- 17 hours ago
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The night before my wedding, my husband slept with Hyena.
00:03I was alone in our new den, doing the final touches.
00:06I pawed open the deepest layer of bedding, and I found them.
00:10Dried stains.
00:11Coarse hairs.
00:12Gray with black spots.
00:14Hyena.
00:16Tira.
00:16I shifted to human form, standing barefoot on the bedding.
00:20I pinched the hairs between my fingers and brought them to my nose.
00:25Her scent.
00:26No mistake.
00:27I tossed the hairs away, shifted back to lioness.
00:38Ripples spread across the water's surface.
00:40I waited for Jago's face to appear.
00:42But the reflection wasn't his mane.
00:44It was another face.
00:45Round ears.
00:46Green eyes.
00:47Tira.
00:47She shifted to human form, wearing an eye livery ring on a cord around her neck.
00:51That's a really comfortable nest, she said.
00:54I tested it for you.
00:56Where's Jango?
00:58I asked.
00:59Tira smiled.
01:01She stirred the water with her hand.
01:03Then Jango's voice drifted out.
01:05Tira.
01:06Come lick my back.
01:08Tira looked at the water.
01:10Looked at my face.
01:12The groom's not bad either, she said.
01:15Tested him for you too.
01:17The water went dark.
01:19I collapsed on the boulder.
01:21Moonlight on my fur.
01:23I don't know how long I lay there.
01:25Eventually, I went back to the den.
01:28Dragged out all the carefully laid grass, acacia pluff, lavender, and shoved it all off the rocks into the ravine
01:37below.
01:37I clawed deep gouges into the boulder.
01:41Then I bit through the knot of the wedding charm hanging at the entrance.
01:45I sent word to all our families and friends.
01:48Wedding cancelled.
01:50Then I turned off the water link and went back to my own den.
01:54I drank fermented monkey bread fruit wine and slept till morning.
02:00I woke to thunderous roaring outside my cave.
02:04Jango stood at the entrance with his brothers.
02:07They were all in lion form.
02:10Manes braided, coated with resin, gleaming in the morning light.
02:15Jango wore the brightest red parrot feathers around his neck, the groom's mark.
02:19The prey he was carrying had been crushed into pulp, blood dripping everywhere.
02:24He shifted to human.
02:27His hair a mess.
02:29He's clearly just woken up.
02:31And his eyes went red.
02:34Cora!
02:35Have you lost your damn mind?
02:38The twisted look on his face was so ridiculous.
02:41That laugh couldn't help but laugh.
02:43That laugh pushed him over the edge.
02:45He slammed the pulpsed carcass onto the ground and roared at me.
02:50Do you know what today is?
02:52I sat up on my grass bed.
02:54The old animal held slipped down to my waist.
02:58I ran my fingers through my hair and said,
03:01voice raspy,
03:03I told you,
03:04Wedding's off.
03:05We're done.
03:07Jango's eyes were bloodshot.
03:08He squeezed them shut, grinding his teeth.
03:13Come with me right now.
03:14I'll pretend nothing happened.
03:20I forgive you.
03:22I glanced at his brothers behind him.
03:24They all had that look, enjoying the show.
03:29I stood up, tied the old hide tighter around my waist,
03:34and said coldly,
03:37Jango,
03:38you're the one who messed up.
03:40You really want to do this here?
03:42In front of everyone?
03:43Talk about you and the hyena queen?
03:46Get lost.
03:48We're done.
03:51Jango froze.
03:52His face went through about five different expressions.
03:55That arrogant fire got doused real quick.
03:58His eyes started darting around,
04:01unable to meet mine.
04:03But he didn't leave.
04:04His voice went soft.
04:06You've got it wrong.
04:07My fault.
04:08I should have told you sooner.
04:10Bite me.
04:10Claw me.
04:11Whatever.
04:13But today's our big nay.
04:15The whole Savannah's watching.
04:18Stop making a scene and come with me, okay?
04:21He shook his head,
04:22gave a bitter smile,
04:24looked so sincere,
04:25like I was the one being crazy.
04:27One of Jango's good brothers
04:29shifted to human form
04:30and opened his mouth.
04:32Sister-in-law,
04:32can't you sort this out later?
04:34Let's just do the ceremony today.
04:36Wait here.
04:39I turned back into the cave,
04:41finger-combed my hair,
04:42tied it back with vines,
04:43put on a clean hide skirt,
04:45and came back out.
04:47No red clay bridal paint.
04:49No jewelry.
04:51Jango asked why I wasn't going to the river
04:53to bathe first,
04:54why I wasn't putting on makeup.
04:56I didn't answer.
04:58His face darkened,
05:00but he couldn't do a thing about it.
05:03The wedding was under the baobab tree.
05:06When I got there,
05:07I saw it was basically just Jango's family and friends.
05:10None of my siblings.
05:11None of my people.
05:12I'd already told them last night.
05:14Seeing me show up so casually,
05:16the guests started murmuring.
05:18A few old lionesses shifted to human form
05:20and started whispering in shrill voices.
05:22How can she throw such a tantrum over something so small?
05:25So entitled.
05:26Exactly.
05:27All these guests waiting.
05:29And she pulls this.
05:30If she didn't want to marry him,
05:32she should have said so earlier.
05:33Jango's mother, Lady Brown,
05:35came up to me and sat me down in the main seat.
05:37She stayed in human form,
05:39reached over to smooth my hair.
05:41Silly child.
05:43We couldn't reach you on the water link last night.
05:45We were so worried.
05:46And said gently,
05:48Did Jango hurt you?
05:50Tell me.
05:51I'll deal with him.
05:53Before I could answer,
05:54someone arrived.
05:57Tira.
05:58New pay walk.
06:04She was wearing a spotted hyena hide dyed red.
06:08Madla root dye.
06:09Red as blood.
06:10Behind her came three hyena guards,
06:13all in human form,
06:15moving in perfect step.
06:17Her face was painted with flower juice and charcoal ash.
06:20Elaborate patterns running from the corners of her eyes all the way to her lips.
06:26She wore bone heels.
06:29Every step went click, click.
06:32Hope I'm not too late,
06:33she said,
06:34voice like sand and blood mixed together.
06:37Congratulations on the wedding, Cora.
06:39Tira.
06:39Tira walked to the main seat and sat down next to me.
06:43Tira walked to the main seat and sat down next to me.
06:43When she sat,
06:45something around her neck caught the light.
06:49An ivory ring.
06:53Exactly like the one around my neck.
06:56That design.
06:57I'd carved it by hand with stone tools.
06:59It took me a month,
07:01polishing it with sandstone slabs.
07:03There were only two in the world.
07:04One around my neck.
07:06One I'd placed in Jego's hands myself.
07:09Now it hung around the hyena queen's neck.
07:13My fingers clenched the hem of my hide skirt.
07:18Jego and the baboon Shaba walked over together.
07:25The bride's red fur coat is really pretty.
07:30Tira laughed.
07:34Oh, I'm not the bride today.
07:37Don't mind me, Cora.
07:40He saw Tira.
07:43A flicker of panic crossed his face.
07:48But he quickly looked away.
07:49Why aren't you getting ready?
07:55Jango!
07:56Watch your tone!
08:00Yeah, Cora's just a little upset.
08:03Tira chimed in.
08:04You should sweet talk her.
08:09That made Jego even angrier.
08:12He shifted to lion form and roared at me.
08:17Cora!
08:18There's a limit to your stubbornness.
08:22Go!
08:23Now!
08:28Tira stood up and patted Jempa's shoulder.
08:31Don't be mad.
08:32Cora will go get ready.
08:33I'll help you greet the guests.
08:35You might as well just marry him yourself.
08:38I said.
08:39I stood up, raised my voice so every guest could hear.
08:42Sorry, everyone.
08:45You came all this way for nothing.
08:48Eat.
08:49Drink.
08:49Be.
08:50Married.
08:52But Jango and I?
08:55Officially done.
08:56As of now.
08:57You're all witnesses.
09:02Jango shifted back to human, glaring at me.
09:07Are you done?
09:10Tira looked genuinely worried.
09:16Cora, don't misunderstand.
09:19I was just offering to help with the guests.
09:23You've done way more than help with guests.
09:26I said.
09:29Didn't you already test out the bed?
09:31For me?
09:34Something flickered deep in Tira's eyes.
09:38Satisfaction.
09:40But she switched it out fast for a hurt look.
09:45I slapped her across the face.
09:48The whole place went dead silent.
09:50Four bloody scratches appeared on Tira's face.
09:53She froze for a second.
09:55Then her eyes changed.
09:59The three hyena guards behind her all stepped forward at once,
10:03low rattling growls in their throats.
10:08Jango panicked.
10:11He stepped in front of Tira.
10:13No.
10:14He blocked her.
10:19Cora, are you insane?
10:21He roared at me.
10:24Tira finally let the tears fall.
10:27She buried her face in Jango's chest.
10:30But her eyes, over his shoulder, stayed locked on mine.
10:33There was rage in that look.
10:35And triumph.
10:36Lady Brown moved fast.
10:38She lunged forward and yanked Tira out of Jango's arms.
10:45Tira, this is a family matter.
10:49You don't belong here.
10:51Now.
10:52Tira looked at Jango.
10:53He looked away.
10:57She looked at me.
10:59Then she smiled.
11:01She shifted to hyena form,
11:03mouth splitting all the way to her ears, rows of yellow teeth.
11:09She turned and walked away.
11:16But Jango wasn't done.
11:19He shifted to lion and roared at him.
11:23Happy now!
11:24You ruined the wedding!
11:26No other lion in this world will want you.
11:31Are you, trusted world?
11:35You crazy bitch!
11:37I slammed my palm on the table!
11:42You're right.
11:43It's off.
11:45But today, I'm teaching you a lesson.
11:50I walked to the stone wall and traced Tira's name in the sand.
11:55The wall lit up.
11:57Last night's images filled the entire rock face.
12:00That's a really comfortable nest.
12:03I tested it for you.
12:06Where's Jango?
12:08The groom's not bad either.
12:10Tested him for you too.
12:12And in the image, Jango's voice from deep inside the cave.
12:16Tira, come lick my back.
12:24The images faded.
12:26The wall went dark.
12:27Silence.
12:28Mr. Brown stood up, walked to Jango, and slapped him across the face.
12:36Jango staggered.
12:38Tears ran down the old man's face.
12:42Jango, I said, voice rising from somewhere deep in my chest.
12:47The one who betrayed this marriage was you.
12:51You and the Hyena Queen.
12:53In our marriage bed!
12:56My eyes started blurring.
12:59I shook my head, shook the tears off.
13:02Jagen's lips trembled.
13:04Nothing came out.
13:05I didn't look at him again.
13:06I only said to Jango's parents and the guests,
13:09I'm sorry for everything that happened today.
13:12Jango and I are done.
13:13Please forgive my rudeness.
13:15Then I turned and walked away.
13:19And in the image, Jango's voice from deep inside the cave.
13:23Tira, come lick my back.
13:27The images faded.
13:29The wall went dark.
13:31Silence.
13:33Behind the baobab tree, I ran into Tira leaning against the trunk.
13:39She hadn't left.
13:41She'd been waiting for me.
13:43So Cora's not getting married today.
13:46Where are you off to?
13:47She asked.
13:48I didn't answer.
13:49She kept going.
13:50Cora, a plain, ordinary lioness like you should just find some plain, ordinary lion.
13:58Jango was never someone you could reach.
14:00I couldn't reach him?
14:02I repeated.
14:04Isn't that the truth?
14:06Cora needs to know her place.
14:08I stepped forward and yanked the leather cord off her neck.
14:14The ivory ring fell to the ground.
14:17I carved that ring with my own hands.
14:19It doesn't belong on you.
14:21Jango gave that to me!
14:23Tira lunged for it.
14:25I bent down and used my toe to nudge the ring into a pile of fresh dung.
14:31Watching her face, I said flatly, trash belongs in the trash heap.
14:35If you want to dig through shit for food, be my guest.
14:41Same goes for Jebba.
14:44I gave her one last look and walked into the grass.
14:48You think you've won?
14:51Tira's voice followed me.
14:53I didn't look back.
14:55Before dawn the next day, Jango came back.
14:59He stood outside my cave.
15:01No brothers.
15:02No feathers.
15:04Alone.
15:04Alone.
15:06Two enormous black circles under his eyes.
15:09The moment I came out, he shoved a freshly killed wildebeest towards me.
15:13Cora, I brought you something fresh.
15:16Still warm.
15:18I looked at him calmly.
15:21Suddenly, none of it meant anything.
15:25I pushed him.
15:27He didn't move.
15:28I tried to go back into the cave.
15:30He stuck his hand in the rock crack to block me.
15:33Cora, please.
15:34It's all my fault.
15:36I was wrong.
15:37Give me one more chance.
15:39It was Tira who seduced me.
15:42You know I only love you.
15:44Cheating is cheating.
15:46Cheating is cheating, I said.
15:47And you have the nerve to blame someone else?
15:50My calm unsettled him.
15:52But you disgust me.
15:54I said, one word at a time.
15:57Jango froze.
15:58Then came the hot, humiliated explosion.
16:01He shifted to lion, roaring at me.
16:05Then his voice went soft again.
16:11I was just led astray for a moment.
16:13I shook my head.
16:15After all that, what you can't let go of, is it me?
16:20Or my family's water source?
16:22Jenga's face went white.
16:25Your pride has had it easy all these years because of our shared water agreement.
16:31If it weren't for my father taking pity on you, your dried up territory wouldn't survive
16:38a single dry season.
16:39Jango, what I give, I can take back.
16:44With interest.
16:46Every word landed like a claw.
16:49Jango's face drained completely.
16:52His lips trembled.
16:54Nothing came out.
16:56I didn't look at him again.
16:58I turned and walked into the savannah.
17:01Behind me, Jango's voice came out, shredded, like it was claw from the bottom of his throat.
17:08Cora!
17:09I didn't look back.
17:11A few days later, Lady Brown found me.
17:16Jango is going to jump off the cliff.
17:20Can you come?
17:22I looked into her eyes.
17:24Something in them made my heart soften.
17:29I sighed.
17:33I went.
17:35Jango stood at the cliff's edge.
17:37He was in lion form, mane blowing back in the wind like a broken flag.
17:41His front paws had already crept over the edge.
17:45Pebbles crumbled beneath him.
17:47Lady Brown was sobbing nearby, barely standing.
17:50Mr. Brown kept sighing, pounding his thigh with his fist.
17:53Tira was there too.
17:55She wasn't crying.
17:56She was just watching Jango coldly.
17:58The corner of her mouth curled in something, half smile, half something else.
18:03Jango saw me.
18:06His eyes went red instantly.
18:11Cora, if I jump, will you forgive me?
18:15I didn't answer.
18:16Cora, just tell him yes.
18:18I'm begging you.
18:22I'll get on my knees if I have to.
18:24I steadied her.
18:25Fine.
18:26I forgive you.
18:27At that point, hate didn't matter anymore.
18:34That's when Tira spoke up.
18:36You believe her?
18:38As long as you're alive, she will never forgive you.
18:41You've got nothing now.
18:44No water, no territory, no her.
18:49What's the point of living?
18:51Jango's eyes went bloodshot.
18:53He looked at Tira, looked at me, took another step toward the edge.
18:57More pebbles fell.
19:00Jango, do you want to know why I cut off the water?
19:04Jango turned his head.
19:06It's not just because of you and Tira.
19:09If that were all, I'd have broken up with you.
19:11But I wouldn't have cut off your whole pride's survival.
19:14It's because of Tira.
19:17She sold your pride's hunting routes to the rogue pride in the north.
19:22If we kept sharing water, my pride would get dragged into it too.
19:27Sooner or later, those rogues would follow the water straight to our territory.
19:31I was telling the truth.
19:33I found out after.
19:35Tira didn't just want to steal Jango.
19:38She wanted to destroy everyone.
19:40Jango's face went pale in a whole new way.
19:42Was it you?
19:43Tira's face finally changed.
19:45She opened her mouth, but it was too late.
19:48The guards, Jango's family guards, Mr. Brown had placed them there, had been waiting for this moment.
19:53The split second Jango got distracted.
19:56Two male lions from the side and pulled him back from the edge.
19:59They hit the ground rolling.
20:01Jango struggled for a second, then went limp.
20:03Mr. Brown walked over, crouched down, and patted Jenga's back.
20:07Once.
20:08Twice.
20:08Didn't say a word.
20:10Jenga lay on the ground, staring at the sky.
20:12Empty eyes.
20:13I turned to leave.
20:16Tira moved.
20:18She came from the side, fast.
20:20She'd shifted to hyena, all four paws digging in.
20:23Korra!
20:24Die!
20:24I wasn't ready.
20:25Her weight slammed into me.
20:27I fell backward toward the cliff.
20:28At the last second, Jango launched.
20:31He hit Tira from the side, sent her tumbling.
20:34I felt the rock sliding under me.
20:37Then a guard grabbed my scuff and hauled me back.
20:41I was getting dragged by a lion's teeth.
20:45But I didn't care about the pain.
20:47I struggled to turn over.
20:50My wrist twisted when I braced myself.
20:54Tira was pinned on the ground, still struggling.
20:57She shifted back to human, hair wild, face paint smeared, still screaming.
21:03Let me go!
21:04I'll kill her, that bitch!
21:05I have nothing left!
21:08They dragged her away.
21:10Her voice got smaller and smaller, finally swallowed by the wind.
21:14I lay on the ground, staring at the sky.
21:17Lady Brown came over, crouched beside me, stroked my hair.
21:21Her hands were shaking.
21:24Korra, I'm so sorry.
21:27I shook my head.
21:28Not her fault.
21:31Later I found out, Tira had poisoned Jago's water.
21:35Not lethal, just herbs that clouded the mind, mixed into fermented monkey bread wine.
21:41Jago drank it for days.
21:43That's why he was so out of it.
21:45That's why he stood on that cliff for so long.
21:47Tira's plan, let Jango jump.
21:49Then she'd jump too, so they could be together forever.
21:52However, she said this herself, during questioning.
21:58She said it with a smile.
22:00I'd also sold my own pride's hunting roots to the rogue Northern Pride, in exchange for
22:06them helping me cut off Jago's water at the start of dry season.
22:10Push Jago's pride into panic.
22:15Make Jago depend on my more.
22:18What she didn't expect was that those same roots would expose my family's water source.
22:23Her hyena pack abandoned her.
22:29Her little sister took her place.
22:32She was exiled.
22:33Alone.
22:34No pack.
22:36No allies.
22:37On the savannah, that's worse than death.
22:40His pride splintered.
22:41Some followed his brother north.
22:43The rest scattered across the savannah.
22:45But the water was gone.
22:46The territory was gone.
22:48The allies were gone.
22:49He stayed alone in that dried up territory.
22:52Wasted away to nothing.
22:54I never saw him again.
22:57I found a capable deputy to handle the pride's daily affairs.
23:01The son of my father's old lieutenant.
23:04Someone who'd watched me grow up.
23:07Trustworthy.
23:09I went to the great lake in the east.
23:13Three days of travel.
23:16Through an acacia forest.
23:19Across an open meadow.
23:21Over a dry riverbed.
23:24The dry season river was nothing but white sand and scattered stones under my paws.
23:34When I got to the lake, the water was blue, bright, glittering, like a gem.
23:43Trees along the shore.
23:46The smell of acacia blossoms.
23:49Fish in the water.
23:50Every evening, the sun set and turned the whole lake orange.
23:56And the wind came off the water.
23:58Damp.
24:00Sweet.
24:02And there were a lot of handsome lions.
24:05One evening, I was drinking at the water's edge.
24:08Lion form.
24:10Front legs in the shallows.
24:12Head down.
24:13Tongue curling cold water.
24:15Across the lake, there was another lion.
24:19His mane was black as night.
24:21With purple glints in the setting sun.
24:24He didn't come close.
24:26Didn't make a sound.
24:29He just looked at me once.
24:31Then lowered his head and started drinking too.
24:35We drank on opposite sides of the whole lake.
24:39When he finished, he shifted to human form.
24:44Berkey was Jell Mosesden's file and sat on a rock across the water.
24:49A young man, skin deep brown from the sun.
24:54Broad shoulders.
24:56Black hair, curly, falling over his shoulders.
25:00His eyes were amber, bright as two lamps in the sunset.
25:04He looked at me.
25:07I looked at him.
25:11I shifted to human form and smoothed my hair.
25:15We didn't speak.
25:17But neither of us left first.
25:19That night, when the moon came up,
25:22I heard a low lion's roar from the other side of the lake.
25:26I lay down at the water's edge.
25:30I didn't roar back.
25:32But I didn't leave either.
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