Hot sand stretched for miles along the horizon, lit up like white fire from the sun that screamed down at it. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky as far as the eye could see. The sky itself was a strange kind of blue--not the same blue that draped the open savanna. No, this was desert sky. And very close to that desert was an almost completely black lioness.

Djeserit didn't make reaching the desert her goal--she was merely going in the direction her paws carried her. Whatever she found, whatever she did, it was all chance. She was not a lioness of plans. Certainly it would be rather pompous of her to say she knew what she was going to do for the rest of her life, because it wasn't up to her--the gods ruled all.

Yellow eyes lax as the lioness gazed out at the distant sands, she kept walking, paws still hitting grass. It'd be a while before she reached the desert--a long while. But she could see it, and that was the direction she was going in. The more she walked, the more the lioness began to think. It was true that she didn't know where she was going or really what she was supposed to do with her life from that point on, but just the same, surely there were animals somewhere in need of her remedies...? That was her trade, after all. She made all sorts of--

...Hm... The lioness stopped in her tracks, head tilted just slightly as her expressionless face gazed out at the horizon. Come to think of it, she used to have a lot of help making her items. It had never even occurred to her that being on her own meant having to do everything herself. Where on earth was she going to--

Something interrupted her thoughts once again, only this time it wasn't her fault. Off to her left was a black lion-- a male. He was skinny and rather disheveled-looking--certainly someone in need of her help. The lioness didn't even have another thought before her paws turned towards the male.



Even though many lions would look at Yiska and believe that he needed help however in his mind he didn't need any help at all. He was another lion that didn't know what he was going to do with his life, really he had no clue at all at this point. Sure at some point when he was little living with his mother happy as can be he had dreams. He wanted to be a brave warrior in a pride he wanted to chase way intruders and show them what it meant to be scary.

But now the only reason why he was scary was his rips poking out from under his dark fur, his hip bones obviously seen from his body. His face was defined with his skull and there was little meat on him. His coat and mane was matted and he was close to death. He wasn't sure if he wanted to die but he was close to it.

He grunted as he flicked his tail around swiping some of the flies away from him, the ones that hung around just waiting for him to die. There were other animals that followed him around with the same idea on plastered across their faces. He was sick of it but he gave up on chasing them away he didn't have the energy or the will too, heck he barely had the will to hunt.

He lifted his head as the sound of some one else started to head in his direction, he grunted again as he did. He looked through his mane that fell over his eyes before he groaned and flopped back down, why ddid some one wnat to come bother him on a day like this? On any day really. He didn't understand why others wanted to talk to him or try to help him. He was useless.



'My, my, my,' the lioness thought, eyes quickly sweeping back and forth, back and forth over the male's entire form as she observed him in detail. 'this boy is dancing with the god of death. But,' Her eyes became half-lidded and she swished her tail. 'perhaps not for long...'

"Good day," Djeserit said in a friendly, sweet voice, her tone the opposite of what her face said. Her face seemed to say, "I don't want to be here, and I'm going to KILL YOUlater, because I'm tired right now."

In one swift movement, the lioness flung the leaf-tied sack she was carrying on her ankles and pulled it in front of her, claws carefully removing the ties placed there by her monkey workers. The large, dried leaves fell open to reveal turtle shells and nut casings full of ointments, powders and herbs. The female's yellow eyes seemed to shine as she looked over her own wares. Obviously she enjoyed her job. But then she reverted her gaze back to the lion, no longer seeming to care about the way his bones jutted out of his dirty body. Now all she cared about was getting him to take as much of what she made as possible.

"How are you feeling?" the female asked seriously with some concern, eyes boring into the male's eyes, as if trying to suck out his soul. Djeserit was always graded poorly whenever her parents tested their underlings' people skills. She wasn't quite the friendly, chipper saleswoman her father wanted her to be. Then again, he never told her so. So as far as Djeserit was concerned, she was doing an excellent job at being friendly.



Yiska rolled his eyes as he watched the lioness walk around him. He grunted and closed his eyes hoping that she would just go away. He was annoyed why couldn't this lioness go away. Why would anyone stop to see him it made not sense he looked like death any many avoided him but of course there was those like this female who just seemed to want something to do with him.

He looked at her and arched a brow at her greeting and watched as she started to pull stuff out of a pouch. 'Great.. now she isn't leaving at all'. He groaned quietly as he put his head down on his paws. He tried to ignore her but then she started talking again.

"I'm annoyed because people like you won't leave me alone." He huffed shaking his head and turning away from her.

He grunted as he shifted his bones moved through his skin and he extended his skinny legs. "I'm useless and helping me is a waste of time." He said simply to her, his voice was deep it didn't match his body, if he was healthier it would do. "Leave." He grunted to her something about her seemed more stubborn then the others though. He was crossing his toes for her to leave



"Irritability, temperamentality, discomforted joints, painfully-matted fur, lack of hygiene, vitamin deficiency, nutritional...imbalance..." the lioness counted off to herself, one by one, as she sifted through her sack of remedies. Her yellow-patterned paws brought out a shell of bark with what looked like some sort of fermented animal fat (who knows what it really was), a small, hollowed turtle shell of some sort of wet, brown powder, then she pulled out a completely dried lizard. Without stopping her rhythmic movements, the lioness cracked the lizard in half, sprinkled some of its "dust" in the bark shell, then, without even looking up, attempted to shove the other half into the male's mouth.

Once Djeserit had comprised a prescription for someone, she went about the steps with fluidity and without pause. It was almost like getting thrown into water that started off smooth, then shifted into rapids. Since she evidently lacked people skills, she never stopped to think about if she was causing the "patient" discomfort or not.

She began to swirl the thick-looking grease with the lizard dust with one paw, while her other paw continued its attempt at sticking the back-end of the lizard into her patient's mouth. Without stopping, she finished her mixing, engulfed her paw into the fat-looking grease, then promptly began spreading it rather generously over the male's front arm.

Obviously she hadn't taken a word of his literally. Whatever he told her was merely instruction for what to prescribe him. And judging by the small hint of a dark smile on the female's face, she was quite proud of what she had come up with, and quite happy with the thought of the end result--how the lion would be after his...treatment.



Yiska looked at the lioness with a disgusted look on his face, it wasn't that she was an ugly lioness and for that matter she didn't smell bad, probably not as bad as he did with his matted fur and skinny body. He wiggled his toes around in the sand trying to distract himself.

But thens something made him snap himself back into everything. He snarled and quickly backed away from the lioness he swatted at her out of surprise. "Are you crazy!?" He snarled again shaking his head and spitting out what she tried to shove in his mouth and what she put on his arm.

He made a face and used his paw to swipe off the muck on his leg. "You're ******** insane." He spat, trying to get rid of the rest of what was on his arm he didn't want to lick it off he was resisiting the urge the best he could.

He glared at her then snarled. "i don't need you're help." He then looked down again trying to get rid of it. "You really are crazy.



"Ah. Excellent." the lioness said blankly, watching the male rub the thick grease off his leg. But to Djeserit, even though he was wiping it off, he was actually rubbing it in quite well. Yes, it would sooth his irritation soon. He would be a good deal calmer, she hoped, if it did work. It just needed time to be absorbed into his skin. But then there was the matter of the wet-looking brown powder that lined the inside of a hollow turtle's shell.

Listening to the male lion's cursing words as though it was background music, the lioness hummed a haunting melody to herself and fished out some of the powder with her claws. She inched closer to the male--quite close--and sat down. She molded the wet powder--something like wet, brown dirt--on the center of her paw pads into a small ball. Then she stretched her other paw into the air and smacked it down, smashing the powder ball and sending thick, brown dust swirling every which way.

All sight was blinded temporarily from the thickness of the brown dust, and all that could be heard from the lioness was a quiet inhale. "Breathe it in deeply." she instructed, her voice velvet and dark.



He snarled as he watched her, he was so confused so annoyed that this is what was going to be going on. He couldn't believe that this lioness was really doing this. He grunted slightly as he sat back down not that far away from her. He didn't want her to do anything else to her. Most would wnader away by now but Yiska didn't want to leave this spot he picked it for a reason and well he could tell that she wans't going to leave but he was really hoping that she would leave.

He looked confused at her as he tossed the dust down. What was her problem?! What was this lioness thinking? He took a breath in with out thinking before he started coughing and swiping his paw in front of him to get rid of the dust in front of him.

"Are you done crazy?" He growled at her annoyed at all of it. He flicked his tail around then shook his head. "You're really crazy." He hissed. "Are you done? You're interrupting me I was going to sleep. What is going through you're mind? You really want to do something like this with me?"



Hmm, it was taking longer to work than she thought. But at least he had gotten a few good lung-fulls of the dust because of his coughing. That was good. Yes, that was...good...

Huh...

She had been prescribing all these various things to the lion without even inquiring his name, and without even knowing what had happened to him to put him in such a state. He was ragged, too skinny, hollow-looking cheeks, matted fur, tangled mane...but behind his angry shouts and curses, Djeserit could see something like a sadness in his eyes. Self-pity? Loneliness? Hm...For a patient, he was...interesting.

Head bowed and bright-yellow eyes staring out through black bangs, the lioness watched the male intently, observing him at her leisure.

Then she smiled, fangs glinting and eyes shining. To most, the face would seem quite frightening. But Djeserit was just displaying her...happy intrigue.

"Oh, I merely go here and there, trying to help those who require my...services..." she said quietly, still smiling in her own strange way. "Do you feel any..." she blinked, looking closer. "...effects?"



Yiska looked at the lioness with the same annoyed, confused and disgusted look on his face. To him this encounter was just annoying stupid and really not worth it. He was really getting close to just walking off was this spot really that worth it, he wasn't even that sure

He grunted his teal eyes flicking around as he looked at the dust as they settled on the ground. He couldn't believe all of this. He was just relaxing and now all of this. He shook his head before sitting backa little more on his haunches.

"I don't require your," He motioned to her stuff in front of her with his white toed paw. "services." He then rolled his eyes and then sat back a little more. "Not I don't feel any effects you crazy lioness." He growled back to her very frustrated. "Now answer my question what do you want form me. I never asked for your help."



What did she want from him? Hmmm, good question. She never really wanted anything from anyone, really. It was her life's calling to help others--to care for them in time of need. She hadn't left home very long ago, but wandering by herself was beginning to get tedious, but even more--well, lonely. She was used to the hustle and bustle of people requesting things, her father demanding her help, or her mother complimenting her every improvement. She was a grown lioness, but she had stayed with her parents for very long--they had been exceedingly close. But once Djeserit had felt a calling elsewhere, they parted. And here she was, wandering towards no where in particular...and now there was this male lion, skinny and disheveled, bitter and sad...

Hmmmm...come to think of it, he needed more help than she had originally thought. He was still bone-skinny. Could he even hunt on those scrawny legs? No, she guessed not. Besides, it was a female's job to hunt--they were just better at it. Peraps he was waiting to die? Maybe the reason he wanted her to leave so much was because he was attempting to kill himself slowly...?

That wasn't going to happen.

Mind made up, and eyes flashing her decision, the lioness stood and offered a a dark, tempting smile.

"One does not need to ask in order to receive..." she said. She observed the male a bit more, studying his patterns and coat color. He was filthy and covered in dust and sand--his black coat was grayer than it probably was. Well, she'd fix that.

"But if you felt uncomfortable receiving without giving...I could...ask for your help packing my things?" she asked smoothly, a plan forming in her head.



Yiska was starting to wonder what was going on in the lioness's mind. She was acting very strange to him. He really had never seen anyone act like that. On top of that he didn't want help but she seemed so wiling to help. He truely had no clue what to do, no clue at all. He bit his tongue trying to figure out what to say or do or to the lioness. He was so lost but yet he was still confused. He was pretty sure he wanted to die, why did she want to help him. What was she going to do?

"Yeah but it would be nice if YOU asked." He rolled his eyes shaking his head at her. He snarled and looked down at his leg again it looks like he got it to go away, but he was still annoyed at everything she tried to do.

He arched a brow at her and shook his head again. "I have no clue what to tell you. You tried to shove stuff down my throat made my coat even messier then it has to be. Youre crazy what Is your problem?" He huffed.



Djeserit was becoming more and more puzzled by the scraggly male. Obviously he wasn't used to the company of others. He was probably the type who had decided to hide himself away from the world for whatever reason, on purpose or through an unfortunate turn of events, and now he felt so lost that he wanted to die. It was sad.

But easily fixed...

If she could get the male to at least accompany her, she knew he would be out of immediate danger. She could see that he was cleaned, groomed up a bit, and fed so that he'd get a bit more meat on his skinny bones. Djeserit was a priestess of sorts, and a peculiar type of healer. So, being spiritual, she felt it wrong to abandon someone on the verge of death. Spirituality aside, as a healer, Djeserit felt it was her duty to look after the sick and...well, whatever this male was considered. Self-abandoned...? Well, it didn't matter.

So now that that was settled in her mind, the lioness just had to find a way to get the male to go with her. The problem was, how?

"I'm not crazy," the black lioness stated calmly, seeming entirely unbothered by the male's constant harsh accusations. "are you?" she inquired after him.



Yiska rolled his eyes and settled back on his haunches as he looked at her. He shook his head to he response, she really denied that she was crazy. How could she say that, she was wandering up to a stranger and forcing stuff down his throat. But yet then again he didn't look that threatening. He sighed slightly as he looked at her, he really wasn't sure what else he could do to get the lioness to go in the other direction. He was just going to give in for now.

"I'm not." He said simply before looking at her and sighing. "I don't know how to get you to leave me alone but.... Do what ever you want." He shook his head before sighing again. "I'll comply with what ever you say." He added he didn't see the point of resisting when she was do determined.



Djeserit flashed a smile--a real smile, but only briefly before it shifted into only a hint.

"Well, if you put it that way..." she began darkly, searching the male's eyes. She paused. "...you could help me pack these things back up?" she asked. Just for starters.

The black lioness began collecting things back into her leaf satchel, making sure nothing was out of place, and everything was perfectly contained--well, as contained as they would ever be. As she packed her things quickly, she mused over what the male had said. Weak as he was, she knew he would give in eventually. Being that skinny and lacking such a profound amount of nutrition obviously meant you had a significantly lower amount of energy in comparison to a completely healthy lioness such as Djeserit.

All to her advantage...

And he had given in in the end. Well, that was good. That meant he would live. That meant she would look after him until he was able to care for himself.

"I'm Djeserit." the lioness said, glancing up at the lion before shifting her attention to her task at hand.

Djeserit swung the satchel back around, tightening its fastenings by winding her back paws.

In the mean time...she could use some help figuring out the best ingredients to use in her medicinal items...and since this male was in need of assistance, who better to test her remedies on? Ahhh, yes.... The female turned and began walking, eyes on the desert in the horizon.

It seemed the goddess of fate was smiling down on Djeserit that day.



Yiska sighed and rolled his eyes before leaning closer to her and nodding. "Sure I don't see why not." He started to offer her some stuff not sure where to put things and he didn't want to put something in the wrong place and have her pout at him.

He looked at her and nodded. "My name is Yiska. It's nice to meet you." He said simply, even though he wasn't really that happy he still had his manners, he made sure to to respect what his mother taught him as he was growing up. "Lead the way I'll follow." He said simply to her.

He wasn't that sure of where he was going with or if this was right right desision but he didn't see the harm really. He was sure that he was going to convince the lioness that he wasn't all that nice and he wasn't the best company around and he was hoping that he would leave him alone after a while and he wouldn't have to worry about it and go back to what he was doing before.

Or so thats what he thought.