Iago and Mercutio was leading a mandrill to the cave that Malka, Ni and the teens were all resting in and enjoying their koala snacks. Finding this mandrill was easy enough; they need only to find the one massive papaya tree in the border-lands between the Pridelands, Goldlands and Riverlands. Mercutio was gratfeul that on this day the Circle of Life deemed it necessary for them to win; he didn't know if he would survive the wrath of the Spirits if they had been invoked upon him again. But this mandrill submitted easy enough, especially after mentioning that Iago was Blood's son and he had absolute control of the pack of wild dogs that had killed Nguvu and drove Magomo into exile. That was trouble the young mandrill didn't need at this moment, so nothing to do but follow the orders he was given.
"Alright, Korofi. You know what to do." Iago said. And what Korofi was going to do was perhaps more cunning and dangerous than any type of direct attack. They were going to expose the innermost thoughts of that each of the gathered lions had for one another. And Iago knew that, once everyone knew what everyone else thought of the other, they'd turn on each other faster than the pack of wild dogs did to each other after Balatro's death. And why not start with the one lion who can't voice his true feelings, even if he wanted to. As Korofi readied the magics that the Circle of Life bestowed upon him, Iago awaited to hear Sefu's innermost thoughts. Yes, show everyone what this retarded cat is actually thinking. Show Malka, Othello and that other orange shithead how low his opinion of them actually is. Show Khari just how unwilling he is to share his power with her. And show Lana that, for all of her flirtations and toying with him, that he sees her as the slut she is. And watch as they all tear each other to shreds, and the lionesses come crawling to me.
As Iago thought this, a burst of energy emitted from Korofi's staff. And though the energy was visible only to the young mandrill it nonetheless did it's job. Sefu's thoughts were laid bare, for all except himself to hear. And what was heard was unexpected.
~Lana, your name means mystery.
How ironic, for the day I laid eyes upon you all of the mysteries became known to me.
I cannot speak; my words will fail.
For no matter how I try, no word could entail
To describe how you make me free.
For no one else can comprehend my silence.
No one else can read my countenance.
But to you, my feelings are no mystery.
To you, I am no defect, detriment or anomaly.
With you, I find myself in a trance.
I am a prince; the blood of a tyrant runs through my veins.
My mane is blonde, and the cubs of my father's enemies see it as a natural stain.
But not you; you see what's behind my eyes.
You see through the past, the machinations and all of the lies.
And you see beyond the crown for which that I am ordained.
Blood's sons live with their hearts so cold.
To them, it was all that he had ever told.
But you see through it all, no matter what
No matter how the first son tries, your heart will never shut.
To win that heart, I know I have to be bold.
If I could speak, there is but one question that would ask you,
Of all of the mysteries for which answers are due,
There is naught but two questions
That I would speak with perfect diction:
Do I love you because you are beautiful?
Or are you beautiful because I love you?~
As the other teens heard a voice that they had never heard before, there was only one lion that they knew could possibly have that voice, mental or otherwise. In fact, it was the very lion who had been voiceless his entire life that they knew this voice in their heads emanated from. Although the conversation they were having skidded to a halt, and Sefu realized this, Lana had taken his full attention. The look on her face was… well, it was different. She hadn't expected to hear Sefu's innermost thoughts, nor had she expected them to concern her so heavily. But what she heard made her see him in a vastly different way. More than that, and more dangerously for the teens, it meant Iago had to change tactics. As he sprinted away, leaving Korofi behind to wonder what the young ex-prince was planning, Iago had just one thought in his mind.
Let's see how he thinks with 50 dogs on his neck!