Lyshisha led her two pets back to their mother’s corpse, but upon arrival, some animals and insects began to feast on her –some even fighting to get larger slices—, earning the cubs’ ire as they snarled in a bid to scare away these scavengers.

But how could they frighten off these opportunists, some of whom towered in height and weight against their pitiful size?

They were still cubs after all, not fully grown tigers who could rule a slice of the forest at their apogee!

Their eyes full of grievances turned towards Dibano’s Queen who grinned.

Of course, she’ll settle that favor for her two babies.

That’s the least she could do…

How could they pay their late mother’s respects with these interlopers around?

Her Moon Core sent a slightly stronger slice of might, gathering within her glittering eyes.

In a single glare, she fried the brains of every creature within the dead tiger’s vicinity, their fresh corpses furthering the already rotten stench percolating around the place.

The cubs were astounded.

A moment ago, some nasty predators fed on their mother, the next second, they dropped dead just like her!

How could that happen?

“It’s okay, you guys. Now go say farewell to your mother, before other animals arrives,” Lishi said with a reassuring tone.

After their eyes darted around in search of any hidden foes, they pounced on their late mother’s quarter-eaten body and sniffed and licked the remains of her muzzle, whimpering as their sire would never reply to their acts of endearment.

Their mourning howls rocked the canopy, their leaves swaying erratically as they silently acknowledged the children’s heartbreak and agony.

Lyshisha remained stoic amidst the cub’s sorrow, letting them cry to their heart’s content.

Her mind alert, she made sure that no creature, no matter large or small, bothered the last moments of peace and dignity between a mother and her children.

A dozen minutes streaked by, when their sadness’s final traces left their aureate eyelids.

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The siblings exchanged a glance, nodded, then began to devour their parent’s sinew and flesh!

Lishi’s eyes widened.

Really?

She did not expect that outcome!

She shrugged.

Well, to each their own…

With the young woman as their guardian, they feasted on their mother’s remains in peace before they left a skeleton made of sturdy pale yellow bones, the last vestiges of a local apex predator on this planet.

Suddenly, the two cubs shuddered, groaning painfully as their legs couldn’t support them anymore.

They fell on their sides to the ground as a crunching sound blared out of their bodies.

The young monarch heart stirred with worry, before she darted towards her fallen babies.

Were they dying from indigestion?

Or was it something else entirely?

When she reached their side, gilded warts swelled and contracted all around their bodies as they wailed in pain.

But she realized that each time a cycle of warts came and went, the cubs grew slightly bigger than before!

So that’s why they ate her remains, and were upset that other animals came to revel in her corpse as well.

Most likely, failing to benefit like those two would have, they would’ve at least gotten stronger than they previously were…

Then, more than anything, she had to protect them when they were vulnerable, so they could successfully assimilate their mother’s legacy!

Her mind reassured, she stood by, silently praying for their success, as they’ll come to learn—as she did—to endure dolor worse than this if they wanna become stronger than they were before…

*

Twenty minutes elapsed when the tiger’s woeful cries stopped.

Shaking their heads, they quickly shied to their paws.

However, they weren’t cubs anymore, but true tigers!

In their adolescent phase, Lyshisha reckoned.

Still, they grew more than twice their original size, the female tiger a bit larger than her brother, their traits even more mature and defined than before.

Their yellow-rimmed eyelids disappeared to their fur original color made their gaze colder, sharper, prouder, and mightier than they were a half-hour ago.

Should they meet those dumb scavengers, a single roar would make them flee, insects included!

But whom they could intimidate, since their guardian already littered the area with bloodless corpses!

The young queen laughed. “Awesome! You guys didn’t croak, so that means you’re fit to follow me from now on. But how should I call you…” she trailed off, her eyes lazily peering upon the forest depths.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flourished in her mind as she fixed a solemn gaze upon her new pets.

Yes, they reminded her of them…

He, loving his extravagant pink dashiki that he strutted everywhere he went while he picked up ladies…

His sister, preferring the Duala Royal -at the time—Air Force customized dark gray uniform, symbol of her entry into their elite ranks…

“Mamadou, Binetta, let’s go b—” she started, but her two pets went back towards the bones and tried to lift them, then glanced back at their benefactor with yearning in their eyes when they failed.

Lyshisha smiled.

So they wanted her to carry their parent’s remains?

All right, but where?

Nevertheless, with a wave of her hand, she easily lifted mentally the skeleton, and once they saw their mother’s remains in mid-air, they gazed back at the young Grandmistress, nodded, then trotted back towards the cavern.

She nodded in understanding.

Of course, they were right all along!

How could they’ve not wanted to lay their mother to rest in the only place they grew up and had memories in: home?