Chapter 17 - XVII

The trio were heading to Sīnoriah, the savannas of Sciriala, where Sīnors — felines live in a hierarchical kingdom led by the lions in a closed democratic assembly, in which they ruled Sīnoriah. Tigers were the enforcers of Sīnorian laws. Bobcats took the position of interanimal politics, where they kept peace with neighbouring kingdoms. Although Sīnorioh is in an ongoing war — or rather a hunt — with the Smilodons, the fangy felines of the south. The lions made sure to oppose any claims of the genocide the tigers rained on the southern sabertooths, claiming that 'The Smilodon rebellion had indefinitely hindered the kingdom's stability. Therefore, they should be hunted and brought to justice while they still linger in this land.' 

The Smilodons — sabertooths, were much bigger in size than the northern felines; stronger, and had fangs that could fall the strongest of tigers and panthers in a single strike. Yet, the overwhelming hunt the sabertooths had to endure decreased their numbers drastically, and the tigers themselves led the hunt in packs to locate and butcher any sabertooth they encountered.

At the very bottom of this hierarchy were the cats. The good little workers of Sīnoriah, the felines behind the reputation of a loyal population that saw the lions as their superiors in every aspect and lived each day in service of the stronger felines. Whether it was to gather food and water or maintain infrastructure, they were the wheels of the feline kingdom. If a rebellion occurs by the cats, the kingdom will quickly fall as the tigers will overthrow the lions and create a second hunt away from the sabertooths since cats are the greatest rats in this kingdom. As much as they would like a society of their own, tigers are forced to live under the lions and their unending democratic grasp. It wasn't democratic in the eyes of some, but for centuries, lions have been considered the truest rulers of felines and the reason for their kind's ongoing existence.

Other than being the hidden eyes (yet not so hidden at night) of the kingdom, cats travelled in several packs of hundreds to hunt animals, deer specifically, and there was plenty of deer west of Sīnoriah. Any cat-led expedition that returns empty-handed will be executed and devoured publicly by the lions for all the felines to witness. It was the easiest and most effective way to spread fear among all felines — and even the animals in neighbouring kingdoms.

If tigers were to overthrow the lions, they'd have to convince all the felines to join the cause, particularly the cats, since they are the solid frame that the lion-led kingdom depends on, but seeing what has been happening to the Smilodons, all felines feared being hunted to eternity. Some tigers are loyal to their lion masters and have no sense of compassion towards their kind; these are the ones that are mostly sent to the south to hunt for sabertooths and are notorious for their aggression and apathy towards timid and thoughtful tigers.

 

'Could the cats,' Alef'Luin uttered lazily, 'increase their daily venison yield?' The lion complained deceptively. Unfortunately, he was the elder of the kingdom and the oldest of the lions. His increasing demands had already begun to tick off the younger lions to the point where they didn't bother inviting him to the meetings that ran the feline kingdom. Alef'Luin scratched his plump and saggy belly, adding, 'More cats mean more meat — and I require more meat! Don't you agree, Shīr?' 

The elder was lying on top of a hill so that any seer from his position would know the whereabouts of all the felines and their daily affairs. The lions weren't much of workers; they only ate, discussed matters of the kingdom, ate again, and hardly left the hill, sleeping most of the day and night. Bét'Shīr, however, who was standing on his fours next to the rolling Alef'Luin, was in awe, from the moaning elder demanding more meat while having enough to glut all lions to the worry of the upcoming winter season, and if he to be convinced that the feat of the snowrabbit-hunting cats in the snow is a better alternative than deer, the elder was never convinced, he is an immature old animal who seeks his own personal and mental comfort — in the name of Sīnoriah of course.

'Elder,' called Bét'Shīr, the younger lion, 'describe owning this kingdom under your own paws. You've been there many summers ago, right Elder?'

'Well,' Alef'Luin weakly stood, 'It is true that I reigned this kingdom solely a long time ago.' His voice was squeaky and faint for a lion. 'It was not an easy task, eh? I think us lions are doing great in ruling this kingdom collectively.'

The younger lion was disgusted and disdainful. The lack of pride, he felt, and the desecration of our name. If Bét'Shīr was to be described, he would be of limitless pride: a young, healthy and robust lion, a now apex of the felines — or as everyone thought — after the abolition of the sabertooths. He felt uneasy at the state of the group of leading lions, who lived day after day, eating venison and sending more tigers to hunt for sabertooths, only for some tigers to die amidst the useless hunt.

Bét'Shīr suggested, 'Wouldn't it be wise to reclaim the allegiance of the Smilodons, Elder?'

Alef'Luin snapped angrily, 'No sabertooth shall tread on this land. Not anymore!' he raised his voice and continued, 'All should be hunted to extinction; they are a threat — they are the bane of our kingdom!' and in a slip of senility, he remarked, 'If they do reach us, they will kill us effortlessly. Have you ever seen the fangs of these damned animals? Not even a tiger can hunt one down, hence the groups of them, Shīr, groups of tigers. . .'

The younger lion grinned in disdain; his instincts were nibbling his raging mind, and he thought about pushing the elder lion down the hill. Bét'Shīr was one of the few felines in Sīnoriah who withstood the act of Instinctive Rebellion and instead inherited a stronger sense of instinct in his lion blood. Only a single lion shall rule this kingdom; he should be me! He thought, looking at the frail back of the elder lion.

One cougar rushed to the hill's summit and saw the two lions standing in silence. He breathed heavily, 'Elder Alef'Luin, Bét'Shīr! We have the most unlikely outsiders – at the kingdom's gate, what shall we do?'

The elder, assuming leadership, suggested that the cougar guards fend them off but was quickly cut short by the younger lion, 'No, Búhmá, we've never had any visitors in many summers. Let them through.' Said the younger lion.

'Bét'Shīr, they are of the bipeds and strange in appearance. I would tread carefully, Bét.'

The prideful lion assured the cougar, and he ran back to the gates and informed the rest of the guards to allow the two bipeds to pass through.

One cougar guard complained with a grunt, 'There is a bee with them!'

Búhmá assured them that one of their masters, the Bét lion, Shīr, had shown interest in the visitors.