Chapter 8 Cage Buddies

Zarda no longer could tell the difference between night from day. There were no windows in the large room their prison cell dwelled. All he could see, were other cages around them. Each one seemed to be of a different proportion. A few were empty and uncovered, but for most of them, they had been partially draped with burlap sheets, just like theirs. He was curious as to what was underneath. Zarda could see shadowy images move once in a while behind the bars, but nothing more. He also could smell unfamiliar odors, drifting over in his direction. Zarda sensed sadness and fear mix among the scent. Maleena was snoring loudly, she had found comfort resting on zarda's lap. He, on the other hand, was painfully uncomfortable sitting in one position for so long. It was driving him mad, perhaps that's what hopkins wanted. She did declare she would break him. Zarda wouldn't allow her to have that much authority over him. Furthermore, he was encouraged to know, neither would his master.

Zarda was squirming uncomfortably under maleena's head. The urge to urinate hit him all of a sudden.

"Oh no, not this." He said.

He gently removed her head off from his lap. His body cracked, and creaked as he moved for the first time within hours. He looked for a corner and crawled over to it. Untying his pants, he relieved himself quickly. The sound of the urine splashing against the wall had woken up his neighbor in the next cage. The creature could smell the strong odor filling his bedding area, and it was disgusting. The strong scent of male lion musk wasn't appealing.

"Hey, you mind I'm sleeping over ere? Do that  somewhere's else! How's a bear like me suppose to get his beauty sleep, when all I can smell is the foul odor of piss? You reak mate." Said the creature.

Zarda was embarrassed, but there was no stopping it once it was turned on. It was like a faucet. He soon finishd up, shaking away any extra droplets, and tied back up his pants. Zarda peered over into the cage just an arms length across.

"Sorry. Didn't know anyone was over there. When nature calls, it calls. Just be glad it wasn't the other." said Zarda.

The bear laughed gruffly. He was amused by his response.

"No worries. I understand. Say, mate, what's your name? The bear asked.

"I'm zarda whitemane. What's your name?" Zarda asked in return.

"Ha, nice name mate.  Yeah, my name is Osborn. I'm a brown grizzly bear. Say, what you are? asked Osborn.

Zarda grinned, he quite liked the way the bear talked. It was funny and different.

"I'm a lion from Africa. A Lion King, to be precise." He replied.

Osborn lowered his head to the ground to look under the burlap. He wanted to see what a lion from Africa looked like. He had seen a mountain lion before, but never an African one. Unfortunately, the bear couldn't see anything, but more burlap. Zarda was curious too. He had never heard of a creature called a bear, or seen one.

"What's a bear? I've never heard of your kind." said Zarda, curiously.

Osborn smirked.

"What's a bear. Well, a bear is me. I don't know how to explain myself. Maybe if we rip these sheets off, we can see one another." He said.

Zarda agreed it was a good idea. He reached through the bars, tugging at the burlap. The fabric was itchy and heavy. It didn't budge under his pull. He tried again, only to have the same result.

"Can you see if something is on top of my cage?" asked Zarda.

Osborn couldn't see a thing.

"Sorry mate. My eyes are worthless at the time. Maybe, yank it harder with both hands." replied the bear.

Perhaps, the bear was right, He wasn't pulling hard enough, thought zarda. He reached back through with both hands this time. Gripping handfuls of the sheet. With all his strength, he pulled the sheet down. Finally, it loosed from the top and flowed to the ground. As zarda's sheet fell, so did osborn's. He had pulled his down simultaneously. Both beasts stared over at one another in amazement. Zarda's eyes traced over the bear's body. He, too, was built like a man. His arms and chests were massive, bigger than zarda's. They almost compared to king mosiya's, but not quite. His head was dark brown and coarse. The bear seemed to fill every inch with his cage. He must stand monstrous at full height, thought zarda. The bear cocked his head to one side as he loomed at the lion.

"You also huh, mate." said Osborn.

Zarda didn't understand what he meant.

"You're a half-breed, like me and the others. I was once a four legged beast, now I am who I am. That's why I struggled to explain myself earlier." Osborn explained.

"That makes sense. I don't think I've ever been asked to describe myself before. If only we could get out of these cages to really take a look. Curious, osborn do bears have tails?" asked Zarda.

Osborn shifted over onto his hands and feet. He poked his rear up and out. Under his pants, zarda could see a nub moving back and forth.

Osborn laughed. "Yeah mate, I have a stub. What bout' yours." asked Osborn. 

Zarda turned around on his knees and stroked his long white tail. Osborn's  eyes grew large with envy.

"Oh! nice tail that is mate. Fancy, I've never had a long one myself. I might look pretty, handsome with dat, if I do say so myself." Replied the bear.

High heels clicked on the hard cement ground. Zarda and osborn turned to face in the direction it was coming from. They grew louder and louder, as they walked closer. Zarda quickly pressed himself to the back of his cage, pulling maleena back onto his lap. He closed his eyes and pretended to be a sleep. Osborn caught onto the gesture and did the same.

Click, click, click, click.

Two black heels paused in front of both cages. It had become eerily silent throughout the entire building. Zarda could see the figure more clear. His brow turned angry within in seconds.