[JRP] The new journey awaits

[KasaiLoki]

Mlia didn’t know where he was going. The lioness he had met a while back told him of the muddy swamplands, and the direction he would find them, but upon actually trekking there proved terrible. Nothing was left of the land but smoldering flames, and charred wood.

The sight only seemed to cause distress to the male lion. He had figured since he no longer had a home, what better to start a life a new, with this pride she spoke so highly of?

Boy was he wrong. There was nothing there.

So he trekked on. His family was gone. His home, abandoned. There was not a soul Mlia could turn to. The always shy dawnwalker moved slowly, finding the terrain of the mountains much different from the sands. He didn’t know how long his new journey had been. Days? Weeks? Many moons? It was all a blur.

With a last step, the starry pelted lion collapsed on the ground, heaving a heavy sigh. He was lost; it was hopeless.  

[wooga Paes]

It was hard to be away from home.

The friendship and hospitality of the Ela'wadiyi was something to be treasured for certain, but nonetheless, Avani'nafsi dearly missed the swamp that had been her home for a number of years now. She still had hope that she may return there someday, when the swamp recovered from the damage. But...

She had wandered a bit further than she had intended, a good few hours from where the Jini-misemi had managed to settle down, in the direction of their burnt swamp. Of course it would take days to reach that site again, but a strange pull had driven her that way.

She stopped and sighed, realizing it was time to turn back. Avani gazed ahead as if she could see where the swamp lay, burnt and broken, crumbled.

Actually, she did see a dark shape up ahead. Could it be possible that she really saw the swamp from here? But... what was that white? She furrowed her brows and, after a moment's hesitation, continued forwards.

It didn't take long to find that the thing on the floor was a lion. Once that happened, she picked up her pace and hurried over. "Hello? Hello!" She called. Who was he? "Are you alright?" Avani slowed to a trot as she approached and peered over the dark male.  

[KasaiLoki]

Normally Mlia would bolt away from a newcomer, not knowing exactly who they were and what threat they would bring.

But today he didn’t. He was too tired from traveling to even think about it. The lion’s ear swiveled, hearing the female’s voice call to him. Was he alright? Likely not. He was just a…what did his parents call it? A rogue? Just a rogue, homeless as could be without anyone.

It was best that he answer her though. Although the lion was shy, he was not rude. He flipped himself over, noting the bits of ash that lingered in his white mane. He must had rubbed against one of the burnt trees in the former swamplands. His light purple eyes settled on the lioness’s form, a miniscule frown appearing.

“Yes. I’m fine,” he lied. He obviously wasn’t alright. Who would be after losing everything?

“Do you know where we are?”

wooga Paes

 

[wooga Paes]

She worried when he took long to answer, or even properly react. But at least he managed to move, and as such managed to settle the matter of his liveliness. Avani didn't immediately notice the ash in his mane, but she did notice a faint burnt scent. She assumed it was just stuck in her nose, it seemed perfectly reasonable to one feeling so homesick.

He claimed to be alright, which Avani frowned. At this point in her life she felt just fine calling people out on such things, especially young males. she did have four sons. "You're not." She pointed out.

"We're near the mountains." Not that that such a thing needed to be mentioned when you could see the mountains. "Near the lands of the Ela'wadiyi." Because she still didn't associate the lands with the Jini-misemi. She might have mentioned it otherwise. "Where have you come from? You look like you've been through a lot."

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Touché Mlia thought to himself.

The starry pelted male just shook his head. “Unfortunately the names of the lands around here elude me.” He was of the desert dwelling pride; he had never seen mountains until now. Who the Ela’wadiyi was was a mystery to him. He assumed some kind of mountain dwellers be it their current location.

“I…” he frowned a bit. “I come from a land that is no more. The Tuait’tekem. We…lived in the sands,” he spoke quietly. The only thing he had left other than his memories to remind him of the lands were the trinkets he wore on his paws and the jewels that adorned his mane. A part of him wanted them to throw them out with the remnants of the pride, but the other part still clung to them. If he lost them, he’d be no more himself.

“A lot is an understatement,” Mlia muttered, gazing at the ground. “It’s not fun losing a home.” Nor is it fun finding a potential new home only to find it burnt to the ground.

Life sometimes wasn’t fair at all.

wooga Paes

 

[wooga Paes]

She couldn't say she was any better. This place wasn't enough of a home to Avani for her to give it a name, and she'd yet to learn if it already had one.

Avani could easily related to his sadness. "My land, too, is no more." She sighed sadly. "We've been forced to move here just recently. We lived in the swamps." But she did not mourn the Jini-misemi, for they were still strong and would overcome, even their own grief.

"It isn't." She half-smiled, simply because he decided to mention how not-fun it was to lose a home and such a thing wasn't her priority.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Mlia’s ears perked at the words of the other. The swamps? That was…where….

His head tilted. “Did a…fire…force movement?” the lion was finding more of his voice being by himself. Without his sister by his side, he found himself having to talk more instead of hide. Although still weary of the thought, if it was the same land that the lioness, Phailin, had spoke of, and the same land he saw charred, then perhaps not all hope was lost after all.

The former dawnwalker seemed to brighten a little bit.

wooga Paes

Sorry for the delay. Been caught up at work!

 

[wooga Paes]

She furrowed her brows, for once not because of sadness over the swamplands. It was just plain old confusion.

"Yes... a fire forced the movement." Avani nodded slowly. "There was a drought for a while, and everything was very dry. Lightning struck before rain and... Well, there wasn't enough swamp left by the time the fire died to sustain a pride so large." She elaborated, even though he hadn't asked.

The fact that he had brightened up was a little unnerving! But she would give him the benefit of the doubt, he probably had a reason. "Why?"

KasaiLoki

not a problem at all! <3