the elephant king

An ear flicked sideways as Tilney was affronted at Ultima’s presence. But his attention was more focused on the threat before them. Though Elsa’s cool presence near him and her equally cold words that directly contradicted his own. An ear swept towards her, eyes glancing askant towards her careless face, “Do not endanger the herd because of our troubles. We must be united,” his rumble was quiet and quick. Though he knew he would likely regret the words, they needed to be said. Because if they were divided, whatever threat they faced would easily overtake them.

More appeared, but he was not left long to caution Hera from approaching the bramble or admire Auriel for standing so valiantly alongside her mother. The pale, pink light approached him and his Moon Doctor, the childish voice begging and pleading for them to leave such a place. “You will get no wait from your queen here.” And, somehow, the King knew the faint deer did not mean Elsa. She (when had it become feminine to him?) mean the Moon Goddess. His eyes narrow as he recalled the day he had asked the goddess for protection for their borders, ”There is also a particularly nasty bramble patch deep in the forest ... remove it,” she had said. No warning then and now help now. His lips pressed together; the ways of the gods were beyond the grasp of mere mortals. But this mere mortal King was angry that she should allow him to unknowingly put his herd in danger.

Navy eyes flicker to the foals gathered: Oizys, Hera. They were children, and despite Oizys’s eagerness to fight, their small bodies made their young lives fragile. His teeth grit and his trunk sways: what was the purpose of this? Destroying one of the moon’s monsters without her help? Was this creature beyond her control? Did she wish to see them wrestle with with her creation, to save herself the trouble of dealing with it?

But he was not left long to these thoughts, for a voice boomed that shook his chest and reverberated from his barrel to his rounded elephant feet. Sensitive elephant ears pinned back to try and gain some relief from the noise. However, the substance of the words sank into his body, and the Elephant King gave a knowing glance at Elsa and Auriel, the two warriors present, before stepping forward, trunk once again raising and massive ivory tusks brandishes.

“We ask you you leave the Edge peacefully,” though he knew the words were futile by the amused and lordly voice, “But we are prepared to defend ourselves.” And, to emphasize the point, sweat beaded along his wrinkled neck and chest as an magma elephant slowly peeled from his elephantine chest. His skin prickled with the heat, threatening to blister once it was entirely out of his skin.

And, the lava-creature rose its own dripping trunk in warning, ears flapping in rage and sending droplets of sizzling, molten rock. With great concentration and effort, the Elephant King exercised his shaking control over his creature as its head swung around for something to charge. And they waited.

Tembovu

No matter how fast or far a man runs
he cannot escape his fate.