Akato couldn't help but notice that Othello was becoming increasingly nervous and fearful as they neared the zebra plains. Othello wasn't telling them everything, and Icarus knew it. Hence why they split up to search the entire Goldlands; Sefu, Malka and David went to Ivory Tower, while he and Othello would free the native pride from their prison. Icarus would search for Lana at the location that Othello had given him, but the way Icarus had warned Blood's second son intimidated even Akato, and he wasn't even the one being threatened.
As they neared a particularly gnarled patch of brush, Akato's nose was assaulted with the stench of blood and death, and if Othello was also surprised he hid it quite well. Especially as he began to push away said brush, albeit in a slow and clearly unwilling way. Akato didn't miss that, and when they entered the den he was able to see exactly why. Akato's jaw dropped in absolute horror at the sight of the wild dogs eating and chewing on the corpses of the older lionesses from the native Pride. The ones who dared to put up a fight, and then lost. For Othello's part, he could only wonder where Penda and her pridesisters were, because they were supposed to be the ones watching over the ousted pride until Iago made a decision.
Until Iago made a decision, Othello mentally repeated and then blanched at how naïve he had been. Khari's desecrated, yet still technically alive body that Akato had seen and raced to told Othello everything he needed to know about how dumb he had been to actually believe that Iago was going to differentiate himself from Blood and show mercy that was not in some way beneficial to himself. Him taking these lionesses prisoner was not an indication of leniency or magnanimity; quite the opposite, in fact. No, that was free dinner and entertainment for his wild dogs, and now more than ever could Othello and Akato see that for what he truly was. Cobarte's horrible laugh as he noticed Khari weakly attempting to speak to Akato said it all, but Othello wasn't much able to accept the results of his allegiance to his brother.
"Akato? You… You are not safe here!" Khari attempted, but her wounds caused her voice to falter and then momentarily fail. Akato, if he even heard her, was not caring about his own safety at the moment. "Is this… Is this Iago's doing?!" Akato asked, though his tone of voice made it clear that he already knew the answer to that question. However, Khari's actual answer, emitted in short and painful spasms, surprised both him and Othello, but for different reasons.
"Iago… He is… only able to do this… because… he has powerful allies. Him…" Khari gestured to Othello, and at this point the red-maned lion turned his head away. Partly out of the fact that Khari coughed up blood from raising her voice, but mostly out of shame for what he allowed to befall her. "And… the shaman… the one who lives out in the borderlands." Akato immediately knew who she was talking about, and in all honesty he did find it weird that Korofi was not present at his tree and was allowing an omega male from his troop to serve the visitors on this day. As he winced from the mental blow that his lack of concern for that detail caused, Khari continued. "Please… you have to… escape. Don't let Sefu… suffer the same fate… as me, mother or… our siblings. Someone… has to… live to tell our story." As Khari finished, she coughed up more blood and set her head back down; the light in her eyes dimmed. Akato's eyes began to fill with tears, for he knew exactly what was happening. Iago had done more than just violate her. Oh no, he couldn't just force himself onto the poor lioness; he had to beat her and abuse her further and further. It was a wonder that she was still alive to be dragged and pushed to this death camp, but as he looked over her entire body he could see that some wounds were distinctly not leonine in origin. And the most probable culprit spoke up at that moment.
"Took her long enough. Now, if you'd be so kind, get the fuck away from my desert." Cobarte demanded, and the red-coated goliath didn't so much as falter when Akato turned and glowered at him. "Are you dumb? I said move out of my way!" He demanded once again, and this time Akato bared his teeth as he answered. "How about you mangy mutts go straight to hell!" Akato more roared than spoke, and Othello blanched at that, simply because of how outnumbered the red lion was. "What did you just say?" Cobarte threatened, and as the other 30 dogs reinforced his threat, Akato simply crouched into a combat position. "You heard what I said. You have feasted well on the corpses of decent, honorable lions who just wanted to live their lives. No more!" The lean lion stated, and though he was smaller than Icarus he was still clearly not a weakling like Iago.
As the dogs took exception to Akato's words, Othello ran away. A part of him hoped that his leonine strength and combat skills would be more than enough to handle the wild dogs, but the rational part of his mind knew what fate was awaiting the brave lion he left behind. Although he swore he heard Akato's roar of combat, the sound had in fact originated far, far away from the hidden den in the zebra plains.