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OOC: The Nergui will be heading out towards the Tuait'tekam lands that were abandoned years ago by the lions who once lived there. The journey will take some time and their arrival will be announced through a future ORP. In the mean time it will be assumed that the Nergui are travelling together though they are free to also separate briefly meet with rogues etc... to encourage them to join. They will be doing their best to avoid other prides whilst they make this journey.

----

It was time.

Time to set of for new ventures and leave behind the echoes of failed ones. The Firekin were too much for them in their present state (though no one would ever admit it out loud) and with the arrival of a new lead it would have been folly to ignore it. No. The Firekin could wait for another day. The sun had risen on a new task; the abandoned lands of the Tuait'tekam. It promised treasure and parasites, both, and the horde needed something to put their energy in besides beating on one another.

Mchawi alighted the rock beside Rapha, lifting her head briefly to the early morning sky. It was flat and grey and as lifeless as the land beneath her paws. Her nose wrinkled in distaste and for a moment it seemed she might speak her mind...until the female beside her turned piercing eyes at her expectantly.

"Most have gathered," Mchawi declared in her usual clipped tones.

And so they had. Amongst the crowds were faces she recognised and some she did not. Lion and hyena. Young and old. Eager and bored. They were a strange people she had found herself amongst but so long as they could be manipulated like any other she was happy to be in their company. The witch shifted her weight and, with a short nod, moved slowly down to join the group. She was a high-ranking feline with experience of killing the false gods but she did not come even close to the esteemed Rapha.

Padding quietly across the sparse earth, she seated herself next to Tomorbaatar and their children. Her niece was nowhere to be seen - as was usual - but Mchawi knew she would be lingering.

"Graos Oma has spoken!" Rapha Oma's voice rang out with the undertone of an omen. "We will leave this place to the crows and move on. Anyone who is unfit to travel will be left behind. Perhaps the Firekin might happen by to grant them a fitting end." There would be no pity for the injured, sick or young. No one would stop them from carrying out their duty - not even their own brethren.

Rapha lifted her head and roared.

The horde returned it.

Kurruvar slipped up beside Keto and, with a snuffling noise of a approval, bobbed her head in agreement. She was often seen shadowing their leader, Rapha, but today she was amongst the others, lingering near her own kind. She seemed to find Keto's enthusiasm infectious, her own tail swatting the air behind her.

"Legs strong. Jaws stronger. Let us hope for blood! The nohoi should lead the way."

---

Sarangerel, already distractedly looking for her children amongst the rabble, stepped aside just in time to avoid being knocked into by the dark-pelted hyena, her nose curling up in distaste. Did no one have any respect for a Founder-blood anymore?

Still, with her old mate dead, perhaps she could march at the head herself. As Emkurcar she had always been left behind. Thought of as too 'meek' and 'female' to make any sort of impact. But now with cubs grown and a new, handsome and worthy mate, maybe she could seek her own glory.

The light-maned hyena offered a smirk to Kurruvar in his approval of her statement. Before he could mutter a proper response though, Keto’s ear flicked with slight irritation at the sarcastic Nohoi a few steps behind them.
“So you would rather we fall behind?” He inquired, giving a short giggle of a laugh. Nohoi were important, Keto imagined the lions would be mostly alright if they decided to take the lead on this march. Even if they didn’t, they would be allowed near the front, which was more than Keto could say for some of the lions among them. Slaves in particular.

Daud'r rarely felt more vital and alive than when she was in the throng of the Nergui, screaming her passion and fury and her demand for more from life along with a hundred, a thousand more throats. The call to march sent a thrill up her spine; she was, perhaps, one of the few who had little but happy memories of their time near the Firekin. She had joined the pride, found meaning and her home here. She had fought several battles, winning scars and glory. She'd helped to personally kill a goddess. And she had held no personal love for anyone the pride had lost. It made her angry, to see those she considered 'hers' downed, but she had not felt the depth of what those born to the pride had at their loss.

She shouldered her way along, giving way for no one that she wasn't certain was her better. She stood out like a beacon, but so did her strength and pride. She'd do just as well for herself in this new home they went to as she had here, and she was beyond eager to get there.




Doxailol would give off almost the exact opposite vibe as the green lioness who shoved past her. The Firekin still stood, several of the Nergui's leaders had been slain, and her scars were tight and painful today. She hadn't had any certain visions of the place they were going to, beyond the usual dreams of fire and blood and rage. Those would simply be dreams of her father, however, his rage and insanity spilling over into her too-perceptive mind. All in all it had left her in silent, pulsing agony. Not enough to slow her steps, never enough to cause her to give up even the ghost of a signal that she was anything but strong, anything but devoted to the pride and its cause.

"For Graos Oma," She hissed under her breath, a promise and a threat in one. This pain was nothing. The wait was nothing. She'd find more glory in the sands they would come to call home, or burn out in trying. "Perhaps we'll find some pretty slaves along the way to pick our teeth and claws."

Zizima snorted when his mate spoke of her son 'winning' a mate of his own. It was a shame that that was how things worked in the Nergui, but again, it was something he would just have to dislike in private. If it didn't truly affect him or Sarangerel, he had no real reason to object to it.

As she continued to speak about her son, he raised a brow in consideration. Nokhoi was the arrogant one, wasn't he? They may have had a rotten father, but they had had a fantastic mother as well. Whatever traits this boy shared with his father, Zizima was confident that in the end it would mean very little, if the boy was truly willing to learn.

When she was finished, he managed a small but reassuring smile in her direction. "You did the right thing. I'm sure you would sleep easier knowing the boy can defend himself." Although he was in no hurry to adopt his mate's children, he did feel some level of responsibility towards them. If Nokhoi asked for her, Zizima would give it.

Ovu continued to smirk as he watched the happy couple padding along. Of course, there really wasn't anything he could do to ruin their happiness, not whilst the whole pride was present at least. No, he would have to bide his time, which wasn't something the sinister male was particularly good at.

With that in mind, he then started looking at the fellow Nergui around him. There was quite a few faces that he didn't recognise. Not necessarily because they were new, but because Ovu was prone to doing things on his own, or in a very small group. He still mourned the loss of Muunokhoi. Not for any sort of friendship that they may have pretended to have for each other, but for the usefulness that such an alignment presented him with.

His bloodshot eyes widened as it dawned on him what he must do. He would have to ascend to the rank of Worrurd himself. Only then could he truly hurt Zizima where it hurt. Until such an opportunity arose though, it wouldn't do him any harm to find allies. Those with obvious strength, but potentially easy to manipulate. Time to do some research.

As he scanned the Horde, his eyes eventually fell on an offensively green and blue female. Strong and bold, she was practically barging her way through those around her, although she seemed to avoid certain members who were a bit more experienced. This told him that she was confident, but not so much that she would challenge one who she believed may be too much for her. He grinned and started heading towards her, his massive frame easily making a beeline for her through the crowds until he was striding at her side.

"Greetings."

Hiana rolled his eyes at Keto. "I would rather we not make easy targets of ourselves." Not that he gave a damn if one or two hyenas went on ahead, only to be taken out by scouts or some other wandering Pride. When Kurruvar spoke up, he turned back to her, looking her up and down with disdain before smirking once more. "Some of us are more important to the Horde than others."

The dark hyena thought much of himself, but was determined for the high-ranking lions of the Nergui to think the same. He hadn't made enough of an impact in their old lands, but it would all be different in the new lands, he was certain of it.

At Mchawi's words, he grinned widely, bowing his head respectfully in her direction as he did so. "Thank you, Kaar Oma, for sharing this information with us." Of course, promotions wouldn't necessarily affect the Nohoi, but it was still good to know.

It was somewhat surprising to him that his mate would consider allowing for her son to learn the hard way. That's how he himself had been forced to learn, and although he almost died as a result, in the end it only made him stronger. If Nokhoi was destined to learn the hard way though, the least he could do was be there to pick up the pieces. "I guess we'll have to wait and see if takes what you said to heart."

As Saran, Sarangerel's daughter and namesake, arrived, Zizima gave a nod of acknowledgement. She looked so much like her mother, and she had a good head on her shoulders. If any male sought to 'claim' her against her will, they would have to go through him.

When asked if he had ever come across these lands before, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. He knew it was possible that he had, but at the same time, he felt he would know about it if he had explored these particular lands before. From what the Nergui knew of them, they were somewhat unique, containing structures unlike nothing most lions had ever seen. Surely he would remember such a place?

"I'm afraid not, my love."

Hiana let out a brief chuckle at Keto's inability to spot an insult when he heard it. Also, the idea that he thought that he would in any way be worried for any of his fellow hyena was truly laughable. In reality, Hiana would be a lot happier within the Nergui if he was the only hyena involved.

"The only concern I have regarding Kurruvar is whether or not her so-called 'smarts' are contagious." The dark hyena let out another chuckle, which escalated into a more hyena-like cackle. At the arrival of yet more Nohoi, Hiana quieted down, a deep frown touching his face. Was there always this many hyena in the Nergui?

Los looked around at the hyenas that were gathered, his tail flicking back and forth with delight. He liked that there were so many hyenas - quite a few of them that weren't present were his own offspring - and he felt as though they were an important part of the Nergui. His own daughter had played a huge part in both the deception and the take down of the goddess that they had hunted a while back.

"The front it is," he said with a delighted bark, grinning at his fellow hyenas. "Those that wish to hang back can stay to the rear of our group, but we'll lead the charge to our new home."

---

Krieg huffed softly at that but would do as she was told...for now. She'd hang to the back, certainly. Perhaps she could relay messages between the groups if the hyenas got too far ahead. Flicking her tail, she turned to figure out where the lions were heading so she could move to the front of them.

---

Finally Gael turned and spotted Gren. She didn't look to be actively seeking him out, but that didn't deter him at all from walking over to her. He smiled as he approached, bobbing his head in greeting.

"A nice day to head out, I think. No dust storms, not too hot...I'm excited to walk." He lifted his front paw to give it a shake, then his hind leg to stretch out. "Mind if we walk together? I feel like we could kill some time by talking."

---

Saran gave a little 'hm' as her mother and Zizima both said they didn't know how long the journey would take. She glanced out to the horizon, a little frown on her face. "Well. I suppose we'll find out," she said as she gave her tail a flick. "Hopefully it won't be terribly far."