The Real Zimwi of Ilsambo

[theblindone]

Every night, the sound of death echos out across the valley of Ilsambo, a sound that sends even the bravest animals running. They tell stories of the Zimwi, the ogre, of the valley. That a hideous creature stalks the forests and plains at night, reeking of decay and death.

No one ventures into the caves it inhabits, for they know that one encounter with The Zimwi of Ilsambo means death.

~~~~
Msizi grunted as she tugged the body of a Thomson's Gazelle through the forest. Setting it down, she flexed her jaws and scanned the area for other predators. It wasn't uncommon for a hyena to venture into the rain forest looking for an easy kill. Once she was sure of her safety, she lifted her head and roar as loud as she could.

A strange sound cut through the normal night sounds of the forest...It sounded like the scream of a dying animal. Msizi stood her ground as the foliage rustled and a male lion limped out from the bush.

He was long and lean (skinny) of frame, His black mane hung in long wiry fur but the most striking thing about this lion was his face. The left half looked perfectly normal, a mellow red eye and a rather gentle smile adored this side. It was probably what the right side looked like before whatever accident deformed it.

The right side was a mass of ugly pinkish-red scar tissue, pulled tightly over the skull. A permanent leering grin stretched the ruined face, as lines of drool slipped from tightly closed teeth. The other lion was a horrible sight to behold.

Msizi just smiled at the other and purred deeply.

"Hello Mnyama, I've brought you something to eat. I'm sorry it took so long." she purred, nuzzling the furred side of Mnyama's face. The older lion looked amused and he knelt down to eat.

"Did you get lost again, 'Sizi?" he rasped, his voice weak and faint. Msizi looked away, blushing beneath her fur.

"I didn't get lost, I was making sure I wasn't being followed." she said defensively. Mnyama just chuckled and dug into the gazelle that his friend had caught for him. Mynama, better known as The Zimwi of Ilsambo, was not the monster the other animals made him out to be. In reality he was just a crippled and badly scarred lion, who could only hunt carrion. Without Msizi taking down fresh game, he would still be an emaciated loner.

"Did you eat already 'Sizi?" he asked as the lioness lay down beside him and began to groom his messy fur.

"Yesh, I caught a warthog before I came back." she said. Mnyama turned his head but only his blinded eye stared at her.

"You need to _eat more." Mnyama ordered, his voice fading out. Msizi shushed him fondly.

"Hush, you'll lose your voice again." Msizi warned. A sudden sod from the bushes made her swivel her ears in the direction of the noise. She stood up, hackles tensed as she listened.

Someone had followed her!

Mnyama looked up from his meal as an angry Msizi stalked forward. The unscarred portion of his face held naught but confusion.

"Msizi? What is it?" he asked. Msizi just growled and glared hard into the semi-darkness.

"Who is it! Who dares spy on us!"

[theblindone]

((OOC: How am I supposed to practice RPing, when nobody wants to RP with me. *saaaad faaace*))

[Dakota]

because you just have to have a little patience, till someone is online and wants to participate, but looking at what you have posted, I don't think you need much practise..

But.. wait someone will come along

[cheezeegriff]

Kashor, the pride's grand hunter stepped out of the bushes, both fear and anger and betrayal on his old, powerful face.
"Mzizi... how could you associate with this beast!? We trusted you and you assist the very monster that torments us. Why??"

[theblindone]

"Kashor!" Msizi recoiled in surprise, she never expected the her pride would ever find her. The younger lioness shook her head and snarled threateningly. Her hackles were raised as she took a menacing step forward.

"He is not a monster! Mnyama has never tormented anyone!" Msizi growled. Mnyama looked between the two of them with fear on his face. Rising to his paws, he delicately padded up to Msizi. His head was low as always, his red eyes holding fear and aprehention in their depths.

"_MSizi please _don't-" he rasped.

"Please run away Mnyama, I don't want him to hurt you!" Msizi pleaded.

[cheezeegriff]

Kashor's eyes widened further.
"So you're collaborators! What about the boy who went missing a week ago, or the lioness who wound up dead, in this very same wood?? He's a murderer, Mzizi,"
he growled, and put his nose to her.
"Now step aside, if you want to leave this forest alive."

[theblindone]

"Mnyama and I know nothing about the cub or the lioness, besides Mnyama is not a murder. Mnyama would never hurt anyone!" Msizi yelled. Mnyama furrowed his brow at the other lion's instigations, there was no way that he could had killed anyone. For one thing it wasn't in his nature to hurt others, and two with his crippled hind leg he could not have run after them.

Msizi was right in Kashor's face, she may have been big for a lioness but she was still smaller than a fully grown male lion. This fight was going to be tough but she was not willing to back down.

[cheezeegriff]

"Then you're simply delusional. The beast has wiled its way into your heart - you can't even see what a monster it is. I'm sorry, Msizi, it isn't your fault, but as a soldier of the king I must do my master's bidding!"
Kashor took a swipe at Msizi's legs to trip her up and then lunged for her neck.

[theblindone]

Msizi knew that the other would not be persuaded, with a roar she lunged and struck Kashor with her paws. Her claws unsheathed and aiming for his eyes. Her voice was harsh and urgent as she shouted at Mnyama.

"Go! Mnyama! Run! He means your death!" she roared. Mnyama reluctantly loped into the forest, unwilling to leave his friend.

[stellagal18]

The little cub walked and looked around, "Brother! Brother! BROTHER!!! Where are you?" he yelled not aware that he's miles and miles away from his brother. Mojo heard fast footsteps, someone was heading his way very fast and he took a quick glance everywhere, wondering who's making the on going footsteps. Closer and closer it's getting, he wasn't afraid, but he wanted to know what exactly was going on,

[Dakota]

Maisha was hiding in the bushes, she wasn't about to step out into a fight between others, especially when you didn't know who they were, they could suddenly turn on you instead.

Hearing the sound of something small comong towards her, she moved the bushes apart with her paws, and her golden coloured face peered though.
what..whats a cub doing here all by itself, silly little thing, will get eaten for lunch

Hearing the roar of the fight get louder, Maisha knew she had to take action.Letting the bush fall back like a curtain, she backed back quietly and came up behind the cub. With one paw she held him steady and the other paw she placed over his muzzle, so as not to draw any attention to themselves.

Slowly she backed back until they were back behind her hiding place. Kepping her paw over his mouth, she turned him around, making sure she had a smile in place so as not to alarm him. Lowring her muzzle to his ear, she whispered.

"I wont hurt you, but you need to not show yourself, or let those fighting hear you, otherwise we mighten see the moon tonight..ok... now I'm going to take my paw away, so please do what I ask."

[stellagal18]

Mojo nodded while the paw was still on his muzzle, he was confused. Why are adults fighting? He thought not understanding the world of the grown lions at all, neither did he understand why they had to hide; he just went along. After the lion had took her paw off of him, he tried to catch a lady bug on the ground in front of him by striking it with one paw, but it flew away. He lay down and rested, not know what else to do.

[theblindone]

Mnyama wheezed a bit, it was a long way for him to be running on a bum leg. Slowly he limped over to a tree to rest a bit but his nose picked up the scent of other lions. A cub and a lioness, Mnyama thought, it's too dangerous for others to be near this fight. His nose was trained to the scent of the cub and adult and when he found them he 'smiled'.

"Hello..little ones, my name is Mnyama. What are your names?" he rasped.

[stellagal18]

Mojo almost fell asleep when suddenly a male lion by the name of Mnyama seemingly jumped out of nowhere, the lion asked for his name. Mnyana seemed nice enough, "Hi, I'm Mojo!" he said grimacing at the big male lion, Mojo looked at Mnyama curiously. The lion some how seemed slightly different than the other male lions he had seen before, but he didn't know why he looked the way he did. He suddenly remembered, "Oh....I was playing and then I got lost....I can't find my brother....have you seen him anywhere?" Mojo asked, not realizing he was asking two complete strangers.

[cheezeegriff]

Kashor roared in pain as Msizi's claws raked over his face.
"Curse you, mongrel cat!"
he yelled, backing away, holding his injuries.
"When the king hears of this you'll be executed, no questions asked."
Disorientated, he turned and ran between the trees, not knowing where he was going, until he tripped over a little cub.
"You,"
he hissed at the small creature, then noticed another lion standing nearby.
The monster.
"You!"

[Dakota]

One minute Maisha was alone the next she seemed to be surrounded by weird and wonderful felines.

All was calm the next, one was roaring in pain and then crashed through bushes calling the tattered lion a monster.

Maisha stepped foward, when the lion tripped over the small cub, she wasn't sure what he was going to do, but she placed her self between them and eyed up the lion. He was disheveled, with cuts and blood slowly oozing down his face. Leaning forward Maisha bought up a paw and poked him on the nose.
"You need to use some manners I think, fancy shouting at a cub."

[stellagal18]

Mojo didn't know what he did wrong to make the male lion that tripped over him so angry, he backed away from the lion. He didn't know what to do, so he just stood there and listen to the adult lions argue.

[theblindone]

Mnyama smiled at the cub but was quick to protect him when the snarling lion rounded on them. The burned lion lowered his head protectively infront of little Mojo. It was then Msizi crashed through the bushes and leaped to his side, the lioness was seething with anger as she glared at Kashor.

"I thought I told you to run, Mnyama!" Msizi yelled but Mnyama could see the aprihension and worry in her eyes. The older lion let let out a raspy growl.

"I had to protect them." Mnyama said.

[stellagal18]

(This one will be my last one then)
Mojo made himself small like a ball and stood by Mnyama's foot, he made himself invisible and constantly look from one lion to the other as they are talking. He hasn't the slightest clue why the other male lions keep calling Mnyama a monster, but he didn't like the sound of the word and assumed it to be an insult. He listened closely and stood by the lions that seemed to be protecting him, he hasn't got a clue what to do after the adult lions all leave.