Emmanuel_Capricorn
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TLK : Chapter 127
🕑 Added 2025-09-09 16:02:05 +0000 UTC[1st POV]
I was a living horror.
You might think that because my mind was no longer in control, I would lose my efficiency and effectiveness in the battle as a whole. Although that was true to a certain extent, it was not the complete truth.
Because, contrary to all expectations, my new strategy of mindless rampage worked better than if I had killed them efficiently. The sheer scale of my brutality achieved some things that my sound mind would otherwise not have achieved.
Due to the lack of precision, the number of hyenas I hurt became more than the number I killed. But that didn't mean my output of damage had decreased; it was quite the opposite, actually. I was swinging wildly and crushing every one of them in some way or another.
The fact that there were more injuries than deaths led to an obvious conclusion. Fear spread among them like wildfire. Their reckless attacks and their ferocity were drowned by the screams of agony and pain coming from the injured hyenas.
Some of them screamed with their jaws hanging loose, others with eyes gouged half-out. There were hyenas with ribs jutting from their sides like broken spears, while some crawled away, dragging what was left of their legs.
The screams and the cries were deafening. The wasteland had finally turned into hell on earth. The hyenas realized there was something worse than death.
The brave souls ready to die were not ready to face hell. My rampage had made every last one of them a coward.
In their fear, the horde tried to swarm me from my flanks and back once more. No one was brave enough to face me head-on; their courage only warranted a sneak attack from behind. So they came like a wind from all sides.
And when I saw that, I moved down into the gorge. Again, it was not even an intention or a conscious thought. It was the work of pure battle instinct that was imprinted on me.
The gorge provided me with the perfect place to make a last stand. The tight space made it so that only six or seven hyenas could come at a time. And the horde could no longer attack me from the back or behind.
Now they had no way of attacking me from safe angles. They were forced to face my jaw in all its blind rage and fury.
The walls echoed with their howls, turning every cry into a chorus of madness. Dust rose with every stampede of their paws, mixing with the blood mist, creating a red haze that burned my eyes and throat. My claws tore into the rock as I backed slowly, marking the walls with long scars while their bodies piled at my feet.
I moved back slowly as the horde continued to push forward. At this point, no sane mind wanted to fight me but the clueless hyenas at the back forced them towards what they saw as hell. A red monstrosity covered in their blood, carrying the scent of their death.
The hyenas continued to suffer. I swung my paw, and one hyena’s head spun nearly all the way around. I bit down on another’s skull and felt it collapse like dry fruit between my teeth. I smashed another into the wall so hard that his body left a red stain on the stone, sliding down limp and twitching.
The gorge amplified every sound — the tearing of flesh, the shattering of bones, the guttural roars from my throat.
Until the moment they stopped, I didn't.
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When I came back to my senses, blood was flowing like a river in the gorge. Perhaps it was because the gorge used to be a river, but the blood flowed perfectly. It streamed around my paws, carrying chunks of flesh, fur, and bone alike. The walls dripped red as if the gorge itself had opened its veins.
My body was all red, my own blood and the blood of hyenas unrecognizable. The only thing you could see other than a mass of red was my eyes, which were slowly gaining clarity.
I panted heavily, each breath hurting my lungs. It was like my lungs were working to the limit and were on the verge of bursting.
But that was enough, because it was already over.
The hyenas ran back, trying desperately to crawl back out of the gorge. Everyone was in such a rush that they got stuck in the tight spaces. Every time they looked back, their eyes shook in terror towards me.
I held my ground but no longer attacked. My mind recalled what the heck just happened and quickly assessed the situation again.
After a while, the hyenas left the gorge. But they left bodies with them. Some I killed, but some died of a stampede when they tried to get out of the gorge all at once.
There were also dozens of hyenas moving, but they were too damaged to crawl out. They whined, their voices echoing still in the gorge, so there was never silence.
I huffed before finally turning back to leave. My body was completely numb as I made my way down the rocky gorge. I did not know if I was exhausted or if I was heavily injured. The blood in my body was still warm, the beat of my heart was still rapid.
When I came out of the path and into the outside world, I was greeted by my pride resting and tending to each other's wounds. On the ground in front of them were the corpses of thirty or so hyenas.
Grim immediately flew and landed in front of me. His face was full of worry, but his ugly bald head did not really support the concern on his face. So I gave him a smile.
"I am doing fine, Grim, these are only the blood of the hyenas," I said. I lied. I did not feel it yet but I was sure I had many injuries on me.
The war was tougher than I envisioned. There were so many factors which you cannot consider until you experience it once. Four hundred hyenas were not ten times forty; it was its own entire thing. It was a completely different scale of disaster and danger.
"Tell the vultures to clean up and count the casualties," I said after a smile.
Grim still looked concerned but duty was his first priority. "As you wish, my lord," he said and flew away to complete the order to his best ability.
Grim was not a bird of half measures.
I continued walking until I reached the pride. Zuri came forward, and before even reaching her, I collapsed at her feet.
"Leo!!" she called and rushed to help me, but I denied the help.
The rest of the pride also stood up, their focus entirely on me. I knew I had to be strong or at least act strong in front of them.
So I pushed myself up with strength way past my limit and stood up straight.
I stood proud and strong. Just like the permanent image they had of me in their heart. I was their invincible king.
I walked past Zuri with a nod; I would love to hug and rest in her embrace but it was not over just yet.
"Let's head deeper into the north, we don't want to fight a second wave if there are any," I said and they nodded, obedient.
They all came to me and gently nudged themselves on me. It was a way for them to show concern, respect and admiration all at once. They nudged their heads on my jaw before turning and leaving.
One by one they came and head deeper into the outside world. We would find a safe place there where we could recover.
Zuri followed them too but she was last. The concern on her face never disappeared.
After everyone had left, I carefully took my first step as well. But unlike what I feared, I did not collapse immediately and I was able to walk. I breathed a sigh of relief and followed my pride which was disappearing deeper into the forest.
I walked carefully and slowly. But right before I was too far, I felt a tingle in my instinct. My ears perked up and I slowly turned back towards the plateau which was the Prideland.
I saw nothing but the vultures that had come down and were enjoying the corpses of the hyenas. But when I looked up and at the edge of the plateau, I saw him.
Scar.
He stood there at the edge of the cliff, looking down at me with his horrible eyes and ugly face. He did not join the battle but he had watched everything unfold.
We locked eyes, no one saying anything. But there was something akin to a curse in both our gazes.
I wished he would come down, try his luck while he thought I was injured. I would still tear him apart with half my jaw.
In the end, I simply mouthed to him.
"Don't run,"
Scar saw that and after giving me a deep frown, he turned away and disappeared from the cliff.
I remained in place, still looking at the edge where he stood. And then I called one of the vultures that was beginning to enjoy the spoils of the war.
"Hey, you," I said and three vultures responded. I ordered all of them.
"Keep an eye on that lion. Tell me if he is leaving or running away," I said.
The vultures nodded and finally, I turned and followed behind my pride.
The first battle was over and the victory was ours.
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Comments
Jeremy
More more more!
Tarlock
Not going to lie these 3 chapters were wicked! I honestly can’t wait for how it all plays out but I also can’t wait to see how the humans react to Leo’s war tactics and everything!
