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 Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:52 pm
Snowy paws carefully stepped into the outer rim of the Swamplands. It had taken them a while to get this far, and Zimwi had been afraid most of the journey, but he'd gotten used to seeing the odd lion here and there. Now... It was a test of wills - Stepping into a new pride. He swallowed, glancing at Safura. She'd stuck by his side, and he adored her for it. Not only that, but... He loved her. Yet while the place she wanted to be was crawling with other lions... Zimwi feared it. Past experiences had created a lion who feared a lot. Hopefully this place would make them both happy. Hopefully. It didn't look too inhabited, as if few lions lived there. But it was dark, lush for a swamp... He could already feel himself falling in love with the lands. He breathed in the scent of the waters, mosses, trees, plants... Everything. And caught the faint scents of lions. He was nervouse, naturally. But like stepping out of the dying jungle, he decided to swallow his fears and push forward. He was no longer a cub and it was time he stopped letting his fears rule his life so much.
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:46 am
She sniffed around lightly as she and Zimwi entered the borders to the Swamplands. She wasn't entirely sure if she would like this place, but she was sure she'd grow to love it because Zimwi was there. Her smaller mate seemed more comfortable now, though he had worried her while they were traveling. The odd lion or lioness here and there made him jump, and sometimes the other animals such as hyenas or wild dogs would surprise him too. She gave him a reassuring smile when he looked at her, and moved to nuzzle him. She hated the feeling of being alone, and although Zimwi was with her, she was used to have a lot more lions around her. "Are you ready, Zimwi?" she said quietly, somewhat nervous herself. She'd never been to these lands before, and she traveled a lot.
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 10:57 am
Strangers at her borders. Strangers in the swamps. They would not go long unmet.
Asali'jua had seen their coming, seen it days ago; she was expecting them, pale lions. Other than herself, there were few in the lands this day: Sehani and most of her cubs wandered, came and went; the Queen's own five children sought their names, as did the other pride-child of their age; Kikawaida was gone. And so there was only Asali and her Consort, and her great aunt who wandered the swamps, and a daughter of Sehani's.
Four and four only, though as she slipped through the swamps like a ghost, Asali'jua was alone but for the spirits. But then, they were everywhere, always.
Taking up the scent that wafted lazily on the slight breeze, she followed it, moving quickly yet without hurrying to where the pair entered into the home of the Jini-misemi. The pale lioness was easily quiet as her steps brought her closer, until finally she flowed from out the dark vegetation before them.
The Queen was silent, regarding them with amber eyes neither hostile nor welcoming, while around her muddy legs there rose up small, dancing lights of blue and green and white. These she favored with a smile.
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:42 am
Smiling at his mate, Zimwi nodded. "I'm ready." He turned and started in, stepping carefully. He didn't get far before he noticed... Something. A light shift in the winds, and a stronger scent... Unused to the darkness of the swamps, he looked around for the source of the scent. "Hello...?" He looked around, ears flicking lightly. Suddenly he realised how much he stood out, looking like a ghost amid the swamp plants. But perhaps... This was a good thing. He could easily scare lions away by coming out of the darkness on a moon-lit night. Of course... Whoever was there feared them not.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:55 pm
Safura glanced around edgily as she gave Zimwi a nervous smile. "If you are, then I am too," she said, trying to sound confident. She didn't like places that felt so isolated like this. It reminded her of her cub days when she had wandered alone until she came into the southlands, followed by discovering the Pridelands. She never liked being by herself--ever. She shivered slightly; not from being cold, but from how quiet this place was. She gulped, and paused suddenly when Zimwi suddenly said something. "What is it?" she asked, too scared to actually pay much attention.
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:03 pm
The little lights, after winding themselves around and up Swamp Queen's legs, rushed forward to whirl like a glowing flock of tiny birds around the traveling pair.
"Ready?" was their breathy whisper, "Ready ready? She's waaaiiting~" Lifting on the breeze, they began to float back to where Asali'jua was.
The lioness lifted her head and exhaled a long soft breath before dropping her gaze. In one brief moment, she lifted a paw with claws unsheathed and struck her own face, slicing skin so that blood welled up into her white fur to start its slow drip down.
An offering, a thanks, her blood for the spirits.
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Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:34 pm
Orange eyes blinked as he heard the whispers. Where were they coming from? Looking around, he spied the little glowing orbs. What were those..? Curiousity about them overrid any notion of keeping safe, prompting the male to follow. Though darkness engulphed him, Zimwi trailed after the lights. How curious... And yet, so tantalisingly interesting. Somehow, he forgot to see if Safura followed behind him.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:08 pm
Safura was terrified. She could've sworn she heard whispering voices, but put it aside as her imagining things when she saw the odd, softly lit "things" floating around her and Zimwi. "Zim--" She began, but her mate seemed to have been--what was the word... hypnotized?--by these things, and slowly, he began to follow after them, slowly vanishing into the dark as he did so. Ruby eyes dulled as she began to see visions of her past, memories of the time when she was by herself... she felt... abandoned... like those days long ago.
Although she was a big lioness--bigger than even her mate--she was still vulnerable. She put on a brave front; a happy front, and usually contented herself with doing things to keep herself from that hated feeling. Feeling extremely timid for the first time in her life, she trailed after her mate, her fur standing on end as she somewhat cringed away from the small lights. She didn't like this kind of darkness; she preferred the night kind of darkness, with the twinkling stars and a bright silver moon on her back. She took a breath; if Zimwi wanted to be here, then she would just have to... take it as it was.
...And so she continued deeper and deeper into the swamp.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:22 am
((She's just gonna be hangin' out there 'til they come to her, so you can skip over me 'til they do. ^^))
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:43 am
Pausing a moment, Zimwi looked back. Safura... He sat down, waiting for her patiently. He couldn't go anywhere without her! He... Needed her. He looked around, taking the moment of rest and wait to examine his surroundings. The trees seemed to speak of past happenings, water could be heard somewhere near by, singing its soothing song of deadly comfort. Being a lion that enjoyed swimming, Zimwi knew all too well from watching creatures getting stuck in mud or overestimating their strength that the water could become a tomb. Cold, murkey, and ever-encasing... One ear flicked as he listened, pondering once again who might live there and where they were.
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Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:02 am
Finally catching up to Zimwi with a slight shiver at her surroundings, she looked at Zimwi once again. "Are... Are you sure you want to be here, Zim?" she uttered softly, obviously terrified. She knew what his answer would be, and once he said it, she would have to reign in her terror and just deal with it; just keep putting on a brave front. Zimwi was there with her, and he was, at the moment, probably the most scariest thing she would find in this neck of the swamplands.
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Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:19 am
Tail flicking lightly, the male nuzzled into his mate's shoulder. "I'm sure. Something about this place..." He looked around, orange orbs dancing. "It feels somehow perfect." Indeed, he could feel it in the soil, hear it in the water's splashes... Rising, he went over and looked into the water. To any other lion, it might have looked forbidding and dangerous. But to him... It looked like the most beautiful thing in the world. Reaching a paw forward, he gently dipped it in, reveling in the feal of it. He loved it, the sight of it, the sound, the very smell. He looked up, spying the dancing little orbs of light once more. "I think they want us to follow them..."
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:45 am
She shivered, nodding to Zimwi as she swished her tail back and forth nervously. She liked night time; she liked darkness. But not this kind of darkness... it felt too creepy. But if Zimwi liked it... well, fine then. She sighed to herself as she looked at the glowing creatures Zimwi indicated. She swallowed. "Um... shall we... follow them, then?" she ventured out as casually as she could. She glanced at her mate. If she hadn't known Zimwi from before, she would have fled in fright, because he looked like a ghost with his pure white fur. She glanced at herself, and allowed a wry smile to adorn her face. Well, she wasn't too different from her mate, so... if she and Zimwi were the most frightening things here, she shouldn't be afraid... taking a deep breath, she stepped a paw after her mate.
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:28 pm
Nuzzling Safura, he whispered, "It'll be alright... Just don't be afraid..." He smiled at her, showing her how brave he was. If he was brave enough to face a new place like this, surely others could manage. Turning, he headed further in, soon spying another. He stopped, tilting his head. In his whole life living in the dying jungle, he'd rarely seen other lions. Most significantly, he'd rarely seen other WHITE lions. And this lioness WAS white. But she had brown, as well. It didn't appear to be mud, or at least... From where he was standing it didn't. He was curious about her, but very cautious. He looked back at his mate, wantind to draw strength from her presence.
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:45 pm
As the pair came near to Asali'jua at last, the dancing lights sped forward, twining around her paws, twirling in the air around her body with a light, collective giggle.
Asali smiled fondly at them, thanks in her amber eyes before her gaze moved to the pale lions who drew near. "Zimwi," she said with a mysterious, yet gentle, smile, "Safura'miezi. I was wondering when you would come. Welcome."
The self-inflicted wound on her face stained her cheek red as the blood continued to seep down through her fur.
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