From left to right : Arthid, Sakda and Hema.
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Chapter 4 - Free Spirit

Plate 2 Nap Time

The morning was furious. Ishaa assembled all the pristresses into a hall inquiring them about the mishap happened yesterday. First there was a pristress, Swari, carried on The Initiation Ceremony for hema all by herself, not even told Ishaa; this she was so ashamed of how Swari overlook her significance. But when the ceremony was being carried on, no one could desist it’s consequence. Hema was now a legitimate breeder, he became the public property, that meant the pristress cannot do whatever they wanted to him, a public conscent is needed for any punishment or act that would cause him pain. Except breeding of which any lioness could carry on with him without permission, as was a breeder.

“Shame on you Swari, how do you even do this he’s not even....Arghh, he’s not even be proven to be fit for a breeder. and he havn’t pass the Spirit Taming yet” her voice shaking, Ishaa proclaimed in dire anger “What’ve you done Swari, he’s not even tamed yet. Have you considered...what if he hurt our lioness while breeding”

With her obedient to the mistress and enthusiastic nature Swari’d been one among the mistress’s favorite pristress. Her recent violation really dissapointed her, no one expected Swari to do such thing, and the rumor of her dry-humping Hema even made it worse “Is it true that the bystanders said you ride the white lion before public spectators?”

Swari was embarassed, she’d been a medest and self-controlled girl, not until she meet Hema that everything changed. She wanted him as her mate, even against their tradition, what was worst than a pristress had an affair with a lion is when one tried to claimed them as their own. No one was expected to claimed a lion to herself; because he was a public property, every female belongs him, like lands foods and waters. She said “That’s true mistress, I love him, I rode him and he like it too. judging form how he spilled his seed, so much he loved it”

Ishaa and other pristress grasped, Majjari face-palmed in dissappointment, in her case no one knew what she did this morning, letting all the male did field work of which forbidden for male. Charvi sighed, she thought she did miss something. There was so much going on and all she knew is she trained Arthid for a competition.

Ishaa tried to calm herself as much as possible, of which wouldn’t help much for her searing anger “Listen, Swari, the males always crave for sex, that’s what indulges them. They know no love, only sex and agression they comprised, the title ‘breeder’ It’s their only worth, the only title they deserved, to give us offspring” She lived long enough to encounter a former breeder. Never had she see them as equal, mere reproductive stock they were. What concerned her the most is Swari falling in love with Hema. She didn’t want swari to end up in the grief from loving or trusting a male.

Swari could tolerate her words no longer, she abruptly stood up from her seat and blurted “He’s not like what you said! Hema was a lion, not a mindless breeding object. I saw it in his eyes when I was with him, it’s not just a blank satisfaction I saw but it’s affection...toward me” She got caught in the memory or that romantic moment. With love, she feared no one, not even Ishaa who was her mistress.

Eventhough Ishaa was a high mistress, according to the codex, she had limited power over other pristress, all punishment must refered to The Codex; it was a big leather book kept in the cathedral. Only major conduct was scribed, trivial thing omited, leaving large space for interpretation. What Swari had done was considered in the grey area, while a pristress must refrained from breeding with a male, other sexual act was not prohibited – dry-humping included.

Ish¬aa sighed and thought, no matter how inobedient Swari was, the issue must be resolved “Swari, you’re a good pristress, but you’re too young for the male you’re not yet knew them well as I know. Their aggressive nature must be tamed and their unsubmissive spirit broken, then they can be a good use to us, our people”

Suddenly a lioness barged in, she was wearing black clothes indicating her status as a warrior. She panted and said hurriedly “All the lion, They’re gone. I can’t find anyone of them in their cells”

“What! this is impossible, How can they get out. Does anybody here know what happen?” Isha said in disbelie, murmur and gossip rised across the room. Only Majjari knew where they were. In fact, she was waiting for this moment so she could clearified something before all the members “Calm down everyone” She excalimed “This morning I took them out for a walk you can find them at the abandoned field next to the lake near hear”

Now Swari’s issue was out of Ishaa mind, it’s Majjari who grasp her attention “Are you saying that you took them for a walk without my acknowledge, Who go with them, are they bound or shakled?”
Majjari boldly answered “No, they’re by themselves, unchained, unshakled”
Ishaa shouted “What you think you’re doing Majjari, What if they escape. We cannot find new male in time of this breeding season”

“You cannot treat them like this, Mistress. Swari is right, they are not mindless creature, nor any breeding drone. They have love, affection, anger and all other emotion just like us. if we accept them as they’re we can negotiate them to stay here, willingly” Majjari said firmly. she knew her mistress was furious, but if she do nothing about what the lions, especially her brother, was suffering no one else would called out for them.
Ishaa breath heavily “Fine, The only thing I care now is they are there not already ran away; because if that was the case, we’re all in dire situation. We’ll be blamed for not taking care of the males, And all the lionesses would have no offspring for up coming years” Then she turned to the worrior “Assemble huntresses, be ready If the male were not there, we’ll have to hunt them”

All of the members set off for the field. Majjari was afraid. What if they really get away? I’m in full responsible fot this, it will be all my false. No that never happened, he would have tell me if he would ever want to escape. She thought to herself.

When they arrived, what they saw was a pile of lions under a tree. They seemed to be asleep after a hard work. Arthid slept closed to Hema, and Sakda lay on both of them for maximum confort. They were in quite a deep sleep, even an approaching group of female couldn’t regain them of their consciousness.

The field was cleared, plowed and sowed, making a nice background behing the sleeping lions. As if to show their work, declaired their new status of emancipated lions. This display was far more drastic than just running away; this was how their reject slavery, they didn’t run away, but show them how they would never accept it. In this case, doing work as free lions.

Ishaa saw the scene with mixed expression these male were not like the former breeders she encountered. They didn’t prone to aggression when forced or restricted, rather they tried to prove themselves of their sentience “Their spirits are strong. Alas they will be broken whatsoever” Ishaa said to herself then she turned to Majjari “I know what you’re going to do, but this can change nothing. They will be good use to us only if they’ve turned to be a submissive obedient slaves”

Majjari looked at the sleeping male with pity, her voice shaking “Why...why you don’t understand this, is this good for them, is this good for us?”

“This is good for us” She replied “Let them rest for now, their fate is inevitable”