It'd been some time since he'd last seen anyone. Either he was excellent at avoiding others without realizing it or he'd managed to wander his way to some hardly inhabited location. More than likely the later. The large lion sat down on his haunches and tilted his head slightly, listening to the sounds of the land around him. There was more grass where he'd wandered than what he was used to... perhaps there was a forest or jungle close by.
He could smell water on the air, the soft burble of it running over rocks faint and slightly north-easterly of where he stood. Or so his ears told him. He began headed in the direction of this tell-tale source of water.
She was absolutely soaked, digging up the shiny colored rocks from the bottom of the river bed. They would certainly make a fine addition to her collection, especially knowing how much her mother loved rainbows. Feeling at ease for finding such a treasure Kakali couldn’t help but smile. This was something big, something that her family would absolutely enjoy seeing; maybe they would leave her alone now that she found them.
Picking up the freshwater clam shells she gently piled them into her small bag she had found while traveling, it certainly did come in handy and it looked amazing on her. Today seemed like it was going to be a very bright day for her. Full of luck. Yes… she missed days like this. Picking her body up out of the river bed she shook herself off, smiling as the sun caused all the water droplets to glitter beautifully.
He had drawn closer and closer to the source of the water, becoming aware of another presense close by. The damp masked it's scent but he was sure by the sound of the splashing that it was another feline, something as large, if not a little smaller than a lion.
And sure enough, threading between the few sparse trees in the area he came to the river's edge to find a smudged shape standing nearby. It -was- another lion, a female. He sat down quietly before speaking up. "Hello, stranger. I wouldn't be intruding if I stopped to drink a bit, would I?"
Kakali heard him long before he had spoke, but didn’t get defensive as she normally would. No, today she wanted to be calm as possible, and it wasn’t like he could get her bag, not around her neck anyway. Feeling the cool water drip off her body softly, she shook once more, not really thinking about the lion when she did so. She just wanted it off her body was all.
“Take a drink, I do not own the river after all...” She stared down at the cloudy mess she had made of what had been a clear river. “Though, you might want to wait for the mud to settle.” She looked him over, weary of him for a couple seconds before moving closer to examine him. He certainly seemed interesting, just, showing up as he had.
“Where do you come from? Not many lions live in these parts. It is safe because of this of course.... But.”
If she were to watch him closely enough she might see the way his eyes looked at her but didn't quite focus. He gave a small inclination of his head, gaze flicking towards the water. "Ah, it's murky. Thank you." He kept the question out of his words out of habit... if he intoned that he hadn't realized that the water was murkey then she'd suspect something strange.
He couldn't help but give a little bit of a smile at her guarded question, tail flicking once or twice. "I usually stay to the lands further to the south where the sands are hot and the sun is hotter. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy travel, though. I thought I might see where this direction takes me for a bit before heading back to familiar grounds. And you? What brings you here?"
Brows furrowed at the strange comment, of course it was murky, and couldn’t he tell? Scowling at him for a couple seconds longer she let her face fall. Eh, it wasn’t that big a deal; it wasn’t like he had noticed the precious gems she had just found in the river bed. “….Yes. “
It was funny, now he was smiling at her. Had she said something funny that she missed or was this lion off his rocker? She could feel herself become agitated at the fact that she didn’t understand him and without warning made one irritated growl before quieting suddenly. No, she didn’t want to be upset, she wanted to enjoy today… “Ah-hem.. Sorry, I am just grumpy I guess. “
Hearing about the sands and his home made her quiet. She had never been to a place like that and it more than likely held some gems for her to find. Maybe she could pick up a nice dried branch or something even better there. “ I am a traveler. Your home sounds beautiful, I might just stop there…” Oh yes, she would stop there, and loot the hell out of it.
"Hm... if you ever do stop by let me know. I could show you around, perhaps?" He stood up, padding over to the water and waded in up to his front paws. He leaned down, hoping that the water was more clear by now because he wouldn't be able to tell until his nose was nearly in it. He paused a moment, admiring the shimmering surface of the water before taking a deep drink, thankful that the mud had indeed settled.
When he straightened back up he saw that she was still there. He gave a little shake, droplets of water spraying off of his golden mane before he sat. "Or I could take you there now... it shouldn't really be too long of a walk. I haven't wandered that far, I don't think. If you've never seen the lands to the south then they are certainly worth at least one visit."
A broad grin pulled at the females face, yes; of course she would love to see it. She would absolutely, positively looove to see this lions home. This new land that could possibly offer her many new trinkets to enjoy and give to her family. Yes, she would follow him, and ditch him halfway through the area. He seemed nice, but she had other affairs to deal with.
“I would love to see your home.. What is your name anyway?” She looked the creamy male over. She would remember him when she needed to. Remember to avoid him if he gave her trouble and be kind to him if he didn’t. She was always cautious, always viewing the world as a troubling place, she rather not end up dead after all. She certainly didn’t want to part with bruised feelings but sometimes it happened.
“Oh, sorry. I am Akua.” He gave a bow of his head in her direction before half turning, motioning towards a different direction. “If you'd like to see then follow me this way.”
As they walked he went from moments of silence to describing the lands that he came from. She seemed to ask him a few peculiar questions, if he'd seen anything peculiar like strange rocks and other things. He couldn't help but give a patient, quizzical smile as he told her of a lovely stone he'd once found inside of a rock. He didn't reveal the fact that he'd found it because he'd tripped over it, broken it open, and had only been able to see it because he'd landed chin first right next to it. He'd bitten his tongue at that time, too...
Before long he paused, tilting his head upward a little bit, scenting the air and closing his eyes at the familiar smell of hot sand and dry air of the Savannah. “Just ahead. Over this rise and you'll see it.”
“And mine is Kakali.” She bowed her head before following.
To say that Kakali was excited was like saying a fat kid in a candy store was bored. She could hardly wait to find these ‘rocks’ that Akua had spoke of, collect as many as she possibly could and bring them back to her family. It really was a blessing that he had found her.
“So you said there were very pretty stones inside the rocks?” She smiled at him, making her way up the rise to see the Savannah herself. Maybe they wanted something from here as well? Would she be free of the great hole in her heart that the spirits made? She most definitely hoped she would be.
“Mhm. They're crystals, I think.” He crested the rise with her and gave a small smile at the familiar 'sight' of the blurred horizon. He knew these lands, he didn't need to see it, he could feel it. It was home and it was dear to him, more so than he'd realized until now. “Here we are... come on. Have you ever laid paw on hot sand? Walk carefully if you haven't... it can burn you if you're not careful.” He stepped onto the hard-packed dirt and sandy ground.
Trotting forward a little bit he got his bearings, finding out just where they were and mapping out in his mind where they'd have to go to find these rocks. It was near a pretty big collection of rocks that formed a sort of makeshift pseudo-cave. He glanced back to see how Kakali was fairing.
If Akua had looked back at her just then he would have been able to see the giant smirk pulling on her face, even with his handicap. She was like the Cheshire cat, getting exactly what she wanted and so very easily as well. He had played right into her paws and boy was it ever satisfying. “Crystals, really? I wish I could see them, crystals are fascinating to me.”
She could feel heat pouring from every inch of the land, the sand reflecting all the light back out but still burning. Yes, she had dealt with sand before, but not to such a degree as this. This was, huge. Following Akua she snarled lightly, it had definitely been awhile since she last stepped foot onto burning hot sand. “Been awhile, should remember quickly though.” She smirked, her feet smarting with every step.
As her companion quickened his pace Kakali attempted to do so as well, only to stumble. The sand was hotter than she had first imagined and itched like hell as it stung her poor paws. This was just not going to do. “Is there some kind of cool spot here?! This sand ******** hurts.”
Akua chuckled softly. It wasn't that he was amused by her plight, rather her reaction. He gave a flick of his tail, his own steps were steady and easy. He was used to this, his paw-pads toughened to the harsh terrain. “Just a little further ahead should be where the crystals are. Ah... I think that's it up ahead.” He squinted forward towards a smudge of red and darkness.
He ambled forward and came to a stop just inside the mouth of the 'cave'. Really it wasn't much of a cave, just that many of the rocks had fallen together long ago to shape an overhang. Some other creature must have dug into the ground enough to create the lower scoop, the wind probably had helped to shape things as well. It was beginning to blow pretty harshly now, come to think of it.
And sure enough... he walked over to the rock, still where he'd left it, and pushed it over with one large paw. Inside sparkled a thousand purple crystals within one half of the geode. Akua took a step back, keeping his back to the wind that had begun to pick up.
Ear perked forward at his chuckle, he thought this was funny?! She cursed under her breath at him before walking towards him, closer so if she fell he would too. Thankfully there was a cave very close to where they were, yes, they would stay there.
Making her wobbly way towards the mouth of the cave she grinned, it was pretty awesome for a pile of rocks. It looked like it could even provide fairly good shelter from sandstorms, rain and predators. Looking the ‘cave’ over she laughed. “I like it, is this your home?” The wind whipped around her, curling her fur and making her eyes water. Was there a storm coming? “We should stay.” She whispered to him, pulling herself into the cave. She didn’t want to come out, not yet anyway. She could feel it in her bones, a storm was being born.
Watching the large male walk towards a rock she quickly followed. It was so much easier to walk in the cool sand of the cave than the devil of a heat outside. What was more, as he turned the rock over she noticed the glittering beauty of the rock, the geode, and the purple crystals sparkling softly in the dim light. She was suddenly feeling all the better about the trip and her poor feet. “That is beautiful.”
He smiled, sitting back on his haunches as he watched her eye the glittering rock. He smiled a little bit, curling his tail over his side. “There needs to be more like you in this world. So many are spending too much time running through life as fast as they can to reach the means of their goal or end. Not enough stop to pay attention to the simple pretty things.”
He glanced outside with a sudden frown. The wind had picked up to an alarming pace. He couldn't -see- the sand and dirt whipping around at a vicious pace but he could hear what he was familiar with being a wind-storm. “Hm... I'm sorry. It seems I've brought you out here only for there to be weather like this.” He ambled over to one side of the cave and hunkered down, making sure to give her room. “I'd suggest staying here for now...”
He smiled, sitting back on his haunches as he watched her eye the glittering rock. He smiled a little bit, curling his tail over his side. “There needs to be more like you in this world. So many are spending too much time running through life as fast as they can to reach the means of their goal or end. Not enough stop to pay attention to the simple pretty things.”
He glanced outside with a sudden frown. The wind had picked up to an alarming pace. He couldn't -see- the sand and dirt whipping around at a vicious pace but he could hear what he was familiar with being a wind-storm. “Hm... I'm sorry. It seems I've brought you out here only for there to be weather like this.” He ambled over to one side of the cave and hunkered down, making sure to give her room. “I'd suggest staying here for now...”
Kakali could only grin at his comment, if he only knew what she did for a living then he would understand completely as to why she stopped to pay attention to the pretty little things. “It is the pretty little things that make this world what it is…” she mused, wondering if there were any more of them to break open. She knew her family would love to have that. Walking towards it she sniffed the crystals lightly before looking up at them. “I wish we had these at home. All we have are rainbow color stones…. Cursed but beautiful.”
Ears flicked back at the sudden noise, as if the wind was attacking the cave they were in and then she noticed it. The rush of sand and the blaze of the wind outside, so heavy she could hardly see where she had been standing moments ago. What the hell was going on?! Never had she seen a storm such as this, it was… frightening.
“You son of a b***h! You wanted me to be trapped didn’t you? You are helping the spirits, you are aren’t you?!” She paced the small cave, a frightened look in her eyes. She would be trapped; she didn’t know when she would be out… What if they came and took her away? She didn’t want to die, not here, in this stupid cave. She was doing what they asked… she was being good. So, why?!
“Please…. Isn’t there a way out? I… can’t stay here!!”
Akua blinked, jerking back as though physically struck as she turned her snarly accusation on him. He was taken aback by the anger in her tone. “What? No, why would I?” He was honestly puzzled. Why WOULD he wanted to get her trapped someplace. “I hardly know you, what would be the reason for...” But before he could go on she changed again, her mood swinging from angry to almost pleading as she begged him for a way out.
He got to his feet, frowning as he padded over to the mouth of the cave. The wind whipped the sand dangerously. “It would -blind- you if you went out there right now.” He glanced back over his shoulder at her desperate pacing.
With a sigh he sat down at the mouth of the cave, watching the storm, listening to the pace of the wind. “...I suppose...” He mused quietly. There WAS one thing but it wasn't the safest or smartest thing. “It'd be safer to stay here... until the storm ended but...”
She couldn’t believe it, they, they wanted to blind her! They wanted to kill her, but they had been too late, she was in the cave now. Or was that part of their plan, to crush her and him in the cave? Looking around the cave to took in all signs of anything damning to her. Nothing, it seemed rather sturdy for a pile of rocks. Then she looked back to him, her eyes wet with fright. “It… can’t get in can it? We can’t die here right?” With a voice shaking like a leaf she spoke to him, taking deep breathes to calm herself down.
“I am sorry, I-I… they are after me, I didn’t mean to kill you too.” She looked at the cream soda colored lion and waddled over to him, staying as far away from the mouth of the cave as possible before suddenly sitting down next to him. “Would I be safer here…really?” She couldn’t see the sky, or the birds. She couldn’t tell if there was danger in the area, it was all so different. Damn the dessert.
“I am so sorry…” She wept, looking to the ground. Her tail tightly wrapped at her side as she pressed herself against him, body shaking from fright.
Before he realized it he was softly nuzzling the top of her head, giving a comforting licks to the back of her ears and letting her huddle in close to him. He spoke in a gentle, soft voice, meant to sooth and assure. “I promise this is the safest place we could be. It's not my home but I have waited out enough bad-weather here to know it's safe.”
The circumstances at hand brought him close enough to, for the first time in a long time, to be able to clearly see whom he spoke to. At least the top of her head. The color of her fur was lovely. “If you are that desperate to leave I could likely lead us out... but it's still dangerous. You don't have any way to close up your nose or to breath safely. The sand will cut up your lungs inside.” He sighed, giving another lick to the top of her head and tucked a paw around her to try and stop her trembling.
“Who will get you? Nothing is coming in this storm. In fact we were lucky to have reached here when we did to avoid it. I'd say something nice has happened, not something bad.”
Kakali shivered but felt oddly comforted next to the big male, even if she just met him. He was someone; he wasn’t hurting her or pissing her off. He even showed her the crystals out of kindness. Sighing lightly she still shook, the images of her mother and father slaughtered still plaguing her metal images every now and again. They would forever haunt her; she knew that, until they could finally find peace. “I will trust your word then… I know nothing of this place.”
Her head snapped to look at him. That would be absolutely horrible! Why would he even risk himself to try and help her if he knew that might happen? Looking his face over with confused eyes she finally shook her head. He was just doing the best he could with the given situation. Once the storm was over… he would more than likely leave just like everyone else. “I will stay here.” She peeked out at the harsh storm, feeling her body tug at her. She was feeling it now, the start of fatigue.
She kept her mouth shut at his question for a long while, wondering how she would explain it to him. She didn’t want to bring them up, jinx them with their names and story. It was bad luck, evil luck that would get them if she started talking about them now. “ They.. I can’t tell you. It just, they are evil and not of this world” her eyes quickly fluttered about the room, checking for them out of habit. Never did she speak of them without checking as well.
Looking back to him though she couldn’t help but give a shaky smile, she was in a way. Even if she was trapped somewhere strange.
With a little sigh he nodded. “Alright, you don't have to tell me.” It concerned him a little bit, this lioness' behavior. One moment she was normal and then she seemed angry enough to lash out and strike him and then she was shivering and trembling against him frightened.
He gave her a nudge, getting up and pacing back further into the cave and away from the opening where sand occasionally gusted. “Come back from there. It'll be better the further in you get.” He lowered himself down to lay on his side and looked towards Kakali, nodding his head towards the open space near by. “Come on now. Sleeping will make the time go by faster and I certainly can nap at any time of the day.”
Kakali looked at him, brows furrowed at his sigh, had she caused the male to sigh like that? Her face suddenly turned to a frown before she nodded. “Thank you, I am just afraid of pulling you in.” She looked towards the opening of the cave before looking at him after a nudge. He had wandered toward the back of the cave where the sand couldn’t reach. Following him quietly she touched the crystal geode and decided to pull it along with her, sleep with it close by. It was something to comfort her along with the lion Akua.
“Thank you Akua. You didn’t judge me like many normally do.” She gave another quiver of a smile before sitting down close to him. She knew she would pass out soon, the day pulling harder on her mind than she ever thought possible. “Yes, sleep will be nice….” And slowly the wild bird faded into a dream.
