"You know, father won't be so supportive about this if he were to find out, you know. You're barely den broken." The male asked. Youth ebbing away into adulthood as the inky black mane of his mother's fur sprouts from his skull and down between his shoulders. Even fur around his neck and chest was starting change to hair and the color from bronze to black. Eiji'dai walked beside his sister down the shores of the eastern coast of Africa, directly east of the Pride Lands, give or take a few terrain detours. "Let alone your mother, you being royal and all. You know how many males would come and claim you as their own to boast and brag that they mated a royal female?"
Eiji'dai shook his head as he continued on. Walking with head held high and a posture that was proper for a gentleman like himself, he watched over his sister constantly even from afar. Son of the greatest hunter known in the leonine world, he pride himself in doing just that; The Hunt. Be it seeking females, Gods' blessings, food, shelter, water, or what else, he did his best to find what he was looking for. Taalis just happened to be on top of his agenda as of late.
"Has Aeonus spoken to you?" He questioned.
"Den broken? Hah! I have been coming out here for ages, and he hasn't said much beside "I love you, Taalis" and "Be careful, and don't get yourself lost or lost", you know how father is," the younger sister smiled to her half-brother. Bronze like her mother in every regard and even sported the spots on her hindlegs just like her mother as well. She was a youthful beauty, a royal blooded female, half-sibling to half-gods, she was a catch by any standards. "I am ready for cubs, 'E', and I already have my own den out here. And no ifs, ands or buts, it's dunzo, you're staying here for the night. Not gonna let you be walking about in the cold to the Pride Lands."Aeonus, yes... their childhood guardian. A large white male lion of the Pride Lands who often helped their father, Ezekiel, watch over his large litter of cubs. The thought of her father brought a soft smile to her face. Even though Aeonus was not one of his, he took care of them all, brought them inside the den to shelter them from the rain, brought food back for all the mouths. And when it came to sleep, how such a large lion could curl his children into his embrace. Aeonus, on the other hand, was just the same but with the two charges that Ezekiel could not always handle, specifically, the two that now walk along the beach. Ever so watchful he was, she never really passed a thought of how he was now. Surely he was with a mate and family now, right?
"Nar... Aeonus hasn't even seen me out here, and I haven't gone back to the Pride Lands in quite a while. So I guess he doesn't know about any of this. Though, it is a good to see a familiar face..." Taalis purred as she pushed her head into her brother's strong shoulders, getting a smile from him. "Send him my way if you ever run into him, you hear?"
The two entered the small cave, hidden away behind a few trees and rocks, carved into the side of a precipice's base along the sandy shores. Side by side, the siblings looked out to the sky as the sun slowly faded to the horizon, playing the eternal game of tag in the mortal skies. Stars twinkle into existence as light dissipates into the inky blackness that the moon brings. The crashing waves upon the shore and the salty breeze adds to the atmosphere. Taalis watched as her brother played with the sand between his paws, pushing it out of the stone cave. The two were very close siblings, sharing in many things such as secrets and what goes on with their lives as distant kin. While Taalis remained in the Pride Lands in her youth, Eiji'dai remained with his mother as she carried out her duties as a Goddess.
"So you left your mother?" Taalis asked casually as she watched with red eyes at the mound of sand between Eiji'dai's paws.
"It was bound to happen, it has been a while since I've seen her. I only wished that I could spend more time with her so she didn't have to be lonely in her travels," he replied before pushing the mound out toward the entrance and began scooping more up from around the two. "Though, can't say I didn't enjoy the freedom of roving." he smirked.
"What? No, you didn't! You are worse than Uncle Ezeoha!" Taalis gasped, playfully pawing at the male. Ezeoha was known among the Pride Landers for the way he treats females. With utmost respect, with a silver tongue, and mannerful behavior, Ezeoha has bed quite a few females, only naturally that Ezekiel picked up the behavior and passed it down to Eiji'dai, though, no one was as good as that Uncle of theirs. "So... are you... I mean, you know." Her tail swished behind her curiously as she looked at her brother.
"If you are asking what I think you are, then no I'm not, not anymore. And if it is about cubs, then the answer be the same. At least, as far as I can tell." Eiji'dai smiled, looking back at his sister. "Why so curious about such a thing? Unlike you females, I can be unattached, though, if father, or mother, were to know what i was up to, I am certain that I would be in a lot of trouble."
"Aweh, brah, don't you worry about that. They wouldn't be miff'd at ya. I am sure that dad and your mum has taught you a lot of manners to treat females and you are bursting to get busy with someone, aren't ya? As long as things ended on good terms and nothing is regretted, no one can be mad, right?"
Eiji'dai shrugged before pushing his mound of sand away, relaxing back against his sister. "Tomorrow I'm going back to the Pride Lands to visit father, after that, I might go looking for a mate." He murmured, taking his sister into his paws. "What do you think?"
Taalis relaxed as paws embraced her, the warmth he gave was a nice solution to the sea breeze. "Visiting father would be nice, but I am still looking for someone myself," she nuzzled up against his chin. "I hope you do find someone, though, you do deserve it."
"Yeah... hopefully. Let's rest, I have a long trek tomorrow." Eiji yawned before resting his head against his sisters, his back to the entrance. No one was going to disturb them.
