AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Within an hour, the triangles were put together like a three-dimensional puzzle into a huge dome. Once completed, the dome of triangles resembled some playground equipment Liliana had seen, but was far larger, over twenty-feet tall in the center. Two smaller domes were attached to it on opposite ends. Melee weapons were placed in the smaller domes–swords, maces, axes, knives, and shields.
The people who came to witness the succession now jostled for the best vantage point around the dome, an air of excitement like the audience at a sporting event taking over the crowd.
Liliana melted into the space between her two elderly, but far larger brothers, never comfortable in a crowd of strangers, but even less so as they got rowdier and noisier and pushier.
Jason and Petros bracketed Liliana, each putting an arm around her, sheltering her with their big bodies as they had since they were children together. Their wives and grown children surrounded them in a clump.
Surrounded by family instead of strangers, she opened her fourth eyes and watched the succession combat from the safe space. Her fourth vision was unimpeded by the many large lion-kin bodies between her petite form and the dome.
Andrew Periclum entered one of the domes through a hinged doorway, and the stocky man who had challenged him entered the other. One person accompanied each of them. The man with the slender, young Periclum was huge, with claw scars across his face. He also looked far more formidable than the skinny, barely grown boy, even though they were about the same age.
Each opponent stripped off their shirts and shoes and chose weapons from those available. Andrew Periclum chose a sword and shield. His opponent chose a two-handed axe. The big man with the scarred face hooked the shield onto Andrew Periclum’s arm, nodded, and opened a hinged section of triangles leading into the big central dome.
The stocky challenger and Andrew Periclum faced each other. Both transformed to big, demi-lion form, with full, shaggy manes falling to the middle of their backs, and fur covering their bare torsos. Andrew Periclum’s mane was scraggly and short. It would probably fill in more when he got older.
They roared, big fangs bared at each other.
The crowd all transformed and roared with them. Liliana felt her brothers shift to demi-lion on either side of her, becoming far larger and furrier. She was used to them doing that, though, so it didn’t disturb her. The sound of so many lions all roaring in one place was gut rumbling and nearly deafening, but oddly comfortable. Lions were family.
When that sound died down, the big man with the scarred face who had helped arm Andrew Periclum shouted, “Begin.”
The crowd shouted a loud whoop and growls of excitement in anticipation of a good fight.
The stocky lion-kin swung his big axe at Andrew Periclum, who ducked neatly, and brought his sword up to the other man’s neck in a single motion.
Stocky lion-kin’s eyes widened. He dropped his axe and raised his hands.
The crowd suddenly got quiet as everyone there held their breaths.
Liliana gasped in surprise. At only twenty, Andrew Periclum was a far more formidable fighter than Liliana would have thought.
“I yield,” the stocky challenger said.
Andrew Periclum chuckled darkly. “You shouldn’t have challenged me in the first place.” And he slashed across the other lion-kin’s throat.
Blood spurted, but Andrew Periclum side-stepped so it didn’t splatter on him.
As the lion-kin who called challenge dropped to his knees, clutching his throat, blood spurting between his fingers, Andrew Periclum turned to the crowd, and roared, “I am the King of Lions and my word is law! Any who say otherwise must face me here!”
After a moment, the crowd erupted in roars and shouts of, “Andrew Periclum is the King of Lions!”
Liliana’s brothers did not join in the shouting. She could feel the rumble in their big furry bodies as they both growled low.
Simon of Nemea, their father, had always taught that it was the height of dishonor to kill after someone had yielded.
Slowly, in the center of the dome, the stocky lion-kin shifted back to human form as he died. A man in worn blue jeans, bare torso stained with blood lay on the grass in the glade.
Her third eyes were also open, and Liliana had rarely seen so much disgust and anger in her brothers’ auras.
Jason and Petros were both too old to call challenge themselves, but she knew they considered it.
Jason had no sons, only daughters, and it was not traditional for lionesses to lead the pride.
Petros’s son stood watching beside his father. He was already middle-aged but had married late in life. He shook his head when his father looked at him. His arm went around the waist of his pregnant wife. His aura showed a mix of protectiveness and fear.
Petros nodded understanding. His son would not risk death in the dome if death meant abandoning his wife and unborn child.
Liliana blinked, bringing herself back to Doctor Nudd’s home with the crackling fire and the sonorously ticking grandfather clock.
