[BORDER] Land of Enchantment (Dreamers ORP)

[Chimerical Beast]

Mircea heard his name. It sounded terribly near and far away at once, but it reminded him that a world outside his mind existed. He looked at his surroundings, wobbly as they were, and focused on Besnik's voice. Mircea heard every word, but his mind wasn't squeezing any meaning out of them. This is real, this is real, this is real, he told himself (was he saying this outloud? He wasn't sure...).

Down. Mircea needed everything to be still again, and it would be easiest to start with himself. He half-fell back on his haunches. It was at this point that his brain processed what Besnik had said. And was saying. I can help them? The idea struck him as odd. Mircea had been under the impression that Besnik, Xipil, and Khanda would help. He would be back up. Help of the helpers, as it were.
You'll botch it.
Mircea shook his head with a jerk again. He needed to ignore the Voice... His nausea was fading. He was no longer quite so light-headed. His world was no longer swaying. They were going to the muses' home pride. Soon.

Xipil brought up a good point, but before Mircea could begin to worry over it, Besnik told them what he'd learned of the pride's hospitality.
And they had been sent by the Mother of Muses! Well... the others had. Mircea wasn't entirely sure if the Mother had actually chosen him or not.

"Okay," Mircea said, nodding, "Okay. When do we go?"  

[Daffupanda]

"Ah, see, that's where you'd find yourself to be wrong, my dear," the voice that called out to Besnik came from a rather small, blue pelted lioness; she lay rather peacefully on a branch that hung somewhere up above them, near the edge of the kizingo'zaa forest border. Her long, fluffy tail hung below her, curling one way, and then towards the other as she looked down upon the dreamers with a smile, "I'm afraid you guys got here just a tiny bit too late, if it's hospitality that you're seeking. M'afraid this pride's quite skittish, and while they do sort of allow strangers, it's not without a clear threat. They're quite paranoid, actually! Didn't used to be that way though, but... as I said. You're a bit late."

Having gotten the go ahead from Shandor to check out the rag tag group of lions that hung around their border... Muhali wasn't quite sure what she'd find. Certainly not this though; she'd not expected to find a group of lions searching for her, or the muses, and she wasn't quite sure what to do with them, "M'afraid that what you seek's no longer here. You still wanna come in though, knowing that?" her perch on the tree (coupled with her godly powers) had allowed her to overhear enough of the conversations bellow to know what they sought.

Still, if they were seeking the muses, they were also her children, and Muhali simply didn't have it in her to turn them away. They didn't look like a dangerous lot at all, and... had they come here a couple of years prior, they'd have all fit in the land quite perfectly, "I can lead you in, if you want me to, but the mother's gone, and the muses, I'm afraid, left with her. You won't find 'em here."  

[The Captain Britain]

Besnik whipped around towards the speaker, a snarl on his face as he was startled. In an effort to keep his Dreamers calm, his awareness must have faltered. The large male hopped down from his rock onto the sand and angled himself in front of his three followers. Bensik now stood in between the stranger in the tree and his group, large frame blocking her from them protectively. She was sure to spook Khanda, perhaps Mircea as well. And not just with her sudden appearance, but with her words as well. If he didn't sort this out, he was bound to have multiple panic attacks on his paws to deal with.
Besnik sneered a little at the blue lioness' words. What would this stranger know about the Mother of Muses? "Thank you for your warning, miss, but I'm afraid you misunderstand." He gave her a small, rather condescending smile. "You see, we're here to bring the muses back. It is our mission from the Mother herself. We've been speaking to the muses in caves along our journey." Besnik turned to glance back at the Dreamers, speaking more to them now rather than the blue lioness. "And the Mother has led us here safely, so it is only right to assume that it is her divine will that we be here to restore the muses to their homeland." He looked to the lioness again. "But I wouldn't expect you to understand that. After all, you've been without your muse for so long, am I right? It is only natural that you would forget how to interpret what the Mother wants. But if you lead us in, I am sure that we would be able to teach you again, as well as your pridemates." He offered. "Wouldn't you like that?" Who wouldn't want the muses back? They brought a sense of peace, clarity, and security. Besnik could only imagine how this pride had suffered now that they lacked all of that.

((OOC: Oh god this RP is DRIPPING with dramatic irony right now. xD))  

[Daffupanda]

Muhali watched with some vague sort of amusement as the brightly colored male whirled around to face her; this was part of the reason why she'd chosen a high up perch, rather than just walking up to them. Granted, she had no doubt she could take them in a fight, given that she, unlike them, had powers on her side, not to mention actual size but... she didn't want to have to get physical with them, "Well, isn't this ironic?" she drawled out at Besnik, one of her paws curling under her chin so she could lean her head on it, "You're worried over receiving a hostile welcome to the land, and yet... here I am, probably willing to help and you're giving me attitude, sass, and more than a bit of claw and tooth," she moved her free paw in the air, "Relax, young man. I mean you or your followers no harm, so stop acting like an over protective buffoon, alright?"

As he explained himself and his motives, the goddess couldn't help but arch a brow at him, "Soooo... do you happen to have the goddess here with you then? I only ask because... how on earth do you plan bringing these muses back, exactly? I hear you need magic for that, and you, my dear, don't look like much of a magician to me!" after a moment's pause, Muhali stood on the branch, and then gracefully hopped down to the floor; the drop was a considerable one, but she landed almost effortlessly a few feet away from Besnik and the Dreamers, "My muse is always with me. Don't presume to understand me or anyone here, young man. As for what I want... I think I'd want everyone to be able to play in their corner of the sandbox," her head tilted to one side, "Why would you want to change something like this pride? Why not just keep to yourselves?" she motioned towards the trees and then narrowed her eyes at the group, "I will lead you inside," if only because it was quite obvious to her that she needed to keep a close eye on them; it was better to have them inside where she could watch them, than out here, growing in numbers, "But... I must warn you," and here her voice dropped to threatening, "Do not threaten my pride in any way. Don't wear out your welcome. Do your thing, but don't try to shove it down others' throats. Are we clear? If we're not, you can rest assured the pride is large enough to run you all out of here if I so much as growl within the next few seconds. They'll hear me for sure; never know how many are lurking nearby."

Amusingly enough though, just as soon as she'd issued her warning, her demeanor changed once more into that of her perky, happy self, and she grinned up at all of them, "So long we're all on the same page.... follow me?"  

[Chimerical Beast]

Mircea quickly found his feet and backpedaled when the stranger appeared. His vision was obscured for a moment by Besnik as he stepped in front of his followers. For one awful second, Mircea thought another male had come to challenge Besnik for leadership of their makeshift 'pride.'

But the stranger's voice was female. Mircea peaked out from behind his leader. This leopard (lioness? Leopon?) spoke of how the pride's attitude had changed, and of how the Mother and muses had left. But she also offered to bring them into their territory.
Besnik, in turn, offered to bring the muses back. Mircea found himself nodding to his leader's words.

And he balked when the stranger talked back to Besnik. She clearly had no idea who she was talking to!
Mircea felt himself burn at her "overprotective buffoon" quip. If Besnik came across that way, it was his fault for being so helpless and quick to startle. As it was, though, he was too surprised-
Too cowardly-
to speak in Besnik's defense.

The stranger landed by the Dreamers with the grace of bird. At that, and her saying her muse was always with her, Mircea's jaw dropped. It snapped shut, however, at her warning. Grow a spine, the Voice said in disgust. A full grown lion cringing at the words of such a small leopon? Pathetic.

Then she was all happy and welcoming again? Mircea was confused. But she'd said she didn't mean them any harm... Maybe she was just protective of her pride, like Besnik was protective of the Dreamers? He was inclined to think the best of people...
That, and he was still relieved she wasn't a male come to challenge Besnik.  

[The Captain Britain]

((OOC: Alright guys, I think we're pretty much ready to wrap this up and head into the Kizi!))

Besnik narrowed his eyes suspicious at the female. There was something...off about her. She spoke almost as if she knew something Besnik didn't, and that was extremely off-putting. As were her other accusations. But she had a point. The male would have to try and play nice, including with her. "You must be blessed indeed, to have retained your muse. I see now that it cannot be a coincidence you came to us to pave our entrance into the pride. You must have been sent by the Mother herself, gifted child." Besnik dipped his head. "My apologies for any perceived hostility, but these children have been hurt greatly by the cruelty of the outside world. They understandably do not take to kindly to...surprises such as yourself." Besnik flashed her a tight-lipped smile before stepping aside a little. He was still in-between the stranger and his followers, but more casually so. "We have been speaking with our muses within caves. And if the tales I have heard are true, there are caves in the pride lands similar to the ones accessibly to the muses. The key to unlocking the power of muses potentially could be there." The leader explained, smiling reassuringly for the three behind him. This entrance was going to be stressful for Khanda and Mircea. Besnik would have to tread more carefully than he had originally intended. "And don't worry about your pride. This is the Mother's chosen land. She will protect it from any harm or threats. Shall we?" The blue lioness received a fox grin from the male before he turned his attention towards the Dreamers. Besnik gestured for the group to follow, giving his followers warm and encouraging smiles. Oh yes, the Mother would protect the pridelands from any harm or threats, whether they circulated from outside the pride or within.  

[Depawsit]

Xipil didn't know what to think now, here this stranger stood speaking so boldly of retaining her muse. Yet she didn't have a cave! AND she claimed to be a member of the very pride Besnik assured them was museless. her heart sank in her chest as she listened to the two bicker amongst themselves. This was not her place to speak up, she would simply go along for now. Though this new female's claims ... they intrigued her greatly.

Tucking away the idea of a conversation, she tightened her lips and stepped forward to follow Besnik, gently brushing against Khanda's side in the process. "C'mon girlie ... our journey is almost over." Smiling gently, she continued on past her and followed quickly behind Besnik.

For Khanda, her journey might nearly be over. She was after all only interested in retaining her muse. But for Xipil, the allure of this new creature was too much to bear. Soon she would speak with her, but she would have to be sure Besnik was unaware of her actions.

 

[The Captain Britain]

((OOC: Alright guys, this is finished! If you have ANY questions at all about plots with Besnik or the Dreamers in general, ping me on AIM or PMs!))