Day of Birth From the Lake

 

The voice was loud, frightening, and clear. Lions streamed down to where the scene was happening with shocked, confused expressions. The event happening before their eyes was unheard of. The water at the lakeshore became unsettling; the wind picked up, the waves becoming larger and stronger, even the color of the water was changing to a much more darker and ominous color.

At the peak of the chaos came a large wave that crashed over the shore, forcing the lions to step back. The water spluttered everywhere, stinging those who were too close. As the water began rolling back in, it left behind something. Roars from behind could be heard, but Ecko ignored them and rushed towards the object before the next wave was able to crash in. It was a cold, soaked pelt belonging to a cub that was no longer alive. Gently, he picked the poor soul up and removed the body to a safe place.

The water had calmed down a little, but it soon began to pick up again. The winds rose and water went wild. As the chaos again peaked, yet another wave crashed down and left another cub. This one a blue cub with colorful tendrils attached to his face and shoulders. Again, the cub was dead, but he was moved to safety anyways.

The whole scenario repeated many times and many lifeless cubs were left over. The lions of the cosmos were all stunned by what had happened and even frightful.

Inside the lake was a sphere, very bright, very beautiful. It was perfectly round and white light emanated from it. It began ascending from within the water and eventually broke the surface. From mid air, the sphere began to pulse, over and over. And then a shock wave. All the lions could feel it and many let out gasps. When the looked up again, all the cubs were floating mid air, eyes wide and glowing white much like the sphere. The lions were all shocked and many took a step back at the sight. Suddenly a large explosion sound rang as the mystical sphere disappeared and the cubs descended to the ground with the white removed from their eyes.
 

---

The cubs were taken back to the camp and given a place to sleep for the night. In the morning, one by one, they were questioned, not harshly, but more curiously. The cub to have washed up first went first, and then came Nereus. He followed the lions to the place he was to be interviewed. He didn't recognize any of them and wondered where he was. While walking through the places, he suddenly recognized where he was walking and could see how that place had changed with time. Clearly, he was from a time way before now.

They took their places. He sat in front of several adult lions who he could assume were the leaders. One lion, a spotted one, stepped forward and introduced himself as Ethereal, the alpha of the pride.

"So then, what is your name?" The alpha asked him.

 

Nereus looked up at him and at the other lions, thinking about how he should approach all of this. In the end he decided that, although he didn't trust these lions, being honest with them might be the best way. If he lied they might catch his lies. He wasn't sure what these lions were capable of and he didn't want to risk anything: that would be stupid. Besides, what was there to hide?

They might not believe me.

He shrugged the thought away. If they didn't believe him, that was their fault. And after what had happened the day before, they'd probably believe anything.

"My name is Nereus." He said softly, watching and reading their expressions. His curiosity was beginning to itch at him to ask questions, but he hushed up. He wasn't interviewing them...

Ethereal continued to ask questions, a lot of which were about the lake and other things Nereus had no idea of. He was beginning to feel a little crammed in this room of lions and he wanted to run.

"Do you know what the white sphere in the sky was and where it came from?"

Nereus shook his head. "No."

"What can you tell us? Where did you come from? You have to be able to tell us something!"

Nereus let out a long sigh and nodded. Then, he spoke.

"There was a time, long, long ago when every problem was resolved by war. It was the natural way back then, everything was not as civilized as it seems to be now. This was the time that I was born into."

He looked up to see if the lions were following. They all had quieted down now and were listening, seemingly satisfied. This encouraged Nereus.

"We lived here, right where you are standing. We lived in this area, and while there was always bloodshed, it suited us nicely and we were able to survive as a group- a small group. I was born into this group along with my two other siblings. We were welcomed into the group and celebrated for our little group would become stronger with the addition of us three. We were raised and taught to fight for our lives and to be loyal to our group. If we had to die for our group then so be it.

We were strong, us three, and we were doing well in our training. Fifty years we had survived, our group would ravage and destroy and conquer others. However, all of this, all the of that training, and nothing could have prepared me for what was coming."

Nereus paused, again watching all the lions, but they were all wide-eyed. They believed him so far.

"I remember one day I was out behind a few of the lions who were preparing to attack so loner lions to gain control of the area. Just as they were about to let loose their powers, an alarming sound back at our base-"

Nereus motioned to the space all around him.

"We all ran back to find a huge group of blood thirsty lions waiting for us at a lake. The one we cubs came out of."

The little cub could hardly go on anymore. He was becoming angry, the darkness within the little cub, the nature of what he learned from his old life coming out. His claws were scratching the ground. His pupils became narrowed, almost as if ready to attack the lions in front of him. These weren't his enemies though. But maybe they were the descendants of them? The traditionalists did believed in an alpha with absolute power. This could be their alpha now, as the lion did claim to be so. He could end it all.

Nereus became bloodthirsty just thinking about this- it was how he was taught to be. He couldn't take this anymore, he had to know.

"Were you the group that did this to us?" He burst, hot breath escaping his mouth at a rapid pace. "We suffered because of you! Our whole group! Thrown into the lake, burned and drowned! Your lions did this to us!"

Using the water beside him, he created a ring of water to separate him from the others. The lions were gaping at the little cub, and Nereus was waiting for him to speak.

"It is a long story, little one. Your story- we know of this story- we've seen it on the walls. But there is much you must know too"

Nereus held the water, eyes furrowed with anger. He didn't speak. Ethereal continued.

"Follow me."

Nereus wasn't sure if he should follow, but curiosity overtook him and slowly began to follow, the ring of water following him. They led the cub to carvings of exactly what he had told them. The drawings told the history of it all. He held the ring of water around him and he could feel anger boiling up inside of him. These were the lions. These were the lions who did this to his friends. To his family. To him.

 

He turned back towards them, frustration pounding through his little body. He began snarling angrily, but Ethereal was calm and collected. "We have changed a lot since then- you must understand that all of that happened many, many years ago." Ethereal continued to speak to Nereus, catching him up and explaining the goodness of the Pride now. Nereus began to calm down and eventually dropped the ring of shielding water. And although he was upset still, he understood the Pride now and their views. He understood that they had made a mistake when throwing his family in. Nereus could see that, although they were still Traditionalists, they were not the same lions. Eventually he agreed to stay with the Pride. After all, he had nowhere else to go.

 

After leaving the cave, Nereus felt choked up by everything happening- the new Pride, the information, all the gawking and staring looks. The cub began fidgeting, releasing something within him. He felt power flow inside him. Suddenly in front of him, a swirling blackhole appeared before him. He could see through it- he could see where it led to. He stepped inside and landed with a thud on the other side.

Standing to his feet, Nereus looked above him. The black hole started diminishing and soon became non existent. And in front of him, was a vast array of planets and stars, all with new mysteries and chances for exploration. Nereus knew just how to escape from the Pride when he needed to. He would never agree to their ways completely, or so he thought at the time. With his new abilities, he could travel wherever he liked. No one could stop him.