Chapter 5

Deep within the bowls of Golgorath, Inti paced up and down. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he'd been thrown into the cell of the Oracle, but he hadn't been able to sleep or get any rest. By now it must be very late in evening, but he couldn't tell without any natural light. Somehow it felt different to the cell he had shared with Sara and Koron. Here, the darkness seemed to encroach around him. On the other paw, the Oracle seemed significantly more at ease by his presence. He hoped she wasn't going to grab him by the neck again any time soon. At times, she almost seemed like two separate lionesses. One, a beaten tortured and pained lioness filled with hatred and rage towards the Shai'tan, the other elated and almost jubilant at the discovery of the survivors of Pride Rock. The knowledge seemed to have rejuvenated her somehow. The inconsistency frightened him.

She was the least of his problems though. He kept thinking about Rish'ut and the other Shai'tan. Denied contact with Koron, Sara, or anyone else for that matter aside from the lioness nearby, he was left to imagine his fate. Given the events of the last year, his imagination had plenty of material to work with. In all the time he had been here, no one had arrived with meat or water, and his stomach began to oscillate with the familiar pangs of hunger. The Oracle had clearly not been fed for several days more and she two was becoming irate. Maybe they simply planned to leave him here to rot.

He stewed in the silence of his own thoughts for so long that it was almost a surprise when the sounds of movement from outside his cell caught his attention. He jerked to his feet, as with a groan the great boulder which sealed the entrance to the cave began to turn and then roll aside; opening their tomb. Zira shrank back into the shadows. From her experience it was better to shelter in the darkness. It had kept her safe. Even as a cub she had clung to the night while as other cubs feared the dark of the night, and as an adult that had held doubly true.

Rish'ut entered the cave looking furious. The Shai'tan glowered down at the cub in front of him, then glanced around and found sight of Zira's scarlet eyes glinting in the shadows. When he saw her his expression twisted into a cruel grin.

"I see that you have become acquainted. Oracle, come into the light where I can see you clearly." He ordered. Inti didn't expect the Oracle to obey, but begrudgingly she did as she was bidden. When she stepped into the light the scars and injuries that littered her form were once more exposed and Inti had little doubt as to why she had complied. Rish'ut grinned as he saw the work of his paws. Then he turned to the cub. "The question of course is what am I going to do with you? Hmm? You have always been a problem. When you first came here, I spared you thinking you might prove to be of some use to me, but with each day that passes you have become more of a trial to contain. Believe me, I am sorely tempted to kill you right now this very moment after what you did in my pits." The tiger said, drawing claws. Inti gasped and backed away, trying desperately to stop himself from shaking. He tried to think of something, anything to say. But he doubted Rish'ut would listen to begging. There was every chance it would simply enrage him further.

"Or perhaps you should do the deed Oracle? Your own paws are already dripping with blood. I wonder if that would be enough to make you pause? But somehow, I suspect this wouldn't be the first cub a monster like hurt." he mused. The Oracle drew a breath, and began to growl.

"You? Would judge me? You would call me a Monster? You are the one who – UGH!" Within seconds Rish'ut had closed the gap between them and slashed her across the face, opening four shallow wounds which immediately burst into bloody streaks. Zira recoiled, wiping the stinging blood from her eyes. Rish'ut looked about to continue but retrained himself.

"I did not invite you to speak. Such lessons cannot be forgotten so easily surely?" He said. Then Rish'ut turned again to Inti.

"Let me tell you now, what is going to happen, child. You are going to stay here and rot. Down here, in the darkness, cut off from the sun. And providing I do not hear the faintest whisper of another rebellion again; you will remain here. Alive, and in the dark. If your sister tries anything like you have done, then I shall have you pulled apart in the pit whilst you still breathe and, in that moment, you will understand how foolish it is to stand against the Shai'tan! Until then, you shall linger here, and dwell for the rest of your miserable life on the futility of trying to stand before me. And if I think for a moment that the lesson has not sunk in, and will have you fed to the vultures. They're ever so hungry these days. They haven't gorged since the fall of Pride Rock, and some of them found a taste for it." Rish'ut said. Inti tried to contain a gasp of horror. To live, for the rest of his life in this dismal place, below the ground? Even if his family ever found his sister, they would have no way of knowing he was here. Trapped like an ant beneath a rock, alive but cut off from everyone he loved. Rish'ut chuckled at his reaction.

"Enough, Rish'ut. He's only a child." The Oracle said. "Are you really so feeble that must soothe your pricked ego by intimidating a child?" She asked him. Rish'ut paused, and stared at her.

"How uncharacteristically courageous, Oracle. Hoping to anger me so my fury falls on you rather than the cub? Don't try to be noble, it doesn't suit you." And with a snarl, he flicked his paw and swiped at Inti. The cub was thrown across the floor of the cave and crashed into the cave wall with a yelp. The Oracle's eyes widened in shock as Inti gave a cry of pain. "Indeed, he is, Oracle. And with the right teaching a child can be taught, and this is my lesson." Inti's defiance bothered him far more than it should have, but he would make an example of this cub, this fighter. No lion would defy him, kings, warriors, warlords all bowed to him. He was the most powerful tiger in the world, save the Emperor. A cub would not defy him! He paused however when the distant sound of guttural cry hit their ears. The sounds of a gasp of pain, and the growl of fury. The Oracle too twitched. That didn't sound right. The riot in the pits earlier had been put down by now, surely. The prisoners escorted back to their dingy cells. He turned to the wilddogs guarding the door as the sounds of fighting grew louder. Unless it had continued for some time. Rish'ut growled at them.

"You two, stay here. Kill everyone who comes down that tunnel. The rest of you with me. I will stamp out this blasted riot of yours, cub, once and for all – and if I find your paws on this, I shall have your head on the highest spire of Golgorath! Your sister and your friend as well!" As with that, he moved out of the cave, and the cave was sealed behind them, plunging the cave into darkness. There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"Are you hurt?" Zira eventually asked, carefully. She hadn't expected Rish'ut to be so… volatile. Something about the riot above must have shaken him.

After a moment. Inti finally spoke then.

"Yeah." He muttered, nursing his arm. It was the latest in a long line of bruises and cuts.

"I suppose that it then. He is going to kill me in the morning." Inti said quietly. The oracle stared at him.

"It certainly looks that way." She agreed. Inti nodded; his mouth dry. The raging fear he had when faced by the Shai'tan had faded and now in its place was a cold terror that clung to the insides of his stomach and strangled him from the inside out. The oracle said nothing. She wondered if she should say something to him, to help him contain his fear, but found she not have the words. She wondered if she ever would've, or if it that was something being the Shai'tan's prisoner for so long had done to her.

"What do you think that fighting was?" She asked him, thinking perhaps to distract him from the glaring fact of his own impending execution. Inti looked up.

"Another rioting prisoner? Or one of the wilddogs having a scrap over some meat? There must be a lot going spare now." He suggested. The thought made him quite ill. The oracle nodded. Perhaps.

Rish'ut stalked away from the cavern, furious with what had transpired. Seeing the fear on the face of the cub had brought him a little bit of relief but now he snarled to himself as he ran a clawed paw through his fur. The Emperor would find out about this latest debacle. There was no way it wouldn't get back to him. Even if self-preservation could make Mortread keep his silence, he was almost certain at least one of the wilddogs, jackals and serpents that called the monolith home would end up squealing to either Leviath or Asamode. The former wouldn't be doing her job properly if she wasn't, and Asamode had too unpleasant a habit of turning up in situation where he was not wanted, not to. And until they heard from Sekhmet there was no way to pass the blame to her.

Perhaps he could spin it as being the fault of Mortread. He had wanted those malignant cubs killed as soon as they had turned out not to be the Prince of the Pridelands, after all. But he doubted the Emperor would take kindly to such a pronouncement. He couldn't worry about that now. The two wilddogs that were with him stiffened and pulled to a stop in front of him.

"What the…" He trailed off, as he saw what held their attention. One of the other wilddogs lay strewn across the ground in front of him, in a pool of blood that was genuinely impressive. He hadn't realised that wilddogs had so much blood in them. His eyes narrowed.
"This wasn't rioters." He snarled as the wilddogs looked around. "Spread out. Find the culprit." He ordered. The wilddogs nodded, and marched down the passageway, their noses pressed to the ground, hunting, skulking. The Shai'tan was left alone with the corpse. He peered at the body on the ground. It looked as though a portion of its neck had been bitten out. Nearly decapitated.

Behind him, Jasiri lowered herself from the hidden alcove in the rockface and paced towards the Shai'tan slowly. The wilddog hadn't seen her coming, and wouldn't have known the danger even if he had. The wilddogs were spread thin throughout the Spire, those who weren't injured in the riot. Or killed in Sekhmet's ill-fated hunt. There would never be a chance as good as this.

She lunged at the Shai'tan, launching herself through the air and seizing the tiger by the throat. Rish'ut reared up on his hindquarters and roared in fury and in pain as blinding agony rippled through him. Jasiri bit down hard, as hard as she good and her mouth once more filled with the taste of blood.

Rish'ut twisted and writhed, reaching behind himself with a clawed paw and struck at Jasiri.

"GAAAH!" He roared, twisting at the hyena.

"No, you don't!" Jasiri managed to mutter through her gritted teeth even as the blood of the monster welled up between them. "This, Rish'ut, is for every single one of my friends you murdered!" She hissed. Rish'ut snarled, and bucked, but Jasiri held on for dear life and bit down harder, causing the tiger to roar in pain again. Jasiri screamed a war cry bite at him again. Avenging herself and her friends on the Shai'tan. She had waited, patiently and the moment had come.

"Gah! You runt." He gasped in pain, and hurled himself at the side of the cavern wall. The spire shook with a thunderous noise as he crushed her against the wall. Jasiri screamed and released her prey, taking a chunk of flesh with her. Rish'ut howled then he slashed at her and Jasiri was thrown clear of the tiger.

"No!" She managed to gasp in pain and terror as Rish'ut thundered towards her. She rolled away as quickly as she could, but couldn't avoid the blow that came next and sent her reeling.

"You!" Rish'ut snarled. "You treacherous cur."

"Don't recognise me?" Jasiri sneered. "You are living in my home on the bones of my friends." She managed to gasp. Rish'ut paused, tilting his head.

"The Outlander Pact. You were their leader." He grunted in pain, reaching a paw to his neck where she had wounded him. Rish'ut seethed in fury. He hadn't recognised her. He had stared right past her, right through her whenever she spoke to him. Paid no more mention to her than to the rocks and stones of Golgorath. "Your pathetic little menagerie died in less than in day. Why should I care to recall something so insignificant?" he stalked towards her. "I remember when we slew King Simba. I remember when we destroyed King Kovu's Pride. I remember when we burned Pride Rock to cinders. You and the deaths of your friends? Was no great conquest. I earned no triumph. We cleansed Golgorath of termites, insects, and vermin. And you and your pathetic Pact, was just more vermin. And I remember you and your ilk as well and as fondly as I do the vermin!" He roared a her. Jasiri tried to back away, but Rish'ut thundered towards her, and clawed at her with brutal and focused strikes. Jasiri tried to duck and weave away, but she held the tiger's complete and undivided attention. She gasped in pain as the tiger swiped at her again, drawing blood and inflicting a massive wound on the hyena who jerked in pain. "This however," Rish'ut intoned, eyes glinting, "I shall commit to memory." Jasiri tried to pull away, desperately. Fear adorned her features, and she felt terror rise in her heart. She had failed. She was no great warrior, she knew that. She had tried to be an assassin, and failed at that too. She had hoped to catch him alone, with the element of surprise and even that had failed. The Shai'tan were simply too strong. Simply too powerful. She had wounded him, but couldn't hope to kill him. It had all been nothing. What's more, she may even have endangered the others! She cursed herself. Kion would never have forgiven her. She should have stayed with Vitani. Should have focused on the cubs! The younglings who needed rescuing! Instead, she had leapt at the chance to find Rish'ut unguarded, and at the sounds of fighting tried to strike. And failed. Failed again. She lay in the pool of congealed blood as her own mingled with that of the murdered lackey.

Rish'ut raised clawed paw, enjoying her agony. His claws tapped out a beat on the ground. His breath was laboured but excited. Edged with pain. Her physical pains could not compare to her mental anguish.

"My Lord!" The sound of one of the jackals from early carried to him. He grunted.

"Never fear, soldier. I have found our little pest." He leered at her.

"No, my Lord! It's Lions! There are lions in Golgorath! Two of my squad were just killed! We are infiltrated!" Vitani. The lions had been detected. It was inevitable. She should have been helping them, what was she doing?!

"What?!" Rish'ut growled in fury. He lifted his paw from Jasiri and stared at the wilddog in confusion. The jackal was streaked in blood and injured, and behind him, he could hear the sound of fighting. Guttural barks, howls of pain, warcries and shouts of fury. Jasiri gave a cough and hauled herself to her feet. Was it possible? Vitani.

"Summon Mortread! At once!"

Their attempts at stealth had not lasted long. Twisting their way through the cavernous passages of the former home of the Outlanders, the lions had stumbled upon more guards and quickly enough their approach had descended into a brawl. Now it was a race. A race to find Inti, to find their missing Pridemember and to escape with their lives! It was a race they were quickly losing and a window that was quickly narrowing.

"Koron, this way!" Sara called to the dark cub, dragging him into an enclave as another pair of wilddogs thundered past them. Almasi barley crept inside in time as the guards dashed to the sound of further fighting. She turned to Koron. "Which way now to the Oracle's cell?" She asked him. Koron had been trying to lead the way, leading them through the winding and twisting passages.

"It's not far here. What was that back there? I thought the plan was to stick together?" He gasped. He didn't like the idea of getting left behind when they made their getaway. If they made it away. The latest group of wilddogs though had chased them, and Vitani and Damu had quickly split up from the others, to take advantage of the confusion.

"Vitani and Damu are making as much noise as they can!" Sara's mother said. "We have only a few minutes before they are overwhelmed, so we need to find Inti before they do." Almasi reminded them. Koron frowned in annoyance, but didn't say anything as they rounded the corner of the cavern and came face to face with a pair of grey wilddogs. The two older hounds looked aged but vicious. They three eyes and most of a single ear between them. Behind them, he heard a lioness roar, and the wild barking of another pair of wilddogs. He cursed.

"We don't have time for anymore fancy tricks." Koron said, before lunging forward.

"Wait, Koron!" Almasi hissed, but Koron was already forging ahead. He leapt upon the nearest wilddog, who twisted in surprise, and snapped at him, But Koron slipped under his belly, and carved deep cuts into his stomach. It was something Sara had seen Koron do the in arena several times, but somehow it took the wilddog by surprise. It howled in pain, and his partner went to his aid but Koron dodged that too ducked the blow, and jumped. There was quite a bit of height to it. He sailing high over the head of the second wilddog who couldn't help but follow him. With both the dogs' attention on him, they failed to notice Almasi, who slinked behind the first without a sound and severed its spine with a single bite. Koron then turned and hacked at the first dog, which shrank back upon realizing it was outnumbered and out-clawed. Almasi's blow splintered a leg and it crashed to the ground before Koron was on him, straddling his neck. He growled.

"Ugh – Wait!" The dog managed to gasp in pain.

"This." He said. "Is for every time I had to beg and scrape for your entertainment! Are you enjoying yourself now?" He hissed. Then he cut out the wilddog's throat. There was an ever so brief gurgle, and it fell still. He stepped clear, his mouth dripping in blood, and he spat out the chunk of flesh as the wilddog died. Sara stared at him and even Almasi looked shocked.

"Don't just stand there! We're here! This is as far as the tunnel goes! This must be Oracle's cell! We have to get this boulder out of the way. We don't have much time left." Gasping, Sara immediately rushed up to the boulder, and slammed its side.

"Inti! Inti, can you hear me?! Inti!"

Back inside the cave, Inti was startled by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Sara?" He asked. In confusion, before leaping up. The Oracle looked up in surprise as well. She couldn't quite believe what her eyes were telling her. But it was unmistakable.

"Inti!" Her voice echoed back to them, it was soft, but audible even through the stone.

"Inti! We are getting out of here! We are escaping, right now! Mom and Vitani and Damu have come and we finally getting out of this place! We are leaving! You just need to help us move this stone! Come on!" She called to him.

A hundred different emotions washed through Inti. Relief most of all, but joy. Excitement. A hundred different feelings. His mind could scarce contain it. Freedom? From this place? Free to breath clean air, and bask in rich, pure sunlight! Right there, a few precious feet away from him. Sara was right there! And now he could hear his mother too! He threw himself at the boulder and pushed with all his might. A hundred different feelings stirred within the Oracle too. Zira let out a gasp of realisation and Inti turned to her.

"You hear that! They are here! We are getting out of here!" And he pushed himself against the rock again with every ounce of strength. The Oracle stared at him. "What are you waiting for? Don't just stand there! You are three times my size! Help me with this! We are leaving! Come on!" Inti begged her. The Oracle stiffened.

"I… no I… I cannot come with you…" She said. Inti stared at her.

"What do you mean? Why can't you?" He asked her, in confusion. What nonsense was this?

"She said… She said Vitani was here." She said, for the first time, genuine fear was heard in her voice. She shook her head. "I Can't face her. I won't. Never…" She said. Inti stared at her.

"You know Vitani? But why can't you meet her? She won't hurt you. She's ruthless and not one you want to annoy, but she wouldn't hurt you." He said, urgently. "You can't stay here! If the Shai'tan come back and find that we have escaped they will kill you!" Inti said desperately. To his surprise she stood there stoically.

"Then maybe it is my time." She said resolutely. "I am so very tired. I have lived through so much pain. Maybe I want to be over. I don't know. But I do know that I would rather face a hundred thousand deaths at the claws of seventy Shai'tan, then ever see Vitani again. I can't and I won't and you will not convince me otherwise." She said.

"Inti! Hurry up! Push! Who are you talking to in there?" She asked him. Inti stared at the Oracle in disbelief.

"We can't move that rock without you!" He begged her. The Oracle looked nervous.

"If I help you escape, promise me one thing. Do not tell anyone about me. If they ask, you say the Oracle died moons ago that you never met me. You can't tell her I am alive. She's smart. She'll figure it out. Don't tell her anything I told you, or anything the Shai'tan said about me, about my mate or about my previous life! Nothing! Nothing that she could use…" She said. Inti nodded, not understanding, but agreeing nevertheless. He didn't have time to argue. His mother and sister were right there.

"Fine." he said. Then the Oracle joined with them, pushing against the rock. Zira had once claimed it would take at least three lionesses to move that rock – but she was always the pessimist. The two lionesses had done scarce else but fight and endure for two years, and that meant that they were strong. In the end it took two lionesses, and a pawful of cubs. Slowly, but surely. The Boulder began to move. Inch by inch and millimetre by millimetre, straining their muscles and every fibre of their strength that left them panting and wheezing. They moved the boulder. Six inches. A foot. Twenty inches. Two whole feet. Then Inti emerged from the cave. And the Oracle slinked back into the darkness; the red glow of her eyes the only indication of her presence, before they too, winked out.

"Inti!" Amasi cried out to her son, and rushed towards him. Inti stared at his mother, who beheld her son. Bruised, tortured, and dripping in sweat and blood. His eyes welling up as he saw his mother for the first time in several moons.

"Mom…" He whispered, as she let out a cry and pulled him close to her, embracing him, holing him tightly before her. Sara joined her brother and mother, terrified up until that very moment that they had lost him for good and Koron surveyed them with a mixture of compassion, envy and contempt.

"Ahem. Sorry to spoil this reunion." He said. For once he sounded sincere. "But we have… seconds left." Koron reminded them.

"Until what?" Inti asked. Suddenly there was a mighty crash and a section of rubble exploded, as a wilddog came crashing through the wall. The whole palace shook.

"Until that! Koron shouted, as a second wilddog came through, before being followed by Damu. Damu was flung through the air, and crashed against the stone with a crack. She struggled to her feet, but was swaying, and Almasi rushed to her friend's side, supporting her as she nearly fell to the ground.

"Almasi Run!" She said. Then the sounds of fighting reached them. Through the hole in the stonework made by the wilddogs, they could dimly make out the shapes of two figures fighting.

Vitani… and the tiger, Rish'ut. The tiger was approaching in a black fury. Blood poured from an injury his neck, and his eyes were almost aglow with malevolence. The wilddog circled around her cautiously. Vitani was aware of the former's strength and power, did not look eager to engage in him in combat but her eyes were fixed upon Rish'ut. At their feet, Jasiri lay in a crumbled heap, blood pouring from a wound to her side.

"Vitani!" She managed to gasp. And suddenly Damu was there at her side, hauling her free of the wilddogs. Jasiri's vision swam, but the sight of the lionesses filled her with confidence and strength. "I'm sorry…" She gasped. Damu shook her head.

"Be sorry later. Be determined now." The former outlander ordered the hyena. Jasiri nodded, and with immense fortitude, hauled herself to her paw, and bore her teeth at the approaching wilddog. She shook herself, flinging blood and cruor from her fur like rainwater. Some of it was hers. Most belonged to number of the Shai'tan's minions.

A wilddog leapt at the onlooking lions, but Almasi swiped it out of air. Koron looked at the duels in shock. Rish'ut was here, and he looked furious. Anger dripped from him as easily as blood did. Koron took a step back.

"Koron! Help Inti!" Sara called to Koron. Inti was struggling to release his rear leg – which had been trapped by fallen stone. Koron looked from Inti to Rish'ut. Then the dark cub turned and fled. He didn't stop to help Inti, instead the dark cub ran from the scene, down the twisting and turning tunnels. Sara cursed.

"Koron come back!" But he didn't listen. Sara ran to Inti's aid at once drawing the sight of two other wilddogs. Fortunately, Damu and Almasi were able to fend them off, whilst Sara freed her brother.

Rish'ut stared at Vitani. "I recognise you. We fought at Priderock… And you fled again at the Great River – I watched you fall into the churning waters yet here you stand. Is your Prince here with you? Tell me where the Prince is – and I shall spare your own miserable life." Rish'ut said. Vitani spat.

"Try not to judge people by your own standards, Rish'ut. Do you think I would buy my own life with the life of a child? Most people haven't amputated their conscience." She said.

Rish'ut growled. "Then I shall extract the knowledge from you!" And with that he leapt at the smaller lioness.

"No!" Almasi cried out, and joined her pridesister. Damu glanced at the cubs. She knew she ought to have taken her cubs and flee but she couldn't bring herself to abandon Vitani. She roared, and she two dived into the fray. Rish'ut's eyes widened as he realized he was fighting not one but three lionesses, in an enclosed area no less. He nursed where Jasiri had bit him and cursed, and turned to one of the few conscious wilddogs.

"Don't just stand there! Raise the alarm! Get Mortread and the rest of the Pack! Now!" He ordered. It disappeared through the tunnels, and Rish'ut continued his own fight. If Vitani thought her brief duel with Sekhmet could have prepared her for this duel, she was sadly mistake. Rish'ut fought with cold skill. Though his face was contorted with enough blistering rage to boil water, not a trace of it permeated his fighting. Sekhmet had been a berserker, but his fighting remained as calm as a pool of glass, and his claws cut and sliced with hardened, calculated precision. Damu cried out and narrowly avoided being cut to ribbons by his hacking claws. Vitani swiped at his jaw, and bit savagely on his neck, and though he stiffened as pain purged through his body like fire, he only fought the harder. Almasi was thrown of him and he seized Vitani by the throat she let out a gasp as he began to choke the life from her. Almasi roared and lunged at him, climbing back to her feet. He cursed and hurled Vitani at her, letting go of her to turn and protect himself from Damu as she sliced at his flank. He nimbly dodged and she screeched to a halt to avoid colliding with the other two lionesses. Although at first, they had encircled him, Rish'ut had now manoeuvred behind all three. He was no fool. Fighting all three was risky. Jasiri crawled to her feet.

"Vitani!" She called out to her.

"You!?" Inti gasped, staring at her.

"He's stalling!" Vitani shouted, realising what Jasiri was warning her of. The Shai'tan was fighting defensively, patiently waiting for Mortread to arrive with reinforcements. Vitani made the same calculation, and backed away, her companions breaking off and following. Rish'ut let loose a thunderous roar.

"Kill them!" He roared. "Kill them all!"

"We don't have time for this. Run!" She ordered them. "We have the cubs! Let's go!" And with that they fled Golgorath, Rish'ut giving chase. The cubs were now too big for either to fit in Almasi' mouth, but somehow, they managed to keep pace with their seniors, as the five lions and their hyena guide ran for all their worth down the tunnel.

"Who's the hyena?!" Sara gasped as she ran.

"Can lions really not tell hyenas apart?!" Jasiri grunted in pain.

"Never mind that now! Where is that Koron cub?" Almasi called, but Damu answered.

"He's long gone – he's smarter than he looks, he didn't stick around." She said, bitterly. They fled down the narrow twisting tunnels, deeper and deeper into the bowels of Golgorath, but Rish'ut was right behind them, giving chase, and there were more dogs now. Some jackals had joined the chase. Rish'ut surged forwards, closing the gap between himself and Almasi in less than a second. He clawed into Almasi's back and she stumbled to the ground with a loud crash. The other lionesses stopped and turned back, as Almasi struggled to her feet. As the Shai'tan clawed her again, and she screamed in pain.

"Mom!" Inti screamed. It was the worst sound he had ever heard, at least until it was replaced by an ever more frightening noise. A second roar joined Rish'ut's, deep and tenebrous. Mortread finally arrived. And with him another full pack of wilddogs. Sara recognised the one with him. Harrin. She cursed. So much for that.

"Stand down! Now!" Mortread ordered. He didn't look as strong as Rish'ut but Vitani had no desire to try to fight him. Her attention was on Rish'ut as he clawed at Almasi. She landed in front of Rish'ut, and clawed at his eyes, throwing herself between him and the twin's mother. It was a mistake. Mortread clawed at her with enough force that she was thrown to the side before she even started bleeding from the wounds his claws inflicted. She landed with a wet thumb.

The surrounding wilddogs backed them up and Inti felt his paws go cold as something wet washed over them – an underground river of some kind.

"Run!" Vitani ordered them. They were close now. Not far from the underground river, and for once the sheer size of the Shai'tan would disadvantage them. They couldn't pursue them through the caverns. Maybe a few of the wilddogs could but not the Shai'tan. "Run! Quickly! You can still make it!" She grunted in pain.

"Die!" Rish'ut growled as he too struck and at her knocked her along the ground with a noise like thunder and she was sure she felt ribs crack. Her breathing became heavy and painful. She landed on her back, even as Almasi crawled to her feet, and Rish'ut pressed a paw over Vitani's chest, his claws digging deep and drawing blood, preventing her from rising. He didn't say anything as he raised a clawed paw to end the life of the greatest thorn in his side since the conquest of the Pridelands. Then a loud roar echoed through the tunnels.

"Don't you touch my daughter!"

Vitani let out a gasp.

"YOU!?" She exclaimed. Inti grinned. She had come after all. Standing behind them was the Oracle. The ancient lioness was a storm of claws and teeth. Harrin gave a gasp of agony as claws ripped into his shoulder and threw him to the side. He crashed against the stone with enough force to shift the air from his lungs even as he felt his ribs crack. Rish'ut only had time to register brief surprise before Zira crashed into him as well side, tearing gaping wounds into his side. She struck at the bleeding wound on his neck and pain, real pain the likes of which he hadn't faced in a life time ripped through him. He didn't roar in anger. Instead, a primal scream of pain and agony surged through him as he pulled away. Blinded by pain, he jerked on instinct, and Vitani rolled away. She ripped at his neck again, and he felt blood gush from him. The agony was unbearable. Mortread was there, defending his fellow Shai'tan. He barked an order, and the wilddogs advanced, and Almasi and Damu instantly had their paws full as they backed away through the tunnels towards the underground river, fighting as they did.

Inti dodged another of the wilddogs and then clawed upwards at it. He wrestled with it, as Sara pulled at it, coming to its aid. It struggled as its neck was exposed and as Inti bit forwards, ending its miserable life. He looked up as the Oracle and Vitani fought with Rish'ut and Mortread and Inti was suddenly struck at how synchronized their fighting was. Aiming for eyes. Ducking and striking low, then aggressively swiping with enough force to break his jaw if it connected. Relentless. They were like sisters. Oh, the Oracle was old and maimed and covered in scares. But Marsade's healing, had obviously kept her in fighting shape despite the disfigurement because she whirled again, and ran two claws across his face, causing him to cry out and stumble backwards as blood spilled into his eyes. Then suddenly Mortread was there, and Zira and Vitani edged backwards.

Vitani still looked as though she had seen a ghost. "How can you be here?" She gasped, her whisper carrying over the cacophony of fighting. The darkness ought to have made it impossible to be certain but she would recognize that figure anywhere, even though the scars and savageries which glinted and flashed in the starlight. "Is this some kind of nightmare? First Bane and now this?!" But before she could ask any more questions, Mortread had stepped forward, holding up a clawed hand to quieting the clamour of the wilddogs even as Rish'ut glared at them through blood. He kept a paw pressed to his neck. Blood leaked through it.

"Enough. You can't possibly win fight. Surrender now and you will be spared your lives." He said. Rish'ut glared at him.

"I never agreed to that!"

"Shut up! Rish'ut! Its time someone cleaned up the mess you and Sekhmet started." Mortread said. Vitani spat.

"What makes you think we can trust you?" Vitani said. "I'd rather die than surrender to you." He said. Mortread hesitated.

"The cubs are worthless to us. Surrender yourselves, and I'll allow one lioness to go free with the cubs. So long as they are not the Prince, they are no threat to us. Surrender and we will spare them." He said. At this Rish'ut roared.

"Absolutely not. Keep the girl, but I want the boy's head on a spire!" He roared. Mortread seethed.

"For the love of – Fine. Very well, if you surrender now, then two of you can leave unharmed. That's better than you all dying needlessly." He said. Rish'ut growled again.

"Why are we even debating this? We should kill them! Kill them all!" He roared, and took another step forward. The wilddogs looked between the Shai'tan unsure who's order to obey. "Spineless dogs!"

Rish'ut gave a cry and launched himself Vitani, but suddenly the Oracle was there again, mobbing quicker than ought to have been possible and blocking the blow. She struck at Rish'ut once more, but this time, Rish'ut cleaved into her. He parried her blows with a single paw, and struck a crippling blow at her far leg, which shattered, then struck a second time, upper cutting her jaw, dragging great scythe like blades across her neck as she did.

"No!" Vitani shouted, and rushed to her aid. Zira stumbled and coughed as blood filled her mouth. Her vision blurred and she swayed for a moment. Pain ran through her, but she was glad to it – the stimulus kept her conscious. She growled, spitting out blood as she did, and attack once more, and this time was joined by her daughter, Almasi and Damu. Between the four of them, they forced Rish'ut back. Mortread jumped to his comrade's aid with a curse and struck first at Damu, then Vitani in quick succession, causing them to fall back, lest they take serious wounds, but Almasi dodged and returned in kind. Mortread endured the blows with the resilience of a mountain even as her claws raking into his flesh and spilling blood, but in doing so, she over extended herself, and Mortread seized her by the throat with a powerful bite.

"Mother!" Sara shouted in desperation, and nearly leapt at Mortread herself, but Almasi struggled, and bucked Mortread, slamming her rear legs into his stomach, winding him, and forcing him to the ground. Jasiri snapped at a wilddog, but couldn't help but cringe as the Shai'tan roared at her. She resisted the impulse to try to make a break for it, and rush past them. She'd be cut down in seconds, but her every instinct urged her to run, to flee! The Shai'tan, as ever, seemed unstoppable. They were so close to escape. The underground river was right there, but they couldn't get away with the Shai'tan right on their back.

A cold voice shook the passage.

"Vitani, are you so quick to break your promise to me? You swore to leave me and mine in peace if I allowed you passage… and yet you have you have led the Shai'tan to my den…" It echoed. The voice of Khnum. Mortread's eyes widened in shock.

"What?!" He gasped. His surprise gave Almasi enough time to break away from his grip, but the shock in his eyes was matched by the terror that showed in hers, and in Vitani's.

"Tyrant's blood!" She muttered. No. Dear Kings No. As the River Lord rose from the water. Mortread and Rish'ut both backed away cautiously as the water seethed.

"No Khnum!" Vitani pleaded. "I didn't! They chased us as we ran, we didn't –"

"Silence! I care not for your reasons or your excuses. I care not for your pathetic little war! I only wish to be left to my waters, to have my own sovereignty respected. All of you shall leave now or I shall destroy you all!" He bellowed. The Oracle was staring in horror at the creature in a rare display of fear. In her own mind, she relived events from long ago that had claimed the lives of friends, and left the cubs she had cared for orphaned. The air was still.

"Sobek's spawn." She whispered. "All this time there was one of them beneath my own den!?" She exclaimed in fear.

"River Lord!" Mortread called out. "These affairs do not concern you. Return to your waters and you shall not be disturbed further." Mortread said, urgently, hoping that Rish'ut had the sense to keep his mouth shut. The blood was pouring into the waters now and Khnum writhed. Piercing eyes, like slits into starfire gleamed at them. Then, slowly it began to haul itself from the river, its legs clawing its way onto the river bank, its great weighty tail dragging behind him. It made a sound that might have been the guttural crocodilian equivalent of a roar in registers too low for them to quite hear.

"Oh, bones and bile." Jaisri muttered.

"I think not Shai'tan. I find your petty squabbles tiresome." And with that, Khnum launched himself against Mortread. The tiger ducked, and as the two collided he bellowed an echoing roar. His claws scythed as Khnum's jaws gnashed. The wilddogs scattered in panic, only Rish'ut maintained his sensibilities. With the River Lord behind them and the Shai'tan in front of them, they were trapped, but for a moment, the eyes of the Shai'tan were on someone over then them.

"We won't have another chance. With me!" Vitani muttered and, taking her companions, turned, and fled, thundering past the shellshocked wilddogs, and the embattled Shai'tan. She ought to have run and not looked back, but she couldn't help it. She had to know. She hesitated as she made it to the crumpled form of the Oracle, where she had lain.

"Vitani…" Zira gasped, from where she lay. And Vitani knew for a certainty that somehow someway this was indeed her mother. The mother she had cursed and despised, hated and feared and the mother she had loved and mourned and wept for.

"Spirits damn me…" She muttered. Then she rushed forward. She needed answers. It was impossible. It should be impossible. She ran, ducking under the manic duel between Mortread and Khnum. Vitani dragged the oracle to her feet.

"Vitani…" Zira gasped as she saw her. "You're alive. You are really are alive…" She spoke and sound strange. It was too much for Vitani. Too many emotions to deal with now. Too many questions. She forced them away for now. Right now, her head was spinning and world simply refused to make sense. Behind them, Rish'ut roared in anger, seeing his Oracle, prisoners, and the aunt of his greatest quarry escaping. He became enraged.

"No!" He bellowed. "You shall not escape!" He cried. Mortread was busy with Khnum, but Rish'ut eyes were fixed on them.

"Run!" Vitani shouted, and they ran, leaving the River Lord and the Shai'tan behind them as they ran through the maze of passageways, desperately hoping to get to the exit. But Zira slowed her down. Rish'ut began to gain on them.

"Leave me, girl…" Zira whispered. Vitani gritted her teeth. That was the logical solution. It was the only way to ensure their survival. What did she owe Zira anyway? She had believed her dead for years! Of course, she had just saved her life. Kings damn it! Vitani dropped Zira. Even if they fled, Rish'ut would still catch up at this rate – the only way any of the others would survive was if she stayed behind to fight off the Shai'tan. She drew her claws.

"I have you!" Rish'ut bellowed.

Then a great grey thing slammed into the side of Rish'ut. Rish'ut stumbled, a paw clasped to his side. When he pulled it away, it glistened scarlet, blood leaked from his side. The grey thing slammed into him a second time, and Rish'ut fell to the side, slipping in and out of consciousness.

"What… How…" He managed to muttered, before collapsing. Zira, Vitani, Inti, and Sara stared up at the grey thing in shock. Straight into the eyes of Koron who sat astride Gharath, the great Rhinoceros kept in the pit. The rhinoceros stomped the ground and gave a snarl.

"Inti!" It was Karina the jaguaress. He had fought her half a dozen times in the pit, but never had he ever been so pleased to see her. She gave a growl and slashed at one of the wilddogs. It wasn't just Karina and Darina either! There were others he recognised. Uhani, Rei, Ras! Half of the fighters he knew from the pit were there.

"Inti, don't just lie there! Move! Quickly!" Koron shouted, and with a cry, a dozen other animals leapt over the rocks, slashing into the remaining wilddogs. Between the lionesses, the river lord and now a rampaging rhinoceros and other escaped fighters, it was too much. Half of them turned tail and ran, sprinting away. Mortread roared and shouted as his forces deserted, unable to detach himself from his deadlocked duel with the River Lord, and Rish'ut groaned from the ground and stared and slowed in disbelief. He hauled himself upright again, as the rhinoceros charged at him again, its thundering hooves trampling him underfoot. He howled.

"Koron?!" Sara asked in surprise. Koron flashed a grin.

"Come on, you didn't think I'd just leg it at the nearest opportunity, did you? Not whilst I still owe you and Inti?" He asked, grinning, showing a wide array of sharp pointed teeth.

"Inti!" Another voice shouted. Darina, the other the jaguar cub, and Ras and Rei, the panthers were with them. They were the ones who had cooperated with Inti and seemingly also the ones who had suffered the most of Rish'ut's reprisals. Now they had wounded a Shai'tan on their paws and spilled out across the tunnels, thundering straight for the others.

"Inti – were you planning on escaping without us?" Rei asked sharply. Inti shook his head.

"Uh, no! Never crossed my mind!" He said. Rei slapped him on the back.

"Correct answer." He said. Almasi stared at Koron in shock.

"Forget everything I said. I like your new friend." She muttered to Sara. Vitani paused in the act of helping Zira onto the rhino's back. The last of the wilddogs were routed now, and they had passed so far through the tunnels now that even the sounds of Mortread's battle with Khnum, was now the faintest of whispers.

"Come on!" Jasiri urged them. "We have a clear run to the exit now! We can get out of here once and for all!"

"The crocodile was doing pretty well against the Shai'tan, and I don't want to stick around to see who wins!" Koron said, then rushed out in front of them. Almasi watched the group. Somehow, they had entered the tower with three lionesses, and had left with four lionesses, a hyena, three cubs, and a good dozen other animals, all of which were in various states of injury but each of them pushing desperately for freedom. They ran. They ran as fast as they had ever run in their lives, as if their very souls depended on it. They hesitated when they came to the entrance. There were no guards. They flinched as high above them; the crest of the sun had begun its ascent over the horizon.

Dawn approached. The air was fresh and clean – though the dust of outlands still hung in the air, it was pure and sweet to the three cubs, deprived of such things for so long, it was the sweetest of milk. The gold of the dawn spread across the Outlands. And they didn't stop there. They kept running.

"They'll have trouble tracking us over this distance. Given the chaos we created, we should be relatively safe for now…" Vitani said. The huge group of animals came to a slower pace, but they didn't halt entirely.

"Is anyone injured?" Damu asked, looking around. Some of the animals didn't look as though they had seen daylight in moons. Others were pale, thin and mange covering their fur. Her children seemed to be some of the healthiest of the escapees, but even they were covered in bruises, cuts, bites, and wounds. They would need to forage for medicinal leaves and flowers soon, and the sooner they could get the attention of Makini – or better yet, Rafiki – the better. Almasi couldn't separate herself from her cubs. It was almost as if she feared the wind itself would tear them from her if she let them go for a moment, and she couldn't blame them. Vitani's mind was racing. She couldn't quite believe it. Nothing had gone according to plan. But somehow, someway, they had done it. They had achieved the impossible. They had rescued the cubs. Inti and Sara were before them, alive. It was no small miracle. It was enough to make even her suspect that maybe, just maybe, the Kings really were out there, and watching over them.

"Sara, Inti…" She grunted. "I want to know who each of these animals are where they are from then I want to know their intentions and decide what we are going to do next. But before any of that, I must know who the hell that is on that rhino's back, and how in the name of every great spirit in this continent she came to be in that hellhole of pit!" Vitani said. Inti shuffled, remembering the promise he had made to her.

"She's the Oracle. The first prisoner of the Shai'tan. She'd been here the longest of any of us. Is she okay? Is she hurt? She did mention that she knew you, but she seemed scared of you." He said quietly. He had seen her fighting alongside them. She was on their side, wasn't she? But from the way Vitani was acting, he wasn't so sure. Vitani growled. What a ludicrous notion.

"Why? Who is she?" Sara asked. Vitani ground her teeth.

"She –" Vitani began, but before she could finish, the lionesses' eyes opened, contracted in pain from a dozen injuries. "You don't need to say it, Vitani. Suffice to say that I am… family." She let out a sigh.

"Don't you dare say that! You aren't any family of mine! How? How can you be here? How can you be alive? Another revenant? Another of Marsade's foul magics? How can you be alive!?" Vitani snapped, before she could stop herself.

"No…" Damu whispered, hearing her speak for the first time. She hadn't recognised her under all the filth and blood and scars, but her voice, her voice was unmistakable. It could only be her. But that was impossible. Jasiri too was staring in appalled horror. She looked almost as if another of the Shai'tan had risen up before her. The oracle glowered, hunched over, looking around at all of them. Even the slaves who didn't know her had reacted to the obvious fear the others had displayed. Inti recognised her. It was the Oracle, the one who had helped them back in the caves. Who had helped him free himself. She was approaching Vitani with an unsure and doubtful expression.

"My name… is Zira. Hello sweet daughter of mine."