[PRP] Maybe don't walk that way? (Xatu, Xefo, Budek)

[Annchen]

((Set before Budek wins his challenge))


Xatu was on his way out once again, after an extended stay in his home pride. Umkhombo had seemed eager to see him off. It might be the desire for news from the outside world, or just that he didn't want him to lounge around for too long. Either way Xatu didn't mind. As weird as it had felt the first time he left as an Enda it was part of his life now. Staying too long in the Bonelands would start to feel like being stuck after a while. He'd had a long talk with the new leading male after the power shift and he was confident he'd still have his place as long as he stayed useful.

Xatu liked being useful. He enjoyed jogging along, despite knowing that he couldn't keep this speed up very long. Better make good use of the fading light this evening.

Xefo wouldn't have minded a longer stay, but being on the move had its advantages too. He descended in slow wide spirals, calling a warning to his lion companion before landing on his back. It would soon be too dark for him to scout ahead so he intended to ride along if the fool lion insisted on running all night.

"There's a lion going this way," he stated. If the other lion had spotted the vulture descending and expected an easy meal he'd be disappointed. Xedo grinned at the thought.

AstoriaFallen

 

[Annchen]

The stranger looked friendly enough, and Xatu had no reason to act territorial out here. He had been in a fair amount of confrontations out in the roguelands by now, but he didn’t actively seek them out. It was better if he could save his energy for finding food and scouting for the pride. With Xefo’s help it was easy enough to keep himself fed and out of trouble.

”Hello,” he answered the males call. ”You’re getting close to a pride, just so you know.”


Xefo studied the male, turning his head this way and that as if he couldn't decide what eye he wanted to use. Finally, he settled on the left eye, and proceded to stare down the lion. For now, he didn’t appear to have any objections, but at the least sign of trouble he’d make sure they’d get out of the situation. The old vulture hadn’t reached this age by being gullible.

AstoriaFallen

 

[Annchen]

”Cult type?” Xatu repeated, ”What? No. But the leading males will chase you away, or possibly kill you if you don’t take the hint. Or if they’re busy an Inselelo will do it.”

The new leaders of the Bonelands didn’t take kindly to visitors of the male variety so he might as well spare this male the fight. Not that any leading male in the Bonelands had ever been friendly to strange males approaching, but Umkhombo had banned the previous practice of allowing males to join if they stayed celibate. It was a bit more like when he’d been a cub.

”Uh, yes,” he answered the next question, ”I’m a kind of scout there.”

He’d learned that it was easier to explain it like that for those outside the pride that didn’t know their language.


Xefo bobbed his head and fluffed up his feathers as the unfamiliar male looked at him. He nipped at Xatu’s mane and then answered for him.

”He wouldn’t last a day without me,” he scoffed, ”Someone needs to look out for the boy.”

It was impossible to tell from his tone of voice if the old vulture was serious or just joking.

AstoriaFallen

 

[Annchen]

”There are quite a few vultures around, but not everyone, no.”

”Vultures have standards,” Xefo interjected, ”They’ll have to earn it first.”

He gave his lion companion a playful n** in one ear. It was convenient for the vultures to live with a pride of lions, but creating a bond with one of the felines was serious business and not to be taken lightly. Xatu had sacrificed a tooth to solidify the bond.

While taking care to translate his own position he had forgot that the word Inselele wasn’t self explanatory.

”Inselelo?” he said, stalling while figuring out a good way to explain, ”They’re like temporary leading males I suppose. They can be challenged for their position and tend to be replaced sooner or later.”

Sooner rather than later these last few Inselele, actually.

AstoriaFallen

I messed up and put it in the old guild...

 

[Annchen]

Xatu looked the other lion over, mentally comparing him to the current Inselele. Yeah, he could pull it off, maybe. Even if he couldn’t it wasn’t his place to tell the other male what to do. He wasn’t exactly close to the Inselele, so he couldn’t see why he shouldn’t help the stranger with what he wanted to know. If he was strong enough to succeed it would be better for the pride to have him kick out a weaker male.

”Right,” he said, ”Sure. First of all, you’ll want to challenge one of the Inselele, and not a leading male. Fight one and you’ll have to fight all if you pick the wrong one.” He gave the other male a brief description of the males he might encounter. After getting that out of the way he started explaining how to get to the current pride location. Or rather the last place he saw them.

”No, no, no,” Xefo interjected, ”The watering hole is before the ox skeleton if you walk from here, you’re explaining it all backwards.”

After a long explanation that would have been shorter if either Xatu or Xefo had let the other do the talking they were finally done. That should do it. It was a good thing he was able to correct the lion when he misremembered.

”You should befriend a vulture,” Xefo said, ”Dead useful.”

AstoriaFallen

Sorry it took so long!

 

[Annchen]

”Yes, very useful,” the lion agreed with a stony face. Then Xatu smiled and offered a small nod good bye.

”We should get going,” he said and rolled his shoulders. There were a couple of specific locations he’d been asked to scout out, and he also wanted to check in with some groups he’d met on previous scouting trips. It had been nice to meet this male, but he needed to cover a lot of ground today.

”I guess I’ll find out if you’re successful.”

Xefo flapped his wings to keep his balance as the lion moved around. He bobbed his head to the stranger before taking wing.

”If you can just get one, get a vulture,” was his parting call to the two lions. He caught an updrift and prepared to scout ahead and make sure his lion didn't stumble into anything unprepared. The boy would be lost without him!

AstoriaFallen

All done!