I – III
Swallow your pride
I – III


All four-and-twenty cats of the Central Cankaya pride were sitting on the National Walkway, looking up the stairs to Rikhahn, who was standing, tail curled around his legs. “Dear felines of the Central Cankaya pride,” he began, the spectators still confused about what was happening. “We have assembled here today to celebrate a sad, yet positive day in our history. For long years, since the growth of Ankara, we were a strong feline pride, who have defeated their rivals, elected strong leaders, given birth to many... but we couldn’t swallow our pride, even as the worst leaders led, their greed was too great to realize that all they did was bad! Our greed for power is what brought us into the position we are in! I have led this pride into this position because I was too greedy to stick to deals that limited our power, alas, we are now as weak as ever. It was my greed that has put us where we are now, felines. Therefore, I will do tonight what no other cat has done before in our three-and fifty year old history.” All stared at him, as tense as a purring cat’s throat. After a long pause, Rikhahn resumed, “Seeing how I brought us into our situation of famine, civil unrest, and foreign dislike, it would be only fair of me to reverse it!” The cats cheered with meows of support. “I have ruined our possibility to make deals. I have ruined our option of support from other prides. So the only possibility left, is for me to do what no cat of our pride has ever done.” There was a long pause, and the spectators were quiet. “I will swallow my pride. I will stand down and hop off of that throne, for I am not worthy of sitting in it. We will lose this war, as it is only logical that not every war can be won. We will surrender our territories to Kakiro until a true leader emerges, and we can resume our path in history; the path that may be filled with hardships, but in the end, will always see us emerge victorious, for that is the path we walk! May our pride rise again! May our pride rise again! May our pride rise to its full potential! May our pride rise again! Thank you, and may the humans stand down and your claws stay sharp as our heroes’ have been!” The crowd seemed shocked. Some cats looked disappointed, some happy, and others neutral. “Good speech,” I whispered. Rikhahn stepped down from the stairway leading up to the entrance of the abandoned apartment building. “This will no longer be my home,” he said, the crowd gathering into groups, talking about Rikhahn’s speech. Just then, a black figure came into view coming from the Atakule direction. The black figure had green glowing eyes, and its coat was smooth. It was Kakiro.

“What the bloody rottweiler have you just done, Thortac!” he hissed with the most ferocity I have ever seen a cat hiss. “You have converted these uncivilized kitties to our pride, you brainless fooline, and without my approval at that!”
“Calm down, Catmander, you have yet to approve! Rikhahn has just given his concession speech, that’s all!”
“Well, I do approve of making this territory within our control as it borders Vadi, but I cannot have these creatures be part of our pride!”
“Why not!”
“They are a barbaric pride! They are all driven by greed, just as Rikhahn was! The farthest I would go is to make this realm a region administered by the Vadi Pride, but not convert its citizens.”
“Fine, then do that! Why do you put the blame on me?”
“OK Thortac, I’m sorry all right, but I wouldn’t have these wolfish cats...”
“Oh cut me some rat, would you! What makes you think you and your pride are not wolfish? Cats are a greedy species, and you cannot change that, Catmander,” I interrupted. Kakiro looked away and stepped onto the stairs. “Good evening, dear felines,” he yelled. The crowd went silent as they looked at Kakiro. “Now the path you take, as Rikhahn mentioned, will always see you emerge victorious,” he said. “Am I heard?” He shouted. The crowd nodded and cheered, “Yes, Kakiro!”
“Good!” said Kakiro, spraying positive pheromones all around. “Now, however that path may be filled with hardships, am I right?” The crowd nodded. “So, there are many different kinds of hardships; there is famine, there are sieges, there is civil unrest, there is foreign dislike, but most and foremost, there are decisions to make to get out of the famine, sieges, civil unrest, and foreign dislike! And those decisions can be more of a hardship than famine, sieges, civil unrest, and foreign dislike, yet can be as easy as outrunning a human; for sometimes, it is a simple decision between yes, and no.” The crowd burst into mews of approval. “And so it is in this case; as Rikhahn made a decision that is not simply yes or no, it would only be fair that you also had to make a decision, however from you I expect only a yes or a no. Would you lay aside your in-feline greed and join my pride, follow my rules, and be prepared to die for my pride?” The spectators looked at each other, then said, “No.”
“Just as I had expected, felines. You wouldn’t. But suppose you would gain something by doing so; suppose you would have good, strong leaders, a salary of three mice a day for workers and family, and one common belief that I know even the most hideous undercat believes; keeping cats as indoor pets is wrong! Now that’s the ambition of the Vadi Pride! Freeing the cats in captivity, and putting an end to declawing! Now I ask you again, yes, would you join, or no, would you not?” The audience broke into chatter, and after a few minutes of argument, one by one, said, “Yes.”
“Follow me to your new home, and remember, I want full dedication!” Kakiro paused, thinking of what to say. Finally after an “umh” or two, he shouted in a deep-throated meow, “Welcome to the Vadi Pride! Thank you, and may the humans cower before your claws!”