Regicide

Ever since the "king of Jamaa" fell, I've been changed.

It was a nightmare when the so-called "King" came in with his group of guard wolves. He was unlike anyone we had seen- a lion, the first lion we lay eyes upon. We were stunned to see such an animal walk in. We were astonished by him. He called himself the "King of the Jungle," and that's what we always thought of him. He wore a magnificent, gem-encrusted robe and a sparkling, golden crown on his head. He looked a bit too fancy, swatting the poor out of his way and smiling at the wealthy. I'm not even sure why the alphas themselves let this pampered feline even try to rule.

That's where the start of our hell began.

I'm just a panda who has been around for quite some time ever since the alphas rescued us. I never had much after being robbed so many times of the gems I did have. Filthy, greedy creatures stole what I possessed when King arrived. Posters were placed in every open area of Jamaa.

"THE WEALTHY SHALL STAY, THE POOR SHALL BE SLAUGHTERED"

I was horrified.

I was going to be killed in the worst manner, they told me. The wolves, ordered by King, would knock on every jammer's door and hand them a letter. I was handed that letter that day. It was a note stating that all of Jamaa will gather in the township for a "special meeting" tomorrow at sundown. It said to look your best and be there when the bells begin to chime. It also stated that any jammer who refuses to come or has no good reason to attend whatever this was would be beaten to death or killed on the spot- and boy, you'd be lucky to be killed right there with one simple move.

Little did I know this day was "Judgement Day," the day when the King decides who lives and who dies.

As told, I went down to the township, because I'm not going to risk my life. It was packed with jammers, so many that the King had to have speakers planted in other areas so the animals could hear. I could hear the sounds of whimpering and crying. Did they know the truth here? Maybe so, but I don't know where they'd find this info.

When the bells began to chime, all went silent as the King walked into the area, the animals creating a pathway for him and the guard wolves at his sides, their bodies straight and heads held high with their sunglasses glimmering in the light. The greedy lion named King stood on a large pedestal that was made for him, a small microphone standing. Everyone instantly was quiet as he let out a testing sound- a quick hello. I noticed that there were walls all around the township and to the entrances to the other areas, the gates open.

"Citizens of Jamaa, I have gathered you here for an important reason," he said in his deep voice. "Today is an important day for the town we live in. This day will change the fate of the place we live in, for the better."

Everyone tuned in.

"Today is the day that our town will be changed forever, and for as long as I stand here, it will go. Some jammers are a major disgrace to the place we live in, the place where we have grown. Some jammers do nothing but beg and scam and rob for their riches. The poor have done nothing to help our town grow. So..."

The rest of the animals outside of the township all of a sudden were flooding in. I could hear screaming as animals were packed into the small area. The cries and snarls of others began to fill the air. The guard wolves were forcing everyone into the township. I was crammed in the very center of the town, crushed by the weights of others. Once everyone was forcefully packed in, the gates slammed shut. Jammers desperately clawed at the gates and walls.

"...We must rid of the poor jammers here. The wealthy will keep us in balance. They buy, Jamaa gets better, we sell, they buy... It's a circle! And poor jammers do nothing to help that circle. Get rid of the weak!"

I heard a loud, high-pitched scream as the jammers were fighting one another, the guard wolves snarling and howling. They were heading toward the poor jammers like me. It was all a blur in my eyes and brain. I could only see the smeared colors of jammers running and fighting, blood suddenly on every wall you could see. I don't remember what else happened after a sharp, excruciating pain hit my chest. I only felt my breath being swept away from my lungs as I blacked out.

I woke up to see the gates were open. It was dead quiet. I could see the empty night sky above me, something at my sides and on my stomach. As I looked up, a terrible pain hit me like lightning on my chest and throat, blood trickling down it. I coughed up gobs of blood. Sitting up, I gasped for air.

There were hundreds of dead jammers. Their bodies were piled on one another, wounds, gashes, blood, guts, items poking out of their bodies... It was like a nightmare. I knew that some of them were alive. Some were breathing heavily, while others were writhing and snarling in pain. One wolf was frothing at its jaws as it squirmed in its place on its back, snarling, hissing and spitting at nothing.

An animal clung to one of my arms. I looked down at the crying bunny and patted its head, picking it up and trying to calm it down. The poor thing had one of its ears ripped and a leg twisted, gashes on her body. A rock poked out of her paw. I finally found my strength to get up and walk back to my den, the rabbit on my back.

It had been weeks since King had started this. It was awfully quiet, and jammers barely walked the streets now. The bodies had been cleaned up, but that one wolf... The frothing wolf was always there for some reason. He had nothing, not even a single gem or item. I suspected the King was willing to let this one jammer suffer until he died of starvation or infection. I took him to my den and cared for him. He actually got better, but was still mentally scarred- he acts like a madman, uttering gibberish and spitting out nonsense, but I see him as a friend.

After months of silence, we couldn't take it.

I gathered all the jammers. They were overworked and exhausted. I could see the darkness pooling under their eyes and their foggy gazes. Not one creature was up and at it. Their limbs trembled, their bodies battered- they were ripped from their wealth. The King was taking everything from them. I was banned from working at the Jam Mart Clothing store when they found out that I survived. The whole town changed, too. There were posters of the King's face on every wall you can see, reading "KEEP ON EARNING!" in bold black letters. Some animals were limited on what they could get, and rares didn't exist anymore. He reasoned with the alphas and told them it was for the good.

I can't believe that they let this happen to us. They betrayed us.

I planned out an attack. We would strike when the guards were sleeping, and the King was in his mighty slumber. I was tired of this misery we lived in. There was no way we could escape, but we could fight back. With the rest of the jammers that were here- a few hundreds of them- we began to sharpen rocks, wood, anything that can be used as a weapon or to be lit on fire. We would attack any guard we could get to, burn every building and poster we could.

And we did just that.

At that exact time we planned, we rolled in like thunder as a screaming mob- a pack, a clan, a clash, a family. The wall was on fire, the buildings were burning. Screams and snarls filled the air as we attacked. The surprise attack overwhelmed the guards. They were too weak, unaware and drowsy still, but in shock. They had no armor, no gear whatsoever to protect them- and that was just what we wanted. The regicide was finally in motion, and the regicide was completed with a bite.

Me, the bunny, and the wolf found the King in his den. He instantly woke up as an alarm was set off from the attack. He was tired. I held the rabid wolf on a chain attached to a collar around its neck. When I let out that call, the bunny had leaped onto his head, tugging at his ears. I released the wolf and leaped at the King myself. The wolf was ripping like a madman into his mane, tearing out large chunks of hair as if it were grass. I was the one who had left the finishing bite to his throat.

The guards had fled and the alphas came back to revive the lands. They told us that they were sorry they couldn't be here sooner due to a major mission they were on. I forgive them, really. They gave me an award for my bravery and thinking.

I can't say much now. I'm really just an old panda, you know... I've got enough to say for now, and I've gotta sleep. I may not be as smart and strong as I was back then, but hey...

At least I did something good.