A rather large lion was laying beneath an incredibly beautiful tree along side his sister in the middle of what appeared to be the outskirts of a swamp. Both of them had been over joyed to find such shelter from the sun that they ran to it, playing a good old game of chase from their younger days and fought for the most comfortable place against an extended root that stuck above ground. In the end Casa had won her place and Jurian found himself nestled against her. It had been the way they slept since day one, the way they had been, the way it had always been since the before time. Before things had turned from dreams to nighmares.
As the large males mind turned from the positive to a slight negative it began to remember. Memories of the evening of their families passing began to turn into living shells reenacting the event. Jurian wanted to cry out, wanted to change the outcome of the events... Than he awoke, his chest was heaving and his eyes were gazing around at a crazy speed. He was looking, watching for those eyes. The eyes that were now burned into his memory. When he realized they were alone and safe he went back to breathing, back to the excerises the pair of them had practiced to calm down and simply relax.
Before he could settle himself to sleep he gazed at Casa, seeing some discouraging movement from her, but he waited. He had waken her in the past and it had ended pourly, leaving his one eye with an unruly scar from top to bottom. He was lucky he wasn't blind.
They had their good days and their bad and today had been a good day for her and her brother. It was almost like old times he had woken before her early in the morning and had nuzzled her awake and the two had finally wandered to a rather appealing peice of shaded area beneath a very lovely tree. It had been a race in the end for the most comfy spot of root and with a quick maneuver she had successfully snagged the best spot. But he could use her as a pillow so it was really a win win in this. She liked the security of having something solid behind her and had she not won she would have pestered and begged until he had given it up to her. And he would have, he loved her too much.
However, peaceful dreams turned into nightmares and she found herself yelling out her mothers name and awoke with a startled expression and tears on the brink of escaping. She looked around and saw only her brother and she couldn't help but sob into his chest as she leaned for him. "I tried to run to mom this time. I tried to help..." She couldn't help but feel the weight of that living nightmare on her heart. Her brother knew she didn't mean it, but she was vicsious towards strangers, she didn't trust easily and she could get violent without warning. She didn't like to be that way but it happened sometimes. Her brother was a testement to that. He had awoken her once a while back and she had caught him in the face with her claws. She had been so ashamed she didn't eat for days.
She started to feel better but she couldn't get rid of that scent. That scent that lingered in her mind from that day. Why wasn't it going away, it always stopped once she woke up. Why was today any different.
He was glad he stayed awake, glad he had been prepared for her this time. It took a while to get used to waking up with the nightmares, there were days they couldn't see eachother for how much they had gone through, but they always end up together, always be together. He would never let her out of his sight. "I know Casa." He cooed softly, lifting a heavy paw behind her head to allow for the utmost comfort while she poured her heart out to him, she moved her head and thus he moved his paw with her. She began speaking and it broke his heart to see her this way. "Mom was protecting us. You do not have to save her, she is watching over us and with us every paw step we take." He spoke with utter confidence and poise and kept his eyes square on her face. She was his reason to live and reason to associate with anything beyond his own thoughts.
Once she had done her minimal rant he pulled her in close, muffling her cries and began rubbing a paw on her head trying to comfort something that could only be rode out. "It will be alright dear sister, the sun still shines for us and there is food and water plenty. We have a lot to be thankful for, that day is behind us now." He said softly to her. He felt tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat though, he could feel how he felt that day creeping up on him and it took everything to banish it once more.
"Once you feel a little better, why don't we explore?" That always seemed to cheer them up. Besides all that had occured they seemed to always enjoy adventuring and seeing new things. The swamps they had slept right outside of was going to be their new playground.
She had finally relaxed and calmed down, her sobs just mere sniffles. Her brother was doing the best that he could to comfort her and she was thankful for him. She had no idea what she would have done had she been the only one to survive. She didn't want to think of it, she didn't want to dwell on thoughts of what had been or could have been. She felt her spirits lift as he mentioned exploring. They always had a good time doing that. There was plenty to see and do around their newly found area. Especially with that swamp! There were all sorts of interesting things to be found in there.
She stood up and she looked at her brother and tried to give him the best smile that she could and she had to agree everything he said was right. "What do you think happened to her?" It was more or a retorical question than anything. It was always a thought she had. Her mother had been covered in so much blood but she had been alive. Did they save her for last? She stopped her thoughts, she didn't want to know. "I think exploring would help. These swamplands are rather neat." She said trying to focus on what lay ahead of them. She needed to stop dwelling on the past so much.
She walked towards a section where the land clearly faded from solid into swamp and she pressed one of her paws into the murky water to see how deep it went, as her leg sank she smelled that smell again. Maybe it was the swamp? She lifted her leg and only smelled mire and grass. What was going on with her mind.
He hugged her tight as he began to feel her relax, if her life had not been in his paws that night he was sure he would not have survived either. Jurani was thankful for that and because of all they had been through they shared a unique bond, something that could never been torn apart. As she had begun to stand, so did. After stretching and yawning greatly he stared at her. His sister had opened that gentle mouth of hers to reflect on a part of the past he had never opened up to her. The part that still to this day held his heart in his throat and his mind in a constant state of uneasiness. As a young lion Jurani had wondered the same thing, it was only once he had Casa in a safe place, very well hidden from the monster of the night and asleep that he had crept away. He only left her a little while, clambering, leaving a trail to find her again, but he needed to know. He needed to go back and find out, was their Mother alive.
The answer was no. He remembered approaching the scene with extreme caution, there were no lively scents anymore, and no more dangerous ones either. It was there that he had found the torn body of his parents, his Mother had climbed her way to her mates side and had clearly died holding his face near. Their cubs were scattered and strewn among the rubble of bones, stripped clean of any 'edible meat'.
The brown lion forced himself back to reality, and to smile into the face of his sister. He would keep that from her, keep her hoping and happy. There was no way he'd be able to tell her now and face the wrath of having gone back that day to know. He would not allow her to succumb to the guilt he treached through each day. "Well, how about that exploring?" He offered happily, expressing an outward appearance of joy and excitement. He was truly excited. The swamps were a completely new area, a fresh start persay. How could he not be excited.
"These swamps are something else huh?" She hadnt really experienced swamps before and the fact that her brother didn't seem to be alarmed by anything right now made her believe that what she was smelling was all in her head. Little had they known that the whole time they had been "safe" they were being stalked. Hunted slowly over the months as it took for them to grow. Why kill something so small and have hardly anything to eat when you could watch it grow and then kill it once it was larger? That was what was happening with Juri and Casa. They were being "raised to slaughter" so to speak without them ever realizing it. She honestly thought maybe she was still half asleep so that was why she could smell that horrible mixture of insanity and mixed blood. Crazy animals always had a unique smell but because they had never crossed any since then, she had no idea there was that one single connection. Healthy animals always had an initial fear of those that were sickly and had an internal clock to keep them away from them.
She walked around the swampy sections, lookig at some cat tails and chasing some frogs when she finally had to say something. "Do you smell anything weird?" She had to know. Was she going crazy? She had wandered a little farther down from her brother towards one of the rocky areas that boarderlined the swamplands. She could tell from where she stood that there was a ravine not to far away and she wondered what all was around here. Little did she know that the hunt had begun and they weren't safe for long.
Jurian watched with young curiosity as Casa bounced around, finding this and that about the swamp that she liked. Boy had he wished he had found this place soon, it seemed to cure her of tha angst inside that was a nightmare forever haunting their memories. It was then that he truly smelled something nauseating. It was familiar, but in a negative way, it had been a long time since they had last smelled it. But he knew it instantly.
"Casa." He beckoned quietly. He didn't want to alarm her, but in the same token he needed to, needed to get her away from here and somewhere else. How had they tracked them? Had they been following all along? His mind was whirring faster and ears flicked around. "Yes I smell it." He wished greatly that he hadn't, but now he could differentiate. There was blood in the air, heavy blood. A fresh kill. They couldn't go looking to help, but couldn't escape, where in the Roguelands could they run! He breathed heavily then stopped, allowing his chest to relax and steady. He needed to be able to hear, the croaks of the frogs were beginning to drive him insane. He couldn't hear any foot falls, but that smell. "Where..." He breathed out the word and then spotted something on the horizon, away from the swamps and near where the pair had been sleeping only hours before their fun had begun.
"We can only move forward." He said and gave a good push of his nose against her rump. They needed to move and quickly, whatever those murderers were would be after them soon, if they weren't already at their tails.
Apparently it wasn't in her head and she felt her heartbeat begin to pickup. Her pulse raced and her thoughts began to jumble around. What do they do then? They couldn't stay around here, they couldn't go towards the ravine they couldn't go the way they had come. So into the swamps? Was that it? She looked at her brother with earnest eyes and had no idea what they could do. She followed her brothers gaze to the dark figures that were where they had been sleeping not to long ago. They had found them. Was it true? She wanted to panic but she tried her best not to. At the same time she wanted to tear into them and release her vengence. Her fear turned into hatred and she wasn't going to run. She wanted to stay and fight. She wasn't a lilttle cub, that fear in her mind was now blind hatred and she she stomped towards the area in which her brother and her had just been. Her fur was on end and she had a growl deep in her throat. Her brothers nudge to push her away into the swams had failed and she saw nothing but blind fury. There was only one, one that she could see, she didn't see the other two that were hiding elsewhere. Her mind was all rage and focus on the one that had dared get further head of it's packmates. It was smaller than her, but not by much. It was a female with a crazy look in her eyes and she didn't care anymore. She would have her revenge.
She let loose a roar that not even she knew she had and it thundered through her chest and she lunged at the mixed creature and it fought back. She was unaware of the other two, followed by a third that where now starting to close the gap. She felt claws sink into her thigh and she let out an angry growl and lashed her claws towards an unprotected face, she felt the pop of an eyeball and a shriek of pain from the crazed female and she took her chance. Her fangs found the unprotected neck and she dug her claws in as it kicked out at her catching her chest. She knew she'd be hurting but she didn't feel the pain, she didn't feel the blood. She felt the kicking stop and she stopped shaking the lifeless form back and forth and she let the body slump to the ground. It was in that moment the red fadded and she started to feel the pain in her leg and chest. She was cut up but it was all superficial. It would heal. It was then she looked around and saw the error in her ways. The fear kicked in once more and she knew there wasn't anything she coudl do about three. One on one in her blind rage she had been a fair match, but not one against three, even if her brother joined in. She turned and started to move towards him, she limped but she could do it. The three were on her tail but she still had this. Fear was now her spurring factor.
Into the swamps was their only option. As long as they could get away they'd be alright, right? From her playing around she had found out what spots were safe and which were not and she urged her brother to follow her path. "Stay by me." She cried as she moved through the swampy sections. Maybe they would lose them here? It seemed that as crazy as they were, they were smart and followed the two's trail. She was tired and in pain now and even her fear wasn't enough to urge her on and she felt herself slowing. "I can't keep going..." She looked at him with sad eyes. She wouldn't let him die with her. There was no way. "Please, save yourself." She wouldn't cry, she coudn't cry.
Suddenly the sounds of some roars caught her attention and she didn't know what to do. There were hybrids around them and it seemed to be that this was their turf, but isntead of coming after them they went for theApparently it wasn't in her head and she felt her heartbeat begin to pickup. Her pulse raced and her thoughts began to jumble around. What do they do then? They couldn't stay around here, they couldn't go towards the ravine they couldn't go the way they had come. So into the swamps? Was that it? She looked at her brother with earnest eyes and had no idea what they could do. She followed her brothers gaze to the dark figures that were where they had been sleeping not to long ago. They had found them. Was it true? She wanted to panic but she tried her best not to. At the same time she wanted to tear into them and release her vengence. Her fear turned into hatred and she wasn't going to run. She wanted to stay and fight. She wasn't a lilttle cub, that fear in her mind was now blind hatred and she she stomped towards the area in which her brother and her had just been. Her fur was on end and she had a growl deep in her throat. Her brothers nudge to push her away into the swams had failed and she saw nothing but blind fury. There was only one, one that she could see, she didn't see the other two that were hiding elsewhere. Her mind was all rage and focus on the one that had dared get further head of it's packmates. It was smaller than her, but not by much. It was a female with a crazy look in her eyes and she didn't care anymore. She would have her revenge.
She let loose a roar that not even she knew she had and it thundered through her chest and she lunged at the mixed creature and it fought back. She was unaware of the other two, followed by a third that where now starting to close the gap. She felt claws sink into her thigh and she let out an angry growl and lashed her claws towards an unprotected face, she felt the pop of an eyeball and a shriek of pain from the crazed female and she took her chance. Her fangs found the unprotected neck and she dug her claws in as it kicked out at her catching her chest. She knew she'd be hurting but she didn't feel the pain, she didn't feel the blood. She felt the kicking stop and she stopped shaking the lifeless form back and forth and she let the body slump to the ground. It was in that moment the red fadded and she started to feel the pain in her leg and chest. She was cut up but it was all superficial. It would heal. It was then she looked around and saw the error in her ways. The fear kicked in once more and she knew there wasn't anything she coudl do about three. One on one in her blind rage she had been a fair match, but not one against three, even if her brother joined in. She turned and started to move towards him, she limped but she could do it. The three were on her tail but she still had this. Fear was now her spurring factor.
Into the swamps was their only option. As long as they could get away they'd be alright, right? From her playing around she had found out what spots were safe and which were not and she urged her brother to follow her path. "Stay by me." She cried as she moved through the swampy sections. Maybe they would lose them here? It seemed that as crazy as they were, they were smart and followed the two's trail. She was tired and in pain now and even her fear wasn't enough to urge her on and she felt herself slowing. "I can't keep going..." She looked at him with sad eyes. She wouldn't let him die with her. There was no way. "Please, save yourself." She wouldn't cry, she coudn't cry.
Suddenly the sounds of some roars caught her attention and she didn't know what to do. There were hybrids around them and it seemed to be that this was their turf, but isntead of coming after them they went for the crazed beasts that had been following them. She didn't understand, she didn't know what was going on. Soon the intruders were either killed or had fled and she felt herself begingig to pass out from the loss of blood and exersion. Someone tried to come close to her and she lashed out, they would not touch her. But her body was weak and she was tired. There wasn't much else she could do and she looked to her brother as she finally collapsed and the hybrids of the pride carried her away.
Jurian was not about to allow such a foolish act to occur, but he had no choice, she was already diving the crazed female when he had tried to react and pull her back, urge her away from the group he knew was hiding. He felt the rage, felt the need to strike and fight, but he also had the level head. Between the two of them he was the collected one, always finding a way to escape where needed and his need was right there, right in the thick of things. He witnessed his sister become a ravaging beast, something that would more than likely fade with time, something that she needed to free. He undertsood that. What he knew she would be regretting is the two-three souless creatures that hid amongst the thicker wooded areas.
"Casa!" He shouted again, this time loud and with a beastial roar he knew was burrowed deep in his gut, that was when his large lion like features began to grow and fluff up with his hackles. He was full sized now, a terror if anyone could see one. He snarled and glared at the ones that had begun to approach, he would not leave her be as she came to of her actions. He was simply delighted to see at least one body collapse to the ground. It was simply dead weight. As she began to back off and began to come back to him he moved forward. His goal was to not simply get away, but to at least shoot some of that fear at the ones who created it. "You will NOT harm my family anymore." He growled loudly and that growl progressed into a solid roar that echoed all around them. It would not scare them away for good, in fact he could still see them slinking, but at least they knew he'd be a force to be reckoned with.
Once he had moved to her side he provided a way to at least limp a little more quickly, he found himself nearly carrying her, but he couldn't. When they had found a source of some kind of safety he helped her down and laid with her. "I am not leaving again, never again." He growled, that was enough of that. He was so blinded by anger that he had not realized he hinted at the fact that he had gone back. "I would not be saving myself by leaving you ..." He paused as some roars and paws began trembling and echoing the area around them. Hybrids? He wasn't aware there was a pride nearby. Than everything began to happen so swiftly.
Next thing Jurian knew he was thanking a hybrid, one of those mixed beasts his sister and him had feared and loathed, for saving them. They swore to bring Casa in and patch her up, but of course for a price. That price was easily paid for safety among many and a place for Casa. His pride and joy.
"Yes, we will be slaves."
The words echoed and life seemed to change for the better with those simple words.
As the large males mind turned from the positive to a slight negative it began to remember. Memories of the evening of their families passing began to turn into living shells reenacting the event. Jurian wanted to cry out, wanted to change the outcome of the events... Than he awoke, his chest was heaving and his eyes were gazing around at a crazy speed. He was looking, watching for those eyes. The eyes that were now burned into his memory. When he realized they were alone and safe he went back to breathing, back to the excerises the pair of them had practiced to calm down and simply relax.
Before he could settle himself to sleep he gazed at Casa, seeing some discouraging movement from her, but he waited. He had waken her in the past and it had ended pourly, leaving his one eye with an unruly scar from top to bottom. He was lucky he wasn't blind.
They had their good days and their bad and today had been a good day for her and her brother. It was almost like old times he had woken before her early in the morning and had nuzzled her awake and the two had finally wandered to a rather appealing peice of shaded area beneath a very lovely tree. It had been a race in the end for the most comfy spot of root and with a quick maneuver she had successfully snagged the best spot. But he could use her as a pillow so it was really a win win in this. She liked the security of having something solid behind her and had she not won she would have pestered and begged until he had given it up to her. And he would have, he loved her too much.
However, peaceful dreams turned into nightmares and she found herself yelling out her mothers name and awoke with a startled expression and tears on the brink of escaping. She looked around and saw only her brother and she couldn't help but sob into his chest as she leaned for him. "I tried to run to mom this time. I tried to help..." She couldn't help but feel the weight of that living nightmare on her heart. Her brother knew she didn't mean it, but she was vicsious towards strangers, she didn't trust easily and she could get violent without warning. She didn't like to be that way but it happened sometimes. Her brother was a testement to that. He had awoken her once a while back and she had caught him in the face with her claws. She had been so ashamed she didn't eat for days.
She started to feel better but she couldn't get rid of that scent. That scent that lingered in her mind from that day. Why wasn't it going away, it always stopped once she woke up. Why was today any different.
He was glad he stayed awake, glad he had been prepared for her this time. It took a while to get used to waking up with the nightmares, there were days they couldn't see eachother for how much they had gone through, but they always end up together, always be together. He would never let her out of his sight. "I know Casa." He cooed softly, lifting a heavy paw behind her head to allow for the utmost comfort while she poured her heart out to him, she moved her head and thus he moved his paw with her. She began speaking and it broke his heart to see her this way. "Mom was protecting us. You do not have to save her, she is watching over us and with us every paw step we take." He spoke with utter confidence and poise and kept his eyes square on her face. She was his reason to live and reason to associate with anything beyond his own thoughts.
Once she had done her minimal rant he pulled her in close, muffling her cries and began rubbing a paw on her head trying to comfort something that could only be rode out. "It will be alright dear sister, the sun still shines for us and there is food and water plenty. We have a lot to be thankful for, that day is behind us now." He said softly to her. He felt tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat though, he could feel how he felt that day creeping up on him and it took everything to banish it once more.
"Once you feel a little better, why don't we explore?" That always seemed to cheer them up. Besides all that had occured they seemed to always enjoy adventuring and seeing new things. The swamps they had slept right outside of was going to be their new playground.
She had finally relaxed and calmed down, her sobs just mere sniffles. Her brother was doing the best that he could to comfort her and she was thankful for him. She had no idea what she would have done had she been the only one to survive. She didn't want to think of it, she didn't want to dwell on thoughts of what had been or could have been. She felt her spirits lift as he mentioned exploring. They always had a good time doing that. There was plenty to see and do around their newly found area. Especially with that swamp! There were all sorts of interesting things to be found in there.
She stood up and she looked at her brother and tried to give him the best smile that she could and she had to agree everything he said was right. "What do you think happened to her?" It was more or a retorical question than anything. It was always a thought she had. Her mother had been covered in so much blood but she had been alive. Did they save her for last? She stopped her thoughts, she didn't want to know. "I think exploring would help. These swamplands are rather neat." She said trying to focus on what lay ahead of them. She needed to stop dwelling on the past so much.
She walked towards a section where the land clearly faded from solid into swamp and she pressed one of her paws into the murky water to see how deep it went, as her leg sank she smelled that smell again. Maybe it was the swamp? She lifted her leg and only smelled mire and grass. What was going on with her mind.
He hugged her tight as he began to feel her relax, if her life had not been in his paws that night he was sure he would not have survived either. Jurani was thankful for that and because of all they had been through they shared a unique bond, something that could never been torn apart. As she had begun to stand, so did. After stretching and yawning greatly he stared at her. His sister had opened that gentle mouth of hers to reflect on a part of the past he had never opened up to her. The part that still to this day held his heart in his throat and his mind in a constant state of uneasiness. As a young lion Jurani had wondered the same thing, it was only once he had Casa in a safe place, very well hidden from the monster of the night and asleep that he had crept away. He only left her a little while, clambering, leaving a trail to find her again, but he needed to know. He needed to go back and find out, was their Mother alive.
The answer was no. He remembered approaching the scene with extreme caution, there were no lively scents anymore, and no more dangerous ones either. It was there that he had found the torn body of his parents, his Mother had climbed her way to her mates side and had clearly died holding his face near. Their cubs were scattered and strewn among the rubble of bones, stripped clean of any 'edible meat'.
The brown lion forced himself back to reality, and to smile into the face of his sister. He would keep that from her, keep her hoping and happy. There was no way he'd be able to tell her now and face the wrath of having gone back that day to know. He would not allow her to succumb to the guilt he treached through each day. "Well, how about that exploring?" He offered happily, expressing an outward appearance of joy and excitement. He was truly excited. The swamps were a completely new area, a fresh start persay. How could he not be excited.
"These swamps are something else huh?" She hadnt really experienced swamps before and the fact that her brother didn't seem to be alarmed by anything right now made her believe that what she was smelling was all in her head. Little had they known that the whole time they had been "safe" they were being stalked. Hunted slowly over the months as it took for them to grow. Why kill something so small and have hardly anything to eat when you could watch it grow and then kill it once it was larger? That was what was happening with Juri and Casa. They were being "raised to slaughter" so to speak without them ever realizing it. She honestly thought maybe she was still half asleep so that was why she could smell that horrible mixture of insanity and mixed blood. Crazy animals always had a unique smell but because they had never crossed any since then, she had no idea there was that one single connection. Healthy animals always had an initial fear of those that were sickly and had an internal clock to keep them away from them.
She walked around the swampy sections, lookig at some cat tails and chasing some frogs when she finally had to say something. "Do you smell anything weird?" She had to know. Was she going crazy? She had wandered a little farther down from her brother towards one of the rocky areas that boarderlined the swamplands. She could tell from where she stood that there was a ravine not to far away and she wondered what all was around here. Little did she know that the hunt had begun and they weren't safe for long.
Jurian watched with young curiosity as Casa bounced around, finding this and that about the swamp that she liked. Boy had he wished he had found this place soon, it seemed to cure her of tha angst inside that was a nightmare forever haunting their memories. It was then that he truly smelled something nauseating. It was familiar, but in a negative way, it had been a long time since they had last smelled it. But he knew it instantly.
"Casa." He beckoned quietly. He didn't want to alarm her, but in the same token he needed to, needed to get her away from here and somewhere else. How had they tracked them? Had they been following all along? His mind was whirring faster and ears flicked around. "Yes I smell it." He wished greatly that he hadn't, but now he could differentiate. There was blood in the air, heavy blood. A fresh kill. They couldn't go looking to help, but couldn't escape, where in the Roguelands could they run! He breathed heavily then stopped, allowing his chest to relax and steady. He needed to be able to hear, the croaks of the frogs were beginning to drive him insane. He couldn't hear any foot falls, but that smell. "Where..." He breathed out the word and then spotted something on the horizon, away from the swamps and near where the pair had been sleeping only hours before their fun had begun.
"We can only move forward." He said and gave a good push of his nose against her rump. They needed to move and quickly, whatever those murderers were would be after them soon, if they weren't already at their tails.
Apparently it wasn't in her head and she felt her heartbeat begin to pickup. Her pulse raced and her thoughts began to jumble around. What do they do then? They couldn't stay around here, they couldn't go towards the ravine they couldn't go the way they had come. So into the swamps? Was that it? She looked at her brother with earnest eyes and had no idea what they could do. She followed her brothers gaze to the dark figures that were where they had been sleeping not to long ago. They had found them. Was it true? She wanted to panic but she tried her best not to. At the same time she wanted to tear into them and release her vengence. Her fear turned into hatred and she wasn't going to run. She wanted to stay and fight. She wasn't a lilttle cub, that fear in her mind was now blind hatred and she she stomped towards the area in which her brother and her had just been. Her fur was on end and she had a growl deep in her throat. Her brothers nudge to push her away into the swams had failed and she saw nothing but blind fury. There was only one, one that she could see, she didn't see the other two that were hiding elsewhere. Her mind was all rage and focus on the one that had dared get further head of it's packmates. It was smaller than her, but not by much. It was a female with a crazy look in her eyes and she didn't care anymore. She would have her revenge.
She let loose a roar that not even she knew she had and it thundered through her chest and she lunged at the mixed creature and it fought back. She was unaware of the other two, followed by a third that where now starting to close the gap. She felt claws sink into her thigh and she let out an angry growl and lashed her claws towards an unprotected face, she felt the pop of an eyeball and a shriek of pain from the crazed female and she took her chance. Her fangs found the unprotected neck and she dug her claws in as it kicked out at her catching her chest. She knew she'd be hurting but she didn't feel the pain, she didn't feel the blood. She felt the kicking stop and she stopped shaking the lifeless form back and forth and she let the body slump to the ground. It was in that moment the red fadded and she started to feel the pain in her leg and chest. She was cut up but it was all superficial. It would heal. It was then she looked around and saw the error in her ways. The fear kicked in once more and she knew there wasn't anything she coudl do about three. One on one in her blind rage she had been a fair match, but not one against three, even if her brother joined in. She turned and started to move towards him, she limped but she could do it. The three were on her tail but she still had this. Fear was now her spurring factor.
Into the swamps was their only option. As long as they could get away they'd be alright, right? From her playing around she had found out what spots were safe and which were not and she urged her brother to follow her path. "Stay by me." She cried as she moved through the swampy sections. Maybe they would lose them here? It seemed that as crazy as they were, they were smart and followed the two's trail. She was tired and in pain now and even her fear wasn't enough to urge her on and she felt herself slowing. "I can't keep going..." She looked at him with sad eyes. She wouldn't let him die with her. There was no way. "Please, save yourself." She wouldn't cry, she coudn't cry.
Suddenly the sounds of some roars caught her attention and she didn't know what to do. There were hybrids around them and it seemed to be that this was their turf, but isntead of coming after them they went for theApparently it wasn't in her head and she felt her heartbeat begin to pickup. Her pulse raced and her thoughts began to jumble around. What do they do then? They couldn't stay around here, they couldn't go towards the ravine they couldn't go the way they had come. So into the swamps? Was that it? She looked at her brother with earnest eyes and had no idea what they could do. She followed her brothers gaze to the dark figures that were where they had been sleeping not to long ago. They had found them. Was it true? She wanted to panic but she tried her best not to. At the same time she wanted to tear into them and release her vengence. Her fear turned into hatred and she wasn't going to run. She wanted to stay and fight. She wasn't a lilttle cub, that fear in her mind was now blind hatred and she she stomped towards the area in which her brother and her had just been. Her fur was on end and she had a growl deep in her throat. Her brothers nudge to push her away into the swams had failed and she saw nothing but blind fury. There was only one, one that she could see, she didn't see the other two that were hiding elsewhere. Her mind was all rage and focus on the one that had dared get further head of it's packmates. It was smaller than her, but not by much. It was a female with a crazy look in her eyes and she didn't care anymore. She would have her revenge.
She let loose a roar that not even she knew she had and it thundered through her chest and she lunged at the mixed creature and it fought back. She was unaware of the other two, followed by a third that where now starting to close the gap. She felt claws sink into her thigh and she let out an angry growl and lashed her claws towards an unprotected face, she felt the pop of an eyeball and a shriek of pain from the crazed female and she took her chance. Her fangs found the unprotected neck and she dug her claws in as it kicked out at her catching her chest. She knew she'd be hurting but she didn't feel the pain, she didn't feel the blood. She felt the kicking stop and she stopped shaking the lifeless form back and forth and she let the body slump to the ground. It was in that moment the red fadded and she started to feel the pain in her leg and chest. She was cut up but it was all superficial. It would heal. It was then she looked around and saw the error in her ways. The fear kicked in once more and she knew there wasn't anything she coudl do about three. One on one in her blind rage she had been a fair match, but not one against three, even if her brother joined in. She turned and started to move towards him, she limped but she could do it. The three were on her tail but she still had this. Fear was now her spurring factor.
Into the swamps was their only option. As long as they could get away they'd be alright, right? From her playing around she had found out what spots were safe and which were not and she urged her brother to follow her path. "Stay by me." She cried as she moved through the swampy sections. Maybe they would lose them here? It seemed that as crazy as they were, they were smart and followed the two's trail. She was tired and in pain now and even her fear wasn't enough to urge her on and she felt herself slowing. "I can't keep going..." She looked at him with sad eyes. She wouldn't let him die with her. There was no way. "Please, save yourself." She wouldn't cry, she coudn't cry.
Suddenly the sounds of some roars caught her attention and she didn't know what to do. There were hybrids around them and it seemed to be that this was their turf, but isntead of coming after them they went for the crazed beasts that had been following them. She didn't understand, she didn't know what was going on. Soon the intruders were either killed or had fled and she felt herself begingig to pass out from the loss of blood and exersion. Someone tried to come close to her and she lashed out, they would not touch her. But her body was weak and she was tired. There wasn't much else she could do and she looked to her brother as she finally collapsed and the hybrids of the pride carried her away.
Jurian was not about to allow such a foolish act to occur, but he had no choice, she was already diving the crazed female when he had tried to react and pull her back, urge her away from the group he knew was hiding. He felt the rage, felt the need to strike and fight, but he also had the level head. Between the two of them he was the collected one, always finding a way to escape where needed and his need was right there, right in the thick of things. He witnessed his sister become a ravaging beast, something that would more than likely fade with time, something that she needed to free. He undertsood that. What he knew she would be regretting is the two-three souless creatures that hid amongst the thicker wooded areas.
"Casa!" He shouted again, this time loud and with a beastial roar he knew was burrowed deep in his gut, that was when his large lion like features began to grow and fluff up with his hackles. He was full sized now, a terror if anyone could see one. He snarled and glared at the ones that had begun to approach, he would not leave her be as she came to of her actions. He was simply delighted to see at least one body collapse to the ground. It was simply dead weight. As she began to back off and began to come back to him he moved forward. His goal was to not simply get away, but to at least shoot some of that fear at the ones who created it. "You will NOT harm my family anymore." He growled loudly and that growl progressed into a solid roar that echoed all around them. It would not scare them away for good, in fact he could still see them slinking, but at least they knew he'd be a force to be reckoned with.
Once he had moved to her side he provided a way to at least limp a little more quickly, he found himself nearly carrying her, but he couldn't. When they had found a source of some kind of safety he helped her down and laid with her. "I am not leaving again, never again." He growled, that was enough of that. He was so blinded by anger that he had not realized he hinted at the fact that he had gone back. "I would not be saving myself by leaving you ..." He paused as some roars and paws began trembling and echoing the area around them. Hybrids? He wasn't aware there was a pride nearby. Than everything began to happen so swiftly.
Next thing Jurian knew he was thanking a hybrid, one of those mixed beasts his sister and him had feared and loathed, for saving them. They swore to bring Casa in and patch her up, but of course for a price. That price was easily paid for safety among many and a place for Casa. His pride and joy.
"Yes, we will be slaves."
The words echoed and life seemed to change for the better with those simple words.