The Shadow Cast from Sin

by Jagabor

This hyena cub committed no crime. And still, he was born a sin. No sin goes unpunished. He has a long road of suffering ahead of him. But roads can often be unpredictable. He'll come to realize that true sins are found in purity. And Shadows be not pure.

2. Kosa: A Sin Who Suffers

Hey. I know I said I was going to get the first chapter of the other stories up, first, but I'm having a hard time doing that. Hopefully I'll come up with some ideas for them both. In the meantime, I'll just have to work on this story(Not that that's a bad thing, of course!)There's been a time skip between the last chapter and this one. And I use animal-years, so try not to get confused. Please forgive typos, review, and enjoy!

Kosa: A Sin Who Suffers

The sun rose over Mamlaka, but remained largely unknown to Kosa. As a hyena cub at the bottom of a large pit in the Grave of Damn Souls, he did not see the golden orb very much. He did, however, know of its existence. It was hard for him not to, seeing as how it always provided him without enough blaring heat to leave him unconscious for a while. And for that, Kosa was grateful. There wasn't much for him to be awake for, anyway. Well, there was actually a lot for him to be awake for, but none of it was the least bit good. For his whole life, he had lived in the pit, having no idea what wonders awaited him in the outside world. Kosa knew only his pit. It was a horrible, disgusting home. It could not even be called a home. It was just a big hole in the ground that Kosa was too small to escape from. He knew that fact because he had attempted an escape on several occasions. The black cub was not very happy with being forced to live in his own filth, which had piled up over the years. Every time that he had to relieve himself, he was forced to do so in the pit. His bowel movements had all been released within his large enclosure. Each time he fell ill, the only place for him to vomit was in his own living space. Actually, it was not just hisliving space. Kosa did have company in the dark chasm. If one would consider a hyena-corpse company, that is. Kosa had no idea exactly how long the corpse had been there. What he did know was that it was an female hyena who used to provide him with milk. But it was not his mother. That was another fact that Kosa had come to realize. For as long as the black cub could remember, he had used that corpse for warmth. Every time he went to sleep, he did so nuzzled against the decaying carcass of the adult hyena. And though it produced no body heat, it made Kosa feel warm. It reminded him of his mother, whom he had barely any memory of at all. But the memories he did have of her stayed with him throughout his whole life. The way her fur felt as he nuzzled close her, the scent of her body as she held him in her paws, even way she kissed him as he slept. Even if she had only been with him for a few hours, Kosa missed his mother. He wished that he knew what had driven her away, because he would do whatever it took to have her back. She offered him compassion, something that no other creature Kosa had come across ever seemed to have. In truth, Kosa had only met two other living creatures; His father and Bellow. He hated them both. Which was good, because they both hated him. And each side made that fact known to the other. The only difference was that the small cub was not strong enough to act on his hatred, while Fenyang and Bellow were more than capable. Kosa knew that, fisthand. For every night, his father and the rat would torture him beyond the point of his limits. His physical limits, anyway. During his eight years on the planet, Kosa had suffered nearly every kind of injury imaginable. Cuts, brusies, scrapes, broken bones, burns, etc. But the strange thing was, no tears had exited Kosa's eyes since he was a baby. Through all the torment and abuse, Kosa could no longer weep. The balck cub could not shed tears, even if he wanted to. He had tried on several occasions, just to be sure. The truth was, Kosa did not really care that much. He had accepted his fate, long ago. He would forever live in the pit, suffer in the pit, and if his father would let him, die in the pit. But Kosa knew that his father would not allow him to die, anytime soon. Fenyang always made sure that Kosa was given just enough to survive in order to continue to torment the small cub. However, what Kosa was given would have been rejected by a cub in any other situation. The black cub was given small, rotten scraps of meat, and the only liquid that he was ever offered was the occasional turtle shell full of muddy water. But as horrible as his life was, instinct would not allow Kosa to deny himself these offerings. Kosa was driven to survive. For in life, he was allowed dreams. And Kosa used that privilege as much as he could. He dreamed of what life would have been like had his mother still been alive. He doubted that it would be this horrible. Bellow had told him otherwise, after one of Kosa's nightly "sessions of salvation." The rat took it upon himself to tell Kosa that his mother hated him so much, that she ran away in shame mere moments after giving birth to him. Kosa didn't believe a word of it. After all, if his mother had shown him such great affection, it meant that she must have really cared for him. He would not have had to suffer under his father's cruelty. But as much as Kosa loved to dream of his mother, there wasanother reason that he was determined to stay alive; He was not about to give his father any extra satisfaction. For although he had resigned himself to his own fate, Kosa never stopped believing that he could have a paw in the fate of his father.

Over the years, Kosa had become quite aware of his situation. He was kept in a hole, away from the main area of Mamlaka in order to be hidden from the world. And for a good reason. The whole kingdom of Mamlaka would have seen him in the same light that his father had seen him; as nothing more than a sin against nature. And tht, Kosa knew, was the reason that his father beat him so brutally every night. His father sought to make Kosa suffer in order to pay for his existence. And Kosa knew that his father's concept was very logical….To his father and Bellow, at least. But Kosa always pondered why his father did not simply leave him out in the open, to be tormented by the entire clan. It was odd, to say the least. After all, his father did control an entire clan. The worst that could happen was that one of them would end up killing Kosa, and the black hyena knew that would be no large loss to his father. It was for these reasons that Kosa stumbled upon a conclusion; the clan did not think in the same way that his father did. And whether his father was right or wrong in what he was doing, the clan would not approve of it. So, every day that he kept himself alive was another chance that a hyena from Mamlaka would find him. And though the hyena would surely kill him, Kosa would be sure to inform the hyena of what was going on. And after that, it would be his father who suffered. It did not matter if the citizens of Mamlaka were loyal to his father. The evidence was stacked against him. Fenyang was the only creature who knew Mamlaka well enough to be able to find a proper hiding space for a small cub. And if that wasn't enough proof, it was a known fact that no creature had ever ventured into Mamlaka undetected. The fact that a black cub just happened to be lying around would bring up a whole investigation, which would eventually lead straight to Fenyang. Kosa got up from where he lay and smiled to himself, feeling a sense of pride in having figured out so much on his own.

He was a genius from an early age, that was for sure. Even if his knowledge could not save him, Kosa kept his mind open to all the possibilities. He wanted to go to his grave knowing that he, a mere cub, had outsmarted his father. All Kosa needed to do was hang on to his life and his sanity. The black cub knew that it would be the perfect revenge. After all, his father considered him to be a sin. And if

Fenyang realized that nothing he was doing could correct this "sin", he would become frustrated and more likely to slip up. Kosa had already gotten inside his father's mind. For each physical blow given to him by Fenyang, Kosa always offered a verbal blow right back. He would mock Fenyang. Mock the nation of Mamlaka. Mock the very gods who his father claimed to follow. In fact, Kosa did anything within his much-limited power to infuriate the king of Mamlaka. And it was working. Fenyang was beginning to allow his anger and pride to cloud his judgment. Kosa could see it in his father's eyes. Anger and Pride; the most dangerous of all sins. And the fact that Fenyang was feeling these emotions showed that he was not as pure as he thought he was. Kosa had made it so that even if his father wanted to, he could not kill him. For if he did, it would only show that he let a sin get the better of him. Kosa knew he would be killed, eventually. But the fact that it would not be by his father gave him a ray of hope. After all, Fenyang was nothing more than a puppet to his own beliefs. In his own mind, he believed what he was doing to be right. In a way, Kosa pitied the king of Mamlaka. Still, for the injustices he suffered from Fenyang, Kosa would have vengeance. His vengeance on his father would be brought on by his mere existence. And the black cub could not wait for it.

Kosa took a satisfied breath, before going into a coughing fit. The air was not exactly the cleanest in the Grave of Damned Souls. And the fact that Kosa was surrounded by his own excrement did not help the matter. Needless the say, the pit did not smell even the very pleasant, either. It produced a stench foul enough make a dung beetle cringe. And the look of the large hole left much to be desired. Kosa did his best to keep his bodily functions to himself, and when he could not, was sure to only go in certain areas. But as orderly as he tried to keep it, Kosa still lived in what was basically a latrine. The only thing with a shabbier appearance than Kosa's home was the black cub, himself. He was scrawny and thin, lacking the muscular overtone that most cubs his age possessed. His coat remained matted and dirty and matted from years of neglect. And at that moment, Kosa had six scars, three burn marks two broken ribs, and a swollen eye. However, his dark fur kept these features hidden. Still, Kosa did not like being so flawed. The only times that he had seen his reflection was when he looked into the murky water that he was given. And Kosa did not like what he saw. He found it to be absolutely pathetic. However, it did give Kosa something else to wonder about. The black cub placed a paw to his chin thoughtfully and sighed.

"If I was clean," Kosa breathed quietly, "And well-groomed…And didn't have all these injuries….Would I really look any better? I mean, I'd still be black….different…..unnatural."

Kosa's thoughts were interrupted as a small rock found it's mark on the side of his skull. The black cub jumped backward in surprise and looked around for the source of the flying rock, rubbing his head with his paw. Another rock soon followed, this time striking him just below his injured ribs. A sharp pain shot up Kosa's side, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his chin. A cold snicker shot down the pit, growing louder amd louder with each passing second. Kosa looked upward in the direction of the noise to see two tiny orbs of light bouncing down towards him, soon coming close enough to reveal the creature to which they belonged. Kosa stared at the creature as it stepped through the shadows. It was a creature who Kosa knew very well.

"Well, good morning, Aswad!" Bellow snickered, "Did you sleep well? Hmm….I see you're a bit tender from your session with the master, last night….Good! Your kind should not know even a moment's comfort!"

Kosa slowly got to his feet and glared down at the large rat, taking a few deep breaths as he placed an arm over his injured ribs. He was a bit surprised to see Bellow in his pit. It was rare that the rat ever came down there without Kosa's father. Granted, there had been a few past occasions when Bellow had come down on his own in order to make sure that the black cub was still alive, but this time seemed different. This time, the rat dared to insult him and pelt him with stones. The black cub continued to glare at the rat, before letting out a heavy sigh and turning his head away. There was nothing he could do about it. For years the memory of the beating that the rat had given him haunted Kosa. And he knew that Bellow would have killed him long ago, if he had the chance and an excuse. Kosa figured that was the reason that he had come down to see him. Bellow was trying to provoke him into a situation where he would be forced to defend himself. Kosa would not let himself fall for such an obvious trick.

No sooner had Kosa turned away, than Bellow smacked him in the face with his long tail. Kosa flinched at the hit and rubbed his cheek, before turning his gaze back to the large rat. Bellow crouched low to the ground and clacked his teeth.

"You look at me when being address, you pathetic excuse for scum!" Bellow warned, "I am your father's most trusted advisor, and demand that you show me some respect! Even disgusting little mutants like you should learn to recognize their superiors. You damn piece of kak! When will you learn that…"

Kosa stared down at the rat, as Bellow continued his speech . The black cub kept his paw on his cheek, moving in a circular motion. However, he was not rubbing his cheek out of pain. He was rubbing his cheek out of shock. The blow Bellow had dealt him did not hurt as much as he thought it would. He expected the sharp, stinging pain that he had felt long ago, the first time that Bellow had attacked him. What he got instead was a much lesser pain from a shot that did not even leave a mark on his skin. It was then that Kosa realized something; Bellow was a lot smaller than he remembered. For years, Bellow had seemed very large to Kosa. Of course, within Fenyang's shadow, everything looked larger. Kosa took his paw down from his chin and lowered his head slightly to stare at Bellow. Only this time, it was not with a glare. It was with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Bellow continued to speak for a few seconds, eventually noticing the look that Kosa was giving him.

"….What in the name of the almightly gods are you…?" Bellow asked in confusion, before noticing Kosa crouch lower and take a step forward, "…No….Don't you dare….I swear to you, if you lay even one paw on me…."

"It'll be more than a paw, if I have my way!" Kosa snickered, now quite confident in himself.

Bellow's eyes widened with fear. The rat quickly whirled around and headed for the wall of the pit, leaping forward to escape the cub who now pursued him. Bellow's long tail was his undoing, as Kosa locked his jaws around it and dragged the rat backwards. Bellow let out several loud squeaks of pain, before turning his body around and leaping at Kosa's face, digging his teeth and claws into the black cub's forehead in the hopes of freeing his tail from the hyena's jaws. Kosa winced painfully, before releasing Bellow's tail and bucking his head upward, sending the large rat about a yard into the air. Before Bellow hit the ground, Kosa turned around and raised both his hind legs with as much force as he could, kicking the rat into the wall of the pit. Bellow squeaked painfully and shook his head to recover, before climbing out of the large pit like a bat out of hell. Kosa gave a satisfied smile as the rat turned around, nursing his tail painfully.

"…You….little…aswad…" Bellow snarled, attempting to catch his breath, "You can bet that the master will be hearing of this! And when he does….Oh, may the gods have mercy on your soul. Because he certainly won't!"

With that, Bellow scurried off towards the main area of Mamlaka as fast as his legs could carry him. Kosa's smile faded, now realizing the foolish thing that he had done. Bellow was right; his father would not be the least bit happy. And while Kosa was usually glad to have found a way to infuriate his father, this time was much different. This time, Kosa would be the one at fault. He knew that his father would take advantage of that fact. The hyena cub lowered his head and gulped.

"It…it was worth it," Kosa whispered, as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Besides, there was no one else to convince. The only company Kosa had was the corspe, and it never disagreed with him. The black cub looked to the sky, now beginning to feel a bit dizzy. Kosa paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath and walking over to the hyena corpse, curling up beside it for a nap. As the black cub got comfortable, he felt a warm liquid dripping from his bottom lip. At first, he thought that it was merely sweat. But upon wiping a bit of it away with his paw, he realized that it was something entirely different; blood. And for once, it was not his blood. It was Bellow's blood. The cub stared at the blood in surprise, before placing his paw to his mouth in order to lick it off. As soon as his tongue met the red liquid, the smile returned to Kosa's face. He had never had fresh blood, before. And now that he had, he realized that he loved it. The black cub quickly licked the blood off of his paw, before using his tongue to wipe the blood off of his bottom lip. His heart was pounding with excitement. He never dreamed that anything could be so good. It was the perfect texture, the perfect density, had the perfect taste. The new experience made Kosa forget all about his worries. For he had come across something in life that he found pleasant. Kosa looked into the corpse's cold, vacant eyes and let out a satisfied sigh, snickering to himself.

"Yeah," Kosa smiled to the dead body, "It was definitely worth it!"

xXx

"And then that bastard kicked me into the wall!" Bellow finished explaining to his master in a whining tone as he massaged his injured tail, "Little ingrate. I was only trying to give him some helpful advise! It was for you, Master. I wanted to help you in your mission to make it easier on you."

"He's beyond any help that you can give him," Fenyang breathed, pacing back and forth, "And it is my responsibility to deal with that kaffir. You know it, I know it, and the gods know it. The burden has been placed upon my shoulders. It has been assigned to me by the gods, and you were foolish to try to interfere without my consent. You've gone against my will, and the will of my gods. You practically invited him to attack you. Do you have any idea how furious I am, right now?"

Bellow drooped his ears and sank backward as the king hyena turned to face him, displeasure overtaking his facial features. A few seconds passed, during which nothing was said by either creature.

"Well?" Fenyang growled, "Do you?"

Bellow jumped backward and cowered beneath his paws, before peeking between two of his digits and smiling nervously.

"I…I'd say you're quite furious, Master," Bellow stated fearfully.

"That would be an understatement!" Fenyang barked, "My most trusted advisor, and he dared to attack you! Nothing I do is getting through to him! He doesn't fear me, he doesn't repect me…Argh! This is taking too long! He's strong-willed, for demon! Why can't I save him? Am I not pure enough? I don't understand…"

Bellow uncoiled himself and gave a relieved sigh upon hearing that he was not the source of his master's frustration. The large rat quickly scrambled up Fenyang's back and perched himself upon his master's shoulder.

"Don't be ridiculous, Master!" Bellow chuckled, "As you said, the gods assigned the task of curing the little freak to you. They did so because you are the purest creature in existence. If there's anyone who can save the little kak, it's you. The gods have put all their faith in you….er…..forgive me, Master, but I do not recall whether or not the gods have faith."

Fanyang glanced at his advisor and shook his head with a slight smile.

"The gods have no need for faith," Fenyang explained, "They know all."

"Ah, even better!" Bellow nodded with a wide smile, "The gods know that you can do it. And I know that you can do it. Worst case scenario, there will be one less demon in the world."

Fenyang turned his head to his servant and smiled.

"Thank you, Bellow," Fenyang nodded, "Your words are appreciated."

"Just doing my job, Old Friend," Bellow replied, before turning away as his ear began to twitch, "Speaking of which, we're about to receive some company. Best to continue this conversation later."

Fenyang stared at his servant strangely, before nodding and turning to the entrance of the his den. Sure enough, four hyenas entered side-by-side and bowed, keeping their eyes to the ground. Fenyang looked them over carefully, before stretching his limbs casually.

"It's good to see such respect," Fenyang told his followers, "Your reward shall be the right to speak your piece."

The four Disciples of Usafi glanced at each other for a few seconds, trying to decide who would deliver the report. The one on the far right volunteered, stepping forward and looking up at the king hyena.

"Father Fenyang," the hyena bowed, "We bring you news of an outsider in our lands…."

"Outsider?" Bellow piped up excitedly, "My, we haven't had one of those in quite some time! Well, what are waiting for, Fenyang? Let's send out a few missionaries, shall we?"

Fenyang gave his advisor a warning glance, immediately silencing him. The rat paused for a moment, before leaping from Fenyang's shoulder and grumbling to himself.

"Actually," the Disciple continued, "That won't be necessary. We already have him in custody. He came peacefully."

Fenyang's eyes widened with shock, as did Bellow's.

"He what?" Fenyang asked in confusion, "Why?"

"He said he came a great distance to see you, Father Fenyang," another one of the hyenas spoke up.

Fenyang blinked in surprise. Bellow chuckled quietly. The king hyena slowly turned his gaze to the rat, listening carefully as Bellow spoke under his breath.

"That's a new one," Bellow commented to himself, "Someone actually coming to Mamlaka by choice! Not to mention the fact that he's foolish enough to want to meet Fenyang! This is…"

Bellow was cut off as his master shot him another warning glance. The rat slinked backward and smiled casually, as if he had said nothing at all. Fenyang turned back to the four hyenas and lowered his eyelids in annoyance.

"Show him in," Fenyang ordered, "We'll at least hear what he has to say, before condemning him."

The hyena's bowed and backed out of the den. They returned mere moments later, this time with a fifth hyena at their front. The four disciples crouched low to the ground as the hyena in front of them sat down and smiled at Fenyang. Fenyang stared at the hyena, before freezing in his place. He had seen this hyena before, years ago. And though time had added to the hyena's size and muscle-tone, it's face remained almost exactly the same. Right down to the small bits missing from his ears. There was no doubt about it. This was Fenyang's son. Bellow took a bit longer to notice, but soon enough, he recognized the strange hyena.

"Hello, Father," the hyena smiled with a nod, "Bello…What's the matter? Are the two of you not happy to see me?"

Fenyang blinked a few times, before leaping forward and embracing his son tightly.

"Edaha!" Fenyang laughed merrily, "Edaha, my boy! You're alive!"

"Indeed I am," Edaha nodded with a laugh, patting his father on the back, "And I'm home….I'm finally home."

Fenyang hugged his son even tighter, allowing a few tears to flow onto Edaha's shoulder. The four Disciples glanced at each other in confusion. They had never seen their ruler behave in such a way. The four of them then turned their eyes back to the hyena king, whispering amongst each other through the sides of their mouth. Bellow took notice of this and leaped in front of the four hyenas, staring up at them and baring his small fangs.

"You'd best be giving the master and his son some privacy," Bellow warned, "And speak not of this. Gossip is like a pile of leaves in the wind, you know. It just spreads, and spreads, and continues to spread. Soon enough, no one will be able to put them back together, ever again. I could see to it that the same thing happens to each of you! As I said, you'd best be going."

The four Disciples gulped nervously and nodded, quickly turning around and running off. Bellow gave a satisfied nod and turned back to his master, how now had both his paws on Edaha's shoulders as he examined him.

"Look at you!" Fenyang chuckled, looking his son up and down, "You've grown up quite a bit!"

"Seven years will do that," Edaha replied with a smile, "I'm not the cub I once was. I'm full-grown, now."

"Well, you look great!" Fenyang nodded, "Gods, if you came back a mangled mess you'd look great! I thought you were dead!"

Edaha lied down and cracked his neck.

"Well, I certainly hope that I did not disappoint you!" Edaha stated, before looking around, "Is Mother around? I was hoping that she'd be with you, so I could surprise you both at the same time."

Fenyang's smile faded at Edaha's question, not sure how to explain the situation. He certainly could not lie about what happened to Tii. That would only add to his sin. But if he were to tell the truth, he would have to explain the entire story, which would only lead to Edaha asking questions on subjects that Fenyang preferred to keep secret. Namely, Kosa's existence. The hyena king turned his back to his son and lowered his head, thinking of any possible way to escape the question. Edaha stared at his father for a moment, before drooping his ears and walking to Fenyang's side.

"Something happened," Edaha guessed with a heavy breath, "Where is she? Why is she not here?"

Fenyang turned his head and looked into his son's eyes, which were beginning to fill with tears. The hyena king lowered his head once more and let out a heavy sigh, still unsure of how to handle the situation. Luckily for Fenyang, Bellow scurried in front of them and cleared his throat.

"Nothing bad, I assure you," Bellow told Edaha, "She simply….Left to pursue other interests, if you catch my drift."

Edaha looked down at the rat and cocked his head in confusion.

"The put it simply, she found another lover, and took off with him," Bellow explained, "She chose lust over love. And ever since then, your father has been devastated."

Edaha blinked at the rat, before turning to his father.

"…Oh, yes, I'm filled with pain," Fenyang stated awkwardly, drooping his ears and faking a frown, "I've tried to put the whole thing behind me, but this pain….It's just too much for me to bare."

"She obviously was not worthy of you," Edaha said coldly, "If she could not see your magnificence, than she did not deserve to be in your presence. I'm surprised that you didn't send a party after her. I would have loved to see her head mounted on a pike for what she did to you."

Bellow and Fenyang paused for a moment, before shooting each other surprised glances. It was all going too easy. However, that did not change the fact that Fenyang wanted a swift change in subject.

"Speaking of missing parties," Fenyang began, scratching behind his ear, "Where are the missionaries I sent you with? Have they returned, as well?"

Edaha shook his head slowly, before lowering it shamefully.

"No, Father," Edaha breathed, "During our search, we were ambushed by a group of assassins from the Bloody Shadows. There were too many of them for us to fight. We were outnumbered, and outmatched. We were forced to retreat to a nearby forest. They pursued us….I was the only one fortunate enough to survive…"

Fenyang paused for a moment, before stepping closer to his son. The hyena can raised Edaha's head with his paw, before using the very same paw to smack the young hyena in his face. Edaha grunted in pain and stumbled backward, slowly turning his gaze back to his father. Fenyang glared at him, teeth bared and claws extended. Bellow ran behind his master.

"You mean to tell me that you let those bastards get the better of you?" Fenyang snarled at his son, "Your team was slaughtered, and you just ran? YOU PATHETIC COWARD! HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE IN MY LAND?"

Edaha rubbed his cheek and shook his head desperately.

"No…Father, please…" Edaha begged, "You don't understand…."

"You're damn right I don't understand!" Fenyang barked, "How is it that I am cursed with such a useless son? 'Couldn't even complete his mission. Had to come running home right when things got tough!"

Fenyang raised his paw upward and brought it down swiftly towards Edaha's skull. Edaha quickly blocked the blow with his arm and looked up at his father with tears in his eyes.

"But Father," Edaha stated in a pleading tone, "I did complete the mission! We were ambushed from insidethe Bloody Shadows!"

Fenyang froze for a moment, slowly bringing his paw back to his side. Edaha did the same, but poked at the inside of his cheek with his tongue. The king hyena placed both of his paws on Edaha's shoulder as his from began to shake.

"You…You speak the truth?" Fenyang asked his son quietly, yet urgently, "You actually found them? Our enemies in the Bloody Shadows? You know where they are located?"

"That's why I returned home," Edaha nodded, "They annihilated my team, and I did not stand a chance against them on my own. So, I came back here to inform you of the location of our enemy. I was hoping that you would be able to organize the best warriors in Mamlaka to lead an ambush on the Bloody Shadows. I'm sorry that I failed you, Father. Please, allow me to atone for my shortcomings with the information that I have brought for you."

"Tell me!" Fenyang ordered, digging his claws into Edaha's shoulders with anticipation, "Tell me where they are, and all shall be forgiven!"

Edaha winced painfully, before smiling at his father.

"The Bloody Shadows lie a three day pace north of the Gray Lands," Edaha told his father, "I'd recommend sending a party out before tomorrow, so that we may end this swiftly, before they discover our location."

Fenyang pulled himself away from his son, pacing back and forth with a wide smile decorating his face.

"Yes….yes, of course," Fenyang nodded excitedly, "You've done well, Edaha. You are as pure as ever. Your reward in the afterlife shall be great, indeed."

"Thank you, Father," Edaha bowed, "It is an honor to have served your vision of absolute purity."

Fenyang patted his son on the back, before turning to Bellow, who had remained quite still for some time, now. Edaha's news had left him in a state of shock. Never in his life had he dreamed that someone with knowledge of the Bloody Shadows would just come to Mamlaka. It seemed to good to be true.

"Bellow," Fenyang cleared his throat.

Bellow quickly snapped out of his trance and scurried forward to stand in front of his master.

"Er….Yes, Master?" Bellow asked with a bow.

"Come," Fenyang smiled, "We've only a few hours to round up every last capable warrior we have. After all, we wouldn't want to keep on friends in the Bloody Shadows, now would we?"

Bellow stared up at his master, before narrowing his eyes and smiling widely as he climbed unto Fenyang's shoulder. The hyena king walked to the outside of his den, before turning back to his son.

"You've had a long journey," Fenyang stated, "You must be exhausted. Why don't you stay in the den and rest for a while. You've earned it."

"Thank you, Father," Edaha bowed, before lying down on his side.

Fenyang smiled to himself as he walked put distance between himself and the den. As soon as he was far enough away that no one would hear, Fenyang looked over at Bellow out of the corner of his eye.

"You did well, back there," Fenyang complimented his servant, "That was some story you came up with. You do, however, realize that lying is a sin?"

Bellow smiled and shook his head.

"Well, the way I see it," Bellow shrugged, "I only had to lie to protect your little secret. You know how naïve Edaha is in his vision of purity. If he found out that there was a kaffir in our midst, he'd search it out and kill it. He wouldn't understand what a favor you're doing the little cretin. So in a way, gratitude is owed to me by our little friend the aswad! So….I guess my sin falls on him, doesn't it?"

Fenyang smiled at Bellow's comment, before throwing his head back and cackling. Bellow soon joined in. It seemed that no matter what wrong they committed, they always had a way of justifying it. It was a trait shared by all who lived in Mamlaka….as well as those who resided in the Bloody Shadows.

Edaha glanced at the ceiling of the den and let out a heavy sigh. He knew that he had been lied to. His mother had not run away with another mate. Some other event had taken place. But what Edaha could not decide was what could have caused his mother's disappearance. He knew that whatever had happened, it was his father's fault. It seemed that everything that had gone wrong in Edaha's life was his father's fault. For even before he was born, Edaha's future had been decided for him by his father. He was to become a soldier of absolute purity, and discover the location of the Bloody Shadows for his father. And he through his actions, he had done just that. Or, at least made it appear that he had done just that. Edaha smiled to himself. Fenyang and Bellow were not the only ones who had lied on that day.

The young hyena rolled to his stomach and looked upward, deciding to pray for forgiveness for the one lie that he actually regretted.

"Mother…." Edaha whispered, "I'm sorry….Wherever you are….What I said…..I just want you to know, I didn't mean a word of it….But I can not atone for that sin….Not yet, anyway…..I hope you understand. I work for justice. And if father knew the truth, that I no longer believe in absolute purity…..justice could not be properly carried out, that's for sure…..Anyway….I'm sorry."

A cool wind caressed Edaha's face. The hyena smiled and rolled back onto his side, returning to his deep state of thought. He knew that his father was hiding the secret of his mother's fate. But Edaha had the

feeling that there was something else that his father was hiding. Something big. And he needed to know what that thing was. There was a foul stench in the air. And Edaha vowed to follow it. It was his duty to know his enemy. And in this case, his enemy was his own father. Edaha would find what his father was hiding sooner than he could have imagined. And when he did, his would not be the only life that was changed forever.

xXx

Bellow snickered quietly to himself as he watched his master administer another "session of salvation" to Kosa. Needless to say, the rat was enjoying it. The cub who had attacked him was now suffering the consequences. For hours now, Fenyang had been smacking the black cub around, allowing a few seconds between each blow to keep them from running together. Therefore, each strike dealt to Kosa feel as fresh and painful to the cub as the one before it. Kosa remained motionless throughout the whole experience, as he always did. He knew that writhing in pain in the presence of Fenyang would only give satisfaction to his tormentor. And Kosa was not about to allow that to happen.

Fenyang took a break from beating the cub with his paws and picked up Kosa in his fangs, before tossing him sideways. Kosa hit the wall shoulder-first, barely uttering a cry of pain as he tumbled to the ground. Bellow laughed loudly and clapped with delight. The black cub's attempt at getting to his feet was halted by Fenyang, who slammed his paw down on Kosa's back, pinning him in his place. Kosa glared at his father out of the corner of his eye as Fenyang lowered his head to the young cub's ear.

"Listen to my words carefully, Quashie!" Fenyang snarled warningly, "If you ever so much as breath on Bellow again, I shall send you to the underworld early! Am I understood?"

Kosa continued to glare at his father, before allowing himself a small smirk.

"You'll kill me?" Kosa scoffed, "You don't have the stones! We both know that killing me would go against the will of your precious gods! And we wouldn't want…."

Kosa was cut off as Fenyang struck him in the back of the head with his claws and leaned his weight into the back of the black cub.

"Shut your filthy little mouth!" Fenyang barked in Kosa's ear, "Demons such as you have no right to speak of the gods!"

Kosa winced painfully, before smirking once more.

"I'm….I'm surprised that you'reeven able to speak of the gods!" Kosa replied painfully, "Seeing as how your lips are constantly wrapped around their sacks!"

Fenyang's eyes widened with rage. The king hyena lifted his paw off of Kosa's back and pulled it backward, before swinging it forward, smacking Kosa into the wall with all his might. Before the cub hit the ground, Fenyang leaped forward and pressed his paw hard against Kosa, pinning him to the wall by his neck. Kosa let out a few strangled gasps as his father snarled in fury. Fenyang raised his free paw

backward and prepared to slash the black cub with his claws, before noticing Kosa's muzzle as he stared back at him. Yes, Kosa was obviously in a great deal of pain. But the expression on the cub's face said otherwise. For every gasp for air that Kosa attempted came out through a cocky smirk that resided beneath his snout. Fenyang froze in his place, his eyes locked on the black cub in surprise. It was then that Fenyang realized that he had let his temper get the better of him. And Kosa had caused him to do it.

This demon…. Fenyang thought to himself, He's trying to turn me to sin!...And he almost did...I allowed my anger to cloud my judgment…..The kaffir's more powerful than I thought…...No. He's just a sin…..And I won't fall into his trap!

The hyena king continued to stare at Kosa, before shaking the thoughts his head and throwing the black cub to the ground. Kosa grunted painfully as he landed on his shoulder, before looking up at his father with surprise. Fenyang merely snorted and turned away, leaping upward to climb out of the pit.

"That's enough, for tonight," Fenyang growled, walking off towards his den.

Bellow's jaw dropped in shock. The large rat quickly scurried in front of his master, blocking his way.

"Over already?" Bellow asked in disappointment, "But I was really enjoying seeing you put the kak in his place. And it's not even that late, yet."

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Fenyang barked down at his advisor impatiently.

Bellow quickly recoiled behind his long tail, cowering pitifully. Fenyang took a few deep breaths, before calming himself and walking away.

"We'll continue tomorrow night," Fenyang called to Bellow as he walked, "For now, let the bastard have some time to heal. I want something left of him when I return!"

With that, Fenyang ran off into the night. Bellow cocked his head in confusion as he watched his master leave, before smiling to himself and scurrying to the edge of the pit. The rat leaned over the large hole and looked down at Kosa, who lay still at the bottom.

"That'll teach you to mess with me!" Bellow laughed, reeling his head backward and spitting on the cub from above.

The warm liquid did not take long to land upon Kosa's nose. And when it did, the black cub shook it off and snarled up at Bellow. The large rat smiled with satisfaction, before turning around and slinking away. Kosa kept his eyes on the spot where Bellow previously sat, taking a few deep breaths as he wiped the spit from his snout with his paw.

"Damn that rat!" Kosa growled to himself, "Damn that rat, my father, and all the gods!"

Kosa thought for a moment, his snarl soon replaced by a smirk.

"…I was close, tonight," Kosa told himself, "And I get closer with every night. Hmm….These beatings are getting shorter and shorter….I'm in his head, I'm sure of it….So close…..Ah, well. Tomorrow's another night, I suppose."

Kosa got to his feet and took a step forward, before falling to the ground and writhing in pain. His entire shoulder was overtaken by a sharp pang. And upon looking it over, Kosa realized why; his right shoulder had popped out of place. Kosa's eyes widened with surprise.

"How did that….oh, right," Kosa breathed, remembering his hit against the wall, "Well, this is ja-ust great!"

The black cub cursed silently to himself. This was not the first time that one of his limbs had left it's socket. It fact, it was a fairly common occurrence. And each time it happened, Kosa had to do the same thing. An act that he despised very much. The hyena cub let out a heavy sigh and pulled himself close to the hyena corpse, leaning his back against it as he kept a paw on his limp elbow.

"Damn it," Kosa grumbled, rolling his eyes, "I hate this part!"

The black cub wrapped his mobile paw around his useless arm tightly, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths.

"Okay, Kosa," Kosa told himself, "You can do this. On the counna three. One…..Two…..Two and a half…..Three!"

With a single jerking motion, Kosa snapped his right arm back into place. The black cub let out a painful cry, before falling forward, knocked unconscious by such a sudden burst of immense pain. Even if receiving such an injury was less painful than curing it, Kosa knew that he could not allow his arm to remain unattached to his shoulder. He needed to remain intact to decrease his risk of dying. He needed to survive.

Kosa lay there beside the decaying corpse of the hyena. The very hyena who once provided him with milk. It kept him alive for the first part of his life. But in death, it offered him no aid. It may have given him warmth, but that was of little value to the black cub. Warth would not spare him such tremendous agony. Kosa would have to go through the pain alone. But little did he know, that would not be the case for much longer. Soon he would be able to share his pain with another. Not just his pain, but his joy, his views, and his dreams. But for now, he lay in pain on the ground, a decrepit corpse serving as his only company.

xXx

Eighteen wild dogs stood at attention, blanketed by the darkness of the night. Their leader, a wild dog who stood at nearly double their size, paced in front of them, looking them over proudly.

"It's been a long time coming," the pack leader stated, licking his lips, "But at long last, we have found Mamlaka. The very nation that has caused us so much trouble. For years, they've interfered with our plans. They've attacked us without warning. They've taken our kills. But that's all about to change. Soon, my brothers and sisters, we'll have those self-righteous pieces of shit right where we want them! And when finally they are no more, nothing shall stand in our way! The Bloody Shadows will be free to continue its conquest of Africa!...All you need to do is, well….What you do best! This will be a dangerous mission, indeed. But it carries a great deal of importance to our entire nation. Are you sure that you are up to the challenge?"

"We are loyal servants of Subiani," the eighteen wild dogs declared in unison, each giving a salute, "We live only to ensure that his will be done. All enemies of the Bloody Shadows shall bow to our might. Those who resist shall be terminated."

The leader of the wild dogs smiled to himself. He had spent many weeks preparing his soldiers for this invasion. He knew that they were ready for it. And even if they were not, it wouldn't matter. Because he wasready. This was his moment. His one chance to put an end to the nation that had been a thorn in his side for so long. By getting in the way of the Bloody Shadows, Mamlaka had played with fire. Soon, it would be Soga's turn. He looked forward to it.

The pack leader shifted his attention from his army as a large bat flew in front of him, flapping its wings wildly. The wild dog held out his arm, allowing the bat to cling to it with its foot-claws and hang upside down. The bat flapped it's wings a few more times, before wrapping them around her body.

"Report," the wild dog ordered the bat, "Any developments since this morning?"

"Nah," the bat answered, stretching her neck, "Other than the fact that they've finally gotten their army together, nothing's really happened. They've just been on guard, is all."

"And?" the wild dog asked the bat, "Do they have any idea of our presence, here?"

"Oh, no, Soga!" the bat replied with a cackle, "They suspect nothing!"

"And this army you told me they were assembling," Soga inquired, "When is it heading out?"

"Tomorrow," the bat stated, swinging back and forth, "Tomorrow in the afternoon."

Soga smiled widely and nodded to the bat.

"Perfect," Soga snickered, "Now, return to the Bloody Shadows and they my uncle that he'd best start the preparations on a victory celebration! And his words shall serve as his celebratory meal!"

The bat nodded obediently and flew off. Soga watched the bat disappear into the night sky, before turning back to his group and pointing to Mamlaka, which stood less than a mile away from their position.

"Take a good look at it, my brothers and sisters," Soga told his army with a smile, "Because it won't be there, much longer. Nothing will. Tomorrow night….We strike."

The wild dogs gave another salute, before howling loudly. Soga quickly joined in. In truth, he was more excited than anyone about having found Mamlaka. For he had succeeded where many others had failed. Soon enough, he'd launch his attack. And he'd go down in history as the creature who delivered Mamlaka's end. Soga would enjoy the glory. He'd be treated as a hero. His loyalty to the Bloody Shadows, false as it was, would bring him great rewards. But the greatest prize Soga would receive was the knowledge that Mamlaka was no more. And with his mission complete, Soga would have time to focus on what was truly important to him; becoming Jasisi Sheikh of the Bloody Shadows.