You might want to check out the origin of this story before reading this." Food For The Gods "
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The tortoise on becoming king had a son with his lovely wife who automatically became the heir to the throne. One day his son walked up to him and asked him.
"Father tell me about the Animal Kingdom"
"What do you want to know about the kingdom?"
"Everything there is to know, you could start by telling me about the former king. Why was he the last of his kind?"
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Many years ago, the animal kingdom lived in peace and harmony ruled by the Lion. There was always A Lion ready to Inherit the throne from the successor. The Lion lineage has always been feared by all animals. No animal dared to challenge the reign of the Lion, because of their fierceness and victory in every battle.
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One day spirit dragons invaded the kingdom. They set fire on everything they came across. The Lion king at that time assembled his pride of warriors and headed out to face the dragons. Unfortunately, they didn't stand a chance against these dragons. So many Lions were lost in the battle and they had to retreat, the dragon pursued them until it almost drove the Lions out of the kingdom.
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A lot of animals died during this period. That period was named the Grave Era. The dragons normally appeared at midnight and preyed on any animal it comes across. Setting farmlands, houses and animals ablaze as they roamed through the kingdom .
The Lion king realized that there was nothing he could do to defeat these cruel spirits. He had no option but to resort to consulting the gods of the land. Mind you, before then the animal kingdom had turned their back on the gods of the land and nobody has ever consulted the gods for over 100 years.
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On A fateful morning, the king and the royal guards set out on his journey to the Mountain Of The Gods. The sight he saw while going through the kingdom on his way to the Mountain almost made him cry. There were no animals running around as usual. The sound of birds singing joyfully seized. Ants who were always busy moving food from one place to another were nowhere to be found. The kingdom was as silent as A grave yard.
On getting to the Mountain Of The gods, the guards waited for him at the foot of the mountain while the king climbed to the top alone. He beckoned on the gods, but the gods wouldn't listen to him.
"Oh gods of my forefathers, I come to you with shame and regrets. Please hear the cry of your people."
He was there for hours, yet there was no response from the gods.
"If not for our sakes, Hear me for the sake of our children and our future. Our lands are stained by blood of our children. These young ones have done thing wrong. If anyone should be punished it is we the elders that have neglected you for years."
Still no response from the gods, but he was determined not to leave until he got a response from the gods.
The lion king stayed on the mountain for five days without food or water. On the sixth day, a strong wind came from the North, almost sweeping him off his feet. From the wind came A loud voice.
"How disgusting it is watching you go back to your vomit. Your tribe's pride is the reason you all are in this mess. You felt you didn't need the gods who gave you the throne in the first place. I have been calm all these years hoping that you would come back to your senses. I have purposely sent the spirit dragons and I intend that they they wipe out this entire generation starting from the Lions."
With head bowed all these while, the Lion king cried out.
"Be merciful Oh my Lord! Spare our children that is all I ask. I am ready to bear whatever it takes."
"For the sake of the innocent young ones, I'll spare the kingdom. But there is no mercy for the Lion tribe. Your Son shall be the last of your kind. He shall rule alone with no mate or heir. Today all Lions will die. On your Part, you are sentenced to live forever and guard the forests surrounding the Mountain Of The Gods."
Now son there you have it. After that day nobody ever saw the king, his son who was barely a few months old became the king. The dragons disappeared mysteriously after making sure that no other Lion survived. Slowly life came back to the animal kingdom.
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This is a project in progress inspired by my coach @JonicaBradley
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$toryTeller👻
I was thinking the tortoise would say that they've escaped the wrath of the dragons because of their sturdy back, hehe!