him, and he felt his heart race with eagerness.

            My love, this is wonderful, said Zuri. Thank you.

            Abel stopped from getting too close to Judas, and he examined the threat before him. Abel nearly laughed. Zuri had talked up about Judas's strength, but what he saw before him was an aging lion who barely had the strength to keep himself standing.

            Oh, this was going to be too easy.

            "Judas, I presume?" he exclaimed. "I am King Abel, of the Pridelands. You don't know me, as I expect, but I know a lot about you. Someone special told me about you. What you and your repulsive family did to her. I'm here to claim vengeance for her."

            "You're an idiot!" Judas fired back. "I don't know who the hell you are talking about, but if you're dumb enough to believe you can keep on standing in that spot, on my turf, you have another thing coming."

            "Oh, I wouldn't want to rush with that." With that, the rest of Abel's group appeared from over the hill. "I came prepared for this." He took a step forward, unyielding to Judas's harsh gaze. "Now I'll tell you exactly who I'm representing here. Zuri. Does that name sound familiar?"

            "Zuri's dead!" roared Baako.

            Abel smirked. "Not dead, oh no. She's very well alive. And right now she wishes to see the suffering of all of you, one by one. Starting with her killer." His eyes went back to Judas's. "I know you didn't kill her, she told me that much. But I think I'll leave you for last, how does that sound?"

            No one said anything - they lost the heart to tell off Abel as soon as he brought Zuri into the conversation. With confidence, Abel took another step. "Well? Who did it?" Abel shouted across the wave of Judas and his group. "Who killed her? Who killed Zuri?!"

            "I did," a sharp, unfamiliar voice bravely called. Abel's eyes narrowed as he watched the form of a pale lioness move amongst the crowd of family members. She reached him, and gazed into his eyes. There was no fear in them. "I killed Zuri."

            "Ari, stand down!" commanded Judas.

            Abel's lips curled.

            "She killed my brother," Ari went on.

            Lies! Zuri cried. All a bunch of lies! Abel, what're you waiting for? KILL HER!

            "ATTACK!" Abel cried out to the top of his lungs.

            It was his own group who made the first launch at Judas. Abel stood back, watching with growing satisfaction. Yowls of pain reached his ears, and it was Heaven. But his eyes scanned for the pale lioness with the colored ears - she was the one who needed to die first. The lion with the red mane would be next.

            Abel, look out!

            Abel spun his head, in enough time to see Ari's paw raised over his head. He rolled, her claws only striking his shoulder and drawing blood. "Damn you!" he cried as he rolled back onto his legs, glaring at the lioness.

            "You leave my family alone!" she cried. "It's me you want, right? I was the one who killed Zuri. Take care of me, and leave my family alone."

            "Oh, would you love to believe that? Not a chance!"

            Ari lunged at him, all pretense notion of negotiating with the lion completely gone. This time Abel was better prepared, and he rolled out of the way of Ari's oncoming assault in order to dish his own out. His claws slashed into her backside, and Abel reveled in drawing her blood.

            Yes Abel, do it! Now! Zuri's cries filled him, pumping through his ears, and blood. He saw nothing but to avenge his beloved.

            He wasn't going to let this lioness watch her family die before her. She was going to be the example.

            Abel flew at Ari, who had no time to move out of the way. The pair fell into one another, rolling about on the ground, teeth clashing against teeth, and claws digging into vulnerable places to draw beads of blood. When the rolling had finally ended, and he had Ari quelling below him, Abel felt like his heart was on fire. He raised his outstretched claws, a satisfied blood-stained smile on his face.

            "You should've thought twice about touching Zuri," he whispered to her, and then his claw came down...

            "Stay away from her!"

            Abel's claw only managed to make the lightest touch on Ari's person before he was knocked onto his side by Maalik. "You insolent bastard!" he cried, lunging up, slashing Maalik's shoulders and face.

            Likewise the pale lion retaliated with a head butt of strong force, knocking Abel onto his backside. Earning a moment, Maalik whirled on his mate, shouting, "Help the others!"

            She nodded, knowing Maalik was more than capable of handling Abel. Ari turned her attention to the rest of her pride, who had joined the fight when Maalik did. Jamil was teaming with Judas to handle Ashiki, who was a barrage of claws and spit; beyond them was Chari and Rena, back-to-back fending off a pair of lionesses who had surrounded them. She could see Xolani and Samanya, and likewise Haruna and Lesedi, but there was the absence of Tranda, Merlissa, and Zarah; when she looked to see her family, Ari noted the absence of her mother, Tamu.

            Her heart pounding in her ears, Ari pushed through the crowd of bodies to search for her mother. She was shoved, thrown onto her side as Eshe tangled with Ishonda, saliva running fluidly down their fronts.

            "You don't stand a chance," Ishonda snarled.

            "Think again," growled Eshe, who kicked the light lioness in the stomach.

            Rolling out of the way of her aunt, Ari continued to surge through the crowd, becoming more frantic by the second. Where was her mother? She saw her aunts, and her siblings all fighting, but her mother was not there.

            "Tamu's in trouble!" someone cried out. Ari was sure it was her aunt Jira.

            Ari's legs carried her as fast as they could until she completely broke through the crowd, to find that Tamu struggled with Yejide on the ground. Rhaenys was battling Katura, who had bitten her in the spot between her neck and shoulder. Behind Rhaenys were Jalena, Duni, Ayodele, and Zainabu, all of whom were too terrified to move.

            "Ari!" cried Rhaenys, much to the surprise of Tamu, who ceased struggling long enough for Yejide to get a hold onto her neck.

            She didn't think of anything - she just acted. Ari tackled Yejide aside, flailing her unsheathed claws at her foe, while the lioness rolled underneath her, kicking her off. Yejide lunged before Ari could gather her bearings, and a sharp grasp of pain hit Ari full on in the face. She saw red dripping down her nose. Yejide ran off - unfortunately, she ran into the battling jaws of Jiro and Nyako, who were frantic to save their daughter.

            "RHAENYS!"

            Lutalo rushed out from the crowd, blood covering every inch of his body. He was a whirlwind of blood and claws as he threw himself into Katura. Rhaenys panted as she inspected her wound. When she saw Ari looking at her, Rhaenys weakly nodded. "I'm okay, I'm okay."

            Lutalo, meanwhile, chased Katura, who knew better than to mess with the demon running at her