them from the first wave of element. In one second they were standing and looking on rock’s top and seeing a cloud of dust coming from behind massif, in next they were lying on ground, pinned down by blow of wind.

Raia was on top – she was press

He landed with heavy effort. The growing wind pushed him aside from intended route and brutally threw on the ground. In that moment he was far from Dhalimu, and what was worse, brown-maned left a tactic of pounces, hard to aim in the wind and started to march into prince’s direction, stomping firmly on the ground.

“Not here!” gasped Taka in mind, seeing as enemy set off to north-east, almost against the wind. That was easier for monarch – although he had to fight with element, he wasn’t endangered with directions disorientation. Black-maned decided to stop adversary from that.

He started to run to the bluff, hoping that Dhalimu won’t pounce against the strong wind. And he was right, although it didn’t helped him too much. Because Taka lost his balance and pushed by some stronger blow fell on the ground. Seeing that king was running to him, he rolled aside in enemy’s direction. With his body he tripped amazed ruler, to instantly feel all his mass on his back. “Ow, that’s the end!” yelled Taka in mind. “I got trapped in point-blank!”

Dhalimu triumphantly roared and raised his paw. Then he swung it with crushing strength. But instead of yell of price, sounded yell of king. Brown-maned missed terribly, hitting the rock with claws. Thanks to surprise, Taka pushed enemy from his back and jumped on open space. He wanted to pounce on south, but actually he flew on south-west. Heavy wind, a gale in fact, sidetracked jumper’s body. Taka landed hard, then turned to expecting attack. And froze.

The wind wasn’t helping him. The wind was bringing death.

Due to almost perfect darkness arbiter didn’t see everything. But the wall of sand closing with dreadful speed was unable to ignore. Hit of sandstorm was speeding from east and wandered knew that he wasn’t able to stand it. The same as few hour earlier he had imagined own body, tore apart by grains of sand and being throw like antelope’s carcass by merciless blow. Instinctively he closed his eyes, although he knew that eyelids are useless against that fury. The last picture he saw was a capture of pouncing Dhalimu and a sand-wall swallowing Golden Massif. “A draw!” thought lion, preparing to die. He managed to hear a yell of brown-maned and nauseating sound of crackling bone in awkward, forced by blow landing.

And then the pain exploded.

*

“NO!” screamed Kota and Raia.

Lionesses were standing in Acacia Alley, looking up with terror. They had been so busy with staring at dead edge of bluff, that they had been completely ignoring symptoms of growing storm. Fortunately for them the heart-shape of Golden Massif and cover of trees shielded them from the first wave of element. In one second they were standing ing Kota to acacia’s trunk. As the first she stood up and with heavy effort pulled her friend with paw. Storm was screaming too loud to overscream it, but golden-furred understood without a word. They had to reach the cave before next wave of wind would blow them away. “Taka!” thought terrified Kota, slowly marching, based on friend’s side. “My lord!” yelled Raia in mind, but she was walking still. Actually, none of them wanted to reach shelter but to get to the stone wall. From that they could go to on path on top.

Lionesses simultaneously hit with heads in wall of massif. Without a word they started to march not to near cave’s entrance but along rock, with wind. Storm was hitting hard but thanks to concave shape of Golden Massif friends were partially shielded from rage of desert.

“Here?” Kota called a question.

“The part of track is shielded from wind.” Screamed Raia. “On west slope we have a chance to climb.”

She should have said: slightly better chance, because even on leeward slope odds of successful way were minimal. Even for fully healthy Kota – golden-furred was much too weak to climb. Hobbling Raia couldn’t even dream about what way. In spite of that, she was going.

Cold logic of both females was screaming: they are both dead! You have no reason to risk! But friends were decisively stepping on path up, ignoring growing exhaustion. Finally Kota took a lead, knowing she was in far better condition. She reached with her tail to Raia’s mouth – sandy-furred took it with gratitude. Then they were at least sensing each other, in spite of decreasing visibility.

So they reached the west wall of massif. There they felt a great relief of cover. Almost running they started to climb ahead, quickly taking a save way. In just three minutes they got to north-west bend of rock. Before them was a last part of route, a narrow way, hit with content sand-mayhem.

„You won’t go there.” Judged Kota.

“You too.” Replied Raia and they both set off to sandy death.

They stood even longer that they should – they went over four meters windward until raging waves of dust stopped them. But exactly in moment when Raia fell down, sandstorm ceased. Suddenly and without warning the wind stopped in one second. Lionesses climbing on path held their breathes for few seconds, than panted with relief.

“Raia... it’s over!” whispered amazed Kota.

“Run!” replied lioness, standing up. And she yelled painfully. “My lord!”

They went lest meters of path and got to the top almost simultaneously. Kota as the first but Raia just a second after. Both started to search with terrified stares for fighters on that dead plateau. Somewhere, under that layer of dust. As the first screamed golden-furred.

“TAKA!”

She started to run e before next wave of wind would blow them away. “Taka!” thought terrified Kota, slowly marching, based on friend’s side. “My lord!” yelled Raia in mind, but she was walking still. Actually, none of them wanted to reach shelter but to get to the stone wall. From that they could go to on path on top.

Lionesses simultaneously hit with heads in wall of massif. Without a word they started to march not to near cave’s entrance but along rock, with wind. Storm was hitting hard but thanks to concave shape of Golden Massif friends were partially shielded from rage of desert.

“Here?” Kota called a question.

“The part of track is shielded from wind.” Screamed Raia. “On west slope we have a chance to climb.”

She should have said: slightly better chance, because even on leeward slope odds of successful way were minimal. Even for fully healthy Kota – golden-furred was much too weak to climb. Hobbling Raia couldn’t even dream about what way. In spite of that, she was going.

Cold logic of both females was screaming: they are both dead! You have no reason to risk! But friends were decisively stepping on path up, ignoring growing exhaustion. Finally Kota took a lead, knowing she was in far better condition. She reached with her tail to Raia’s mouth – sandy-furred took it with gratitude. Then they were at least sensing each other, in spite of decreasing visibility.

So they reached the west wall of massif. There they felt a great relief of cover. Almost running they started to climb ahead, quickly taking a save way. In just three minutes they got to north-west bend of rock. Before them was a last part of route, a narrow way, hit with content sand-mayhem.

„You won’t go there.” Judged Kota.

“You too.” Replied Raia and they both set off to sandy death.

They stood even longer that they should – they went over four meters windward until raging waves of dust stopped them. But exactly in moment when Raia fell down, sandstorm ceased. Suddenly and without warning the wind stopped in one second. Lionesses climbing on path held their breathes for few seconds, than panted with relief.

“Raia... it’s over!” whispered amazed Kota.

“Run!” replied lioness, standing up. And she yelled painfully. “My lord!”

They went lest meters of path and got to the top almost simultaneously. Kota as the first but Raia just a second after. Both started to search with terrified stares for fighters on that dead plateau. Somewhere, under that layer of dust. As the first screamed golden-furred.

to sandy-drift, from under which was seen a black mane of lion. She got to beloved and started to digging him out from gravel. In the same time she was creaming like a possessed.

Raia was watching this and an analytic voice of her reason called to tell her friend that Taka was probably stunned due to storm and such screams won’t reach him. But she didn’t even listen to own mind. She was running to the centre of plateau, looking of silhouette of beloved king.

“Taka, say something!” cried Kota, but in the same moment sandy-furred saw Dhalimu, lying by some big boulder.

“My lord!” she called, although she already knew that her ruler had a limited chance to hear her.

When she reached the lion she heard a burst of Kota’s cry, but she ignored it. She looked with motherly tenderness on brown-maned, but then she turned out her stare with shock. Ruler was unconsciousness and his front-right paw was broken... or better to say: smashed. His ulna and radius bone almost had tore the fur from inside and only thanks to lucky coincidence the limb of king was still in one fragment. But for now – useless fragment.

“My lord... you paw.” She bended down to beloved. “That paws you were keeping your justice...” Dhalimu moaned in pain but for lioness that sign of life sounded like the most beautiful music.

Meanwhile Kota was standing over Taka, unable to make any move. Each time she reached with paw to beloved, fear was paralysing her. She was too afraid to hurt arbiter even more. And for the worst wound she could do nothing.

Miraculously, black-maned had all bones intact. Almost whole body was unwounded, even unspotted. Of course, except of muzzle.

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