[ META ] Nightmare among the Dreamers |

[KizingoZaa II]

Metaplot Part 3:

[ OOC Info ]
Happy November, fellow gypsies! How about that hiatus, huh? Well, it seems that it's eaten a good chunk of the new players and dreamers. Unfortunately, time waits for no one and we're up against the clock. The plot will take a slightly different turn than we originally planned, and it's going to wrap up fairly quickly so we can free up the dreamers to do their own thing. We don't want to force everyone to wait in a situation where your characters can't plot, can't get certed, can't breed within the pride, etc. so we're going to push this along.

We will have open meta-related plots following the conclusion so any plots that we did have planned can still happen! We're just going to have to work around MIA characters and players for now.

Rules

- This is a free-for-all RP! For the most part, the 'core' will be played out by Thalion and Dark Fire Angel.

- Pride members can observe, witness, and react but your lion will be unable to interfere! The closer they get to the conflict, the more unsettled they will feel. Muhali is at work here. Every lion will react their own way, but the closer they get, the more disoriented they will be.

- Yes, we know this is very different from what we had planned but we have some key people missing so we're working around it. If they return, we'll plan accordingly!

- Each post WILL count towards the meta count! Feel free to go off on your own interactions, conversations, and situations, just don't interfere with the central conflict!

- As Besnik is absent currently, the dreamers are free to act on their own accord. It may be assumed that whatever's going on, he's behind it. If he does not return by the conclusion, Muhali may name another dreamer the leader.

- We will still roll for winners of the giveaway lions! We're very sorry for the delay- both to participants and the donors of the lions.

 

[Thalion]

There was a strange silence in the air that only seemed to deepen as the lion trudged forward. The sea crashed along the distant rocks and whispered along the sands as it crept up the beach only to retreat once again. The wind hissed through the short, knotted branches of the windswept trees that clung stubbornly to the rocky cliffs high above the shoreline. Beachgrass rattled and scraped its jagged blades together with even the smallest breeze, adding a very gentle undertone to the symphony of the seaside. The gulls, however, had fallen silent. It was strange how a sound went completely unnoticed day by day until it was no more. The high-pitched cries and occasional ugly garbled squawks had faded into the distance. Now and then a single gull's voice would carry over the wind and the waves but it was few and far between. Certainly the silence was deep enough to be noticeable. Little things, even silly little things, were foolish to ignore. The silence of the gulls could mean several things ranging from a nearby predator- which could have been him -to a storm gathering just beyond the horizon.

The haunting warning from the traveling fortune-teller crept back into the back of the gypsy king's mind and sent a small chill down his spine.

"You have run from the past so long, it seems it's come to find you. You've invited the muses back in without even knowing it. Seems their followers are not too far behind. Brace yourself."

His past... of all the nonsense. Even he could barely make heads or tails of the dark, blurred, muddled mess that was his memory of his past. He remembered a fever, he remembered rain, the smell of blood, and another voice. A voice that was as constant as his own heartbeat and just as internal. If he meant the same insanity would creep back up on him, Shandor was all too happy to prove a fortune-teller false.

Shaking his head, he straightened his shoulders and continued forward. He was a good distance from the heart of the gypsy territory. The beach sloped downward and leveled out, stretching out a little wider away from the sea water towards a beach-grass covered field. There was a small freshwater stream cutting its way through the grass and slithering through the sands to join the ocean once more. As he followed the small body of water the beachgrass softened, became greener and fuller. The shrubs became short but sturdy trees, and the cliffs fell away, growing shorter and less imposing. Here stood the cave that Besnik had eluded to. A place where the muses slept- what nonsense.

It was an unassuming place with no special markers or real charm to it. The cave was deep as it was wide, echoing with the sound of dripping moisture somewhere deep inside. Vines hung over its gaping mouth, most of them shriveled from the salty wind. It did in fact sound like a whisper but it was far from the ramblings of the insane.

This was it. The territory Paradox had suggested. The cave that the outsiders sought. It was plain, difficult to defend, and a good distance from his own den. It was perfect. If this was to be their paradise, so be it. He could easily have patrons posted on the cliffs or along the border of the beach grass field, watching from a safe distance to ensure that the outsiders were true to their expressed intentions.

Very well. It wasn't quite paradise, but it would be their little nest of madness.

Dark Fire Angel

 

[Daffupanda]

Uangavu had never really had much of a family life, that he could recall. It hadn't been his parents' fault though, and though he didn't like to ponder it over much at all... there wasn't anyone that the brightly colored lion could pinpoint as a culprit. His pride had dispersed, fallen into dishonor simply by vanishing, and though their teachings remain ingrained in his mind, the brightly colored male had been forced to go outside the parameters set for him even from a young age.

His pride had insisted that females were superior in both intellect and wisdom, and thus, should be the leaders of the pride. That males should remain nannies and not fight despite their physical strength; he'd agreed, as had every male in the pride, for one learns what one is taught. Unfortunately, the dispersion from his pride had forced him to fighting, and though he was bulky, strong and had taken down many opponents in his past... the teachings were still clear.

Uangavu did not pick fights out of the blue.

And yet, this one... he sought out willingly. Everything he'd heard from his leader... had been true. This gypsy king was filthy, and though perhaps said filth did not show on his coat, Uangavu knew it was true. He was white, black, barely a spot of color on him; his spirit was tainted, dishonorable.

He snorted lightly as he stalked through the foliage, hiding himself from the other male, seeking out the perfect opening. Yes, his pride would have deemed this male worthless; no female would have ever had him. He'd been stalking the gypsy king for a while, and the more time he spent spying on his prey, the worse of an opinion he formed in his mind; after all, he'd seen the way he looked at the females in the pride. It was repulsive.

His leader was right.

This was no fit leader for a pride.

And with that in mind, the large lion picked up a rock between his fangs and tossed it somewhere to his right. It's descend produced enough noise that it would surely catch the gypsy king's attention, allowing Uangavu the opening he'd been looking for. Without waiting to see if he was right or wrong... the brightly colored male jumped out of his hiding place and aimed for the other male's back and neck.

He said nothing, explained nothing... only roared and attacked.

A short distance away, Muhali longed on a high up tree, more or less content with the results of the dreamers' arrival. It hadn't been a perfect meeting... not by long shot, but still. It had been decent enough that the goddess felt confident and happy with the future to come. It also gave her an excuse to stick around a little longer, for she rationalized that the pride would probably need her to keep an eye on things while the dreamers integrated themselves into gypsy society.

It was, at the end of the day, merely an excuse, but still, it calmed her mind to know she had said excuse and could thus, rationalize sticking around in the only place she'd ever felt like home at. She'd been just about ready to surrender herself to sleep, bathed in the warming, soothing sunlight... when the roar ripped through the near silence of the forest.

Muhali did not know that voice.

She'd spent enough time here to know every single call, every single member, and yet she did not recognize that roar. She did, however, recognize the answering roar as Shandor's and she needed no more information before she jumped to her feet, spread her invisible wings and jumped from branch to branch in the canopy, making her way to the males as fast as she could carry herself.

Thalion

 

[SilverLutz]

Fireheart, for the first time in a long time, was at peace. The weather was fair, the dreamers had seemed to reach an agreement to be peaceful and keep to themselves, and her children had grown into strong adults that no longer needed her snapping at their heels to make something of themselves. She was very proud of them and of the way her pride had handled the newcomers, even if they were still wary of them. It was to be expected, really, when both she and Riddle Mouth were so against them.

Still, the excitement appeared to have died away and life was returning to normal. That much she was thankful for. She kept one ear to the wind for any sense of disturbances still, but thus far there had been none.

The oddly calm day found the gypsy queen at one of the fresh watering holes, taking a drink after her morning run on the beach. The gulls had been noisy and circling far more than usual, and there seemed to be a larger number of them, which was a bit odd. Normally they were spread out all over the beach unless something had died and washed up on shore. She hadn't seen anything, though, but didn't make much of it.

Not until she heard the faint rumbling of a roar in the distance, that is.

She lifted her head, water dripping from her muzzle, and she closed her eyes to give her straining ears precedence. The echo reached her again, and she knew something was wrong. That wasn't the voice of anyone she knew. She heard another roar - Riddle Mouth - and after opening her eyes made her way to the beach. The sound would carry better here should there be more. The sounds had been so faint, though, that she didn't know from which direction they'd come, so she sat down on the sand and closed her eyes once again, straining to hear any more sounds.  

[Thalion]

Dark Fire Angel

There was movement… a tapping of a stone just off to the side. The male turned his head but his posture remained relaxed. He was the sort that rarely seized himself up. A tense body made for stiff, careless movements and it showed a certain degree of insecurity. He was neither careless nor insecure and had spent a good deal of time training even subtle movements so his fellow pride members would always see him as being the confident, almost easy-going leader that he was. A stone could mean anything. Shifting earth, a scrambling mouse, a bird picking at the rocks- anything really.

What followed was most definitely not the sound of a bird. A roar broke like thunder and a rush of eyesore came surging out from the dry beach grass. Shandor tossed his head up and faced the incoming threat with a roar of his own. It was all the time he had before the eyesore closed the distance between them and he was forced to draw his claws from their sheaths and defend himself.

Whatever was this?! The male was brightly colored, much like some of the dreamers had been, but he smelled…strange. Nothing like the sea or the sands. There would be so many questions- if he chose to let this one live. Obviously he was violent, perhaps he suffered from madness as well. Perhaps there was more of them. Whatever it was, he had to get to the bottom of this mess.

Rearing back on his hind legs, Shandor bore both paws down in an attempt to pin the intruder. “What nonsense is this then!? How dare you!”

SilverLutz

The roar didn’t go unheard by the others within the pride. Fire Dog had been some ways off from his mother, simply enjoying the sunlight for however long it would last. His belly was full and content, his sleek fur was groomed to shining perfection, and the pride seemed to be winding down for the day.

That was until a roar broke over the horizon. He rose instantly, his eyes sharp and his body tense. A challenge? From whom? He didn’t know that voice…

Another roar, Riddle-Mouth’s, answered as quickly as thunder followed lightning. He glanced over, catching sight of his mother, then turned in the direction of the commotion. Without another word or gesture, the gypsy lord broke into a run. Something was wrong…

 

[SilverLutz]

Another sound, this once closer, caught Fireheart's attention. She opened her eyes to find the source, and watched as one of her offspring rose to his feet and took off down the beach. Fire Dog, she recognized, as she caught his scent on the breeze and spotted his fiery mane and tail. He must have heard it as well.

Without calling out, she took off after him, flying over the wet sand to catch up. There were no more sounds that instantly followed, so hopefully nothing more than a stand-off was going on. She knew Riddle Mouth could take care of himself if an intruder had crossed into their lands, but if there were a bunch, like the dreamers...

Fireheart growled low in her throat as the thought sprang to her mind. The dreamers. They were surely behind this. Luring them all into a false sense of security, then waiting to pounce when one of the leaders was alone. Her claws came out as she ran in anger, leaving deep gouges in the sand. She finally broke off from the wet and ran diagonally to catch up with Fire Dog, appearing at his shoulder moments later.

"You heard it as well?" she asked as she fell into the larger feline's pace.

Thalion

 

[Depawsit]

Xipil had admittedly been spending less and less time with her comrades lately, their views were becoming more and more confusing to her. And after her talk with Mali she had chosen a path that she felt was the right one. Though she had never had the heart to tell Besnik. She merely told him she was spending her free time with her muse, practice her juggling. He would pat her on the shoulder and give her a sadistic grin before ushering her along. But what she really doing, was merely lying on the beach, her paws in the water allowing the waves to break against her paws. It was a rather relaxing position actually, and she quite enjoyed it. Taking slow breaths, with eyes tightly shu-

Xipil's relaxation was broken by a quite unfamiliar roar, one that did not sound pleasant. It shook her to her core, even causing her to stand to her feet. The poor girl could feel the fur on the back of her neck rise on end. Then came another roar, this one only slightly more familiar ... was it ... the King?

Mere moments passed before what looked to be the Queen and her child darted passed her shouting at one another. Confused and horrified, she pranced around on her toes for a moment before darting after them.

"Hey wait - please, I want to come too!"

SilverLutz

Thalion

Hima hadn't been back from her trip for very long, when things had gotten really weird, really quickly. Not only had she been searched and questioned when she returned, but she was being looked on as suspicious from some of the older pride lions. All of this crap was getting really damn old in her opinion, and all she really wanted to do was give all of them the claw. But if she did that, she would be forced to leave, and she would never find Nema that way.

Instead she'd taken to hiding out in the jungle, listening in on private conversations, just trying to get an idea of what in the gods names was going on around here. So far, she had not a clue, all she understood was something about muses and lions going crazy. Which really didn't give her much to go on. She was irritated, alone, and ostracized. Two out of three of those things, she hated to be, she'd let you guess which two.

Agitated, the lioness lay across a thick vine flicking a rock on the ground. Vaguely listening to the ambient atmosphere around her. That's when she heard it, the brute forceful roar that rumbled her eardrums. She swatted at the irritating noise and ignored it. But then came another ... one that was all too familiar ...

Riddle Mouth?!

Rage began to build inside of her, and the cut herself loose from the vine she'd been hanging from. Falling roughly to the ground in one loud thump. Hardly phased by the action, the lioness quickly jumped to her feet and hauled tail out of the forest. She had exceptional hearing and had a good idea of where the noise had come from. Now if only he would make a few more sounds ... she could find him without fail.

"C'mon baby ... talk to mama"

Quote:

XD I had to do it. Totally still playing off this idea of Hima secretly having a thing for him >3>

Nelly was having a slow day, unlike her typical days spent lazing about with Aunt Nema and Uncle Dhoru, today was being spent outside their den waiting on their return. The two hadn't been home this morning when she'd arrived, so instead of doing her own thing she'd decided to wait on them. So there she was digging holes in the sand, and making sand castles when a loud unfamiliar roar broke the silence around her. It echoed so loudly it shook the castles she'd been building to the ground. The lion was close, very close. What should she do? Should she run? She was obviously in danger right?! Then came the next roar, this one from an obvious source ... Riddle Mouth!

Nelly gasped in horror, and without so much as thinking darted off in the direction of the noise. She had no idea what she was going to do once she got there, but she knew she had to help Riddle Mouth in some way! She couldn't just let him stay in danger!

....

Could she?

 

[Daffupanda]

((ooc: the fact Hima has a crush on Shandor is hilarious and I totally thumbs up approve, lmao. She should chat with Muhali later XD for srs))

Unfortunately for Shandor, there was no insanity within Uangavu's eyes. He was sharply focused on the fight at hand; he spoke none, and he offered no explanation for the attack. His attacks were precise, and his movements swift, almost militaristic in nature, as if he'd been trained like a dog, to bite down and not let go once he'd sunk his teeth into his perceived prey.

The gypsy king's attempt to strike was parried with a sharp shove of the large male's shoulder, an obvious attempt at taking the king by surprise and unbalance him. The only sound the attacker offered Shandor when he spoke, was a small, barely disguised sneer and a snort, as if the brightly colored male thought Shandor disgusting, inferior in ways that had nothing to do with physical strength.

"You," came the rather low, drawling voice, "Are undeserving of your position. You are undeserving of forming part of a god's pride," Then as soon as the shove was issued, he charged again; there was very little care for his own hide and/or life as he moved, as if the idea of taking Shandor down were more important than him getting out of the fight with his life. His jaws opened, aiming for his opponent's neck.

From her position, high up in the canopy, jumping from tree to tree, she could see some of the pride rallying up to face whatever perceived treat. The more lions, the more difficult it would be to split them up, she thought, and that in mind, she allowed her power to exude around her in waves.

If she blocked off the area from interference, whether outsider or actual pride members, it would be easier for her to intervene and somehow end the threat without causalities. Immediately, the effects of insanity began to grip hold of those drawing too near; they would all feel different, but the base idea gripped their hearts.

They would not be able to draw near enough to the actual fight without succumbing to insanity. As such, the main two fighters were effectively blocked off from any other on looking lion.

Muhali dropped from the trees and onto the ground in time to see Uangavu launch himself at Shandor's neck, and, "No!" her power flared again, a ripple that maybe even the fighters themselves felt, "No! No! Stop! You're not supposed to do this!" there was a desperate tone to her voice, that grew stronger when she realized neither male was actually listening to her. In fact, for all effects and purposes... she was nonexistent. Neither fighter seemed to see her, much less listen to her.

The two males circled and fought, paying her little mind until suddenly, Muhali grit her teeth, "THAT'S ENOUGH!!" she bellowed, and as she roared, the illusion around her shattered, leaving her god form exposed for both fighters, and approaching pride mates to see, "ENOUGH!!" she repeated, and as she spoke, she grew in size until she was easily not only towering over both males, but effectively dwarfing them, rendering them mere cubs at her feet. Her eyes, which had previously been sad, were now furious, devoid of all color, and instead shone white with the power she was using.

A paw lowered down to separate both males, and then, a wing to shove them away from each other, "Just who do you think you ARE?!" the question was snapped at the orange male, whom had stopped fighting the moment the small female had suddenly grown before his very eyes, "Who the HELL do you think you are, to say what is, and what isn't MY will?!"

Therre was no trace of Mali in this creature. It was as if she'd been entirely replaced.

Thalion

 

[SilverLutz]

Before Fire Dog could answer, another voice chimed in. Fireheart turned her head sharply to the right, spotting the brightly colored female with burned paws running towards them. What was her name? Xipil...perhaps that was it. She was, by far, the least conspicuous of the dreamers, but, should Shandor be battling one of them, all bets were off. This sweet lion might be putting on an act. Still, better to corral as many of them in one area as they could, so they could be dealt with swiftly.

"Hurry up," she said in return, her voice short and sharp as it hadn't been with Fire Dog. She was decent at hiding emotions when needed, but in a time like this they were more likely to jump to the front. "We need to move quickly," she added, not wanting to come off as too snappish. She did need the dreamer to come with them, after all.

A sudden wave of unease washed over Fireheart, almost a physical wave of it touching her body from nose to tail. It made her shudder but not falter, even as the odd feeling grew. A moment later and she felt like she was flying rather than running, and she growled low in her throat to try to ground herself. What was this?

Finally the noise of battle reached her ears. They were close. Rounding a bend in the beach, she could easily see Shandor and...well, it wasn't a dreamer that she'd seen before. Brightly colored, yes, but unfamiliar. With another snarl she put on a burst of speed, striding ahead of the two younger lions, but before she got too close, Mali appeared on the scene. It was hard to watch as the feeling of unease and sickness grew, but she pressed on. She was close, close enough to hear their words, hear Mali's pleading, but suddenly something stopped her. Her paws slid in the sand and she found herself seated in place, as if frozen to the spot. There was a huge lion before her now, with wings and decorations and it looked a bit like Mali had, but still so different. But was she dreaming? She felt...very odd. It quieted her growls and left her trembling, the sensation calling up long lost memories of when she had been a tiny cub and insanity had ruled the land.

No voices spoke to her, though. She hadn't found a muse for the short time she had been able to, before the curse left, and it seemed now that it was just a sense of horrible unease and insecurity that wrapped her in its paws. She could only watch and listen, eyes wide, mouth closed.  

[Depawsit]

Xipil heard the Queen's words, and the rude tone in which she spoke and for a moment backed down from wanting to follow. But the fear in her heart seemed to grow more with each increasing roar, and she knew she had no better choice but to follow the Queen despite her obvious distaste and distrust for the poor lioness. It hurt Xipil to tell the truth, she had done nothing but try to prove her own innocence and be accepted into the pride with open arms but even now that seemed like a lost cause.

Her mind was racing in circles as she followed the two blindly into conflict, unsure of what they would find - fearful of what could have become of the king. To her relief, when they arrived he was still alive but in obvious danger. Xipil could feel a strange pressure pushing in around her, and she found it oddly comforting, though she knew now was not the time to feel such things. Instead she turned confused to Fire Dog, cocking her head to the side. "I-Is he one of your's then? I-I've never seen him before,,," She was slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together ... the Queen's tone ... the unknown male's bright colors ... his strange attack on the King ...

They thought he was one of the Dreamers.

Xipil let out a gasp of realization a second too late, and in that instant everything changed. In the blink of an eye the Paradox she had come to know and admire was gone ... and in her place stood ....

"Eeeeeeee!" Xipil let out a squeal of excitement as she realized what was going on! She hopped excitedly from one foot to the next looking over to Fire Dog with excitement all over her face! "Has she truly been among you this entire time?! Ohh this is so magical!"

Thalion

Oh he was talking alright, and he was doing a damn fine job of keeping Hima right on track. She was getting closer and closer by the second, and by the time her toes hit the sand, the adrenaline was pumping through her veins! She was ready to rip someone's throat out and bathe in their blood, though she couldn't really explain to you why ... Riddle Mouth was just a lion ... right? She only wanted his babies because he was King ...right?

RIGHT!

Hima shook the ridiculous thoughts from her head and charged into the scene without so much as a second thought. But as soon as she did so, she began to feel rather light headed and as though something were caving in on her. "The hell is this?" She mumbled to herself, still charging forward, having finally made eye contact with the two lions battling it out just a short time ahead. Pheh! This would be a piece of cake! She thought to herself, now taking notice of Fireheart, Fire Dog, and one of the new weirdies coming up from her left. Not that she would allow a single one of them to take credit for her actions ... but she would certainly allow them to lend their bodies in service to her beauty.

She was nearly there, her and Fireheart were only a small distance apart when out of the damned blue that damnedable blue lioness came out of nowhere! Hima snarled and came to a halt. Her distaste building as she felt herself being held back by some strange new force. She couldn't get to Riddle Mouth after all, but Mali was RIGHT THERE!

"Of course, little miss spaz gets to save the day." She grumbled to herself. Every bit as pissed as was to be expected. She debated leaving at that point, just turning and strutting off as though she had never been there. But then - what if Mali DID fail? She could swoop right in and save the day! Mali was a pretty airheaded individual maybe she'd screw this up! Hima shared a laugh with herself - or at least tried to, but was caught off guard by the transformation that happened before her very eyes. The laugh was all but buried in the chaos ... looking to her left to Fireheart, she hoped for some solid information for once ...

"JUST WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

(( She totally has a thing for him XD And I love the idea of her and Muhali chatting later, but she might not be so amendable ... as you cans see ... she's super jelly of a certain someone's attention AND FUTURE BABIES XD ))

Silverlutz

Nelly arrived on the beach far after the transformation had taken place, and by the looks on the faces of those around her, she had a lot to catch up on. Trying to catch her breath, her eyes darted from Fire Dog to Xipil, to Fireheart, and lastly to that really rude lioness that was always looking for her Aunt Nema ... she always lied to her and said she didn't know a Nema. Because the lioness always seemed really scary to her and well, she knew her Aunt Nema wouldn't like her too much. Having caught her breath, she darted to her Mother's side and latched on to it like a leech.

"Mom!? What's going on? Who's fighting Riddle Mouth? And why is Muhali so big?!"

 

[Thalion]

Dark Fire Angel

The two males fought blow for blow. The trained, almost militaristic rage of the stranger left Shandor with large cuts and bites in his shoulders, face, and even a few had managed to penetrate the thick mane guarding his throat and much of his chest. Shandor’s blows were less powerful and more pointed. He bit and scratched for the eyes, the nose, the joints in the male’s front paws, and the underbelly of his opponent. The tactical wounds would, eventually, cost the male his mobility or his sight but they came at the cost of bruising blows that left him both aching and bleeding.

Shandor unlocked himself from the combat enough to collect himself. So this male was on some sort of religious crusade against him? How very strange. He didn’t recall him… “I take it you are a follower of this Besnik then? Amusing that he sent only one of you along.” He sneered. “Don’t you know that if you cut a gypsy into ten pieces, you only make ten gypsies?” He smirked and turned himself about to face his foe. “Have it your way, then. Let’s see what happens when a madman is torn into ten parts.”

Roars and snarls echoed as the two circled, fighting on their hind legs in most cases, and guarding low to the ground when they had been blown back by their rival. At first, Muhali went ignored. Even the most dim-witted of lions knew never to interject in a fight. It would only mean one more body to bleed out and neither combatants were in a mindset to control their blows if a third party rushed in.

However, a shadow fell over them. Both males froze but didn’t dare to take their attention away from one another until they were physically forced apart. The stranger was, somehow, now less important. Muhali, or as he had known her- Paradox, was now towering over him. Of all the things he expected to see when he rolled out of his den, this was not among them. Bleeding and shaking, the gypsy king ran his tongue over his bloody maw and slowly, almost unwillingly, shifted a glance to the intruder. Unworthy of his post. Where on earth did he get that idea? Just who was this male?

Turning back to Muhali he brought a paw up to wipe at a large tear to his lip. “I must be dead. If I am not- I will be soon from irony.”

SilverLutz

Depawsit

Fire Dog never slowed his pace, even as his mother raced up alongside him. His eyes were locked onto the horizon line as his ears, perked up through his mane, guided him forward. “I did.” He confirmed, panting as he ran. “I do not think that is a friendly spar. There’s a call for blood in that roar.”

He glanced to one side as another streak of color joined them. This one… one of those dreamers, a blinding assault on his eyes. She seemed ignorant of the situation though a gypsy knew that ignorance was easily faked. It could be a trap for all of them, especially his royal mother. Tightening his maw against commenting, he rushed forward to confirm visually what he had heard.

As he and the others approached the scene, a haze began to touch the edge of their awareness. He felt every nerve and cell in his brain screaming in protest. His body reacted and seized up, forcing him to come to an abrupt stop. The source of the strange ‘haze’ soon revealed herself. He looked ahead, straining to see the fight only to watch as a very large, winged lioness rose up between the two combatants and forced them apart. Shandor and a stranger he had never seen stood bloodied and beaten at the paws of the goddess.

The stories were true…

H opened his mouth to say something but found that no words accurately stood alongside his feelings and thought process. To talk now would make him sound as mad as the dreamers. Snapping his jaw shut, he looked ahead to watch the scene. It seemed, at least for the moment, that he and the others were powerless to do anything but play witness.

OOC

Fffff XDDD I am so amused by her crush! If Shan finds out he’ll totally take advantage of that. >> He loves leading the ladies on.

 

[Daffupanda]

Uangavu was no idiot, and despite what Shandor might think, hardly insane. The moment the large goddess showed herself in her true form, he stopped fighting; he hardly would have needed to be pushed away from the Gypsy king.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he took the goddess in, and then turned to peer at the pride that had surrounded them. This was not what he'd signed up for; the moment the greater spirit had shown herself, all bets were off, as far as the bright colored lion was concerned. There was no greater dishonor than lying to or deceiving a greater spirit; he had no intentions of doing so, and thus, as he was ushered away from his opponent, he sat down diligently, like a well behaved cub would have.

It was very clear that despite this, Muhali was hardly impressed. She glared down at the brightly colored lion, “Who are you? Who sent you?” she lowered her head until her large nose was inches away from his face, “You are not one of mine,” she drawled out menacingly, “I would know if you were one of mine. You are not a Dreamer,” the words were hissed loudly at the orange lion, whom didn’t so much as blink or falter.

The only movement that betrayed his fear was the constant twitching of his tail as the large goddess talked to him, “My name is Uangavu,” he told her, and he was quite proud to note that his voice barely wavered as he spoke, “I am not a Dreamer,” he said, and the goddess nodded her head, as if confirming something she’d already known, “I was hired. I am a mercenary; the one that hired me had me believe your will was being carried out. I know not where he is right now,” he lowered his head in a formal bow, “I beg your forgiveness.”

Another shadow dropped upon them, and from the sky came a dark pelted goddess. She landed with spread wings, and despite them, she was easily recognizable as the Mali’s daughter, whom had come with her to the pride on the same day, “Mother,” she said, “He’s driven Peace out of the territory,” and as she said this, the goddess tossed Uangavu a blood curling glare, “He can’t return. At least not for a long while; blood has been spilled.”

Muhali’s eyes narrowed, and finally turned to look at Shandor, despite addressing Uangavu, “It’s not my forgiveness you must seek. It’s his. Theirs,” her gaze turned to look at Xipil in the near distance, “All of theirs. Not mine,” finally addressing Shandor, her voice softened, “It’s the Gypsy king that should decide your fate. Riddle mouth, what would you have done to him?” her gaze turned to look at the only Dreamer present, Xipil, “Besnik should share such a fate, and if the Dreamers are innocent… a new leader should be appointed,” a large paw lifted and pointed towards Xipil, "She is innocent, and good willed. I would nominate her for the task."

Thalion

Depawsit

 

[SilverLutz]

Fireheart felt Fire Dog stop just as she had, held back by some invisible force. Through the haze of disorientation, anger began to rise within her. That goddess...she had been here the whole time, disguised among them as a regular lion. If there was one thing she couldn't tolerate, it was those to lied to her face. She bared her teeth in a quiet snarl, not at all daunted by her size nor power.

"I don't know what's going on, other than we've been lied to," she finally said, having heard her daughter's alarmed voice beside her. She moved, getting to her feet, and tried to walk forward. She only got a pace or so before she found her limbs freezing once again. She backed up, and jumped forward, but it was like hitting an invisible wall. She shook her head and leaned into the force that held her back, her mind spinning, body shaking as she continued to try to break through.

The fight had since stopped, and another goddess arrived on the scene. Frustrated, Fireheart began to pace back and forth, eyes staring at the drama unfolding before her. She wanted to know exactly what was going on, and she wanted to know it now.  

[Thalion]

The fact that this Uangavu ignored him, blatantly, and addressed Muhali instead ground at his last nerve. His tail snapped behind him, a clear sign of his agitation as he listened to the brief exchange between goddess and mortal. Muhali confirmed the attacker's claim to having not been among the dreamers- but that didn't entirely free them from suspicion. He was sent here, hired, by someone who felt that Shandor was unworthy of his role. This stranger was either a fool, and easy to deceive, or his employer was good with his words. Perhaps, as a third option, the situation was a combination of both.

Shandor tensed as another goddess swooped in, massive and imposing. He took a short step back, his eyes darting from one goddess to the other. Mother? Well fantastic- he had more than one god hanging about. He dreaded to learn the second's domain. The first, he knew, was insanity. His tormentor. Goddess or no, she had some explaining to do in the future.

The news that this daughter brought was a cold slap to the face. Peace was gone? He shot a look up to his pride, worry temporarily over-coming the rage and confusion. Would the insanity return!? Would their blessings be revoked? Would they be plunged into war and strife!? Drawing in a slow breath, worry transformed into outright fury.

Bearing his teeth, the male stepped closer to the intruder. "I have a few creative ideas... none of them good. None of them will bring peace back or pull blood from the ground. Quite the contrary...." His voice dipped into a toxic tone, dripping with rage and insult.

"Did you hear, filth? Peace has left us. One of your precious gods... perhaps taking his blessings with him! You came here looking for justice it sounds like. Tell me-", he motioned to the pride. "What of them? They suffer because you deem me unworthy. Even after I sharpen my claws on your hide and hang it from my den, that leaves me with a pride that has lost peace."

He held up a paw and slowly drew his claws out. "No... that would be too kind. Muhali- Paradox," He corrected himself, "If you are a god then you can curse. I know this personally. I was plagued by a curse and I would rather die than re-live that nightmare. This one-" He sent the back of his paw into the intruder's face, throwing him to the ground with frighting strength. It was a bit of a low blow to strike a prone foe, but at the moment he could care less. He had his pride watching, to include a dreamer, and a clear warning was needed.

Stepping a paw against the male's face, his free paw dragged a claw under his eye, etching a long wound that ran from his left eye to his right cheek then again from under his right eye to his left cheek. A rough, bleeding 'x' marked the male's face for all to see.

Stepping away, he glanced out of one eye to his pride. "Anyone from this day forward marked in this way is an exile. They are worse than dead to us- they are bodies without a soul. Tainted, filth, lower than snakes who crawl about on their bellies. They are not to be killed or pitied. Ignore them, see through them, they are not worth the dirt in-between our toes." He looked to Muhali. "And if anyone marked this way steps into our lands... curse them with the deepest depths of madness. Trap them in their minds and bodies."

He flicked the blood from his claws, turned about, and prowled a short distance away. Any more time within reach of the other male and he would have a new rug. "Now begone, filth. Return and we will watch you claw your ears off to stop the voices in your skull."

Dark Fire Angel

Fire Dog watched the scene with a stoney expression. The goddesses meant several things- for one that they were in fact very real. Two- they had the power to bring back the muses. Three- the dreamers weren't completely mad, they had come to the place where their mistress had nested and the pride among which they had nested was none the wiser. And fourth- the pride was entering a new period in their already turbulent existence. Peace had fled and insanity was proclaiming herself in front of them.

He watched as the intruder was scarred with Shandor's bold statement. Traitors were not to be tolerated. They would not be given the pleasure of a death but would instead suffer a life of shame for all the world to see. Fitting, but how many among them would fall victim to that mark? Who sent the mercenary? So many questions bubbled to the front of his mind.

He shifted a glance to his mother. "....what do you say about all of this?"

SilverLutz

 

[Daffupanda]

Neither goddess moved, or so much as lifted a finger when Shandor stalked forward and marked the stranger, claiming sentence and future punishment in one go. They watched silently as the brightly colored lion lifted himself off the ground, with his newly bleeding scar, and then turned away from the gypsy king, beginning to pad silently (albeit with his head held high) towards the trees around them, no doubt intent on leaving pridal grounds as soon as possible, "So it shall be done," came Muhali's voice as the attacker neared the clearing edge. That said, her gaze turned towards Maua.

The dark goddess herself turned and began to follow the stranger, "I will leave too," she voiced, loud enough for all to hear, "With Peace gone, my presence here is no longer needed. I'll see to it that this rogue leaves pridal grounds, and will escort him well beyond and into the rogue lands," she then looked towards her mother, "I'll stay by Li's side, mother. I believe the blessing still remains; blood being spilled does not negate the spell he cast. It just means he can no longer physically stay here without getting sick so.... I'll take him far away from here," she then looked towards Shandor, and the rest of the pride, "Peace will be back, when it's time to judge the pride once more, in order to see if the land is worthy of the blessing once this one runs out. Till then... farewell."

There was a moment of hesitation before the dark goddess looked over her shoulder, "If you need me, Mother, you know how to call for me," and that said, she jumped into the foliage after Uangavu and vanished from sight.

"Let us all pray to Mkodi that such a day never comes," Muhali spoke in a dark tone as she watched her daughter leave. Both dark goddess and would be assassin were gone, leaving only large, blue goddess and Shandor in the center of the clearing, surrounded by spilled blood from the previous fight, and the pride a short distance away.

After a few moments had passed, when Muhali was quit sure Uangavu was no longer within earshot... she shrunk, and as she slowly became the small lioness the pride had come to know, the barrier that held everyone back away from the clearing, dropped away. The oppressing power no longer holding the other lions away from the scene, "I'm sorry," this was whispered before anyone drew near, only for the Gypsy King's ears, "I can not heal you," and as she spoke, she looked up at him, making it unclear if she meant his exterior injuries... or his mental once from once upon a time, "I can, however, give you the truth."

As she spoke, she turned to address any approaching lion, "I can give ALL of you the truth," she said, "I can tell you the real story behind this pride, this land, the muses and myself. A first hand account of the history that's been distorted, transformed and used wrongly by so many," she looked just liked she'd always looked as she'd lived among the pride, except that now, she allowed her wings to remain plainly in sight, no longer hiding them, "It's not much, but that and my apologies... is all I can offer," this said, she turned and looked up at the Gypsy king, waiting to see what he'd say; if he'd ask her to leave, or if he'd want the story.

It was a strange sight; a goddess asking a mortal what he'd rather she do.