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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:28 pm
 The sand beneath his feet, the heat of the sun bearing upon his back... his parents had told him of their home, and as a cub he had come to loathe their luck. That is, until today, when a mere glimpse upon the supposedly abandoned temple had proven his luck just as well off as theirs. He was not afraid to approach this place, oh no. This place was where his blood came from, and he held more excitement than fear at this strange outcome of events. Of course, his luck was only so deep. So far, he had yet to spy a face on the horizon as others in his group had, and he felt just as intent as he had in the past to return to his pridal lands regardless. His gaze shifted to the beating sun, the heat so intense at this stage in the day that he'd only now come to notice, and the pads of his feet tingled with the warmth of the ground. A new feeling, one that didn't disturb him as much as he had thought. Maybe the blood in his veins knew just as he did, that he belonged here.
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:17 pm
Having been up and about all day, Kiume decided to continue patrolling for a little knowing that he wouldn't have anything to do if he returned to his den. The lands had been rather quiet as of late so that just meant less things to keep him occupied. Kiume was happy being a bachelor but sometimes it would have been nice to have someone to come home too. These were the kind of thoughts that he would have preferred to avoid and he definitely shouldn't be thinking about this while he was patrolling. He had learned the hard way that keeping a keen eye was important at all times.
Snapping back to attention, the lion continued along the border keeping an eye out for anything that could be moving in the distance. He was thinking about going back and having someone relieve him until he saw something. Squinting, the lion's eyes adjusted to the bright light as he tried to discern the figure in the distance. It looked like a single lion but he couldn't be sure considering that the hot desert sun liked to play tricks. The Dawnwalkers were open to visitors but the desert was a dangerous place so he could never be sure. Calling out to the lion, "Hello there!" Kiume remained wary just in case...
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:36 am
A voice in the distance, and Rasui's pace became a little faster by habit, towards the lion that had gotten his attention. "Good afternoon!" His voice had come out an octave too high, and in an effort to re-masculine it he cleared his throat as he reached where Kiume stood, "You may call me Rasui, good sir... And what shall I call you by?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:52 am
Kiume had to think twice when the lion returned the friendly response. "Pleasure to meet you Rasui. I go by Kiume. What brings you to this part of the desert?" Most travelers didn't just stumble upon the Tuait'tekem on accident. The lions that came this way usually were looking for the pride and Kiume was happy to take them there as long as they proved to be decent lions.
He hadn't been in the Dawnwalkers for long but Kiume was happy. Having been a wanderer for all of his life, settling down in one place was a wonderful thing for him. So whenever travelers asked him about his pride, Kiume had nothing but good things to say.
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:02 am
Rasui's smile widened, the effort giving his face a cub-like structure, "My bloodline comes from the desert, and I merely wish to return to it." He hadn't meant his words to be so brief. In fact, he wanted to ramble on about the fact his lineage had been born to the Tuait'tekem and had left to avoid a plague that was sweeping across the pride's members. But he didn't want to burden someone with stories that were before his time.
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:10 pm
"Your family comes from the Dawnwalkers?" From the lion's markings, Kiume could have guessed that but he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to cause Rasui's family to leave the Tuait'tekem in the first place but he wasn't the type to pry. Kiume wasn't exactly very familiar with the pride's past but he was currently taking lessons with the young ones and learning alongside them. The pride was rich with history so it was a lot to take in.
"Do you need help finding the Temple? I could escort you back and we can figure out your arrangements." He didn't mean any disrespect but if Rasui hadn't been in the Pride lands for awhile then it would probably be difficult to navigate the way back to the pride. They were pretty far away at this point and even when he first arrived, it had taken him some time to adjust to the distances between all of the landmarks.
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:18 pm
A light nod, and Rasui was about to burst with information, "I was born into a group that had left during a plague, and we came back to look upon the temple and found the pride thriving." As a show of his good nature, Rasui bumped the other male lightly on the shoulder and offered a smile, "I'd be glad for any assistance you could offer." True, he needed the assistance, he knew more about the rogue lands than he did of the pride he should have been born into, and the mere thought of that pulled at his heartstrings.
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:25 pm
At this point Kiume was rather interested in the lion's past and what had happened at the time but he wasn't the type to pry when it wasn't needed. "Well, welcome home then. I hope that things haven't changed too much in the time that you were gone. The pride has been doing well as of late." He couldn't even imagine the feelings that Rasui could be feeling. Being forced to leave his homeland and then coming back to find that the pride was fine. "Of course. I would be more than happy to help. Let's head back then, my patrol is pretty much over." Nodding in the direction of the temple, Kiume had learned a great deal about the desert in the past few months. When he had arrived, he had no idea how to get back to the temple but he quickly learned. The desert was an enigma and relying on your instincts would be the only way to survive.
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:49 pm
If exhaustion wasn't taking effect, Rasui would bet on a distinctive bounce taking to his step. He was quick to follow Kiume, a small smile crossing his features with a slight intuition bothering him, "Of course, you're welcome to ask me questions, as I'm sure to bother you with them." He flicked his gaze to their destination, the glimmer in his eyes radical compared to his calmer exterior, "How are things here? The teachings haven't changed too much, have they?"
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 3:05 pm
Kiume hated prying but this lion definitely was intriguing; the lion was glad that Rasui gave him permission to ask him questions and Kiume would have been more than happy to answer any questions that Rasui had. Continuing to walk, Kiume answered the lion's questions. "Things have been going well and the teachings really haven't changed. I've been taking lessons with the younger cubs and from what I've observed, they've been teaching the same history and pride ways." Smiling, Kiume knew that must sound good in Rasui's perspective.
"What have you been up to since you left the pride? Have you explored the outside world? Were there other lions that left with you?" He decided that would be a good place to stop even though he did have a few more questions.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 9:25 am
Rasui nodded as the other spoke, looking straight ahead as he took in what Kiume was saying before the questions arose, a smile tugging at his lips, "In all honesty, it wasn't me that left the pride, but my grandparents... a plague had been devastating the pride and they left with what we though remained of the royal blood of the pride, to preserve what we could and hold the teachings amongst ourselves. Roaming the rogue lands gave birth to different generations, and... well, with time, some left us and didn't want the teachings of a deceased pride. We come back to merely reminisce, and we find... well... you." A mouthful, yes, but when one doesn't speak very often, it felt good to get a few words off his chest. The glossed look his eyes nce held was gone, and now his interest was on the male in front of him, remembering something he had mentioned earlier, "So you weren't born within the pride, I take it?"
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 4:01 pm
"I see. That sounds horrible but it's fascinating that the pride has so many generations. For your grandparents, the plague must have been terrible and your grandparents were right to leave the pride. Do you know if more your group is returning to the pride?" That would be interesting... Rasui mentioned royal family? How would the current royal family change if they came back? This was none of his business though. Kiume smiled gently at the other lion and realized that they were almost to the temple. "I think we'll be able to see the temple soon."
He nodded at Rasui's question. "Yeah. My family was a wandering rogue family. Once I grew up I decided to go out on my own and heard about the Tuait'tekem. It sounded like where I needed to be... I'm not sure how to describe it but it was just calling to me. My parents used to tell us stories about the desert and I couldn't help but wonder if I was drawn here because I had ancestors here. Though I'll probably never know." He didn't mind because he was more than happy here in his new home.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 4:12 pm
Rasui's smile widened, "Quite a few of them are returning, actually.... there is one who left during the plague that managed to outlive my family and still lives today. And I'm sure our Princess will return, though I doubt she can be considered royalty anymore with the pride's surviving and all..." He trailed off, in a state of wanting to learn than to teach as he watched his accompaniment, "You're meant to be here just as I am... had our group not wanted to look upon the temple, we would've never come back as we have... Had you not met me in the desert, I'm sure I would've gotten lost." He nudged the other with his shoulder, a friendly gesture with the expression on his face.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 10:22 pm
"Wow that's great." Kiume was surprised to hear that so many of them were going to be returning. It was strange that Rasui was separated from them but maybe he was sent forth to tell the pride of their arrival. "I'm more than happy to help." Returning the smile, Kiume felt like it was fate for him to encounter Rasui and help him and his group return home.
"Well, it looks like you are finally home." Pausing as they reached the top of a large sand dune, Kiume nodded in the direction of the temple. "Because here we are." Lions were wandering around and mingling outside of the temple and young cubs could be seen frolicking in the distance. Key signs that the pride was flourishing.
The lion felt a surge of pride when he gazed down upon the temple and thought about everything that it represented. This was his home.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 7:07 am
He was usually so calm, but a bubble of excitement was on the verge of bursting from Rasui in the form of childlike energy. His gaze flicked over everything possible, taking it in with an unheard of thirst for it. "It's breathtaking...." He managed to finally utter a few words, his gaze resting securely on the temple's walls. He doubted he would be able to get out any more than that, so distracted and drawn in the this... no, his pride. It felt odd to have a place to call home, but it was also a relief.
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