- 15 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 canceled.
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, you're the one who messed up.
03:40You really want to do this here, in 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, unable 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, gave a bitter smile,
04:23looked so sincere, like I was the one being crazy.
04:27One of Jango's good brothers shifted to human form and opened his mouth.
04:32Sister-in-law, can't you sort this out later?
04:34Let's just do the ceremony today.
04:36Wait here.
04:39I turned back into the cave, finger-combed my hair, tied it back with vines,
04:44put on a clean hide skirt, and came back out.
04:47No red clay bridal paint.
04:49No jewelry.
04:51Jango asked why I wasn't going to the river to 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.
05:05When I got there, I 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, the guests started murmuring.
05:18A few old lionesses shifted to human form and 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, she should have said so earlier.
05:33Jango's mother, Lady Brown, came up to me and sat me down in the main seat.
05:37She stayed in human form, reached 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.
05:47And said gently,
05:48Did Jango hurt you?
05:50Tell me.
05:51I'll deal with him.
05:52Before I could answer, someone 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.
06:11Behind her came three hyena guards, all in human form, moving in perfect step.
06:16Her face was painted with flower juice and charcoal ash.
06:21Elaborate 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, she said, voice like sand and blood mixed together.
06:37Congratulations on the wedding, Cora.
06:39Tira walked to the main seat and sat down next to me.
06:43When she sat, something around her neck caught the light.
06:49An ivory ring.
06:54Exactly 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, polishing it with sandstone slabs.
07:03There were only two in the world.
07:04One around my neck.
07:06One I'd placed in Jango's hands myself.
07:10Now it hung around the hyena queen's neck.
07:14My fingers clenched the hem of my hide skirt.
07:19Jango and the baboon shabba 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.
07:42A flicker of panic crossed his face.
07:48But he quickly looked away.
07:50Why aren't you getting ready?
07:55Jango, watch your tone!
08:00Yeah, Cora's just a little upset.
08:03Tira chimed in.
08:04You should sweet talk her.
08:09That made Jago even angrier.
08:13He shifted to lion form and roared at me.
08:17Cora!
08:19There's a limit to your stubbornness!
08:22Go!
08:24Now!
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.
08:43Sorry, everyone.
08:45You came all this way for nothing.
08:48Eat.
08:49Drink.
08:50Be.
08:50Married.
08:52But Jango and I?
08:55Officially done.
08:56As of now.
08:58You're all witnesses.
09:02Jango shifted back to human, glaring at me.
09:07Are you done?
09:11Tira 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?
09:32For me?
09:34Something flickered deep in Tira's eyes.
09:38Satisfaction.
09:40But she switched it out fast for a hurt look.
09:46I 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, low rattling growls in their
10:05throats.
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.
10:25Tira 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.
10:54He 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.
11:10She turned and walked away.
11:15But Jango wasn't done.
11:19He shifted to lion and roared at him.
11:23Happy now?
11:24You ruined the wedding!
11:27No other lion in this world will want you.
11:32Are you, Tisted World?
11:35You crazy bitch!
11:37I slammed my palm on the table!
11:42You're right.
11:44It'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.
12:04I tested it for you.
12:06Where's Jango?
12:08The groom's not bad either.
12:11Tested him for you too.
12:13And in the image, Jango's voice from deep inside the cave.
12:17Tira, come lick my back.
12:24The images faded.
12:26The wall went dark.
12:28Silence.
12:29Mr. Brown stood up.
12:31Walked to Jango.
12:33And slapped him across the face.
12:36Jango staggered.
12:39Tears ran down the old man's face.
12:42Jango.
12:43I said, voice rising from somewhere deep in my chest.
12:48The one who betrayed this marriage was you.
12:51You and the Hyena Queen.
12:53In our marriage bed.
12:56My eyes started blurring.
13:00I shook my head.
13:01Shook the tears off.
13:03Jagen's lips trembled.
13:04Nothing came out.
13:05I didn't look at him again.
13:07I 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.
13:16Then 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.
13:34Behind the baobab tree, I ran into Tira leaning against the trunk.
13:39She hadn't left.
13:41She'd been waiting for me.
13:44So Cora's not getting married today.
13:46Where are you off to?
13:48She asked.
13:48I didn't answer.
13:49She kept going.
13:51Cora.
13:51A plain, ordinary lioness like you should just find some plain, ordinary lion.
13:58Jango was never someone you could reach.
14:01I couldn't reach him?
14:02I repeated.
14:04Isn't that the truth?
14:07Cora needs to know her place.
14:09I 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.
14:20It doesn't belong on you.
14:22Jango 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.
14:32Watching her face, I said flatly,
14:33Trash belongs in the trash heap.
14:36If you want to dig through shit for food, be my guest.
14:41Same goes for Jebba.
14:45I 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.
15:03No feathers.
15:04Alone.
15:06Two enormous black circles under his eyes.
15:09The moment I came out, he shoved a freshly killed wildebeest towards me.
15:14Cora, I brought you something fresh.
15:17Still warm.
15:19I 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.
15:38Give me one more chance.
15:39It was Tira who seduced me.
15:42You know I only love you.
15:45Cheating is cheating, I said.
15:47And you have the nerve to blame someone else?
15:50My calm unsettled him.
15:53But you disgust me, I said.
15:55One word at a time.
15:57Jango froze.
15:58Then came the hot, humiliated explosion.
16:02He shifted to lion, roaring at me.
16:05Then his voice went soft again.
16:11I was just led astray for a moment.
16:14I shook my head.
16:15After all that, what you can't let go of, is it me?
16:21Or my family's water source?
16:23Jenga's face went white.
16:25Your pride has had it easy all these years because of our shared water agreement.
16:32If it weren't for my father taking pity on you,
16:36your dried up territory wouldn't survive a single dry season.
16:40Jago, what I give, I can take back.
16:45With interest.
16:47Every word landed like a claw.
16:50Jago's face drained completely.
16:52His lips trembled.
16:55Nothing came out.
16:57I didn't look at him again.
16:58I turned and walked into the savannah.
17:02Behind me, Jango's voice came out, shredded, like it was claw from the bottom of his throat.
17:08Cora!
17:10I didn't look back.
17:12A few days later, Lady Brown found me.
17:16Jago is going to jump off the cliff.
17:21Can you come?
17:22I looked into her eyes.
17:25Something in them made my heart soften.
17:30I sighed.
17:34I went.
17:35Jago stood at the cliff's edge.
17:37He was in lion form, mane blowing back in the wind like a broken flag.
17:42His front paws had already crept over the edge.
17:46Pebbles crumbled beneath him.
17:48Lady Brown was sobbing nearby, barely standing.
17:50Mr. Brown kept sighing, pounding his thigh with his fist.
17:54Tira was there too.
17:55She wasn't crying.
17:56She was just watching Jango coldly.
17:59The corner of her mouth curled in something.
18:01Half smile, half something else.
18:03Jago 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.
18:19I'm begging you.
18:23I'll get on my knees if I have to.
18:25I steadied her.
18:26Fine.
18:26I forgive you.
18:28At that point, hate didn't matter anymore.
18:35That's when Tira spoke up.
18:37You believe her?
18:38As long as you're alive, she will never forgive you.
18:42You've got nothing now.
18:44No water, no territory, no her.
18:49What's the point of living?
18:52Jango's eyes went bloodshot.
18:53He looked at Tira.
18:55Looked at me.
18:56Took another step toward the edge.
18:58More pebbles fell.
19:00Jango, do you want to know why I cut off the water?
19:05Jango turned his head.
19:07It's not just because of you and Tira.
19:09If that were all, I'd have broken up with you.
19:12But I wouldn't have cut off your whole pride's survival.
19:15It's because of Tira.
19:17She sold your pride's hunting routes to the rogue pride in the north.
19:23If we kept sharing water, my pride would get dragged into it too.
19:28Sooner or later, those rogues would follow the water straight to our territory.
19:31I was telling the truth.
19:33I found out after.
19:36Tira didn't just want to steal Jango.
19:38She wanted to destroy everyone.
19:40Jango's face went pale in a whole new way.
19:43Was it you?
19:44Tira's face finally changed.
19:46She opened her mouth, but it was too late.
19:48The guards, Jango's family guards, Mr. Brown had placed them there,
19:52had 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.
20:00They 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, twice, didn't say a word.
20:11Jenga lay on the ground, staring at the sky.
20:13Empty eyes.
20:14I turned to leave.
20:17Tira moved.
20:18She came from the side, fast.
20:20She'd shifted to Hyena, all four paws digging in.
20:24Korra!
20:24Die!
20:25I wasn't ready.
20:26Her weight slammed into me.
20:27I fell backward toward the cliff.
20:29At the last second, Jango launched.
20:31He hit Tira from the side, sent her tumbling.
20:35I felt the rock sliding under me.
20:38Then a guard grabbed my scuff and hauled me back.
20:42I was getting dragged by a lion's teeth.
20:45But I didn't care about the pain.
20:48I struggled to turn over.
20:51My wrist twisted when I braced myself.
20:55Tira was pinned on the ground, still struggling.
20:58She shifted back to human.
21:00Hair wild, face paint smeared, still screaming.
21:03Let me go!
21:05I'll kill her!
21:05That bitch!
21:06I have nothing left!
21:09They dragged her away.
21:11Her voice got smaller and smaller, finally swallowed by the wind.
21:15I lay on the ground, staring at the sky.
21:17Lady Brown came over, crouched beside me, stroked my hair.
21:22Her hands were shaking.
21:24Korra, I'm so sorry.
21:27I shook my head.
21:29Not her fault.
21:32Later I found out, Tira had poisoned Jago's water.
21:36Not 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.
21:48Tira's plan, let Jango jump.
21:50Then she'd jump too, so they could be together forever.
21:53She said this herself, during questioning.
21:59She said it with a smile.
22:01I'd also sold my own pride's hunting roots to the rogue Northern Pride, in exchange for
22:07them helping me cut off Jago's water at the start of dry season.
22:10Push Jago's pride into panic.
22:19What she didn't expect was that those same roots would expose my family's water source.
22:24Her hyena pack abandoned her.
22:30Her little sister took her place.
22:32She was exiled.
22:34Alone.
22:35No pack.
22:36No allies.
22:38On the savannah, that's worse than death.
22:41His pride splintered.
22:42Some followed his brother north.
22:44The rest scattered across the savannah.
22:46But the water was gone.
22:47The territory was gone.
22:48The allies were gone.
22:50He stayed alone in that dried-up territory.
22:53Wasted away to nothing.
22:54I never saw him again.
22:57I found a capable deputy to handle the pride's daily affairs.
23:02The son of my father's old lieutenant.
23:05Someone who'd watched me grow up.
23:08Trustworthy.
23:10I went to the Great Lake in the east.
23:14Three days of travel.
23:17Through an acacia forest.
23:19Across an open meadow.
23:22Over 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.
23:44Trees along the shore.
23:46The smell of acacia blossoms.
23:49Fish in the water.
23:51Every evening, the sun set and turned the whole lake orange.
23:56And the wind came off the water.
23:59Damp.
24:00Sweet.
24:03And there were a lot of handsome lions.
24:06One evening, I was drinking at the water's edge.
24:09Lion form.
24:11Front legs in the shallows.
24:13Head down.
24:14Tongue curling cold water.
24:16Across the lake, there was another lion.
24:20His mane was black as night, with purple glints in the setting sun.
24:25He didn't come close.
24:27He didn't come close.
24:28Didn't make a sound.
24:30He just looked at me once, then lowered his head and started drinking too.
24:36We drank on opposite sides of the whole lake.
24:40When he finished, he shifted to human form.
24:45Berkey was Jell Mosesden's file and sat on a rock across the water.
24:50A young man, skin deep brown from the sun, broad shoulders.
24:56Black hair, curly, falling over his shoulders.
25:00His eyes were amber, bright as two lamps in the sunset.
25:05He looked at me.
25:08I looked at him.
25:12I shifted to human form and smoothed my hair.
25:16We didn't speak.
25:18But neither of us left first.
25:20That night, when the moon came up,
25:23I heard a low lion's roar from the other side of the lake.
25:27I lay down at the water's edge.
25:31I didn't roar back.
25:33But I didn't leave either.
25:34But I didn't leave either.
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