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 Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:57 pm
 Chache stood on a stone at the edge of the stream that ran through Mwako’bi’Giza and listened to the strange sounds of these lands. How quiet it appeared. Yet somewhere, not too far away, demons lurked in the savanna. The trickling water contrasted with the darkness infecting these lands. He scratched his claws against the stone, relieving some of his anxiety.
Ever since his mother’s death, Chache had honed his skills as a fighter and as a hunter. He learned to edge through the tall grass with as little noise as a shadow. When Chache pounced the wind seemed to catch him and carry his weight like the feathers of a bird, and he flew through the air like a breeze. His sharp green eyes and sharper mind caught and reacted to every move in the fighter’s dance. Weave, float and strike. With a well placed blow he could render an adult lion blind. He sighed heavily. “This place is going to test me.”
Perhaps he shouldn’t think too much. All in good time. While he might be too small to kill an adult, he could still spy, scout and perhaps even rescue some of the pride’s slaves when the time came. For now, the first thing he should do is get used to his new surroundings. Wetting his throat, Chache slipped through the grass, sniffing the earth. Mice, rabbits and other prey animals left scent trails that wove through the lands in blissful ignorance of the evil near by. Chache remembered when he had been so ignorant. If not for stopping to speak to Phae he might have wandered right into the demon’s claws. He shuddered at the thought.
He filled his little lungs and followed a scent trail. The more concentration he devoted to the hunt the less he could think about the weeks and months ahead.
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:43 pm
 Nesi clacked her beak, magenta eyes flashing. She was frustrated.
No matter how much she scratched her talons along that rock, no matter what way she did it, the shining, gray weapons didn't seem to get any sharper.
"What's wrong with this darn thing?" the avian muttered to herself as she glared at the stone, reviving the old habit she had of talking to herself. Without realizing it, Nesibindi was using the old habit to fill in an odd gap that appeared every time she was away from Enzi. He was out hunting just then; alone. But she told herself and everyone else that she didn't care. The leopon got on her nerves, whining and sniveling about, "That shadow doesn't look normal," or the famous line, "Do you smell something...Foreign?"
Why couldn't the kid just man up?
Suddenly even more frustrated, the bird slashed her talons across the sparkling rock with a renewed ferocity. In her flurry of emotions, the avian had completely let her guard down. She didn't even sense the approaching serval...
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:21 pm
A hawk! Hawks gave plenty of meat and made for difficult prey, something Chache learned from experience. They loved to put up a fight. He recalled the battle with the hawk that lived by the meerkat colony far to the north, whom he fought and killed on their behalf during his early months on his own. The meerkats gave him his very first title that day: Chache the Hawk Slayer. He earned a few good scrapes that day, too.
I should have gone by Hawkslayer, Chache thought to himself. Swiftpaw was a more general title. His other titles, Great Bird Catcher and Cobra Bane, would have also made excellent names, but for some reason Swiftpaw was the one that stuck. Still, he smiled at the memory of the day he attained the title of Chache the Hawk Slayer.
Now he would remind himself of why he earned that title from the meerkats.
Chache slunk through the grass, his dappled coat blending perfectly with the shadows and golden brown blades. His tail hung stiffly between his legs and his ears arched forward, listening for cues from his prey so that he could freeze if it spotted him and wait until its mind wandered. Chache thought little of the reasoning capacity of birds. If he stayed still long enough they seemed to forget they ever had a reason for concern. They tended to be quite loud as well, making them all the easier to find. That’s why bird-brained is another way of saying fool.
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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 11:39 am
After several minutes of sliding sharp talons over stone, Nesi gave up. She was unsatisfied and still completely frustrated. Maybe it was the wrong kind of rock? No, no, no, she knew it wasn't. She had years of training experience under her "belt". She knew what kind of rock was used for sharpening talons. In fact, one could sharpen talons on any kind of rock, but a certain kind was best. Whatever it was really called, Nesi didn't care; it was good for sharpening, that was all. And the rock in front of her was the exact kind she needed.
Were her claws sharpened to the maximum? That couldn't have been...They weren't sharpened enough. She needed them to be more pointed. She needed to be stronger!
Letting out an angry screech, the avian flapped her wings and nestled into herself, fuming. The sooner Enzi got back, the better.
Then she could vent all her frustrations out on him. He should've been back any moment...
Nesi remained still as a tree, magenta eyes glaring straight ahead.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:28 pm
While the hawk clacked to herself, Chache moved in from behind. He could see the muscle rippling beneath her feathers and wet his lips with his sandy pink tongue. She would make a filling meal. Chache froze, sizing up the distance from the ground to his target.
Ah, the stillness of the savanna before a perfect kill. All seemed so peaceful. This time, Chache did not think of demons. All his focus flowed into the hawk, his dinner. Muscles tensed and uncoiled with a spring. He flew through the air, silent as a breeze, straight toward his prey with open claws and an open mouth ready to snatch it from its perch.
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:03 pm
There was a curious feel of change in the wind...Something blocking the breeze, perhaps? Yes, perhaps that was it. Something blocking the breeze. But what was blocking it? Nesibindi pondered that in her frustrated silence, tail feathers shifting, testing the wind. Maybe it was a tree...She didn't care...
And then something with the equivalent force of a boulder slammed into her.
Fluttering backwards with whatever had bowled into her, the bird found herself crushed to the ground, powerless against whatever held her. Her wings stretched and her talons whipped around in a frenzy. Her mind was a flurry of locked-away memories of her past when she was taken from her home by cruel strangers. Focusing on locking those memories away once again, the avian couldn't concentrate on defending herself.
Just like last time.
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:13 pm
 Returning from his hunt, Enzi was feeling good about himself. His chest puffed out with pride as he walked, jaw jutting forward in a crooked grin of accomplishment. He had actually successfully made a kill! All by himself! So what if he sounded like a stupid cub? At least he hadn't been scared of a pack of hares jumping out of the brush to back up the one he had targeted. He had been, for one of the first times, completely focused on the prey and unaffected by "what ifs".
Wait 'till he told Nesibindi! She'd probably roll her eyes and peck him for acting like such a kid...
The adolescent only grinned wider at the thought, teeth clenching down on warm hare flesh. Oh, wait, Nesi would be mad since he had gone hunting on his own...
Suddenly, the gray leopon wasn't so excited to see his bonded. His ears flicked back in anxiousness and he slowed his pace. Maybe he'd...Just take a leisurely stroll for a bit? What was his rush, anyway? He could just walk home slowly and look at the nature. Yeah...He'd look at nature.
Casting his dark violet eyes around the area, Enzi did just that. The grass was so shiny during that time of day. And--What was that dark gray and orange thing up ahead? No pride member had those colors mixed like that...Huh...It almost looked like--
Spitting the dead hare out of his mouth loudly, Enzi's jaw dropped open wide and he gaped.
"NESIBINDI!" he screamed, voice high-pitch with shock and worry. He ran for her as fast as he could, strong claws ripping through the earth like he was pole vaulting.
He was upon that strange, orange thing in split seconds.
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:08 pm
A perfect catch! Oh, it tried to put up a good fight, but nothing doing this time! When those sharp talons and beak tried to turn on him, Chache rolled the hawk onto her stomach and pinned her at the wings where she could do no damage. In her paniced state there was nothing she could do to save herself from Chache the Great Bird Catcher.
NESIBINDI!
Jaws wide to deliver the fatal blow, Chache whipped his head around in time to see the brute’s charge. And what a massive fellow he was! Black as dusk on a cloudy twilight. He sprang back, off of the hawk’s back, a ball of claws and bristled fur letting out a wild hiss as he retreated up a near by tree, believing himself safe because lions made such poor tree climbers. That was a lion, right? Chache crouched on a high branch and looked down.
No, this brute lacked the lion’s characteristic tail. A tree climber’s tail, long and muscular and perfect for maintaining balance, but the brute did not resemble a leopard at all. He was far too stocky and his face was the wrong shape. Why did he shout Nesibindi? Did the bird… did it have a name?
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 9:51 am
Strong, surging adrenaline filled the hawk as she seethed, thrashing about as best she could. She was about to break her own wings in an attempt to fling herself at her would-be-killer, but then she felt weight lifted from her, followed by a powerful voice she knew very well.
Enzi?
Letting out a cry of anger and frustration at being caught of guard and attacked, Nesibindi flipped around to face the one who had pounced her. A rather colorful serval stood to her right not too far off. Nesibindi vaguely recognized him. Was he part of the pride? A newcomer? Or just a well-blended stranger?
Damn him either way.
"What the HELL?!" the avian screeched, magenta eyes flashing bright. She remembered her bonded was nearby and she shifted her gaze to him. He was standing close, staring down at her with concern. Who did he think he was, rushing in there to "save" her, blood from a kill all over his pathetic lips?
Damn him, too!
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:01 am
Enzi cringed inwardly at the sight of Nesibindi's expression and the sound of her screeching tone. But he hid his hesitance, not wanting to appear weak.
Nesi looked really upset...Would she attack the serval? Wait, was she glaring at him, too? What had Enzi done?!
Frowning, the leopon stepped closer to his bonded to check her over for injuries. "Are you okay, Nesibindi?" he asked quietly. But he didn't wait for an answer and turned his attention on the serval who had obviously attacked her.
"Who are you?" he demanded, not unkindly, but sternly just the same. The serval had backed off, so that called for at least some politeness towards him.
The pride had been growing strong, which was a good thing. New members, new friends and allies...Being the heir, Enzi tried to keep on top of things and get to know everyone. But he didn't think he'd ever met the serval before. Did this male know where he was? That he was in a pride? And if he did, and was in fact a part of it, why didn't he know Nesi? Well...That would all be found out.
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:26 pm
The grey brute’s civil tone impressed Chache and surprised him, too. He leaned further over the branch, using his tail as a hook to hold himself steady and sinking his sharp black claws into the living wood. His enormous ears arched forward. Chache had mud-like patches of fur over both his eyes that made his eyes stand out like glowing emeralds in the dirt, especially when they aroused to the unexpected. Some said they made him look like a thief, though he was not sure why. In any case Chache was an honorable, intelligent thief of a serval, and he knew when something was amiss.
“My name is Chache Swiftpaw,” he called in a clear, gentle voice. “I am new to these lands. I was welcomed in by Lady Moto’nyota only a few days ago. I take it that we should be… allies?”
Chache smiled earnestly, leaving his guilt out in the open. His mother always told him that it is better to admit to a crime than deny one’s guilt for the sake of pride or selfish gain, especially if that crime is an accident that can be forgiven. “I’m sorry, I think I’ve made a mistake.”
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:47 pm
So he was a member of the pride...That was weird. Well, he must've been extremely new. Or a recluse. Whatever the case, it was apparently all a big misunderstanding. The serval was even apologizing. That counted for a WHOLE lot in Enzi's book. The fact that he had already spoken to Enzi's mother counted for quite a bit, too.
"Yeah, we should, Chache. I'm the heir." Enzi said, offering a tentative smile. He wasn't so nervous around those smaller than him. Had the serval been, say, a large lion, Enzi might've found himself tripping over his words. But then one might question why he was scared to death of a tiny wasp flying right towards him if that was the case? It was best not to think of such things...
"We should definitely be allies, I'd think." the leopon laughed. "If not friends. My name is Enzi, and the bird you tried to make lunch is Nesibindi. She should be your ally, too." Tail swishing across the grass, Enzi glanced back at his avian companion.
"Lucky I got here in time, right, Nesi?" he said, grinning, hare blood shining on his gray lips. But his happy expression dimmed into a shocked frown an instant later.
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:03 pm
Dark feathers bristling all over the bird's body, puffing her up to twice her size, Nesibindi's eyes were raging; flashing bright magenta and glowing with pent-up emotions ready to burst.
"SO WHAT, YOU'RE JUST GONNA STAND THERE AND HAVE A CIVIL CONVERSATION WITH THE GUY?!" the eagle exploded, voice high-pitched and screeching. She felt quite affronted, somehow feeling like Enzi was supposed to be more angry at the serval. Why, she didn't know. But she was too mad to care. "And lucky YOU got here in time? What, whatwhat, what," she spat, flapping her wings violently. "YOU'RE the hero? Huh?! You can't even leave the DEN without someone to escort you 'cause yer scared of the DARK!" She saw Enzi's dark eyes begin to glisten, and she almost regretted her words. But she was too caught up in her own emotions to shut up.
"So what, YOU? The hero? I DON'T NEED YOU. TO SAVE. ME."
Of course, most of it wasn't true. Nesibindi had needed someone to step in. She wouldn't been a goner if Enzi hadn't showed up. But she was blinded by her own pride and embarrassment at being caught, and the re-surfacing fear of what had happened to her in the past; dark tortures and sick games played on her. Things that caused Nesi not to trust anyone without a very good reason to. One thing for sure, she was mad. Mad at being caught off her guard, and mad at the suggestion that she had needed to be saved. However true it was, she didn't want it to be. She hated that truth. So she rejected it.
What came next were a string of incoherent screechings and shouts; something akin to the sounds of nightmares. Then the bird turned and shook her body, feathers rustling loudly.
She shot one last death glare at the serval, then at Enzi, and took to the skies.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:11 pm
Enzi was the heir, so Chache couldn’t very well laugh at him. If he learned anything from his mother’s stories (and he learned quite a lot), it was that he must show the willingness to be loyal to family and country. He put on a false smile. Learning to use one’s manners could make one quite good at concealing their true thoughts. Us? Allies? The bird and I? Ridiculous. That would go completely against the natural world order. He was about to speak when the bird suddenly exploded! Well, not literally exploded, but if she stayed around to yell a little while longer, Chache imagined that she would have burst into a pile of feathers. The fur prickled between his shoulders as he watched her depart. So much for that.
“She’s got quite the character, hasn’t she?” Chache hopped out of the tree with a sigh. “She is right, though. You should be more angry with me. I’m glad you’re not.”
He smiled at Enzi gratefully. Even when being humble, Chache shone with a noble light. His slender legs and stout tail personified grace and speed. At any moment he might become a bolt of orange lightning, vanishing in the bat of an eye, so that only his scent hung in the still air. “I shall be more selective about my hunting grounds from now on. Are there any other small friends of the pride I should know about?”
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