Location: Temple Ruins; the center of the fracturing pride lands.Time: Late Afternoon; the sun has already peaked and begun to make it's descent.
What the hell do you think you're doing?! Get out!
The walls still felt as if they carried the echo of Bekh's outraged roar. Maybe it was the otherwise deafening silence that caused his voice to leave such an extended impression, just as his breath seemed to be the only thing instilling life into a land that had been abandoned. Breath that came in quick, harsh pants after chasing a trespassing leopard from one of the den chambers within the sprawling complex. He'd sent her tumbling end over end with a heavy swat to the rump, but she'd managed to get a decent swipe in before disappearing across the sand muttering obscenities about his lack of hospitality.
Bekh happened to think himself more than generous, after all, she would have been easy to track and on the shifting dunes he had the advantage in battle, but he let her escape with her life. s**t, in these desperate times he had been downright noble!
An ear twitched idly. He felt more than saw the blood beginning to pool beneath his cheek from where he lay upon the cool stone floor, leaving a wet sensation against his fur. For such a shallow wound it was certainly proving to be a nuisance, a weary sigh pulling at the length of his ribcage. A great deal of consideration was given toward the idea of bathing in the lake that existed within the temple grounds, overshadowed only slightly by the thought of how many times his mother had scolded him in the past for attempting such things. With a small snort of disdain Bekh rolled off his shoulder, pulling his long frame upright.
There was an immediate androgyny about him. Still wearing the long legs of adolescence his shape remained an ever disconcerting thing. Not quite possessing the slender shapeliness that presented itself in most Dawnwalker females, yet neither was he quite so broad or muscular in build as the pride's males--in spite of his best efforts to obtain the desired mass. Of course whatever he had resembled in the days of plenty had diminished greatly over the months, leaving a physique that continued to grow more skeletal with each passing day.
Strangers arrived almost daily now to encroach upon the Tuait'tekem. Occasionally they succeeded in taking bites out of the land, at least until the lone Guardian discovered them and fought to take it back. How much longer could he last? His body wore the story of a futile battle in slowly mending wounds. How much longer before there were too many to hold off? Before brute force and sheer numbers overpowered his agility and warrior prowess?
The dark lion, dappled in rosettes and stripes that mimicked the colors of the edge of dawn had meant to head into the oases where he could wash the layer of dust and both fresh and old blood from his fur where it was relatively well concealed, yet he found himself staring down yet another trespasser. Hard, dark eyes unyielding as Bekh lifted his head and squared his shoulders tightly, mentally fortifying himself.
What do you want?
Cajanic
Sorry for the wait!
