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 Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:50 am
 Kaym'itan shook his mane out of his crimson eyes as he settled on the two lion wide branch above the trail that lead to the Roguelands. This was the third week he had searched for signs of the white lion that had so brutally attacked Ru and left her still healing painfully. She would bare the physical scars for the rest of her life, but if the large male had any say in it, she would not bare the emotional ones as well.
The night scout figured that presenting her her attackers white pelt to wear on the day they exchanged their vows would ease her mind and lay to rest the demons that the attack had woken in her memory.
So to that end, he took the extra hour or two a night on his patrol, which he gained by waking earlier for his shift, and stalked this trail. Watching and waiting for the white pelted lion to dare to set paw back on Inkimayan lands.
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Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:11 am
They came in fits and starts; his dreams or at least this was what he thought they were. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to distinguish between what was real and what wasn't. Were the visions of violence, death and despair an accurate portrayal of his life while the tranquility he found in the evening nothing more than a dream - or was it the other way round? He simply couldn't ascertain which was which and as a consequence he was left bedraggled and completely exhausted. Alas, it should have come at no surprise that this lion rarely slept soundly.
Nevertheless, the lion 'woke' as he was scheduled to in the evening, his white coat standing out rather strikingly in the moonlight. Suffice to say he was not an individual who excelled at camoflage, but he rarely required it. There was something about the haunted gaze and skiddish nature of the male that often caused the general populace to grant him a wide birth. He could only assume that he came across as unpredictable or mad; to be quite honest he wouldn't fault them for the 'mad' aspect.
...He was beginning to think this himself.
It was with a small shake of his head and a flex of his claws that he banished the tingling from the tips of his toes and padded forward. Pawsteps light and otherwise silent, he paced away from his previous hiding place and into the more open plains of the roguelands. There he paused, lifted his head and sucked in a deep breath - well, if this was a dream then he would savour it. After all, who knew if he would return after he next 'woke' up? The violence of the world that existed beyond this one might claim him for eternity.
Unaware of the possibility of a confrontation, the feline gave himself another stiff shake and regarded the wider expanse before him. He was rather hungry and in need of food, but the question was what he should choose to eat...
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:52 am
What was that, just there along the edge of the jungle his Pride called home. A glimpse of white? The night scout narrowed his eyes, the hair on the back of his neck raising as he followed the feline's path.
The figure was too far for Kaym'itan to tell if it was a lion, or if it was male, but it certainly was white. Growling, the powerfully built lion slipped off his branch and began to move toward the other large cat, keeping below the low ridge that ran parallel to the open plains. If he followed it, and kept to the scarce vegetation, he should be able to intercept the stranger without being noticed.
Kaym'itan was a veteran of the devastating war that had come to his Pride, had been a night scout for seasons, he had learned how to use the darkness to his advantage. The night was his friend, his pelt blending into the shadows. Kaym'itan , stalked his quarry on silent paws, his ears tracking the movements above him.
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:46 am
Spectre quickly concluded that fish would be a viable option for a meal. At this time the watering holes and rivers would be deserted while most animals slept. Rather than cause a disturbance by hunting for larger prey, he was content to pursue something smaller. After all, fish didn't scream in a manner that could reach any other being's ears and while they were small he always had the option of seeking out more. He had the night to himself and he would take the opportunity to enjoy this solitude and tranquility while it was there for his taking. When it came down to it, he was always one to savour the small pleasures rather than to seek out anything large - a goal he regarded as unrealistic in a world of dreams. A rather ironic view to be sure, particularly when dreams were meant to be rife with imagination.
With his decision made the vibrant, white lion began to move once more. His pace was at more of a saunter than a lop as he'd never quite seem the necessity for rushing... at least not here. The only time he would be in a hurry is if something or someone was snapping at his heels. Fortunately for him (or so he would assume) he was not graced with hostilities today and so he turned in the direction of the river and hurried on. It was quite a distance away and by the lack of 'scent' in the air he could tell it would take him a little while to reach an unclaimed river.
...Oh he knew those forests had them, but he also knew said forests were occupied.
Thus, his attentions were drawn to the river seeping through the roguelands - hostile it might be during the day, but it was a sanctuary in the evening. However, it wasn't long into his journey that the hair on the back on his neck began to rise. The tingling crept through his mane, caused his nose to twitch and brought that tingling sensation across the entire of his spine. With Kaym'itan down wind he couldn't spell the fellow lion for the time being but he couldn't help feeling something just wasn't right. He took a moment to withdraw his previous thoughts about lacking a pursuer!
His lips pursed and it was with uncertainty that he came to a halt and looked to his left, then right. A small frown lifted onto his features and then he turned in a circle briefly, a vain hope that he might see whatever it was following him.
Nothing.
Evidently his 'dream's from another reality were springing to life, he really was going mad...
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:09 am
Kaym'itan crouched low, his belly slinking along the ground as he kept to the thick shadows of the under bush he was using as cover. His movements were careful, keeping his silent approach down wind of the other male. He could see him slightly better now that he was practically on top of him. This was not the lion he was seeking.
This male's pelt was white, true, but the blood red mane was missing as was the look of complete madness. No, this lion's look was...haunted. He was colored like Kaym'itan's beloved, the pure, perfect white of an atokirina, a seed of the Tree of Souls. These spirits were gifts of Eywa, and the crimson eyed scout was wondering if his goddess was trying to tell him something cryptic.
Tilting his head to the side, Kaym'itan considered his options, he could turn around, slip back into the jungle and have nothing more to do with this outsider, but there was a reason Eywa had put him where he could see the white male, a reason he was colored as an atokirina.
Repressing a sigh, for Kaym'itan did not think becoming exasperated with ones living Goddess was a wise thing, he carefully rose to his feet and padded out of the ravine, placing himself where the other male could see him, though it did appear as if the night scout had simply materialized out of the dark. The feathers and bioluminescent jewelry he wore making him see more a shade then a lion, one born of the night.
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Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:05 am
Spectre righted himself, once more pointing his nose in the direction of the river. It was better to shake the feelings of paranoia, if they plagued him then his night would be soured considerably. He couldn't allow the entities of this other 'world' to pursue him, it would spell disaster for both him and whatever happened to sneak up on him at the wrong moment. The lion was about to step forward after shaking some sense into his own head, but a single pace brought it all crashing back to reality. Where there had once been nothing, a lion now stood directly in his line of sight, the peculiar jewellery that adorned his form granting him an eerie light.
No sooner had this observation been made than Spectre had paced backwards, his forelegs lowering just a touch in preparation for defence. His expression transformed, no longer haunted, into something considerably wilder and much more dangerous. There should have been no doubt in anyone's mind that this lion felt threatened, especially when his mane seemed to 'rise' in an anticipation. It would have been safe to say that Spectre was not one for surprises, or at least he had no intention of receiving them well.
Popping out of the shadows? Pretty bad idea, but it wasn't as though Kaym'itan was aware of this!
Spectre quickly pieced together the puzzle, the niggling sensation that he was being watched and now this. He may not have heard or smelt the lion's approach but instincts had told him to tread with caution... now all that was left to be seen was whether or not this lion had brought friends, or at merely pursued him on a solitary level.
"What is it you want?" he growled, teeth bared warningly.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 3:20 pm
Kaym'itan raised an eyebrow, but otherwise remained calm, fully understanding that the other male had a right to be angered and wary. He had come out of the night, down wind, and without warning.
" Oel ngati kameie, I see you brother." He answered in his deep, gruff voice, bringing his paw to his forehead and back down, " I wish only to speak to you, nothing more. I need information on these trails here, and on the lions who use them."
Kaym'itan watched him through calm crimson eyes, noting the tense line in the other male's shoulders, in the way he held himself, and in the disappearance of the haunted look, something was amiss here, though the night scout was not sure what just yet, " I come alone Brother and without mal intent. I only wish to speak with you...I am called Kaym'itan, and you are?"
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 4:23 pm
Spectre wasn't so naive as to immediately believe the reassurances that the fellow lion made to him. While Kaym may not have been lying, his words could also have been a ruse. That was how it worked in his dreams, in that 'other world', they would mislead and then launch an offensive when their victim was at their most vulnerable. It would be completely unexpected and the conclusion would be fatal - in short, if he were to fall for this then he might very well find himself in dire straights indeed. Throughout his musings, his eyes remained narrowed and his hackles raised but, he made no move to run off the opposing lion or bolt himself. A testament to his patience and bravery or merely an indication of suspicion?
It would have been more intelligent to assume 'suspicion' at this moment in time.
Nevertheless the white line to lend Kaym his ear as he spoke and took in to account all that the scout had to say. He had elected to disbelief one of the remarks Kaym made for the time being, but the second was something that he would provide with a reasonable amount of consideration. So he requried information then? Spectre failed to see how he would personally be of assistance given his preference for isolation but he could indulge the male for a time. However, the query about his name would remain untouched, there were some things that Spectre wouldn't provide and his identity was one of them - it could prove disastrous at a later date if in the wrong paws!
"I know very little of these trails," he replied slowly and tilted his head just a little to the left. "But if I know the answer to your query then I will answer it," he confirmed.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 6:55 pm
Kaym'itan caught that the other did not give his name, and choose at this point not to press the matter. He needed information more then he needed to take offense at perceived slight. The scouts sharp eyes noticed the wary paralanguage of the other and made him pause briefly. He admired it, respected it.
Whoever this lion was, he at least seemed to have a head on his shoulders. It made Kaym'itan wonder again at his goddesses motives. The thought, Why me? crossed his mind for a second only before he returned his full attention to the stranger so close to the Inkimayan border.
" I mistook you for another white coated male that passed through this area a few nights past. He attacked one of my Pride, nearly killed her. I search for him, for the blood he has stained his paws with. I marked him, across his right flank. He will be traveling slowly, if he is at all. Have you seen him or signs of another along this trail and the one you came from, the one close to the jungle entrance?" The male's deep, gruff voice seemed to float on the night, clearly heard, yet did not disturb the sanctity of the evening. As if he were more spirit then lion.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 4:50 am
Spectre's gaze immediately fell to his own paws but was granted a sense of reassurance and relief when it became apparent that they were not stained in any manner. In this 'world' he remained pure and untainted, it was only in the other that he bathed in the blood of his enemies. However, a tiny part of him was still tweaked with concern and he very briefly turned his head to examine his own flank - once again reassured to discover that he possessed no scarring - to any outsider it may have seemed that he had a guilty conscience.
Alas, he could be thankful for small favours as the gods had given no beast the ability to change it's fur in that respect, he was most certainly not the male Kaym sought, even if he had indicated there was more to him than met the eye.
"An easy mistake to make," the lion conceded and gave a nod in acceptance of the explanation. However his lips pursed and he tried his hardest to recall if he had or hadn't seen anything amidst his wanderings. The truth of the matter was that it was rather unlikely, he had come from behind the injured party and travelled by night, if the injured party was attempting to flee the scene then it was unlikely he would pause regardless of when the sun came up.
Right...?
"I apologise but I have witnessed no such thing, by many standards I have travelled a day or so behind the individual you have your sights set on," he replied at last, his tone genuine and his body language at reasonable ease to indicate as such. "Though you have my condolences in relation to his victim, I hope that she will make a swift recovery."
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 12:47 pm
At the mention of the injured lioness, the dark coated lion's jaw clamped tight and there was a tautness to his shoulders, but the tone in his voice was calm as he answered, " I will convey your well wishes to them."
Looking off into the night, the large male closed his eyes for a moment, looking at nothing and everything, before he turned his crimson eyes back to the white coated male, " Thank you for your time, and for the information. I wish you a good evening, and successful hunting on your travels Brother."
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:20 pm
It seemed that Kaym no longer had a need for his presence and was, in a manner of speaking, dismissing him. Spectre couldn't fault him for a lack of manners, as he did have them and truth be told, the white lion wasn't really inclined to hang about for much longer himself. The longer he dwelled in this spot, the more his pursuers gained upon him, who knew when they would creep up to launch an assault upon him? Thus, it was with a small nod that Spectre accepted the fellow lion's well wishes and took a number of steps backwards and away from the Navi borders.
"To you as well," Spectre replied softly and with that, turned upon his paws and began to trot away from the borders. He had wasted enough time and while it was unfortunate Kaym's companion had been attacked, if he wasn't careful then Spectre would end up in the same sorry state as her as well!
...And that was something that he couldn't permit.
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