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In the cold, dark cell of the mafia, all Mane could do was think.
He couldn't move, he'd been tied up with netherite chains. The mafia didn't want to take any risks in him either attacking them or escaping. He'd even been muzzled after he bit into one of the guards, tearing half of the skin off of his face. Turns out, if you skin an invisible person, their detached parts become visible!
The more you know.
Okay, Mane was getting quite bored. He couldn't move and they refused to take the muzzle off to feed him. All he could do was let his mind wander or listen to Ash's wild rants about 'having Wemmbu right where he wants him'.
…
If anything bad happens to either of his brothers, he'll tear Ash apart.
When Mane had been dragged away from the battle field, he had almost ripped his chains on the spot at the sight that laid before him. In the distance was Flame, head bleeding slight from a blow as he stayed collapsed on the ground, out cold. Closer was Wemmbu - his Lilac who he just got back - pinned to the ground with arrows like one would display a dead insect.
His Lilac sitting in his own pain and blood sobbing, pleading the man to let his brother go and said brother could only watch as he was dragged away.
Ash would pay for that with blood.
Tuning out Ash's cackling, Mane thought back on any memories he could bring to the surface.
He thought back to when he and Flame were younger, before Wemmbu came into their life, before they even had the treehouse.
Back when their mothers were still alive.
He and Flame were actually half brothers, sharing the same father but different mothers. Their father was from the Nether, a large and strong fire demon who had gone to the Overworld to explore.
There, he had met Mane's mother, a short lioness hybrid living in the jungle. Mane's mother was kind, she'd found his father shivering in the winter air, not used to such cold weather. She'd heaved the tall and muscular man over her shoulder - Mane was sure it would have been a sight to see - and carried him back to her hut, nursing him back to health.
His father - the horny bastard - had fallen in 'love' that night. Except their father didn't know how to love, he was just extremely attracted to strong women.
One thing lead to another and nine months later, Mane was born.
His father had left right after the deed was done, like Mane said, that man wasn't meant for love. But his mother didn't care about him, it's not like she loved him either. She raised Mane with all the love she could. Mane loved his sweet and kind mother who always cooked warm meals and feed him until he was practically bursting.
After Mane had turned four years old, another woman showed up, heavily pregnant. Another victim of Mane's father, the then boy had figured out after listening to the lady and his mother talk. Basically the same story, the tigress had found a cold Nether demon shivering in the snow. She'd dragged him into her home and then the rest was history.
She'd found out about Mane's mother through another one of his fathers 'lovers', she had pointed her in the direction on the jungle to shoo her off, not wanting another mouth or two to feed. And Mane's mother welcomed her with open arms.
Flame was born barely a month later and suddenly, Mane was a big brother with two moms. Flame's mother had been good to Mane, so the boy had no problem accepting the baby into his life.
Five blissful years together in Mane's mothers cabin, the two women had grown incredibly close as they raised their boys together. Flame was pretty attached to Mane, he'd looked at the nine year old like the boy had hung the sun. Mane couldn't be happier.
And then tragedy struck.
They'd been attacked by bandits, their mothers trying to fight them off but there were too many. Flame's mother had screamed for them to run, for Mane to take Flame and get away from the chaos.
Mane had listened, grabbing his brothers hand and taking off into the dense forest of the jungle. They had weaved through the trees that they used to play in, jumping over the river they learnt how to swim in and hiding in caves they were always told to stay away from.
When they had finally come back home a few days later, the bandits were gone, along with their mothers. Blood was splattered all over the house and Mane had to hold Flame as he sobbed and called out for their mothers. The house was ransacked, nothing of value left beside some stacks of coal and iron - obviously a less valuable resource to the bandits.
Mane had taken anything he could find that might help them survive. He didn't know if their mothers were still alive of if they were coming back, but he didn't want to risk his and his brothers safety staying in a place where bandits could come back.
With two bags and their inventories stacked with anything else they could fine, the two brothers had taken off into the jungle, running as far away from all they had even known as they could.
It wasn't easy, they had to learn how to survive in the world without their mothers around to guide them. They had to learn how to fight quickly so they could protect themselves from players and mobs alike. Eventually, they had set up a home on the complete other side of the jungle.
Mane had gathered the materials and built the treehouse that had become their home. They settled in, setting up a farm and training area, living their life. Mane raised his brother with all the love he could.
It was peaceful and calm.
And then another was added to the family.
Wemmbu was a bit of a shock, if it were anyone else Mane would have just kept walking. But there was something about the skinny purple boy who stared up at him with dead eyes. Mane felt something in his chest just looking at the basically dead boy sitting between the tree roots.
Mane wanted that child, so he took him.
The little boy had fallen asleep in his arms, breathing softly as his tail curled around Mane's arm. Mane had purred as he held the boy, knowing he was keeping him. The lion had worried what Flame would say, but to his utter surprise Flame had basically snatched the boy from his arms.
Flame had stolen the kid from him, taking him to the bathroom to clean up. Mane had pouted for a while before wandering off to the kitchen to make some food. The boy was too skinny and needed to be fattened up.
And Mane had smiled over the stove, his home and heart warm.
Life with a baby (Wemmbu - then Lilac - had always whined when they called him a baby) was different. Lilac wanted to be held almost all the time. He was very demanding about it. Mane was always happy to fold for him, Flame had told the older boy that he was spoiling Lilac but Mane didn't care. Besides, Mane had spoiled Flame as well, the tiger couldn't say anything.
The little family grew closer until it was hard to remember they weren't all full siblings, not that they really cared. They were brother, no matter what.
Wemmbu probably didn't remember it, but when he was younger, some asshole passing through the village had made certain comments about him. About how he wasn't Mane and Flame's brother because he didn't look anything like them. He was an outsider, something they should have left outside rather than burden themselves with. In their opinion, Wemmbu was better off dead.
Wemmbu hadn't heard it, happily babbling to a stall owner about his day while clutching his older brothers hands. But Mane and Flame had heard it.
And they weren't very happy about it.
They had left Wemmbu in the care of one of the stall owners before rushing off after the man. They found him and showed him what they really though of his opinion.
That man hadn't made it out of the village alive.
When they had gone back to their brother, Wemmbu was happily singing to himself as he helped one of the stall owners clean up after a long day. They had thanked everyone there for watching their brother before Mane scooped the boy up and they headed home.
Home.
Mane missed their home. Their treehouse in the jungle, where he raised both of his brothers. After this whole mess, Mane wanted to go back there, clean the place up and stay.
Mane startled slightly as he was moved, dragged by multiple invisible players. Ash was grinning down at him, causing the lion to glare with slitted eyes.
"It's time for the show to begin!" he mafia leader cackled as Mane was dragged away from the cell.
Mane's eyes squinted in the harsh sunlight, they were already sensitive. That was why he wore a blindfold in the first place. This was not helping.
He was dragged to a minecart rail and shoved into one, pushed to travel n a direction surrounded by players on all sides. It was a long ride, but they were eventually stopped at a large, open field with a massive structure in the middle.
On top of the structure were two people, his brothers fully geared and glaring down at the mafia.
This was going to be a big fight.