Never Back Down

"He he he..."

A certain pair of troublemakers had decided to strut onto the battlefield. The twins had gotten bored of sitting around the Outlands all day, doing nothing. Why not go out and have some fun?

The Si gazed around, looking for a suitable opponent. "All look busy with others..."

"Hmmm...Maybe we wait for opponent?"

"Yes, sound good."

Waiting for an opponent was no easy task for the two, so they hid low in the grass for now, and see any free Heroes decided to foolishly step out into the Grasslands.

(Any body can fight these two, though I'd like somebody around their size.)

Malkia watched intently as Scruffy began trotting back and forth in wake of the onslaught. What on earth was the devil planning now? She was watching intently for any signs of the lioness slipping up, but there were none. This was a creature bred for the battlefield unlike many Malkia had encountered before. No quarter could be given or could be asked for.
She looked up in hope as two voices sounded from the top of a nearby rise. Help had arrived at last! The heroes were still vastly out-numbered, but she hoped Dante and Bob had merely been forerunners from her call to arms and the rest were still to follow. But then she heard the wolfdog's growl and watched as he dashed off to fulfill some desire for revenge...but it would be hypocritical of her to say that she had never done the same. She cast a glance behind her, and gave Bob a beseeching glance. She wasn't sure the extent of the equine's magic, though she knew he at least had some, but the sooner he got Afu out of there the better. But if Scruffy was still around while he was transporting her... She tried to convey that message in the look she sent him, and gave the slightest incline of her head in the direction of the monster. Steady.
Her attention was brought back to Scruffy when the lioness began talking in a tone that would have made any other creature turn tail on the spot and run for their soon-to-be shortened lives. But not the old elephant. Let her throw whatever petty threats she had.

"Such small eyes?"

Oh no... Malkia immediately began to backpedal, moving protectively over Afu once again. Her eyesight was poor even when the sun was at its brightest, highest, and clearest. It was one of her biggest weaknesses, and Scruffy had exploited it masterfully. The lioness had completely and utterly vanished into the ink, and now she could be absolutely anywhere. For all Malkia knew, Afu was being dragged silently from under her at that very moment, or Dante was dangling limp between blood-stained jaws, or Bob's neck had been snapped in silence and he was being dragged away to be-
 No! Her brain screamed at her suddenly. Don't let her get to you, you're smarter than that and she knows it. Concentrate old girl, concentrate! The elephant lowered her head and racked her brain for a solution, but then she gave in and completely emptied it of all thought, open only to her other senses.

Her enormous ears twitched the smallest fraction as they detected the slightest huff of near-silent breath.
Malkia grinned. Found you.

 Breaking from defence mode instantly, she propelled herself into a lunge towards where Scruffy lay, bringing her feet down again in more of a mock charge.
 "My eyesight might not be exemplary, but I can hear the sound of an approaching elephant herd three days away.' She backed up, keeping her head locked onto the rough area where she knew from vibrations, smell, and sound that Scruffy was. 'I can feel the vibrations from a fire half-way across the savannah, I can smell water hundreds of miles away in the middle of the dry season. I can see you plain as DAY!' she lunged again for Scruffy's rough location, lowering her head at first and bringing it up in a majestic arc, ivory tusks gleaming in the dark as they sliced upwards like twin swords.
 She watched the cat's progress again, then backpedalled again towards Afu, glaring into the dark as she spoke in an almost mocking tone while paraphrasing the lioness's words. "Coming to get me?"

Scruffy quietly curled away against a boulder in the darkness as Malkia pounded the earth near her. The very pebbles shook from the force and Scruffy wasn't exactly keen to be under the next one. But Malkia was taking stabs and retreating, a pattern the cunning lioness was taking note of and simply allowing. Languidly she crept around a tuft of dying grass set by a withering tree, crimsons eyeing the twitch of those massive ears that were doing their best to pick up any trace of Scruffy that they could. The lioness was buying her time, and testing the boundaries of the great beast and which angles were more effectively sensitive than others.

Elephants were like fortresses, but even those walls could crumble. Especially with age.

Her tail tuft flicked at a patch of drying grass and she fluidly continued her movements a small distance away in the short time given, heaving her body towards the earth and remaining still as the elephant moved to lunge blindly into the darkness. Although that had been where Scruffy had been. But the sudden movement and loudness of the display would be enough to cover Scruffy's sliding further to the left, down the trail of stone and wilting grass reeds that brought her fractionally closer to Afu than she had been. Afu was no longer the target- she was as good as dead at this point, but she would no doubt be the base that the elephant would be returning to promptly after her strike. Malkia's offensive decision had given Scruffy the opening to be almost completely incognito, settling into darkness and silence.

It was the stroke of when Malkia began speaking and returning back to Afu, that the colossal lioness made her move. Muscles flexed as she lunged from her position, tearing up the earth as she closed the short distance between her and the elephant. She jumped towards the flank, head dipped to avoid any wild swing of Malkia's trunk and tusks but intending to use what Scruffy assumed would be limited mobility for the angle and the sudden attack. Promptly following the fake dive, muscles transferred the momentum and weight of Scruffy's body but not towards Afu. She leaped for the side of Malkia, intending to hook atop her back, just behind her front shoulder while massive jaws aimed to close around the nearest stem of one of her giant ears.

For any other lioness the attempt would have been foolish to take on by ones self. But Scruffy's inordinate size gave her an advantage quite unlike many of her kin. She expect thrashing upon her attack, among many things. But if hooked upon the giants side Malkia would have a hard time avoiding the assault on her winged ear. Although the attack was blatant, Scruffy wasn't fool enough to think she could down the creature today, certainly not on her own.
But she was interested in taking trophies.

A loud screech left Gamba's throat at the sight of the lioness who bared down on him. Should of aimed better, he thought to himself as the spear that was supposed to of been aiming for her chest buried itself into her shoulder and once again Gamba cursed himself for his bad aiming but at least he hit something. Now weaponless, Gamba had to think of something fast or otherwise, he'd be dead or have serious injuries. Scruffy should be on Kiara in moments if he planned it right but he would have to buy himself a little time until then. The white colored chimp bolted forward, he raced to pick up his blood tipped spear that the big cat had tossed aside.

(This should of gone a few posts before Scruffy went after Malkia)

Now THAT was a challenge! The massive black bear had his one burning orange eye set on his prize. The cow elephant. Claws that could crush stone and rip humans in half could easily rip through Malkia's thick, leathery hide. The bear chuffed, ragged breaths escaping his maw as he slowly lumbered towards the elephant who was currently engaged with fighting the lioness, Scruffy. The bear was never afraid of Scruffy. Hell, he hardly knew what fear was. "Move aside Scruffy," Mor'du rumbled. Normally, no one would EVER dare to order the cat around. They would surely be dead the moment they finished their sentence, but he was Mor'du and once again the cat didn't faze him one bit. A large paw swiped through the air as Mor'du aimed to slash across the elephant's flank.

 Malkia was prepared when Scruffy exploded like a rocket from the darkness, and the old animal lurched forward to meet her, aiming to knock her out of the air like a fly with her muscular trunk. So she was totally unprepared when her trunk made contact with nothing but air and the lioness ducked underneath her colossal head and towards her flank. She was about to turn around and knock her away from the vulnerable area, but Scruffy was ultimatley faster. All talking was finished now.
 The royal advisor bellowed in pain as the piercing weapons clamped around the stem of her ear. An injury there was no-where near as potentially life-threatening as say, a broken leg or a gouged-out eye, but it was one of the most painful spots on an elephant, and it hurt like hell.
 Trashing around madly, Malkia finally left Afu's body alone in the grass as she tried to rid herself of her parasite. She twisted and turned, reared all the way up then came crashing back down again, all in an attempt to get Scruffy away from her head and neck, both very vulnerable areas.
 It was a risky move, but Malkia was not in a calculating mind as she lashed her trunk up behind her head at whip-speed in an attempt to grab Scruffy anywhere she could, most likely the neck if not one of the paws. Bites and scratches to the long appendage she was prepared to endure, she just wanted to grab this beast and choke the air out of her, or slam her body down to the ground.
 
 She was still fumbling up behind her head, when she heard a rumbling voice nearby, and suddenly felt hot pain as a set of enormous claws raked through her armoured skin. And she whirled around to see the form of a gigantic bear (if you could call it that) attacking her flank. As if she didn't have one monster on her plate already! 
 But it was no matter; she could, and would, deal with them both accordingly, but it would not come without loss. For a more youthful Malkia this would have been so much easier; a tusk-stab here and a curb-stomp there and it woud be over with moments. But age was her biggest weakness. Perhaps rivalling pride, for she absolutely refused to turn away from a fight, even against two of the most deadly carnivores Africa had ever seen.
 Grunting with exertion and trying to keep simultaneous focus on Scruffy, she tensed up her muslces, and aimed a power-packed body-slam into Mor'du's sword-scored face and stoumach. Two, (or three, rather) could play the brawn game. And although Scruffy and Mor'du were oversized bears and lions engineered and packed with euphoria for the art of battle, Malkia was an over-sized elephant with a mind, particular talent, and a devastating set of weapons for the exact same thing.

Eyes the color of the absent sun itself watched over the battle. The sickly tear of flesh and moist sound of blood slapping the dirt was the symphony in her ears. Scents entered her nostrils and she identified many allies and opponents, but her massive feet did not lift to advance into combat. Despite her chosen alliance, she was honorable and as such put her in many complicated situations. Sohalia fought no unworthy adversary. She disregarded the smaller animals entirely, being friend or for mattered not and they were pathetic. Grating glass textured armored slid as she shifted from paw to paw, eyes falling upon the fight between the feline and elephant. Sohalia was of course drawn to it; she was awed by the strength in which Malkia had portrayed against the renowned power house Scruffy. The lioness was worthy in the eyes of the ursa, pleased chuffs warming the air around her muzzle.

Malkia showed such fierce and unyielding might and she couldn’t help the swelling warmth in her chest from watching the fight. It spurred the bear and a gleam shone in the depths of her irises. It was truly a fight to behold and Sohalia roared as she witnessed the match, still aware of combat around her.

Smoldering slate fur mingled in the gaps of armor, the ebony shell invisible in the darkness of battle. Sohalia too yerned for a fight such as Scruffy’s, quite envious that the massive elder wasn’t her own opponent. Heart suddenly dropped in its high as a sickly familiar stitch stung her nose. Face knitted into bitter wrinkles and inferno gaze locked upon the hulking mass. It was unmistakable and the mere sight sent a disgusting retch to convulse her throat.
Mor’du.

They were upon the same standing in the army, villains. However she despised the sorry excuse for a bear and unfortunately harvested a grudge against him for his attempt at consuming fellow bears at one point. Muscles churned with restraint but he was her ally. Therefore, untouchable.

Once she noticed his desired opponent, then her fury was inextinguishable, breaths came out in enraged pants and eyes shrunk to dots. The lack of respect he held to a fellow member of their army, Scruffy was even more unacceptable, but the main thing that sent her body moving on its own was his desire to double team such a worthy creature. Malkia deserved so much more. Surprisingly, it was not a hero to assist the elephant, but Sohalia herself. Large hooked claws dug into the terrain as she moved forward at surprising speed for the heavy armor atop her spine. Sohalia sent a warning roar to Mor’du, whether he heeded it or not she still charged forward. Blood spewed from Malkia’s wound and it empowered the female bear on.

“Mor’du, leave this battle to Scruffy. Or else you would like to deal with me?” voice shredded the air and her rage obvious.
Size was not a problem to her, even though she was slightly smaller than Mor’du, she did not fear the beast. Sohalia would not allow him to disgrace them further. Sohalia’s body chest first and clad with armor slammed into the male bear’s flank, the side of his ribs. If such attack hit, and assumingly he would not be able to dodge such an unsuspecting attack, she would throw his body from Malkia and perhaps barrel him to the ground where she would stand over him snarling. Between the two Sohalia’s enhanced intelligence and defense vastly outweighed the brute of a bear, if he wanted to avoid fighting her. It would be wise if he listened to the she-bear.

"The hell are you doing, Sohalia? We're suppose to be fighting the Heroes, not each other!" the large bear snarled as he raised up on his back legs to glare at his former salmon-run acquaintance. He sniffed the air at the smell of fresh blood from the elephant's flank. "Big opponents need team-work to take down! You think Scruffy can manage this thing by herself? I don't doubt her but she may need some help!" Curumo turned and attempted to sink his sharp teeth into the elephant's tough back leg, trying to do some damage, maybe rip a tendon or something.

snkt!

An arrow shot precisely through the air, a non-fatal but at least painful enough to knock him off shot to Curomo’s snout. Tiana had borrowed Merida’s pack of arrows for this fight, the bow her own. She just hadn’t used it in a while. Watching those creatures tear at the elephant made her cringe in disgust and horror. She wasn’t going to let them bring this beast down. So while she knew she couldn’t do anything to Scruffy who was already in attack mode, Tiana knew she could hold off the other bears at least to give the old elephant time to escape.

Quickly, she raised an arrow again and aimed it towards Mor’du. Her eyes narrowed, glowing a soft bit, the gris-gris vibrating on her chest as it fed off of her disgust, her hate and her anger. Her head dipped slightly and she let loose an arrow yet again, sending a shot towards Mor’du’s face as well. Whether this one would hit its mark was up to the bear.

Though a fool would assume her unarmed to a close range attack. Tiana had not come unprepared. At her feet she had a dagger, hidden in the grass.

Talon like claws dug into the side of the elephants thick hide like hooks. Her teeth sunk into the base of her ear and she was greeted with the sound of a pain bellow from the old creature. Scruffy's snarls sounded as she tore at the ear, shaking her head and tugging away and shredding at the thick flaps. Malkia's charges were doing a remarkable job unrooting Scruffy's claws while her trunk swiped for her scruff. As a defense, she released her grasp on her ear and growled, one paw unhooking to swat back at the reaching limb.

But ultimately it wasn't Malkia's desperate grasps that loosed Scruffy from her side. In the end, it was a steady charge in the direction of a foolish bear. Scruffy didn't know his name, but she was sure by how he tried to dismiss her that he was an idiot. With the crashing between the bear and elephant, Scruffy released her hold on Malkia and pushed off within that direction of momentum as best she could. The contact between the two giants though was not a subtle one, and when Scruffy landed she braced her shoulders, tumbling roughly into the grass at her side and rolling back onto all fours. Her claws dug into the dry earth to slow herself, and she rolled her eyes as yet another bear came to take part. There were three now.

None of which had her attention. They wanted to take the elephant by their lonesome? Fine. They could have it. Scruffy's attention was diverted elsewhere now, back to the unattended lioness on the ground that had been unable to go anywhere. Her legs were a mangled mess of Scruffy's meal she'd made of her, and her back was jutting out in a gruesome way. She hadn't gone anywhere. Without a word, the great beast rolled her shoulders and curled around the commotion that Malkia was newly dealing with. That was no longer her priority.

Closing in upon Afu, Scruffy circled around the length of her body before coming up to her front, eyeing Afu's face with those crimson orbs.

"Call for your king..." she almost cooed in a low simple voice. "Call for him, one last time..." she urged. This time more forcefully, as her paw reached down, and nudged Afu's form over so she was on her side. She was almost a corpse already so this would hardly be any kind of challenge, this was to make a point. Red eyes swiftly glanced up at the rampaging elephant that was now tangling with the two bears, before looking down upon Afu once again.

A deep rumbling in her throat as her jowls parted and closed upon the side of her neck and roughly dragged her forward. Massive head arched upward, lifting Afu's form with her and paws placed around either side of the lionesses shoulder. Struggling would be minimal, with the condition of her back, but the great beast extended her claws like hooks above Afu's shoulders, securing her position. Without another moments notice, Scruffy fastened her grip with teeth set nearly entirely around her tiny neck with her size so minor in comparison to her great form. With a few violent jerks followed by the numbing sound of snapping, Scruffy ripped the lionesses head from her throat. Tenons muscles and fur tore, still attached as the bones protruded.

Bloodlust

Scruffy rained it upon herself and the earth around her. The fluids poured freely like rivers from both the mostly removed head and gaping hole of where it used to lay intact. Vicious snarls, she gave it one last tug and successfully pulled it free. Dragging it a couple feet away, she rough it a rough snort and dropped it at her feet, massive paw settling atop it as she sniffed at its' face and curiously gazed at its' eyes. How long did it take for the feeling to leave, she wondered. Or was it instant. Apparently deciding she didn't care, Scruffy batted the head to the side and turned back to the giant elephant who'd previously been standing over Afu. The front of her chest and all down her pillar like legs were painted in the blood of both Afu and the elephant.

"Commendable job, great giant." she called scathing to Malkia, whether she was free of the bears or not. There was a human firing arrows now. Not Scruffy's concern- she wouldn't fire unless she wanted to lose her head next since there was nothing between her and the massive lioness.

"You certainly showed me the might of the hero army today and the value of all they fight for. I advised you to return with what was left of this pitiful lioness..." Scruffy reminded her. Jowls pulled back into a vicious snarl, eyes narrowed into something purely evil even in the face of everything she previously had done and showed. It was rage.

"Now you can return her corpse!" she practically barked at her, surrounded by fits of snarls and roars that cut the battle field and all its' ruckus. Scruffy's message was clear. This was Malkia's fault. And because of her she was bringing Afu home in two pieces instead of one particularly broken one. Her whipcord lashed out dangerously, as she began skirting around the battle with considerable space and delving into the darkness.

Malkia's greatest concern was the bears she had flooding her sides. Scruffy was leaving them.

 “Mor’du, leave this battle to Scruffy. Or else you would like to deal with me?”

Mor'du stepped back, nearly stumbling from the sudden weight against his flank. The armor dented his marred, tough flesh but other than a slight bruise the demon bear was unharmed. "Ye stupid bleeding wh-" he was suddenly cut off as an arrow whizzed through the air, denting the top of his balding head, the skin once again shielding it from the arrow's razor sharp tip just as it had done with red headed girl's arrow back in the ruins of his castle. His one eye burned with annoyance as he sniffed the air, completely ignoring the elephant and Scruffy.

Tiana. Mor'du had picked up her scent, and he stalked towards the grass, sniffing about, trying to figure out where she was hiding. 

The unicorn's hooves scrabbled as he attempted to grab the silver dog's tail. But as he went off in a direction that Bob could simply not follow, he turned tail, galloping towards Malkia and the lion down below her legs. The unicorn paused at the very edge, attempting to figure out what he could do. The lioness was massive, and she was threatening. Bob knew it would not be smart to go for her.

Everything moved far too fast for him to even register what was going on. All he could see was that a giant bear had gone for Malkia, was distracted by a smaller bear, and that Tiana had shown up, firing arrows at the beast.

Bob narrowed his eyes. He had to do something. He broke into a gallop once more, closing the gap between him and Afu. But before the unicorn could even reach her, he watched in horror as the massive lioness decapitated her with one powerful bite. The sickening crunch of bones and sinews made the unicorn press his ears to his skull. It would forever be burned into his memory. As Scruffy left, Bob jumped into action.

Unfortunately, he could no longer save Afu. But he could still help to save Malkia. Bob galloped to the elephant's side, and he gave her a brief nod, before rising on his hind legs. Bob's horn began to glow with a blinding white light, as a powerful beam shot out towards Mor'du.

Nov 25, 2015 22:42:31 GMT -5 Baskoro said:

A loud screech left Gamba's throat at the sight of the lioness who bared down on him. Should of aimed better, he thought to himself as the spear that was supposed to of been aiming for her chest buried itself into her shoulder and once again Gamba cursed himself for his bad aiming but at least he hit something. Now weaponless, Gamba had to think of something fast or otherwise, he'd be dead or have serious injuries. Scruffy should be on Kiara in moments if he planned it right but he would have to buy himself a little time until then. The white colored chimp bolted forward, he raced to pick up his blood tipped spear that the big cat had tossed aside.

He was charging towards her.

Kiara's brow furrowed, eyes narrowing, as she continued to bear down on the ape. They were both closing distance fast, and though she didn't know what he was aiming for, the simple fact was that they were going to collide in a matter of moments. If he was after reclaiming his weapon, he would be out of luck; it was beyond her, and the lioness would be all over him before he got half way to it.

If he had an attack plan in mind, however--

She didn't exactly have cause to worry, the primate hadn't been equipped by nature to take on a big feline like herself; still, it made Kiara wary. He had to have something in mind, and while she doubted he had the strength to take her down, he was still capable of hurting her if he set his mind to it.

All this flickered through her mind in the few seconds it took her to reach him.

She bowled into him, paws outstretched and claws unsheathed. Kiara wasn't specifically seeking blood, but she wanted this fight over quickly. She couldn't see what had happened to Scruffy, if the massive lioness was even still present or not, but she had no desire at all to risk such an encounter. That Scruffy hadn't come after her yet was no comfort; the fact remained that the older feline still could turn to her at any time.

Better to end this and get away.

Her claws raked out at flesh. Kiara couldn't tell what damage she'd caused, but she was sure she'd hit something; she'd felt it give beneath her paws, and a fresh tang of blood seemed to swell about her, filling her nostrils; a scent she still found dangerously intoxicating.


((ooc: I don't mean to auto-hit, so I leave up to you where Kiara struck and how much damage she caused ^^))

Malkia grunted with satisfaction as Mor'du staggered backwards, then turned her attention to the silver bear now charging towards them. The bear that had been present since the beginning of the battle, and whose roars had mingled with the trumpets and snarls. Was she only deciding to fight now that re-inforcements had arrived? Coward.
But instantaneously Malkia's judgements were proven wrong as the she-bear slammed ferociously into the demon with intense furiosity. Was the silver bear a hero she was not aware of? No, definetly a villain, but apparently of a more...honourable stock. Malkia almost recoiled in surprise. A least she would not be totally alone in this battle.
Carelessly, and almost without looking she swung an enormously powerful leg at the other bear attacking her as she continued to squint curiously down at Sohalia. She gave her a short nod of thanks then reached up to deal with her last remaining attacker...but her trunk only swiped at thin air.

"Call for your King..."

The near-whisper was as loud to her sensitive ears as the grunts and snarls littered around the battle-field. No...no no no. Malkia left the bears (heaven help them if they decided to follow her) and set a course back for the injuried casualty that she had been stupid enough to abandon. Her feet were pounding the ground as fast as they could go, trunk curling, ears flapping, and brow slacking in distress. If she could only get there in time!

"Call for him, one last time..."

 And then came the horrible snap. Malkia stopped dead in her tracks, the great old body paralyzed with shock. No...it couldn't be.
 Slowly, she inched herself forwards, step by careful step until she beheld the gruesome scene. She choked on a sob and tears welled in her eyes as she approached the gruesome thing that had once argued with her.
 She barely heard Scruffy's scathing taunts, but she could come to the same conclusion herself. This was her fault. She had been stupid enough to leave a critically wounded casualty on the battlefield and left her exposed as clear as day, even in the darkness. 
 And now this lioness, this cub she had helped to teach and watched grow up, was gone like that before her very eyes. And it was because of her. Every argument she had ever had with Afu, every heated glare or low snarl, she now regretted to her very bones.
 Always a vocal girl she had been, foolish girl, head filled with nothing but air and fantasies. But such a fate was the last thing Malkia would have wished upon her, if she could even imagine such a grotesque death.

 But then as she gazed upon Afu's corpse, Malkia's mind became filled with the very emotion that had been the cause of the lioness'es death in the first place. Rage.
 A trumpet of catastrophic proportions filled the air as she reared onto her back legs, shaking her trunk, ears, tusks, and forelegs. 
 "WE'LL MEET AGAIN CAT!" she bellowed senselessly after the lioness, shaking the earth with the sheer magnitude of her voice. "AND WHEN WE DO, THERE WON'T BE ANY HALF-DEAD LIONS THERE TO HOLD ME BACK!"

She came back down, and exhaled a deep and pent-up sigh. One thing was for certain, she was not letting Afu rot out here for the scavengers. Tenderly and as gently as she could, she picked up the broken body and placed it on top of her head, ignoring the blood that trickled down her face. Then she felt around in the dark, and gently held Afu's head in her trunk tip.
 Malkia turned, and began walking slowly and steadily towards the bears. She was not slowing down.
 "Get out of my way." she said in a low voice that was far more dangerous than any trumpet. The blood was running past her eyes, clouding her vision with red, and onto her tusks, giving them an eeire red shine in the darkness. For their own sakes, they had better listen to her.
 So when she saw Mor'du running off, she assumed that he had. And then Bob the unicorn joined her and sent him a fierce blast to the rear, most likely as an added injury-to-insult to send him packing. She returned the unicorn's nod solemly, they had this from here.
 Malkia had not noticed the demon bear was heading in the direction of Tiana however, for she most certainly would have stayed to help the girl fight him, but she just assumed the bear was heeding her due warning. Mor'du's pachyderm-penance could come another day.
 She passed the silver bear at the same graceful stride, and actually turned her head to adress Sohali. "You have my thanks, Noble One." she nodded. "I hope we can encounter each-other again."
 And that was it. Malkia was heading back towards the direction of Pride Rock, the lifeless body of Afu Almanzi hanging limp from her head.