The New King of the Jungle (Spirals)

In a faraway land, hidden in wreathes of vines and foliage, cosseted by tall trees and shrouded in humid mists, there was a Kingdom. It’s capital sat right in the heart of the jungle, near to several gushing rivers and with several cenotes for water right inside it’s earthwork walls. It was a very primitive kingdom – there was little in the way of metals, and fabrics were in short supply too, so as one surveyed the town, you would see little but loinclothes and bandeaus in the way of clothing on it’s citizens. In the middle of the town - which was itself an assortment of disorganised mudhuts thatched with straw – was a rocky hill, on which the wooden castle of the King, Akuma, sat overlooking the sprawling jungle valley that spread out below. The walls were whole trunks sank into earthen foundations, carved into spikes at the top, and for roofs on the towers, they had simply planted trees whose branches and leaves covered guards from the rain. At the heart of the castle was the hill’s peak, and the keep rested directly above a cave just below the peak of the hill. It was inside this cave that King Akuma now sat.

“Akuma, you’re a rascal unfit to be a husband! You did not even bother come to our bedchamber last night, up with that slimy advisor of yours again until the crack of dawn!”
A voice screeched, echoing off the walls of the cave. It was cavernous, dark at the top, only lit by torches at regular intervals around the cave, with a stone throne at one end in which King Akuma was sat. An entrance was carved in the rock opposite the throne and behind the throne, with the whole chamber making a roughly circular floor plan. The voice belonged to Luya, the Queen, and wife of Akuma. She was standing over the fearsome lion king as he slumped dejected in his throne, her arms crossed and a scowl on her fierce lioness features. The two of them each made imposing figures – the King was gigantic, completely filling his large, stone-carven throne, rippling with muscle and as broad-shouldered as they came. His wife was clearly rather strong herself, having a share of muscle in compliment to her rounded feminine features. The two of them, like their subjects, were dressed in simple loinclothes, with a bra in the case of Luya.
“This time is different, my love, I-”
Akuma began to explain himself in his deep, rumbling voice - but Luya spat, interrupting him.
“Don’t you ‘my love’ me! I swear, sometimes I think you must have wanted to marry that Hiss instead of me, the way you make so much time for that slithering little…”
She grumbled down into a growl. Akuma watched her for a moment in the flickering torchlight.
“Are you quite finished? Good. I spent extra time with my high advisor last night due to my attention being brought to some plotting of his. I’ve had a few eyewitness reports of my behaviour being odd around him...”
Luya interrupted Akuma again here by snorting at this.
“Ahem. But the latest is an eyewitness report of him putting me under some sort of spell – so last night, we were baiting him to make such a move, and now we have several witnesses. He is to be arrested for treason, for attempting to alter the mind of the King.”
He finished explaining. Luya, surprisingly, looked a little impressed.
“It’s about time. I’ve said all along that he’s no good for you, my husband.”
She said, nodding approvingly. Akuma sighed.
“He seemed so… So… Trustworthy. He has angered me – that much is true, but as much for violating my trust as for anything else.”
Akuma said, and sighed again, drumming his fingers impatiently on his throne as he waited for his royal guard to drag in the wily advisor.