War has Come
The Makana Kingdom awakens as dawn unfolds. The clashing of swords during battle practice heralds the arrival of a new day. Zarda, adorned in his finest armor, observed as his generals, Ghakarhi and Sefu, trained the young, developing beasts for combat. Both kings were highly skilled in the art of warfare, making their appointment to leadership roles a natural choice. It has now been two weeks since news about Purk's search for his son has surfaced, and the silence is taking its toll. The loss is wreaking havoc for the Warthog Queen. Hazel has become increasingly attached to her daughter, Theena, and they are seldom seen leaving their hut within the village and its inner walls. Her anxiety has escalated, plunging her into a deep state of distress. Life continued, even without Hazel. Despite the sorrow, Zarda remained true to his promise to protect and care for the queen and her daughter. Concern for their well-being weighed heavily on all their loved ones. The old queen, Torlia, felt the deepest pain; the departure of her beloved grandpiglet was truly heartbreaking. Her daughter-in-law seemed to sink into despair at the loss of her husband, while the recent passing of King Muck the old warthog, due to old age only compounded the grief. It appeared that time moved on relentlessly, indifferent to their suffering.
Zarda instructed his newly assembled hunting and foraging team to head out, as it was time to replenish the food silos. He appointed new leaders for the team, bestowing upon them the title of Zambadi, which signified their roles as hunters and scouts. Zambadi Kiama and Zafar would oversee their group focused on gathering and hunting food. In addition to these tasks, there were numerous other responsibilities to attend to, including weapon forging, managing the nursery, providing medical care, serving as guards, and so on. Zarda had only one leader within the forging crew that he could rely on. He deemed no other king fit to oversee the operation. The forging team worked tirelessly, producing weapons, armor, equipment, traps, buildings, and more. To help manage the workflow, Zarda appointed two others as Lieutenant Colonels under General Major King Mosiya. Meeku and Slash took charge of supervising the builds, ensuring that the forgers remained focused on their tasks. War was approaching. Every man and woman in the Makana kingdom were gearing up for the impending assault. Multiple eyewitnesses had reported that the pale-skinned invaders had set up camp among the African villagers, armed to the teeth with advanced weaponry. They carried laser devices and liquid arrows, as well as metal boxes and handheld zappers. Zarda found it necessary to reassure his people daily, promising them they would succeed. He recognized that fear could spread like a disease. If he didn't confront it now, it would only grow worse. He believed it was better to empower his kingdom than to leave them feeling helpless. Thus, he opened up training to anyone who wished to learn.
Zarda felt no surprise when Natia shared her desire to participate. The queen strode forward with confidence, brandishing a wooden bow. Zarda observed as she expertly hit multiple targets, each arrow landing perfectly in the bullseye. It was astonishing to witness her progress since she began. To his delight, she was honing her skills with the weapon and emerging as quite the expert. She would undoubtedly need that newfound confidence to protect their cub. Numerous females, Natia among them, seized the chance to train with various weapons like bows and javelins. A diverse range of options was on offer. Typically, battleaxes and longswords were designated for kings, despite the plethora of alternatives they had. An extensive assortment of weapons was accessible, including flails, morningstars, rapiers, pikes, mauls, tridents, whips, war hammers, and many others. These are merely a few examples. The inhabitants of Makana toiled, crafted, hunted, and trained until nightfall. Their days followed a relentless routine. Little did they know that war was swiftly approaching their doorstep. Soon, the kings and their warriors would confront the pale people on the battlefield. Every able-bodied individual capable of wielding a weapon would be prepared for combat. The females would take up the defense of the castle while the kings set off to fight on in the field.
Despite the conflict raging nearby, the mood within the walls of the Makana kingdom remained tranquil. As night fell, it promised to bring relief from the day's exertions. Natia felt a deep ache throughout her body, having worked muscles she was not accustomed to during training. She settled onto their bed and closed her eyes, her fingers gently massaging her tender shoulders. Zarda entered the hut and immediately made his way to their sleeping chambers. Exhausted and overheated, he longed to cool off before settling in for the night. However, his mind had other ideas. As he approached his bedroom, he halted at the door, captivated by the sight of his lovely bride sitting in the glow of the moonlight. He couldn't help noticing the subtle changes in her form. Her delicate hands were attempting to massage her aching shoulders, signaling to him without any words that she craved his care. Unaware of his approaching, Zarda moved to her side, startling her a bit as his warm body leaned against hers. Natia sensed the heat emanating from him, and soon after, his large hands began to gently caress her neck, expertly finding all the right spots to soothe her pain. As he worked through her tense muscles and stubborn knots, his hands roamed across her delicate body. Natia's skin reacted to Zarda's touch, and it shivered with electricity coursing through her. Heat rose to her cheeks as he gently tugged at her top, guiding her back onto the bed. He positioned himself over her, kissing a path from her forehead down to her neck, then trailing down to her fuller breast. Zarda lovingly traced his journey across her rounded belly, anticipating the arrival of their child, his lips gently exploring the curves surrounding her belly button. What began as tender kisses, soon transitioned into more passionate sensual licks. Even during her pregnancy, he found her to be the most attractive creature on earth.
He lifted her up on top of him in a cradled embrace. kissed her deeply without stop. His longing for her was overpowering. Natia offered no resistance. With their focus consumed by the responsibilities of their new rulership, they had neglected to carve out time for just the two of them. She wanted him as much as he desired her. Sliding his hands to her waist, he gently pulled at her bottoms to take them off. She lifted herself off him and took off her soft underpants. With her flowy top still in place, Zarda quickly assisted her in pulling it off as well. She stood before him, exposed and vulnerable. Though her belly was round with child, she still ignited a spark of desire within him. His groin hardened at her beauty. Reaching out, he drew her onto his lap, playfully lifting her with a thrust of his hips. Before positioning her back in front of him as he took off his sweaty shirt. Leaning back on both elbows, he subtly signaled for her to help him remove his pants. His bulge made it difficult to remove them at first tug. Eventually Natia was able to overcome and pull them down to the floor, while His manhood stood at full attention. She trembled at the sight, realizing that soon he would claim her completely. There was something exhilarating about his rougher side that she found enjoyable. He remained laid back on the bed beckoning her with his eyes to crawl on top of him. As she settled into position, she felt the warmth of her desire. Her womanhood wet from excitement. Slowly she slid down his harden shaft. He let out a pleasurable groan and began to adjust his speed, thrusting slowly at first inside his bride. The sensation of warmth and delightful tingles enveloped them completely. Her moans became louder as his intensity increased and he moved more quickly within her. He held the back of her neck firmly, pushing himself deeper inside her. She sighed contentedly as she surrendered herself to him completely. Once they had both reached their peak climax, they lay exhausted side by side, breathless and fulfilled.
They spent the rest of the night entwined in each other's embrace. Natia drifted off to sleep shortly after, feeling relaxed and secure beside her king. Meanwhile, Zarda lay awake, his mind racing with an endless stream of thoughts of concern as usual. He was worried about his friend Purk and the young prince Thyron. Zarda felt a sense of guilt for not saving them earlier on. His thoughts drifted to other worries plaguing him, including whether they had enough hybrid strength to defeat the humans or just how long would the pale people wait before they launched their attack on his kingdom. Eventually, all his anxieties wore him down, lulling his mind into deep sleep. Zarda slipped into dreams of brighter times—reminiscing about the first meeting with Natia and their tender first kiss. He imagined who their cub would resemble more, whether they would look like their mother or exactly like himself. Pondering on which of the two of them their offspring would take after as far as personality. His thoughts meandered quickly back to the hidden jungle nestled just beneath their kingdom, envisioning its magical wonders and hidden secrets. Soon all dreamlike thoughts were faded, and his mind was completely unconscious of his surroundings, he was in the deepest realm of sleep. Meanwhile, Night was passing by quickly, giving way to a new morning. Suddenly, a loud horn echoed throughout the fortress of Makana kingdom, shaking the tranquility of dawn. The sound was so startling that Zarda leapt to his feet, feeling as though he had just lost all eight of his nine lives in one unexpected scare. Natia, too, was abruptly awakened, her eyes wide with shock. She turned to see her naked king standing beside their bed panting in fear.
"What is it, Zarda?" she inquired, rising swiftly to her feet with a blanket wrapped around her.
Natia hurried to gather back on her clothes, her heart racing. Meanwhile, Zarda, still unclothed, approached their window. He peered down at the chaos unfolding in the streets below, where distressed hybrids darted in every direction, the scene resembling headless chickens. Zarda dashed back over to his clothes, finally dressing himself. He donned his armor and seized his staff. There was no time for lengthy explanations to Natia. He quickly urged her to arm herself and seek out his mother. As he stepped out of their room and down the stairs to the main hall he left the castles protection immediately. The sound of another horn blast blared from within the tall watch towers, along with an unfamiliar one echoing just beyond the wall's perimeters.
"Everyone, just calm down!" he shouted. His voice was lost in the chaos around him, and no one seemed take notice. With unwavering resolve, he ascended the peak of the stone fountain and, this time with a resonant growl, shouted louder, "SILENCE!"
The shout succeeded by several chilling; growls caught the attention of everyone. Instantly, they froze in place, turning their attention up to their king. Zarda sensed their fear and noted their anxious demeanor. He summoned his captains, King Jata and King Usian, whom he had appointed as his trusted watchers just weeks prior. Zarda had selected them for their remarkable agility in the air and their keen eyesight. Both Jata and Usian possessed sharp vision and swift response times, and they were adept at following commands. They would ascend into the sky in moments, ready to report any disturbances from above.
"My King, the pale people are nearing us. They must have set out on their journey last night," Jata reported.
Zarda seethed with anger, not towards his men or the pale strangers, but at himself for allowing his guard to slip.
"Captain Jata, I need you and Captain Usian to fly over and let me know how far they are. I'll prepare the warriors for departure," he instructed.
Ensuring that the crowd of hybrids below could hear him clearly, he urged them to stay calm and take cover, while instructing those trained for battle to move swiftly and take their positions alongside the kings. He descended from the fountain, leaving the two warriors to fulfill their responsibilities as they took to the skies. Zarda called upon his army to gather before him, prepared for action.
"Meeku, slash, Mosiya. Are the weapons prepared?" he inquired.
"Of course, my King. I was in the process of distributing them when you summoned me," Mosiya replied.
"Very well, ensure that everyone is armed and prepared, as you were doing. The rest of you who are equipped, let us head out to observe the battle grounds" Zarda said.
The king led a handful of his troops out from the protection of Makana's kingdom, into the expansive Savannah plains. Above, he spotted his two warriors gliding through the cloud cover, skillfully maneuvering without drawing any attention from the enemy below. In the distance, Zarda noticed enormous shapes of silhouetted on the hazy horizon. Although the human army appeared formidable, the king was confident that his hybrid forces were even more powerful. Inside the castle walls, the females, little ones, and the elderly scurried across the dirt courtyards. They had listened to Zarda's advice and found that remaining calm gave them the advantage to process the situation better. Meanwhile, Natia's gaze swept through the bustle of hybrids in search of her mother-in-law Saharrah. At last, she spotted the queen, directing the young ones to safety in the caverns below. Saharrah was calling for all female warriors to fortify the walls and arm themselves with bow and javelins. Meanwhile, the elderly male warriors, were maneuvering heavy catapults into the open courtyards. They worked hard to position them in their accurate places. Nursery keepers busily gathered the little ones into hidden underground chambers within a spacious cavern, ensuring that any unable to battle joined them. The first priority was to keep the young ones safe and calm; the second was to embrace for a fight for their lives, if necessary.
Theena clung tightly to her mother's side as they sprinted toward to safety. It had been a long time since they had ventured out from their hiding place, only to retreat to a new one. This time, they were not alone. Penelope and Coral swiftly entered right behind them, followed closely by more little ones seeking refuge. Saharrah couldn't shake off the wave of unease that washed over her, evoking memories of the long-ago battle with the hyenas. It filled her with sorrow, but she remained determined. She would be damned if she would allow that scenario to unfold again. She had confronted that conflict with the bravery of any true monarch. The former queen often reflected on that period and the fate of her entire pack. The mystery surrounding their disappearance lingered, a haunting reminder following King Tambo's brutal defeat of their king and warriors. They had simply vanished from the savannah, never to return. The hyena queen and her pack left behind no trace of their existence. Anxiety still held Saharrah in its grasp. She instructed Natia to take her to the little ones right away. This time, the old queen was determined to protect them herself. Though none of them shared her blood, she was doing it in honor of her fallen children and her pride.
The earth was blasted with a thunderous boom. The ground and walls shook with ripples of tremors. The residence both hybrids and human grew deathly silent. Heartbeats of fearful beings was all to be heard. Zarda stood eyes wide open, and his staff gripped tight in his right hand. He looked out towards his enemy and whispered to himself.
"BRING IT ON!!!" shouted Zarda.