets and where there is no death but it gives peace and tranquility to anyone that gets there."
"And probably never leaves the valley after that, something too good to be true. But even such places do have their bad side." Ti'Maar said placing his tea cup down tracking the attention of the tomb raider.
"I do admit that but what do you want to tell me?" She asked.
"The people that live here aren't here because they want to, but because they are forced to." He said his eyes now going to the ground.
"You see Miss Croft I was once a normal cheetah that hunted in the sea of open savannas. My memory is a bit fogy but I can tell you that I had been shot with a tranquilizer by some poachers and was meant to be a pet of a rich human. I was transported by truck but I never reached the destination due to a storm and the cage had fallen from the truck breaking it and I escape in the jungle. I was of course very confused and scared but I walked till I reached this city. When I came however it was just a shell from what it was or rather what it is today I became like this because I went to the main building that was the palace and touched the orb of the scepter which turned me into what you see today." He explained.
"You say that the city was just a shell?" She asked.
"It might be lively now, however it wasn't always this way. You see I told you that I came here when this place was just a shell, because it was really a ruin." He said taking a piece of cooked meat.
"Even with that I had the possibility of looking into the library at the many scrolls that I managed to get my paws on mostly I tries to find a way to turn myself back to normal, despite however starting to enjoying the fruits of been sentient, to think by myself and not just be guided by instincts. This liberty however didn't lasted because of someone else arrived in the course of a month after I touched the scepter." He said before taking another sip from his tea.
"The so called queen of the city of Opar, she is a human from a human village of a local tribe, from what I can tell she was a shaman but in her quest for power her people had banished her and came here to start her own kingdom. Discovering the scepter, she started to remake the city in the way it is now but it came with a price. She started to turn different felines into her servants' humanoid anthropomorphic felines giving them appearance like I have. Luckily she thought of having cheetahs too but in our case we are only doing menial labors while the leopards act as her guards and servants and female lions act as maids, panthers and male lions act as farmers and hunters although it wouldn't be necessary. As for the labors we cheetahs have to do is mostly cleaning and that been the reason why we would be very few. Problem is however that if one doesn't satisfy her she could as well use the scepter to lock the one responsible in a cell or make it disappear. By all happiness and functional place is only for show." He explained.
"This is really troubling now I do agree. Yet all of them can't do anything? From what I see you aren't behaving like some minion." Lara asked taking a bite from the cooked meat.
"I don't and actually all would like the so call queen, to be gone. But in order for a rebellion to be made, they have to find a new queen that would set them free willingly." He explained.
"And I guess the ones that made me trip in the water believed that I should become the liberator queen? And if I think for a bit you were between them isn't it Ti'Maar?" Lara asked with a sly smile to the cheetah.
"Your sense of deduction is indeed admirable I do admit that I was the one but, I am not alone and by the way I chose my own name and so did the others Miss Croft." He said before other 3 felines entered inside one was a male leopard that was dressed like Ti'Maar but the loincloth was black and had 2 golden bracelets on his wrists and a headwear, the second was a male Lion with the same clothes but without any headwear as for the last it was a female Panther with clothes like her but dark blue.
"Miss Croft may I present our rebel leaders: Kaj the jaguar, Zamar the Lion and Sheera the Panther and me as well." Ti'Maar said pointing to all of them before each started to sit down on the ground near the others.
"And I guess that all of you do know how to speak my language isn't?"
"We are all able thanks to Ti'Maar." Said Zamar the Lion.
"He by all accounts is the scholar here. Thanks to his study during the time he was here before La and was able to study and find some things that helped." Sheera said pointing to another red carper, getting on her feet she lifted the carpet and under it was a small trapdoor opening it were several scrolls alongside some amulets.
"These scrolls contain the knowledge of Opar as well as its mythical history." He started to explain getting on his feet getting one of the scrolls alongside an amulet round in shape that had a written word on it, the letters seemed to be Greek that read speak. "This however is the most important; it is a spell that could make one able to talk, with the help of this amulet, one is able to talk while wearing it, but if one conjures the spell one like me is able to give the ability to talk to people like them which was the case."
"Most impressive. But how could this help you in overthrowing a tyrant queen?"
"It gave us the possibility to talk to you?" Kaj said.
"And you want me to become your queen to liberate you after you rebel." Lara said.
"The thing is the best way for you to not get detected is to naturalize with the city. And as for the queen thing, La is not having the stuff when she is sleeping so I can figure something out without any trouble."
"But like how he said before in order for her to not suspect anything you must get accustomed to the place." Ti'Maar explained.
"Which means growing fur and a tail in some way, so I can go around the city without trouble." Lara said suspecting this kind of thing crossing her arms. "Sorry to disappoint but humans can't do something like this."
"With this you would be given form like the ones we got, as a female of course. And only while you wear this it will give you the form not when you get it off." Ti'Maar said getting out a medallion with a cheetah engraving on it.
"I guess that I will have to also bear the pain that would come isn't it?" She asked.
"Unfortunately the change isn't pleasant."
"Before that I wonder what happened with my stuff."
"You don't need to worry I put it in a safe place."
"Hmm I should have expected that."
"Well you can't appear with them around now." Sheera said.
"Hmm indeed and what kind of feline will I become?"
"A female cheetah, there might be few but La isn't quit paying attention to them at all."
"Zamar."
"Hmm well cheetahs are fast, lean and graceful I admit that." Zamar said.
"Not only that when we hunt it is true that we sprint but we always try to sneak and strike at the weakest moment of the prey, when it expects the least. This is how things have to be in this case, quick when she expects the least." Ti'Maar explained.
"A good strategy but I wonder if she would expect anything?"
"Not quite despite this place been spacious this house is at the outskirts of the city, so it wasn't any trouble as for explanation to the public. I can either tell that you are my sister or my mate." Ti'Maar said with a sly smile to her.
"You would wish, I prefer the first variant." She said in a serious tone before the cheetah man gave her the medallion. "Here goes nothing." She said placing it around her neck and in an instance a surge of pain hit her, she could feel her backbones changing becoming more agile along the rest of her bone structure while yellow fur with spots started to appear and also felt a pressure on her back and a long tail popped out while her feet also changed to become feline cheetah like. At the end of it she looked similar to a cheetah still keeping however her human features and also still having her long hair in a pony tail.
"So…..how do I look?" She asked.
"I would say perfect by all aspects." Ti'Maar said with a soft smile while Lara takes a look on a clear face to see her reflection of the cheetah and by all she had to admit that she wasn't looking too bad.
"We will go into our own business then, so that we will prepare for anything." The female panther said while she with the male jaguar and lion exited while Ti'Maar and Lara stayed behind.
"And do you want to see the city?" Said the male anthro cheetah.
"I hoped you never asked Ti'Maar." She said while both them went outside as well. By all accounts the city was really like a Shangri-La but it was inhabited by feline peoples whom by what she could tell were living like normal people in an ancient environment, all of them wore clothes just like hers and Ti'Maar's. Everyone one was minding their own business and were doing their work, she noticed however that some were wither warriors or hunters while others looked like simple citizens. They were also entering a market where Lara could notice some vendors and some merchants with different kinds of fruits, vegetables, alongside meats and fish, alongside cloths and even weapons for her it was obvious while the vegetables and fruits were quite puzzling for the now half-cheetah tomb raider.
"So tell me Ti'Maar from where all those foods come from especially the fruits and vegetables alongside the other products."
"The valley, is the thing that brings and makes everything for this place, however one thing must be known and that is the scepter of Opar which the queen holds is actually the one that could make and summon everything. However, don't try to be fooled by this appearance everything is forced it isn't natural. Although I do recognize this is how a functional society looks but it isn't coming natural for the ones that you see around."
"The queen wants to give an impression of a functional society with all inclusive I guess." She said before they stopped at a vendor with some meats run by another cheetah, this time a female.
"Indeed even utopian to say the least. But a utopian society is more of a prison then a paradise if I could comment."
"How profound thought, really impressive I would say." Lara said taking a piece of meat before placing it down.
"From someone like me I guess in your view?" He said with a calm smile.
"I really wonder, how come that you know so many things?" Lara asked in a teasing way.
"Want to know my secret." Ti'Maar asked with a smirk before grabbing her by her hand to go to a corner.
"Hope you don't intend to become naughty bow you kitty I remember the 2 options: mate or sibling."
"It is mostly for show, don't worry." Ti'Maar said with a smirk going to her ear.
"My secret about knowing a lot is simply learning. I went outside this valley for days on end to watch humans and their society both traditional and modern. And also I know about the internet since I used it to gain information and read articles during the night while been under a cloak. And read about the exploits of the great Lara Croft quite a life you really got."
"It has benefits, but it also has its dangers wonder if you would be able to do it?"
"If I would have been a human with a standard like yours I would have done it. However this form gave me some possibilities mostly to become more a scholar than anything else." Ti'Maar said.
"Hehe it seems that somehow there are some benefits isn't it?" Lara said with a chuckle.
"Indeed. Not mentioning that I also spied on you when you came by, when an article reported that you will try to come here in Africa and of course Kaj had also followed you during this time. And gave you several clues." He said chuckling again.
"You really want me to become your queen to liberate everyone here I see." Lara said crossing her arms.
"Don't get me wrong but for some in knowing you might be the only option now." He explained before another thought came time his mind "Need to ask for how long have you been searching for this place?"
"For at least a day guess if it wasn't with your help I might have not been able to find it. But for how long do you intend to keep me here."
"Well I don't quite know." He said with a calm smirk "But I believe even the might tomb raider Lady Lara Croft would need a 7 or 10 day vacation in this place. It does have facilities."
"And if the plan works, part of that time I would be the Queen isn't it?"
"Fast thinking." He said before noticing someone coming from behind her and he got worried and Lara noticed.
"What is it?" She asked before Ti'Maar grabbed her by her fur covered wrist.
"Don't worry just play along." He said before the anthro cheetah man drew her to him and was now having his right hand around on her back holding her close while her gaze was facing him before moving his head to her neck and she felt a sense of pleasure overtaking both him and her as they literally started to cuddle and purr in each other's embrace while their tales were moving slowly in a way that show likeness in one another. This however didn't last for too long and Ti'Maar immediately while watching let her go and they turned back to normal.
"Wha-what was all that." Lara asked before realizing what it was but before she could say anything the cheetah pointed her to another male one that passed with some others.
"That one is someone you would call a Casanova or pervert, always looking for new females and to get them to like him." He explained.
"Huh even with that don't forget what I said." Lara said with a hiss.
"I don't intend to." Ti'Maar said noticing something in the distance. "But for now do like I do." He started sit on his knees and bow with his face to the ground and Lara did the same, by all accounts she never liked the idea of kowtowing to someone however she noticed that everyone was doing it, lifting her eyes upwards she noticed however a convoy of leopard man with spears moving forwards in formation and between them was a black woman with white hair and green eyes like a feline's wearing jet black panther fur bikini with black and maroon top with some leopard teeth on the edges, sarong and wears golden jewels like curved gold earrings, bracelets, anklets as well as a golden necklace and a long hooded cape attacked to her bikini top with a ruby in a golden frame moving barefooted holding a scepter in her right hand.
"Let me guess she is the queen that created this personal kingdom for her isn't it?" Lara whispered.
"Yes but you better not speak now." Ti'Maar said while they kept themselves bowed to the ground before something happened and they alongside others lifted their sight to see what it was. It was a random hunter that brought the venison of a gazelle, however by what Ti'Maar had explained this was probably for sport and to bring it to the queen it wasn't that much for sustenance and also it seemed that the hunter didn't quit did his job.
"Well I was hoping for a much better catch then this. I mostly ask for people to bring me a king, not venison." She shouted the last sentence as a ray from the scepter came and touched the individual making his disappear before turning to the others who bowed down again.
"May this be a reminder for when someone fails me again." She said with a thunderous voice leaving the area before everyone started to return to their homes wanting to finish the day already.
"So this is how the situation is in this place, no wonder you all believe this is a prison rather then something else." Lara said.
"Indeed, this is how things are when someone is put to do something. She desires for a king to be brought to her a fine male specimen, the finest if possible. But most of them always turn her down and they don't survive." Ti'Maar said with a thoughtful voice.
"And this is happening a lot?"
"Once a week or even once every 2 weeks. But even with that I didn't lie when I said that there are things that you might find enjoyable." He said trying to keep a calm expression.
"Ti, you know I kind of figure out that you try your best to keep yourself calm and give an air of positive thought but I can tell that you are also very disturbed." Lara said and the male cheetah turned his gaze down acknowledging the truth in her words before the half cheetah Lara placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Even with that I do appreciate this." She said making him smile.
"Hmm thanks, come with me." He said moving in the direction outside the city with the tomb raider following him they went for several miles outside the city to an opening in the jungle that wasn't only surrounded by vegetation but was also near a stream of fresh water, the road itself wasn't too long. Lara however despite having feline feet wished to have had her boots on some places.
"I guess one doesn't like that much this small trip." Ti'Maar said trying to give an air of positive thinking.
"Well what could you expect from someone who was used to go with shoes especially in some rocky terrain that we had to go throw." Lara said before stopping right in the clearing where Ti'Maar stopped.
"And what are we doing here?"
"This clearing is a retreat I use to get away from it, it is part of the valley but few know of this clearing. It's a place I come to be alone and do some exercises." He started going to a bush to show some staffs under it.
"One of the activities is fighting exercises, so you practice?" He took two long staffs one for him in the right hand while another in the left.
"If I practice fighting?" She asked with a chuckle "How do you think I manage to beat up jerks and mercenaries that try to come in my way of my trade."
"Perfect." He said throwing her one staff and she caught it with one hand.
"Like I said earlier today I want only to be friends and in some cases, siblings. Of course I do believe I had some when I was a simple cheetah but I do admit that if I was sentient I would have liked some fighting exercises during free time to connect with one another." He said moving the staff in fighting position with both hands.
"You are on, Ti'Maar." Lara said taking the same fighting position each with the left leg behind before they started to hit and bar, by all accounts she now really believed that this time while in Opar might get really interesting especially with Ti'Maar. After they did some parings and hits alongside other techniques done for at least an hour and a half, after that they went to the cliff to watch the horizon and sun settling over Opar.
"Aaah, looking in the horizon and you get a sense of romanticism." Ti'Maar said with a smile watching the sun settling.
"For someone who wants to be again a normal cheetah you really did start to turn more human with such deep thoughts." Lara said placing her right foot over her left one while also admiring the view.
"I admit that." Ti'Maar said still holding a soft smile looking in the horizon. "Even with that, one brings some memories if one gets into deep thought, you surely do the same sometimes for sure in your free time now isn't it?" He turned to his gaze at her placing his right hand on her shoulder.
"Tell me if I am wrong." He said with a smirk and Lara in a sense by what he is doing seemed that he wanted an answer but even more.
"It is true, and also are you sure you are not trying to do more than getting an answer from me?" Lara asked which kind of caught him off guard.
"You naughty kitty I can't get seduced that easily." Lara said.
"It was worth maybe a try, but I know that siblings could sometimes do this kind of thing now, isn't it? Especially by what we did today before now."
"They surely are, some of them." Lara said before a pain in her chest hit her heart in a way, she now thought that she would have wished to have had a sibling. That thought now made her eyes water and the cheetah saw it, thinking that she might have had one but isn't alive anymore.
"I apologize if I brought fourth some bad memories." Ti'Maar said placing his hand on hers. "It wasn't with intent."
"No." She started wiping the tears out "It wasn't that." She said taking a deep breath "I lost both my parents when I was young after that I had to face the world on my own I had a good upbringing and had close friends nearby. But I do admit that sometimes I would have wanted to have had a sibling either a sister or a brother." She said with a sad tone some tears still streaming out from her eyes that were cleaned by Ti'Maar.
"I am sorry. If there could be any consolation I could try to be your brother, while you are here to solve the situation. And try to make the most of it."
"You really do have a noble heart there. But I don't want you to get into trouble with this "queen"." Lara said.
"Sometimes trouble could mean some excitement. And you don't need to worry, like I said we will try to be inconspicuous, plus she wouldn't try anything, since for the moment she puts her guards and servants to find her a king. So we will get plenty of opportunities and some time to prepare. What do you think? Some enjoyment time before the big show?" He asked lifting his hand.
"As you say, brother." Lara said with a smirk taking his hand.
This is only the first chapter of this story hope you will enjoy it and leave reviews. The second will come soon but if you don't leave comments I will not post others.