[SRP] See the Light (Adar'Malik x Tethys)

[Epine de Rose]

He was in a lot of pain; considerable pain in fact.

He had just about managed to escape from that cavern and he had crawled his way into the next cavern. It had taken almost all of his strength to recover from one of his tumbles, he'd smashed his leg unpleasantly against one of those jagged rocks and one paw had been partially submerged in the water. It had been in both agony and astonishment as he had ripped his paw away from the water and discovered that in mere seconds it had been burnt.

To say that he wasn't confident about whatever lay ahead was an understatement. The white lion's morale was very low, in fact it was about the same level as his endurance was at. He would peter out shortly, but he would be damned if he didn't put some ample distance between himself and that hell hole. He didn't want to feel the heat on his back if he could avoid it, he'd sooner hear the faintest of whispers of something else if this would be his final resting place.

Nevertheless, despite his low morale he wasn't about to let himself be beaten completely - oh no, the 'youth' would go as far as his paws would carry him and only when he couldn't get anything else out of them, would he finally surrender to the inevitable...

Words: 230

 

[Epine de Rose]

The boy was alive.

Credit where it was due he had refused to give in and had clawed his way back to safety. Even Adar had afforded himself a wince as he had seen the pale lion's foot slip into the water. That would take some time to heal and even then it would leave some considerable scarring. On top of all the other injuries he seemed to have acquired during his multiple screw ups, it wouldn't be long before the adrenaline ran out and Adar found himself in possession of an unconscious lion again.

He followed behind the lion in silence, skulking in the shadows with barely a whisper of movement so that he might keep tabs on the boy. Alas, it seemed that Tethys still hadn't found a manner in which to sense those near by. When Adar had assumed he had been sighted, the youth had then looked away again and proceeded in an entirely different direction. In that respect he was still blind, but he had a tenacity that could be utilised if he was able to get beyond these trials.

Adar would have briefed Destati to that effect if they had the element of time, but on this occasion the Justicar had been very specific. The Sleepers were to make the call themselves, if his son was capable then they could take the steps necessary to educate him, if he was not then his death would be an unfortunate consequence of his actions.

Bizarrely Adar found himself quietly urging the boy on. So far he'd been thrown in the deep end and he was still kicking.

...Thus it should have come at no surprise that the black lion had made a decision. If Tethys could make it to a specific point in this network of caverns then he would remove him from them and once again call for medical help. After that? Well, Tethys could expect to be subject to further trials until he got it right.

Or died.

At this point, the 'shadow' had a greater preference for success; he'd already put far too much time into this entire thing.

Words: 356

 

[Epine de Rose]

Time was warping in a fashion that only seemed to occur when one was well and truly spent. This crawl towards the next tunnel seemed to be taking an eternity and it was with a frustrated whimper that the lion pressed his forehead to the ground. If he gave up now then that as it, he wasn't going to get any further than this. He couldn't let this happen, not when he could still feel the faintest warmth on his back that indicated he was still too close to that place.

He sucked in a breath, exhaled, and then took one more as he stared into the emptiness that met his vision. He hadn't expected anything to stare back, after all he was peering at the ground, but it was in those brief moments of silence that his ears flicked back and he was given pause. That sensation was there again, the one that Arina had mentioned before during her rambled attempts to explain how one could 'see' without vision.

It was that feeling.

He glanced over his shoulder, unknowingly in to the right area and narrowed his eyes, he might have been met with what he perceived to be emptiness but he now knew there was something here and he could not allow it to have the last laugh. Steeled on he grit both teeth and thrust himself on to all fours, the pain that shot through his leg was met with a stunned gasp and yet he forced himself on.

He put his second wind to good use, pressing on wards much more rapidly towards the tunnel.

He'd make it out of here, he had to... And then somehow he was going to find help. He didn't know how right now, but he would.

Or at least this was what he had believed as he hurried forward, only to have the same impact connect with the back of his head that had ended his journey the first time as well...

Words: 332
Total Words (Tethys): 562

 

[Epine de Rose]

Tethys had seen him and with that came the realisation that he was worthy of a third and final attempt at these trials. Without any schooling the child had learnt something that took most younglings years to master. Adar'malik therefore made the decision to grant the young captain a reprieve.

However, now was not the time to expose himself or reveal the true purpose for these trials to the boy. Thus, the lion swept in behind him and smacked him hard on the back of the head. It was the same blow that had rendered him unconscious the first time, and it operated in much the same way as it did then as well. The pale lion had promptly slumped to the ground and Adar had surveyed the damage that had been left by these trials.

...Tethys was going to scar.

Nevertheless the black male was confident that on this occasion he would also live. He unceremoniously grabbed hold of the lion and began to haul him out; while Tethys would not be aware of it, he had come reasonably close to finding his way out. If he hadn't been injured then he would have been able to march confidently out of here on his own, but perhaps third time would be a charm.

Dumping the white lion far from the network of caves, Adar had then turned on his heel and strode away. He had already made the necessary preparations in the form of a vague missive to a nearby pride. Now he had to return to his own domain and begin preparations for one final set of trials.

Words: 270
Total Words (Adar): 626