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 Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:21 am
The red and black prince surveyed the lands with sensitive eyes. The world was so different and so obscure to eyes used only to the desert. There was no sand here, only greenery. It almost looked wrong to have green against the blue of the sky. Gold and blue had always seemed more appropriate.
He had decided to split with No for a while to increase their search, though he was just considering heading back to her. They would never go too far from each other and usually her scent was carried to him on the wind or he would catch a glimpse of her dark pelt in this contrasting landscape.
He was perched high on a rock, glancing out across the land, wondering what secrets lay in the long grass or behind the huge boulders that towered up like huge stone claws.
His tail flicked with thought and then he dropped down from the rock, winding back through the tall grass. Apparently there was no one around. Maybe No had had more luck in her direction. He thought more on the lioness, her wisdom and beauty far surpassing any other female he had met. To think that a Firekin prince could fall for a lioness born in the Pridelands. Not that she looked like a Pridelander. In fact, if she had been a little larger she would have made a beautiful and elegant Firekin queen.
He purred, enjoying the steady sound of his paws against solid ground. If he sensed another lion nearby it certainly didn't show on his face.
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:44 am
 Zizima frowned deeply as he stalked through the long grass. He rarely came in-land, as the coast was usually the only place he could take a good long walk without being interrupted. Recently however, that had not been the case, so now the large scarred lion found himself plodding along through a field of unruly grass.
He had a lot on his mind lately, and so thought it best to leave the sea behind for a day or two, just to clear his head. Then when he returned, he would hopefully have a few answers to the questions that were bothering him.
Having lived by the sea for so long, Zizima's hearing and sense of smell had improved somewhat, as he had to be able to drown out the sound of the sea when hunting, and pick out certain scents in the salty air. Because of this, it wasn't long before he caught the scent of a nearby lion. Not really wanting to engage in any sort of conversation, the grey and white lion turned and headed in the opposite direction, hoping not to be seen.(( xp Yes, he sucks. *Nudges Kidondo to bother him* xd ))
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:22 am
Maybe if Zizima had stayed still he wouldn't have been noticed, but since Kidondo's one reason for straying was to be observant, he picked out movement and headed towards it. Grass rustled against his sides as he moved, sweeping back as he parted it. For a moment he gave up on thoughts of No and focused on the task at paw. It'd be good if he could find another to join his 'army'. He had hopes that their numbers would grow and before he returned he was hoping to find atleast three or four who would aid him.
He wasn't sure why a rogue would want to but....maybe they were after a purpose in life or just a reason to stir some trouble within the pride.
"Who goes there?" He called, quickening his pace to catch up. The grass was slightly disorientating but he navigated as quickly as possible, not used to having to wind through such a strange terrain as this.
"Wait just a moment." And then, in the grass...perhaps a flash of grey?
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Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:03 am
Aware that he was now being followed, Zizima muttered something under his breath and continued walking until he reached a clearing that was slightly raised above the large field of grass. When he turned to see who was following, his frown deepened. It was a rather large lion with a bright red coat.
Although he knew that not everyone with a bright red coat was a Firekin, it certainly made him more cautious. After all, the last time he had met a Firekin, he had gotten a whole new set of scars. Keeping the growl that radiated in his throat to a minimum, he waited for the red lion to reach him.
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Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:35 am
Then finally the lion came into view. A hulking great grey with a pelt dashed with scars. It looked like this rogue had met with some tough times. Kidondo would have to be careful. Lions only ever usually got scars like that from their own kind. This one had obviously been in a lot of fights and had come out the victor. Kidondo was young and strong but he was inexperienced in such things as 'duels.'
He paused, raised his head and enjoyed the breeze as it pulled his mane back away from his face. He was only a few strides from the grey now, but just far enough away that he could dance out of reach if need be.
"Greetings." He bowed his head slightly, one ear twitching. "Sorry for sneaking up on you like that, it was unintentional I assure you." He paused. This one was grey but he was large and strong. He tried to think if there had been greys in their line before. Maybe this one would consider joining him?
"In fact, strong rogues like you are just what I'm looking for. Firstly, let me introduce myself. I am Kidondo of the Desert."
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Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:06 am
"Of the desert?" Zizima snarled. "So you're one of them." Already the grey and white lion had no interest in what the Firekin male had to say, despite how polite he was being. It was unlike him to prejudge, especially considering he knew from experience that not all who spent their youth in the desert were completely brainwashed by the Pride. Of course, his experience had been much different than that of the other Firekin youths at the time.
In light of this, he decided to give Kidondo the benefit of the doubt, at least for the next minute or so. "My name is Zizima...formerly of the desert." The last part was said sarcastically, which was also unlike Zizima.
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Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:14 am
"Of the desert? Then you are a Firekin too Zizima?" The moment the words left his mouth he knew deep down that it was not correct. He clamped his jaws shut. His colouring...those scars...had he been a slave? Another sufferer like poor little Kiburi? He decided not to ask. If the grey wanted him to know then he would say.
"It depends what you mean by 'one of them.'" He continued. "I am in the respect that I look like them, that my family lives there. But, in my heart and mind I am not a traditional Firekin. I don't expect you just to take my word for it but..." He trailed off.
"That is the reason why I travel the lands outside the desert. Me and my partner in crime are planning something that the desert-kind will never forget."
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:38 am
"Half-Firekin." He continued to frown, but kept his cool despite Kidondo's assumption that he too was a Firekin. Although he obviously wasn't proud of his heritage, he thanked his Firekin DNA for his size and strength. "My mother was a Firekin, my father a rogue."
It was clear that this particular Firekin had not been brainwashed by the Pride's beliefs and traditions, despite the fact that he was probably a full-blooded Firekin, with that bright red coat. Still, Zizima didn't trust him. "What exactly are you planning?" Even though he didn't trust him, it wouldn't hurt to hear him out, and find out what he was planning.
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:53 am
Halfblood or not, Kidondo would not judge. As far as he was concerned, Zizima was the first Firekin-esque lion he had met since being banished from his homeland. It was nice and strangely, eased the homesickness in his heart.
"Then you are purer than the inbred fools that dwell in the desert. Be proud of your rogue ancestry." Kidondo would never know it. But he himself was not a full Firekin. His father had been the making of pridelander and firekin and as such, he had inherited a small portion of that gene himself.
"I'm planning...Well if you want dramatics, I plan to bring war to the lands of the Firekin. If you want a more diplomatic explanation...well...I intend to crush tradition beneath my paws. Free slaves, bring forth rogues and half bloods and start the Pride again."
He smiled. "But I am not doing it alone. That's why I'm out here. I'm looking for those rogues and half-bloods to help me reform the Firekin."
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:14 am
(( Sorry for the wait luff. XP; The most recent Gaia update killed my will to RP. ))
Zizima raised a brow, quite interested in what Kidondo was planning. Except until he got to the part about reforming the Firekin. "Why reform the pride? Why not simply destroy it?" Of course he agreed with all the bright red male had said, about in-breeding and the need to bring about the end of their ways, but he did not understand why he would want to reform the pride after taking it down.
His frown relaxed a little, as did the tension in his muscular legs. This was a good idea for the most part, and he knew he would be able to help. Yet, knowing that the old Firekin ways would simply be replaced with new ones didn't sit well with him at all. "The World would be a much better place if the word Firekin were wiped from it completely."
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:49 am
(( s'okay <3 I totally know what you mean. ))
Kidondo sat slowly. There was no reason to stand and be uptight. In fact he quite liked this grey male. He had known hardship and he understood that there were terrible things wrong with the Pride. "Destroying it would be an option but I'm not a killer, I couldn't hunt and slaughter my people for what our ancestors drummed into their heads. It would only continue the bloodthirsty ways." He sighed. "Besides, through my plan I have spied and have come to realise that the traditionalists as you knew them dwindle. My father and a handful of old lions are all that is left of the traditions."
He thought of Ripuka and felt his heart sink. The old storyteller had meant so much to him. She had tried to drum the teachings into him too, but had actually formed in him a new idea.
"Kimeti, Ripuka and a few others are all that are left, the remnants of what the Firekin used to be. The rest are young and they cry out for change. My father likes to think we are strong, but I will prove him otherwise. The pride is full of flaws and weakness and I will break it."
He laughed. "I talk too much I know, but this is somethign not easy to summarise in a sentence." He pondered a moment. "But I can understand why you would want us destroyed. There is nothing I can do to take away the pain of what has happened to you. All I can do is try to make up for the mistakes of my kin. I will change them all and soon rogues will be welcomed. The Firekin, as you quite rightly say, won't really be the Firekin anymore. We'll be something new. A pride not governed by religion or any gods, a pride who doesn't have closed minds. I intend to rule with intelligence rather than brute force." He smiled. "To think, once my father prized me above all his other children. Now he must see me as the worst."
He coiled his tail. "Again, I apologise for talking your ear off like this."
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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:00 am
As Kidondo sat, so did Zizima. It was clear to the scarred lion that this Firekin meant him no harm, and he could see no hidden trickery in his eyes. Still, complete trust was something he could never truely give to a Firekin, no matter how far from the desert they seemed to have come. What Kidondo said was fair. He too knew in his own heart that he was no killer, as he thought back to that Firekin lioness he had fought. In many ways he had felt sorry for her, but at the same time, she was truely beyond his help. Letting her live in the hopes that she would return to desert with slightly different eyes felt more right than killing her.
As if Kidondo was reading his mind at that very moment, her name was mentioned. The female had never actually told him her name, but he was sure that she would undoubtedly be among the traditionalists. "Am I right in assuming that there's a female among them who's fur is even brighter than yours, and who's belief in the pride is devout to the point of insanity?" Zizima had truely tried to help that female, and he could see by the way she reacted to certain things that he said that she had doubts. They just weren't strong enough to change her mind.
Breifly shaking the female from his mind as Kidondo went on, he let out a small, rather gruff chuckle. "It sounds like a fool's dream." Saying that, his expression became serious once more. "I do not believe that everything that makes the Firekin what they are will be so easily tossed aside, with strength or with intelligence." He frowned. "The Firekin are like a disease..."
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:24 am
Kidondo laughed. "A disease? I suppose you could say that." He shook his head sadly. "But you're right. It will not be easy. The traditionalists that are still around will fight to the death to defend their traditions. They will have no second thoughts about killing me and they will not back down. I keep trying to deny it, but I know in the end I will face my father. I will have to kill him to achieve this dream of mine." He looked aside, clearly distressed by this. He had adored his father once, deep down, he still did. "I wish it wouldn't turn out this way, but I cannot see Kimeti giving in. He willw ant to reign as his father did."
He straightened his back.
"But...you knew the old storyteller? Ripuka?" He loved Ripuka too. She had been like a mother to him in cubhood. "Yes...she means well but she is one of my father's followers. She adores him and she is another, I fear, who will fight until the bitter end. I just hope I am not the one dealing the killing blows."
He paused. "Ripuka...do not blame her. Like the other traditionalists, they had obsessive parents who tattooed the teachings into their beings. Tradition is more than just belief to Ripuka, it is a base for everything she and her pride stand for. They fear losing that as a lion fears losing its teeth." He sighed. "If she thought it would save the pride, she'd offer her life to do so." It was sad...sad that Ripuka and a handful of others had reduced themselves to such worship.
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:14 am
Zizima raised a brow. "Ultimately, it is brute force that will cause your plan to succeed. If push comes to shove, and you're standing over your father's battered body, will you be able to deal the final blow?" This was important to Zizima, as he was actually giving this whole thing some thought now, but he saw little point in doing so if Kidondo's will were to falter when it truely mattered.
A very breif look of pity crossed his face as he once again thought of the lioness he had fought. "So Ripuka is her name?" He lifted a paw and raked it through the small dark grey beard he had on his chin. "I met her a long time ago. I tried to open her eyes to what the Firekin truely were, and I think some of the things I said actually shook her confidence a little." He rolled his eyes and motioned towards his back. "But in the end, all it got me was a few more scars and the confirmation that all 'true' Firekins are beyond help." His eyes flickered darkly. "Had I killed her when I had the chance, you would have one less Firekin to worry about."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:32 pm
"Whether I want to or not. It will have to be done. It would be worse than death to banish my father and let him wander the lands without a purpose. No. His death...sad as it is, will send the most important message." What was he saying!? He loved his father, though they saw things differently. He knew, the day he had to kill his father would be the worst of his life.
But whether he wanted to or not. It had to be done. Kimeti had to die. His ears drooped sadly. "But I do not hate my father. I could never hate my father. I hate only the path he has chosen. I tried to get him to see the light but he turned on me. He would not see, not even when I begged him too. He chose his faith over his son. He chose his destiny the moment he sent me away in shame." He flexed his claws. "Killing him will be my punishment for not persuading him."
"Ripuka is her name..." He raised his head to the grey male and nodded, slowly. "Deep down she is kindly natured. But even now, years after her parents' death, she still follows their words as if she were a puppet." He shook his head. He smiled at the grey male's last words.
"If you had killed her, my eyes might not have been opened to how terrible things were in the Firekin lands. Your merciful decision could have helped shift the sands of the desert. I am in your debt." He bowed his head. "I would ask you to join me on my quest, but I have a feeling you will decline."
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