He never wandered too far, despite the fact that he felt himself a mini hero, he knew not to wander too far, he knew if he called his parents would come to his rescue. not that he needed rescuing! he was the hero after all. This idea of being a rotious saviour had bene put in tot he cubs head thanks to his mothers fairy tales. She spoke of great cheetahs whom helped out those smaller and weaker than them selves.He wasn't a full cheetah, his father was a noble leopard, but that didn't mean he didn't want to save as many people as possible from tyranny and all those other bad things that left people opressed.It was then that he had wandered but a short way away from his family and was practicing his pouncing, tackling, flying...skills, trainign himself to be a great hero one day and rescue damsels and stop bad uhm, things and all that good stuff that heros did! Yeah, he was going to be a hero one day, when he grew up big and strong he'd smite the wikid and protect the weak cause thats what heroes did, thats what mamas stories said any way.
Domo was padding around the rogue lands as he always was, looking for any trace of danger. He was ready to save the world, but he was conflicted. He didn’t know yet who was worthy of being saved. Where the line between his doing good and his helping evil might be drawn. So many creatures were full of lies and bitterness, and all he wanted was to be as noble and true as he could.
He was prepared for others to try and take advantage of that.
He noticed a little cub, a strange little creature the like of whom he had never seen before, pouncing through the grasses nearby. He seemed to be practicing his foot work and skills, which was something Domo could admire. The cape-painted leopard grinned and wandered closer, tilting his head.
“Why hello there, little one! Where is your family? Should you be out on your own?” he asked in his friendly baritone, even his voice denoting his strength of character and kind heart.
Hercules stopped mid pounce as the leopard spoke to him, he lost his footing and landed a little awquardley on his nose, he quickly righted himself though and turned to look up at the big male leopard, cape and cowel, probabyl would have come to mind if he knew what a cape or a cowel was.
"My mum and dad are just over that rise.." He pauses and looks over the little hillock, he could call his parents in his little high pitched voice. "I was practising." He states, as if it was okay that he was away from his parents, further away possibly than he was meant to be.
"I'm a great hero." He puffs out his tiny little chest and smiles proudly "I can protect myself and others against the forces of ebil!"
“The forces of ebil?” The leopard repeated with a wide grin. He laughed, already liking this little guy. He felt bad for startling him and making him bump his nose, but he could see the cub was strong and tough. He didn’t even seem to mind.
“Well, I’m glad your parents are close. It’s never a good idea to wander too far from them. You might make them worry. I do like your noble intentions, though!” He laughed jovially, crouching down so he was a bit closer to eye level with the little cub. He wanted to ask just what he was, but he thought that might be a bit strange.
“So you’re already a great hero? Or you want to be? I think, just by looking at you, I can see the marks of something great. Do you train a lot?”
The pale leotah cub blinks owlishly, this big leopard was interested in his dreams? "Oh yes sir! I would never stray too far mum and dad wouldn't be pleased if I went fighting ebil in far away lands without their permission." He nods sagely his soft blue eyes looking perfectly serious.
"Oh I train every day! I sharpen my claws and I do lots of pouncing and I protect my sister fromt he big scary bugs an, an you know other stuff, she's a damsel, but she's never really in distress, she's just you know, a girl." He pokes his tongue out and grins.
"I'm a hero-in-training, dad says one day I'll be big and strong and I'll be able to protect everyone and face the ebils of the world one meanie at a time." He strikes a little pose his chin lifted high, all he needed was a flapping cape to complete a very cutely heroic stance.
Domo grinned again, shaking his head. Ebil. He wanted to fight ebil. That was cute. And very endearing.
“Well, you must know that protecting others isn’t just about being strong and fast, right? I think there’s a lot more to it than that. I don’t know if you could guess, but I do a lot of protecting, myself. I wouldn’t call me a hero, not yet, but I do my best to keep… ebil… from hurting anyone.”
He smiled and nodded.
“Of course, being strong and big one day will definitely help.” He stood up and did his own heroic stance, to show off his size, his fur-cape looking like it was billowing in the wind as a gust of a breeze moved through his fur. He laughed inwardly at the timing.
"Oohhh" Hercules looks up at the large heroic leopard, his large blue eyes widening to dishplates. "You're a real hero?" He blinks owlishly, this was his lucky day, maybe it was fate that he was supposed to meet this leopard?
"Oh yes I know you have to be strong minded an, an, good and always help people in need and be really kind to everyone! Real heroes know their strengths and weaknesses." He grins and wiggles his tiny tail an idea popping in to hsi head.
"mama tells me lots of stroies about the great cheetah heroes, I didn't know there were leopard heroes to, can, can you help me be a hero? You're a real life hero I bets I can learn alot from you about defeating the ebil forces of the world!"
Domo laughed heroically, then shook his head.
“Like I said, I wouldn’t call myself a real hero just yet. I think heroism comes from actions, from the thoughts of others. You’re only a hero when other people have a reason to believe in you, and honor you with that idea.” He said thoughtfully, tilting his head. He wasn’t wording it right, but he knew if he could keep working at it, he was sure to get the point across eventually.
He smiled at the question, glad to hear it but considering it carefully.
“You’d have to ask your parents, of course. But if you wanted to meet up a little, some days, I could show you what I know. And help you as I can. A sidekick! Would you like to be my apprentice, then? It might be hard work.”
The pale cub nods vigerously at the offer of apprenticeship. "Oh yes, I thinkmy parents would be fine with that and I'll train reallyreally hard!" He grins his tail wriggling in a pleased manner. He jumps to his paws, his pale bright bright blue eyes looking at the large leopard with an excitement that verged on hyperactivity.
"I'll go right now!" He grins leaping off, though he paused and ran back to Domo "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" he grins turning once again and dashing off the way he had come "I'll meet you here tomorrow! I'm sure my parents won;t mind!" he calls back as his pale body vanishes in to the undergrowth.
Domo watched the cub as he nodded, hoping he didn’t nod his head right off. It did his heart good, to see one so excited for the cause. He nodded, though not as furiously, the deal settled. He would teach this cub what he knew about saving others, and pass on the hero impulse.
The world could always do with more heroes.
He laughed when the cub ran off, then back to thank him.
“Don’t thank me yet! You’ve got a lot of training to do first!” He beamed, watching the cub run off. Sighing, he looked around the area. There had to be someone around here in need of help. And that’s just what Domo was good at. He set off to find someone, not wanting to wander too far, since he had plans for the next day.
The training would begin.
End!
