The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:34 pm

Kyra's ears lowered, "He was only a cub, and no matter who he grew up to be, how could he understand what happened, at that age?" She said. Although she deeply hated Snake, she found that as a younger cub, he was somehow different from the one she was familiar with. She also felt deep sorrow, sympathy for his parents. They had been good parents, she could tell, and their hearts were surely broken. She couldn't blame them for their son's mistakes, but it seemed that they blamed themselves. She felt an aching in her heart, wishing she could make it better. What could she say, though, when their son was a monster in league with Dalmaa, an ultimate dark spirit whose evil knew no bounds? Despite her outward toughness, Kyra had a gentle heart. If there was remorse for bad deeds, and good in the heart of a creature, she found herself unable to hate them. She was truly one filled with compassion for any sort of person.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Mar 09, 2014 6:54 pm

Usizi nodded. "He was too young to understand the severity of the situation. And wasn't old enough to contrast power to power. He could not see that he was no match for many hyenas."

The scene continued, Snake slipping through the grasses. He caught onto Liabel's scent trail, being able to distinguish it against others even at such a young age. Even as a cub, he was good at hunting people down, tracking them. It explained clearly how he was able to follow Ridge Pride as they moved to Ethiopia and became Sunset Pride.

Snake then came to a small beach along a massive river. He opened his mouth to feel more of the scent with the glands on the roof of his mouth. He could tell he was very close. He could even see hyena paw tracks in the sand on the shore. There were markings in it where Liabel had been dragged. He had to look away.

It was in that moment he was tackled by a hyena whelp. A small hyena about his age, growling. "I got you! I'm a Smother Klan warrior!" It said. Obviously it was a cub with a dream to one day be a powerful warrior, a hero

"What's going on?" said a voice in some woods to the left. A few hyenas came out from the forest, one of them holding Liabel by the scruff.

"Liabel!" Snake squealed.

"Snake!" the sister said.

"Wait, wait, wait" said a female. Snake recognized her. It was Thylis. "You're... You're one of the other cubs from earlier!"

Snake recoiled, crouching low and backing up. "Just l-let my sister g-go" he said trembling. The hyenas towered over him, moving paw by paw forward in a threatening way. They each had leers on their faces, all gazing maliciously at Snake.

"No" Thylis said slowly, "but if you're so set on being with her, we can arrange that" she said lurching forward. Snake tried to run, but Thylis caught him by the tail and pulled him to her. She was letting out an ominous high-pitched laugh as were the others behind her.

"Leave him alone!" Liabel squeaked. Thylis whipped her head around and growled furiously. She stepped closer to Liabel, who was still hanging by the scruff at the jaws of a young male hyena. Thylis still had a thorough hold on Snake's tail.

"You can't command me to do anything, little girl. You're in my world now. Not your world. And this is my game, these are my rules. Follow them and I promise your victory. But reject them and you'll only lose again! And my dear, it looks like you have lost!" She said. The other hyenas let out a chorus of whoops and laughter. Thylis giving a grin.

"You can't do this!" Liabel shrieked.

"Oh, but I can my little precious. You and your pride's stepped out of line..." She looked back at Snake who had wide eyes of fear.

Thylis snatched Liabel from the hyena's mouth and held her with her paw, simply beginning to giggle. She stepped over to the river, releasing Snake.

"What are you doing?" Snake asked. Thylis looked back at him, having a wide toothy smile that spoke depravity. Thylis shoved a screaming Liabel into the waters, forcing the child's head down with her paws.

"NO! NO! LET HER GO!" Snake screamed. Another hyena held him back as he tried to pounce onto Thylis. Thylis had a wicked laugh, a laugh that would send horrific chills down one's spine. Liabel struggled in the water, scream and splashing. There were several times when her head surfaced and she let out gasps and coughs that would only fill one with immense sorrow and dread upon hearing them. She suffered. Snake screaming from behind.

Her head went under a final time and her body struggled. Then, her body slowed and moments later, went completely limp. She picked up the body of Liabel.

Snake's eyes were filled with tears. He let out a mournful cry, screaming for his sister. Thylis dropped the body on the sand and the hyenas released Snake. Snake raced up to her body and nudged her with his snout.

"Liabel! Wake up! Wake up! Liabel... don't go... Wake up..."

Thylis padded up. Her paws wet from the shallow water. She towered over Snake, looking at him with a torturous look in her eye. "Everyone does eventually, Snake. Consider it a favor, that hers can come before she suffers the horrors of Africa."

Snake cried, not knowing what to do. Finally he lashes out and tried to attack her, but she batted him away with the swing of her foreleg. She gave him a swift strike to the face. It went over his right eye. Kyra would notice that it was one if the larger scars Snake had on his face even in present day.

Thylis licked the blood off of her claws. She scooped up Liabel's body and threw it into the river. A few crocodiles already began to gather to it, to make a meal of it.

The scene blurred to an obscure image. Kyra could see shapes passing by and what looked like Thylis continuing her fight with Snake, but beyond the haze without sight or sound. Isisulu looked at her. "We will skip ahead slightly, as this particular moment pains us greatly..." He said. "I woke up in my den for a drink about this time, and found that Snake was missing. I went after him and found him here. Not long after, Nail followed."

The haze disappeared and Kyra saw Past-Isisulu rush into the clearing. The hyenas were viciously looking down at Snake who was laying in the sand. Every inch if his body was covered in blood to the point where one would think he simply had red fur. There was a sea of red all around him and he had deep wounds all over his body, though purposely designed not be as deep as to kill him.

Isisulu charged forward, tackling Thylis. He roared, slashing her left cheek and giving her a dreadful gash. The other hyenas ripped him off of her, all of them rolling into the river. Thylis picked herself up and then took off into the woods.

Isisulu ripped them apart, snapping each by the neck, crushing skulls, and slashing their hearts out. Eventually each was dead. And by now Nail had come into the area.

"Snake!" Nail cried, rushing to his brother's side.

"Where's Liabel?" asked Isisulu in a desperate manner. Snake pointed with his paw to the river. The father's eyes trembled with terror. He turned around along with Nail, to face the shore. Snake stared at it from his laying position, in horror. Liabel's remains were shreds of red-soaked flesh, all floating around and being gulped up by crocodile after crocodile. Their reptilian snouts stained with red. Their menacing yellow eyes darting, demanding more.

The scene shifted back into the black area. Usizi crying on Isisulu's shoulder. Isisulu looked back at Kyra. "That is what first plunged Snake into his madness. It seemed after that day... He never was the same."

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By this time, Shebla had to get rest. She'd been patching up the wounded all day. Luckily hyena and cheetah medicals had arrived to help out. Now, she went to her bed to sleep. She paced around her den for a minute until she found a comfortable position and then went to sleep.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:06 pm

Kyra's ears lowered, "He might have been someone else, but they traumatized him...nobody that young can see murder, and not be damaged by it..." She said. Kyra herself had been orphaned at a young age, as her pride had been completely wiped out in a vicious war with Coglon's. The only reason that Kyra was alive was because her birth mother, in a single act of defiance, had left her far out in the woods, before returning to a camp filled with battle, and being slain by an attacker. Coglon survived because he had been abandoned, and managed to get by on his own. Overall, in the vicious feud, the only survivors were the ones that were left behind. Kyra was too far away to see the killing occur, and by the time she had returned to the camp, all that was left was the aftermath. By then, scavengers had picked all the bones clean, and Kyra couldn't even tell who was who, there was so much blood that had soaked into the ground. Those scenes still horrified her, but she had been spared the full weight of seeing cold-blooded murder and war, because of the chain of events. Ammon had been attracted by the scent of death, and had found Kyra weeping, because she had been alone. That had been the day that Kyra officially considered Ammon her family, because he was the father that had raised her.

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Shebla once again found herself in a dark void, a perfect circle, surrounded by swirling white mist. There was no noise, save for the distant echoes of different things moving, beyond her field of vision, out of sight in the depths of the haze. There seemed to be much activity, and as the shape of something passed, just outside the ring of the clear area, one could only wonder how many ancient spirits were being awakened by the event that would eventually take place. Egret emerged out of the mist, once again, having taken on a spiritual aura, her fur white, with a single red patch of fur over her heart. She slowly padded up to Shebla, "As we have spoken about the matter earlier, I have promised to show you what Ammon is doing in the night hours. One would think he would be sleeping, but the truth is, he is often asleep during the day, and awake at night." She said, flicking her tail slowly. In the background, a gigantic, elephant-like shape passed by, but it seemed to have a greater hump to its shoulders, and the tusks were larger, and more curved. It was hard to see, but one got the distinct impression that the creature did not have grey, leathery skin. It looked, in fact, like this creature, who had smaller ears, was coated in a thick brown fur pelt, like wool. As it moved along, one could make out what looked like an incredibly long slash running down one of its front legs. A slash that could only be left by the fangs of some large, gigantic creature, unlike what Shebla was familiar with. Egret looked over her shoulder at it, "More spirits keep awakening, and each time they come up from their resting place, their scars seem to be more severe." She said. The creature continued on, vanishing into the mist on the other side of the ring.

Egret's ears lowered, "This vexes me..." She said, "Let's go ahead and watch." She said. As she spoke, a bright white light, shaped like a rectangle or doorway, appeared, and she approached it. "This way," She prompted Shebla to follow. When they stepped into the light, they found themselves in a very high-up place, with very little trees, but plenty of lush, green grass, and many large boulders jutting up from what seemed to be a gigantic cliff side. They looked over to see themselves gazing down into a valley, which was half-obscured by white clouds. "My son has gone far up the mountain..." Egret murmured. In the distance, there were more mountains, and they could only be those in the range north of Sunset Pride. It would be very distant, though, as the mountains were faded when viewed from the pride camp. They smelled blood, and looked over to see a carcass, with a single scavenger bird inspecting it. It looked like a vulture, but Shebla would notice various differences from this one, and the ones Zalika often commanded, she hadn't seen any others like it before, it must be a bird that only lived in these mountains. Although a scavenger, this vulture appeared to have a feathered face and neck, and was very large. It actually looked more like a bird of prey, such as a falcon.

Ammon was nowhere in sight, but he was surely nearby. As they watched the bird looking at the carcass, they saw that there did not appear to be any meat left on it, the kill must have been older, it didn't look like there was any food left on it. As they watched, however, they saw the bird reach out a talon, and spread its long, narrow wings, as it tried to pry off one of the bones of the carcass' limbs, as it was some sort of four-legged animal. However, just as the odd-looking vulture wrenched off the bone, the carcass collapsed down, trapping the vulture in the skeleton's ribcage, where it proceeded to screech with alarm, dropping the bone, as the talons on one foot were wedged between two ribs. Finally, Ammon padded out from behind a rock, his dark eyes glinting, as he saw the vulture. He walked up to the skeleton and the caged bird inside. "I have a question to ask of you, are you in league with a hybrid by the name of Zalika?" He asked. The bird stopped struggling, and tilted his head to one side, from behind the bone bars.

"I have heard of no such creatures, nor lions being at this altitude, who are you?" The bird answered, adding a question at the end. It did not appear to be lying, and then it was notable that this vulture had very strange-looking eyes, that were probably another distinctive trait of its kind. Most vultures had black or brown eyes that looked like stones or pebbles, almost beady, depending on the kind of vulture referenced. This vulture, however, had distinctive eyes, for the irises were pale yellow, and the part of the eye that was normally either white or yellow, was a deep shade of red. This vulture seemed very different from other relatives, indeed, for it sounded very smart. It did not seem as weak-minded as other vultures were, and its gaze gleamed with remarkable intelligence.

Ammon tilted his own head to one side, "You are a Bone-Smasher, a bearded vulture, are you not? I do not think you are a spy, your kind are the most clever vultures in perhaps all of Africa. I was just making sure." He said. He then put one paw up to the bony ribcage, and gave it a rough shove, flipping it over, off the vulture, who stretched his wings. "I have had bad encounters with vultures, in the past, I was ensuring you were not in league with an enemy who seeks to kill me, before I freed you. Many vultures serve them." Ammon explained.

The vulture nodded, listening carefully, "Well, I suppose I will have to watch out for them, also, because, as an honorable creature, I have no choice but to pledge my loyalty to you as a vassal, in return for rescuing a creature that nobody else would care about. Seker, my good sir, at your service." He said, nodding his head once, respectfully. There didn't seem to be any sort of resentment in the bird's actions, that he would come out and say that he would be a servant. He didn't abandon and grovel, either, so Seker seemed to have a certain degree of pride.

Ammon flicked his tail, "You wouldn't even give me an option to stop you from making a pledge, so now I, as another honest creature, have no choice but to let you follow me, for I will not force one who has made such a great promise to break it, you are a clever bird, indeed, to judge that aspect of my character so quickly." He seemed unhappy, saying this, though his expression remained unreadable. "I am Ammon, then, and I will permit you to travel with me, but do not expect me to always rescue you from danger. You will have to fend for yourself, regardless if we are companions or not." His voice was a bit cold, though there something approaching respect for the vulture. Perhaps he admired Seker's wit, that the vulture would so quickly get around what Ammon would use as an argument to deter the bird.

Seker opened his wings slightly, "Most would be happy to have me around, you must surely know enough about my kind to know bearded vultures are the strongest scavenger birds in Africa, and that I could easily survive off of the scraps of any kills you make, or simply locate the bones of some dead thing and eat those. You do not strike me as one to keep company, however, so I will justify my presence and say you will not regret me being in yours, I can be very helpful, and once I have sworn loyalty, there is no undoing my vow."

Ammon thought long about this, "Very well, then, you and I seem to share the same opinion about keeping a promise, so I suppose there will be no detrimental aspect of you being around. Perch on my back, then, it is dangerous for a bird of the day to fly by night." He said. Seker nodded, and opened his vast wingspan, flapping up and landing on Ammon's upper back. He looked around, and adjusted his balance so as to prevent from falling off, if the lion took off running at full speed. He also kept the front part of each toe turned up, ensuring he didn't scratch Ammon with his talons, either. He nodded, as if to verify he was properly seated on his new master's back.

"You will not regret this, sir." Seker said.

Ammon looked out in the direction in which he was headed, "I certainly hope not, for your sake, and for mine." He answered quietly. "I will be traveling through the night, so be careful not to fall off." He warned.

"I will take care, master Ammon." Seker said, respectfully.

Ammon seemed to ponder arguing the title that Seker had used, but, after seeming to find there was little use in debating with the vulture, slowly began padding away, both having descended into silence.

Egret and Shebla looked on, before Ammon's mother turned to her, "For reference, this Seker is not, in fact, in league with Zalika, my intuition tells me that. I am surprised, though, that my son is allowing the vulture to travel with him. However, it seems, upon a closer inspection, that the bird is also being watched by the ancients, so surely, they were fated to meet and become companions in this way."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:45 am

Usizi nodded. "He... He was one of fragile mind. And when a fragile mind experiences something if this sort, it is molded. What we are about to show you is a moment from a day quite a few moons after this. Ever since Liabel's death, he was never the same. It seemed every day there was some issue. His behavior rapidly plummeted. He would go off in the woods and talk to no one we could figure. He was... dark, after that..."

The scene changed to a forest. Usizi, Kyra, and Isisulu sat perched on a large tree branch, overlooking a large clearing obviously being used as a camp. The cub form of Snake was entering at the entrance to the clearing. An opening in the bramble led to plains.

Nail burst into the clearing. "Mom! Snake ate my kill!" He said, looking up at the past version of Usizi. She approached Snake with an angry expression.

"Snake! You ate his kill, again? It was bad enough you ate his very first kill, but you continue to ruin them?" Usizi asked.

"I was hungry..." Snake said looking down at his paws.

"You're father has told you many times, kill your own food. There's plenty of gazelle to go around" Usizi said. "Nail deserved a reward for his hard work."

"Dad always says that only the strong, the smart, and the stealthy survive. I was smart. I was strong. I took food to help me" Snake said. "He said that sometimes survival depends on doing things that aren't always right. He even said sometimes you've got to take things. Well I took something."

"You're not starving, Snake! Your fed plenty. Now, tomorrow morning I want you to hunt five gazelles yourself as punishment. Nail will eat three of them" Usizi said.

"But Mom!"

"That's final! You need to get off your lazy rump and hunt for yourself anyways. How else will you learn?" She said, and then padding away.

Snake's fur prickled upwards a bit. His shoulders tensing. Even as a cub he had a certain villainous look to him. He looked at Nail. "You'd better watch yourself, brother." Nail had a repulsed look, as he walked away with a sad look of unsatisfactory. Snake padded through the bushes, deeper into the forest. He quietly walked down a trail that had been worn down by his very own paws. He eventually found a place where there was an enormous, bare tree. The Shadingtree. The scents of the past battle were long gone and bones filled the grasses around the tree. The hyenas had moved on and forgotten this land.

He sat down at the tree's roots. And simply waited for many long moments. Then, a huge black snake with beady red eyes emerged from a crack in the roots. It let out a joyful hiss with its tongue. It's eyes had something familiar to them that Kyra would recognize. The same malicious, dire fashion she was all too familiar with.

"Sssssnake. Good to sssee you."

"Hello Dabu" Snake uttered sadly.

"What'ssssss wrong, friend?" Dabu asked. The serpent smiled, lurching forward to Snake. It slid in front of him and simply sat there. Snake shrugged. Dabu tilted his head, "Snake, sssurely you can tell me. You and I have shared sssso much."

"It's just that my family... They teach me things, and then when I put it to use, they punish me" Snake said.

"Soundsssss terrible" said a second snake of nearly identical form, only slightly smaller that was hanging from a tree branch. Snake nodded, just as more serpents began to slither up to him. Dabu curled around Snake. "Your parents are fools. No need to listen to them. Listen to us. We will guide the way..."

Usizi's head hung low. "This was another contribution to his insanity. Perhaps we were a little harsh on him. And those snakes... If we knew of their existence of the time we would have gone to kill them all."

"They weren't the largest contribution, but they were one. They just made him love us less" Isisulu said.

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Shebla's tail flicked. "This is different, indeed" she said. "I wonder what the bird has to do with all of this. He must be important. I hope Ammon stays safe out there with all of these spirits watching him. He's left the safety of our borders, and if Moonrise catches him out there, he's done for. At least now he has someone else to watch his back."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Mar 10, 2014 11:39 pm

Kyra flattened her ears, "It seems...he was manipulated from the start..." She said. "No normal snake I have ever seen has eyes that color, every time I see a red-eyed serpent, it has either been an evil spirit, or an average snake possessed by one."

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Egret flicked one ear, "Ammon would have not allowed any other kind of vulture in his presence. Bearded vultures are the only creatures in the world that are specifically adapted to eating bones, and therefore, Seker could survive solely on the scraps of Ammon's kills, however small. His kind are also well known as being highly intelligent, unlike most vultures you are familiar with, and are perhaps the most likely of scavenger birds to actively hunt prey. Bearded vultures have managed to kill very large creatures, ones about the size of the prey that a lion would hunt, and they are also known to engage a threat more often than others. My son can trust that Seker can take care of himself, which means Ammon does not have to be as concerned about protecting the bird." The white lioness looked at Shebla, "The simple fact is, there are many kinds of vultures flying about in Africa, but few of them are normally aggressive enough to attack a threat, versus fleeing, and most will not hunt unless absolutely forced. There is also the fact that you are unlikely to see either a bearded vulture, or an Egyptain vulture, among Zalika's flocks. Evil spirits are challenged when trying to possess either of the two, and they are just as cunning as any big cat, wolf, or hyena is."

She looked up, her eyes widening, "What's this, here?" She mused, as they found themselves focusing on a bright, blue-white light that appeared off next to a large boulder. What formed there, looked like a glowing blue phantom composed of mist, transparent, though it looked like some sort of feline. It was enormous, though, larger than even Ammon, and long shapes, perhaps sabers, jutted from its upper jaw. It had bulky shoulders, and its tail was short. Its eyes gleamed like stars, and there was a blazing point of blue-white light between the ancient spirit's eyes. The spirit made no sound as it appeared, but regardless, it was there, and it walked out from behind the boulder, watching as Ammon left with Seker on his back. The spirit stared after them, before looking up to a bright point in the sky, where another spirit was arriving.

Once again, composed of misty blue light that was transparent, a spirit appeared, this time, in the shape of an enormous, eagle-like bird, that could have attacked an ostrich, had it wanted to. Like the strange, ancient feline, this bird had gleaming eyes, and a shimmering point of light between its eyes, on its forehead. The eagle-spirit looked to the feline-spirit, and dipped one wing, and then the other, as if in a salute, before silently folding its wings, and flying away, seemingly ahead of Ammon and Seker. The feline-spirit lowered its head, and took off, dashing up the cliff, and then jumping between rocks and gaps that were far too great for any mortal to cross. Indeed, spirits were watching the two, and it seemed that as they were waiting for Seker and Ammon to reach something. In the distance, a rocky crag that was far away gleamed bright blue light, a single glimmer, before going dark again.

Egret flicked her ear, "They are headed towards where that point of light came from." She said. "They do not know it, but in this spiritual form, you can see what Ammon and Seker cannot."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Tue Mar 11, 2014 6:32 pm

Usizi sighed. "Indeed. We have... One more thing to show you, before you go. And this is one you will barely believe. And I ask you not say anything to anyone about it, not until a rightful time..."

Isisulu looked at Kyra with a grieving face. "After a few moons of nomadic life, we finally found Ridge Pride, who took us in. There Snake and Nail grew older, and more powerful. It was also an eon of emotional growth for Snake, though the growth wasn't particularly a good one..."

The surroundings shifted into a savannah, leading up to a cliff side where the Shadingtree stood. Snake walked up to it, sitting down and waiting for something. By now he was in his mid adolescence. He had a small mane growing, and he looked rather handsome without so many scars. He only had the one from Thylis.

A lioness came from the east, towards the tree. She looked to be Snake's age and was incredibly beautiful. After a moment of examination, Kyra would recognize her as none other than Magir. Though Magir had a certain glow of beauty in this young age that most lionesses would hunger for.

Usizi pointed at her with her tail. "That is Magir, as you are no doubt aware. She belonged to Yellow Pride, but was an outcast and a loner because of a tragic incident that happened to her family just as they were taken in." Usizi's ear flipped. Her tail gave a slow flick, as if in deep thought. "She and Snake would meet out here every day they could."

Magir ran up the slope with a willing and excited look in her eyes. She had a bright smile as her fluffy fur brushed in the wind. Snake got up, smiling as well. She gave him a friendly nudge with the side of her head. "Hey Snake!"

"Hey Magir" Snake purred. They both laughed a bit.

"Let's wrestle!" Magir said, getting into a playful attack position. She pounced.Magir tackled him playfully and the two rolled back down the hill. After many rolls, many turns, Snake finally landed on his back, with Magir on top of him. For a moment she simply gazed into his eyes. And deep within her own eyes, one would see that she was madly in love.

Usizi and Isisulu both had their heads hanging low, both in tears. It was obvious that this memory brought them immense pain. But for reasons unknown. Perhaps it was simply that they wished it could have only happened that way.

Snake laughed, somewhat oblivious to Magir's admiration, but also one could see he was slightly aware. They touched noses, Magir then releasing him from her grasp. He got up, flicking her with his tail. The two then sat down together by the tree, which even at this point in time looked evil.

"So how's your pride doing?"

"It's doing alright. Though I'm never around the camp enough to really know" Magir said rolling her eyes. "Wouldn't it be perfect if we lived in the same pride?"

"Heh, yeah I suppose" Snake said awkwardly, to Kyra it would look as though hiding something. Which if Kyra was smart, would know exactly what.

"How's your brother?" Snake asked, switching the subject.

"He's doing alright. But he's still got Blacklung. The medical lioness is still working on him. I think he'll be alright. The two of use live outside the camp, we have to go through a lot of sicknesses outside the warmth of the webbing if dens" Magir said.

Snake nodded. "I should come visit sometime. I'm sure my pride would allow it."

"I'd love that!" Magir said happily. "It'd be great if you came! I could come see your pride sometime too!"

"Well, Star's not that open to visitors" Snake said, his ears drooping. Magir looked disappointed, but she still smiled. Far different from her usual self. Present-day Magir was always depressed, angry, and harsh.

Usizi moved away from Isisulu and looked at Kyra. "Snake hid much from Magir. Including his relationship with Mira, and later his cub. Snake soon caught on to Magir's deep love of him... And he took great advantage of it." She shook her head.

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"What... what are some of these creatures? When did they live? And what happened to their kind? Do you know Egret? Surely you do, as a spirit" Shebla asked, looking on as Ammon walked on. She had so any questions that her head was nearly spinning. And she needed answers, or it would bother her until she found out herself.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:06 am

Kyra's ears lowered, "She didn't even know he was already in a relationship with another female...and he kept that from her..." She murmured, unsure how to react to such a thing. She felt sorrow for Magir, whom she already pitied, for she sensed a great deal of sadness from the lioness. She now sensed something that she thought might have been a combination of disgust and anger towards Snake, a different kind than the blind hatred a warrior would feel for her enemy. This was blatant disregard for the heart of another creature. She realized that Snake had been very selfish, and that he was the way he had become because he lacked the morality to stop, even when he knew he was doing something that was wrong. He led Magir on, when she was just a young lioness who was so happy with her life. She had everything, a best friend that she liked on a level deeper than friendship, and the belief that she could trust him with her innermost thoughts. That was a deep betrayal.

Kyra looked between Usizi and Isisulu, "I cannot understand what it feels like, to have a son become as bad as Snake is, but you aren't bad spirits, and you were not bad lions, either." She said, words coming from her heart. "Life is filled with mistakes, and I understand that. I don't like Snake, but I can't have that same opinion about you. I will not tell anyone you have shown me, until the right time." She said.
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Egret's ears lowered, and she slowly shook her head, "These spirits have been slumbering for a long time, and for ages, many forgot that they even existed. Those memories of what they are are re-surfacing, however. I can only tell you generic knowledge, though, I do not know why they watch Ammon, or what they are planning." She began, "You measure time in moons, but a longer measure of time, called a 'year', consists of twelve moons. Now, with that in mind, imagine the world eleven thousand years into the past. That was the last time these spirits were seen as mortals." Egret's eyes were solemn, on this note, "I cannot be sure how long they existed beforehand, but as far as anyone can tell, far longer than lions such as you or I ever existed, and lions are the oldest of the big cats we know of."

She flicked her tail, and looked as the gigantic cat spirit jumped between boulders, running past where Ammon was walking with the vulture on his back. "All creatures of today came from ancients like the ones we just saw, but I do not think the reason that they ceased to exist has anything to deal with why they have re-appeared. There is something else that they are thinking of, something so great in importance that they would all wake from their slumber." Egret seemed perplexed, and looked as the sky began to lighten, "I cannot say anything else, I do not know enough to answer all your questions, even as a spirit. However, I have the sense we will find out eventually, for you are still linked to all of this through Ammon."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:26 am

Usizi nodded. "We hope not to be bad spirits. But we were poor parents. We have up on him. Let him run wild. And... And he crushed so many hearts... And Magir... That poor lioness. She loved him so much."

Isisulu nodded. "She... She was blindsided. We've been watching over her ever since. Because we care about her. Very deeply. She was with Snake even before Mira. Snake ripped her heart away. And Magir never was the same. But more of that tomorrow night. The sun is rising and you must move. Thank you for being so cooperative, Kyra. We owe you. And we'll be watching over you in your travels."

"Goodbye, Kyra" they both said, before the dream completely went white as Kyra would awake.

_________________________________

Shebla listened carefully, dazed by the fact that these creatures had lived so long ago. "I didn't even know our world was that old!" She said with widened eyes. "That's... extraordinary. I can't help but be fascinated. But I won't ask any questions. We look to be running out of time as it is. Well, thank you for this Egret. It feels good to know that Ammon's doing well."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Mar 12, 2014 11:40 pm

Egret nodded slowly, "It gives me comfort to know that there is still at least one mortal that cares about my son. You are the only one who hasn't given up on him." She looked over at the rising sun, "Dawn is here, so our time is at an end. Until nightfall again, I bid you farewell." She said. The vision faded out into black, and Shebla would have the sense of being somehow slammed back into her body, as though two parts of herself had come crashing back together. She would awake once more in the Sunset Pride camp.

__________________________________________________

Kyra's eyes eased open, and she slowly stretched out, before standing up on the branch where she had been sleeping. She already had clarity that was unusual for one who had just woken up. It was because she felt as though she had been awake all night, although in reality, her body had been sleeping as deeply as a mortal possibly could without death. She was fully rested, and yet had never fully lost her awareness. As she thought about what she had heard from Snake's parents in the night, she stretched her muscles, warming them for activity. She then proceeded to climb head-first down the tree, landing next to where Var was. She looked up at where the sun was rising to the East.

Kyra flicked her tail, and then looked at Var, before burying her nose in his mane, "Good morning," She murmured into his fur right next to his ear. She then breathed his scent, just to reassure herself that she was back in her physical body again, and that all of this was real. Upon realizing that it was, she carefully stepped away, in case Var would wake up in a panic. Considering they were out right by the border between Kenya and Ethiopia, with a war going on with their Pride, it was reasonable to fear an attack.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:25 am

Var opened one eyelid and smiled. He opened them both and looked over at Kyra. "Good morning" he said in a pleasant way. "Expecting me to freak out on the alert?" He laughed. "No. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's the fact I know your voice so well, and it's far more soothing than it is startling. Plus I've had an oddly peaceful night. I had a rather pleasant, peaceful dream. But I don't even remember what it was about. All I remember is this aura of peace." He said, standing up and stretching. He gave her a lick at the snout and a "hug" as his head rubbed against hers. As he backed away, he could hear Magir and Taru grumbling in the bushes.

"Move over!" Magir murmured in a hiss.

"There's not enough room!" Taru snapped.

"We'll make room! My legs can't fit in this space!" she said, though obviously trying not to wake anyone else. Taru groaned.

"Both of you hush!" Scar said, but in an unwilling way as though she didn't want to be rude to the ones who saved her.

Var looked at the bushes and chuckled, then turning back to Kyra. "Sleep well?" He asked.

______________________________

Shebla woke up, coming out of her den and yawning. She blinked herself awake, still a bit drowsy. And she moved out to the camp, finding Zanita and Jali. "How's the battle been doing? Jali, I thought you'd be out there."

"I was, until Nassor struck me in the ribs. I should be fit by sunhigh. The battle is moving more towards the hunting plains and further away from the camp. It's good for our mothers, elders, and cubs and their safety, but terrible for the wounded who have to drag themselves back here" the King said. He sighed, "if only all the creatures of the world could get along, you know?"

"If only" Shebla said. "The world would be so much better. Anything I need to tend to?"

"There haven't been many more people come in. Especially since the khat is working. But we've had a couple of Deathberry casualties. That horrible plant. Dalmaa surely created it. But... Subira may need tending to" he said flicking his tail towards the lioness who was still unconscious. Shebla went over to tend to her. Jali looked to Zanita, "nobody's seen Var, Kyra, Taru, Saber, or Magir. They must have made it to the border."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:45 am

Kyra flicked her tail, her sky blue eyes bright, "Of course I did. When I start talking about how I sleep in trees, the typical reaction others have is, 'Oh, you sleep in trees? Wouldn't you prefer a nice den instead? That sounds uncomfortable.' And then I have a good laugh about it. The fact is, you're only uncomfortable if you can't figure out the best position to sleep in, and you don't even have to think about it, because leopards already have a good idea of how to sleep on branches. Another thing people ask me is, 'Oh, won't you fall out?', and I laugh at that, too, because if you're smart, there will be smaller branches to keep you from rolling around." She laughed quietly at this, and sat back on her haunches.

She looked at the cluster of bushes where everyone else had been sleeping, "Well, I definitely know I slept well, I feel great. Much better than everyone else, though. I wonder how long it'll take for them to get the feeling back into their legs, after having the circulation cut off all night." She then paused, and her ears pricked up. She looked around, "Uh, Saber?" She asked. Where was Saber?

____________________________________________

Zanita flicked one ear, "Ah, so you did send them to retrieve it, after all..." She said. She didn't mention the Stone directly, but it was clear that she knew about it to everyone who was listening. Zanita then made a somewhat concerned expression, "My ear has been aching for a very long time, to the point that I have gotten used to it. That means that there has been constant rain here, as is normal during this time of year, I have been told." She sat back on her haunches. "With as much abundant rainstorms as we have had, and the fact that Kenya is south of here, and receives much of its water from Ethiopia, I have a feeling that the drought may very well be over. I hope they are careful, with as much rain as there has been, the river dividing the two lands will be swollen and turbulent."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:58 am

Var looked around. "Saber!" He called. "Saber!" He said. He looked around the trees, and couldn't find him. He was beginning to panic. Betrayal at its finest. He gritted his teeth. "Saber!" He shouted as he pulled back some brush. He saw Saber sitting down, looking at his reflection in a large puddle of water. He looked over his shoulder at Var, his gaze a bit hot.

"What?"

"What are you doing?" Var asked.

"What does it look like? I'm looking at myself." He got up and walked out to the prime area of rest. He walked into the bushes and got everyone up. They arose feeling numb and getting out with attitudes. Saber rolled his eyes.

"Alright so we've got a big day ahead of us. We're mere minutes away from crossing into Kenya. We should be very careful."

____________________________

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:58 am

Kyra nodded, and flicked one ear, "The river will probably be really messy, with all the rain we've been having lately. Don't get fooled by the water, I was taught how to swim when I was little, even shallow water can have a current that will knock you right off your paws and wash you away. We have to watch to make sure where it's safe to cross, and how shallow isn't the best factor to determine it." She said. She flicked her tail, and looked around, "Come on, let's go, I think the river was in that direction, we're right by Mabel's old den, so it's not that far off." She said. She started to display her typical energy, and started hopping between her paws.

She danced over to a spot at the edge of the woods, and stopped, looking over at everyone, waiting to see if they would get their bearing fast enough. A gentle breeze started up, coming from the north, and she thought it felt nice. It would be fun to run with her back to it, it would feel almost like flying. It was refreshingly cool, and clean-smelling, a welcome thing, as the area still smelled like ash and smoke from the fire.

__________________________________________________________

The scent of warm-bloods drifted on the wind from the north, mixed with the acrid smell of ash and cinders, a smoky smell that could only be fire. Further to the south, in a deep lake that had formed in a natural dip in the land, which was connected by multiple new rivulets to other, larger lakes, a shape floated, masquerading as a rotting grey-green log, though there were no trees present in the immediate area. On the log, a single eye opened, revealing that it had no color, and the small log was, in fact, a female crocodile, who seemed not to have any others of her kind present around her. As it had no color, her eye was a deep, dark shade of ruby red in the sclera and pupil, and a pearly white in the iris. A unique feature, yet considered extremely ugly and unattractive to other crocodiles. She was mocked for her eyes, and easily bullied, because of her small size, which was why she was alone, and so close to the border of the land known as Ethiopia. Many, though, underestimated her, for though she could not rival the strength of the larger members of her kind, she was the swiftest, both on land and in water. She opened both eyes, pondering the smell.

Aina's eyes narrowed, and she hissed, a deep, rasping sound, as the recognition clicked in her mind. Warm-bloods, lions, more specifically, although she thought she detected the faintest trace of hyena, as well, perhaps there was one scent getting masked. She knew that there hadn't been lions in the general area for a long time, they had left because the only water around was filled with crocodiles, like her. She also had heard, via a rumor mill she eavesdropped on, that they had made some idiotic deal with crocodiles in order to get water back. Obviously, warm-bloods were even more pathetic at making a bargain than she originally thought. Pondering this, she wondered if she couldn't get some much-needed entertainment out of these creatures that were headed her way. She could surely outwit them, if they were so slow to consider things. Why not? It might be fun.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:35 am

Var followed Kyra, feeling happier today. He felt as though Kyra swept the feeling of certain doom right out of him. She had a certain aura of happiness, one that he couldn't stand to see fade and would do anything to protect it. Even if that would mean sacrificing himself. And it was obvious of his affection for her. He padded along swiftly to her side, smiling along the way. The others fell in behind, Saber staying a distance from the group.

Magir came along not affected by Kyra and Var and their show of happiness. Her head was still low, barely even having the strength to look anyone in the eye. Even Var, and she had known him from the past. She seemed off put when someone tried to speak to her, and showed signs already of her past as an outcast and a heartbroken victim.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:59 am

Kyra looked over her shoulder at Magir, worry briefly flashing across her features, as she noted the disheartened look on the lionesses' face. She thought she understood perhaps why Magir was acting the way she was, but she couldn't do anything to help with others around listening. More importantly, now wasn't the time for her to show people that she knew anything about Magir's tie to Var or Snake. It wasn't the right time yet. Kyra would just have to be the optimist of the group that kept the whole thing from losing strength and collapsing. Magir had been somehow alone and isolated the whole time Kyra had known her, but that was changing, as she was now in a group surrounded by others. All things would have to come to light eventually, and Magir would have to open up to everyone eventually. Kyra, determined not to show anything was wrong, looked back in the direction of their destination as they came to the small stretch of bare land that marked the river's edge.

Kyra, though maintaining a strong inner core and a powerfully-contagious look of joy on her face, lowered her ears a bit at the sight of the river. "Ah, I was right! It has swelled up!" She said, her tone cheerful, although inwardly she was despairing a bit. The river looked dangerous, it had grown at least a third larger than normal, and was rushing by alarmingly fast, the waters murky, from all the sand that they stirred up resting at the bed. She then looked up past the river, at Kenya, and her eyes widened a bit more. "Oh...and Kenya's flooded..." She drifted off, her optimistic look finally slipping. "Everyone knows how to swim...right? It's going to be very wet..." Indeed, past the river, there were gigantic gleaming lakes all over the place, the land looked more like a delta, than a savannah. Kenya was largely submerged, except for a few large patches, it looked like a web-work of land between huge bodies of water that Kyra didn't think belonged there. "I guess the drought's over..." She gave a nervous laugh.

Finally, the optimism gave way to seriousness. "Alright, we need to find a safe place to cross, anyone have any ideas? This isn't something you can just swim across, that current is way too strong to fight."

As she spoke, a small log drifted by, and if anyone looked, they would see a pair of ruby eyes watching them. It had taken no time at all, with the strong current, for the log to drift to where it was now.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 15, 2014 9:21 pm

Var sighed. "I know slightly, how to swim. But I... I don't like water," he said, involuntarily giving a nervous glance to Magir who was trying not to have a guilty look. They'd been in some water-involved accident for sure. Var looked over at Kyra, "we must be careful. I'm sure snakes, fish, and crocodiles have infested this place."

Saber looked at the water, also a bit nervously. But it seemed like his concerns were more of what was in the water, rather than the water itself.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 15, 2014 10:33 pm

From the log in the water, there came a cackle of laughter, as though it found something highly entertaining. Nobody else got the joke, of course, but they knew for certain that the 'log', wasn't a log at all. Aina opened her strange eyes and looked at them from where she was floating in the water. "I don't know about infested, but if there's crocodiles here, then yes, you're looking at one!" She dissolved into another bout of laughter, and one wondered if there wasn't slightly wrong with the female's thought process. It wasn't really that funny, what Var had said, but perhaps it was different from her perspective. The simple fact was they had no idea where it was safe to cross the river, and now there was a small red-eyed crocodile in the water complicating things. She wasn't so tiny she could be considered a juvenile, but she wasn't that old, either, she was probably a young adult, her cackling laugh didn't seem to make much sense, most would have thought it belonged to someone much older. Regardless, the crocodile vanished beneath the water, and suddenly surfaced much closer to the shoreline where the group was standing.

She opened her jaws slightly, revealing all of the sharp teeth that lined them. "So, you're the warm-bloods I smelled from earlier! Trying to cross this river into Kenya, are you?" She gave a smaller chuckle, "You've got yourselves quite the challenge, you aren't meant to tread water, and the whole place is flooded and chock-full of crocodiles, tigerfish, and did I even mention the snakes? You're pretty bright to guess all that so fast, but then again, maybe I'm giving you too much credit, it's obvious what you're getting into." Her laughter tapered off, and she grew a bit more serious, "Darling lions, this is a dangerous place for kitties to play, you sure you want to deal with giant reptiles like me?" Her voice became a bit more taunting, and it would rapidly irritate anyone, but nobody could get the crocodile in the river, she was untouchable.

Kyra's ears flattened, "Giant reptiles? Come on, you're big in regards to lizards, but you're an ant compared to some of the crocodiles I've heard of. Plus, it's kind of stupid for someone your size to taunt a group of lions this big."

Aina lashed her tail in the water, creating a large splash, "My name's Aina, but I don't really care what your names are. I can help you get across, but only if you play along." She had a fiendish gleam in her eyes. "Of course, that is, if you're willing to deal with someone like me, maybe I'll help you, maybe I'll make sure you get dragged into this river so I can have a nice meal. Either way, you want across, don't you?"

This was bad news.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:46 pm

Saber stepped forward, his tail swishing at the grass. He approached the rim of the river, but not close enough should Aina snap at him. Taru looked at him, recalling Saber's experience with these creatures. Saber's long upper jaw fangs seemed to gleam in the light as his lips opened revealing the long blades. "I know your kind" Saber says, "I had many an encounter with them, so don't think I don't know what I'm doing. I know how to deal with your kind. And honestly, if it weren't for me there wouldn't be quite as many crocodiles in Kenya. I fe the lot of you and you grew under my watch. Had I not, the residents of this flooded wasteland wouldn't be quite so plentiful. Dear daughter of the water, know who you speak to."

He looked at the others and then back at Aina. "I'm not stepping into these waters, you fool. We're not that narrow minded, we can tell traps from offers."

_______________________________

Kavis laid Zalika's body down on the ground as a large group of hyenas immediately took to her body and formed a large bubble of protection around her. Zalika made a thankful motion with her tail, but the rest of her body was motionless. Kavis turned his head and viciously looked at the morning sun. He licked some of the blood off of his claws, and then he slicked his mane back with his paw. It was smooth and full of black fluff. He took in a deep breath, smelling the succulent scent of blood lingering in the air. The wind flowed through the long strands of his mane. He may have grinned, but it was drowned out by the void that sucked out all of his visible emotions.

"So Gamba has a talent for snapping bones..." Kavis said softly to himself. "We'll see who's left broken by dusk..."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:14 pm

Aina responded by a wild cackle, as though what the lions had told her was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard in her life. "Oh, my dear sweet lions, perhaps you don't know who I am, let me explain a bit better." She said, as though she were highly amused, and was simply toying with them. It would have quickly aggravated anyone, but once again, she couldn't be touched without entering the river, and getting into the water with a crocodile was to seal one's own fate, even if the crocodile wasn't a big one. The next time Aina spoke, her tone had grown cold, and serious, a threatening town, "I don't owe you anything, you pathetic warm-bloods with your beloved fur pelts. I don't have any sort of love for the other crocodiles in Kenya, why should I, when they can't overlook the way my eyes are? Get in the water with a crocodile, you're going to lose a paw, a tail, or maybe your whole body. You know that, and I know that, you can't squirm your way out of it like a fish tangled in the reeds. Observing doesn't threaten me, if you think you're strong, you try to catch me in my own element. I don't think you're dumb enough to try it, but maybe you are, since you think your threats would frighten me, when obviously, they don't." Her ruby eyes glittered, and she had an alarming gape to her jaws, still flashing her teeth. "You'd have to gnaw forever to kill me, so don't sneer, because your teeth aren't that frightening to a creature like me. My jaws would cleave your fragile bodies in two, small as I am. Your teeth are nothing compared to mine."

She lashed her tail in the water, and vanished, before appearing further to the group's left. "So, you think I'm going to trap you? No, I'm asking if you want to bargain with someone who doesn't care if you fail to succeed in getting across." Her teeth were bared, the long, bone-crushing teeth of a crocodile, "I can tell you a way across, and it's none too safe, but it's the best bet if you want to set foot in Kenya without drowning. Of course, if you don't get across, that would make you a nice meal, so do me a favor, accept my deal, and die while trying to get across so I can eat you." She lashed her tail, and laughed in an amused way, "With that in mind, no, this isn't a trap, it's information. The only reason you can possibly die, is because you just couldn't keep your silly sense of balance while trying to cross over." Aina's eyes narrowed, "I don't have a lot of friends to talk to, dear lions, so I'm afraid, you're my only form of entertainment, at the moment. There's a fallen tree in this direction, to the east, and it's gotten stuck between a small tree and a large rock. It's a bridge, but it's somewhat unstable, and has a tendency to roll around. If you don't trust me to keep my snout out of it, well, the log's too high up for my snout to reach. All you gotta do is walk across the log, without falling in, got it?"

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Mar 19, 2014 6:51 pm

Var looked at Kyra and turned to her in a hushed voice, using his body to prevent Aina from watching them as they spoke. "I don't like this" he murmured, "something's up. She's tricking us somehow. I've been fooled enough times to know how to smell a swindle."

Magir had walked over to them. "Var, we both know you can't swim. So how are we all supposed to get across? This log is the only way."

Var sighed and his ears lowered. "It started out to be such a happy morning. So, what do you think, Kyra?"

Saber looked up at Aina again and seemed to have a very hostile look towards her. He knew what crocodiles could do, and was on the defense. He had a low growl in the back of his throat, distrusting in every way. Taru didn't know exactly what to think. He still didn't trust Saber, but he wondered why the lion was so defensive towards this crocodile.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 20, 2014 12:09 am

Aina hissed, "If you are so determined to stereotype me, then how about this? I think I might know where you're going, and unless you learn to accept a helping claw when it's offered, you won't get that far. Let me tell you lions something, those crocodiles you know further south? I don't like them, and chances are, they'll try to catch you and eat you on the spot, they won't bother with negotiating, friendly or otherwise." She lashed her tail in the water, "The simple fact, I don't care for warm-bloods, but you know what, you're capable of doing something I can't, and that's depriving the big crocodiles of a victory. A small victory if lions live, but a victory, regardless. If I help you, then I'm getting back at them for all the harsh things they've done to me. Perhaps a selfish goal, but you need to shake that image out of your little warm brains that every crocodile you meet is a liar planning on cheating you." Her eyes were ferocious, but her words were biting, accusing of unfairness in their judgement, "Crocodiles don't often lie, but my kind are all clever, and we trick others by withholding the complete truth. If you think that I'm lying, then you don't know honesty from a reptile when you see it. I've told you every detail, every little fact about the information I've given you, I didn't withhold anything about it, and that is how you can tell I am being honest."

Kyra lowered her ears, "Var, I hate to say it, but I think we should at least investigate to see if the log is real or not, nobody can swim across that river. Even though I can't say I trust her, Aina seems to be telling the truth, despite that. It's obvious she means what she says about her opinion of the other crocodiles, that much is clear to me. If she sees it as a win to deprive other crocodiles of our pelts, then I believe her, she's not that big. Maybe against a lion, she'd be a threat, but against a bigger crocodile, she'd just get chased off. I don't think she's lying, I think she really was cast out because of her eyes and small stature."

Aina hissed, "At least someone believes me..."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:29 pm

Var sighed and looked over at Saber who was still locked in defensive, as if he hadn't heard a word Aina said. He then turned to Kyra. "Alright. We'd better get a move on anyways. We're burning daylight, standing here. Saber! Come on!" Var called. The long-toothed lion looked over at him.

"You're kidding?" Saber said in exhaust.

"Quit, come on" Var demanded, then looking at Aina. "Lead the way then."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:29 am

Aina lashed her tail in the water, a gleam that looked oddly joyful, if that was what it was on a crocodile's face, flashing across her features. "Great, this way, please." She said, before turning and swimming against the current, although it didn't seem to pull her hardly at all. She drifted along in a quite relaxed manner, at a speed that would make the lions walk quickly, though they wouldn't be running. Eventually, she stopped, and the group saw, much to their surprise, a log that was across the entire span of the river, held in place by a boulder and a smaller tree that was growing out of some rocky soil near the bank. It was exactly as how Aina described, right down to the way it looked as though it might rotate if weight were applied to it. However, clearly, the female crocodile could not interfere, as she demonstrated her point further by swimming directly under the log, and pointing her long snout straight up. It was still a short distance too high up for her to touch her scaly nose to the bark.

After demonstrating her point, Aina swam over to the lions, though she kept to the water, where it was safe, "As I have said, this log is a bridge, exactly as I said it would be, but it is not the most stable. Perhaps not rotten, it won't break under your weight, but it will shift when you walk across, so don't lose your balance. Those of you that fall into the water are still dead, even if I don't catch you and eat you first, you can't fight the current and will most definitely drown, and your body will be swept far down-river." She bared her teeth ominously, and her strange, red gaze turned on Saber, "As for you, long-tooth, next time you accuse me of deceit, think back on this day and remember that I told the full truth. Don't expect this to be the only time we run into one another. I know where you're going, so I'll be around, with more tips so you don't fall short of your goal. Those big crocodiles aren't going to best me at everything, I'll have the last laugh, I will, even if I have to aid the likes of you."

She then lashed her tail, churning the water, and looked to Kyra, "As for you, sky-eyes, thank you for not believing everything others tell you about a group. You've just helped your friends more than they realize, because I'll help you when you need it, now." Her eyes narrowed, "Be seeing you, I'll give you a freebie, just this once, but next time, don't expect me to give you my assistance with a straight answer. I hope you like solving riddles." With this jarring warning, she vanished into the water, and didn't re-appear.

After staring into the water, and seeing that Aina was probably not going to show up anywhere else, she flicked her tail, and turned back to Var, "She was being honest, but I don't like what she meant by riddles. Is she saying that even though she's going to help us, she's still going to try and mess with us?"

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 22, 2014 4:04 pm

Var was staring at the spot where Aina had disappeared. He blankly looked back to Kyra and shook his head. "This isn't exactly making sense to me. I don't know, maybe I'm just too blind to understand. But either way, we have to move. Now." He carefully moved onto the log, being careful not to move it. He looked back at the group. "One at a time." It took a long, suspenseful moment. Var was worried everyone would be watching, biting their tongues or their claws in nervousness. He eventually got to the other side and looked back, a bit nervously himself. He eyed the waters rushing by, seeing that they were quick and swift and full of death. He wanted to make things better, in the only way he could.

Hope.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:49 pm

Kyra anxiously put one paw on the log, testing it, and saw that the wood was firm, it didn't have the same spongy quality that would indicate decay in vegetation. It did rock and shift a bit, though, and she hurriedly jumped onto it, careful not to throw her weight and make it move any more. She slowly began making her way across, placing one paw in front of the other, altering her gait so it was as though she were walking on a thin line. It was just like walking on a thick tree branch, she had to keep herself balanced, something she was used to doing. She wasn't used to a branch rocking though, every time she took a step. She quickly closed the rest of the distance and hopped down on the other side, next to Var. "Just like tree-walking, well, not exactly, but it's a good comparison." She looked over the other side at everyone else. "Just put one paw in front of the other, and don't throw your weight around!" She called.

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