The Severed Exile

Location: Southwestern San Palamino Desert
Time: Early Noon

"Dun luk back, pon! Keep runnin'!" screamed Allambee as the two zebras galloped hastily over the hot sandy earth, huffing as they ran for their lives, three ferocious lions hot on their tails. Kaffir couldn't help but look back behind his shoulder despite his best friend's commands, the visage of those snarling monsters chasing him only making him redouble his efforts as he charged forward, his hooves kicking up the loose sand, making a dust trail behind himself in hopes of blinding the aggressors.

"They're not letting up. I do not know how much further we can run..." Kaffir huffed out, the pair having been running for the last 2 hours nonstop. He could feel his legs burning from more than just the desert heat in the high noon sun, the strain upon them from the long stint of sprinting taking it's toll.

"I dun't know eitha. We havta lose dem sumhow.." Allambee panted out in reply before looking over his shoulders. He narrowed his eyes at the three lions charging behind them unrelentingly, he eventually coming to a stop. "Here." he cranes his head back and pulls out the large glaive he had sheathed in his saddle bag, tossing it toward Kaffir, causing him to stop as well. "Take it and go. Protect yaself and use it in memory o' me."

"W-what? Allambee, you are not serious.." Kaffir said, shaking his head in disbelief at his closest and now last friend.

"Take it, mon! One o' us hasta survive. You be younga, more virile. Ya deserve dis chance at life. My gift ta you fa being mah best bud." Allambee said as he pulls his hoof-blades from his saddle-sheaths.

"No!" Kaffir screamed. "We can survive together, my brotha. Don't do this. If you die, there will be only me left!"

"Dhen so be it!" Allambee said as he reared back and up, standing tall on his hind hooves. "You be dah sole survivor, mon, ta carry on da legacy of our people. Dat be your responsibility now. Go! Dis be no option for ya ta choose."

"But..."

"I said go!! Ya were stubborn enough gettin' ya outta da village, pon. Ya dun't need ta be stubborn now. Just go!" Allambee roared out demandingly as he slipped his hooves into the cuffs of the hoof-blades, twisting to lock them in place as he spread his hind-legs apart, getting into a stance. "Come at me, ya fuzz-necks! I'll take ya all to da grave wit' me!" he said as the lions charged him, Kaffir shaking his head at the display before picking up the long, bladed polearm and sliding it into his saddle-pack before turning and running.

He ran a good pace before turning around, witnessing the battle unfold behind him. He watched as Allambee stepped and twirled, dodging pounces and claws while swinging, only to have his blades parried and deflected. "Hah!" Allambee screamed out as he swiped his blade at an oncoming paw, slicing it clean off, the lion screaming out in pain as he recoiled, limping away. "Who's next! I'll de-paw all ya son'sa cockatrices!" Allambee roared out in vigor as he continued to swing his curved hoof-blades viciously at the lions.

A large lion emerged from the dust that was kicked up from the battle, his mane greater than those of his allies, his teeth bared viciously as he approached from behind. "Fool..." he growled, causing Allambee to look over his shoulder. "You should have kept running..."

"Screw ya, pon! I'll kick all ya asses! Bring i-" he was interrupted immediately as he was tackled hard to the ground, he landing with a hard thud as he tried to scrabble and buck his aggressor off of him, but it was too late as the lion drove his claws into Allambee's lower half and bit down viciously into his flank. "AAGGHH!" he lets out a blood-curdling scream as the other lions followed suit, driving their claws into him and biting into his flesh, some simply letting the blood seep from his wounds while others began to rip chunks of flesh and meat from him piece by piece all while Allambee kicked and struggled fruitlessly.

The large lion walked up to Allambee and looked down upon him, baring his teeth sinisterly as Allambee groaned out in pain, blood beginning to pool grotesquely from him as he was rended and bitten viciously. "So much for your valiance, aye zebra? Now you're just another meal..." the dire lion shook his head.

"Ngghh...sc-screw ya, pon....screw...ya..." Allambee strained out in agony. The large lion slams his paw down into Allambee muzzle and shuffles it upward, exposing the zebras neck as he snarled a sinister laugh.

"On the contrar...screw you, 'pon'." he growled before diving forward and driving his teeth into Allambee's neck, blood spouting out copiously as Allambee's body began to kick and thrash, gargling heard as his eyes widened and blood began to spill from his nostrils and mouth. In one foul rip, the large lion tears out Allambee's throat, blood spurting from the large open wound in time with his heart-beat, the zebra's eyes rolling back into his head as his body convulsed and jerked one final time before laying dormant and still, the large lion chewing and enjoying his chunk of bloodied flesh.

He turns and looks over his shoulder, noticing Kaffir standing in the distance, his eyes wide with shock from witnessing his best friend, and his last ally, viciously murdered and devoured. The large lion smiled and his blood-drenched maw mouthed the word: "Soon." before grinning ferally, turning back and helping the others devour the fresh corpse..

Kaffir felt himself grow even more cold and numb as he turned and began to run, the images of blood and gore, the agonizing screams for mercy, the snarling, roars and heckling all playing through his mind as he galloped over the hot sandy earth, his saddlebags rattling loudly, the contents inside being the only remaining remnants of his lost civilization. All he could do now was run. Run and hope he can find this so-called land beyond the desert. If not, he just had to get away. Go anywhere.

Anywhere but here...