[EVENT] Coming Storms

[Mimsey]

It seemed to have been decided. Sticking around to care for the beast would waste precious time...but that didn't mean they just left it here either. "Medics, see what you can do about his injuries and then follow us," Veru said. "At the very least we can interrogate him tomorrow as a last ditch effort if we have no uncovered anything by then."

He looked to Kiowaa. "Will you be alright here? Can you handle him?"

The sentinel nodded her head. "Yeah, I feel a bit better already. Please, everyone- find out what's going on. I've...got a bad feeling about all of this."

The white lion nodded his head, and then started out towards the mouth of the wards. As he did, he stepped over all the debris that had been left behind. He'd spent most of his first months in the pride in this cave. And while they weren't happy times, he could still see An running in to chat about gossip, Ea preparing stock, Vlam pining away from the side...

It felt wrong to see it in such a state.

---

At the mouth of the wards, Elcca sat watching the rain pour down. With the others getting ready to leave again, they were once more faced with two problems: the weather, and the fact that they had absolutely no idea where to go. Even Yoan was unable to assist, huddled down on Elcca's shoulders for warmth.

"This rain is getting harder," she said. "We're going to need to search quickly. With no information from our prisoner there, the only thing we'll have to go on is our witty observational skills."

She gave a dramatic grimace, before stepping out into the rain. She was soaked immediately. Her eyes squinted against the drive. "Footprints will be impossible to track, we need to figure what place is more likely!"

arrow With no information to be gathered, you'll have to rely on the area outside to determine the next location.

- You are currently at what is considered the 'farthest' part of the 'main' pride.
- You know there are at least four hyenas
- The bulk of the pride s currently positioned near the archives, weathering the storm. It is unlikely they will be in the center of the pride.
- You have already visited the oasis.

 

[Annchen]

Eld placed what supplies he had been able to gather near the wall where it would hopefully stay dry, and then joined the lions preparing to head out. But where to go... Where would he head if he was a nasty drooling hyena? Eld had no clue, really.

"Hongshan quarter?" he suggested, "We can get there quickly, and if anyone is there they might have seen the hyenas moving past."  

[Andranis]

Kosuke nodded, moving to stand by Eld. "I agree, we should start with the Hongshan quarter." He looked at the rain, brow furrowed. "But at the same time, what if they went north?" While under normal circumstances they'd notice if someone was in the quarter that didn't belong, these weren't normal circumstances. It was pouring, and nothing was clear as it normally was.  

[Mogami]

Nkera had already voiced his opinion and he was a lion of few words but he had to agree with the first suggestion. The Red Quarter was a good option, close enough that they could get there quickly and there was a good chance they might even find someone to recruit into their mission. But he was no leader and was actually more comfortable taking orders than giving them so he remained quiet and simply nodded in Eld’s direction before his eyes sought the horizon again.

----------------------------

This whole rain thing was getting ridiculous. It seemed to be falling even harder than before and Baise decided to end her efforts with a bit of angry digging that didn’t really last very long. Still looking upset, she proceeded to walk away with light, dignified steps until a particularly large trench broke right behind the juvenile, bringing forth a sudden wave that barreled into Baise a moment after.

“Eeeeek!” the little pale lioness screeched as she was taken by surprise by the force of the moving water.  

[oo Ded]

Alya had remained silent through the hyena ordeal. The accent of the canine worried her; could the Nergui forces now include hyenas? As the beast was knocked unconscious, the lioness couldn't help but give a smirk. It seemed doubtful that the hyena would give reliable information. He deserved what was coming to him.

As others deliberated where to go next, Alya quietly contemplated. The Hongshan quarters were the closest, and if the Hyenas were headed to places with valuables to raid, it may be a good bet. She nodded in agreement to Eld, but said nothing further. She was a lioness of few words, it seemed.  

[fuKurohane]

The medic sat over the red hyena, and couldn't help but feel disgust every time he looked at it. Its body was so unnatural, and its accent had been so repulsive. He badly wanted to join the others in hunting down the rest. If there were others alive and conscious out there, there would no doubt be a fight. And if the majority of the Firekin with him were moving out and seeking the others on their own, this hyena may not turn out to be of much more use. Nevertheless, he couldn't allow it to awaken unguarded to cause more havoc.

Several of the lions had brought him an array of roots and other herbs from the decimated remains of the supplies. "Yes," Roihu said, picking out one of the uglier ones (suitable for such an ugly hyena). "I can use this one as a smelling-salt. It should bring him back after a couple of deep breaths." He clawed it open and chewed on some of its insides, spitting out the foul, bitter pulp. It wouldn't poison him. So he gathered the remains of the supplies into his pouch to use later, and smeared the pulp around the muzzle and nose of the hyena. It mixed with the blood and made a strange yellow-orange color, but hopefully it would be a strong enough stench to wake it. "Just a couple of deep breaths and we'll see...."  

[Andranis]

Arevik took a break from digging to simply sit down. Water, everywhere... It was a water seeker's dreams come true. Or vision... She looked at the sky, ears folded back. "Does it ever end?" She then turned, watching her niece playing in the rain, a smile finally appearing on her face. The solid-white lioness rose to her paws, going over to Baise and placing a paw in her path to stop her from floating away. "Having fun in the rain, Baise?" If one was here, where were the rest of Rashmi's children? She looked around for the white blobs of fur that her nieces and nephews were.  

[Whimsical Blue]

Morag shrugged as she listened to the others talk, debating herself where the hyenas might have gone.

"If they were raiding, then it would stand to reason they are now looking for an escape. We tracked them up from the Oasis... I could guess that they'll have to make their way down the way again to return to their pack. Its also the part of the pride least lightly to have anyone about at it... who would use the training grounds in the rain, or go to the oasis when there is water every where?" She shrugged, unsure if her judgement on this was sound, or if she was just guessing like the rest of them.

"I would agree, we should go to the Hongshan quarter. They could be hiding there, or at least passing through."  

[Excited Apathy]

"They could've doubled back to try and throw us," Mkazo grunted in agreement. "Hongshan Quarter first, and we can figure it out from there. We can work our way around and in if we don't find them." He shifted, impatient to be off. They'd picked up all they could find here, for now. He had some ideas on where else they could be, but the Hongshan Quarter was between here and those places, so it didn't make sense to skip it.  

[Mimsey]

"A lot of places to hide in the hongshan quarter," Elcca said over the torrent. While the quarter had few caves and what could be called legitimate 'dens', it was a maze of twisted rocks and alcoves. Plenty of locations for a hyena to hide if it wanted to set up an ambush. Her nose crinkled. If that was what their intentions were.

She turned back towards the medical ward. A few seemed to be remaining. It was tempting to wait, but the storm was driving on. They needed to move or else all would forever be a mystery. To Elcca, there was no greater tragedy.

As the group started the trek to what was affectionately known as the 'red quarter' by some of the pride, the wind began to pick up. The rain had driven the sand from the air, but it still managed to pick up some clumps in wild buffets that stung at the eyes. Lightning pierced the sky like spiderwebs, and for a brief moment, Elcca had to wonder if rain was really more trouble than it was worth. For the punishment her poor fur was receiving, she hoped the pride had at least seven years of fat times.

The wind was whistling off the rocks in the hongshan quarter. The sharp, jagged edges seemed to loom. With most of the pride withdrawn to the saftey of the center of the pride, it was almost entirely absent of anyone. Except one.

The nergui drudge was huddled back in one of the far corners, pressed to the stones like he was apart of them. He neither moved nor made any sign of acknowledging the arriving firekin. His apathy towards the situation wasn't exactly a new development, but it was unsettling.

Elcca squinted her eyes. She'd spent time with the strange lion, enough to know they weren't about to get much out of him. "Lets spread out and look. But be careful, even I get lost in here."

As they moved, Miah continued to watch with a kind of eerie silence, his paws huddled underneath his chin. Occasionally, he'd snort- the water was falling in such rough torrents that he had to clear his breath, lest be drowned.

Elcca was surprised he had the fortitude to do even that.

arrow Time to start the hunt!

Next five people roll a dice, 1-10.

1-3. You become lost in the winding maze of rocks.
4-5. You find pawprints in some of the sand protected by the driving rain.
6. Surprise attack! Rolls stop.
7-8. You find nothing to suggest hyenas in the area.
9-10. You find scattered medical supplies, like someone was sorting them and then interrupted.
 

[Mimsey]

fuKurohane

[ I don't want to split up the group too much, and also want to honor the fact that we lost the roll. However, I'll have waking him up factor in to the end! ]

The hyena grunted, his body twitching once as the sour smell entered his nose. His eyes struggled to open. "...mfmphnini..s...orry," he mumbled in a half stupor. The talking ceased once he realized where he was. His fur bristled and a low growl began to thrum through his chest.

Kiowaa squinted, and loomed over the smaller shape of the hyena. "I don't think we're going to get much out of him. You should join the others, and make sure my mother is alright. I can handle this one."

As she spoke, her eyes flashed with a kind of manic gleam. Perhaps Ea and her daughter were not as unlike as they liked to think.  

[Annchen]

While he could have navigated in the medical wards with his eyes closed, Eld was much less familiar with the Hongshan quarter. He made a mental note every time he turned a corner to make sure he'd be able to backtrack later. The navigation part of searching was a success, and Eld had no trouble finding his way back after searching his chosen area. That was the only success for him, however. If there had been any hyenas here they'd left no tracks for him to find. The rain made tracking hard, and the stink of the hyena from the medical wards still lingered in his fur.

"Nothing over there," he said when he returned. Hopefully one of the others would have found a lead.  

[Andranis]

((Woohoo, go Kosuke xd ))

Shaking the water off, Kosuke searched the area. He could smell that damnable prisoner.. What was his name? He couldn't remember, not that he wanted to. His eyes were... Weird. They made him think of that lioness, Armada, and some of her children. Strange little brats...

The dust-red male pawed around, then bumped his paw on something. His gaze scanned the ground, before he turned to the others and called out, "I found those missing supplies! Looks like whoever was here with them was trying to sort them and got interrupted!" Had they interrupted the hyenas? He looked around, expecting an ambush of some sort.  

[Mogami]

(LOL)

Nkera kept up with the group, not paying the hyena so much as a final glance. He’d never really been to the Hongshan quarter but hoped he’d be able to detect something that was amiss. The young lion had never seen the Nergui lion before and had completely forgotten about the prisoner. The Guard decided not to linger on the spot for long after the supplies were found, thinking that there was a chance someone might be coming back for them so he took a left and proceeded to inspect his surroundings. He had to make a choice then between going forth or turning right – which he did. He turned left shortly after and kept walking for a while, often being confronted by similar choices. He turned left. He kept going. He turned right, he turned left, he turned left again. That went on for a while until he reached a spot that was suspicious familiar. He was lost.

“Hell.” He growled under his breath. Maybe he should've followed someone who actually knew the area.

------------------------------

Baise was not a little cub anymore so even though she wasn’t in any real danger of drowning, her head was still submerged for a few moments and she rolled until a large white paw got in the way. She shook her body from head to tail in a pointless effort to be rid of the water – hissing angrily all the while - before looking up.

Oh, finally! Family! A friendly face, a comforting voice. Someone she could complain to.

“I hate rain!” she whispered angrily, not really daring to express her opinion loud enough for anyone else to hear as the whole pride seemed to be thrilled by the phenomenon. She was a juvenile still and the water hadn’t really affected quite as much as others. “It’s cold, it gross! I want it to stop.” Okay, maybe not stop completely. But, you know, it could slow down a bit!  

[Whimsical Blue]

Bracing herself against the rain, wind and driving sand, Morag forged her way to the red quarter with the rest of the group. She kept her eyes open for signs of hyenas, but the sand thrown into the air by the wind kept getting into them, making her eyes water and removing her vision for moments at a time as she shook her head to clear them.

It wasn't surprising she didn't see any sign of hyenas, but she did happen to see one very unhappy Nergui...

"Miah." She sighed as she moved into the twisting maze of rock, pacing towards the dark male. "Where are the others? Have you seen any hyenas come through here? We're on the trail of something that's been raiding our medical supplies."

While part of her distrusted him on principle, part of her also pitied him... If he was what he appeared, he had received poor reward for rescuing the Hongshan from his kin. With the fire in her own blood, it was hard to imagine a creature being as truly apathetic as he appeared to be and she suspected he hid a lot from them in the way of his own thoughts and feelings.