Bahati

“Shut up Haji, we’ll make it out of tis and tis was all you talked about.” Nahla said, whirling around to look at her friend who was crouched down on the tunnel floor curled up in a ball shaking. Bahati leaned against the wall lighting their torch as it will serve to be their only light. “Haji, she’s right your the only one tat actually wants to see the Gods and Goddesses. So come on and least get tis over with.” Bahati said, pushing off of the cold wall and walked the rest of the way dragging her feet along the cool stone with Nahla right behind her.

“You two are stupid, tey trained us to go up against one of them! And I’m choosing to not die down here like the others have before us!” Haji yelled, watching as the light of the fire faded out of her sight the further they went. Panic settled in the pit of her stomach with only the cold darkness an silence for company. Agonizing screams and inhuman growls echoed trughout the tunnels bouncing off of the cave walls. Tat fallowed bones breaking and snapping as the growls became deeper and more animal. Haji jumped to her feet and sprinted off in the opposite direction of the growls.

Heart pounding in her ears she kept runnin an turnin down each tunnel tat lead to a dead end. Till she felt around the walls and found a crawl space wide enough for her to walk into and stay hiddan. She could hear claws scrapping on the stone with heavy breathing tat came closer to her hiding spot. Puttin her hand up to her mouth with a tremblin bottom lip, she closed her eyes pushin herself further into the wall hopin it didn’t hear her with tears rolling down her light brown cheeks. “Please don’t find me.” She chanted in her mind over and over till she felt the hot breath of the beast and a deep growl rumbled through its chest as it lunged at her with its long claws out.

She screamed as it’s long sharp claws sliced through the skin on her arm. The beast lunged and clawed still trying to reach her, as pain shot up her arm with blood dripping from the wounds. “Help! Bahati, Nahla! Please help me!” She cried takin her dagger out of its holder on her thigh wit a shakin hand. She swiped at the out stretch paw cuttin it as it lunged for her again. The loud roar shook the tunnel cracking the walls around her; ducking her head an raised her arms over her head as the dust and small rocks fell down an around her.

Rushin through the small space that she hid in, she fell on top of the beast. It felt like she collided into a wall falling back on her butt with a hard thump. Lookin up at the furry beast as her eyes adjusted to the dark, after the dust faded away she could make out the outline of a tall muscular build with a main like a Lion. A gasp slipped past her lips as she hurried to back away from him curling herself into a ball making herself even smaller.

Growlin and roarin was all she could hear. Wit the thought of being torn to peace’s plagued her mind as her heart spiked feelin as though it would burst from fear alone as it pounded against her rib cage. Tears rolled down her cheeks blurrin her vision of the outline of the Lion that stood in front of her tremblin body. Fear rolled off of her in waves almost masking her scent to him as he stepped closer leaning his huge head down sniffing up her leg to her thigh. She could feel his cold wet nose against her warm skin, when he growled lowly deep in his throat she whimpered pushing herself further against the cracked wall.

“How are you going to be a warrior when your afraid of your king?” A deep rich voice echoed trugh her mind causing her to jump back hittin the back of her head on the wall. She looked up at him with wide eyes as she stuttered out, “K-king? How can I even hear your voice while your like tat!?” Her loud voice bounced off the walls echoing trugh the tunnel as it faded out. Instead of him answerin her questions, a loud roar erupted from him as he pounced on her with his sharp teeth bared with his canines ripping through the skin on the crook of her neck...