In the barren lands of sand, the sun was a harsh master who ruled the ways of all. Those that lived in the desert learned soon the tricks to survive the cruel and punishing sun. They learned how to hunt in the seemingly dead land, how to find the scant water sources and how to travel the great expanses. To those though, that thought to trek this unforgivening land....they should pray to their gods for mercy.
Zana shuddered, as the sun beat on her white coat, making looking at her painful to the naked eye. Everything in the exhausted lioness screamed to just stop, lay down and never get up again but she stubbonrly pressed on. Kimya was counting on her, she couldn't let him down. Wither it was her lighter coat, or her smaller body, she wasn't suffering as the big male was. Forcing him into the only shade she could find near a bolder revine, Zana had left him at dawn to find something...anything to bring him to eat.
This was hell. He was sure of it.
Kimya's tongue was dry and stuck on the outside of his mouth as he panted, breathing deep heaving breaths and coughing out the dry air. He was sprawled out in the pitiful shade, tired head on his paws. Where was Zana? When did she leave?
Half dazed, he lolled his head to the side, watery irritated eyes looking out for a white pelt. The longer the walked, the hotter it became until he was physically dragging himself. At one point he'd collapsed, and that was when he'd been forced here.
But what about her? Was she okay? Kimya pushed himself up onto his paws, bracing himself against the boulder before wobbling out after her, head as low as it could possibly be.
Not far ahead of him Zana's heart leapt in her chest as she saw the black specks of buzzards circling a kill. She hated to have to scavange from scavangers, but she had to get food into Kimya. If she couldn't find water, blood would do to get liquids back in him. Picking up her pace to a trot, then a run , the white lioness scattered the vultures before they had a chance to truly settle into their meal.
"THEIF!! THEIF!!"
She snarled savagely, swipping at the diving birds, standing over the scant meal. "Beat it you flying jackles!" She hissed, keeping one eye on the circling birds as she grabbed the half eatten carcess of a waterbuck and began to drag it away.
Some might have thought Kimya to be a dancer, the way he moved, but really he was beyond caring as to where his paws were carrying him. He looked up ahead and saw scattering black things, then he squinted and saw buzzards. Kimya almost tripped over a stone and flailed, tossing his paws out to catch himself.
When he looked back up, he had to shut his eyes again. So bright....but wait! So white! He opened his eyes and saw Zana. He smiled painfully and closed his eyes, though he stayed erect. Sleep time...
Zana still hissed as the birds hopped after her as she struggled with the body. Perhaps they thought soon they would have a better meal in the thin white female. She was so intent on protecting the meal, she didn't noticed when the birds began to drop back, keeping her eyes firmly on the meat in her mouth. She HAD to get this to Kimya, it still had some precious blood in the meat.
Kimya lifted himself out of his haze long enough to cross the distance between them, coming up on her backside with the hardest glare he could muster at the birds. Now there was a meal. Maybe if he killed a bird he'd feel better, and the nausea would go away.
Then again, that took alot of energy he didn't have.
Instead, he sat his paw down on Zana's tail.
She whirled around, her paw ready to strike. She would not let anything stop her for...."Kimya! You shouldn't have moved! Oh god, Kim please eat." He was fading fast. While she had never personally seen it happen, her mother warned her of the signs when she told her of the mad quest she would undertake.
He slowly cocked his head to the side lazily, the apparent hollow's in his body shining out in the sun. She wanted him to eat the bird too? Was she a mind re- Oh.
For a moment he just stared at the half eaten carcass in disgust and horror. Then his brain shut off and he dived for it.
She sighed in relief when he tore into the meat, sinking back a few feet to sit down, panting. True the meat was on the vergue of going rancid, but now it would save his life. She smiled just slightly as she watched him eat careful not to approuch. She knew Kimya would never hurt her intentionally, but his boy was starving and his brain would force him to protect what he needed to live.
It was...it was soooo good. He tore into the meat, swallowing without breathing and chocking in the process. Kimya slurped up the blood like water, taking all he could before his brain started working again.
He snatched one of the largest bones in his mouth and gnawed on it before looking up at Zana. A part of him was ready to fight her for it, but the more civil part of him forced him to reluctantly step back with his bone, nodding for her to finish it off.
She smiled gently shaking her head, "Please Kimya just eat. " She was skinner than when they started true, but perhaps it was her slower metabolism or perhaps just the gods favor, she was not in the dire straights he was.
He didn't argue. Kimya merely looked at her hesitantly, thinking at any moment she would change her mind, before he finished it off. When all that was left was shreds of pelt and horn, he sat, then flopped down with his head on his paws. Gods be praised, he felt better. Granted, he was still in pain, but not as much as he had been.
This journey was torture for the male. Having never been out of the lush jungle of his birth, the lack of almost everything seemed a cruel punishment. Kimya rolled his eyes up at Zana, his maw dabbled in blood, admiration in his eyes. Thank the Gods he had her.
She got up to come to his side, gently grooming the blood from his muzzle and chest, it shoudl have been sensual...but in realty they couldn't afford to waste even the bit of blood on his fur. "I will keep you feed Kimya. I don't know how but I will, I swear it."
His eyes glistened with guilt, and he turned his head to the side. This wasn't right. Zana wasn't the hunter, he was, and it was his job to make sure that she had when she needed instead of the other way around.
She whispered something almost to soft for him to hear, something she obviously didn't intend for him to hear. "Gods I should have never let you come with me this far. It's insane."
His head snapped back to her's, bloodshot eyes widened. Gods, what was happening? Kimya knew that he hated it here, hated every night he spent next to her, shivering in the cold and every day he spent with the sun trying to strangle him.
But it meant something to her. This curse, it was her world at the moment and he was there. With a deep breath, Kimya rose to his paws and started walking.
Zana blinked after him startled "Kimya what are you doing? You need to rest! "
Kimya looked over his shoulder, his tired eyes resolute. If he was going to die in this God forsaken hell hole, he'd do it that much closer to the pride. He wanted to make the best use of the energy she'd gotten him and turned back around, determinedly putting one paw infront of the other.
She snarled in frustration "Dammit Kimya are you -TRYING- to get yourself killed out here?! If that is what you want fine, but I will be no part of it!"
Tears of rage and humilation filled her eyes. She had just robbed a half rancid kill from a bunch of flying garbage eaters and now..now he would undo what little good she had done.
Kimya spun around on her so fast that he gave himself whip lash. Why couldn't he just tell her how he felt? What he wanted her to feel? This was...this was...His breathing quickened, and he wasn't sure how he felt. Watching her tear up only did the same for him. He squeezed his eyes shut, turning his face downwards against them.
She stared at him, her jaw clentch to keep the harsh words in check. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm, " We should rest now, and travel tonight when it is cooler. " True she faired worse at night, but the opposite was true for him.
It wouldn't matter what he did now. He didn't know the way, so he could go on his own, nor would he go without her. His shoulders sagged under their own weight, making him look all the older for it. He slunk up and past her, back to the boulder.
She closed her eyes in relief, whispering as he past her, "Thank you." She slowly got to her feet to follow him back into the scant shade. With the gods blessing they would find at least some sort of water come night fall.
