Beneath the glow of the blood moon, a lone lion juv strolled past the luscious trees of his home. With the water running at his side, he scoured the banks in search of media for his art. The sculpture of his grandfather was coming along nicely, it just needed the final touches.
Enikil's sharp eyes caught movement in the water and like a ghost in the night, he hurriedly swiped at it with his paw. "Aww, stupid fish!" He tossed it back. What a waste of time. Why couldn't he find something dead, when he found so much life?
A soft giggle would alert the male cub that he wasn't alone in the darkness and whoever was out there had witness his near miss. A slender young lionness cub sat a few feet away, her tail curled around her haunches and front legs. "Don't feel bad, I miss all the time." She voice was sweet and light as she ofered him a friendly smile.
Enikil turned sharply to glare at the offender, thinking it one of his siblings, since they were the only young present in the pride. What he found confused him. "I didn't miss. I was merciful." He nodded, neither proud nor blunt. It was a fact. Now onto more important matters. "Are you new?"
"Mercy....that is a very good quailty to have." There was no missing the longing as she repeated the word. It was something she had never know outside of her mother. But then Kude's mercy was only towards her single daugher. Blinking orange/gold eyes when he asked her a question, she smiled agian, "Well not really. I am very sorry am I trespassing on your land?"
He watched her, catching the little changes in tone with his sharp mind. It may have been clouded by random bouts of insanity, but those clear moments were his brightest. He padded closer to her in a friendly lope. "Sure are. I'm supposed to kill any trespasser or take them in to be a slave. So, which one do you like?" Either was good for him, because on the one hand he might have a friend and in the other he could have spare parts.
She eyes widened in fear as she shrank back from him "R..r..really?I..I..I'll go and never come back I promise." She hunched down into as small a ball as she could manage, fear freezing her mind.
"Really, really." The juvenile stretched his gangly paws out infront of him, flexing his claws. "Sorry, that doesn't work. One or the other, and if you run, you'll die." Even as he spoke the awful truth, he smiled like the birthday boy about to open his presents. "I don't want to hurt you, just so you know."
"My mother will come for me." Tears gathered in her eyes, gazing up at him fearfully. She was much smaller than him, the top of her head only coming up to his chin. " Why can't you just let me go? I won't tell anyone or hurt anyone."
In a flash, his muzzle was, but a breath away from hers. She really was cute, and he just wanted to snuggle her, but rules were rules.
Enikil frowned. "If I let you go, I'll get in trouble. Father isn't nice when he's angry, and I'm sure that your mother won't make it past him, so just stay. I'll make it fun."
Soft, kittenish mew spilled from her muzzle as she continued to gaze at him like a wounded gazelle. "I just want to go home to my momma." The tears that had filled her eyes spilled over to make dark marks on her cheeks.
He didn't know what this...this leaking was, but he didn't like it. Enikil's licked her muzzle affectionately, brushing up against her. "Shh, it's okay. I'll make you a deal. So long as you never, ever come back here, I'll let you go. But if you do, your mine, got it?"
She, at first, shyed for the affection, cringing as if expecting to be hit, but when no blow came she slowly relaxed and nodded "Yes Sir. I'll go straight home and never ever come back."
His snake-like tail coiled around hers as he nuzzled in closer, taking a deep whiff of her scent. "Then you'd better go, before somebody catches you." He smiled, nudging her with his muzzle.
She gave him a timid smile "Thank you....You didn't tell me your name.." She was still unsure of his easy affection but no one but Momma and Auntie Kur cuddled her. She smelt faintly of dampness and dark, rice earth.
To him, she smelt of the grave, and brought a sense of comfort to him. "They call me Enikil." One day, when his father ascended the throne and he took his rightful place in the shadows, he would find a girl who smelt like her. A living dead girl.
"I am Xhora'sauri." She used a paw to wipe her tears away and gave him a brave smile. "I can not say it was a pleasure to meet you Enikil, but I am honored."
A little frown crossed his maw. "Really? I thought we were having fun, Xhora." His ears pricked up at the sound of a distant chorus of roars, alerting him and all that was near of dinner. "You'd better go."
"You scared me and I..." At the roars she jumped, pressing closer to his larger frame, eyes widening in fear again. When he urged her to run, she nodded hurriedly getting to her feet, " I am sorry that I will never be able to see you again." He had scared her yes, but he had been kind in an odd way.
He shielded her when he could, but as the roars increased, he stood to shoo her away. It was then that something came into his mind. "Dreams. You cna dream of me, and I'll dream of you, that way we'll be together for fun without you having to die."
She blinked then smiled at him, the smile making her eyes light up like a flame of the sun. "Alright Enikil! " Her fears were forgotten quickly in the idea of having made a new friend out of the young male. When he nudged her to run, she nudged him back for a moment then took off as fast as her little legs could carry her.
