The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:43 pm

Gamba nodded, "Well, as you know, Layla and I are mates," He began, speaking slowly so that he didn't trip over his words and stutter, though he almost did, even when he tried to draw out his words. "We care about each other very much, and I value Layla's safety and well-being, which is why this news is difficult for me to properly voice." He sighed, "You see, when Zanita visited yesterday, she and Layla took a walk together, and Zanita spoke to Layla about the risks of her being my mate, because I am a hybrid creature." He knew he should probably get around to the point, but it was easier for him to break the news in this way. "When they came back and Zanita left, Layla told me what they had been speaking about, and that she wanted to have cubs, despite those risks."

Gamba shifted uneasily on his paws, "So, basically, what I'm trying to say is that we are attempting to have cubs. Layla picked out a spot away from camp where she wants to stay so she has some peace, and I'll be able to tell you in a few days if the pregnancy takes. The reason we thought we should tell you is because the cubs aren't going to be pure lions, and there's a greater chance something can go wrong. Layla can't be on guard duty until we know for sure if she's pregnant or not, and if she is, she can't go hunt or protect the camp until she has them. She has to eat a special diet, and she can't undergo too much stress because it can endanger her and the cubs both." He flicked his tail, "I will look after her, but we just wanted to tell you, so that you know she can't guard the camp right now. I told her to stay behind so that if she wanted to come by the camp later, she wouldn't have to be the one to tell you the news, I didn't want her to be nervous."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Aug 14, 2013 3:01 pm

Jali nodded as he took in the news. "I understand. She may take as much time off as she needs. She deserves cubs. Everyone does" he replied. "I can cover for her" Taru added. "I like being a guard anyways."

Jali gave a nod. "Well, I hope everything goes expected. Taru, Var's awake" Jali said as he poked his head through a bush. "Go tend to him and Nail." Taru nodded and left Jali and Gamba alone. Though it was obvious that Jali just wanted to speak to Gamba, just the two of them.

"I hope the two of you create this family that you speak of. Layla... she never had one like this. She barely even knew her parents. They abandoned her and her sister and left them in this pride. My dad had to watch over them until they were old enough to take care of themselves. And every time anyone's ever spoken of Fenuku or Hasina... it's been a shrug off. Layla never speaks about it. She never has. We searched for weeks for their parents but... never found them. I just hope that the two of you can provide your children with more care. Sira asked me to tell you this if a subject like this ever came up."

"My family was always very close to Sira's because Sira and I came together at a very young age. And Sira's family was always very close with Layla and Dyna's family. Layla, Dyna, and Sira were always very close--almost like sisters too each other. When Layla's parents left... the entire balance of these families was shot dead. It was chaos. You wouldn't believe the panic that came into the pride that week. Worse than any battle we've ever gone through, any threat or trial. Worse than the drought of Kenya even. I always knew Fenuku--Layla's father, fairly well. I just couldn't believe it when they had disappeared. And I don't think we'll ever know what happened to them" Jali said looking at the ground. He took another glance to Gamba.

"We were all out playing one day, we were just cubs. Me, Taru, Sira, Layla, and Dyna. When we came back. Fenuku and Hasina were just... gone. We asked everyone where they had went. Finally when we suspected something might have happened to them we asked my dad who was king. He sent search parties everywhere. Hasina was a very social, very loved lioness. Her mate Fenuku was a little stubborn, but nevertheless everyone seemed to enjoy him as well. Everyone knew them. Nearly everyone had some form of friendship to Layla's parents. When they were gone... everything just broke."

He looked at Gamba with a sorrowful face. Then it shifted to slightly even more serious. "I know it's none of my business, neither is it Sira's, but I have to tell you that you can't do something like this to your own cubs. I don't think you would anyways, but I'm just saying. It will bring those cubs to eternal heartbreak." He sighed. He looked behind him through the bushes where his cave was near.

"Sira will have her cubs about two weeks before Layla has hers. We will both be fathers soon. I suppose we both have our responsibilities. Again I know it's none of my business, at all. But I just want to make sure. Me and Sira care about you two. You mean a great deal to us. I'd just hate to see anything bad happen..."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:04 pm

Gamba had a serious expression on his face, "What kind of father would that make me, to abandon my cubs to fend for themselves? Jali, this is Ethiopia, and while there are many beautiful things in this land, great evil dwells here, also. The hearts of many lions in this place are wicked, madness running rampant in their minds. The lions you have met so far who are natives are the lucky ones, but even so, they are all victims. If I were to leave my children, then I would never be able to forgive myself. Heed my words, there are some lions in this land that would make unsavory characters such as Snake look harmless by comparison. You have my word, Jali, that I will not let myself be a failure as a father." With this, he gave him a nod in farewell, "I must go back and check on Layla, we still have to discuss the nature of the diet she must have if she is going to have cubs." He then turned around and slowly vanished through the bushes, leaving the camp, and leaving Jali to wonder why lions such as Kyra, Coglon, and Ammon were victims.

Just then, a familiar, gruff-sounding female voice came from across the other side of camp, "Morning, lions!" Kyra, who was nearest to the voice, flattened her ears, "Oh, spirits, how did she find us?" She moaned. A small ball of brown and black fur wandered into camp, a tiny wildcat with yellow eyes. "Mabel, you can't just walk right into a pride unannounced-" She was abruptly cut off, "Oh, hush, Kyra, I'll be surprised if the next lion who tries to attack me doesn't get a clawed pelt." Kyra abruptly closed her mouth, and made a whiny noise, displeased, but regardless obeying Mabel, obviously holding some sort of respect for the old cat. She then followed a short distance behind, not making any noise, but squirming as though she wanted to say something. "Now, where is King Jali, I need to speak with him--Kyra, what are you doing? I just said not to talk, not to hold your breath until you pass out!" Kyra breathed in, obviously having been holding her breath the whole time.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:39 pm

Jali nodded. "I knew you wouldn't be like that" he said as Gamba left. Jali padded back into the cave where Sira was grooming herself. He pulled a Kudu from across the room to her. "You need to eat" he said. "I told Gamba what you asked me to tell him. The thing about Layla's... history."

Sira looked at him. "You mean..."
Jali nodded. "Layla wants cubs."

Sira's face lit up with joy. "Really?! I have to talk to her!"
"No" Jali said suspending her down as she attempted to make a speedy exit for the camp. "No, I don't want anyone to know that we know. Gamba and Layla are keeping it private. Layla can't work as a guard because I'm sure it's risky mixing a hybrid and a lioness. She has to be on a new diet and have new every day standards. She'll be in some secret den she's made and we'll rarely see her."

Sira sat and made a saddened face. "When will she come out?"
"I don't know. But I told Gamba all that stuff"
"What did he think?"

"Well, you made me look really bad. Now I just look like some dude who likes to but into other peoples' business and take control of their parenthood." Jali said. His mate rolled her eyes. "Layla is like my sister Jali. I'm sure Gamba is aware of that."

"Anyways, you need to settle down too. And we should go talk to Shebla to make sure you're in good condition."

"I'm fine" Sira said. "Let me feel" Jali requested. She sat on her haunches and turned so that her stomach was exposed. He felt around, feeling the tiny bumps that he knew were cubs. They weren't big, still young into the pregnancy. But Jali knew that they were there. He smiled, knowing that he put them there.

"Nothing feels unnatural. But what do I know? I'll have Shebla come up here in about an hour." Jali walked out to the camp, seeing the wildcat and getting a confused face. He approached, Taru gave him a gaze that suggested to be careful. Jali had heard his name.

"I am he, what is it you wish?" asked Jali.

__________________________________________________________________

Layla yawned as she awoke. She was still rather sleepy. She looked around at her new hiding place, loving it. This would make a pretty good den, no matter how big... she thought. We can raise the cubs here. It'd be perfect for all of us.

She blinked as Gamba arrived.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:09 am

Mabel sat back on her haunches, her right leg extended, looking rather stiff, "I have a proposition for you, sir." She said, getting to the point, "I know I haven't made a good impression on you lions the last time we've met, and I know you have no reason to even care, but I'm desperate, now, and you're the only ones I can think of whom I can turn to for help." Her right ear twitched, but she appeared to be completely honest. "You see, for some time, I've been feeling a bit stiff in my right leg, nothing strange, that happens, when you get old." She indicated her outstretched leg. "But now, my arthritis is very severe, and I can't really run anymore, it won't be very long before I start missing kills, and when that happens, if I don't have help, I won't live for much longer." Mabel sighed, "So, that's why I've gone through the trouble of walking here all the way from my territory. I am willing to provide my medical and anatomical knowledge to your pride, as well as my medicinal services, if you would permit me to build a den here, and allow me to eat what remains of your kills that you don't need. You may think Gamba is good, but I taught him almost everything he knows that he didn't learn from hyenas. I know far more, and my skills would be to your benefit. Also," She rose to her paws again, her right leg slipping for a moment, "If you say no, chances are I won't survive for another moon."

Kyra's ears flattened, hearing this, and she slowly slunk away, going over to where Var was. "Jali wouldn't let Mabel die, would he?" She said, her face looking pitiful. She looked overwhelmingly worried, and she clearly respected the cat, even if she seemed to be rather old and grouchy at first glance. "I know she's not the friendliest creature you'll meet, but Mabel's really good at medical stuff, she helped heal my paw when I broke it once. She's really nice once you get to know her." Var didn't have any control over what Jali decided to do, but Kyra found it much easier to talk to him than to the king. She just felt more like he would understand her, maybe. She really didn't want Mabel to die, though. She wouldn't be climbing trees, if it wasn't for the wildcat's expertise.

Gamba arrived holding a big-headed mole rat in his jaws. He set it down, and nodded, "You've been excused from guard duty for as long as it takes." He said. "In the meantime, we need to go over the special diet, it's not really a change in prey, so much as what part of it you should eat first." He said, sitting down. "For instance, if you have a Kudu, for example, you can't eat all of it, so you only eat part, that's what you need to think about. You're going to learn a bit of anatomy from this, so I brought this mole rat to help reference." He nodded at the tiny prey at his foot. "I'm going to show you what parts of the prey you need to eat, so I'm going to cut this mole rat open, and teach you a bit about it. You might even find it a bit interesting."

He then flipped the carcass over, and used his claws to make a cut from the base of the animal's chin, all the way down to the bottom of its belly. He then used both paws to pull back the skin, fat, and muscle, revealing the guts of the animal. He then moved the intestines aside, to reveal a triangular organ that was smooth on the surface, and a very dark shade of red, he pointed to it with his paw, "Now, Layla, this is the liver, and in any creature, it is extremely rich with nutrients. It has a very strong taste, so much that some dislike it. However, if you eat this first, and your diet has enough of what you need in it, it prevents all the issues that come with early pregnancy. The cubs are at the greatest risk of miscarriage and deformities during the first three weeks, but after that, the risk drops a huge amount. Also, you may want to bear the taste of the liver, merely because a nutritious diet will also make you less likely to have the morning sickness and cramps that sometimes accompany the first moon." He nodded at the liver.

Gamba then moved on the animal's hind leg, carefully separating the tissue, and plucking out the bone of the mole rat's thigh. "Now, this part on a mole rat is obviously too small to matter much for big predators like us, but it does make it easier to show you the next thing you should try to get at." He then carefully placed the bone on the ground, and gave it a hard bat with his paw, breaking it in half. He then peeled out the meat that was exposed, "Bone marrow is normally left alone, simply because it can be difficult at times to get out of the bones, however, if you can get at it, then it is very nutritious." He commented. He returned to the mole rat's ribs, and slowly opened the rib cage, exposing two organs most creatures knew. He dug past the lungs, and pulled out the mole rat's heart, "The final part that is good for you to eat, is the heart. Some things may make it difficult to get to, as you have to go through the rib cage. However, the heart has much nutritional value. It is tough to chew, but I will not say it tastes as bad as the liver. No, I don't think anything tastes nearly so strong."

He then looked back at Layla, "If you are still hungry after eating what is recommended, then you should eat as much as you like until you are full. Do not let fear of gaining weight stop you from maintaining your health, when you are carrying cubs, you will have to eat for them, as well, they will rely solely on you for food, both in the womb, and for some time afterwards. It is natural to gain weight during pregnancy, but you need not fear, it returns to normal when the cubs are old enough to eat solid food. During the first three weeks, you might not feel very well, but if you take good care of yourself, you are unlikely to have morning sickness. It's always the first three weeks, but after that, the worst is over." Gamba thought for a moment, "Also, I may come to check on you every day to see if the pregnancy takes, but there is a way for you to know the moment it is confirmed. Cubs do not begin in the womb, but they reach it a few days after conception. Sometimes, upon the conceived cubs reaching the womb, there is sometimes a slight amount of bleeding, not much, but a minimal amount. If you find yourself bleeding slightly, do not panic, because that is absolute proof, even before your scent starts to change, that you are pregnant."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:43 pm

Layla took everything in, making mental notes of it all. "Okay. That doesn't sound that bad. I'll tell you as soon as I find anything" she said. "Where'd you learn so much? The hyenas taught you all of this? You surprise me every day. I don't think even Shebla would have known some of this."

Var's ears flattened. He replied in a hushed voice as he scratched his shoulder. "I--I don't think so. But I've only known the guy as long as you have. I just got here the night before you did."

Jali thought for a moment. "Very well. You may stay. Our Medical Den is over there" he said gesturing to a huge clearing behind some brush. "Most of the Medical Lionesses make their dens very close to that area in case of emergency. However you have the freedom to place your den wherever you like. We have two main Medical Lionesses. The younger one, Shebla will show you around. Shebla!" Jali called.

A darkly colored lioness emerged from the bushes. She had deep amber eyes and silky, fluffy fur. She was about Layla's age, perhaps slightly older. She had a skinny whitish purplish scar along the left side of her neck that went down to her chest and was very long. She emerged asking Jali what was needed. "Shebla, this is Mabel. She will be joining us and assisting us in our medical field. I would like you to show her around" the king said. Shebla nodded giving Mabel a glance and noting her leg. Shebla had a bad habit of examining people too thoroughly in search of anything she could help them with.

"Hello Mabel" Shebla said.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:09 am

Gamba thought for a moment, "Hyenas know about anatomy because they study the corpses of their kills. They know how to label the parts of the body, they understand that most creatures have a same basic structure, and a general idea of most things. It helps identify injuries, if they can be healed or not, and if they are more dangerous to your health, or minor." He said, and it was clear that the hyenas did not know everything that the tiglon knew. "The one who taught me what parts of the body served what function, things that can extend your lifespan, and take overall better care of yourself, was Mabel, that wildcat we met when we first came here." He answered Layla's question. Gamba's tail flicked, "Although she may be extremely ornery and harsh, and at first it may be difficult to get to know her, she is very old not because of luck, but because she's clever. Once you do know her, she isn't so much scathing, as she is gruff. She can be decent company, it just takes a bit before she openly trusts you. If you wish to be any sort of medical lioness, then Mabel is the best trainer there is, and when she teaches you, she never tries to cut corners, or make things easy. If you do something wrong, she will scold you for it, and she doesn't give exaggerated praise if you get something right, either. She expects you to show her respect, and to listen to her, and get it right the first time, because she shouldn't have to repeat herself in a lesson. I was her apprentice, for a time." He admitted.

Mabel gave Shebla a nod, "Hello, then," she said, in her usual, rough tone. She got to her feet, her right leg looking painfully stiff. It was clear that she had been completely honest about her arthritis endangering her life, there was no way she could possibly make a kill with her leg the way it was. She saw the medical lioness look at it, "Sweetheart, there's nothing in the world that will fix my leg now. If there was, I would have found it by now." She didn't pretend to ignore the glance, Mabel was one of the best medical creatures in Ethiopia, if not in all of Africa. She took pride in what she did, and although her arthritis couldn't be cured, she was still a trooper, she wasn't going to be defeated by a stiff leg. She was too stubborn for that. "Well, let's take a tour of camp, then, no time to waste." For an extremely elderly creature, there was nothing slow about her demeanor. In fact, she was rather fast, and in some ways she seemed to act younger than she actually was.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:33 pm

Shebla nodded smiling. "I know. I've seen athritis many times. It's been a great bane to this pride's older members. That and blindness. Well let's begin then"

She pointed out the places where most people made their dens as well as where most of the high warriors slept. She also showed Mabel her own den and the Royal Cave. She pointed out all the paths in the woods that made up the rest of the camp.

"That really wide path back there leads to Ramla's Orchard. Ramla's is the pride's Seeress. She's been rumored to be connected with the spirits themselves but... I've never seen her show anything. Sometimes I think she's lying. She's totally blind and never comes out from that place. That's why nobody ever hears about her. I have to go in there constantly to bring her food and help her exercise. I feel sorry for her though, she's just a little younger than me" Shebla said with a sad expression.

"Over there's dens that belong to Kal and Mira. Then there's Layla's and Gamba's and Var's is waaaay over there behind all that brush. Then there's Kyra's and Coglon's, the newest arrivals." Shebla said. "Medical specialists in this pride are required to know which dens belong to who and where they are in case an emergency breaks out."

Var sighed ad Nail emerged from his guest den guarded by Taru. "Var" said Nail.
"Yes?" Asked the lion as his ear twitched. Nail looked unhappy.

"Would you mind taking a walk with me outside the camp for a while? I just want to speak to you... Without Taru breathing down my neck!" Nail said.

Taru looked at Var. "You're a very, very strong and fit lion for your age. If he were to attack you, you would win. So I will let you go" Taru said as he began to walk away. No doubt Nail was much smaller and much weaker than Var. Var was so muscular because of how Snake had forced him to do exercises every day which Var still did to keep in shape.

Var nodded and looked at Kyra. "I hate to ask, but would you please come? Just so I know that you can talk me out of doing something rash?" He asked. Kyra was in Var's eyes, a person he could greatly trust. He felt comfortable talking to her and would rather speak to her than other in the pride. He knew that she was one he could trust. He didn't feel as comfortable sharing his past with others.

Layla scratched an ear. "Well, I'm impressed. I'm still impressed over the trick with the khat you pulled the other night. Shebla knows some anatomy and a lot about pregnancies and how to make them healthy of course. But I don't think she would have ever thought of that. And overall, you're just really smart. And I'm glad you're like that" she said smiling as she bit into the liver that was on the ground. First she made a wince at the strong taste but then she seemed to get used to it.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Aug 18, 2013 2:15 am

Mabel flicked her tail, "Considering I'll be living here, I don't think I'll forget any of these locations any time soon." She looked about the pride, at all the lions, and then at their dens, "My, this is certainly one of the largest prides I've ever seen. There are far more inhabitants here than what I would expect." She flicked one of her ears, "I smell a touch of something that indicates there was some sort of scrap, maybe a few days ago. Someone had cubs, recently, possibly around the same time. Those scents should be gone, soon, though." She looked back at Shebla, "I determine a lot of things through smell, more so than others. I hope you don't find that too odd, I'll say some of the strangest things based on what my nose tells me." Her tail never seemed to hold completely still, "Well, then, where is the main den where we conduct our business, and is there anyone around who has special medical needs that I should be aware of?" The cat walked a fine line between being serious about her job, and a lack of manners. She was abrupt indeed.

Kyra flicked her tail, and nodded, "Most people would think it was pretty messed up to ask me for help, but I'm glad you are. I have common sense, I'll make sure you don't do anything you might regret later." Kyra wasn't crazy, but she was definitely a strange lioness, by anyone's definition. Lionesses could easily climb trees, but none were as fanatical about doing so as she was. Very few of them could be considered as quirky as she was. However, it was Kyra's energetic mood that made her uplifting to be around. Life was more interesting when she was present.

Gamba gave a slight purr when Layla winced at the taste of the liver, "I did say it was rather strong." He commented. "I am grateful that I was gifted with good memory. I grew up around brilliant minds, and was taught different things by others. I simply remember what I was taught, and didn't forget it." Gamba had, in fact, actually forgotten a few of the finer details regarding pregnancy that Mabel had taught him, as well as the names of certain nutrients each part of the prey was rich in. He knew the nutrients were there, he just couldn't remember the names. He was also somewhat too afraid to go back and ask the wildcat to refresh his memory. She wouldn't viciously attack him, but for some reason he simply hated the thought that he would disappoint her, when she thought he was one of her best pupils.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Aug 18, 2013 6:38 pm

Shebla thought for a moment. "Well, you won't have to help Ramla if you have athritis. She has to have energetic people who can run help her exercise. But we have a den of elders over there. But over there is a den of lionesses who have problems that disable their hunting abilities. There's only a few of them but still. Most of them have cancer or just any old injuries or disorders. I know one of them had mange. Kamuzu is the other medical specialist. He's a little older. Poor guy. He's half blind and has no tail. One of his legs has cancer in them. It's slight but still enough to stop his hunting. He got caught up in a bad accident a while ago with a bunch of humans. He's a great medical lion though. He practically taught me all I know. Well, him and my mother. She was the old medical lioness before... Before the accident."

Var smiled. "Thanks. Okay Nail take us out."

Nail nodded as he lead them outside the camp. He lead them out into the meadows and the plains and finally out to a hillside that dropped off into beaches by a narrow river. "Your father was my brother. And I loved him so much..." Nail said.

"Why was he like that? What made him so crazy?" Asked Var. Nail sighed. "He was always like that Var. Even when he was a child, we always knew something was wrong with him. I think it stemmed from when our sister died. Little Liabel... During the war. I'd rather not talk about it. But ever since that time when our family was... Shattered, Snake was broken."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:58 am

Mabel sighed, and shook her head, "Dear, if it brings you peace, then tell me your story, and know that there are many who understand." She said, looking at the sun. It was almost noon, but the temperature was still stable, due to the clouds in the sky. Mabel had never known her father, as the males of her kind were solitary. However, her mother had taken good care of her, and the lifespan of a wildcat did not permit her to live to this day. Lions and Wildcats were two different creatures, but they were both kinds of cats, regardless. There were actually very few differences, when certain things were overlooked.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:59 pm

Shebla made a displeased face. "I don't like to dwell on the past. Especially since my family had been treated the way it has, even within this own pride we are discriminated because of... Past events. It's why I only come out of the medical den for medical needs or to hunt. I rarely ever come to socialize... But if you must know..." Shebla said with a deep pause.

"Long ago my grandmother, Belabi joined this pride after being banished from countless others for horrible crimes. Star's father, King Osaqi allowed her to enter if she was willing to change her ways. She began romancing with a lion named Zahabi who then gave her the gift of my mother. Belabi soon committed more crimes and brutally--almost fatally injured Osaqi's mate after a very intense argument one day. Osaqi banished her but she soon returned and killed the king himself by throwing a massive rock at his poor skull. Belabi by this time had been rejected by my mother and my grandfather. At the same rate, Star ordered the death of Belabi. Belabi eventually talked my grandfather into joining her and used her silky words and her charming looks to blind him into the same crimes. My mother was completely alone and soon began to grow very irresponsible and arrogant. She had no one to teach her otherwise... In time my grandparents befriended a local pride of cheetahs that had a great grudge against Ridge Pride. Belabi helped them find secret routes into the camp that only our lions knew about... So many died that day. And Belabi even aided King Saber when he was capturing our people and taking them to his cliff of death."

Shebla sighed. "Soon both of my grandparents were killed by Star and Jali. It took a long time, but it finally happened. By this time I had been born. My mother was the medical lioness and she was the kindest person in the pride itself. All at first she was a terrible medical lioness and had no one to teach her. In time she learned on her own. She soon became the best medical specialist this pride could have ever asked for and taught me everything... But then..." Shebla paused taking in a dire memory.

"One day there was a horrible accident. Her hunting pack got caught in the middle of a buffalo migration and the herd... Stomped her into the grave..."

"It's not the reason for the scar you see on my neck and chest" she added as she felt the horrid scar with her paw. It resembled to her, the slash that loneliness and discrimination had made on her life.

"But it is related. I suppose it may be a reason. I was of course well known as the new medical lioness and the daughter of Remia. And my mother was an enemy of many people from her sinful youth of going around and being a thief, a liar, and an abuser. It also had to do with the fact that during my earlier days in the medical field, I made many terrible mistakes and... And I am responsible for the deaths of... So many animals. I lost track after fifty three. Mostly lions and people from friendly clans nearby like from Yellow Pride. I made fatal mistakes. I learned by trial and error. So soon when I was hunting, I was ambushed by two sisters. They were Ligers and they were much bigger than me. They sliced open my neck and when I escaped, I was lucky to have found the correct herbs to stop all the bleeding and help my skin heal ever do slightly. Kamuzu saved my life when he found me out there, took me back to this pride and stitched me up using a sharp needle from pines and some very thin roots he took and a bit of strings from a plant. After Star saw his amazing talent, he recruited Kamuzu into the pride and made him a medical lion."

Shebla sighed. "I don't let it bother me much anymore. In fact my mother's death doesn't even both me as much as the attack of the sisters. My attack just... It symbolizes so much to me. Mostly what hurts the most... Is being so alone. Even here. This is the greatest lion pride in all of the world. And I am brought to this feeling of being so unloved. Of course several people respect me, good people that realize my current talent. But my services are never thanked... Only Jali seems to give me the thanks I like. And the worst thing is that one day I plan on having cubs and a family--but until the surrounding world changes, that is impossible. I've always wanted to be in a group of friends. Though I've never experienced it..."

Shebla shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I have more important things to worry about. I can't let my poor social life destroy my talents. I've worked all my life for the position I'm about to get..."

"I can't let my talents shrink or go back to that terrible state. I just remember that horrible scream from Jali's own cousin... I... I tried to help her but it was just... I was... I-I couldn't... No I can't talk about that" Shelbla said with a catch in her throat. Her eyes watered and she had to start thinking about happier things to get herself to stop. Finally she felt better.

Shebla felt the scar again, almost as though she couldn't stop feeling it. As though it emitted a lonely throb.

"Well, enough about me. What's your story? Everyone, literally almost everyone in Sunset Pride was brought into this family by some dreadful or tragic circumstances. Do you have anything like that? Or are you one of the lucky ones who had good past lives?"

--------------------------------

Var got nervous. They approached a cliffside and Nail was standing very close to the edge. He sat and looked as though he was purposely trying to fall off.

"Yes, Liabel was everything to me my brother. She was the joy of our family. After a long day's troubles she always seemed to cheer us up and let the good all shine out..." Nail said as he dwelled on a horrid memory.

"Nail, I need to know what happened" said Var.

Nail got a horrid face. "We didn't always belong to Sunset Pride. We were nomads across Kenya at first. Me, Snake, Liabel, and our parents. But even before that, we had a pride which was destroyed by a Hyena clan. Our Pride was small. Their queen was evil. The hyenas showed zero mercy for what our king had done to their leaders. The hyenas... They took Liabel..."

Nail went on with flattened ears. "They kidnapped her and took her away. Snake was just a cub then, Maybe beginning adolescence. We escaped though. Snake snuck out in the middle of the night and followed her scent trail thinking he could save her. He found her. That's when my da went out to track him down the next morning. He found him but when he got there... It was too late. Snake ha his blood spilt all over the place. The hyenas were about to make their final killing blow on him which is when our da came out and saved him. We tracked down Liabel too..." Nail said a he shed a few tears and took a shaky breath.

"They had drowned her in the river that once held River Pride... Her body... Crocodiles were making a meal of it when I finally arrive to it after tending to my brother's wounds. I'll... I'll never forget that image... "

"And my dad?" Asked Var.

Nail looked at him. "He was never the same. He seemed so much more hostile. He started showing signs of his insanity immediately after the massacre. He was always depressed. He never seemed happy after that. I don't think I remember a single time he smiled after Liabel's death. The hyenas wanted the rest of us dead. Our parents dropped us off at Ridge Pride for our own protection... They'd never tell us where they really lived. But they told Magir."

Var's ears pricked up. "You--you know Magir?" He asked. Nail nodded. "She was a good family friend. Our parents loved her and she always seemed so attached to Snake. But after Snake committed those crimes against Mira and was banished... She disappeared altogether."

"I... I didn't know that about her. I just thought she was a good-for-nothing sinner. What was she like back then?"

"She's always been a very dominant girl. Always. Very tough, very strong. She was always good hearted though. We loved visiting with her. She was part of Yellow Pride, am ally of Ridge Pride before that tyrant Seduki destroyed it."

"Where is she now?" asked Var.

"Actually. I bring a message from her. She wants you to meet her by a pond just a little further than the entrance of the camp. She says to be there by Twilight tonight. And as for me..."

Nail scowled. "I do not wish to take part in this world anymore. And I would be grateful if you joined me Var"

"What?"

Before Var had the chance to get away, Nail grabbed him an pushed him over the cliffs use they were on an jumped off as well. Var caught grip of the edge of the cliff while he was screaming.

There was a loud thud and Var glanced over his shoulder to see hi uncle on the beach with a huge lake of blood slowly emitting from his body and running off into the river.

"Kyra! Help me!" Var said reaching for her.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:01 pm

Mabel sat down, her tail flicking slowly, and her right leg extended, "Nobody has asked me of my life, what it was like, but I can say that mine is no more wonderful than the others I have heard. For those who devote their time to finding cures for the ailments of the sick, the wounded, there is sometimes even more suffering for those like us, because of what we do." She looked up at the sky, "I was born in the middle of the night, when the crescent moon hung in the highest point among the stars. A ball of light, said to be formed by the spirits, and mentioned in legends, called a comet, traveled in the hollow of the moon, the glowing tail streaming behind. Nobody knows what the comet means, but it comes only every seven generations, among my kind, and rarely do we see it past the clouds. To be born, during midnight, under the comet on a clear night, it is considered an omen, but of good fortune or bad, I cannot say." She looked back at Shebla.

"I was one of two kittens, I had a twin brother, who was older than me, and cruel, and my mother favored him. Even just after birth, my brother, despite having no reason or purpose behind it, would shove me away from our mother's belly, so that I could not nurse. If I was hungry, I would have to fight him for the right to feed, even though two kittens was not enough for such a thing to happen. He was larger than me, and my mother wouldn't even care if he mistreated me. I was often hurt, because my brother simply did not care if I died, he would always tell me that the omen behind my birth was a bad one, that he would surpass me, and grow as radiant as the comet, while I died, and was like the shadow cast over the moon, which he would say represented my mother. I know it is wrong to say so, but I hated him, I hated him, and I wanted him to die, for all the mean things he would say and do. Even today, that hatred I know that I harbored sickens me, because I could wish so much evil upon someone, even my own brother."

Mabel shook her head, "One day, my brother, my mother, and I, we were out traveling, as we lived a nomadic life, when we came upon a large viper. To a wildcat like me, it is equal in size, but regardless if we were lions or cats, it was still a viper, and just as dangerous. It was my brother, the bane of my existence, who made a grave mistake. He provoked the viper, and when it threatened to strike, the coward pushed me into it, so that it bit me, instead." Her voice dripped with disgust. "It stung, so I ran into the trees, while the serpent proceeded to bite next my brother, and then my mother." She sighed, "As it were, all three of us were filled with venom, and would die, as it was fatal."

She then looked back up at the sky, "I was determined not to give up, and it was then, that a miracle befell me. While my mother and my brother both passed away, unable to heal from the toxin, I was somehow able to live. It was truly a miracle, what occurred, such a wonderful thing. The spirits must have surely blessed me, for what they did. As I fled through the woods, I came upon a tiny plant, one that did not resemble anything I had ever seen before. It's leaves were smooth and glossy, and it was as white as the stars, and the comet. A single red berry grew from the plant, and, driven by my own curiosity, and the knowledge that I was to die, either way, I swallowed it. I then found myself passing out, and three days later, I awoke, alive, and healed." Her ears flattened, and she shook her head, "Sadly, the plant had withered away, once its fruit was plucked, and I never saw another one like it again, but it was enough."

Her eyes shone like gold, "From that day forth, I knew what the omen and the plant meant. If something could cure me of the viper's fangs, then surely, there was a cure for other things, too. I devoted my life to searching for the right combination of herbs, minerals, and treatments to heal the sick. I learned not just herbs, but the structure of the body's design. The heart, the lungs, the stomach, and the blood. I learned what they did, and what could go wrong. I discovered how these things worked in unison, a design so complex that it could not be replicated." Her tail flicked, "Even now, I do not know whether to hate the viper, or to thank it, for it inspires both fear and awe. So much of my life revolves around how it took and gave."

Kyra gasped, and dashed over to the cliff's edge, grabbing Var by the scruff of his neck, as far as she could go safely, and tried to pull him up. At first, it worked, but a rock under one of her paws came loose, and gave out beneath her, and she, too, slowly began to slide down. Just when she was about to fall, Var too heavy, and with lost footing, a shadow cast itself over the lion and lioness. Kyra felt teeth grab her own scruff, and with a single tug, she rose into the air, still clinging to Var, as though both of them were no lighter than the feathers of a bird. With a single heave, the stranger tossed them back away from the cliff, to where they were safe. Stunned, Kyra rose to her paws, turning to the stranger. "Ammon?!" She exclaimed, shocked.

The white lion stood there, on the edge of the cliff, the sun, masked by clouds behind him, casting a golden light through his snowy fur. His black eyes, as dark as the void between the stars, bored into Var and Kyra both. Gigantic, terrifying, yet regal, he had a stillness and silence that he wore around him that gave him an air of authority, even though he was no king, and commanded no followers. He had just saved their lives, when Nail had committed suicide, and tried drag Var with him. After a long pause, he looked down the cliff at Nail's broken body, before shaking his head, his long, flowing mane catching in the wind. "For he who takes his own life, there is no peace." He said, his cold, raspy voice distant. "Only the regret, and the curses of the living will accompany him to his grave, for suicide, one of the ultimate atrocities against oneself, is the coward's futile effort to escape what he cannot avoid. Nothing shall end his suffering, now, for he has given up his hope, and has left this world a broken, shattered soul."

He then turned back to Var and Kyra, "No lion decides the fate of another, not truly. To drag you with him is murder, and I will not see yet another innocent die because of someone mad. I will not see my daughter murdered, nor any other good soul who suffers at the paws of the insane." He then turned and walked away, vanishing into the trees, as though he were a phantom, and had never been there.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:57 pm

Var stood shaking both from his traumatic fear of heights and the appearance of Ammon. He shook so bad he had to sit down, his eyes as wide as though he'd seen a ghost. "I... I can't believe that just happened... I..." He thought for a moment and wished he would have been able to thank Ammon. He then felt a terrible feeling. His ears flattened and he looked up at Kyra. He began to grow a realization that his entire family might be messed up. "Kyra... If I ever become like that... Please tell me. Kill me if you have to... I'd rather die than be like those among my family."

A vulture sitting on a branch had witnessed the entire thing. It's scarlet eyes that were beads of blood narrowed with a tension of vice. It lifted itself of the wooden limb and with wings as black as the night it flew away as its brethren gathered around Nail's body.

It flew a short distance still having the cliff in view and quickly made its way to a place on a Jill overlooking everything. A place veiled by brushes and brambles. It landed on a branch and spoke.

"He's dead. But he failed to bring his nephew down with him. Some random female came to the nephew's aid but she herself began to fade. Some white lion emerged from the wilderness and saved them both. Our friend failed."

A nasty gag or a hiss--both perhaps was heard. The vulture looked at a creature hiding in the shadow of a tree. It was a mass of several creatures. One emerged and was a sandy color. Stripe stricken though faded. Female. She has disturbing amber eyes. "What will it take for Nail to have his way? That family has suffered all of their life. I will go and speak with that pride's leaders about this little situation. Perhaps they will be willing to let us take Var away. He deserves to be with his family! And find out more about this white lion."

"The pride is home to Shebla" said the vulture.

The liger made a horrid face of anger. She grabbed a warthog skulls that was molded and black, one she'd been gnawing on and crushed it with a fist. "That little hog killed my sister..." She said.

"Technically the elephant killed your sister Aziza" said a male's voice from the brushes. A creature emerged having strange faded spots all over his body. To the Liger, he was called a Leopon. He had dark yellowish eyes and prints among his face that made his leopard descendancy all the more obvious.

"She lured us into that heard! You know that Nassor!"

Another form came out of the brush that was female and had the signs of a very small and scrawny lioness. She was blind in one eye and had a great deal of fluff.

"Cyra! Go back to sleep!"

"No!" Cyra replied. "I want to help out!"

"Will you all please be quiet?! It's bad enough you're holding me captive like this but do you really have to give me a headache?" Asked a voice from behind Nassor.

"Shut up Fenuku!" Aziza yelled.

---------------------------------------

Shebla sighed. "Well, every story has its ups and downs. Now it's getting late. Lets go make your den"

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:22 pm

Kyra lowered her ears, and after a long pause, spoke, "Var, you heard him speak, but did you not listen to the words?" She asked, letting the question ring out. "Ammon's words held the answer to your question, before you even spoke it." She continued, speaking slowly, her tail gently flicking. "He said that no lion decides the fate of another. Just because your family was the way it was, does not mean that you are forced to be like them." She shook her head, walking up beside him, "Var, everyone has the strength to take hold of their own fate, if only they knew they had it, and possessed the courage to do so. You should have faith in yourself, and you should believe that where there is evil, there is also good. Your blood does not determine your fate, you do." She looked at where Ammon had vanished, wondering if he was truly gone, or if he was still watching from the foliage. He could do either, and nobody would know the difference. "Ammon does many things nobody understands, and most people think badly of him, because he scornfully treats them, and he doesn't immediately show respect. His respect is earned, not blindly given, and if he said nothing harsh to you, then I should think that means he respects you."

She looked at Var, "Var, if Ammon respects you, then you have displayed at one point incredible courage and strength. Ammon is a good judge of character, and if he believes you are worthy of his respect, then you should act like you are. I am telling you right now, he is a very strict judge, and none of your family, not Nail, your brothers, or your father, come close to meeting his standards, but you do." She flicked her tail, "Don't you dare start doubting yourself now, you've already done good things, don't forget them."

Mabel flicked her tail, "All right, then, I'll probably just live in that tree stump over there, it looks like the hollow is big enough. In that case, we don't have to dig at all." She then roughly made a coughing laugh of sorts, as she gestured with her tail at the stump of a fallen tree. The stump was rather large, and appeared to be from a small baobab tree that had been growing a short distance from the lake. However, because of the rather thick trunks, even a small baobab stump hollowed out by rot was bound to be roomy, although too short for a lion to live in or consider a home. Mabel, however, was small enough where the stump would wind up being the largest den in the camp, compared to the size of the resident, aside from maybe Jali and Sira's cave. Perfect for a medicine cat who liked to have herbs stored in her home in a private supply. "Let's go check it out, maybe you can help me get it ready, there are some things I can't easily do, even though the den is practically provided right there."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:26 am

Var looked at her and gave a slight grin. "Thank you. That, that means a lot to me. I've just always feared that I'll get that gene everyone else has--the one that impairs my judgement and makes me hurt people without my knowledge. And your father is right" Var replied with a much more serious face. "My cousins are probably hiding in those bushes, watching all of this... I haven't heard from them since that incident when River Pride was taking over"

"What?" Fenuku shouted loudly upon hearing the news from afar. He jumped out of the thick bushes and nearly did a roll down the steep hill and finally came to Var and Kyra.

"You know River Pride? Are you Ridge Pride lions?"

"Um yeah, but the name changed to Sunset Pride. Who are you?" Var asked.

"My name is Fenuku. I need to get back to your camp! I have to see my daughters! Wil you please show me the way?"

Var nodded "come this way" he replied and he led Feunuku and Kyra back to camp. Upon arrival Fenuku was screeching for two lionesses. "Dyna! Layla! Where are you?!" He kept screaming. Jali emerged from his den and looked at Var. "Where's Nail?"

"Dead. He tried to kill us. Ammon saved us."

"The white lion?" Asked the king. Var nodded. Jali looked at both the male and Kyra. "Go find Gamba an the three of you please meet me in my den. I want to talk about this. I'll be there in a moment"

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:26 am

Kyra shot up, "Oh! Right, Right! I'll find 'em! I always find people!" She suddenly seemed filled with energy, when seconds ago she was completely calm. She then dashed into the center of the camp, kicking up clouds of dust as she skidded to a halt. The dirt was mostly damp, considering the damp, overcast weather, but the moisture was only on the surface, just underneath it was dry and like powder. She looked around, before rushing over to where Gamba's den was, sticking her head in. "Gamba!? Hello!?" She called into the den, before withdrawing and raising her head, looking confused momentarily. She sniffed once, and then lowered her head, examining the smells. "Got a scent!" She yelled, even though the volume was a bit extreme. She looked over at Fenuku, and flicked her tail, "Well, what are we waiting for? The scent leads this way!" She then darted over to the edge of the camp, and vanished. If the lion wanted to keep up, he would have to move quickly.

At this, the two guard lionesses who had witnessed Kyra bring the flowers for Gamba, Layla, and Mira's cubs exchanged glances, before snickering. Mabel stopped half-way to the baobab stump, and stared after where the silver female had vanished, before giving a snort, "That girl, excitable as always. One moment she's just like anyone else, and the next, she can't sit still." Although her tone sounded grumpy and disapproving, her face suggested the faintest of smiles, as though it were uplifting to watch her.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:21 pm

Fenuku was confused, though he followed Kyra anyways supposing she was leading the way to the den of his daughters. He followed with haste. Taru emerged and had a concerned face for Fenuku as he might discover what happened to Dyna.

Var figured he'd go ahead and wait in Jali's cave. Upon entrance, Sira greeted him. "Hey Var. what do you need?"

"Oh, nothing. Jali just asked me to wait here for him.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:07 pm

Gamba had just woken up, ready for a nocturnal hunt, when a loud racket began off in the distance. "Gamba!? Layla!? Where are you!?" The voice was most definitely Kyra's, there was no mistaking the volume, or how well it projected. When she had been younger, the silver lioness had frequently spoken so loud, he had often been forced to ask her to talk more quietly. He got to his paws, and gently nudged Layla to wake her up, feeling slightly regretful for it, but aware that if he didn't do it, Kyra would. "Layla, Kyra's coming, wake up." He said, keeping his voice soft. He then rose to his paws and walked over to the edge of the clearing. Sitting back on his haunches, he waited. Sure enough, the young lioness didn't slow down, and charged straight into him, stumbling back as though she had hit a solid wall. Gamba's incredible size and strength made it so that at the impact, he did not flinch or sway. He merely waited for Kyra to get back onto her paws.

"Kyra, what are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be in this place, nobody's supposed to know where we are." He said. Of course, anyone could probably find Gamba and Layla, if they tracked the pair's scent, but if they had left the camp and were staying a distance from it, it should have been obvious they did not want to be found. Kyra didn't know why they were in this place, though. She didn't know they were trying to have cubs, and that Layla's pregnancy would be a high-risk one that made it dangerous for her to experience stress. Kyra flattened her ears, "I'm sorry, but Jali wants you, and some lion is here looking for Layla. He should be arriving any minute now."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:22 pm

Layla rose her head. "What? Who's looking for me?" She asked. She looked at Gamba and Kyra both with an expression of obvious confusion. "Guys, what's going on?" She asked. Fenuku came into the entrance of the den and looked at the three creatures.

"Layla, is that you?" He asked. Layla nodded. "Uh, yes. Who are you again?"

Fenuku smiled. "Oh, my name is Fenuku. I... I'm your father" he said. Layla's ears sprang up looking at him. "Guys is this some sort of really cruel prank?" She asked.

"No, no, no" Fenuku said. "It's really me. I can't believe I found you! Goodness you've grown so much!" He said approaching and licking the top of her head. She was both overjoyed and displeased.

"So you decide to come back after abandoning me and my sister?" She asked. Fenuku sighed. "I'll tell you about it later. This is a happy moment" he said.

"So where's Mom?" Layla asked. Fenuku's face looked shattered. "Later, later." He looked at her again. "Well where's Dyna? Is she out hunting?"

Layla made a sad face. "Gamba, would you mind taking him a little ways away and explaining it all to him? I can't be under stress right now."
"Stress?" Asked Fenuku. He looked at Gamba and Kyra.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:23 pm

Kyra flattened her ears, feeling that she had just intruded on something important, and had gotten involved in some situation she didn't belong in. "Sorry, I don't know what's going on, Gamba-" He cut her off, "Kyra, let us continue this conversation elsewhere." He kept his voice calm, although he had wanted to snap at her. He knew it wasn't her fault, she didn't know what was going on. He knew better than to punish her for only doing what she was told. "Follow me, this way." He told both of them, and led Kyra and Fenuku away from the small grove, until they were out of earshot from Layla. Gamba then stopped, and turned to them, "All right, now we can clear this up. Allow me to explain what is happening, here." He began.

He looked at Fenuku, "Now, I am aware that as Layla's father, you would be happy to see her, but I cannot be sure if I can say the same for Layla. She feels that you have abandoned her, and you have come here with no prior knowledge of her current situation, which means you have already brought up very sensitive topics that nobody wishes to speak of." Gamba sat back on his haunches, and Kyra's ears drooped, as she realized this was going to be a very serious, and likely depressing conversation. "Should I go, or-" Gamba stopped her question, "No, Kyra, you stay and listen, too, this is very important." He then turned back to Fenuku, "Firstly, I believe I have not formally introduced myself. I am Gamba, and I am Layla's mate, therefore her safety is one of my main concerns. As you can see from my appearance, I am not a normal lion, I am a tiglon, my father was a tiger, and my mother was a lioness." Gamba's lineage was obvious. His fur was a cross between bright gold and orange, and faint stripes ran down his body. His face, however, barely looked like a lion's at all, except for perhaps the shape of his snout. His mane was extremely short, more of a ruff, if anything, separating his face from his neck with a dash of white, and the edges of his face had faint stripes that grew strikingly dark and defined around his eyes. No lion had eyes like Gamba's, either. His eyes were a bright, burning shade of amber, although they shone with intelligence and kindness. They seemed unusual, but not intimidating. His eye color looked right, somehow, compared to his face.

Gamba flicked his tail slightly, "This is why we are out a ways from the camp, and aren't currently living in our dens. You see, Layla and I, we wish to become parents, but hybrid cubs, especially second-generation, are risky. We are staying in this grove because we are trying to prevent her from becoming too stressed, and Layla must eat a specialized diet in order to insure there are no deformities in our cubs, they are extremely susceptible to them during the first three weeks, and we don't even have confirmation if she is pregnant or not, yet. This is why she asked me to take you out here for this conversation, it would deeply upset her if she was forced to explain all of this." He was extremely calm, despite the subject. Kyra lowered her ears, "Oh, dear, I'm so sorry-" Gamba stopped her, "It's all right, Kyra, you were only doing as you were told, you didn't know. You have no reason to apologize." He reassured her.

He continued, "Now, with this in mind, I would like to explain something else. I am sorry to say, Fenuku, that Dyna is no longer with us." He paused, allowing this to sink in. "During your absence, a war broke out between the Sunset pride and the River Pride, and Dyna was killed in the final battle that ended it. Layla, unfortunately, was the one who stumbled upon her sister's body, and she was deeply upset by it. She was sent spiraling into a long period of depression and grief, and that was the state she was in when we first met, when I joined the pride. Jali paired us together to go out hunting, and we have been very close ever since." He narrowed his eyes, "You must not speak of Dyna, Fenuku, Layla has accepted her sister's death, but it makes the subject no less painful, and I cannot bear to see her upset. It is even more important that she not be stressed, now, as it can endanger our cubs, and her health. I will not tolerate that, her well-being means very much to me. I love her, and even if you are her father, I am her mate, and I want her to be safe and happy."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:58 pm

Fenuku upon hearing the news of Layla having a mate and about to become a mother gave a skeptical face. He would talk about it later though, he had not the time. Upon hearing the news of Dyna, Fenuku's eyes turned bloodshot and flooding with tears within what seemed like a millisecond. "No... No! First my mate... Then my daughter... The spirits have cursed me for leaving those girls... But I... I only did it for their own safety" Fenuku sobbed. "My dear Hasina... She was the one who filled my life with so much joy. We had met in a broken time, The Separation Crisis which was before you two were even born... We had to leave our daughters to protect them, but I... I don't want people to know why we left. But just a few moons ago I encountered an evil spirit. It possessed my mate and cursed her. Her eyes turned to ebony and her mouth frothed white as snow. She began frail, mangey, and festering and all of her memories burnt away inside of her... Her beautiful fur fell out, her flesh must have turned to ash inside of her as she became gaunt as a skeleton" Fenuku trembled.

"She had no knowledge of who she was... Who I was... Who anyone was. She only wanted to kill me and take me with her. Sometimes I wish I had let her. I wish I'd let her tear into me. It would have been easier than sitting up there watching her from that ledge all that time, and with ever sunup and sundown I regretted what I'd done to so many people and rejected my own blood, leaving them in this pride to fend for themselves... After Hasina passed I went back to Kenya to see if you were all still there... Nobody was for hundreds of miles around. It was a dead, dry wasteland. That's when I came up north to follow the prey and try to keep living despite all the heartache. That's when I was captured by a few hybrids like you Gamba. A Leopon, a Liger, and a tiny little lioness and some male who Kyra watched commit suicide just earlier this evening..." Fenuku sighed.

"They willingly released me when I found this girl and her friend" said Fenuku. "I have no idea why though..." He gave another sob and tried to control his tears. "I am cursed... I just hope Layla can forgive me..."

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:29 pm

Gamba sighed, and shook his head, "I do not make Layla's decisions for her, it is her choice to forgive you, but be assured, she has a good heart, and I'm sure she will." It was horrible, the thought of this evil spirit possessing anyone. Foaming at the mouth sounded like the disease rabies, the one that had wiped out Ammon's pride and his clan, leaving him the only survivor. The loss of fur like mange, which could kill by covering up the nose and suffocating the afflicted. He was also upset to hear that other hybrids were present. This kidnapping and hostage-holding, it reflected badly on Gamba, as he was a hybrid, too. He hadn't done anything, but because of what he was, he may be pinned with the same description as the rest. He knew the hybrid names, though. A liger was the offspring of a lion and a tigress, the leopon was the result of a male leopard and a lioness. He suspected leopons were more common, as lions and leopards lived in the same places. Tigers never encountered lions unless humans got involved.

He then flicked as tail, as his mind wandered back to the evil spirit. There was something familiar about this, somehow, he thought it completely fit the description of a certain fatal illness that infected cats. It was a disease that frequently spread through most kinds of felines, but most of the time, they remained healthy, and survived. If they couldn't fight off the illness, though, the infection could kill them. "Fenuku, if it's any consolation...I don't think that your mate was possessed. I think she was sick, with a disease, I've heard of something very similar to what you've described, word for word, the symptoms. I know someone who could tell you for sure, though." His ears flattened, as his mind flashed to thoughts of Mabel. The cat could identify almost every strange occurrence as a sickness, Gamba doubted that the spirits would curse someone who did what they thought was the right thing.

He then directed his attention to Kyra, "Kyra, what's this about a suicide?" He asked. The silver lioness lowered her ears, "Nail wanted to talk to Var, and Var asked me to come with them, so that he wouldn't make any hasty decisions. When they were talking, Nail all of a sudden just decided to kill himself, and he wanted Var to die with him. He jumped off a cliff, and he tried to drag Var off, too." She looked a bit upset by the memory, "Var caught himself, but he started slipping, so I tried to pull him up, and I almost got dragged down, too. I don't know how, but all of a sudden Ammon came in and tossed us clear of the ledge, he saved us." Gamba's tail flicked at this, "Ammon? What was he doing there?" He immediately asked. Kyra shook her head, "I don't know, Gamba, he just said something about suicide being an injustice against oneself, and a coward's actions. He said something to us about Nail trying to drag Var with him being murder, and then he just left, he didn't give us a chance to thank us." Her ears flattened, "Var was really upset, first his father and brothers, and now his uncle, he's convinced his whole family is deranged."

Gamba sighed, "This just becomes more and more perplexing." He then turned back to Fenuku, "If you want assurance regarding your mate, I know someone who can tell you if she was ill or not, she is a master of medicine, and nobody has ever surpassed her skill. She's an old wildcat named Mabel, and she doesn't usually leave her territory, though it's a distance from here." Kyra jumped up, "Uh, Gamba, I have something I need to tell you. After you left this morning, Mabel showed up in the camp." The tiglon's ears pricked up, "What? Why?" Kyra sighed, "She's got arthritis in her leg, she can't hunt properly anymore, so she made a deal with Jali. She's staying in our camp now, and in return for providing food and protection, she's giving us medical assistance." Gamba flicked his tail, "That old wildcat, she's old, but we should never underestimate her wit, she knows how to survive." He nodded at Fenuku, "You should discuss that with her, she's a very smart medicine cat.

Kyra then piped up again, "Uh, Gamba, Fenuku, I know I'm rushing you, and I'm sorry, but Jali wants to see you, Gamba, and we need to go." Gamba sighed, "Very well, then, I will tell Layla, and join you shortly." Kyra nodded, "Right!" She then turned to Fenuku, "Come on, let's go, Jali might be getting impatient, now." She then vanished into the trees again, and Gamba nodded, "I'll be along in a moment." He then turned around and left the grove, leaving Fenuku to follow Kyra.

Gamba arrived back at the grove, alone, and walked over to Layla, "Layla, I'm going to be back at camp for a bit, if you need me. Just so you know where I am." He said, before gently licking the side of her snout, and then walking back to camp. By this time, Fenuku would have been led by Kyra (Who often runs at top speed) back to Jali's cave. Finally, he ambled in. "What is it, Jali?" He asked.

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Sep 08, 2013 6:24 pm

Jali turned to see them. "Hello Gamba, Kyra, Fenuku..." he began. "I am very surprised you returned. It's a... pleasure to have you back. Fenuku, I mean not rudeness, but I'd like to speak to them in private."
Fenuku nodded. "Very well, I shall go and speak to your brother."

Jali nodded and invited the rest into the cave furthermore. He pulled down a long brush that was on a low tree that formed a veil over the mouth of the cave for privacy. In an instant a bird or two had landed on the branches, whistling away. He turned and looked at the others; Gamba, Kyra, Var, and Sira way in the back near the small entrance to some sort of room underground that Sira concealed from viewing with her body as much as she could.

Jali thought for a moment and then spoke. "I do not mean any harshness by this... but I want answers. This white lion that has been wandering around this part of the land. Not only do I have question in who he is, but what his business is with us--furthermore what he was doing in our territory this afternoon. I presume that Nail didn't take you outside the borders" Jali said. Var shook his head. "No, we were inside Sunset Pride territory."
"What happened?" Jali asked.

"Nail invited us out there. I wasn't thinking. He got us by a cliff. He committed suicide and wanted me to come with him. He tried to push me off the cliff but I caught hold of the ledge. Kyra tried to save me..." Var said giving a sad glance to her. "But I was too heavy..." he gave a flat-eared glance to Jali and looked at him with a mournful thoughts in mind. "Ammon arrived and saved us both. The white lion that brought in Barcal that night" he said giving a long and awkward glance to Gamba, knowing that he was a rival with the white lion--the white lion in which Var was growing to like quite well. Var had been able to relate to him. They both had abusive fathers. They had to work themselves to the limits of their ability all in an effort to find a place, to keep status that would sustain them.

Jali sighed. "This is getting out of hand. Firstly, Var, I understand you're going through a crisis in your life--the biggest perhaps. And I do hope that your friends are being supportive" he said giving a glance from Gamba, then a longer one to Kyra, then back to Var. "And if you have any more family members I should know about... I ask that you tell me. Var... are there any more people I have to fear?"

Var stood silent for a moment and he gave a long glance to Kyra, whom he had mentioned cousins to earlier and he finally looked back at the king. "A liger, a leopon, a tiny lioness, a male lion. Four lionesses that support the male, three leopards... and... a female jagilon..."

"The Liger is named Aziza. My father once kidnapped a female from Yellow Pride, the old clan that Ridge Pride shared territory with before its destruction. My father configured that the female was infertille, barren, and no longer of interest to him. He killed her and when her family came to the discovery, they sent a horde of warriors after me, my brothers, and Snake himself. And on our dangerous peril of running from them, Aziza found us and helped us escape. She was raised by... by two hyenas who... who are said to be gifted with The Sight. Up in Eritrea, where they came from, they were called 'The Witchdoctors'. Aziza took the five of us down to an underground set of chasms and at its core was a nest where the two hyenas lived. They... they are two of the scariest people I've ever met. I could swear as I walked down those chasms, there were whispers and ghostly figures that walked with me. I know that I saw the spirits of other creatures breezing by. And don't anybody dare tell me I didn't see something there..." Var paused for a moment.

"So then after we left, we went on our way. We still occasionally kept in touch with Aziza. Aziza became the mate of a Leopon who was my father's cousin. My father had an aunt who fell in love with a male leopard who gave her that Leopon. He was named Nassor. Aziza and Nassor tried to have cubs, but Nassor was unfortunately barren because of a birth defect--and who knows what the outcome would have been between a liger and a leopon. He was also given a deformity in his paws which gave him an extra toe on each foot. This makes him even more dangerous given he has more claws than the natural cat. Soon they took in a tiny lioness named Cyla. Though Cyla was too old to be considered a daughter. She is only a few moons younger than Aziza herself and is perhaps more intelligent than all of them combined. She is so small because of a large birth disorder which shrunk her form down. She was born far, far too early. It is a wonder how she even survived the first few weeks... of living."

He looked back at Kyra and Gamba. "Cyla is also quite insane and dangerous. She may be short in strength, but she more than makes up for it in speed and her stealth skills are beyond anything I've ever seen. She is a cannibal as well..." Var said making a terrible face. Jali could tell that the mention of it made Var recall terrible memories.

"Cyla killed all of her brothers and sisters. She told them that if they ate a special berry, they'd increase in strength and agility. But the berries she fed them were poisonous and highly lethal. She killed them all and afterwards ate their flesh avoiding the organs that contained the poison. Cyla, as vulnerable as she was, went on looking for other creatures to protect her. I don't know why she killed her family, I've never known that part of the story... but I assume she was just insane like the rest of them."

Var thought for a moment. "There is Kavis... he is a young lion, perhaps about Gamba's age. Aziza and Nassor took him in many moons after they had found Cyla roaming the lands. They took him in as a sort of son-like figure. Though they never actually called him their adoptive child. Kavis among them all... is one who I personally fear. He is very cunning and very hostile. When I first met him, the first thing he did was meet my face with his claws and told me he'd just gotten a large bug off my face." Var looked grave. "Kavis is not at all insane. I know that for a fact. I was only around him a few moments to know that he had to have gone through a very, very traumatic past. The way he talked, moved even. You could tell he'd been through quite the storm. He's not insane, he's just sinister. Even more so than my father ever could have been..."

Jali had a very nervous face on by hearing all of this. Var continued. "There are four lionesses that live in Somalia, the place where all of my family comes from. There is a huge slice of territory down there, larger than any territory in Africa probably. Most locals call it, 'The Badlands' and it has been a source of destruction in Africa for generations. Even before the Separation Crisis when a clan of hyenas destroyed the alliance of good prides that lived there. When that happened and many new, rather cruel beings took over those lands, it became the bloodiest place in all of Africa."

Jali's eyes widened. "And..."

"And the four lionesses that I mentioned earlier. None of them are related to each other or are even remotely related to my family. But all of their parents were killed by Nassor and Aziza and they were given instructions by the Witchdoctors to keep those daughters down there in the Badlands. They were betroved to Kavis because the entire family had expectations that one day he'd become some sort of king either by creating his own pride or taking over another one. The four lionesses are held down there by a lion named Zirog who is the father of a family friend named Magir. The lionesses are in no way held hostage. I've met two of them and they highly support Kavis and love him to death. They'll do anything to ensure he becomes a leader, even if it means taking their own lives. And of course... there are the three leopards. Two are male, the third is a female. I only remember the name of the female, Selma. I met her one day out in the rain, when Aziza had taken us to the Badlands so my father could visit Nassor and the rest of the family. Selma was the only kind person I saw there, the only person I could really stand to be around. She is the daughter of a very troubled couple who died late last year. She had insane parents like Snake and I could always relate to her and to the stories she told me about all of her troubles. Though there was still something about her... something that always challenged me... She is very sneaky, secretive, and harsh. She was given a high ranking in the family due to the fact that the other two males had deep love for her. Though she hated them with all her heart because of their abusive, neglecting ways. I can expect that she's dead to this day. She probably was killed by Kavis, he had told me he planned on beating her to her grave if she didn't stop resisting the family's ways."

Var thought for a moment. "There is one more, a jagilon. She is the pride's... dirty-work-doer. She gathers ravens and vultures, hundreds and turns them into her personal spies. She gives them food in return for correct and accurate information and if a single piece of information is found to be wrong, she kills the vulture that spoke it as well as its entire family. Her name is Zalika. She is a very shadey person who lurks in shadows and is rarely ever seen. I don't know much about her, only that she uses spies... That is all that I can think of. I'd warn you to keep protection on our medical lioness, Shebla. Aziza is the sister of Heqet. A long time ago, they got into a very terrible fight with Shebla which ended in Heqet being stomped into the afterlife by an elephant in which Shebla apparently led her into."

Jali seemed to almost be shaking. He had gulped and looked at Sira. She was looking almost equally afraid but she supressed it in order to protect her own pregnancy since Jali had told her not to be in distress as it could damage her by a chance.

Jali looked to Var again. "I wish you would have alerted me earlier... but thank you. Do you suppose they're all coming this way?"

Var thought for a moment. "Not sure. A few perhaps. Nail couldn't have travelled alone, not in his old state and with all of his war-wounds. He had to have been accompanied by someone. I suppose perhaps Aziza and Nassor could have came... and hopefully they left Kavis and Cyla back in Somalia. But just to be sure, keep all of the cubs under watch. We don't want that tiny lioness sneaking into dens and eating them. And have the guards on high alert for a huge, black-maned lion coming from the horizons. He's huge, even larger than me"

Var said trying not to sound braggy. Though it was obvious that Var was the strongest person in the pride, the largest, and most muscular. His hugeness was no doubt the reason Kyra couldn't lift him up. He just wondered why he didn't have the strength to lift himself up on his own. Perhaps it was just too much gravity, or maybe the cliff was too slippery, perhaps it was Var's tremendous fear of heights all alone.

Var had always felt strange being the strongest person in the pride, even stronger than the king. Normally it would have made him high status, and a very popular and widely loved person. Though because of Var's reputation amongst the pride as the son of a deceased serial killer, he was greatly avoided by everyone except for the royal family, Gamba, Layla, and Kyra.
Jali sighed. "Very well. I will have maximum security. Now I'm glad you've told me this, but that was not at all the purpose of this meeting. I don't expect you to ever have any knoweldge of this, I just wanted you here so I could configure what happened... Now, you two" he said giving a stern look to Gamba and Kyra.

"I know that you two have histories with this Ammon. And I, as a king with high care of his people, would like to know more about this white lion. I want to know everything about him. I want to know why Gamba is a rival with him, more than what I've already heard. I'd like to know what made him save the two of you earlier. Obviously he must know one or both of you. Seeing that Var has had little time spent in Ethiopia, I suspect Ammon knows more of you Kyra. Why did he save you? Better yet, why did he save Var too? And what was his business in these pridelands?"

Subject: Re: The Pride Days (IC): Hurt Sun Sep 08, 2013 10:41 pm

Kyra drooped her ears, upset, and somewhat afraid to answer. She looked down at her paws, not wanting to meet the King's gaze, as she struggled to gather her nerve for what she was about to say. There was a long pause, but eventually, she opened her mouth to speak. "Ammon is my adoptive father." She finally said, the words feeling strange, as she said them. She had told Var about this easily, but for some reason, perhaps it was his great authority, it was not nearly so simple, telling Jali of this. There was overwhelming doubt about Ammon already, he hadn't harmed anyone, but his behavior was perplexing enough to make people extremely nervous about his scattered appearances. He was Gamba's rival, but he didn't challenge him every time they met, for whatever reason. He acknowledged that the pride existed, but didn't nicely treat anyone in it that he didn't know personally, not even Jali, who was the Sunset Pride's King. Even if he did know someone, he was relatively cold and scathing, regardless of who the person was. He was hard to understand, for people who didn't know much about him, and the simple fact was that hardly anyone knew him personally.

The silver lioness finally gathered the courage to lift her gaze to meet the King's, again. "Ammon raised me when I was orphaned as a cub, when my pride was destroyed. Gamba came later to look after me, but before he did, it was Ammon who became my father. Everything I know about fighting, about hunting, even fishing, he taught me." She then looked at Gamba, who nodded, as though silently giving her permission to say more, so she proceeded. "Ammon rescued me and Var because I'm his daughter, and he perceived Nail trying to drag Var down the cliff with him as a form of murder. There's also the fact that he always keeps an eye on me, and anyone I happen to be around. As long as I'm in the Sunset Pride, Ammon is likely going to keep coming here to make sure I'm safe. His actions aren't always easy for people to understand. Gamba and I know the most about him, and even then, we don't always get why he does something." She then turned to Gamba, prompting him to speak next.

The tiglon sighed, glancing at the group, and then slowly beginning to speak. "Ammon is like a brother to me, we fight, but we like to see it as friendly competition, there is very little about it that is truly bitter, though we have our misunderstandings, and our battles can be extremely intense." His tail flicked, "We met when I unknowingly came too close to where a leopard had been hiding her cub. I was hunting, at the time, but Ammon thought I meant to kill the cub, and and angrily attacked me. We eventually battled until we were both too exhausted to continue the conflict, and we then discovered our misunderstanding. Things were fine, although we became rivals, as my strength and power in combat is almost equal to Ammon's, and Ammon is greatly driven to prove his own prowess in battle. He does possess honor, however, as he is extremely protective of cubs and females, regardless of lineage or family ties. He shows mercy, if someone is deserving of it, although how much you deserve it depends on what you did that started the fight in the first place. That is why Ammon captured Var's brother and brought him here. If he was aware that Snake and the sons that followed him abused females, and would kill cubs, it would have made him furious, and he has no place in his heart for those that do such horrible things."

Kyra then continued, "Ammon's past is filled with abuse and suffering, but it also gives much insight on why he does certain things." Her ears flattened, as she was forced to once more recount the tale. "Ammon came from what was the last pride of Atlas Lions, hence his incredible size and strength. His kind used to rule over Ethiopia, as well as all the lands of the north, before humans began to capture them, and carry them across the sea to be slaughtered in combat with their kind. The Starclimb Pride was the only one that survived, and was home to the Whitestrike Clan, a group of lions that were lorded over by an elder warrior, who picked and chose the mates of all clan members, in order to refine some trait that was found desirable. However, this can give rise to inbreeding, and sometimes, deformities and even mental problems can develop as a result, without fresh blood to keep the bloodline from going bad. That's what killed Ammon's pride, in the end. They were all inbred, not just the clan, but everyone, because they were too stubborn about maintaining the pure atlas lion heritage to accept fresh blood from other kinds of lions." She sounded sour, at this, as though the topic were uncomfortable.

She continued, "Ammon's entire pride was mentally unstable, save for one lion, his mother. His mother was a young lioness who was the daughter of the pride's king, but her mother was not the King's mate, she was an illegitimate cub born to a female not of Atlas blood, and though they permitted the poor female to live, they treated her badly. She was ostracized, forbidden to take a mate, and shunned by everyone. Ammon's father, the elder warrior of the Whitestrike Pride at the time, yet still young enough to have children, began romancing her, and Ammon's mother was quickly swept off of her feet, because nobody had ever shown her affection before. Soon, however, things took a bad turn, when Ammon's father discovered that the female was pregnant. In order to hide it, because it would surely mean being stripped of his title, Ammon's father took his mother from the camp, stating he was going to search for a new pride for her to be in. Nobody protested, they never wanted her there, they were perfectly happy with it, and completely unaware."

She shook her head, "Ammon's father did things to the female like what Snake did to his captives. He showed his true colors, forcing her to hide in a cave she was forbidden to leave, but giving her enough food and water for her to go through her pregnancy safely. Regardless, he was cruel to her, he showered verbal and emotional abuse, blaming her for all his problems, when he was the only guilty party present. Later, Ammon's mother gave birth to her son, and while he continued to heap abuse on both, Ammon's father kept her alive just long enough for her single cub to nurse until he was weaned. When Ammon could eat solid food, Ammon's father brutally beat her to death, forcing his own illegitimate son to watch, when she was the only one who had ever truly loved him. Ammon loved his mother greatly, and was traumatized when he saw this."

Kyra's ears flattened, "Ammon's father then forcibly dragged his son back to the Starclimb Pride and Whitestrike Clan, every step of the way saying horrible things to him, abusing him in any way possible that didn't involve bodily harm. He located a birthing den outside the camp, as he knew where they were because he was the clan elder, and forced the female there, along with her own cubs, to pretend Ammon was her child, to cover up what had happened. Ammon's father threatened to kill them all if she did not. So it was done, but Ammon was born lacking ideal traits found in the Whitestrike Clan. Most lions in the clan were born white, but Ammon was born with golden fur, like a normal cub. It wasn't until later that his pelt changed. This was enough, however, for Ammon was regarded as inferior to all other Clan lions. As a result, he was forbidden to take a mate when he was older, and mistreated, even worse than his mother had been. His siblings were regarded as elite, and everyone said terrible things to him."

She shook her head, "Ammon was spirited, though, and he was determined to be better than the others. He still possessed the great skills intended for Whitestrike Lions, perhaps even greater, for he was not inbred like them, and his mind was sharp. For every one Mole Rat his siblings brought back from a hunt, Ammon would fight to bring back two Kudu, much larger prey. It was his brilliant mind that saved him. When the insanity in his pride became apparent, a rabies outbreak struck. Ammon was the only one who still had common sense enough to escape, and while it killed off the rest of the Atlas lions, leaving him the sole survivor, it was Ammon's liberation, for it had set him free." She looked down at her paws, not wanting to say more.

Gamba flicked his tail, his amber eyes seeming to glow in the dim light of the cave. "Ammon is not mentally disturbed in any way, the fact that his grandmother had blood not of his Pride purified his blood of inbreeding enough to keep him from developing any sort of deformity, whether it be of the mind, or of the body. Traumatized, is a better word for what you may find wrong with him. As a cub he was tortured by everyone, save for his mother, who was brutally murdered while he watched. He had to fight just to prove he was worthy of being alive. Much of his arrogance, cold treatment, almost everything, is because of the many moons he suffered that systematic emotional and psychological abuse." There was sympathy in the tiglon's eyes.

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