História Brothers (English) - Skylands

A long time ago, there was a place called Darklands, where the most evil and rotten lions lived, they attacked everything on their path, the other lands were afraid of them, but one day they faced a tough challenge, the Sunlands, led by the most powerful lion ever known. The kings faced each other in a bloody battle that ended with the victory of the Sun king, the Darklands disband and were never seen again… Are you two paying attention?

Yanni, an old lioness stared at the cubs playing, the twins, Makoto and Makisa, jumped on each other, only Shaka was paying attention.

– I think I won’t tell the rest of the story then… – she looked away and shook her paw.

– No! – the girls protested and ran to the old lioness.

– Please grandma, tell us more! – Shaka smiled.

– Just one more, miss Yaani, pleeease! – Makisa shaked her chest.

– I think it's good for today, why don't we see if your brother has finished his lessons?

The lioness got up and walked towards the den, the cubs following between her legs, it took Makoto a little while to get up, he knew that Soren had already returned, the lion had given him a spiteful look that was always present on his face, that made the blonde uncomfortable.

– Soren, are you awake?

– Uh? – the young lion opened his eyes, a little blinded by the sun, a big brown maned lion with dark green eyes warms him up, Soren looked a lot like his father – I wasn't sleeping.

– Ah, of course not – he smiles – Anyway, I'll see how your mom is doing, why don't you go play with your brothers?

– They are a bunch of kids – Soren snorts.

The lion laughs, stretching, and comes down from the stone they were lying on.

– You are one too, now go play – he goes towards a small cave not far from there.

Soren sat down, the day was bright and calm, he quickly got bored, the lion wanted to do important things like his father.

– Soren! – Makisa pouced at him, but he dodged and her face hit the rock behind him.

– Gah, you guys didn’t take so long to show up, didn’t you? Gah! – he felt the sharp teeth in his leg – Shaka!

The lion recoiled his leg angrily.

— That's enough! — he growled — Get down both you! This rock is only for kings!

— So what, you're not a king — Makisa shakes her head.

— I am the future king!

— Soren dear — Yaani called him — Can you look up the cubs a little?

– Ugh, I’m not a babysitter!

Yanni raised an eyebrow.

— Ah ok, whatever – Soren mumbled — Miss Yanni – he complemented.

She thanked him and left, Soren stared at the cubs and grumbled, slowly walking away from the rock, Makoto approached him slowly, trying not to get yelled at.

– What!? – Soren stared angrily at him.

– I didn't want to bother you! I just wanted to know about your lessons – the blonde walk beside him.

– Gah… Dad showed me the limits of the lands, whe sensed some outsider smell too.

– Oh really!? Did you see any dangerous lions!?

– Of course not, dad keeps them away! – Soren looked to the lands – And when I become king I’ll do the same.

– What will you do if you confront a strange lion?

– Isn't it obvious? I’ll kill him.

– Oh, there’s no other way to deal with them? Like a more pacific way?

– Makoto, the only thing outsiders want is to steal our lands, we need to… Gah!

– Got ya! – Makisa dance on Soren’s back.

– Get off! – he pushes her away.

— Gah! — Makisa fell to the ground — We just want to play!

 — I don’t play with cubs.

– Oh, because you are sooo much older than us! – Makisa complains, laughing.

– Yeah, you and I have, like, a week apart! – Shaka said.

– Shut up you two – Soren growls.

Makisa shows his tongue to him and jumps on her friend.

— Uh, why don't we play hide and seek? — Makoto said.

— Oh, that's a great idea! — Shaka responded, making Makoto blush.

Soren growled, putting his paw in front of his eyes and started counting, the lions got excited seeing the lion join the fun and run to hide.

Soren finished counting and got down to sense the smells, he followed one and bumped in a big lioness, the lion saw Shaka’s mother and she gave him a sweet smile.

— Good morning young prince, what are you doing here?

— Hum, good morning Saji, I'm looking for the cubs.

— Oh no, do you lose them?

— What, no! We're just playing, what are you doing here?

— I'm going to my patrol.

— Ah, can I go too? – his tail swung happily.

– Sorry Soren, you know you can’t go in a patrow without your father – he snorts — Actually, I think you should go back now, you're too far away from them den.

— Oh, I didn't even notice that.

— Ok, just stay safe and get back — Saji pat his head – See ya later.

"Ah, adults keep all the fun…" Soren thought.

— Got ya! — Makisa showed up and Soren rolled his eyes — I won again!

— Uh, whatever, we have to go back.

— Already?

Soren sniffed a bush and dived into it, pushing Makoto out.

— B-But Shaka is still hidden… — the blonde whispered.

— She can follow us later — Soren responded.

— But she can get lost!

— Gah, ok — the older lion mumbled — I'll look for her, but you two will go back to the den, and fast!

The twins traded confused looks, but obeyed.

— Shaka! — Soren looked for the cub — Shaka!

His fur shivered with the dense air, the animals were quiet, as if something was threatening around.

The lion got startled with a crack sound behind him.

— S-Shaka?

Soren was trembling with fear. He knew something was wrong, suddenly a black shadow appeared.

A big black lion with a brown mane stared at him with his freezing ice eyes, before the cub could do anything the lion pressed him to the ground with his claws.

He had a large smirk on his face, blood pouring off his teeth.

— Oh little cub, are you lost? — he said with a deep and strong voice — Won't you cry for daddy?

Soren was frozen, staring at the monster, the lion opened his mouth, but the cub scratched his face before he could bite him.

The dark lion put his paw in his nose, releasing Soren, the cub ran without looking back, but felt the lion approaching.

A blonde lion covered the cub, roaring at the invasor, Saji ran close to him, growling.

— Run to the den! — the blonde looked to Soren — Your mother will protect you!

The young lion ran away as fast as he could, leaving the couple and the monster behind, he needed to warn his father.

The king was sleeping beside Dunia, who held a little cub in her arms, Makisa and Makoto were around him.

— Awh, he’s so cute! – Makisa smiled — Mommy, Nei can go out to play?

— He’s taking a nap right now, maybe later.

— Mother!

Dunia looked up, worried. Soren stared at her terrified, with tears in his eyes.

— Soren, What happened!?

— I-In the border, a big o-outsider…

The king quickly got up, astound.

— Son, what side of the border!?

— T-The one from this morn-ning...

— Stay here with the cubs, I’ll take care of it.

He quickly got out of the cave.

— Mlinzi! – he stopped and looked in her mate’s eyes – Please be careful.

The king gave a soft smile and vanished.

— Soren, my love — Dunks opened one arm — come here.

The cub hugged his mother, crying, the twins looked confused and scared, they hugged his mother too.

Soren got drowsy, Makisa and Makoto were already asleep, but he was worried, the time was passing and his father didn't return.

Suddenly a noise outside the cave startled him, Dunia stared silently.

All of the lion's fur creeps when they hear a loud and dominant roar, nothing like Mlinzi’s roar.

— M-Mom? – Makoto sob.

— Don't make a sound, any of you.

She steps outside, staring at the horizon, when a black lion stares back. His mane was brown and his eyes were deadly and cold ice, he was covered in blood, his body full of scars, Saji smelled him, most of the blood wasn’t his, she smelled Yaani, Saji, Tana and Mlinzi, maybe even others. Her heart raced, her breath got heavy, the smells made her dizzy, but Saji firmed her paws and growled.

— Who are you!?

The lion grim at her, his sadic eyes penetrating her soul, he verified his surroundings, looking for other lions.

— What a small land…

— Don’t ignore me! Who are you!?

— I’m Loke, king of the Darklands.

— Don’t make up things, the Darklands don’t exist! – Dunia growled stronger – I don’t know who you are, but you better leave!

— Don’t exist? – he gave a little laugh – We were only hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to rise… Now, if you don’t wish to die, leave these cubs you are hiding and join me.

— You killed my family and expect that I follow you!? – she laughed — You will never have me or them!

Dunia roared and jumped on the lion, he dodged and hit her belly, knocking her to the ground, he pressed his claws into her neck and she scratched his eye, the black lion enraged and got a few steps back.

Loke growled and struck her, making Dunia hit a tree. Bleeding, she looked to the cave.

— Cubs, r-run… – she whispered.

Soren growled, hiding in front of the other cubs.

Soren grabbed Nei in his mouth, running to the end of the cave.

The queen knew that her cubs could be in serious danger one day, so she dug a hole in the back of the cave, making a way out.

She gave them a last look before Loke’s teeth reached her throat.

But when the lion finally entered the cave, the cubs were already gone.