Batu woke up early, like the crack of dawn early. He was in a strange place and at first glance he couldn't figure out where he was. The night before a large lion had come for him. He had taken Batu while he was sleeping, whispered things in his ear that Batu now couldn't remember. Yawning the small cub stood and looked around trying to put the peices together.
He looked through the den door he couldn't see much for the large lion that had brought him here was blocking the exit. The black and white cub sat back down. One thing was for sure. He was not any longer with his mother, thankfully he was no longer in need of her milk, and he may or may not be in a whole lot of trouble, that could only be told by what ever happened when the large cream lion who blocked the exit woke.
Eztil glanced over at the cub he had stolen. His... son. He didn't know if he had any children elsewhere, but he would likely need allies in the coming days, and this cub had seemed to be strong enough to make something of himself, "Batu, that's what your mom called you right kid?" He asked.
He barely remembered the blue lioness, but when he had seen her and the kids on one of his trips and decided that he might as well make use of an otherwise wasted night. This would do nicely.
Batu was quick on his toes and was even careful not to jump when the lion suddenly spoke. "Yes I am Batu." he said for a cub his voice was clear and confident, even his size was large compared to other cubs, or at least those he had seen around Suka'Fumo... his home, or at least it was his home.. now what ever this place was his home, he had best find out what this place was.
"Who are you?" the cub asked, his voice was inquizitive but not nervous. Batu was holding his own, something his mother hadn't done on her past encounter with Eztil... not that Batu knew that. "And where am I?" he added in for good measure.
"I'm a King. Also your father. I need more knights, so I decided to take you." Eztil said flippantly, playing off all those little kid knight fantasies, "What do you say? Want to help me protect my kingdom?" He sounded pretty regal, always a nice thing to have really. Sound nice and Kingly so that he could win the boy over. The rest would come later.
"My name is Eztil... I'm sorry you couldn't say goodbye to your mother and brother. But you're far stronger than they are." All lies, the kid looked like the better choice and that summed it up. Anything else he did would be up in the air somewhere. But he needed more allies he could screw over later... and who knew? The kid might win him over. If he was useful enough.
Batu was unsure of what to say at first, he stayed seated thinking through the optitions that had just been presented to him. On one side he hadn't been able to say bye to his mother, she had done nothing wrong as far as he could tell. On the other side though Batu was here now, and as far as he was aware something of an heir in this new home of his. That and well frankly the cub wasn't stupid he had never travelled the rouge lands he didn't have the first idea about how to get back to his mother.
"Ok I will stay." Batu said as if it was the easiest choice he had ever made. "You have to tell me more about the pride though, if I am going to be your knight I need to know everything possible." Batu didn't have to fake the enthusiasm he was honestly interested.
"Sadly, we've had a lot of problems lately in the pride... I'm afraid some members are trying to turn our members against myself and the more peaceful members." Well, really, the smarter members of the pride were starting to catch on. Which he couldn't have. Which meant he had to find a way to gather forces of the bigger idiots in the pride.
"You have to understand Batu... this pride means a great deal to me. Which means I have to keep your identity secret. They will hurt you if you know who you are." Or the kid would just make him look bad. "But I believe I can train you to be one of the greatest warriors of all time."
Batu listened, father was the leader, members creating problems, peace needed to be kept, pride was important. It was a lot to take in for the young cub but he was trying his best tokeep up. He thought he had a pretty good grasp on it, he didn't want to seem stupid to his father.
"OK, so I am not your son. I am just Batu. What do I say when someone asks me how I came to live her? Am I going to be staying in your den or will I have to live on my own?" It was the logistics that Batu was worried about the young cub was all about the details. He didn't want to accidently let something slip that wasn't meant to be known, he was hell bent on making this whole thing work.
Eztil sighed, feeling exhasberated already. Children. He remebered now why he didn't really like them. It wasn't anything in particular, just the naivity and the stupidity and... well, he had hoped perhaps his own children would be at least a little more intelligent than average, but it seemed he was mistaken.
"You are my apprentice, you understand? Not my child, but an innocent little orphan I've taken in. You see where I'm going with this?" Though Eztil assumed he didn't. No one ever seemed to. Adopting an orphaned child would look good on his resume, a lot better than kidnapping one from his mother. Batu hadn't shown much promise yet, but Eztil decided to keep in mind that he might at least make it to dumb muscle some day. Though the boy was still young, this could be fuxed
Batu breathed in what his father had said, no not his father his master. "Okay Master, I am here to learn from you the greatest leader, the leader of the pride." Batu was sure that he understood what was being said, he was here to help his father, and to help his father his identity had to be kept a secret. Batu could keep a secret he was sure.
"Can I go get accustom to the pride now?" Batu asked, he had only really seen the pride in the night as that was when his father had brought him in, he now wanted to go out and see what it had to offer in the daylight, perhaps even meet a few others in the pride, make a friend. He was sure he would have to learn more about the pride and its inhabitants if he was going to help his father in anyway.
"Good boy." Eztil grinned, deciding to stick with the idea of at least looking like the encouraging, loving father figure to see if he could cultivate some kind of intelligence in the boy. If he followed the plan to a T then there might ne hope for him yet, and Eztil did like to be optamistic.
Perhaps this could be his new game. Seeing if he could make a con artist out of the little punk. Now that would be something. A new second in commond. He could certainly use one, "Yes, you may. Remember, you're the leader's adopted son, not his real one. Make me look good boy, and I'll see that you have everything you could ever desire... and so much more." And there would be more to take.
Batu said nothing but instead nodded his head and slipped quickly out of the den, it was a new adventure and he was off. He was going to learn everything he could and as fast as he could. He would make his father proud he was sure of it.
