Ch 18 War is Brewing

It had been a few weeks since the mating. Mewzi was glowing happily. She would skip around the house giving her mates early morning kisses and hugs before they got too busy later in the day. She got to know Kai's parents better but still missed spending her time with the guys. The weather had turned colder and Nyoka had fought as long as he could before he had to hibernate.

Mewzi rubbed her growing belly and sighed. She had hoped to help in the battle but she knew she wouldn't be allowed. She had always wondered why she couldn't get magical powers like the main characters in other books she read. She wondered who the father would be. Would they be born as animals or humans.

The sound of voices raised brought her out of her idle thoughts. She slipped out of bed carefully and thanked her mother in law for the fur slippers that slid on. She held her belly with one hand and put the other on her hip. She was determined to not waddle but she was only a few months along and she was carrying so big.

Her slippers made a shifting down as she was too tired to bother picking them up properly. She'd imagine the fit grandmother would have thrown. There were Kings, Queens, generals of all kinds. The sounds of shouting died down as everyone noticed Mwezi coming around the corner. She waved shyly. "Well you don't have to stop on my account." She tried to lighten the mood.

Namur walked over to her and placed his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry, did we wake you?" Mwezi shook her head. "Not at all, I was just thinking. What's wrong?" She asked, trying to peek around him.

"We differ on how we want to approach this war. Some of us who've actually been in battle want to take this on head first. Those that are afraid of political nonsense want to wait for my brother to strike." Maui said bored.

A woman with butt length hair banged on the table. The top half of her head was bright orange while the bottle a pure white. Random highlights of black strewn about. "You cannot ask the entire fucking island to go to war for a petty squabble over some woman and a rouge. Why should we join you? You have most of the shifters on this island. You don't need us. I will see no tiger blood spilled over this nonsense." She called out.

Mwezi, like everyone else sighed. "Then what?" She asked. The woman looked at her, at her belly and then back to her. "Worry about carrying your pups and leave this to those who will actually handle the problem." She retorted unbothered. Mwezi raised a hand before her mates could retort.

"But that's just the issue here. You're playing pussy, which is pathetic considering you're the only feline bowing out like a bitch. You want to sit here and cry about a little war. War is never. Little. Blood shed is never little.

Let's say we win. That problem is solved but now what? You think we'd want to ally with you after your display here? We wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you. But let's go dark. Say we don't win. You think Tazeem is going to leave you alone because you didn't help us? He would do his best to break you and make you bow just like he'd want to do to us. Oh and I can't imagine he'd let you or your son continue to rule. Tell me to worry about my pups while risking your own.

Oh and let's not forget the tension with the Eagles. They can't pass through Hawk or Jag kingdom without getting murdered out of the sky. You think. They won't be nice and fly around you. You can handle this head on like a Queen or run like some limp dick cuck. Attack the issue head on proactively or reactively explain to your innocent civilians why they're being murdered in droves as collateral over some, how did you put it, petty squabble. Enjoy that blood on your hands." Mwezi said everything but the last party calmly. She made sure to keep as calm as possible but she needed to be forced to see reality.

She didn't have much to say in retort but she looked like he wanted to murder Mwezi. Sabine stepped beside her and smiled. "Please keep this promise in mind. Should you side with our enemy, we will destroy you. Not you lands or your people. But you. You will lose everything….and then your life." Sabine told the man.

The tiger queen looked as if she was going to say something but Lu'anna interjected. "Well that was fun, riveting I would say. A compromise perhaps? Hawks and Owls will be our support line. We need supplies, and silent sentries along the borders. While I'm sure the Princess would fight with us in battle, the Hawk Kingdom is not…directly involved in fighting. Perhaps you can provide support and aid?" She offered.

Ma'Kaio stepped up "I'll even sweeten the deal. Tigar citizens, especially in border villages and cities, can have asylum in the Jaguar kingdom. This will be even if you don't decide to help and the Eagles decide to try and catch a few bodies along the way. Unable bodies and children at least."

The Tiger Queen seemed taken aback by the offers but contemplated. She looked to her sleeping son, a guard held in their arms. "He can stay with me. I'll be safe away from danger. Should anything happen to you we will raise him as our own and see to it he has his throne." Mwezi now offered.

"I will think on …." The Tiger queen stopped herself and remembered the ferals being brought over. Her people were already suffering. She let out a pained but powerful roar. Mwezi jumped, startled. "Apologies….my people have already suffered and though I didn't like her word choice. She's right. My people have and will be suffering regardless of the outcome of this war. I accept the Jaguar Kingdoms kindness of Asylum" She looked to the Jaguar king "and we will help however we can." She looked at the Bear Queen.

"Then it's settled. Now let us prepare" the Jaguar queen said.

~

He could literally be anywhere else. He should be hibernating. But no. He wanted to help and knew he was no good in the cold. Anything to protect his mwezi. Nyoka huffed in boredom as his body sways through the water. It was a little colder than he'd like but he was smart enough to slip out through no man's land so he wouldn't fall asleep.

It took him a few days of travel and rest but he finally made it to feral Island. The first thing Nyoka did was pretend to hold the land sacred. He rolled around on it, much like Mwezi did after her first flight on Tayir's back. He missed her. He closed his eyes and thought of their first time together. How she felt against him but even more so how much she loved him. Trust him. It meant everything to him. He'd give his last scale and all his markings if it meant spending forever with her.

There was a sound of something breaking and Nyoka sighed unbothered. He shifted to his half form and sat upright. His marks were normally enough to get him left alone but this was feral Island.

"Ooo look at the fresh meat" a snake hissed.

"He's a four mark brother" the other retorted and smacked the first upside the back of his head.

Rattlesnakes. Nyoka sighed and crossed his arms. "If you two are done chit chatting I'd really like to get back to my mate." This made the brothers stop everything.

"You are…mated?" The second one asked. He flicked his tongue and his eyes lit up. "He smells of woman brother."

"Glad you have the proof you need. But have those perverse thoughts about my mate again and you both die. Me and her other mates love a good punching bag" Nyoka snapped.

The first snake came out of the shadows and closer to the shore line. Bold of him. "Your mate is…willing?" He asked almost hurt.

Nyoka nodded. "Willing and loving. Her mates are like my brothers. We support her together. I wish to offer that to other ferals. NOT my mate but the chance to have a loving mate." He informed them.

"If it's about that damn war. Count us out." The second brother snapped as he joined the first.

"Even with my marks we'd all fall to the great sleep before we could do anything. We're simply asking for your inaction. And we can help facilitate 'dates' as my mate calls them. You have a chance to meet and woo a woman. If she says no then you try again with another. No more forcing yourself on them." Nyoka told them about the plan.

"And why should we believe you?" A third person spat. Nyoka eyes the man with dirty brown hair and black spotting. 'Great. Hyenas' he thought to himself. The snake Brothers slithered to Nyoka's side. He ignored them.

"Well I'm not bringing my mate here to prove myself. But I also have no reason to lie to you. I have even less a reason to side with anyone Ina. War if I wasn't mated. You're smart to want to be cautious and protect your uh pack…but I wouldn't cross an entire body of water to be away from my pregnant mate." Nyoka argued.

The Hyena eyed him up and down, his yellow eyes eying Nyoka suspiciously. "Ke'elt!" He called out. A scrawny looking male stepped forward. The 'leader' pushed him forward. "Go and report back. We will see if this mated snake tells truths or lies. And if it's a ploy, no loss for us, runt."

Nyoka rolled his eyes. "I'm not carrying you across the water." He turned to the Hyenas. "Who's running this shit show over here?" He asked.

"Depends on who you ask. Us or the vultures." He shrugged.

There was a screech from above them. The snakes covered their eyes to look up. A vulture landed apart from the group. He had a scar running from his hairline to his chin on the left side of his face. His left eye white. His hair fell dirty and clung to his face. His body looked scrawny but it was lean with muscle. Nyoka noticed the five markings on his arm. He would be a problem.

Everyone tensed as the bird looked over them. Even Nyoka was ready to cut his losses and swim back home.

"I will carry the welp across. I wish to see if what you say holds true." He said. His voice was surprisingly deep but menacing. Not that he was actively threatening them but he didn't need to. "Don't worry. I know restraint unlike some others here. I simply wish to see if someone like me can finally find what you did." He added to try and consol their fear.

"Ke'elt was it?" The hyena nodded. "Go with him. Tell the others and we'll meet you in no man's land, the southern part of the mainland." Nyoka suggested. Ke'elt nodded and ran over to the vulture as instructed. They left deeper into the feral lands.

"What about us?" The brothers asked.

"Names?" Nyoka huffed.

"Settin and this is Temmin. I'm older by a few seconds." Settin offered. Temmin scoffed. "I started hatching before you, I just got stuck in the egg!" He retorted. Nyoka found himself smiling. If Mwezi was pregnant for him this was his future though his children would be much brighter…

"Keep up" was Nyokas only warning as she shifted and went back into the water.

The Hyenas stood there looking at one another as they were ignored. "What are we?! Chopped liver?!" The leader said nothing but held up his hand. "They won't ignore us for long…."