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The pride's high energy from the war preparation seems to have ebbed a bit, but it was still flowing strong. Members were out and about, sparring down at the arena. He would assume the Hongshan and Firekin's high ranking members were in discussion and others were practicing war tactics. And yet he did not participate. The ebony lion who fought and trained as a powerful, Hongshan warrior was left a weakened, sore foreigner in a blazing desert pride. Thabiti held back groans of pain as his recently healed paws touched upon searing sands, walking toward the place where he saw healers went. Perhaps they could restore his energy and pride. The pain that itched and poked at the bottom of his paws often made him cranky, and the pain usually had him opt to remain resting in his den then walking out again. however, with how things are now, he cannot sit around and do nothing, he had to spar, train, and prepare for the Nergui who may come at any moment.

Ontop of that, he noticed that most of the group he had come here with have left with the search parties to the distance lands looking for resources and information on the enemy campaign. By orders of his leader, he would also have to entertain the local Firekin by learning their language. Though, it was more out of respect for allowing his pride remain within theirs as well as an easier form of communication. Though the little he did know was from the Nergui and his fellow members, he was slowly picking up terms and phrases to use simple syntax.

The taller lion moved into the Firekin dens, looking about as members moved about their tasks. Paying them no mind, Thabiti moved himself to the medical wards, watching as, even they, worked diligently wit their practices and expanding their useful knowledge amongst themselves in preparation. Unsure of what he was to do in a place such as this, he simply stood there.

"Over. Working." he parraoted, his voice deep but rough as the language was still foreign to him. His northern accent was strong still but he intended to learn. One step at a time, it would seem but he will get to a point to carry a conversation. He looked at the female with an inquisitive expression, though his mask masked it under it's elegant red design upon his ebony fur. Who was her sister? He looked into his mind as if they were simple building blocks of that of a toddler, turning each one around with faces he had seen recently. Not recognizing any of them but blends of reds and blacks, he mentally tore down his building blocks and frowned. "No know sister." He responded, sitting himself in the shaded sands were his hind quarters wouldn't get stung by the desert heat. Innocently, he pawed at his ear in contemplation why this 'sister' would want to chew his ears off to begin with.

Not that it would stop him from doing what he does.

"I do not spar enough," as to say he hasn't sparred as much as he would have liked to. Upon the sparring field is where he is the happiest, surrounded by other warriors who fight well to give him the run for his money. His pelt tells of his abilities. He would spar day and night, between feedings and when the females go crazy. Yet his ebony fur shows no signs of scars or wounds.

Thabiti looked down at his and to her. Was she a medical lion here? She didn't appear wounded so it might seem so. "You help?" he questioned in his rough, deep voice but it had a hint of genuine innocence of an injured. He offered his paw to her from where he sat.

Her laughter wasn't so pleasant to hear actually, rather it was a bit insulting the way he perceived it. What had he done to deserve such a mockery? He was not funny nor did he understand what he said that could have instigated such a response. He chuffed and tilted his head, eyeing her ever more closely. So this sister of hers runs the medical dens and is capable of chewing off ears of hard-working lions who train all day to protect the pride and be strong. That would be nice to know and would be a little more annoying knowing that this one and the leader of the medical dens look the same. Confusion was slowly creeping over the horizons of his conscious. No matter, he cared not, he did not care if she took his ear, as long as she looked at his paws.

At least she had some manners like the higher ranked Hongshan: she gave her name before asking for his. This made him smile a bit. As a big of a brute as he was, he still had his own manners... kind of.

The dark lion nodded to her observation. "I go sparring all time. I am strong Hongshan." he grin with pride as he held his head high. "Thabiti." he replied plainly. He didn't quite understand much of what she said after her name except for the words 'battle', 'Hongshan', 'warrior', and her question itself. The fact that battle came up piqued an interest, his thoughts pushing him further. "What is battle his... you."

He nodded to her statement. It would be nice to be remembered when all is said and done and those remembered are no longer around. It was a happy notion; die a warrior's death and be remembered by one's peers.

A historian. A rare member among the Hongshan if he recalled, were rare and few. If they did the same thing then this female showed little interest. However, until she stated the latter. A c**k brow and a smile. "A warrior? Kill Nergui will be fun. Do not play with Nergui. Kill only." he stated, looking more stern and serious about the matter. No, Nergui shall not be played with. They shall not be shown any mercy, they shall not 'gasp and plead for their lives'. They shall die where they stand should they be foolish to come to them. He had mused the thoughts of what he would do to each and every Nergui while he was enslaved. He would watch them pass their holding area and with each pass he mused the idea of how he would torment them for ruining, enslaving, and killing his pride.
Drowning. Bleeding out. Suffocation. Mutilation.

No, it would be degrading of him to stoop as low as them. To use tactics that they used. No, should he have the opportunity, he would not allow them to plea or make any movements when he had them cornered. A swift death and move onto the next. Less Nergui to worry about and the peace of mind will surely return. "Kill them."

Fia shrugged as she got to her feet, circling him like the winged birds he has seen around the desert. "Roqorso..." Revenge, he said in his rough, northern tongue. "I verr derr srak orr, muma verr kirqeqa." he replied before getting to his own feet. He will kill them all if he had the opportunity. He would bow to any god who would allow him that ability, wiping them from the savannah, freeing both the Hongshan and the Firekin, freeing everyone from their barbaric and sadistic methods.


Moving closer to the dens, looking inside at the busy bodies inside, he looked back over his shoulder, sitting back down. He was slowly calming down again. "I learn your words. I talk to Fire kin like leader said. I live here now so I use your words. I fight all day, no time for much else." Thabiti looked down at his paws and then to Fia. "You look at my paw now?"

"No playing." he said, much more stern than before. "You play, Nergui see chance. They stab back, you die. Quick death better for all. Play with Nergui or kill many Nergui?" he questioned. He felt it. Her bloodlust, her hatred and deep desire to shed the blood of that foresaken group of lions. He knew it too but he had come to terms long ago in their holding sites that no matter what he did, nothing would fix what had been done. Only to do what is necessary so that no other would face the same fate. If the Nergui were to take over any other territory, it would mean his nightmares would come fruition. The Nergui must be wiped out for the sake of the savannah and his people. As long as they breath, he could not rest.

Until then, he continued to fight.

"You say words. I say words. I no understand." The dark lion shrugged. "Sometime." he often wondered if he just kept himself quiet, not talking to anyone but his fellow Hongshan. Would it have been better? Would the Firekin simply assume he was a mute and learned to communicate to him through body language rather than words? He mused the idea once, but an order was an order, as well as a humble request from his leader. He will learn their language.

Her request made him laugh a hardy laugh. "Thabiti will knock Fia head off! Thabiti strong, trained long time, and you are His... word." He chuckled at the thought. She kept track of time and he fought. The levels of prowess was equivalent to the deepest valleys in the northern mountains in his mind, but perhaps she has tricks. Females always had tricks. Females... never understood them. How they would go crazy every so often and the next moon they would be fat. He chuffed at the idea.

His attention returned from his wandering train of thought when Fia snorted. "Prattle?" he questioned innocently looking at his paw as his mind wandered yet again to what the word 'prattle' meant. He looked at his pawpads, scars have cut through the soft, black, leathery pads from the climb through the mountains. It was because of these open cuts on searing sands that he had opted to stay here in the pride's territory rather than go out with the sentinels.

It was also the weakest spot on his body. A swipe of a claw, a bite of a maw, or a bouldering tackle did not make him yowl, but this... well, it made him a kitten. "Your sister is twin. You as good as her. Look." He said more straightforward, this time shoving it toward her.

The action held no meaning to him. He didn't understand. Some females did something similar, rubbing themselves against him. Females were strange. "You play with others. Not Nergui." he reaffirmed as his amber eyes never leaving her form as she moved about their area.

"Why wait?" He asked with a grin. He looked at his paws and then to her. "I fight with bad paw. Female or not, you fight me, I fight with all Thabiti strength." He may not understand females, but he did recognize that they can be extremely dangerous, especially with little ones. How they get these little ones, he wasn't sure, but they always seemed angry whenever he got too close to them. They could be fierce warriors if they put their effort from looking after little ones to... well, fighting. He mused the idea that she was saying something with intent to insult him but wasn't quite sure. He growled through a grin, simply responding. "Ideus."

He narrowed his eyes and splayed his paws within hers. Cocking a brow, he moved to sit on his rump, exposing both hindpaws and the one paw she was clearly looking at. On each of his paws were nicks and cuts, most of them healed but still sore at times due to the heated sands. Thabiti shrugged with lidded eyes, looking over his shoulder. "Thabiti be no leg then. Go to Fia twin to chew off, too." He jested. He was no idiot, he saw Hongshan suffer greater wounds and they had never had them bitten off. Just this morning he was down at the sparring fields fighting to his heart content. If one was completely void of sense of smell, they would notice a stronger musky sent about him, plus the moistness of his nose. His body was slowly cooling down. If he could train all day for the past few, certainly there be no reason to cut off his paws.

Right?

A hint of concern touched his expression when turning back to take a closer look at his own paws, looking at his two forepaws whilst the hindpaws stood up as well.

[Sitting position]

Thabiti chuffed with amusement with her intentions. "We fight when paw no fall off." he joked as he placed his paws down. The Firekin were strong, their fighting methods were much more controlled, concise, and could be very damaging if he continued his barbaric, random, all-out-strength tactics he had relied on all his life. If she was a wise female, she could best him, he was certain a wise one who could read moves be able to subdue him. After all, she was a time-taker and knew battles. He found the idea of the two of the fighting to be... interesting and something to look forward to. If he lost, he would take it with dignity as he was taught. It was a friendly spar after all, right?

"Game?" He joked. "I ruva aeui ora o bassar kesrsar srom vroaeems sokak, Fia." He knew she didn't understand him but he tested her patience anyway, simply stating that he had hoped she was a better fighter than playing games. Not that she'd knew what he was talking of. The Hongshan chuckled as she pawed at him to go. Seemed his welcome was diminishing and he should visit the medics while he was here. Another round trip would certainly not be fun at all.

"I see twin. We fight." With a nod, the lion turned about and stalked toward the medical dens with heavy steps and his mind elsewhere. Oh yes, a fight would be interesting.