Anthro #4

Continued from last issue. Ne-Ahn and his family arrived into a lush valley, sheltered by the coming ice age. They are welcomed by the people of the valley, who say their prophecy has been fulfilled: a boy from the north with one lame lag has arrived! Anthro and his family are in shock at the inhabitants: they all have fire red hair, they ride on chariots (“walking circles”) and can understand the Bear Tribe’s language.
 
The family is approached by Omal, the queen’s minister, and ask if Lart (who he refers to as “little king”) and the family will come meet the queen. They enter a huge pyramid, and meet Queen Flamma, thr regent of the City of Flame and pride of the goddess Katara. She explains that, many ages ago, there was a prophecy, and that Lart fulfills that prophecy:

“There will come from the land of ice, from where we came, a family of man, and with them, upon a wooly horse of the north, shall be a boy, not of red hair, but of gold. He shall me lame in one leg. He must be placed on the throne as ruler. The ruling queen then becomes second in command… Katara wills it and awaits him!”

Ne-Ahn springs at the opportunity, presenting himself as Lart’s father, and thus father of the king. However, the prophecy says it must be Lart that rules. Queen Flamma, upset at the turn of events, uses her feminine charms to sway Anthro. She believes that if she can manipulate Anthro, then Anthro will pass along her wishes to Lart, and that she will still be the one with the real power. Queen Flamma offers to educate Anthro in the ways of Flamma, and dresses him in the style of the people of Katara. Anthro then learns that in the valley of Katara, men are subservient to women’s rule.
 
Queen Flamma continues to give Anthro a tour of the city. He finds sweet syrup, and learns how to use the wheel. He finds that his family is forcing their father, Ne-Ahn, to take his first bath in a bathhouse, though Ne-Ahn is against it. Anthro succumbs to the charms of Queen Flamma, and Lart is crowned king.
 
While Anthro learns of how to make and fire a bow, Lart takes to his reign. When outsiders arrive in the valley, the men of Katara capture them to kill them. However, being benevolent, Lart orders that no outsiders may be killed anymore. The Queen is angered at this change, and tries to ply Anthro to change Lart’s mind. Anthro realizes that Queen Flamma uses her femininity cold and calculating, unlike Anthro’s prior love Embra. Anthro declines, and the Queen puts a price on his head.
 
Anthro flees the queen’s archers, and is aided by Rada and Clavo, two revolutionaries to Queen Flamma’s rule. Clavo crafts a plan for Anthro and his family to leave the valley. The valley shakes from an eruption of a volcanic lake in the center of the pyramid, and the queen believes it is Katara, angry with them. She takes Lart, and is about to throw him into flames to appease Katara. Anthro rescues him, killing Queen Flamma in the process. The family makes use of Clavo’s escape plan, as Clavo declares his is going to stay and rebuild without the queen’s influence.