Bi’ndoto was, of course, as dedicated to his journey with Giza as ever, but couldn’t help but want to see if he was still capable of being his own lion. They were one and the same: and their vows to each other would attest to that. Even so, he did not want to become so dependant on her that he wouldn’t be able to defend her should he ever need to. She was his, as much as he was hers, and he was not going to get too comfortable lest their travels together ended badly. He wasn’t scared, per se, or paranoid. He just wanted to keep himself as dangerous alone as he was with her. And he wanted to play with something without her watching. She had her art, and he was growing ever more interested in how she did things, but he wanted to be good at it before letting her see him.
So he had captured a rabbit, letting Giza sleep some distance away, and settled down to spend the night exploring its flesh with his claws. Giza had a talent for carving pictures into skin, as was made clear by the scar on his shoulder. On one side was a natural mark in his fur that looked like a skull, while on the other was a mirror image of it, drawn there by Giza’s claw and destined to remain there for the rest of his life.
The rabbit was much a fan of the game Doto had decided to play, but it stopped fighting soon enough, when pain and blood lose got the better of it. It wasn’t dead yet, though. Oh no, Doto wasn’t going to let it die. He liked to skin creatures alive, and watch them deal with not only the suffering and torture itself, but their own panic. Watching for that moment when a mind snapped was the greatest thrill for the weird, black and white lion.
Lessons and more lessons had been taught to the cub from his parents over the weeks.. Yet he had found that the more weeks went by, the less his parents were doting and fidgeting. They were doing their own thing, out making sure that life could be lived for their cubs.
But leaving Roth, was a very bad idea.
The cub, though never having had the taste of the dark side, had always been one to lean towards it. He wasnt good at listening, behaving, doing what he was told.. and as far as he knew, that was all just part of being a cub.
His tail flicked behind him as he made his way through the savannah grasses. They were taller than he was, but he enjoyed burrowing through it, and creating winding paths for himself. He liked how hidden he could remain in it.
But the smell of blood was pushing him forward.
He had caught the smell on the wind only moments before, while he was playing around the watering hole, and looking for a bug to eat. Of course, bugs werent as tasty as normal prey, but the cub was still young. He could not catch the larger animals that larger lions were so good at.
He had been practicing though.. Making sure to keep his claws sharpened so that the bugs would die slowly.
He had always felt joy in the pain of the bugs.. Sure they didnt scream, or panic, and that was an experience he had not actually dealt with.. But he had been known to pull at a beetles wings, and leave it, letting it hobble and crawl over itself to try and get to safety, though death was immenent.
His nose twitched, and the ebony cub with the red markings and white toes's mouth watered a bit, as he continued closer.
Doto was fairly absorbed in his work with the rabbit. He had it flat on its stomach, having broken its legs and then carefully snapping its spine so it couldn’t move, and yet was not dead or completely unconscious. He was becoming better at recognizing anatomy, as well as the physical limitations of creatures, and their individual thresholds for pain. He had general ideas of such things for species, and was practicing applying this knowledge to further narrow down what games he could and could not play on his specific victims.
Now that he was nearing adulthood, he found himself moving past the learning stages, and delving further into the risks and trials of application. It was much more fun this way, he discovered, even when his calculations were slightly off. After all, even when he was wrong about something, the creature usually still screamed and gave him a fitting, if not satisfying, death scene to watch. And learn from.
The rabbit before him, however, was just a play thing. He had tortured so many rabbits, he almost found digging his claw into the flesh of its side, carving along the indents of its ribs, to be a muscle memory. He didn’t hear something approaching him until it was almost too near, and even then he didn’t react much. He curled his ear toward the sound, eyes still on the rabbit but mind wandering to the idea of something coming to mess with him and his fun.
White toed paws carried him closer, and the scent became almost unbearable to the little cub. The only hunting training he had had so far, was all on his own. Mother had said he wasn't ready to learn, and to enjoy being a cub. But Roth was not a cub to enjoy the little things in life. He wanted to do so much more. He wanted to cause trouble. After all, the pranks on his sister Jovi weren't as fun as the pranks on lions unexpecting.
He slowed his walk, and eventually halted. Taking his paw, he moved the blades of grass that were in front of his eyes, blocking his view of the other lion.
He watched the grey teen with the scars and couldnt help but c**k his head and observe his actions.
A rabbit lay at his paws, though he didn't seem to be eating it so much as playing with it. Roths mother Val, would probably have something to say about playing with your food. But to be honest, it appealed to the cub and he wanted to step closer.
His grin mischevious, he hopped out of the grass.
"Hey," He said, looking at the rabbit, but not with the look of hunger. He was looking at what all the lion had done to the rabbit. He couldnt help but smile a bit as he saw the mangled mess. The rabbit was not dead as Roth had anticipated. He was unmoving, but his eyes were open, fear in them as the eyes flicked back and forth, obviously in a state of delirious pain.
"That, looks really cool.."
Doto did not respond right away, hearing the voice and recognizing it as a cub. He didn’t need to turn around to confirm it, considering there were other indicators to go along with it, like how light the footfalls were. Even if a lion was being as silent as possible, their paws simply made a bigger sound than the little pads that carried the cub. He was sitting, head high but bent down toward the rabbit, though he had stopped moving. His blood paws were resting on the ground before the miserable creature, a puddle of blood pooling out from around it.
It had lost a lot. It wasn’t going to live much longer. That was always one of the biggest problems he and Giza faced. Their fun, no matter how careful they were, was often cut off by their victim bleeding out too much. But there was little they could do to prevent it, though they were working on different strategies.
He was wearing the evidence of their greatest game, dried fur of a giant boar wrapped around his fore legs and secured with what looked like vines. He had been wearing a piece around his shoulder, to protect the wound, but it was scarred now and he didn’t have need for it any more.
“It is really cool,” he said loftily, snorting at what he considered a stupid comment, “but maybe not something you would want to experience first hand.”
Roth watched the blood pool around the rabbit, and at first wondered if he maybe hadn't heard him.. After all it had taken a couple moments to respond.
But when he finally did speak, Roth narrowed an eyebrow, flicking a tail, and stepping closer.
Sure, a smart cub would have left the scarier lion be. But he wasnt always as smart as he was curious. His mother had always told him Curiousity Killed the Cat, but he wasnt sure how much he believed that.
What was life if you couldnt experience it before you died? No matter what you did, you died one day.
"It actually looks like something Id like a great deal to watch."
He said, his eyes moving back to the rabbit.
Mother had never taught him things like this, and he only wanted to learn how the lion kept the rabbit alive so long. He had seen mother hunt, and the prey generally died pretty quickly. The fact that the rabbit was still alive was wonderous in the red eyes of the young cub.
He knew mother would be angry if he stayed and 'ruined' his mind with what the grey lion was doing.. She would have Roth's hide. But he didnt care right this moment, and how did she ever have to find out?
The loud, obnoxious Roth couldnt help but step around the other lion to face him. It didnt seem like the other was going to turn around, so Roth was okay moving around for a better view.
Doto looked up at length, once the cub was settled, fixing him a blank, though inexplicably fathomless, look with his deep red eyes. This certainly was a straight forward cub, and lacked the general caution lions his age kept with them, to stay safe. It was this lack of care that kept Doto from swatting him with his claws and having done with it.
Though he was a wicked thing with his own ideas of right and wrong, greatly skewed from that of the general populace, he did manage himself with some kind of code of honor. He did not torture cubs, for example. Mostly because he did not want to deal with their families coming for him, but also because he was very strategic, and unless he saw some benefit in leaving a bloody, mangled mess for a family to find he was not going to bother. Orphans had a bit more to look out for, and sometimes he would hold conversations with cubs to see if they had family. That was when things got particularly dangerous for his company.
So far, however, he had not brought harm to another of his species. When he was larger, however, that all would change. And fast.
“What do you know about pain?” he asked, almost conversationally. He lifted a bloody claw and reached over to poke the rabbit in a particularly effective spot, making it cry out in its little, strained voice. “I mean, have you ever experienced it?”
Roth had not really had the formal training from his parents. His father didn't know his tail end from a hole in a tree, and his mother was usually kept busy with other things. He had never experienced what this cub was doing now.. At all.
But it made him curious. This just felt like what he was supposed to be doing. He knew that no cub who was good hearted could sit here and watch that creature suffer as it was.
When the Doto poked the rabbit with his claw, Roth couldnt help but feel a sick form of satisfaction as the cry was emitted.
He had never heard a cry like that, as if all its energy was draining away slowly, and that claw still hurt..Even after all of that.
He would have thought the rabbit would have stopped feeling a long time ago, but the lion obviously knew what he was doing.
"Ive experienced normal pain.. Nothing like that of which you are doing to that rabbit."
He said, eyes cautiously looking back at Doto.
He didn't really feel comfortable with him yet, because he was rather odd in temper.
"I.. I would love to do something like that though.."
He replied, thinking back on the beetle wtih the removed wings. He knew he could be good at it should he try.. And he wanted to learn so badly. This other lion just seemed know the perfect place to place his claws and his fangs.
"That looks like it takes alot of talent."
“That’s good. You wouldn’t want to feel this kind of pain. But that’s also bad. If you don’t know how it feels, you can’t truly understand what you’re doing. Assuming you’re doing what I’m doing, of course,” he grinned, tilting his head as he looked the cub over. He didn’t look like much, but Doto had seen that shiver of excitement move through him when the rabbit tried to scream. That was the mark of a cub who was of a similar disposition to him and Giza.
Doto liked those kind of cubs. He had been one, after all. He had grown up being the odd man out in his family. His father was a jerk, but no monster. His siblings had their quirks, but they were not on his level. He had hated them for so long, but only slowly came to find himself defensive of them. They were still his blood, after all, and he found himself selfishly believing that only he had the right to hate them. Any one else would have to go through him first. He didn’t know how this cub felt about his own family, though.
He wasn’t going to assume they were two peas in a pod just yet.
“It takes a lot of practice,” he said, humming a bit as he looked back down at the rabbit. He cracked a small smile. The poor thing had passed its limits. It was trying to run again. There were stages to suffering, from panic to submission and then that breaking point, where the mind turned back to futility, searching for any kind of small hope it could. And, of course, there was none to be found.
“Talent is relative. Unless you know what you’re doing, understand it inside and out, no amount of… natural proclivity is going to be enough. What’s your name?”
He thought about the others words, and nodded, thinking deep down. But if he had ever gone through that kind of pain or torture, he wasnt sure he would survive to know what to do afterwards. His eyes were on the other bright red eyes and he seemed to have similar tastes to the older male.
He wanted to be doing what the older lion was doing.. He wanted to cause pain and agony.
He wasnt sure where his anger and need to cause pain came from, with a family full of nicer lions. It was just an instinct deep inside his blood that made him know what he was meant to do.
And his curiosity was peaked as he watched on.
His breathing came out in short spurts as he looked at the rabbit, flicking his tail, his eyes fixated on the creature. He wanted so badly to feel its pain under his paws.. But somehow he had a feeling until he learned the proper way of torture, his attempts would be quick death.
His nose caught the scent of the blood, and he licked his lips, before looking back at Doto.
"Im called Roth.." He said, nodding a bit, completely entranced.
"I would love to have your skills.. Could you teach me?"
He asked, instantly perking at the thought.
Doto shook his head, shrugging languidly.
“I don’t have the time,” he said was a casual ease, “and I can’t afford to stick around here with one little kid who might not even have what it takes to do this kind of thing. This is an art, in many ways, more than a skill or a profession. It’s more than nature or desire. It’s not even just innate. For me, this is the only thing I could do.”
He tilted his head, pulling his paws back.
“Kill it,” he said, indicating with his head that the cub could have the honors, “and if you can see yourself doing anything, anything at all, with your life other than this, than it’s not my place to try to teach you anything at all. I’m no friend, after all. I could very easily do the same thing to you as I did to this rabbit. But that’s what life is about, isn’t it? Risk. Danger. Discovery. Trial by experimentation. Error. Learning. You have a lot to learn.”
The cub almost deflated when he said that he might not have what it takes. He had been hoping so badly that Doto might take the time to help. But he could understand that he was busy. He wanted to make sure not to push his luck too far, he didn't want to end up on the other end of Doto's paws. He knew that as a cub, he stood no chance to the much stronger male.
But when he said those words.. 'Kill it,' and moved away from the rabbit, Roth felt his eyes widen slightly and his eyes were instantly forced to the rabbit.
Could he kill it? Did he have it in him? He knew there was nothing else for him to do.. His family all had aspirations.. They even were looking for a pride to call home. Roth had been the boy that no one wanted around. He was loud, obnoxious, and he chose to do things his way.
His father had more or less instilled that view into the cub.
But he moved closer to the rabbit, the blood sticky and growing tacky as it soaked into the dirt. His white paws stuck to the earth like a paste has sealed them there.
Each step was a different feeling..and each step made him wince a bit at the thick goo about his paws.
The injured,useless rabbit was dying all on its own, but he'd do it the honor of departing it. He'd show Doto he had what it took. He had everything it took!
Without a second thought, Roth grabbed the rabbits small throat and began shaking wildly once it was firmly in his jaws.
He flung it around in his mouth like a dog flings a chew toy.
Dropping it to the earth, he lifted his paw, and attempted to smash its head. If only just to show he could do demented things.
“Killing to eat and killing for fun are two entirely separate things,” Doto said, watching with an impassive expression as the cub moved to deal with the already dying rabbit. The creature was all but begging for the end, but Doto did not consider it by any means a mercy. No beast that had been living a normal life would willing cry for death. This rabbit was simply reacting to the situation, and its mind had collapsed. It was not who it had been, if rabbits could be considered in the same mental capacity as lions. Doto understood life, and the different levels of it, but he still felt himself superior to most of it.
He watched the way the cub killed the rabbit, shaking his head.
“You need to differentiate between art and need. I think you might have pitied this creature, which has probably served as food for you in the past. But you can’t see everything as food all the time. If you want to do what I do, you have to understand that everything has a family. Everything has an impact. This rabbit was a mother, and her babies are in a den nearby. Very nearby. They’ll come out, and find this carcass. But they’re not going to see it for the mutilation I gave it, the careful cuts and purposeful wounds. They’re going to see it’s very obvious ripped out throat, which will look just like a kill from a hunter. It might not seem like much of a difference, since they’ll be traumatized and probably left for dead any way, but in the mind… it has a different affect.”
He sighed, then grinned wickedly.
“But you’ve got the will in you, I can see that. I like you, kid. Maybe we’ll meet again, some time, and you can show me what you’ve learned. We can either be rivals, or friends. Either way, I’m going to expect a lot out of you.”
When the rabbit was dead, Roth looked up at Doto for instruction. He listened to the words that he spoke, and he listened carefully. He hadnt realized that the style of killing mattered! Now that he did it seemed like a whole world opened to him.
He thought of the rabbits babies finding the dead body, and instantly he wished he could have done it differently.
He wanted them to see it intricately and beautifull tortured. He wanted them to see he worked hard just to play around with their mother.
He nodded, listening some more.
"I wish I could go back and do it all over now." He said, a little grin on his face but it quickly wiped away as he meant what he said. He wanted to go back and do it all over.
Okay! So he maybe -did- have the stuff to be what Doto was.. To be an artist in death. He felt himself squeal on the inside with an unabashed joy. He was good at something..He had a new mission. He'd learn everything he had to learn about this.
"Then I wont let you down." He said with a serious nod. He knew that they were not friends.. and that he would have to beware Doto because he had no idea what set Doto off.
He could easily be that rabbit in three weeks time.
But he was going to try, and he was going to hone this skill, and impress Doto in the end.
Doto continued to grin, nodding.
“Good. But you can’t go back now. So you’ll have to practice again, and just fix what mistakes you make,” he knew he was talking about taking lives, but he might as well have been talking about climbing trees for how casual he seemed. How normal it was for him. He liked this kid’s enthusiasm, in any case, and imagined that he was on the right track now. Even if they didn’t cross paths again, Doto was almost looking forward to hearing stories of another infamous artist out there, like him and Giza.
He nodded, standing. At his full height he was more than impressive. His father was a very large lion, in stature and muscles, and Doto had gotten most of his genes, it seemed. He was a large creature, with enough strength in his natural build to easily earn fear from others. It was only an asset, however, to his penchant for doling out death, not a crutch. He used his size to his advantage, but knew that there were larger beasts than him out there.
“I better be getting back to my journey. And you to your home, before I get called a cubnapper. I’m Bi’ndoto, if I didn’t say before. You’ll hear that name again soon enough.”
Roth nodded, he would just have to better next time. That was right. And there would be so many next times that he was sure practice would make perfect.
He couldnt wait to begin either, he wanted to practice and get better now. Right away! He stood up, his tail swaying side to side as anticipation made his heart start racing with excitement.
Doto had released an purpose in the cub, and Roth was running with the idea.
He gawked a bit when Doto stood, as his frame was larger than even his own large father, Feleji. Roth hadnt seen someone quite so large. He was so much more decieving when he was hunched over, he looked smaller somehow.
"Thanks again, Bi'ndoto. I cant wait to go practice and get better." He smiled with the innocence of a child, though it wasnt innocence running through the gears in his head.
"I hope to hear it again, because I hope to see you again.. You'll see how much better Ive become, and I'll even have a legacy."
He mused.
Okay, so he was overstepping it now, but he couldnt help it. He was so excited. He turned to leave, and cast another look back at Doto.
"I wont forget what you said. Ever."
Doto nodded, dropping his smile but still seeming responsive to the cub. He almost felt a bit of excitement at the idea of a worthy rival out there, though only time would tell what would become of this young one. Doto had only, and accidentally by all accounts, planted the seed. It would be up to the kids dedication and will to cultivate its growth.
He didn’t say anything, though he did wait for the cub to finish speaking before turning and swaggering back toward his sleeping companion. He was thoughtful, but content. It would be a good night sleep, in any case.
Leaving the dead rabbit to be found by the babies, as had been his original intention, he wondered about their reactions. The images that flashed into his head only added to his good mood. Yes, tonight had been interesting and worthy of his time and attention.
He would have to return here some time, though he imagined that the cub would soon find his own path to journey down. Still, it often felt like a smaller world than he gave it credit for. Their paths, or at least their reputations, would have to meet again. And Doto was looking forward to it.
End!
