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 Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:32 pm
He wasn't quite sure what he was planning to do, but when he found the opportunity to slip away from Abeni's watchful eye, the demon-slave took his chance. He steathfully made his way between the other pride members, keeping his head high and proud as to not draw attention to his status. He hadn't been treated poorly in the pride and a part of him believed Abeni wished to raise him amongst the ranks, but things were moving very slowly for Marik and he was itching to prove himself to the high Kings of the Aikanaro'hini. Having never been given an opportunity, Marik was ready to make one for himself. He'd been taught much of their ways and understood that the hunt was highly important to each member. To drink a being's life force was a ritual no member could go without - except slaves. Often times Marik was given the leftovers of the other pride members, dry and old meat without much flavor. This time he was ready to hunt. He could almost taste the fresh blood in his mouth already.
Venturing towards the hunting grounds, Marik was not surprised to see the area was rather filled with pride members. He hesitated where he was and then shifted his footing to creep towards the border. He'd heard of other slaves getting caught by the guards, but had studied their patterns well enough to pull off at least a brief moment of freedom. He anticipated the lashings he'd receive from Abeni once he was recaptured, but for now the taste of blood pressed him on...
The striped cheetah was minding his own buisness as he walked uncharted territory. Bright blue eyes gazed happily as he watched the clouds drift through the ceruean sky. He liked those clouds because they reminded him of himself. He was a drifter. He had no one, no family, mate, children, pride...no one. He wondered if he really liked it that way but thats how he survived and it was all he had ever known. He remembered the days he had spent with his mother, chit chatting away on how life would be when he got older. He never dreamed he would be on his own. One day it was, Jelani...I can help you no further, I have things to do now. Baffled as he was as an adolecent. He made do and life moved on, he moved on. He stayed optimistic and life was good to him. He moved at a steady pace until he came upon a gazelle herd. Perfect timing, he had time to eat. After all cheetahs had to eat every day due to no fat reserve. Sometimes it was a hassle, especially when there were dry seasons and others it made him thankful that there was a charm to eating all the time. Though he still wasn't on the heavy side, life was good.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:34 pm
It was much more difficult to get around the guards than Marik had imagined. Now that the demon pride had blossomed in size there were plenty of lions to take on the responsibilities throughout the territory. As one guard began to speak to another, Marik struggled to keep his head up, but pressed on. He simply walked passed them at a distance, glad that his color pattern was very similar to some of the ruling lions. The demons were so prideful they probably believed a slave could never slip past its owner, let alone make it to the borders unseen. Marik chuckled inwardly to himself. Demon or not, he was not stupid.
Once he reached the borders the bold scent of all of the demons in the pride filled his nostrils. They had certainly claimed this land many times over to warn any passer bys. Breathing out with a shake of his head, the male distanced himself and scanned the land for a sign of his first true hunt. While he did not see the cheetah, he spotted the same gazelle herd that grazed between them. Unlike other lions, the demons did not choose the weakest animal, but among the strongest. After a kill they were expected to drink the animals life force and to drink from a weak animal would suggest weaker blood. They were above that! Marik had spent most of his life in the roguelands and was used to his way of hunting. He was also alone with no one to judge him by the kill he chose. Creeping forward, the male took in the smells of the gazelles and mentally sorted them. He wouldn't choose a sickly gazelle, but a smaller one that he could take down on his own. Inching forward, the dark male hid himself amongst the grasses, preparing to attack.
His mouth watered at the thought of blood...
The cheetah was also unaware of the lion from the demon pride. He was unaware there was such a pride...his cool eyes caught a large female...he took a few steps forward. Her head rose, he crouched...unmoving. She lowered again he gained a few more paces. Head rose, crouch, lowered, more paces...this happened a few times. He was in catching distance...the doe lowered her head he was off like a rocket. As most gazelle do, she did her zig zag movement to try to get him off her tail. However, he was more adapted and this movement could be tricky for youngsters but he had it down to a sinch.
He extended his paw to reach those thin legs and he had suceeded. He thing toppeled over like a domino. As she struggled to get back to her feet his maw was around her neck. With a snap he had made his kill. The cheetah's chest heaved as he struggled to breathe after that brief tun. He dragged the carcass to a tree that loomed over a medium siezed rock. He set the carcass down, laying down with his front paws on it, 'as if saying this is mine'. He started ripping into the pelt. It was an easy meal but he couldn't help to feel as if something were wrong...terribly wrong. As the wind picked up he could smell the pride scent. He was off their territory so he thought he should be good. No lion scent was in the air, so he continued to munch on his well deserved lunch.
Marik continued to creep forward silently and his body became tense as he prepared to make the lunge. When it seemed the best opportunity, the male dived forward and began the chase. When the large male's body hit the ground, however, the gazelle were scattered and in a panic. The demon lion had lost track his gazelle he was tracking, but saw a large female singled out. Focusing his attention on her, he began to chase. This hadn't gone quite according to plan, but he wouldn't let his meal get away so easily. It was then, however, that he spotted the cheetah running much more quickly in front of him. The cheetah had obviously been the one to startle the herd and send his gazelle running off! Marik didn't slow down and felt a great competition well inside him as he struggled to be the first to reach the female. Marik wasn't far behind the cheetah at first, but the cheetah's sprint quickly outran him and closed in on the gazelle to take it down.
By the calm way the cheetah hunted and dragged the prey onto the rock, Marik assumed he hadn't caught his scent on the wind. This was his opportunity to take back what was rightfully his! He may not have had the opportunity to take down his first hunt on his own, but he had worked hard to get where he was and he wasn't about to tuck his tail behind him and leave with an empty stomach. Marik continued towards the cheetah carefully and once he was close enough, the thick, muscled lion let out a furious roar. He didn't need words to say that he was challenging the cheetah and planning to take the gazelle. Without giving the other feline too much warning, Marik lunged forward, claws extended from his great paws, intending to tackle the thinner cat.
The cheetah was quite surprised he had meat hanging from his mouth as it was an unexpected, and quite cheap attack. Whenever this lion came from he believed that it was a pride of disgrace and dishonor. The cheetah didn’t intend to fight him. If he was that desperate to get his pallet full to stoop to such a low level. It was too late for him to try to escape or run. The male was tired from the hunt, there wasn’t much he could do except surrender to the angry lion.
The lion felt like an elephant plowing into him. He was knocked to his side and he could feel a sharp pain go up his leg. Eight claws were directly aimed at him. He curled himself to try to shield his face and whatever else he could. An obviously submissive move to anyone. Something was just not right about this lion, maybe it was diseased or had rabies. His brain was expanding in his head, making him crazy. Whatever it Jelani didn’t know he just wanted to be out of this situation and fast. He knew the lion could kill him, any lion could probably. They were more muscular and heavier. They had weight to throw around, which is precisely why he had tried to stay out of the way. Today just wasn’t his day.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:35 pm
When Marik landed on the cheetah, the pair tumbled a bit before they settled on the ground and the cheetah curled itself up in defense. The lion roared again threateningly as his claws sank deep into the flank of the animal. He tore them out and took a step back. His work was clearly done. The cheetah would not fight for his meal and therefore Marik had been the victor. Although Marik had never intended to kill the cheetah a voice in the back of his head reminded him that would be something any other pride member to do. If he brought the dead body of a trespassing cheetah it would surely earn him some favor with the nobles. Marik growled as he dismissed the thought and made his way to the gazelle carcass. His eyes were focused on the cheetah, but he knelt down and tore a hunk of flesh away. He would not attack again unprovoked, but he would certainly not wait to take part in his splendors. He growled as he gulped down a mouthful of the bloody flesh. He was not careful as he ate and stained his muzzle and chest red with blood. Before he tore another piece, he narrowed his eyes on the cheetah and growled, "I will have you know, you are venturing rather close to the lands of the demons... The Aikanaro'hini! We show no mercy to trespassers! The gazelle were nearly on our lands and that kill was mine!"
Through the bloody battle, or rather attack...Jelani had aquired many wounds. Some he didn't remember feeling, he wondered if he blacked out. It was strange, he couldn't feel a thing. His pelt was wet with his own blood, one eye was swollen shut. It wasn't a pretty sight. He tried to get to his legs, but his back leg fell backwards due to the damage done to it. He blinked as the lion spoke...he wouldn't speak back to the lion. Not because he was afraid, he wasn't afraid of the lion nor death. He didn't deserve to be talked to because of his lack of dignity.
He tried again, and again. He wouldn't give up. The seventh time he picked himself up he started heading far, far away from the lands he was in...he was exhausted, and the sharp pains were starting to come in and out. The world was almost a blur...darkening in and out. He had to get somewhere safe...that wasn't around here.
Marik watched as the broken cheetah attempted various times to lift himself up. The lion was surprised at how deep his claws had sunk into the thin animals flesh. He had never attacked a cheetah before and had over estimated the creature. He had dueled in mock battles in his pride and the various members were nearly that rough with one another. He had been so caught up in his goal of the gazelle's meat that he hadn't thought fully about what he was doing. His demon have overcome him, but he was finally pulling himself back. He managed to choke out a deep laugh to keep up his facade, but something inside him didn't feel right. Where was the honor in that attack? The cheetah hadn't even fought back!
When the cheetah finally lifted himself again and turned on his heel to leave, Marik's body became tense. The creature turned his back on him without even a word! Anger boiled into the demon and he struggled to keep himself from going after. Glancing back down towards his meal, Marik decided there were things more important to occupy himself with. Dipping his head down, the beast of a lion devoured all he could until his stomach was full.
Jelani had no need to look back at the scene; perhaps this memory would fade from his memory…or stay there like the scars to come. He hadn’t been in a brawl like that ever in his life, and he really didn’t want to do it again. Perhaps he would learn to defend himself better…but there was little a cheetah could do to a lion to cause them lethal harm. The sun was at its highest; he looked up to look away from the bright light. He could see the circling of shadows on the ground from those who flew above. His dark blue eyes wondered where he could go to rest…for now it just seemed open. Not very many trees or places to escape the sun. The male felt as if he were boiling.
He kept walking, limping, stumbling and then he saw something strange… …it looked as if their were bunches of orange flowers. It smelled sweet…the sun was covered by a cloud giving him some relief he collapsed looking at the flowers. This place was also strange, he wondered if anyone was around, or if they were as cruel as the last bunch. If so he would wish for himself a quick death.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:36 pm
Once Marik had taken his fill, he buried his carcass beneath a dead plant and began to make his way back to his pride. As he walked he felt a slight burn from one of his front paws. During the attack he'd had such a flow of adrenaline he didn't notice the scratch. Lifting his paw, the male examined his blood stained claws and the small cut that might be his first scar. He laughed at how small it was, but took pride in his first encounter. Surely now, however, he couldn't hide his adventure from Abeni. She would surely notice the wound.
~*~*~*~
Safiya was out, enjoying the warm sun and pacing the border, eager for the site of a new visitor! She'd come there often to speak with Zikomo, hearing the various stories of intruders attempting to discover their secrets. She giggled at that last part. They were not a secretive bunch in the least, but the stories other species spun about their haven were amusing. As she padded towards her normal resting rock she caught site of something in the distance. A pale creature stained in blood and limping! Safiya's eyes went wide as she ran to its side. Any animal in hurt could use her assistance!
Jelani struggled to open his eye for a moment and saw a female just standing there. Well wasn't this pleasant, she got to see his worst side. He huffed, he didn't even try to talk. His legs ached from walking. He got to his feet and looked at her, "I need rest..." he rambled out. His throat was parched, so his voice was gruff and thick. He couldn't bring himself to look at the girl out of pure shame. Regretibly he couldn't do anything about the situation except hope the female would help him.
He wondered if he was dreaming, since this was quite coincidental, and the female was pretty. Plus he had never seen those sort of flowers before and the pain was subsiding only for that minute. A dream was quite possible and likely given the chain of events today. Perhaps he was even dead...it could be heaven. Heaven was a stretch seeing he had no religious beliefs...all his brain was saying was get to shelter.
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