Sefu, Malka, and David ascended Ivory Tower in short order, and to varying degrees each one hoped Akato would be enough on his own to free the captives Othello was leading him to. Malka especially doubted which side Othello was truly on, specifically because Othello's voice kept constantly wavering and shaking when he was speaking to them.
~ 'For your sake you had better be telling the truth.' ~
Malka remembered the words that Icarus used to warn Othello about giving them false information, but something just told him that anyone with Blood's genes in their body was not to be intimidated so easily, if only out of some twisted sense of pride and bravado. And, as Malka's mind was clearing and he could fully process what Lana and Masika both meant by their words to him earlier, it was ultimately this petty pride and blind bravado that had ruled his stepfather's life, and had derailed his own as much as it already had.
And when he led the other two into the royal den, his thoughts were torn asunder by the smell of death and violence, a stench that could practically be seen before the dried blood and dead bodies of the cubs could be seen. But once they did see, each one wished they could unsee what was strewn about in the cave. David and especially Sefu's jaws nearly hit the floor at the sight, but Malka was not visibly surprised at what he saw. "Iago… I knew you were capable of this but… Why?" Malka asked, and though Sefu perhaps knew the answer, he could not articulate his true feelings on the lion that was no doubt responsible for the murder of his mother and his unborn siblings. David, however, could no longer contain himself. "No! No questions about it! He cannot live! Not after this! Not after he's brainwashed my mother! He's a cub murderer, and is likely doing something worse right now to Lana and any other lioness he can get his claws on! Malka, we have to do what Mato and Icarus failed to do. He must die!" David vented, his anger and rage at the sight of the messy royal den exploding at Malka's question. Although Sefu could not speak to concur with the beige lion, the steely determination in his eyes was all the concurrence he needed to display. Malka took a deep breath, but if he were going to say something, another voice beat him to the punch.
"And don't think for one moment I don't recognize that." The voice was distinctly hominid in sound, and when Malka and David turned to face the speaker, it was indeed none other than the shaman himself. And next to him was Kuendesha, but only David seemed to focus on her as the mandrill continued to speak. "Rest assured, Iago isn't long for this world. You know it and I know it. But, for as long as he does rule, the immense powers of that demon shall be mine to wield." As Malka and David bared their teeth at the mandrill, Sefu pointedly still hadn't moved yet. And though he hadn't yet moved, Korofi could tell he was very, very angry. Mostly because he was currently reading the mute lion's mind, and while he was doing so the shaman's staff glowed with the power that he mentioned. "I'm sorry it had come to this, Sefu. Miran and even your own father's tyranny in life would have constituted an even greater power than that which Blood allows me to use. Now theirs would have been such that I could perhaps compete with the One Above All, if only Mato had allowed me to harness it. But he would not, and for that the Order of Nature saw fit to visit the same horror upon your family that he inflicted on those much more innocent than you lot." Now Sefu turns to face duumvirate of Kuendesha and Korofi, and the blonde sub-adult alone would have been a very intimidating sight for the both of them, if only Korofi didn't possess the supernatural powers that any shaman worth the tree he lived in would hone on a daily basis.
Sefu narrowed his eyes, a low growl escaping as his claws unsheathed and made an audible scraping noise on the ground. Korofi simply shrugged. "Why? You really need to ask that? I seek to rule for the sake of my troop and my descendants, just like you lions do for your own ends. All of that rage in your heart, yet Mato and Iago are no different from one another. Mato has visited horrors on others of his kind, simply because he could. Just as Iago trapped and tortured your sister and siblings once the blonde fool dropped dead, for no other reason than no one was going to stop him." Once Korofi noticed the energy on his staff had changed into a golden color, he pointed the ball of power towards the three enemy lions. "However, I am not Iago. I'm a firm believer of mercy, for those who will accept it. Lana will be dead as soon as Iago realizes that her father will be rescuing her from his clutches; though you stand firm, this fight is lost before you ever bared your claws. This is your only chance: cut your losses and surrender." Korofi demanded, and Sefu's response was to simply crouch into a pouncing position, the whole time emanating a low growl.
"I see. You'd rather die than live a life without even your harlot. You poor, poor bastard." Korofi lamented, and now Malka and David step forward. "If what you say is true, then through your death Iago will lose a powerful ally. And then maybe we can see him answer for his deeds." Malka said, his voice low and vicious as he prepared to join the mute sub-adult in his attack. David, never once taking his eyes off of Kuendesha, also found his anger and began to prepare to attack. "Mother, I am sorry that it has come to this, but you've made your choice. And now, I have made mine." David said, a hint of regret in his voice as he informed his mother of what was about to come to pass. Kuendesha simply narrowed her eyes. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
And there it was. With that, the three males jumped to the attack. And just as soon as they did, Korofi unleashed the energy he had threatened them with. Although Malka and David managed to stop in time to avoid being blasted, Sefu wasn't so lucky. Or perhaps he just wasn't deterred at the possibility of dying anymore, for the look in his blue eyes as he was engulfed with the supernatural energy told Korofi everything he needed to know. The mute lion didn't so much as flinch as his body was swallowed by the golden burst of energy, even though the ending burst was enough to knock everyone exact the shaman himself down. As Malka and David got the golden dust out of their eyes, they could see what was left of their mute friend. That is, nothing at all; not even a shred of his blond mane was left behind.
As Korofi charged another blast of power, Malka and David both agreed on what their next move should be, whether they wanted to admit it or not.