The Smell of Murder
A loud crash echoed through the air as a clay pot filled with water shattered on the hard ground. King Tambo erupted in a fit of rage, swatting the pot from a tree stump he used as a side table. His fist clenched tightly as he slammed it down on the arm of his throne, consumed by the recent loss that had occurred weeks before. The pale people had come and separated their pack, taking the little ones abruptly. Just before Zarda's coronation, King Tambo had faced the pale monsters but was unable to protect his kind. They were still adjusting to their new bodies and lives, struggling to function properly. The events that unfolded were unimaginable to them all. The monsters shot liquid arrows and threw nets onto the pack, snatching up the pups and locking them in metal boxes on the back of large contraptions called trucks. Before King Tambo could react, the trucks sped away, leaving him choking on the dust in their wake. The pack tried to chase after them, running until their legs gave out from exhaustion. Every day, the king and queen wept on their thrones while their subjects gathered around them, sharing in their grief. The sorrow permeated the entire kingdom of Hendris. The king paced back and forth, sitting down only to cry uncontrollably. His actions became a pattern, a cycle of insanity with no change or resolution in sight. The pack observed the king as he stood one evening and walked to the edge of his throne's platform. With weak, swollen eyes, he gazed out at them. The soldiers stared intently at their king.
"It is a great loss we have endured together. As your ruler, I vow to bring justice for our stolen. I believe this tragedy was brought upon us by the hyenas. How else could the outsiders have discovered our whereabouts? No one knew about our secret location. It was those selfish animals who betrayed us. They must have strayed too close to the town, drawing unwanted attention. Surely someone spotted them and tracked us down. If they were followed, then the hyenas led them here as a diversion. Those intruders only seek to harm our young. It pains me to admit we may never recover our pups, but I swear to dismantle those wretched beasts, for the suffering they have caused." He spoke, his words tinged with bitterness.
The loss struck the majesties harder than anyone had realized. Their beloved young pup, Jabari, was snatched away right before their eyes. He was next in line to succeed his father on the throne. The pack roared in approval of their ruler. Like their majesties, the pack was seeking retribution for the heartbreaking defeat. The soldiers echoed their howls into the heavens, The king shifted his attention them. King Tambo declared that he needed his soldiers to increase surveillance of the perimeter and be prepared in case the enemy returned. He stressed the importance of building weapons and being ready to strike against the pale people. He vowed to defend his pack at all costs and expressed his determination to search for their lost members in the hopes of bringing them back home. The king dispatched his soldiers to survey the horizon and started teaching the younger pups how to protect themselves in case of another abduction. Tambo was resolved to never let such a tragedy happen again.
It had been some time since any captures had been made, and fear lingered. The king found himself on edge, unable to bear the familiar sounds of the hyena pack without losing his mind. Fortunately, the sounds had been absent as of late, leaving the king to wonder if the hyenas had also fallen prey to the pale people. He could only hope for their capture. Each day, the king sent out his soldiers to search for the pups, but they always returned empty-handed. Out of all animals, Queen Saharrah, could empathize with this feeling the most, but she had found favor and protection for her son's. King Tambo, could only hope for the time being, that he too would find favor. Would the wild dogs ever get their pups back? Only the creator held the answer. Unbeknownst to the pack, the pale people had taken the pups for examination and experimentation at a facility. Out of fear, the humans took extreme measures to prevent their worst nightmares from becoming reality. They pondered the implications of the animals morphing and questioned what it meant for their own future. The possibility of the world turning upside down and humans transforming to walk on all fours was a strange and unsettling thought. As weeks turned into months, the king decided it was time to leave the area and seek revenge. He led his pack away from the villages to keep them safe, setting out to find their enemies. After days of traveling on foot, there was no sign of the hyenas or any indication that they were close by. It seemed they had packed up and left early. All that was left was an abandoned territory with no residents. This only fueled the king's hell-bent determination to track them down.
They smelled the lingering scent of decay on the abandoned objects, tracing the trail of the foul creatures. King Tambo took charge of the hunt, leading his pack on a four-day journey until they caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Confident they were close, the king ordered his pack to set up camp in hiding among the shrubbery near the boulders of Rock Hill, the very place where King Zarda had undergone a significant transformation. He assured his pack that he would come back with the hyena king's head. After ensuring the safety of the females and young ones, King Tambo quietly signaled his soldiers to follow him. Skillfully, they navigated through the rocky maze, remaining undetected. Pausing occasionally to listen, they could hear the disruptive noises of the hyena pack. Tambo seethed with anger, clenching his teeth at their derisive laughs. As the wild dogs approached the exit of the rocks, the noise intensified. The king cautiously peeked out, surveying the land. Before long, he located his enemies relaxing under an acacia tree, unaware of their impending doom. Knowing he couldn't eliminate them all, Tambo planned to eliminate the king and his top footmen. King Kwanza, the leader of the hyena pack, sat with a smile on his face as his footman, Faraji, shared a joke. The other hyenas joined in with loud laughter, unable to control their exaggerated reactions. This behavior was common for hyenas, even if the joke wasn't that funny. The laughter echoed in the air for a while.
Footman Sule sat next to Faraji, who was positioned on the right side of their king. To Sule's left were Footman Boss and Tazmian, the top footmen of King Kwanza. The rest of the footmen were off with the hyena pack, leaving only two females to guard over the pups in the distance. There were no signs of their usual crowd, possibly out on a hunt or play. King Tambo thought it was the perfect opportunity to attack, with King Kwanza and his footmen vulnerable. The time to strike was now or never. King Tambo tightly gripped his vibrant red Trident in his right hand as he cautiously emerged from the shelter of the rock hill and approached Kwanza. Despite the hyenas laughing nearby, not a single sound gave away his presence. The pack's pups remained oblivious to the impending danger lurking behind them.
King Tambo stood a foot away, his hand raised as he signaled his soldiers to target specific enemies. Soldier Diji was instructed to focus on Footman Boss, while Soldier Chaga took aim at Footman Tazmian. Soldier Jabu targeted Footman Faraji, and Soldier Sprint aimed for Footman Sule. They awaited their king's command to strike. With a step forward, King Tambo poised his arm for attack. By pointing up and towards the enemy, the king indicated it was time for his soldiers to kill. He hurled his Trident at their foes with great force, signaling his soldiers to strike simultaneously. The Trident ignited in a blaze of red, creating a ring of sparks as it flew through the air. It impaled King Kwanza in the back, causing him to arch in pain. His footmen witnessed the horrifying scene as they saw a bloody, forked object protruding from the king's chest. Before they could react, they too were struck by wooden spears. King kwanza died on sudden impact, along with footman Tazmian, who took a quick blow to the back of his head. The spear pierced though his skull and out through his right eye. leaving dark blood staining his face.
King Tambo couldn't believe how ugly these creatures were even before the attack, he mused. Despite their appearance, the added gore seemed to enhance them in his eyes. In the wild dog's opinion, hyenas were the most repulsive animals in Africa. To King Tambo, they were hideous enough to justify killing. As he approached the dead hyena, he looked at his handiwork with a sense of satisfaction. Footman boss, Faraji, and Sule were all still alive, but writhing in great agony. The wild dogs made the decision to end their suffering before the females noticed what was happening. The noise from the playful pups masked the sounds of the fatal attacks, allowing the wild dogs to carry out their actions without being detected. The distracted wild dogs were completely unaware of anything else happening around as they watched the energetic pups running circles among them. The King hesitated for a moment, debating whether to end the young ones' lives or leave them to face the horror on their own. Satisfied that they had not yet been discovered, he pulled his Trident from Kwanza's back. The weapon still glowed and crackled with flames, even as it was covered in blood. With two swift strikes of his short sword, he removed Kwanza's head and tied it to his waist. Blood dripped down his leg, fueling a rush of adrenaline. Moving swiftly, he approached Sule and aimed his weapon at the hyena's face. Sule gasped for breath, but only a gurgling sound emerged before a blast of lightning shot from the Trident's tip, killing the beast instantly. The powerful force splintered outward, taking the lives of Boss and Faraji as well.
The battle had ended, and King Tambo felt vindicated. He wanted the hyenas to recognize who sought justice. He signaled to the females until they noticed him. Initially confused, the females eventually saw the king's bloody head that King Tambo held up before walking away. His soldiers followed closely, running back to their pack hidden behind the rocks. The king achieved a triumphant victory. Without delay, he swiftly led his pack out of the hyena's territory. It would take days before the other hyenas would come looking for them. If they did, the Hendris pack would be prepared and waiting. The lower half of Tambo was drenched in the blood of the hyena king, with Kwanza's head splattering blood against his thigh as he walked. The king's hands were also covered in blood, which Tambo brought up to his nose, inhaling deeply before letting out a satisfied sigh. As he lowered his hands, bloody handprints were left on his face, and the scent of murder filled the air, pleasing his senses.