The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:11 pm

Magir went next. She did just as Kyra had said and stepped very carefully. Though she wasn't used to it, like Kyra. But she made it across. Taru stepped up and gently padded to the other side as well. Saber went last, slowly creeping up the log carefully, but with a weird look in his eyes. He stopped at about the middle and simply looked at the waters.

"Saber, come on" Var called. Saber did not respond. He simply looked down. Then a gaze grew in his face that scared Var.

"What's he doing?" asked Taru.

Var knew exactly what the gaze was. His eyes widened in shock. "He's going to kill himself."

Taru's head spun around with equal shock, looking at Saber with a dropped jaw. "Saber get back here!" He called. The long-toothed lion simply looked at the waters, almost about to make a move to jump.

"Saber don't do this! We need you!" Var shouted.

"The spirits brought you back to life for a reason, Saber!" Taru roared angrily. That seemed to have gotten his attention. He looked over at them and after a moment of staring, began to slowly pad over. When he got to the other side, he passed the group. Nobody said a word. Magir just looked at the ground, sadly, with her ears lowered. Taru had an angry expression, but he didn't say anything.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:02 pm

Kyra's ears droop, and her heart raced, that moment had been so intense for her, even though she hadn't said anything. Watching other lions talk a revived king out of suicide wasn't exactly something that left you with a warm, fuzzy feeling in side. Her ear flicked, as she saw a familiar mottled green-grey snout peek out of the water in a large lake-like area that was a distance from the river. While they had been crossing, Aina had been moving to a different body of water to swim in. It seemed the crocodile intended to remain near where everyone was, and Kyra made a mental note when they decided to camp out somewhere not to sleep near any lakes. A red eye peeked out and looked right at the silver lioness, and as she watched, the eye blinked its clear eyelids once. Aina was winking at her, and it left her with an even more-uneasy feeling, as the scaly face vanished beneath the surface without a sound.

Kyra decided not to mention it to the others, and turned to look at Magir, "He didn't do it, that's what counts." She said.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:21 pm

Magir sighed. "I'm just sick of all the death, all the corruption, all the betrayal. And all these wrong choices." Her tail flicked sadly. "Saber's coming to grasp that everything has changed. He can no longer be the pampered, respected king he once was. And all the people he knew are gone. Now that Scar's returned, she's just a constant reminder to him that he was once something great. But also a reminder to him of all the horrid things he had done..."

Scar, who was sitting behind a tree by now had overheard and looked back at them for a moment's glance. Then she gazed back at the flooded land ahead.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:44 pm

Kyra flicked her tail, "I understand, Magir, what you mean, more than you know, perhaps." She looked around, "We should keep going, the sooner we get back with what we came for, the better off everyone will be. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach." She then turned and slowly started to make her way along the spongy wet ground, her paws starting to become stained with the mud that had formed from wet dust. "I imagine we're all going to look like a mess after this. Was Kenya always a mud pit like this?" Of course, Kyra had never been to Kenya before.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:21 am

Taru shook his head. "Kenya was absolutely beautiful... I mean, I love Ethiopia, but I do miss Kenya. Well, the old Kenya. Before Dalmaa raked it into oblivion."

"It was quite nice" Var agreed. "But... I'd rather stay in Ethiopia. So many bad memories kind of spoiled this place for me."

"Indeed" Magir said softly to herself, in a whisper that she intended for nobody to notice. She licked some if the mud off her paws. Scar approached.

"Kenya was a battleground. Fights every day. Ethiopia has its savages no doubt, but there are far less occurrences. There are also less enemy prides. Kenya was swarming with many clans and nobody could get along. But I'm not sure what happened to half of them. They must have migrated like all of us."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Mar 24, 2014 2:31 pm

Kyra's ears lowered a bit, "There's far less occurrences in Ethiopia because half the prides went extinct before you came. Before that die-off, I don't think we were any more peaceful than Kenya. Let's just accept that what happened was 'mutual destruction.' Prides got into their wars, and then they all killed each other, to the point that nobody was left standing. The only lions like me that came from those prides were either abandoned because they were runts at birth, or because a mother or father took them far away from the fighting, versus risking keeping their cubs at the camp." Her tail flicked slightly, "My mother took me far away from the fighting, which was forbidden, but it saved my life." Her ears lowered a little more, "The fact is, my pride died fighting the one Coglon came from. It's ironic, isn't it?"

She then seemed to brush the dismal thoughts aside, "At any rate, it's possible that Kenya's prides, while some might have migrated, others may have either died out in the drought, or just like Ethiopia, they killed each other until there wasn't any lions left. History tends to repeat itself, and for some reason nobody ever seems to learn from it." She flicked her tail again, "Come on, let's get going, I don't think we want to be here any longer than we have to, we're not really among friends, here." She started to pad further south.

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After having killed countless vultures, and putting a rather notable dent in the number present, Coglon descended down the trunk of his ironwood tree den in the Sunset Pride camp. He had to rest, and oddly enough, he didn't have a single wound, although his paws smelled of scavenger birds and blood. He had come back to recover a bit and restore his energy, before he went back out to hunt more of Zalika's spies. He had also come for a second reason. Coglon planned to check and see if Cyla had taken him seriously, and chosen to stay in the den where she was supposed to be imprisoned. If not, and she had taken off running, he would have to go and kill her, messy work, and not exactly one that he was comfortable with, though he would still do it.

He walked slowly over to the den where she had been, and peeked inside, "I have returned, so, have you chosen to flee?" He asked, his flat tone only having the slightest indication of a question.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:46 pm

(Sorry for short post, very busy right now.)

Cyla stood with her head low, her ears down. Her eyes were sad as her pelt was covered in blood. There were three dead vultures that lay in the dirt. She looked up sadly at Coglon. "I stayed... But I was attacked because of it..."

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The group moved further south, the sun slowly moving into the evening sector of the sky. Eventually there was simply red and orange. Saber walked away from the group, by himself. Var looked at the others and whispered to them, "we need to keep an eye on him."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Tue Mar 25, 2014 8:14 pm

Coglon drew a sharp intake of breath through his teeth, producing a sound that could only be described as the one somebody made when they were acknowledging that an injury looked like it hurt. "You are alive, and you wisely chose to stay, versus fleeing, which would have been suicide the way things are now. I will be in the camp for awhile to rest, I have killed as many of those scavengers as I can, but I will not risk becoming tired to the point that I am sloppy in my technique. You have no reason to fear the vultures for now, they cannot see well enough to fly through the night without considerable risk, and the sun has almost completely set." He flicked his tail, and it went still, "I will go fetch some cobwebs from my own personal store, to tend to your injuries. I never saw any reason to depend on the medical den for all the things used to treat my wounds, and I will not expect them to place your safety over our own lions."

He turned and walked over to the gigantic smoothed-out structure formed from hardened mud and straw, which formed his den. It was the oddest-looking den one could ever think of, nestled between the roots of the ironwood tree in camp. He vanished inside, and in the back of the den, there was something of an arrangement of cubbyholes that he kept his own private stash of medical items in, as he was an independent lion, despite being officially in the Sunset Pride. He reached in and pulled out cobwebs that had a very clean look to them, though they were slightly damp with dew. Coglon was picky about the cobwebs he collected, so his were perhaps some of the best quality.

He walked out of the den and back over to where Cyla was standing among the three dead vultures. "I would normally hand these cobwebs to you, Cyla, but this case is different. I would allow you to tend to the wounds that were made by my own claws because my claws are clean, and there wasn't risk of an infection. A scavenger bird's beak is not as likely to be clean, and there is more risk to your health, unless your wounds are tended so that infection does not occur. Do I have your permission to tend to your injuries myself? I will not do it unless you allow it, I have no right otherwise."

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Kyra flicked an ear, "I know, Var, I don't know what possessed him to do something like that. All I know is, he's not the only one we need to watch out for. I think we're being followed, does anyone else feel like they're being watched?"

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:48 pm

Cyla winced at the thought, but sighed, accepting the difficult. "Go ahead" she said grudgingly, turning into her side to reveal a brutally mangled flank. She put her chin on her paws, giving in a deep breath. "You were right... I'm just a pawn..."

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Taru looked at them. "I've felt like someone's watching since before we even left the camp. Because someone is watching. Dalmaa has his eyes glued to us. And he'll stop at nothing to keep us from the old camp. But of course, I'm sure there's plenty of dragons around here, like the one we saw earlier. We must all sleep in trees. Kyra, you'll have to teach us."

Var looked at her, almost with excitement. "It'd be nice to lean, Kyra. I'd love to share your talent if tree climbing" he said.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Mar 26, 2014 12:23 am

Coglon nodded, and began to examine the injuries, checking to see which ones were shallow grazes, or deep punctures where the vultures had sunken their beaks deep into the flesh. After making a clear image in his mind of what needed the most intense amount of focus, he proceeded to clean each wound out with damp moss, first starting with cleaning grit out of the shallow cuts. It would sting slightly, but most creatures weren't much bothered by scratches being cleaned out, and Coglon's paws weren't very large or heavy, so his touch was a very gentle and light. He spoke as he worked, "It isn't a truth that is easy to accept, but you have done so, and the worst is over." He said, pausing, before speaking again, "My whole life, I have learned to accept that there are many things I wish I did not have to know, but it would be foolish of me to turn my back, and think that the problems would go away if I ignored them. It only made the truth more difficult to bear, and it made things worse, in the end."

He prepared to move onto the deeper wounds, "I'm starting on the deeper wounds, these may sting." He said, as he began scrubbing the grit and grime out of the puncture wounds from where the vulture's beaks had left deep marks. He spoke as he worked to distract Cyla from the pain, "When I was born, I was abandoned because I was small and weak, a runt. My pride died out, so I had no family to speak of." He said, saying the words with finality, as though he accepted the fact calmly. "Because of that, I grew up fending for myself, and because I wasn't strong enough to go after most prey directly, I had to devise creative new ways to obtain the things I needed. I had to learn how to set traps and snares, how to bait them, almost in imitation of humans. I survived well enough in this manner, although many were frightened or disturbed by the things that I was capable of, and I was continuously rejected for this reason." He finished scrubbing the wounds, and began placing cobwebs over them, clean white ones that looked incredibly fresh. "I never learned to speak informally, as most creatures do, because at a young age I was spoken to in such a formal manner that I learned that pattern, and I have not deviated from it since. It is, you could say, the only tone and speech pattern that gains respect from males larger than I am."

He finished, and backed away, "Your wounds are covered up, but they need time to breathe and seal over. Do not move too much, you do not want them tearing open after that, or it will be quite painful.

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Kyra flicked one ear, "Well, the hard part will be just finding a tree that's tall and thick enough. It's easy for a lioness to climb a tree, because we're not as big. For males like you, Taru, and Saber, it's a bit more challenging. You weigh more, so you have to have stronger branches to support your weight, and that's not even taking into consideration the fact that your manes will snag on smaller branches and throw off your balance. For everyone involved, there's the fact that you aren't used to sleeping in a tree, and you haven't learned how to avoid tossing and turning in your sleep, so there's the risk of you falling out, too. There will have to be guard branches that can poke you awake if you're about to fall, so you can catch yourself. It's a big balancing act, too, you'll have to walk like you did on Aina's log back there, and then deal with your weight or the wind causing vibrations in the branch. It's easy to teach it, but it's experience, more than anything else."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:52 pm

Cyla winced at the pain, but was mostly distracted by Coglon's words. "Thank you" she said, as though the words were poisonous. She looked at her paws. "I share a similarity. Though I was forced to hunt the weakest victims, rather than assemble traps. I ate the children of not only prey, but even of other lions. I have gained an ominous reputation as the child-eater amongst most of my enemies. And rather, it's a bit shameful, as I look in this rapidly coming new light."

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Taru nodded. "I adapt quickly. Can't speak for the others, but I will learn." Saber said nothing. Magir looked around at the many trees. Wondering which is best suitable. She waited for the others and their word.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:49 pm

Coglon, having taken up his position at the entrance of the den once more, didn't turn to look at Cyla, though he did respond, "It is no small crime to devour the young of a creature, because a cub, colt, calf, or chick is often blameless and innocent in nature. The parents of a child would willingly die if it meant the survival of their offspring, there is no other way to describe them, but as the most cherished and prized possession they have." He flicked his tail once, and then it fell still, having no other motion to it. "However, I have known most creatures among predators such as us lions to readily forgive targeting the young of prey, for two very specific reasons. The first, that the young of our prey is, as you have said, weaker than the adults. The second reason, is that, given the chance, most prey animals will trample the young of predators underfoot to eliminate the threat of that lion, leopard, hyena, or cheetah growing up and hunting down more of their kind." He continued to stare out into the darkness as he spoke, "To hunt cubs of your own kind, though, that is not something so forgivable, for many reasons."

He looked up as the moon began to rise, though his head only lifted slightly, "To devour a lion cub, that is cannibalism, and to most, it is even more horrid a concept than the cold-blooded slaughter of multiple lions, because it is not only showing that you do not feel disturbed by killing, but it is also showing that you have no qualms seeing members of your own kind as food. No creature likes the concept of being eaten, and to think that one of your own might be the one to devour you, it quite quickly eliminates the feeling of safety you have, and it also upsets you because you may not have a proper burial." Coglon looked away from the sky, and returned to gazing out into the distance, "Because it is devouring a cub, it is also showing that you do not mind killing even the most innocent of creatures. Overall, it is no small matter, and most creatures who would do such things, have no sanity to speak of. It is strange, because you are one who feels regret for it, although it may also be your only saving grace."

Coglon continued, "Do not forget, this Pride has accepted even those with very dark histories, lions whose crimes are great in number, and often of a severe nature. There is also the fact that you could not have brought down traditional prey, and so what you did was the only way you saw that would allow you to survive. Many things considered unforgivable are done for the sake of self-preservation, and in those cases, there are some very large exceptions made for the actions of the one who committed them." His ear twitched, "Child-eater or not, you regret it, do you not? If you had been given the choice, and hadn't been forced, would you have done it? That is the true question that matters, the one that brings into question your very character, your identity, the way you see yourself. Are you true enough to yourself to say the actual truth, or what others want to hear?"

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Kyra nodded, and looked around, her ears lowering, "Hmm....Okay, Taru, you go to that tree over there. Var, that one has a nice thick branch that can support your weight. Saber, this tree over here should be able to hold you up." She gestured to three separate trees that were very thick around the trunks, and likewise, had very strong-looking branches, the only ones that could probably support the weight of a fully-grown male lion, which weighed considerably more than a lioness did. Kyra then picked out a tree of her own. The trunk was sturdy, and the branches were thick at the base, but grew thin the further out they went.

"Okay, watch how I do this, if you don't climb properly, you'll slip right down and rub your paw pads raw." Kyra instructed. She then went up on her hind legs, balancing on them, and placed her front paws on the tree, digging her claws into the ridges of the tree where she could find them, grabbing for purchase, and curving her toes so that her claws hooked in. She then started up, and with her experience, moved quickly, darting up the trunk, almost like a leopard, and vanishing into the green foliage. She appeared seconds later, and walked out onto a nice branch, with smaller twigs sprouting from its sides. She lay down on the branch, and let her legs dangle down, some small branches growing out to either side of her. She was a good distance above everyone else.

She looked down at everyone, "A good idea is to select a branch before you try climbing. Make sure you have a good idea of how much you weigh, and make sure the branch isn't hollow or rotten, before you put your full weight on it." She said.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 27, 2014 12:33 am

Cyla sighed deeply, shaking her head. "No, see, I was never forced to eat the children. That was my decision. Granted, it was Kavis' idea, but I was never pressured to do it, never. I did it to impress Kavis. I always looked up to him, growing up. But now I don't. I'm beginning to see things. Even before tonight I've been slowly tearing away from them." She made a sad face that seemed as though there was something she couldn't bear. "I wish I hadn't done it... I regret it now, because I now know what it feels like to be helpless."

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The group began to settle in the trees. The males having difficulty at first, but eventually grasping hold. As soon as everyone was situated, Var looked at Kyra with a smile, from his branch. "Good night" he said.

Whenever Kyra did fall asleep, she fell once more into a deep slumber. The black world emerged at her paws. She saw the silver-furred lions approaching. Usizi and Isisulu. Usizi spoke first, her voice a bit disturbed. She looked at Shebla with weary eyes and sighed. "The things you will learn tonight are far more disturbing than that of the last. Kyra," Usizi said firsthand. She looked around at the trees.

"Snake grew more corrupt as he got older. We had always worried about him. We'd noticed there was something wrong with him before he became a teenager. We'd known that he had something wrong in his mind. But we'd always dismissed it, unknowing of what it would grow into." She said.

The world burst into an array of black smoke, swirling around an there was nothing to see. Everything was dark and black. The smell of blood quickly grew in the air, just as the smoke dissipated within, miraculously as the clouds were thick, only a few moments. As Kyra found herself standing at the entrance of the Ridge Pride Camp. It was raining. The sky was a dreary gray with clouds. But in the less clouded areas one would see a pale, gloomy sky. The sun was not out. It was simply a dim orb behind a sheet of gray. The ground was almost a liquid. Mud was everywhere. The river that leaked to the rim of Ridge Pride was spilling over into the grass. Every ditch and creek was flooded.

There was a clap of thunder. Usizi arrived, standing amongst a bit if fog rising around the camp. "Go inside" she said, gesturing to the camp with her head. As Kyra walked in, she saw nearly nobody in the camp. Save for a few. A black-maned male was fighting two brown-maned ones. There was horrendous shouting and roaring. Snake struck one of the males in the face an gouged out his eyes with a single strike. He threw him over and quickly bit his neck, puncturing the jugular tube and killing him. He looked at the other lion, who Kyra recognized as Jali. Jali, who was now looking at him fearfully. Before Snake could strike, he ran away for his life. That left only Snake in the clearing. He was covered in blood and claw and bite markings. Though the rain washed him a bit. His mane was soaking. He padded with his head hanging low from his heavy mane. He made his way to one of the dens and poked his head in. He minutes something a bit out of Kyra's hearing. But when he removed his head, something else came with it. A small cub came out of the den. Barely even old enough to survive without its mother's milk.

Snake beckoned the male cub to follow, and it did. He looked around the camp and at the sparkling rain. To little Var, everything was a joy. Snake guided him so that he wouldn't notice the dead body across the camp. And the two made it to the edge of the camp.

Magir padded in, panting. Her fur was soaked, dripping. "Snake! What's happening?" She asked. Snake did not respond. She had a look of panic in her eyes. "Who is this cub?"

"Who is this cub?" echoed Snake in a dry yet menacing way. "This cub, is my son. Young Var."

"Son?" Magir said, confusion and shock already boiling in we expressions. It seemed as though she were already piecing things together. Her eyes watered. "No... tell me you didn't..."

"Magir, did you honestly think you and I would ever be together?" Snake asked. Her jaw dropped to say something, but the rush of tears from her eyes seemed to have occupied most of her thoughts. Snake continued, "you were foolish to believe that."

"But... but I thought you loved me! I loved you! I..."

"Magir" Snake said, "you are only hurting yourself" he said pawing up to her, with Var at his heels. She let out a sobbing breath.

"How could you? I thought we had something special, I thought you and I were meant to be..." she cried. Snake gave her a resentful look. She sniffed, continuing. "Who have you been cheating on me with?"

Snake grinned. "Go and see for yourself" he said flicking his tail and gesturing with his head in the direction of a particular den, off in the distance. Snake and Var both padded away, leaving Magir. The young lioness watched them go, and then with blood-shot, weeping eyes, she looked over at the den he'd pointed at. And she padded towards it, a peculiar scent appearing. One that already implemented fear into her. She was slow about it, but eventually she made to it and pushed into the den. She gasped. A female lay on the ground, coated in blood. A puddle of scarlet seemed to drown everything in the den. The low-hanging limbs of the trees and the weeds were ripped up, showing signs of struggle.

Magir screamed, seeing this horrible image. Her eyes were even more tearful. She turned away and ran out of the den, continuing to move quickly. She ran out of the camp, moving down the long slope that led up to their ridge. Snake and Var were walking among the ridge, watching Magir running away as they moved.

"Daddy, why is she crying?" Little Var asked.

"You'll understand when you're older, Var" Snake replied. Var simply pondered the words, barely understanding them.

The landscape then moved, following Magir. The lioness was running fast and far. Her tears seemed to fly off of her very face as she moved. She stopped as she saw the large Shadingtree again. Her eyes simply exploding. She gave out a wail, a screaming wail. And to bury this memory, this tree, she just kept running away. For there was nothing left. Nothing.

Usizi appeared again and looked at Kyra. "Magir left Yellow Pride. She ran far away, all the way to Ethiopia, that day. Normally she would have stayed at Yellow Pride, but her brother had died from Blacklung just a few days ago. Magir came to the Shadingtree and heard screaming from Ridge Pride. Fearing for her beloved, she went to find him, only to find that he was the one to fear. Since that day, Magir was never the same heart-warming, loving, nurturing lioness. She was spiteful, resentful, and not willing to trust others easily. There were a couple of males along the road that grew to like her and tried to rope her into their love. She never trusted another male with her heart ever again. And she's been that way ever since..." Usizi said, her head low.

"If he wasn't so selfish, so crazed, she could have changed him. But no. He changed her."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 27, 2014 2:20 am

Coglon gave a single nod of his head, still gazing out into the darkness, as though he were a part of the landscape, rather than something separate that wandered around in it. There was a strange, unmovable sort of aura about him that suggested he could be poked and prodded, but that he could never be bent or broken. He would do what he wished to do, and nothing could change whatever path he chose. It was as though he had become a shadow with substance, something that would not change, though others would swipe at him. This cool, collected, and stoic manner he had was something that contrasted sharply with the way he had been in battle. Swift and unpredictable, his movements in combat were like those of a dancer, done with grace and form, but still, somehow with the power and constant motion associated with a leaping flame. All these things were tied together by his general silence, and there was almost something surreal about it, because even though he had been speaking poetically, and for an extended period, he seemed like a lion of few words. Perhaps because he only spoke what he needed to say.

"You acknowledge the mistakes you have made, and you fully accept that guilt, and that you are to blame. In doing so, you have laid out before you the things that burden your heart. You know why they burden you, and you know that they weigh so heavily because they are the result of choices in the past that you made, knowing that the deeds you committed were wrong." He said, still unmoving, "If this is so, then you can distinguish what is right, and what is wrong, you have no illusions about either, because you have faced the truth. With this clarity, you know what choices to make now, and in the future. You have learned from the mistakes of the past."

He flicked his ear one single time, "If you know yourself, that is to have great inner strength, because those that know themselves cannot possibly waver in their resolves. Resolve built on the truth can never be destroyed, because the truth can never be eliminated or changed. Some may try to hide it, but the cover will always fall away, in the end. This is the lesson that so many seek to learn, but lack the courage to find." He paused for a moment, "The other lesson, is that the only limit you have, is the one you give yourself, because you have potential to do so much, but you become blinded by doubts and fears. Do not give into fear, and as long as you remember the truth, what doubts to you have?"

There came a soft growl, and Coglon looked over, as a gigantic black lion emerged from the trees. He had a vine sprouting with leaves twined about his body, and his pelt was wild and unkempt, matted with twigs and leaves. His body was covered in scars, where it was as though the fur had been singed and branded with strange markings of a nature few could determine. Coglon formed a facial expression, something one didn't expect, "There is violence, here, but you returned, despite this? You took vows to never be violent to any creature, and likewise, all living things are not to hinder you. You are a peaceful creature, so why have you come back?" He asked.

The lion was unable to speak, but his deep brown eyes watched Coglon, and after a moment, he raised one paw, and touched the tip of one of his toes to Coglon's head. He held it there for a moment, and lowered his paw, before drawing a long, winding line in the dirt, and then placing dots alongside it, like footprints.

Coglon frowned, "So you are to take me on a journey of my own, even at a time like this? What purpose in mind?" He asked.

Shadow drew another winding line, an arrow running alongside it, and then a star in the direction the arrow pointed in. Coglon would know when they got there.

Coglon sighed, "This may complicate things, a Great Healer is not to be disregarded, his words carry more weight than the King, for the power he possesses."

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Kyra's ears lowered, "What lioness can be betrayed, and then trust a male so greatly again? She was hurt, and it is a deep and jagged wound."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:14 pm

"Indeed" said Usizi. "She suffered... Much, from him. Snake destroyed her" she said as she looked back to Kyra. She then went on. "Isisulu and I did not bring you here simply for your and Var's benefit. We have much and many in mind. We want to build Magir back up. And you must be part of that equation. Would you participate with that?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

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"Well, goodbye" Cyla said to Coglon. She then rolled gently onto her side and closed her eyes, hoping to go to sleep. But for all she knew, she could be raven food. She hope desperately not.

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As the moon had risen, Shebla sunk back into the medical den, pushing her way through the ferns that made an entrance to her own den. As she pushed through, she situated herself and then curled up, laying her head down on her paws and waiting for slumber.

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Kavis sniffed the grass carefully and then rose up, looking out at the horizon. About five hyenas swarmed behind him maliciously, each giving out a few whoops. Kavis growled, causing them to all be silenced. He opened his mouth to bathe his scent glands in the fragrance of the signature smell he inspected. Then his jaw closed. Like an enormous storm cloud, he thundered forward. Every step was powerful and muscular. He walked forth towards the direction of the scent. Soon he came to a large rock which he climbed onto and overlooked the land.

He saw just a walk beyond him a river. And he gave a very slight grin as his eyes narrowed. "Var, Var, Var... When will you learn..." he said with a slight chuckle. One of the hyenas darted out from the side. A young male from Smother Klan. He had strange whitish eyes and dark, almost black ears and snout and a black ring of fur around his neck. A black tuft hung in his face. The rest of him was rather grayish an silvery. Taru would have recognized him as Drula, Saber's old servant. Many had theorized that he was at one point in a relationship with Scar, as the two seemed close. But they were not together.

Drula growled as he caught the scent. He looked up at Kavis. Kavis looked around at all the hyenas below him and calculated his next move.

"They went off into Kenya. I know where they're going. Follow their scent trail extremely carefully. Find a shallow point in the river to cross, and made it across safely. I only brought five of you, and I can't risk all of you getting killed. Luckily you're the best fighters in Moonrise's hyena ranks. You will not be easily stopped by them... Now go, I will be just behind you."

The hyenas took off with the commanding call of Drula. Each running out towards the river.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:56 pm

Kyra flicked one ear, "What doubt is there that I would accept? Magir isn't a bad lioness, she's been treated cruelly. She deserves better than what she was given." She sat back on her haunches, "Just tell me what you want me to do, and when, I'll do it." The look in her eyes left little room for people to question her resolve. She was determined, above all else.

______________________________________________________

Coglon looked at Cyla, before turning back to Shadow, "Should I tell Jali I am leaving to go on this journey?" He asked.

Shadow made a sound in his throat, his eyes narrowing only slightly, as he slowly shook his head. No, Jali wasn't allowed to know. Nobody but Coglon should come with him, this was a secret. Unless destiny fated that someone else come on this pilgrimage with the two of them, nobody else would know where they had gone until they returned. It was the way things were meant to be. Sometimes, even Shadow couldn't tell how fate would change things, though he knew for certain he had to take Coglon. The little lion had a power locked within that wasn't possessed by anyone else in the pride. The time had come for that power to be awakened, for in the future, it would be needed for a matter of great importance. It was Shadow's mission to guide people to their fate, and offer insight. It was Shadow's mission to take Coglon where he needed to be.

With this, the two lions silently began to exit the camp through the foliage.

(Dark, if you want anyone else coming on this pilgrimage, have whoever you want to come see them leave and follow)

_______________________________________________________________

As Shebla fell asleep, she found herself opening her eyes in a completely different place. They were along the ridge on the northern face of a mountain, the moon slowly rising in the east, to the right of where she was, although her view was blocked by the towering cliff face that rose up and vanished into the clouds. The air seemed a bit thinner up here, and there was a distinct cold chill to the air. The wind blew around the stones, audible and loud, although she didn't lose her footing. She was on a sort of ridge or path running along the peak. When she looked down, there were only clouds, the ground was so far away. Clearly, she was much further up the mountainside than she had been before, and even further away from Sunset Pride's camp. The location was so remote she got the feeling that most would feel discouraged from following. She had also never been in a place with such a low temperature before, so she might shiver occasionally, as she was chilled by the merciless howling wind. There wasn't as much green here, much was exposed bare rock.

Egret appeared next to Shebla, looking as she usually did, with snow white fur, and a single red tuft over her heart. "They have climbed very high up this mountain. They are close to finding what they were meant to find. I have reason to think that whatever it is that is here, rests at the peak. They have been going up in a spiral around the mountainside." She flicked her tail. "They're up ahead of us."

With this, they set off down the same path, until they saw the ridge widen into an enormous alcove. There was something incredibly odd about it. It was perfectly circular, with a single spiral starting in the center, and swirling out. At the edges, thick boulders outlined the alcove, and dead-looking trees grew behind the rocks. The mountain rose up, blocking out much of the sky except on one side. Ammon was standing in the circle, conversing with Seker. They were debating taking the narrow path that led out of the circle, which would force a lion as big as Ammon to walk one paw in front of the other, in order to comfortably fit, as it was so narrow, and was cut into the rock itself. It was claustrophobic-looking.

"I have a strange feeling, Master Ammon, about that path. It seems we are supposed to go down it." The vulture said, his tone respectful, but also clearly meaning to be in the form of advice.

"What if it leads to a dead end? I will have to walk backwards to get out, there is no room to turn around." Ammon said.

"What of these patterns? That path looks intentional, it leads somewhere, I know it."

As the two calmly bickered, the same gigantic eagle and saber-toothed cat spirits from before appeared, standing on the ridges high above the circle, looking down over the two. It was clear they wanted Ammon and Seker to go down the path, but for what reason?

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Mar 30, 2014 10:33 pm

Usizi smiled. "I had no doubt, young one. But there is so much that is clouding our view. I will let you in on something that is secret amongst us spirits." She said looking up at the changing clouds as the scene shifted back to the black meadow with the large moon in the sky.

"There is a war going on in the Afterlife. The spirits are fighting amongst themselves. And when the spirits fight each other, strange things happen in the mortal world. Strange patterns of weather appear. Protheus and Dalmaa quarreled for moons, causing many floods north. That drove Scar's clan south, and there it caused all of that destruction, all of that evil done to Snake's family. Then if course they went further south into Kenya and eventually they joined Ridge Pride. As Var was born, Dalmaa pushed him and his father away by stitching together Snake's crime against Mira. They were banished. But Dalmaa cannot control everyone just as he pleases. So when Snake and his sons returned to Ridge Pride, he had to drive them back out. He singed Kenya with the drought. Causing the many lions that lived there to move further away from the stone. When he predicted you'd return, he unleashed as massive flood into the heart of Africa to keep you from reaching it. Now, you must not give in, as I know you will not." Then she looked at Kyra. "These visions are meant to save a number of people. Magir being one. For her, I wish for you to help her get away from the torment..." Her tail flicked slowly, her eyes now fixed on the ground in front of her.

"There will be a day when Magir is plunged into intense sorrow. Not her normal sadness, not her everyday anguish. But a deep, true dread. A horrible display of tears an emotion. It will be the saddest you will ever see a lioness. The tears that pour out of her will hit you like wasps. You will feel them as though you're the one crying them... And then and there, you must be there for her. There you will tell her what you know and how you know it. And you will show her the way. For it will be the only way left for her." Usizi looked Kyra in the eyes. "You must be strong. Danger is lurking closely just as you sleep..."

______________________________

Large paws stepped across the grass quietly. Immense black paws stepping, stepping, stepping. Prowling and creeping out. The shadowy face of Kavis slipped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. His scarlet red gaze fell upon the tree limbs above him, his enemies all dwelling in them as though now that they were in high ground, no harm could come to them.

Kavis almost grinned, but did not. His hyenas surrounded the tree and looked up. Drula looked at him with an eager face, but Kavis shook his head. With the gesture of his tail the hyenas went into the bushes, leaving Kavis alone. He... he hummed to himself. He hummed a soothing tune. Then he began to rake into the dirt something with his claws. He drew a large crescent moon shape over a few triangular shapes without the bottoms that looked like mountains. It was obvious it meant "Moonrise" and thus was "Moonrise Pride". He swept some of the breeze-blown grasses with his muscular tail, looking back up at them all.

"Sleep tight, my sweet little Chosen Ones. Sleep tight." He said just as he padded away.

______________________________

Cyla tried to remain idle, but when she pieces together that Shadow was a Healer, she couldn't sit still. She had to get up, slip out, and slowly follow their scent out of the camp. The grass rubbing her nose, the wind brushing the fluffy fur of her back. When one touched Cyla, their paw would just sink into her to their surprise. Cyla was merely just fluff. She crept along quietly, following. For she had new interests.

_____________________________

Shebla looked at the two ancient spirits and then at Egret. "Is there anything else you know about those two? I feel like they're important. No, they must be. What are they getting at?" she asked, looking out.

_____________________________

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:24 pm

Kyra lowered her ears, alarmed, "I'll do what you say, although you didn't have to tell me we were in danger. After being around it for long enough, you start to develop a sixth sense for detecting it. I've had that feeling gnawing at my gut since yesterday morning. I know what you mean, though, it's probably something bigger that we don't know about yet." She flicked her tail, "We're tough, though, we'll get through is, and I'm going to keep it together for everybody else, not just the team I'm in, but for you, the spirits, and all the creatures we're trying to help. I can't have a break in my resolve, if there isn't at least one person, the whole thing falls apart."

__________________________________________________________________________________

Shadow silently flicked one ear. Nobody could hear, but he didn't have to hear to feel that he was being followed. He wouldn't move to stop it, though, or even alert Coglon to the presence. If they were being followed, it because this third creature was meant to come with them. Otherwise, they would never have been noticed at all, the subtle forces that worked in the world would not have allowed it. The truth would come to light when it was ready, Shadow would not rush it. Instead, he slowly padded on, heading northeast, leading Coglon towards a special place far in the distance.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Egret looked at the path, just as Ammon and Seker finally decided to go down it. Seker landed on Ammon's back, and they slowly proceeded down it, a tight fit, but comfortable, so long as they didn't try to turn around. As they moved further away, the two ancient spirits looked down at the circle, where the carved spiral began to give off a radiant blue-white light, which was likely something that only those in dreams, or those who were spirits, could see. The points of light between the eyes of the ancient spirits brightened to a bright white gleam, as Shebla witnessed something emerge from the circle.

It was another ancient spirit, there was no mistaking it, and like the other two, a white point of light burned between its eyes. It was some sort of primate, like a monkey, but it had no tail, so it was an ape. It was enormous, however, far larger than anything anyone had ever seen. It would have towered almost twice as tall as a regular human. It had long arms and legs, and was composed of fine blue mist, although it clearly had long fur, and a bald face. It stood completely upright at first, but as the energy in the circle dulled, as did the points of light on the spirits, the third spirit leaned forward and supported its weight on all four limbs, walking on its knuckles. Egret tilted her head, "It looks like a modern creature, an orangutan, but it is much, much larger. It must have been sleeping inside of the circle, until these events woke it. I was not familiar that spirits could be sealed within the Earth, in such a way."

The ape spirit blinked with wise, knowing eyes, before turning and looking directly at Shebla, his eyes points of light like glittering stars. She began to see the spirits and the scenery change. "It is showing you what they truly were in the past, when they are alive." Egret said. Suddenly, Shebla became aware of greyish skin on the ape spirit, and bright orange fur that was long, soft-looking, and like silk. Deep brown eyes that had a great amount of intelligence and wisdom. The Eagle spirit became clothed in brown and black feathers, with a white chest, and flecks of white on the undersides of its wings. Its eyes were a piercing yellow. The saber-tooth cat developed tawny fur, like a lion's, but its body was specked with spots like a leopard's. Its eyes were an extremely pale shade of green that Shebla had never before seen in any cat she was familiar with.

Egret looked around, and then back at the Orangutan, who, much to her surprise, spoke. "They are coming, and it is time for them to be defeated once more." He said, his voice shockingly old.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Apr 02, 2014 7:04 pm

Usizi shook her head. "It's more than that. There is a dark force that is watching you while you sleep. Not crocodiles, not spirits. But something you're all too familiar with. You will see when you open your eyes." She said. "Now Kyra, even those who are tainted and evil can be cleansed. Remember that. And now, the sun will rise soon. I will leave you to sleep dreamlessly."

_______________________________

Shebla's head was spinning with amazement at these creatures. Her eyes wide and looking on at them. "Wow" she said. But it seemed as though she were speechless. Unable to say anything else.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Apr 03, 2014 12:16 am

There came a growl from above, as the Saber-Toothed Cat spirit gazed down at Shebla with fierce, pale green eyes, that strange color that no normal lion was known to possess. "It is time for the next generation to take on our burden. Ancient Darkness was defeated, and sealed away, but now the seal has broken, and history will once more repeat, until the day comes when that Darkness is defeated forever." With this, the three spirits turned, and proceeded to follow Ammon and Seker, until they vanished.

The sky was getting lighter, and the sun was rising. Egret flicked her tail, "Our time together is at an end...but I still do not know what this means." She said.

With this, Shebla woke.
____________________________________________________________________________

Kyra woke up in her tree with a start, and shot up to her paws, looking around with alarm. She flicked her ears wildly, until her gaze fixed on a marking on the ground. She gasped, and looked around at the trees where others were sleeping. She wanted to yell, but they didn't know how to stay in their branches that well yet. If she scared them out of sleep, they might fall out of their trees.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:26 am

Eventually as the sun began to shine in their eyes, each began to wake. Var woke with a gasp as well, then Taru. Magir gave a face that spoke worry, but said nothing. Saber simply stared at it. Var looked at Kyra. "What is that?"

"Look at it..." Taru said. "It's a moon, rising above some hills..." He looked at them urgently. "They've been here. They know where we are and where we're going..."

Var began getting down from the tree. When he hit the ground, he looked up at the rest of them. "We need to move! We can't let them find us..."

_____________________________

Cyla climbed the ravines, watching Coglon and Shadow closely. She was intrigued, and she very well could have ran away right now. But she didn't. She supposed that it would be foolish. Moonrise would never accept her back, and she had very little interest in going back anyways. She'd never make it on her own. She barely knew how to hunt. She'd always eaten from the kills that the hunters of Moonrise brought back. She'd never survive. And it had gotten to the point that she craved compassion. Some sort of humanity. Not the constant evils and wickedness from where she'd come. She wanted to be normal again.

____________________________

Shebla woke up, tending to a few of the pride's wounded in the medical den. Jali came in, ducking under the low-hanging brush. "Hello Shebla."

"Hey Jali" Shebla said as she placed some cobwebs on a bloody wound. "How goes the battle?"

Jali sighed. "It may never end. We've been at it almost five days non-stop. Luckily everyone's been scattered throughout the territory. They attack if they see anything they think is an enemy. Lately there hasn't been much contact with the enemy. They're hiding like cowards out near the hills."

"Any news on the... the uh... team?" Shebla asked. Jali shook his head. She sighed.

"No sign of Ammon, either" Jali said with a sigh. Shebla pretended like she didn't know where he was.

"I hope he's alright."

"He's a traitor" Jali said, "but I understand your likeness of him. He's been good to you. Good for you."

Shebla nodded. "But I wouldn't be so quick to call him a traitor. He was just trying to help."

"He left us to die. We could have used him. So far he and Var are the only ones strong enough to effectively tackle Aziza. But I still have yet to witness a fight between Gamba and her. Hopefully though that'll never happen. He's got a family now, and he can't take all if these risks anymore."

"Indeed" Shebla said. "I see becoming a father has changed your outlooks as well, eh?"

Jali nodded. "I will do anything to keep my children safe. But I will not advance unless I must. I can't allow them to go fatherless so young." He said looking back at the entrance for a moment. The last patients left, leaving Jali and Shebla alone. "Fatherlessness... So... terrible. I know what that's like, but at an older age. But my mother died young, while I was still a cub."

"What did your mother die from again?" Shebla asked.

"Scar killed her."

"Ah. Well, I'm very sorry" Shebla said sorting through some herbs.

"So am I." There was a long pause, Jali keeping silent as he looked on outside for a while. Then he looked back at Shebla. "Motherlessness is another story. And Layla will have to face it soon... Fenuku still hasn't told her what happened to Hasina. He's refused ever since we told him she can't be put under stress."

"Rabies you said" Shebla remarked. Jali nodded.

"Horrible thing."

"I could only imagine..." Shebla said wincing. "Even though I'm a medical lioness, my personal belief is that rabies is no disease. It's a curse. An evil spirit. Ramla's said it, you've said it, Fenuku's said it. It's an evil thing."

"It is... and Layla will be crushed when she finds out..."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:28 pm

Shadow and Coglon continued their journey heading northeast, the ground slowly beginning to escalate as they traveled. The shadows of what appeared to be highlands appeared in the far distance, as trees grew sparse, replaced instead by high, jutting rocks with shaggy rugs of deep green grass covering them. The soil, which had been composed primarily of rotting plant matter, was becoming increasingly mixed with clay, sand, and gravel. This was no indication of desolation, however, as the weather retained a cool, damp feel to it, and the soil seemed even more fertile than in the forest. Smaller plants were present everywhere, replacing dense forests with miles of emerald green shrub land. There were small, babbling streams that they came across on occasion, and they found just as many of the same streams that were dried up, the only indication of their ever having been there being a shallow indent in the ground that made a line trailing somewhere. It seemed these streams ran throughout the area, but never stayed in one place for very long. They finally came to a stop at another stream, nestled by an odd-looking twisting tree, which was surpassed in height by a towering bush that rose up like a pillar, for it was very small. These trees were the only ones in the area, it seemed, and one wondered if they even qualified.

Coglon flicked his tail, "We should probably eat something, but what here is edible? There does not appear to be any prey running about that I can see." He said, finally speaking after hours of silence. When there are only two traveling, and one is mute and can only communicate through drawings, it wasn't practical to carry on a conversation, they wouldn't get anywhere doing that.

Shadow flicked his tail, and slowly traced an image out in the dirt by the tiny river, which was coated in light silt, perfect for what he was doing. He drew a few dashes meant to represent grass, and then, something that looked like a mole rat with large ears. Coglon looked at it, "Okay, so the prey here's small, and it eats the grass." He said aloud, making sure he read properly. Shadow gave a small nod, before going over to a large clump of grass, and snipping the top off of it off with his teeth, proceeding to chew it. Coglon flicked his tail, "Right, Great Healers can't kill, not even prey, so you're the only lions that are capable of surviving without eating meat. Actually, I forget that you're the only lions that survive exclusively off of plants."

Shadow flicked his tail, and looked at Coglon, chewing a mouthful of grass, before flicking his tail again, to direct the small lion's attention to a small hole in the ground, a burrow. Coglon's ear twitched, "In there?" He asked. As if in reply, a small, furry brown shape shot out of the burrow, and Coglon reacted as if his movements were on a hair-trigger. His claws shot out and he caught the prey on the back of the head, killing it by severing the spine. It dropped dead, to reveal that it was the animal Shadow had drawn.

___________________________________________________________________

Kyra descended from her tree, "I know that, I saw the drawing when I woke up, but I couldn't risk waking you, or you might have fallen out of your trees. Someone sneaked up on us while we were asleep and drew that. We didn't want them to find us, we're a little late. Whoever was looking for us, already found us. Now we just need to watch our backs."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:13 pm

"We've already been watching our backs. We've got to watch our fronts" Magir said as she got off of the tree, followed by Saber and Taru. She fixed her fur for a moment and then looked around for any signs of an enemy. Nothing. She smelled the dirt and her eyes widened. She raises her head and looked at Kyra. "It's King Kavis" she said grimly.

_______________________________

Cyla hid in some bushes, watching quite intensely at the two. She'd configured a while ago Shadow was a Healer. It took extra effort to swallow when a creature doesn't have a tongue. That extra effort is usually visible by the motion of the throat, of course. At least she knew for certain now. She forgot to tell them that Nassor planned on killing Shadow.

_________________________________

Aziza came up to the Shadingtree, the enormous black tree up on the cliff. The tree's enormous twisting limbs were ominous and scary in every fashion. The grass around it was old and dead and it's winding vines scattered amongst it.

Drey and Naith, the two Witchdoctors, sat gazing up at the tree. Their faces turned to Aziza as they heard her coming. Aziza padded up, her shoulder slightly bloody. "Has he left yet?"

"Yes" Drey said. "Drula and the rest of the Hunters have gone with him. They will provide immense protection. No lion alive can amount to them. Except maybe Kavis himself."

"Maybe?" asked Naith. "He has Dalmaa living inside him. Of course he can amount to them!"

Aziza turned as the old couple began bickering, gazing out as she saw Zalika being tended to by the hyenas with medical experience. She saw Nassor approaching at a steady pace. "Aziza" he said, in a way that made it obvious that he didn't want to approach her. "The vultures say that Cyla has betrayed us. She's in Sunset Pride camp, becoming one with the enemy."

Aziza growled angrily and violently slashed open a bush to her side, roaring. Nassor winced. "Be careful!" He said, "These are sacred grounds!"

Aziza nodded. "Right, right... Well, have someone find her and kill her. We must stop them before they turn every one of us against each other."

"Right... And Aziza, I wanted to talk about before, I--"

"There is no need" Aziza growled. "Have someone kill her. Go." With that Nassor gave her an angry glance and moved away.
_______________________________

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:03 pm

Kyra's ears lowered, "Of course it would be. I don't like this one bit, but there's nothing much we can do but keep going, and look out for whatever he's set out to stop us. Kavis is still only a mortal lion, we need to try and remember that, as hard as it is, he can die, just like any one of us." She flicked her tail, and raised her head. "We need to remember that even Dalmaa, for all his power, doesn't know everything, either, he can only predict possible futures, it's not set in stone. We just need to remember our situation isn't hopeless. Come on, we need to keep it together, let's get moving, the sooner we get what we came to find, the sooner this nightmare will be over."

____________________________________________________________________

Shadow slowly raised his head, flicking an ear, and turned to look directly at the thick cluster of bushes where Cyla was hiding. The look in his dark eyes was hard to read, but there was still something knowing about it, and it was suddenly, blindingly obvious that the Great Healer had known all along that Cyla was there. He was letting her know that he was aware of her following him and Coglon. He slowly flicked his tail, in a universal gesture that was asking her to come out and reveal herself. There wasn't a point in running, something about his gaze said that no matter where she went, he would know where she was. This strange black lion, large enough to rival Ammon, was enigmatic in every way. A body riddled with scars that were in the shape of spiraling runes, and looked as though they had been branded with hot iron. A vine twined around his legs, abdomen, and tail, with bright green leaves with purple central veins coming out near the tuft of the tail. The vines were brown and woody, but green inside, flexible enough to bend without breaking, and to move without the slightest creak. He did not seemed hindered in any way, except in grooming, for his fur was tangled and matted. A spiraling rune crossed the left side of his face, underneath the eye, and going across the cheekbone, the only rune present on his head, past the mane.

Shadow knew that someone had planned to kill him, but the fact was, because of the way he was mixed with fate, it was an impossible thing to plot to kill a Great Healer, and be met with anything but failure. He did not appear within prophesies, because Shadow was not so much a being bound by fate, but a tool through which it worked through. He did what fate commanded, so not even spirits could predict what would happen around him. Fate had said that Coglon would be brought to their destination, and fate dictated that Cyla would follow. It was completely random, and by chance, for Shadow. It wasn't strange to him, that they would cross the path of water when they needed it, and food when they were hungry. Shadow did not worry about anything, because he had no reason to be fearful. Coglon, on the other hand, as well as Cyla, would worry, for they would both face great challenge in life. Coglon's fate, it was clear, now led him to become something powerful. Shadow was the Paw of Fate, and Coglon would soon be its Claws.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:23 am

Magir looked at Kyra doubtfully. "I wouldn't be so quick to judge Dalmaa. He might only be able to predict, but so far every one of his predictions have been true. He's never wrong. And to me that's almost like reading the future. I think most people forget that he's not just a spirit. He's one of the spirits that contributed in shaping the world. He was one of the Archspirits. He was once good, before the Dark Aura arrived and corrupted him. After the Aura molded him into something evil, he came down to Africa in the form of a leopard and when he died, he gained even more power. And many forget that he is the brother of Protheus, the All-Spirit, who created our world."

Magir sighed and looked back at everyone. "But despite this, the prophecy says that he's capable of being defeated and cast away, but not killed. If he died though the world would be free of all sin and all evil, for he generates it. You and Var are the ones said to push Dalmaa further from the world, which will stop the sudden torments. Like the strange weather that's been occurring. Once he's gone, it will stop. Same with the madness. His inflictions of insanity will be weaker. Things will finally return to a calmer state... Now, let's go."

The group began heading south, Taru leading the way as he knew it better than anyone. They encountered countless crocodiles along the way, dodging them at every turn and eventually stumbling into what is now a huge swamp, but was once perhaps a forest. They hopped across logs, or what they thought were logs. They didn't set paw on them though until they were sure. Finally Taru stopped and looked out. There were no logs ahead, but simply murky water.

Very sparse light shone through the leaves above, and shrouded the area in darkness. What dimness did come in gently fingered the surface of the green water, and underneath made shadows scatter amongst the underwater fog.

Var looked up, seeing an enormous black snake hanging from the branches of a tree on the other side of the flooded area. Green eyes narrowed at him like daggers, the snake slipped away into the darkness.

"Be very careful" Var told everyone.

(( go ahead and post now, Nick ))

___________________________

Cyla kept low, but knowing all the while that Shadow was well aware of her. She tried to refrain from allowing Coglon to know of her presence. Shadow only reminded her of Kavis. Though no doubt the Dark King was larger and had thicker fur and an enormous fluffy mane and his fur was far blacker. But the simple fact that Shadow was colored black made her shiver.

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