After traveling through the desert, Otea found herself rather weak. The initial thought of leaving her home in the Pridelands was something that seemed like a good idea at the time, but slowly it began working its way to a bad idea. Her fur had missing matches here and there, a sign of malnutrition. She was a great huntress in her pride, but things were much different in the rogue lands. She actually had to learn to fend for herself, something that rarely happened in the pride. Sighing, blue eyes kicked the dirt that covered the ground. The rains needed to get here soon, or there would be many animals strewn across the lands, bone-cladden and all.
…hers may be included in there.
Her nose lifted into the air as something sweet wafted through it. The smell of meat! Something she felt as if she hadn’t had in ages! Following her nose, she caught sight of the dead animal. It seemed to be a fresh kill, maybe just under a day old. Her instincts taking over, Otea decided that she would rather eat instead of looking to see if anyone else was around. Quickly heading over the fallen zebra, she began to devour the freshest portions she could find. She started at the leg, tearing bits of the striped skin off, for happily munching away on it. It seemed like a meal fit for a king, when you couldn’t recount what the last meal you actually had was.
She didn’t hear the darker lion come up behind her, with that smirk on his face.
“You know,” the voice was familiar. “It’s not like you to not look before diving into a meal…Otea.”
She froze, dropping the bits of meat from her mouth as she slowly turned around. “…Suoh?” The familiar charcoal pelt, those chocolate colored eyes, and the silver mane was something that she couldn’t forget. A smile hit her maw. The rogue lands may have been tough on her, but they certainly weren’t harsh towards the male. He may have had a few scrapes and scars on his once markless pelt, but he no longer appeared to be that little weak cub that needed to rely on Otea for guidance and help.
He had grown into a full lion, spirit and all.
“I’m so happy to see you! I…I didn’t think you’d come out to the roguelands too!”
“Well…I had to make sure my big cousin was okay.” He flashed his own smile. “Though, looks like things have been rather tough for you, huh?” Her once flawless fur had the missing patches. She also appeared much darker, noting that an inch of dust was clinging to her fur.
“It’s been tough.”
“No kidding.” He purred out, circling Otea, before glancing at the kill, his kill. “You can continue to eat. This was my kill. And Weusi’s kill. But, I’m sure she won’t mind you snagging a few bites.” He stated.
“Oh…Is Weusi your…?”
“No, of course not. She is my mentor. Taught me how to survive out here.”
“Of course,” Otea is nodded.
“Mhmm…I’ll just let who know who you are if she happens to pop in. Family is family, after all.” There was a difference in Suoh’s voice that Otea couldn’t quite put her paw on. She didn’t hesitate to continue eating though.
While she ate, Suoh repeated himself. “Family is family, after all.”
She paused again. Her appetite beginning to fade with the tone of her cousin’s voice. “…Is…something wrong…Suoh?”
“Hmm? Oh, Otea, why would you ask such a thing like that? Of course nothing is wrong. Just, keep eating dear.”
But she didn’t. Whatever happened to Suoh out here in the lands had certainly changed him. Maybe it was meeting the other lioness ‘Weusi’ as he called her. “I’m…not hungry anymore.
“…What happened to you…Suoh?”
Suoh tsked. “It’s too bad, wouldn’t want this meat to go to waste. You know, Otea. I’ve been thinking a lot. You know the moment you left, I came after you. I wanted to bring you home, but you had gone too far too quickly. You know I couldn’t even find you? Or catch a scent of where you may have gone…” A pause, his eyes focusing on hers. “You know what happened to me? I was almost killed looking for you. “ He finally sneered out. “Because you had to go off gallivanting for adventure.”
The light female took in his words. “Suoh…I…you didn’t have to come after me. I would have been okay on my own.”
“Really, Otea? Is that so.” A low growl uttered from his throat. “By the looks of it, you haven’t eaten in days. Your fur also shows a lot of wear and tear on it. And, you once had the build of a proud huntress, what do you have now? Nothing. You’re practically skin and bones.”
“…But I’m still alive.”
“Hah, for how long. What would have happened if you couldn’t find this nice pile of meat right here. How many days would have gone by with you still not having food, and you collapsed from the heat. Face it Otea, you are worthless out here.
“Can you battle?” A simple question, but Suoh would have known the answer.
“Of course I can!”
“Liar! You’ll get torn to pieces in no time if you try it.”
“Suoh, why are you acting like this?”
“I’m trying to show you, Otea, the rogue life is not for everyone. You should have headed home when you had the change, but you didn’t. You stayed out there, still looking for adventure. Did you find it Otea? Did you find what you were looking for?”
“…No.”
“Well…Don’t let me disappoint you. Maybe your adventure starts here.” He didn’t wait for any following words. He lunged for his cousin. It wasn’t to kill, but to prove a point. The rogue lands had changed the dragon male, for better or worse. He was no longer the same lion he was when he left the Pridelands. He was no longer that weak lion he was. Otea would soon come to realize that.
[[END - 1020 words]]
