Chapter 2: The Demon's Disciple

The hot sun was a great wake up call to many creatures of the desert. It meant it was time to go on the defensive. Baya's back was the only portion of him to feel the sun's warm good morning. This was because he was half covered by the cool and secure embrace of the palm tree's silhouette. His eyes were sealed shut, not even slightly concerned of his surroundings due to the illustrious reputation he had painted for himself with the blood of many fallen rogues.

Baya never usually slept too late into the morning, considering he liked to be on the move searching for battles when ever he could. It was usually the sun that woke him, but something else was going to start off his day this fine morning. At first, he thought it was a pesky bird or a little desert rabbit. When he opened his eyes for a moment, it was a furry blur. His eyes focused on what was pawing at his face in such a rough manner, and they widened. It was a little golden brown cub, with unique magenta eyes. He cackled at the cub female, and her feeble attempts at swatting him away, as if he were a fly.

"I want to drink from here. Fight me for it!" She growled as she got into a fighting stance. Baya slowly stood with a groan, and stretched as if the little cub wasn't even there. The cub looked confused for a moment, and then she huffed in frustration when Baya walked towards the watering hole. Before he could dip his muzzle into it for a morning drink the cub charged at one of his arms, falling backwards with a thump. She stood again and began to paw to no avail at Baya's much larger right paw.

"You are a pest..." Baya growled. Of all the cubs he had seen in the outlands, none of them had such...guts. They were always quivering and crying or hiding behind their mothers. This one was just so bold, and battle ready. She reminded him of himself. That was probably why he hadn't decapitated her yet. "But an uppity little pest." Baya said with a smirk as he stopped her paw and pushed her backwards.

"Pfft. You aren't anything! Just you wait!" She said as she got up quick and charged at him again and again. After many failed attempts, Baya finally rolled his eyes. This was just getting sad now. Even for his standards.

"Go ahead and drink. I don't care." Baya said in a monotone as he laid down on his side for a moment, dipping one of his paws in the water. The cub frowned and slowly made her way to the watering hole, not taking her magenta eyes off of Baya. She began to drink, and Baya stared at her.

"Wheres your mother?" Baya asked, expecting no answer really. She seemed quite distant, but with a strong will.

"Dead." She replied as if it was nothing. "Where's yours?" She spat with a snort following shortly after. "Didn't teach you to groom yourself , did she?"

Baya cackled. "My, oh my. Such a mouth on a little lady. Tell me, do you know who I am?" Baya asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. You are that Baya lion that everyone is so afraid of. You didn't look so tough to me. I guess its all just for show huh?" She said with a little grin. Baya smirked and stood. He approached her slowly, and towered over her so much that his shadow completely sheltered her. He placed his paw on her head.

"What is your name?" Baya asked with a tilt of his head. The uppity little cub pushed his paw away and stepped back.

"Tupa." She murmured hesitantly. Baya nodded his head as a warm desert wind whipped past, making his mane dance.

"Tupa...I'll remember that." Baya murmured as he turned and simply began walking away. He would make sure to fight her when she grew up, and to do that he needed her name. She would be a very worthy challenge.

He didn't wander far off from the little oasis when he was face to face with two rogue lionesses for an already half eaten desert rabbit. The lionesses looked similar, so Baya concluded that they were closely related.

"Why hello ladies. I'd do the more courteous thing and let you have it, or give you the chance to run away...but I'm not a very courteous lion." Baya said with a grin. One of the lionesses growled.

"Doesn't matter how courteous you are. It's ours. Now either back away, or become dinner. That's your options non courteous lion." One of them murmured, baring her teeth. The other also bared her teeth, and flexed her claws. There was going to be a fight for sure. Baya cackled as he got into his fighting stance once more.

"Death is inevitable my dears. How about I help you both get there, so as to calm your fears?" Baya said as the lionesses circled him.

"Didn't know you were a poet. Not alot of males know how to court lionesses out here." One of the lionesses snarled. The other also jumped into the fray shortly after. Baya would simply push one off while he subdued the other.

"Baya!" A familiar voice called out in the middle of the battle. All the fighters' attention went to the little cub that stood near them with a look of worry.

"Tupa..." Baya said with a look of despair. Why did she follow him? Why did she come out so far from her source of water? Why did he care of her fate so much?

One of the lionesses grinned as she quickly held Tupa down and placed one claw firmly near her neck. Baya's usual grin of battle faded, and a simple expressionless face replaced it as he was subdued in the same manner by the other lioness. He needed to piece together a rough plan to kill the lionesses before they hurt the annoying little cub before him. Then he would send her off on her own, and not pay a second thought to her.

"Well look at this. I never even thought you could be a father. Such a cute little daughter too..."

"She's not my daughter. She's a pest that I met a few hours ago. Let her go. She isn't involved." Baya warned with a growl. The lionesses both cackled.

"She called you Baya didn't she? Baya of the desert? The same that kills cubs for simple sport? You honestly care for this cub? Then all the more reason for us to kill her." The lioness holding Tupa down said as she slowly applied pressure.

It all happened in a flash. Tupa closed her eyes, and there were snarls and growls. When Tupa opened her magenta eyes, she was still alive. The lioness holding her wasn't, and standing before her was Baya, with a blooded right side of his neck and crimson paws. He looked down to her, with that same expressionless face. He then began to walk away once more, pretending like nothing happened.

"B-Baya! Wait!" Tupa whimpered as she slowly ran after him. Baya kept on going. Tupa frowned as she kept on running after him.

"I want you to teach me! Teach me how to fight!" She called after him. Baya walked as if he didn't hear a word. "Please! I want to be like you! I want to hurt those that want to hurt me! I want to be strong!" Tupa shouted, her voice beginning to crack. Tears began rolling down her face as she ran. "I don't want to be alone!" She finally sobbed. She closed her eyes and stopped running, figuring there was no point. He was a heartless killer. How could she have ever hoped for a teacher or more in him?

"The first rule, is no crying." Baya's voice broke through her sobs. She looked up to see Baya staring down at her, with a stern expression. Her eyes lit up and she wiped her tears from her eyes with her paws.

"Yes sir." She said with a weak smile.