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 Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:21 pm
 It was hot, he was tired, and Mpaji was -nowhere- to be found.
Kienge stumbled dramatically and flopped sideways onto the sand. His tiny sides heaved as he panted and struggled to cool himself off. If he could only find shade! It was Mpaji's job to watch over him and make sure he didn't actually get lost when he wandered off. Even if he -had- been sneaky and tried to get away!
Mpaji should have expected it. It certainly didn't help that the guardian looked like the sand they walked on! Blended right in. Kienge cast one last irritated and hopeless glance around him and sighed. Well, this was great.
"Uuuugh." Kien moaned and rolled to relieve his burning body of the heat. At least his white coat reflected all the sun and -
His eyes widened. A rocky outcropping jutted up from the hard ground and beneath it...
Was that shade? The cub scrambled to his paws, instantly alert. It -looked- like shade. Naive and foolish, Kienge didn't stop to consider the obvious; any shade out here was likely to be taken by another lion already. A lion that was most likely larger, stronger, and more deadly than him.
The cub shook the sand from his coat and tottered wearily towards the rocky outcropping.
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:39 pm
 The desert, hot, blinding, and mercilessly barren; a harsh and lifeless land borne in the nitemares of some ancient god. It was this land that attracted Mahakali, this hellish, dry land; it thirsted as she did, an insatiable lust that claimed the lives of those who dared wander to close. It reminded her of war, a past littered with blood and death, an infernal battle that raged from the pits of hell itself, it reminded her of home, of storm valley, a far more pleasant place than that infernal jungle or the grassy plains.
But even she, the bloody general, was not immune to the desert's fury, and the harsh midday heat had taken it's toll on the white lioness as it had the other creatures strong enough to dwell in this land.
To this end she had retreated to the shady outcrop, taking refuge in the meager offering of the earth against the harsh sun. Her presence was not obvious, the only movement the lashing of her tufted tail, like a viper lurking in darkness, waiting for a victim to claim in its venomous strike. Nearby, baking in the scalding sun, lay the lifeless form of a serpent, an unfortunate creature evicted from its shelter by the white demon.
Her ears flicked, one red eye opening to gaze from the sockets of the large skull that adorned her head, dark curved horns clicking as the touched the stone of her shelter. Something was approaching, something young and foolish.
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:30 pm
So hot. Hothothot. Kienge panted and struggled onward through the sand and barren wasteland. He was so close, he could almost -feel- the shade cooling his overheated body. He licked dry lips and cursed the sun that sought to beat him into the earth. A deep reserve of strength compelled the cub into a weary trot.
It wasn't until he was nearly to the relative safety of the outcropping that he noticed anything was wrong. Even then, he didn't think of it as "wrong"... just, inconvienent. Violet eyes narrowed and they focused on the large white form hidden in the shadows. It was difficult to make this imposter out - the sunlight blinded him and left him with only the vaguest impression of "danger" in front of him.
Hmph. He was here, wasn't he? And if he stayed out in the sun any longer he wouldn't be in -worse- danger than if he tried to force a spot in the cave. Besides, he was a cub! Kienge grinned. He'd learned early that being young and "helpless" often won you prizes that would otherwise be withheld.
Puffing himself up and standing as tall as his weary body could manage, Kienge cast an imperious, withering (he hoped) gaze at the lioness. He was of the Blood! He was royalty!
"You're in -my- cave." The cub eyed the evicted serpent nearby with feigned disinterest, then returned his stare to the female.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:11 pm
Unfortunately for the cub, Mahakali cared little for blood and even less for royalty. It was not the blood of an immortal father or a royal mother than had made the general great, it was herself and the life she had lived before. It was her lust for battle and bloodshed that made the bloody general the demon she was.
When the young creature spoke, she simply raised a brow, the edges of her lips curling in an inaudible snarl, fangs glinting menacingly under the demonic skull.
"Am I now? How unfortunate for you."
Her words were mocking, spoken through bared fangs, her tail lashing in warning. There was no need for further action yet, the desert heat to harsh to bother with the blood of such a small creature.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:34 pm
The lioness' simple reply took the cub by suprise; he stepped backwards and regarded her with a curious expression, a mix between frustration and intrigue.
But ever present was the sun and the hot sands beneath his pads. Kienge started to pant, then caught himself and leveled a glare at the female. As of yet, the cub had little sense of danger; the only thing to harm him in his short life was the sun and the midday heat, and of THAT he was painfully aware.
So when she lifted her lip in a silent snarl, Kienge drew nothing from the implied threat. It was her curious helm that drew his attention the most, and he longed to risk stepping closer to her to examine it. It looked like the the head of a preybeast. Was it just a mask? Or was it her own skull, bleached white from exposure?
Well, he could ask her once he got into the shade. Which he -would- get into. He eyed the space beneath the rock and sidled closer. The world was so hot, it seemed like it was burning!
"Scoot over. There's enough room for both of us."
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:09 pm
Her tail flicked with an irritated snap, her head raised to glare at the creature with a firery gaze straight from the depths of hell, dark talons extending to click menacingly against the stony outcrop. Had the young creature been wise, it would have left the lioness alone, counting itself lucky to be ignored by the large predator, but it seemed foolish youth dictated otherwise.
"You're an annoying pest aren't you, why should I? You have done nothing to deserve it."
Her voice was harsh, cold, her posture unyielding making it clear she would not move. The bloody general was not inclined to sympathy or mercy, nor was she willing to give any favors to such a foolishly annoying creature. If the cub wanted a place in the shade he would have to earn it or go elsewhere, the later being the wiser option. For if he continued to push the lioness, he would find himself at the mercy of her claws, firekin territory or not.
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:06 am
Admittedly, he was taken aback by the ferocity of her glare. Certainly he felt a moment of doubt concerning his current course of action. However, if his father had taught him anything, it was pride; in the Blood and in himself. Kienge straightened himself and returned the gaze as best he could, even though he -really- wanted to wilt on the spot.
It was so hot... Unable to contain himself any longer, he started to pant. Tiny sides heaved in a vain effort to cool himself off. Kienge knew he'd been out in the heat for too long, -far- too long, and he didn't think he could make it back to his home without... getting lost for a while. Yeah.
He refused to admit the possibility of not returning home at all.
"Deserve it?" The cub lifted his lip in disdain. He was royalty! He was BORN deserving! ... but he had a feeling proclaiming this for the second time wouldn't get him anywhere. So instead, hating himself, Kienge meekly went along with the lioness' will. His paws were burning, his soft skin beneath the white pelt surely blistering!
Kienge huffed and did his best not to show his discomfort.
"And how would I go about earning it, lady?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:56 pm
Her eyes narrowed, ears flattened against the large skull, her tail lashing in growing irritation. Talons dug into the earth, scraping against the rock with a sickening screech, a warning to the creature that he would soon meet the same fate. Every movement, ever flick of her ears, every line of her expression proclaimed her threat, and though the desert air was hot and other large lions lurked about, Mahakali was growing tired of mere threats.
"If you have to ask, then you are far less deserving than I thought. A pity, you seemed to show such promise."
Groveling was not the way to win the general's favor, an action far more likely to have the opposite effect. For it was a sign of weakness, and the weak did not deserve more than a bloody death and a shallow grave. No, the cub would have to find another way, or die where he stood.
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:53 pm
Kienge gasped, his body nearly trembling with rage. Granted, the heat (that now seemed to be a part of him) didn't help; it made him irritable at the best of times. The cub drew himself up and cast an icy gaze at the pale beast in front of him. His own claws kneaded the loose sand beneath his pads, but even he could see the match would be far, far from fair. But that didn't mean he had to be happy about it, or pleasant for that matter.
"Oh, I see. It all makes perfect sense." The cub sneered. "I just have to read your mind! Why didn't I think of it before?"
God, was she STUPID or something? This was getting really old. For gods sake, he was a cub! Lionesses were supposed to fall over themselves protecting him and offering him shade and water and love. This... this... MONSTER was not doing any of that!
He wasn't going to put up with it any longer.
"I don't know what you want, and I don't have time to get it even if I cared enough to." Kienge stuck his nose in the air and peered down at Kali, his bright purple eyes narrowed to slits. He wasn't a servant anyways, to be ordered around and punished! He was royalty! She'd better learn to accept that fact before it landed her in hot water with his parents. He determindly ignored the fact that he'd been ready to do what she wanted a moment earlier. Wouldn't make THAT mistake again! If you wanted what you knew you deserved, you apparently had to TAKE it.
... Kien winced as her claws shreiked across the stone. If there had been another patch of shade, or even a little bit of scrub bush for cover he might have crept into it. But there was nothing else. It was this, or bake in the sun like... like that snake! No way, nuh-uh.
He sidled to the side a bit, eyed her claws and her teeth and her helm and her horns and the sun...
And darted into a free(ish) corner of the midday sanctuary.
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:09 pm
The lioness' maw part, menacing fangs glistening unnaturally in the darkness of the shade. From her jaws rolled a dark, mocking laughter, a cruel demonic laughter that echoed from the depths of the abyss itself. Had she but known his thoughts, her laughter would have been that much more cruel, punctuated by dark talons that would have shredded his hide for such foolishness.
Laughter turned into a malevolent snarl, blood red eyes burning with hellish fury. She had neither offered nor agreed to share her shelter, and she was far from willing to allow submit such a favor to a creature who did not deserve it.
She reacted in an instant, one taloned hind paw drew back only to be released in a powerful kick that connected sharply with the small cub, evicting him from the shelter much as she had the serpent before. Shifting under the rocky outcrop, the lioness rose to her paws, eyes burning as she glared at the young beast, every line of her posture aggressive, tail lashing in a final warning.
If the young cub thought his youth and royal blood would get him anywhere with the lioness, he would find himself bitterly disappointed. Age did not warrant favors, and if the young were weak then there was no better time for them to die. Mahakali herself was as closely related to royalty as the foolish creature before her, the daughter of pridelands princess and the god of conflict. But the bloody general did not care, for blood did not equate to strength, one need only look at her brothers to see such. It was those who counted on such blood that were in fact the weakest creatures and the least worthy to continue their pitiful lives.
And yet the young creature did show some fire, but were his actions motivated by truth strength, or was it desperation, or worse arrogance. Well perhaps she would have to find out.
"Come then, show me your strength."
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Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:47 pm
In all honesty, it may have been a little of all three that motivated the pale cub. Desperation to reach safety in the shade, arrogance and youthful pride in his ancestory. But now was the time for strength to emerge. Kienge saw the threat, although it was a little too late to back off and stay in the sun.
Which he told himself he wouldn't have done anyways.
The impact (while not wholely unexpected) was suprising none-the-less; Kien uttered a startled squawk that was cut short as his small body hit the ground. However, it wasn't the pain that made him angry, or even the malicious attitude of the female he was facing. Rather, it was the humiliation of being able to do nothing, of being helpless in the face of a -far- greater strength, that set his blood boiling.
Blood thrummed past his ears and left him nearly deaf. The cub was barely aware of the sun's resumed efforts to melt him into the sands. His eyes snapped open the moment of impact and he pulled himself jerkily to his paws.
"Kienge opened his mouth to speak, but words eluded him, swept up and away in the flood of his anger. Dark eyes flashed dangerously and he bared tiny fangs. Hatred washed away the fear and drowned it beneath a hot tide. With a cry that was more anger than anything the cub launched himself at the lioness in a clumsy attempt at revenge.
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:16 pm
Tufted tail flicking like an impatient serpent, the lioness' eyes narrowed beneath her skull helm, fangs bared in a dark smirk. What strength would the insolent young cub show her before she crushed him, oh how entertaining it would be.
Gaze settled on the cub, Mahakali watched him with apparent disinterest. And though she saw the fire build and the youthful charge, the general simply remained as she was, infuriatingly calm as if to mock the young creature.
The strike came, and again she mocked him with her calm exterior. Despite the tiny claws and fangs pierced her paw, she barely blinked in reaction, merely gazing at her own paw before unleashing that dark mocking laughter once again.
"Is that the best you can do? Really, you must have more strength than that."
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 9:50 pm
His attack might have thwarted a cub his own age, maybe even convinced a lion a little older to at least share the hideout. But against this huge female monster Kienge could see that even his most violent actions wouldn't have much of an effect. His strength would be less than a drop in the ocean compared to hers!
That thought didn't cool the flames fanned by her laugher and her dark smile; Instead they smoldered and smoked, feeding on the cub's anger and frustration. Expecting a retaliation and realizing one wasn't coming, Kienge withdrew and stood quietly for a moment. The implied insult stung - the least she could have done was swatted him away, like he might an insect!
Now he was less of a nuisance than a biting fly. His lips twitched in a silent snarl, eyes narrowed to slits as he glared at the female. That skull seemed to mock him, he hated it! It protected her, reminded him of death and creatures that burned in the sun when they couldn't get to shade. Kienge growled low in his throat. The fire was far from gone, but now it was contained. If he could figure out the right way to use it, maybe he could win a spot in the shade. The sun was forgotten, the heat of the sand beneath him ignored and unfelt.
How... what to do...
His eyes lit up and he eyed first the female, who stood far above him, then the rock ledge. Nearby, towards the base of the rocky outcropping, were a few scattered stones. None small enough to use as a weapon - but several large enough to use for his purpose. Only one, however, was close enough.
Growling again, the cub burst into motion. This time, however, instead of sprinting straight towards the waiting female, he darted past her and pivoted, using the stones to aid him. With a cry he pushed off of a rock and lept, latching onto one curved horn with both paws and teeth, guided by some unclear hatred for the mask that hid his target. He could only hold on and hope his momentum would be enough to dislodge the helm.
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:48 pm
The lioness snarled in irritation, one taloned paw raised to swat at the insolent creature, her head titled to prevent gravity from pulling the skull from her head and hopefully to shake the cub free as her talons slashed at him.
While the thick bone and curved horns were unneeded armor against one so small, the skull was a prized possession, one not easily replaced. Rams, while plentiful enough in the mountains to the north, were difficult to catch and even harder to kill, this particular skull taken from a beast her commander, the god of war, had slain with her, a treasured prize indeed.
She could not deny that the cub's action had at least been clever in the lack of brute strength, perhaps there was some value in this creature after all. But her eyes burned with the fire of fury as her gaze narrowed, and as her anger grew, so did her threat to the cub.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:54 pm
Her talons scored four small lines across his side before Kienge could register her attack. He shrieked, more in outrage than in pain. The cuts weren't deep, and they barely bled, but never in his young life had he been injured, much less deliberatly so! His efforts to dodge her claws loosened his precarious grip on her skull - he fell, twisting his body away from her and hoping to land on his paws.
His side hit the ground first, but he was saved by the agility and flexibility of youth. Scrambling to his paws, Kienge spat and backed away from the lioness as quickly as possible. Still, even with the cuts stinging on his side and his ribs sore from his akward landing, he felt a smirk stealing across his muzzle.
He'd won! ... well, sorta. Scored a point, anyways. And found what really irked her! If only he was bigger, surely his weight alone would have brought that awful skull to its end on the hard, crushing ground.
Nursing his small scratches (battle wounds, he decided) he cast a triumphant, haughty glance at the female. Surely another attack like this one would prove to be the skull's downfall... Kienge didn't stop to think that it might also prove to be -his- downfall as well.
But she would be expecting his tactics now...
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