Traveling with Zeruan was a high contrast to his travel with Cyris. Zeruan was far more open to answering his questions and seemed genuinely interested in his life before they met each other. In return Zeruan had told Ceto about his life with his once mate Lyra. The two of them had grown up together and were incredibly close. Before Lyra had been captured though, they had a fight, Lyra claiming that she was leaving him and wanted nothing to do with him.
Ceto could tell it was a sore spot for the rainbow leopard. He clearly loved Lyra with all his heart and to have the last conversation with her be such a negative one, he couldn't imagine. It was one of the many reasons that Zeruan was so determined to get her back.
As they traveled, Ceto found himself trusting the leopard and eventually when the leopard asked him if he wanted to help get Lyra back, Ceto agreed. Their new destination became the pride Zeruan claimed to be a group who could possibly help get her and the other captives back.
The place was called Mizani'Ulimwengu. Zeruan did his best to explain the pride as they traveled. The pride was meant to provide peace and protection to those in the land. Their main enemies was a group called Nguvu Tamaa. They were the ones that took Lyra and tried to capture him. He would remember the name. Zeruan was not apart of Mizani though. The leopard explained that they welcomed outsiders as long as they followed the rules of their pride.
The rules seemed pretty easy to follow and he knew that he wouldn't cause any trouble while there.
When they reached the border of the pride, Ceto wasn't sure what he was expecting. They were greeted by a grand, thick jungle forest. He had never been in a place quite like this and he admired every moment of it. There was so many things he wanted to stop and look at.
“Do you think later someone could take me back here and give me a tour of the area?” he asked Zeruan. His trip to the pride wasn't for fun, but he figured while he was there, he might as well make the most of it.
Zeruan who was leading the way shrugged. “I don't see why not.” He responded. “The pride members I have talked to so far have all been caring and welcoming. When we aren't working on the rescue, I am sure they will be more then happy to show you around, assuming they aren't too busy.”
Ceto nodded. He could see little building and shrines as they walked the path, he looked forward to eventually exploring the area.
They traveled toward the heart of the pride. The closer they got, the more Ceto could hear voices. When the arrived, he was surprised to see that more then just felines lived there. He spotted a good number of wild dogs and hyenas. In his travels he had never seen such a variety.
“It's strange isn't it.” Zeruan said, as he looked back at Ceto. “I was horrified when I first came here. My whole life has been spent with other leopards. But they have been kind to me and so I have nothing but respect for the group.”
Looking around, he saw groups traveling. He saw that one was the teacher and the others must be students. It was surprising to see the students being a variety of ages, not just cubs. He followed Zeruan into the temple in the center.
“This is where we will be staying. We will be meeting with others to help us out.” Zeruan explained. “I will be heading back tomorrow morning to make sure no one else falls prey to them. But you should stay and get to know those who are helping us.”
The building had pride members going in and out. It was the place of rest for the pride. “Okay, I can do that.” He felt a little nervous.
Zeruan smiled. “You will get used to this place in no time. There are others here who have lost loved ones to Nguvu. Even one of the higher ups in the pride is going to help us. She suspects that some Nguvu took her daughter. That situation is a little different though. You'll understand later. Tomorrow morning I will introduce you to Drox. He will be helping us out as much as he can. He was the one who helped me when I first came her, looking for someone to help.”
“Okay.” Ceto responded. 'Drox' he said, remembering the name. “Will he be teaching me how to fight or at least defend myself when we go on the rescue mission?”
“Yes. Probably just some basic stuff. For the most part he's been very nice to me, but sometimes he gets into some moods.” Zeruan explained. “But if he does, you could always try to cheer him up or give him some alone time.”
Ceto nodded his head. He wasn't sure what he could do to cheer up an upset warrior, but he would do his best regardless. “I never thanked you for helping me out. Looking back at it, I feel rather foolish for even following Cyris.” He stated, with a small sheepish smile. “I guess her pretty face had me pretty distracted. I owe you a lot and I will do everything I can to help you get Lyra back.”
“Thank you friend. I know she probably won't be too happy to see me. But if we can bring her back to safety I will be happy. If she wants me to leave her life, I will move on and find a place to call home.” Zeruan said, with a hint of sadness. The way he talked about Lyra on their trip, Ceto was certain that the leopard was completely in love with her. He hoped that everything would work out for them.
“If you ever need a travel buddy, I am here for you.” Ceto said with a comforting smile. Though, he really enjoyed Mizani so far. He wondered how long he could stay in the pride without being a nuisance.
“I will keep that in mind after we get Lyra back. Now why don't we rest. You have a big day tomorrow. We both need to be in the best shape on this rescue mission.” He said, finding a place in the temple to lay down.
Ceto laid down next to the leopard. It was strange finding companionship in the leopard. But he was glad to have a friend he could trust. He was also glad that he could finally rest after being careful about hiding their track from their potential enemies. For a little bit he wouldn't have to be afraid for his well being. And with that thought, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
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