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 Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:22 pm
His fur was that of a baby, after all, thats what he was, thick fur donned the back of his neck like that of a cheetah cub, yet, he was so much larger than a cheetah cub, his body stocky, and upon the tip of his tail a flock of thick hair grew the colour of the sun. He bounded along a black flock of fur, his back shimmering with golden lines, his eyes glimmering with the joy of life. Mbura had slipped away from his parents for a short time. They slept in the mid morening sun, relaxing in the shade, but the young cub had decided he wanted to see a little of their surroundings alone. Flickering the flock of golden hair from his eyes as he padded through the long grass on legs longer than that of a lion cubs.
Mbura was technically a freak, his mother a lioness, his father a cheetah, but noone would know it by the way he walked with pride. He was treated well within his family group, hius mother strict and dotein, his father fun loving and the teacher of many things. Still, there was a whole wide world out thyere for him to explore and today his small paws could take him further than he had ever travelled alone. He wondered would he meet anyone on this fateful journey?
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:38 pm
Not too far away, a simular-minded creature walked, or trudged rather, through the dried African grass. Close behind him, as always, were the remnants of the Anansi, outcasts from their own pride.. It had really only been Taban, the prince of the Anansi, that had been sent away, but Lucia his caretaker, Fubar his constant companion, and strangely enough, Bai-Feng a recent addition to the small pride, decided to follow along with him. There was no found reason why he'd been exiled. Perhaps his mingling with Nyk had been found to be trecherous against the Anansi rather than the tyrant, perhaps his secret love for a black lioness from the Mistweaver lands. It could be anything.
Taban refused to think that it might be his mistaken identity. A young adult now, and still no sign of a true mane. His mantle was long enough in his teen years to have given him some hope of eventually completing the fur around his neck and shoulders, but in adulthood that hope was all but gone. His figure was more muscular than a normal cheetah's would have been from his life of travels, climbing and decending the paths and cliffs of the underground, but nothing when compared to a lion.
"We have no direction in our travels, yet you pick up your pace whenever I approach you with conversation." Bai finally spoke up, trotting himself up beside the exiled prince, "Will you not at least listen?"
"You don't have anything to say that I want to hear." He growled bitterly, flicking the end of his tail. Fubar offered a sympathetic whimper- now only a few inches taller than his compantion. Behind Lucia only chuckled.
"Are you still in denial?" Bai raised a brow.
"No...", Taban paused, lifting his head a bit to give the area a good look over. The trio following him followed his lead, there was a scent in the air.
"Hmm... we still outnumber them." Lucia stepped forward, kind of loping herself infront of the group, "I don't think this is pride territory yet... or pack."
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:33 am
Ice green eyes looked out through the grass to the small menagerie of creatures before them. At the head of the group a cheetah strode tall, though he did not walk as his father did. But then, no one really walked like his father did, his father was no ordinary cheetah after all. This strangely marked creature before him was definately a cheetah though. He had long been taught by his mother that cheetahs were weaker than lions but so much faster , he had seen evidence of that on more than one ocassion when his father had raced up the trunk of a tree to perch in the branches slender and nimble. Flickering that flock of fur from his eyes once again, that flock of hair that may one day become a mane, he strode out right in front of the enterage with a cheeky, kittenish grin.
"Hai" He smiled his tufted tail swishing backwards and forwards as he eyed the cheetah before him, he was chunkier than his father that was for sure, his father was sleek and muscular, his mother told him his father was alot different from other cheetahs, most cheetahs ran the ground, his father flew through the trees rather than accross the ground. "Are you a proper cheetah?" He looked up at the stocky looking beast before him, no fear in those light green eyes.
"See cause mum says that dads not a normal cheetah cause he climbs trees, but normal cheetahs they just run reeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllllyyyyyyyyyy fast, can you run fast mista cheetah? Thats what you are isn't it? Your's kinda fatter than my dad though, plus you're not green, but I won't hold that against you. Mum says creatures come in all different sizes and colours thats why dads different than other cheetahs cause he doesn't have spots, but you don't have spots neither, but you are definately a cheetah. Can I see you run? I wanna learn but dad can't show me cause his feet are all like this." he pauses to lift a paw and splays out his toes at odd angles. "Mum says it's because he grew up climbing trees instead of running across the ground like normal cheetahs." He pauses again to look at Taban's paws "Yup your paws are normal, can you run fast and show me pleasseeee??" After this none stop babble of childish talk, the young cub looked up wide eyed and innocently at Taban, his shiney white milk teeth flashing in the sun as he grinned pleadingly at the big cheetah before him.
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:26 pm
The company came to a sharp stop as the small cub jumped out at them. Lucia snarled out of instinct but slowly relaxed, smirking slightly at the cub's babblings. It was perhaps the last thing that Taban wanted to hear after the hours, maybe days, of hounding from both herself and Bai Feng who seemed nearly as amused by the cub's ramblings as Lucia herself was.
Taban, as expected, glared, his head lowered down and his ears pressed flat against his cape. Irritated beyond words, the most he could do was flex his dulled claws in and out of the ground. Normal cheetah!? By no rights was he normal. He was bulky to be sure, massive powerful shoulders and muscular legs from his life underground. The thought of a cheetah- or any creature for that matter- bounding through the trees like an overgrown monkey was insanity.
Fubar nuzzled the young cheetah's side re-assuringly. The creature was still a cub... a funny looking cub but then again, Taban had never seen any other cubs than himself in the reflection of the cave's pools. His mind didn't register the cub as anything odd.
"Your parents seemed to have neglected teaching you manners and common sense." Taban answered finally, lifting his head though his ears remained firmly pressed back against his mantle. "For all you could have known, we could be a pack of vicious hunters out for a bite of cub... if that were the case you could easily become our meal."
He stepped over the cub, flicking his tail sharply.
Bai chuckled, following behind but paused beside the cub. He was closer to a 'normal' cheetah to be honest. Dispite his milky white coat and slightly longer mantle, his frame was pretty typical of a cheetah. The only disturbing difference on him was a strange harness still strapped to his back from his coursing days. Crimson as his mantle and 'boots' were. "You see, young one, the prince is indeed a cheetah as you assume. However, a case of mistaken identity has him blind and confused to reality."
"Not his fault." Lucia cut in, the brown hyena smirking down towards the cub, "And he is right. We could have been an enemy. Best you keep downwind and observe before you come running out so boldly. Not until you are grown that is."
Fubar, a mained wolf, patterned oddly like a mix between an eagle and a lion, only nodded, his tounge flopping from the corner of his mouth.
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:18 am
The little cub looked up oddly at the strange group, listening to their words and taking them all in thoughtfully. It took him a moment to organise his youthful mind and get all of the jumbled words together to get his mind in to gear to reply to them all.
Of course when Taban stepped over him he fell backwards though he soon clambered back to his foot paws again to sit in a spread eagled type manner and speak to the pale cheetah. "Mom always says that lions are lotsers more powerful than cheetahs so I can kinda look after myself." He grins holding his teeny forepaws in the air and batting out a tiny childish snarl on his lips. "I'm Mbura,." He paused looking at the odd group once again. "Iv seen a one of you before "he pointed at Fubar" You're a wild doggy like Ryega, he lives with us, but I'v never seen a one of you before though, what are you? You kinda look like a reallllyy big chunky wild dog. I like your laugh." He wiggled his tiny tail, he was facinated by this small menagerie of creatures.
Popping to his paws he poked the pale white male on a leg "well if uhm prince won't run will you pleaseeeee?? I'll be really good and stuff if you do!" He grinned wider than ever those ice green eyes shimmering brightly in the sun, full of innocence and curiosity.
He looked back at Taban wondering if maybe he could convince them both to run, he desperately wanted to learn. "See dad can teach me to climb and mum can teach me to fight like a really big lion but I wanna learn to run like a real cheetah too, you look really fast and stuff an I betchu know how to run fasterer than anyone ever." He beamed at Taban, if the cub knew he was trying to be flattering he probably would have poured on the juice more, but as he was only a cub he was being extremely honest. He liked this little group and the scoldings from them were far forgotten. After all, when you are little you let the past slip away quickly to live in the now and enjoy life to the fullest. Fear for life comes with age.
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:59 am
"Taban fast?" Lucia chuckled, glancing over his way, "Yeah I suppose when he tries." She flicked her shaggy tail, earning a glare from the tan cheetah over his shoulder. "He has the potential to be a quick one but he is in what we adults call 'denial'. You see- he thinks himself simular to you. He was raised by lions."
"No one knows if my real parents were or weren't lions." He snapped. Though Taban wasn't an idiot, one glance at the cub-now admittidly a cheion, and he knew that he was anything but. It only led to more questions, always more questions and never an easy way to find answer. He didn't appreciate the hyena's mockery of his abilities either. He'd not had the prior expreience that Bai had in his lifetime.
"We all do, cub." Lucia half-heartidly scolded, giving the cheetah a sympathetic look, "Your mother was blind and your father was away during your birth. Anything could have happened when she emerged to give cub."
"Well I would love to but you see..." Bai quirked a brow, bringing his eyes off of Taban and down to the cub in the grass, "Cheetahs can run- very fast- but it takes a lot of energy to do so. We avoid it until it's absolutely nessicary. If I were to show you I'm afraid we'd all have to stop and rest until I had the strength to get up and running. It's a gift and a curse as they say."
Fubar smirked, nodding in agreement to that. He'd been out with Taban and Bai Feng twice and both times Taban had winded himself so badly he lost whatever was in his belly at the time. Not the most pleasent of memories.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:07 am
"Ohh" Mbura looked a little disapointed at this peice of information, that he couldn't see the two cheetahs run but he seemed to get over it pretty quickly returning to his childish cheery self. "He was raised by lions? Well my mommys a lion but my daddys a cheetah so I'm kinda bein' raised by lions" He giggles his tail wiggling happily as he watched the bulky Taban, he seemed far too grumpy to the dark cub, he definately needed some cheering up.
"Maybe mister prince Taban is kinda like me huh? Cept that his mommy or daddy isn't a lion." He looked thoughtful his light icey green eyes looking deeply questioning. "Maybe Mister prince Taban can stick some fluff to his tail like this." He picks up his tail and shows it to the group. "Mommy's got one of these but daddy hasn't and mommy says I might get lotsa fluffyness when i get big round here." he points at his cheeks. "Soo maybe you can stick some fluffs there too and then you can be a one of me too huh?" He grinned, perfectly innocently unaware that he was maybe being offencive to the large brown cheetah before him.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 3:16 am
Taban wrinked his nose up in aggrivation, the tip of his tail snapping back and forth. Thankfully for the cub, he wasn't one to loose himself to his temper often, if at all. It was just a cub being a cub. Clueless to the world, unaware of the complications that this matter brought up for not just him but the entire group gathered there. All of them, exiled. Their crime? That was hard to say...it was never officially presented to them. Most they could gather was they weren't lions. Not strong as Korvo or even Devi... the Anansi's web was broken. It seemed the trick was on it's own followers.
The cheetah let out a long breath, glancing back down to the cub, "Where's your family? It's too dangerous to be out alone. You're plenty brave and clever enough to think up such...", word it nicely... "Creative solutions to my problem. Perhaps we can get you back before it gets too dark?"
Bai and Lucia exchanged smirks. Well at least he wasn't making this about him. He had the potential- everyone present knew that all Taban had been stewing on for the past few weeks was his broken family. His real parents? He'd never know them as odds currently stood. His adopted family? Turned him loose and cast him aside. It was difficult.
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:45 am
The icey green eyes of the little cub looked very thoughtful as he let the words of the grouchy looking cheetah roll in to one ear and out the other, he grinned though at what he thought as praise for his idea of turning Taban in to a cheetoin, or chion, or what ever his breed was. Giggling he jumpped to his forepaws and wrangled himself through the big cheetahs legs in thanks before plopping his butt down right between his fore paws and lookign up. "You know you're really big." He occasionally liked to state the obvious as most cubs did why shouldn't he? After all perhaps Taban didn't know how huge he looked in the eyes of a small though unusual cub.
At the mention of his family the little cub lifted a paw and pointed "I came from thattaway..buutttttt it's not too dark yet, you can come tho if you wanna, I'm sure dad will be on his way, he's a bit slow but he always finds you he's like a finding thingie or something." He giggles again hopping to his teeny paws he hop skips towards the grass, though he pauses to glance back at his new found 'friends' "Comon then slow pokes!" he smirks and bounds in to the long grass the fronds bending with his progress.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:28 pm
 Taban's paw quickly curled up into his chest in response to the effectionate rub from the cub, both ears pressing back as his brow creased in confusion. He'd never been this friendly as a cub- not that he could remember anyway. Didn't the overlanders teach their cubs dignity? He glanced helplessly back towards Bai and Lucia, both only shrugged and started after the small cub.
"At the very least," Bai paused beside the young cheetah, "We can ask for information on this area... any ideal locations for a stronghold for ourselves. Look on the positive side."
Taban huffed, rolling his shoulders a bit, "Couldn't hurt I guess..."
"And if his parents turn out to be aggressive...", Lucia dipped her voice, flashing the cheethas a toothy grin, "Then there are the four of us... I have to admit I've been spoiling for a fight."
"Only if it comes to that." Bai warned, continuing his brisk walk forward, "We are not picking fights with these creatures. Taban and I are hardly built for combat."
"Speak for yourself." Taban half-joked, lifting his head up with a smirk, "But I don't think we have anything to worry about. Not with how...bouncy this little guy is."
Fubar ignored the conversation currently being murmured behind him. Instead the mained wolf found amusement in the cub's bouncing in and out of the long grass. He gave a playful bark and bounced right after him, careful never to actually catch the cub- but the chaise was the funnest part of any game.
"Big kid." Taban chuckled, shaking his head a bit.
"You can learn something from him." Lucia prodded, ignoring the glare Taban shot back in return.
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:11 pm
Mbura giggled as he galavanted with the 'doggy' in the long grass taking the long way back towards his family. He wasn't in any hurry to loose his new found 'friends' by returning to his small, strange family. His mother after all wasn't very good with other creatures. She loved his father but other creatures seemed to be nothing to her. Shaking these thoughts away he let a giggle escpe his maw as he rolled and leapt between the wild dogs legs playing a great game of tag. The young cheeton stopped mid leap though when he heard the approach of foot steps. Standing on his hind paws he rolled those mint green eyes and sighed. "Aawes man heres My pop" he pulled a tongue andmade a raspberry noise as he scurried behind Taban, putting a paw to his little lips he gave a grin and whispered for everyone to hear "don't tell him I'm here." he giggles hiding in plain view behind one of Tabans legs..
His coat was of a deep dark green, blatently obvious against the dusty browns of the savannah. He stuck out to say the least like a sore thumb amongst the grasses. He walked in a strange manner, and though he was clearly a cheetah, he had no elegance in the way he moved, he padded along in a sort of ungainly jig, his tail almost straight out behind him, his dark head with glassy green eyes towering over the tall brittle grass. He stopped mid step as he saw the little band. Jani'Esquillo had followed his eldest son out in to the savannah for the fourth time this week. The boy was adventorous but he didn't wish to qwell that. Instead he had decided to let him wander always close behind incase he should get in to trouble.
He approached the band of creatures cautiously, he could smell his sons scent on the air, perhaps the worst had happened. Good gods Sukari would kill him. Puffing out his chest and standing tall, he took a weary step forwards, his gait ungainly to say the least. "Greetings..." He licked his lips searching in an almost frightened manner for the remains of his eldest son, there was no scent of blood upon the wind though, perhaps these beasts wer friendly. "I wonder have you seen my son?" He paused for a moment wondering how to describe the boy. "He's sort of, well differentfrom most, black in colour with golden stripes down his spine." His tail swished nervously, maybe they hadn't eaten him yet but they were going to. "Our uhm..Pride is out looking for him they won't be far behind." It was a lie, but maybe if they were keeping the boy hostage they'd let him go if they thought a pride was behind him.
Mbura giggled from behind Tabans legs and peered out at his large green father before sneaking out and pouncing on his fore paws. "heys dad! you couldn't see me huh? I'm KING of hide n go seek." He grins broadly unaware of the fright he had given his father.
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:28 pm
Taban all but ignored the game of his companion and the cub, rolling his thick shoulders back and lifting up his head. Lucia pulled up beside him, muttering quietly to inform him of the scent of another close by. He nodded and pressed forward, putting himself ahead of the company. He doubted that a single cheetah would be trouble but a lioness just might if she felt her cub was in trouble. If that was the case he was still the prince of the small company- and unlike many rulers from many other prides, it was his job to keep them save rather than the other way around.
As the stranger approached Taban puffed out his own chest. Broad from his underground life of climbing between cliffs and ledges. Claws were well worn down, something that might mend over time, but his bulk was impressive for his race- if only he could boast the same of his speed. Still hardly a match for a cheetah...
Lucia and Bai Feng made themselves known as well, standing with their heads raised and shoulders squared. Fubar, however insisted on continuing the game and pressed his cold nose into the cub's side, whimpering the way a pup would. Why wasn't he running some more? Was the game over? That was no fun.
"Fubar..." Taban scolded over a shoulder, flicking the tip of his tail.
The wild dog's head shot up and mouth snapped shut. The almost stupified expression melted into one of seriousness in a second flat. Though small, the company had enough to defend itself with between the four of them.
"Greetings." Taban said simply, tipping his head just to the side. "I assume you're the father of the young lord of hide and seek?" He smirked a bit, lifting his back leg up just enough to make the cub visible. "Quite a trusting fellow. Rest assured all of us have long lost our appetite for the flesh of a predator."
Bai Feng nodded, though his expression deepened at the mention of a pride. He'd seen no markers... no claws in the trees or scents boarding their travels. "Might I ask what territory we've come into?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:41 am
The large green cheetah looked embarressed as the small black form of his son hopped out playfully. He shook his head "I beleive you're trying to give your father a heart attack Mbura, I thought I'd lost you down someones gullet." Jani tried to sound stern in these situations but really he only sounded amused that of all creatures his son could just walk up to a strange band and come out the other end alive. "No more approaching people whom you don't know young man!" He looked bemused for a moment but turned his attention to the group.
"I do appologise, I'm afraid it's my fault, if his mother knew I was letting him wander about on his own she'd likely pul my ears off." He grinned garishly. "Really Mbura this is the last time now, you could have been eaten! Then what would I tell your mother hmm?"
Mbura looked up at his father with a huff. "Awess but daaad I wasn't gunna get eaten, I'm too little to give anyone a good meal!" He giggles running betwen his fathers legs before returning to Fubar and pokeing him with a claw "Ask mr prince Taban if we can play again pleasssee" He looked up innocently at the big brown cheetah his tiny milky fangs flashing in a wide grin.
Jani shook his head. "Kids, I didn't expect children to be so well, hard work!" He shook his head and looked to Taban, clearly this one was the leader but as he had neither scoffed his cub for breakfast, nor moved to threaten him he relaxed a little his muscular shoulders clearly relaxing. "Well you're sort of between prides at the moment. My mate and I had to stop on our way back to her pride." He cleared his throat and pointed at the cub "She had to have time to rest and the boys are only just old enough to travel any sort of distance." He grinned sheepishly. "I appologise for lying but I feard the worst.." he clears his throat again and lowers his head in a shameful manner. "I hope he hasn't been too much trouble, he had an advetorers heart and a childs mind, it's a bit of a lethal combination."
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:16 pm
"Between prides?" He raised a brow, "Not to seem rude.... but...cheetahs don't live in prides. And no pride I have encountered would allow one of...us... to join them." He shook his head. There was an edge in his voice and in the way he said 'us'. Resentment, perhaps anger. And why not? He'd already proved himself smarter than not one but two lion kings, not to mention having more of a backbone than any lion he'd encountered and just as a cub. Though he had long gotten used to the fact that he was in fact a cheetah, he still refused to believe that he was useless. That cheetahs were only meant for having their meals picked off by stronger predators, their cubs taken for food during the dry season. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The white cheetah sensed the hostility in Taban's tone and stepped himself up beside him, lifting his own neck up. There were similarities between himself and Taban, similarities that went unseen by the group but to strangers- it would be easy to assume he had sired the young 'prince'. Though of the lot, he might strike a stranger as the most odd. His mantle was longer than average, his pelt pure white flicked with red along his cape , down his forehead, tail, and paws. However- those aside- it was the man-craft along his back and shoulders that would stand out most.
Crimson-treated leather set with now worn golden dragons holding rings in their mouths. Black leather straps secured the coursing harness around the cheetah's neck and chest, and by the worn edges- they had for quite some time.
"Excuse him. We're a traveling band of strategist. Recently we found our pride...unworthy of our talents so we're seeking a new one. However, this area is new to us. If you could direct us to the nearest pride or give us an idea of what manner of organizations stand nearby it would be much appreciated."
Fubar only grinned to the little cub, sitting himself down to enjoy a good scratch to the cape of his neck. Didn't seem he spoke often.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:12 pm
Jani'esquillo looked a little abashed by the young brown oddly marked male, he was used to being spoken to in an irritated manner by others though so he rolled his shoulders and raised a brow at the other cheetah.
The white male, though strange in his own way was much more polite though and Jani addressed him rather than the angry youngster. "I'm afraid I cannot be of much help to you. My mate you see, she comes from a pride, we met int he jungles many weeks ago. we had to stop for a while before journeying onwards. As I said, we are between prides and our travelling arrangements are unusual. Neither I nor our cubs can go very far without tireing our selves out." He lifted his claws to show his strangely deformed fore paws. "We all grow up in differnt circumstances and judging by you and your prince here you are also from strange backgrounds." He paused for a moment and flickered his tail, a thoughtful look coming over his maw. "We are heading south by south west, my mate says there is a blossoming pride there that requires able and strong bodies." He pauses and chuckles. "I may not look able upon the ground but in the trees there is noone faster than me." He couldn't help but boast, he was ungainly to say the least on the ground, but when in the jungle he was king of the hights.
"I think with your multitalentedness perhaps you would be a group they would most certainly take in though I cannot obviously speak of it's leaders." He gave a small shrug and turned his nose to his eldest son with a grin. He hooked the youngster around his midsection and groomed his flock of fur that crested his forehead. "No more playing for today Mbura, we really should be getting back before your mother decides we both need to be throw rugs." He chuckles softly, a glimmer in his icey green eyes.
Mbura humphed quietly "Awwweess dad! i wanna play with the doggy some mor though, pleaseee?? Rygea never plays with us!" He sighs heavily "I want a better wild dog our one sucks." He pouts his paws dangling in the air his fathers paw hooked around his middle.
Jani chuckled and shook his head. "You have three brothers, be grateful!" He rolled his eyes and nodded at the group. "I really have to get this one back before my mate thinks we have gotten lost or eaten. Good luck on your travels." With that said the dark cheetah liften the odd cub to his mouth and took him by the scruff of his neck before starting to limp in that odd manner back the way he came.
Mbura sighed and waved to the group from his limp possition. "byeeeee"
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