Aleela/AU

'''“I reemphasize King Taka, my loyalties lie with the Pridelands and my queen. The Pridelands are my home and I will protect it to the end.”''' Aleela swore, her expression firm and resolute.

She has a peachy tan pelt and a near total white belly. A scar is worn by her on her left shoulder. Her built is one of a perfect ratio between speed and strength, she can handle both ways efficiently. She is a decisive lioness with the intelligence and ability to think fast. Her leadership abilities were never superb. However, she is getting better in charisma. This lioness is the warrior in-charge of the Pridelands, a leading general, the first one in battle.

“Then I will burn it to the ground and take you with me.” King Taka declared. His expression betrayed nothing. It was only cold, as cold as the days Aleela was unlucky enough to get caught in a rainy gale. There was an aura of seriousness surrounding the lion.

King Taka was big, bigger than Aleela and with a black mane. He wore a golden pelt and a white underbelly. King Taka was an imposing figure over Aleela, the smaller creature with a different gender, the gender that was reputed to be the weakest and most pitiful.

Oh gosh. Aleela’s mouth opened just a little for a fraction of a second and she wasn’t saying anything, nothing but air breathed in from that little breach. What was this lion thinking? “Are you feeling alright King Taka?” Aleela asked, her head already reared backwards, seated posture straightening, unable to comprehend what this lion in front of him just spoke.

“I have never felt more… right in my life.” King Taka ascertained. A sadistic smile cracked his muzzle as he took strides towards the seated figure of Aleela, his tail swaying.

Oh by the great kings. “Ahk.” Aleela breathed as she got up from her hindlegs in a fleeting hurry and retreated back towards the entrance of the den in small pawsteps, away from the menace registering in front of her.

“Deny me all you please, but you would be a fool to refuse what I offer you.” King Taka continued, his smile disappeared, to be replaced by seriousness. He advanced further on Aleela step by step, Aleela was losing ground.

b]“No! Never! I will never join you!”''' Aleela roared, her warrior spirit seeping through the pores in her skin, out of the smaller lioness’ toned body. She stopped retreating and made a stand, a secure one, her paws rooted to the ground and her expression fierce.

King Taka took nothing of the lioness’ sustained attempt to scare him back, he continued his advance. He smirked in response, uttering two words “Not willingly.”

That reply triggered an immediate shiver up her spine and her resistance fell. Aleela’s expression crumbled into one of slight fear and uncertainty as her paws broke their short connection with the rock to continue on her retreat.

As if on cue, two lumbering Outlander guards stalked up behind Aleela. These two weren’t of her gender, both were males and they weren’t being friendly. Aleela sensed the air behind her moving, she turned her head to realize her escape was blocked. She was afraid. These two and the king meant business but sure as hell she wasn’t going to show a single whiff of that fear.

'''“Escort our guest to her new quarters. See that she is made comfortable for tonight.”''' King Taka ordered the two heavies behind her.

“I’m not easily made comfortable, King Taka.” Aleela snarled as she backed up against a wall of the cavern that she had a clear path to, certain her rear was protected. Her eyes switching focus from one lion to another. Oh she was going to be tough on this, no way was she going to go down as a Pridelander warrior who gave up and begged for mercy. Her expression reverted back to one of defiance, an intended warning to the three creeping up on her to stay away.

King Taka gave a laugh “What are you implying Aleela?” He and his two guards quartered closer and closer to her form.

“Don’t touch me!” Aleela barked as the two warriors came dangerously close to her solidified defensive position. “Last chance Taka, let me go now!” She roared confidently, impressed by her own self; she was staring horror in the face and she still had the guts to stand firm.

'''“Oh, I have no intention of touching you. Tonight. But I’m not about to release you either. You’re part of my plans now.”''' King Taka concluded, standing aside as he watched his two loyalists marched on Aleela, readying themselves.

'''“Fine! So be it!” She roared, following with a little quip she growled “Which one of you wants to get beat up by a girl first?!”''' With a roar of battle, she pounced onto the closest male and began the fight to her advantage, biting into the skin on the back of one of the guards. That sorry lion roared in agony as Aleela’s jaws pierced into the flesh. She inserted her claws into the sides of the male and tore apart his skin while maintaining the bite and balancing on her two hind-legs.

She balanced her agility and strength to quickly jump away – once again – onto the ground behind the wounded lion. He turned around expecting to face her, instead he was greeted hard with claws; Aleela’s unsheathed claws on her right paw. The guard cried in pain, it had only been a few seconds, five to seven at most but he had already suffered extensive injuries. Aleela dealt one more blow with her left paw before leaping away from her position.

Aleela spared a fraction of a second’s glance behind her and saw the burly lion sprawled on the rock. One down, one more to go. That brief moment in time showed great hope and a morale boost for her. She might actually win this.

Be careful Aleela, just like in practice. Keep moving, keep looking, whatever you do, don’t stop moving. Don’t let your enemies scare you, scare them. Make them underestimate you and beat the crap out of them, prove them wrong! You will not yield!

Her leap brought her to the front of the other guard, her final opponent before she could make the run for it. This lion was ready for her, he lunged at her, eager to avenge his partner. She dodged, just barely. As the lion was regaining his balance, he was met with a severe blow. Her paw and claws caught the lion’s face and blew him aside.

Good job! He’s almost finished! Finish him off and you can go hom – “Uhhnnn.” Aleela cried out in pain.

“Three against one was long odds, even for you.” Taka noted, intent on further demoralizing Aleela. He removed his red teeth from Aleela’s pierced back. A horrible smirk forming on his face as he watched the warrior stumble, bleeding, her blood started dripping onto the cave floor.

N… No, no, n…o. It hurts, it hurts! It burns! No. No! I can’t lose this! I can’t.

Aleela’s vision blurred as she received the backwash of the bite. She became disoriented, stumbling all around. A tear dripped out from one of her eyes. She’d never got it this bad before. She’d always watch her back. What happened this time?

The lion she had swiped at recovered with a vengeance, taking advantage of her state to deal her claws in her face as she had done earlier on him, except harder. Taka watched as his remaining guard did the dirty work for him - beating Aleela into submission - smiling. Aleela was going to be his.

Unable to withstand the pain, she collapsed to the ground, her vision still blurry. She had hardly been able to register what the guard had done to her. The bite took her out, way out of the fight. She was down for the count.

Aleela’s vision started to clear and she saw King Taka standing over her, pinning her down. She tried to use whatever strength she had left to resist, she failed. Her back singed and a certain red liquid covered her right eye. Blood. What had the guard done to her?

'''“This was over before it began. Yield and I’ll spare you further embarrassment.”''' King Taka warned. There it was again, that aura of seriousness, only this time, it frightened Aleela more.

Aleela had a look of uncertainty and fear, she had lost the fight, she had been wounded, how could she in any way resist further? Her heart rate amped up as the seconds ticked by without an answer coming from her mouth, even when an opening was present: a showcase of distress. During that brief moment, King Taka’s eyes bored down at Aleela’s own, threatening to carve a hole through her face, she had to look away to avoid the sharp gaze.

No! She was not going to roll over and declare herself this – this tyrant’s slave. She was the lead warrior, she was the inspiration to all and she served her queen with all she had. No. There would be no surrender. She was going to do what she was taught by her mother: To fight and persevere.

'''“No! Never! You’ll have to kill me!”''' Aleela exclaimed recalcitrantly. A frown was established over her eyes as she found the courage to stare directly back at King Taka’s irises. Her mother was right, there was no courage without fear. She shrugged off the pain and defiance took form in her open expression, it was sharp and sustained.

“But if you were dead, the others would never come looking for you.” King Taka reminded, an evil Scar-like smirk plastered on. He looked away from Aleela and towards his relatively uninjured guard beside him, calmly barking an order “Once across the face, if you please.”

Aleela looked in sheer trepidation as the guard reared back his paw, his paw armed with bloody claws. It seemed they had tasted her blood, they were bloodthirsty, quite literally, for more now.

He swiped at her without a moment’s hesitation.

“Uh” Aleela cried out in amazing discomfort. The claws ripped out some of her facial fur and left red marks, cuts and scars. “Unh-” She groaned in agony again. Blood, her blood began to flow freely out of the gorges in her skin. It was intolerable; she had never encountered such great torment in her entire life. The bite on her back did not help her at all, it started to hurt even more as King Taka continued adding weight on her. Tears flushed out of her eyes, she did her best to not look weak, to not look like a pathetic loser. She couldn’t, she just couldn’t. She struggled to maintain her obstinate state towards King Taka.

“It hurts, no? Wouldn’t you prefer to forgo this excessive suffering and move on with your life?” King Taka reiterated his request.

Fight back Aleela, ignore the pain. Do what you were trained to do, fight!

Aleela searched herself for strength. She somehow found the will to stop crying, to wipe off the blue and red liquid on her face with a paw and to repave the recalcitrant expression she had earlier. It was a near failure but a worthy try nonetheless as a morose countenance showed. She remained silent, not willing to negotiate with this monster standing above her.

King Taka sighed upon receiving her expected reply. He turned to the guard and gave a nod.

“Gah --- Uhhnnnn!” Aleela cried out in agony.

"I need you to understand, Aleela, that I don't like this any more than you do. All of it can go away right now if you just follow my colleagues here to your chambers. We have more than adequate healers in the Outlands. You will be tended to like one of our own." King Taka assured. He no longer appeared cold, his tone became one of care and concern. He was concerned for her wellbeing.

“Forgive me… my queen.” Aleela mumbled weakly and low pitched. Her voice was barely audible, she wanted her queen to hear though, to know she did all she could. She was silently dripping tears of dismal by now, like a bullied cub. She was a pathetic loser after all. She was a disgrace.

She was a liar, a lair to herself.

Abrasion had taken place, in literal form more than three times, her will and defiance had been washed away. Now all she felt was fear, even all hope was gone. It was fear of the next swipe, the fear of Taka, the fear of seeing the guards with their glowing eyes of vengeance - that was all it was.

“I – I will join you Taka.” She reluctantly declared, threadbare. King Taka had won the battle against the now pitiful lioness. Aleela no longer looked like in-charge of anything or anyone. She was defeated.

A smile cracked King Taka’s muzzle, "Take her. Treat her well. And get poor Wazi there to the healers. He needs it worse than Aleela at the moment." He got off Aleela and stepped back, motioning for her to get up.

Aleela winced as she rolled off her back. She ignored the pain from her injuries, it was like fighting a fire but she really had to. One forepaw grabbed a steady holding on the rock, she was going to stand up again, and her tail was dragged along with the rest of her body. Her other forepaw touched the ground, followed by her hind legs. Aleela hobbled forwards, head lowered, still wincing and sorrowful in pain and shame.

Then she fell.

Before her chin could slam against the ground, a maned head stopped her descent and carried her up.

“Ta – ka?” Aleela mumbled. Her body slumped and her head would have as well if Taka had not been beside her. What was he doing? He just harmed her and kidnapped her, only to help her? It didn’t make sense to Aleela. With every blink, her vision and hearing became more distorted.

The sounds of King Taka ordering his subjects around became distant. She could still feel Taka’s mane under her chin, so soothing, so warm. '''“Aleela? Aleela? Can you he-e-a-r-?” '''

It suddenly ceased, everything. Aleela only saw inky blackness and heard a distinct rhythmic beating sound. She couldn’t even scent anything around her, she didn’t even know if she was still breathing anymore.

Am I...? Am I going to go? What have I done?

She would get no such apparent luck. A long and tortuous road awaited her, a trail spanning a year.