The Last Kingdom Roleplay

[Pulsar]

*Mysterious voice*
"Gather 'round and let me tell you a story."

"It is said that there is a land of untold mystery and wonder... A land, lost to time. A land.... of which only legends remain."

"As the legends go, they speak of a once mighty king, who once led a Pride unlike any ever seen. This pride lived in peace in their homeland for many years, until one day an enemy pride moved into their territory. The mighty king and his pride did their best to fight off the intruders, both sides loosing countless lives. The war carried on for years until the land itself could take no more fighting, the plants and animals the waring lion prides used to survive, started dying off. First it was the grass, which shriveled up, then the tress, then even the water dried up.
This took a tole on both prides, until eventually the mighty king managed to defeat the other pride's leader in one final battle. With the last blow dealt, the war had been won, but at what cost? The land could no longer maintain the King's pride. They had no choice but to look for a new home.
Bravely leading onward the King brought his pride out into the world unknown to search for a new land that they could call home, a place lush and green, a place where they could finally have, peace..."

"The road they travelled down was not without its dangers though, many of the pride died along the way, some from starvation or dehydration, some to the very environment they traversed, some from the animals and beasts they encountered on their journey."
After traveling for so long the pride and its king were at their breaking point, their limits tested, their spirits all but broken. It was then that they found the new world! They saw it as they emerged from a cave tunnel that ran through a mountain. There, before their eyes, was a land lush and green beyond anything they had ever seen, the land nestled within a mountain range, guarded on all sides by slumbering giants of rock.
The land as if untouched by the world outside its mountainous walls that surrounded it, it was bathe in the glowing light of the sun as if the very gods themselves were watching over it."

"It was here that the King and his pride made their new home, on this land they made a kingdom of untold potential, prosperity and unfathomable power! they vowed they would never let their home become as their old one did. So they guarded this new home with their greatest warriors, lions of the best fighting caliber ever seen.
These guardians, watched over the Kingdom and its people for all time and to this day, it is said that they still stand watch at the gates, that single solitary tunnel providing the only access to the Kingdom... The mountains, the silent sentinels deterring all those who would dare try to plunder the land of its treasures or take the land for themselves."

"As time passed, life outside the mountain walls got worse, lands spread out across the earth slowly started dying off along with their inhabitants, lions, the top of the animal chain, started dying off, all the once mighty prides that roamed the great earth slowly vanished one by one, their kingdoms crumbling to dust with the land. Now only a very small few remain, just how many? no one can be sure. But it's only a matter of time, unless they can save themselves."

"The guardians of the Kingdom had done their job well, to the point that the Kingdom they guarded became lost to the world, only stories and tales remain in the generations of today. The lost land's location so far and the road so treacherous that only fools would dare venture in search of it.
Because that's what the legends speak of, of a land so great that words do it no justice, where all of one's heart's desires come true and where the greatest of treasure await. But all who have sought this paradise of the gods have never been seen or heard from again...."

---

---

On a hill in a valley, a lone figure stands as if looking out onto the distance. The grass beneath his paws, rusted and brown with the look of death. The evening sky seemingly mirroring the dying land below it, having shades of orange and brown.
Only a few green patches remained in the land.
The figure stood there on the hill, the wind gently blowing his yellow mane.
His eyes, narrowed and a frown played upon his face as if he were in deep thought.

<.... and all who have sought this paradise of the gods have never been seen or heard from again.... Because only fools would follow such tales, fools... or the desperate....>
The lion thought to himself as he surveyed the land around him.
Only one or two herds of animals to be seen, it was clear that this land was on its last legs...

"..... 'The Last Kingdom'....."
The lion spoke aloud this time as he surveyed the land once more.
His gaze then returning to the horizon, the light in the sky making his yellow eyes flash as he did.
".... my last hope...."

---

---

*mysterious voice*
"Gather 'round and let me tell you a story, of the Last Kingdom of a dying species, of a land long forgotten and of the brave young souls who would end up seeking it out....."

"for this.... is their story...."

[KanuTGL]

Darn it. Darn it all. The old lion slammed a massive paw to the hard, dry ground, sending a minor cloud of dust into the air in the process. That was the third time that blasted gazelle had escaped his grasp. Sumai was getting old... and this was not a good time to be old and weak. He glared at the slender figure of his prey through the fringe of his long mane as the critter disappeared over a sandy hill. Sighing, the predator sat down. Sumai had chased the young gazelle since midday and was, as much as he hated to admit it, getting tired. Tiredness was hardly a thing for a soldier! Despite his age, Sumai's silhouette was still one of power. In his prime he had been a huge lion, able to take down an enemy male with one blow! (Well, almost at least.) He had seen countless battles, and only lost very few. Yes, in his pride Sumai had been a respected commander; one of the highest ranking members even. Even though he had now lost some of his former strength, the old warrior still absolutely considered himself a force to be reckoned with... But right now hunger gnawed at his body and he couldn't remember the last time he had been able to catch a decent meal. You could always find little scraps here and there, but hardly anything fit for a war hero like himself... No, gone were the days of having lionesses hunt for him. Now the world was broken, and "survival of the fittest" was the only rule that mattered out here. He sighed, rising to his feet once more, and climbed the hill his dinner had disappeared beyond.

The storms had driven him here; winds of unimaginable strength had battered his homeland until there was little left of it but stumps of trees and mounds of various debris. His pride had long since scattered and Sumai did not know the location of any of his former comrades any longer. He had eventually given up his search for them and decided to just go wherever the wind wanted to take him. He wasn't particularly impressed with where it had taken him so far. This landscape was a barren plain with few patches of green and even fewer herds. The trees and bushes seemed to slowly wither away one by one and the grass was mostly coloured a pale yellow or a rusty brown. Right now, in the fading sunlight, the land seemed almost unreal... The light coloured the valley a metallic bronze. The sand and brown grass seemed to be glowing like gold and the far away mountains burned like fire. For a moment, Sumai was taken aback by this unlikely beauty. A breeze gently ruffled his long black mane as he gazed upon the landscape and he sat down on top of the knoll. Yes, now it was beautiful, but hardly a place for a lion to stay. He would have to press on, carried by the wind... "Pfft." he snorted. "Carried by the wind..." Sure. It had certainly helped him so far. Sumai shook his head. It was time to find a new direction.

OOC: Ugh, I feel so rusty... It's gonna take me a while to get back into gear I think

[This Land]

"Keep going......keep going"
Thud thud.......thud thud
"Keep running......keep running, they still might be on your trail"
Thud thud.......thud thud
"My eyes, cant see a thing, too much sweat dirt and blood, must keep on running, must protect it, must protect it"
Thud thud......thud thud
"How long can my heart cope, it feels like its going to burst, i must rest, if they still are on my trail, im dead either way"

Sheek's bare worn paws, started to slow down on the dry and hostile earth. All he can do is run, thats all his tactics have been ever since this land had became what it is, that's the only way to avoid danger and keep away from injury's, but now he has started to regret this tactic as there has been a slow killer all along, the harsh dry earth under his paws and the dust in his eyes in which he had no time to keep them clean. His paws are worn bare, on the brink of bleeding, he must rest.....

"Must rest"

His fast pace finally halts to a stop and he immediately flops onto the floor, letting out a low thundering growl. He drops the most important cargo from his mouth and pants aggressively. His long thick muscled legs stretched across the earth, unproportionate to his slim figure of a body as his legs are doing most of the work these days

"Please, let me rest......please"

After a few minutes, his heartbeat begins to return to normal, he takes a deep breath of dust filled air, which at the time was quite a luxury, a dry cough with a deep growl followed. He rolled over onto all his belly and stared infront, blinking several times to try to get at least some tears to wash away his dirt encrusted eyes, he shook his head a few times and wiped away as much dirt as he could.
His vision started to return, for once after a hour he could see again, but really there was not much to see. His eyes suddenly shot to his all important item between his paws, they had to adjust to this rare item as he hasn't seen anything like it before in a long time.
A sun-dried chunk of meat....as soon as he realised how good his prize was, he knew that all that running from a pack of hyena's was all worth while.

"How the bloomin hell that tactic worked still amazed me, ran straight through the middle of the pack, grabbed what i could while at full speed and ran off"

Sheek slightly chucked to himself, for he had won that scrap, and only the cost of a bite mark to the head, it was worth it. Sheek curled on of his forlegs around the chunk of meat tightly as he continued to lick himself clean, ready to eat his prize. He would be surprised if he could only manage half of it though, that would fill him up, his stomach isnt used to such large portions, but his plan was to keep it as long as he could when he felt hungry again, even if it went unfresh, it was food after all.
Few minutes later his body feels back to a releaxed state, another luxury in itself

"Things are going my way today" He exhaustedly chuckled again

He lunged his teeth towards the meat and took a chunk, its dry and rough texture on the outside didn't feel nice in his mouth, but he couldn't care less, his first meal in ages has been served.
He paused for a moment and observed the surrounding area, he took a few sniffs of the air, something didn't seem right around here, something was around. His stomach took over from this concern and he took another bite.

OCC - not sure of you have figured out, but any speech in italics is sheek's thoughts

[Pulsar]

It was incredible to think how the land could have changed so much, so drastically.... so quickly. Not that long ago the lands of the world were lush and green and bustling with life of all types. Antelopes and Zebras aplenty, but now, one would be lucky to find a single herd. It could be said that this had its benefits, smaller herds made it easier for lone hunters to catch prey, after all, the prey always had safety in numbers, but the changes to the land had taken their tole on them too.
"What did we do to deserve such a punishment as this?"
The lion asked himself as if hoping some answer would come to him.
He couldn't help but recall days passed when he lived back with his pride and all was well and peaceful, when he had not a care in the world. Not to say that the current state of affairs happened over night, no, it was a more gradual shift. Things changed slowly at first, obscure plants died out first one by one, then some of the smaller creatures.
This drought, this plague, whatever you would call it, crept upon the earth like some vile slithering snake, slinking its way toward its pray.... by the time anyone had noticed, it was too late, the bite had already been delivered.

"How the mighty have fallen..."
Sighing to himself the lion began slowly making his way down the hill toward the horizon where the sun was setting, his head hanging low with the heavy burden of the memories of the demise of his pride.
<.... with all our knowledge and wisdom of the land, we never saw it coming...>
Like a snake's poison the changes to the land had corrupted those that dwelled there. Neighboring prides that had once been peaceful to one another, their peace shattered.

The lion shook his head vigorously.
<Snap out of it Pulsar... this is no time to dwell on past events....>
Stopping, he raised his head back up and once more looked out at the distance. He couldn't tell you why he kept looking out there, maybe he was hoping that his prayers would be answered, that he would find the Last Kingdom, but truth be told all he had to go on were folk lore and rumors, superstitious myths...
But maybe that was enough, some of the legends after all were based on real locations.
In the end what choice did he have? It was suicide to turn back not to mention wasted effort to get this far only to turn face and retrace his steps back to his... well, the place he once called home anyway.

Suddenly Pulsar's ears perked up, the faint sound of steps reaching his ears. As the sound got louder he was able to figure its direction, it was coming from the other side of a mound that was in front of him.
Slowly he made his way over to the mound, the noise getting ever louder.
"hmmm..."
His eyes narrowed as he awaited what ever was making the noise to appear over the hill and sure enough, something did appear.
At that moment, a young gazelle came dashing over the hill, much to the shock of the yellow maned lion. But he wasn't the only one that was surprised by the chance encounter, the gazelle too was caught on edge, when it seen a predator in its way, the gazelle at first stumbled over itself to slow down before darting in another direction. Using the lion's shocked state to its advantage it darted past him. Leaving Pulsar in the dust looking on as the gazelle raced off out of sight.

"huh.... a lone gazelle.... he was in a bit of a hurry...."
Pulsar spoke aloud to himself.
"Some lucky hungry lion will be glad to find it.... wait..."
Some lucky lion... like him....
At that moment he let out a disgruntled sigh at the meal opportunity he just missed, one as easy as that was a once in a lifetime. At least, thankfully anyway, he wasn't exceptionally hungry, still....
"Might have been nice to refill my belly a bit for the journey..."
He chuckled to himself.
"Easy come easy go I guess!"

[KanuTGL]

Sumai decided to press on; maybe he'd come across an easier prey... The old lion trotted down the slope, the wind still in his back, and looked around him for any sign of life. Spoor, scents, anything, but all he could see were the tracks of the gazelle he had already been chasing and it would probably be pointless to continue that hunt at this time. It would be far, far away from here by now... Maybe tomorrow he would pick up the chase. Then suddenly he saw that same critter dash towards him, coming down another nearby mound and ripping up a cloud of dust behind it. Had something else frightened it to make it change its course like that...? Sumai stopped with a look of surprise, but then realised this was his chance. Lowering his body, the lion sprang forward into a run.

Unfortunately, the gazelle was now more observant and made another sharp turn, skidding on its hind legs, before quickly getting up to speed again. Sumai's eyes narrowed and he quickened his pace, not about to let his prey get away this time. Now each swift stride took him closer to the gazelle; it was getting tired too. "Now!" Once within reach, the lion leapt forward with a roar, grabbing on to the grasseater's rear with both front paws and dug in his claws. The gazelle screamed and kicked out its powerful hind legs towards the predator, forcing Sumai to let go in order to avoid the hit. But now the hunt was already decided. The gazelle was injured and had slowed down just enough to become easy prey. With a growl the lion leapt at it again, this time slamming against its body with all his weight and forced it to the ground. The following frenzy of hooves, claws and teeth kicked up another cloud of dust as the two fought their vicious battle of life and death.

When the dust settled, it was over. Sumai let go of the animal's limp neck and sat down, panting heavily. Success. At last. He chuckled to himself, grinning. There was a deep cut on his shoulder, where the gazelle's final attack had struck, but what were a mere couple of bruises when it meant you could have a meal like this? Sure, it was only a young, skinny thing, but compared to what he had been eating for the last couple of weeks, this was a feast. And it was time to tuck in! The old lion ate greedily, not bothering to look for other predators. If whatever had made the gazelle change its course was a rival - unlikely - Sumai was confident he could fight them off easily.

[This Land]

After Sheek took his final bite, he lay down on his side again, looking at the other half of meat that wasn't eaten. He knew that was it, 2 mouthfuls and he couldn't eat any more, his stomach being so used to the lack of food wasn't that used to such a large chunk of meat like that.

His concerns for the surrounding area started to fade as tiredness started to take effect along with the setting sun.

"I do need to rest now, even if its just for a short while, just a while while, yes, gotta keep moving, keep moving"

The gentle warmth of the setting sun along with the colours it produced was very tranquil, these lands may have been stripped of their beauty during the day, but they could never be stripped on their outstanding beauty of colours and silhouettes at sunset, one of very few things that kept Sheek living day to day, to see that lovely sunset, it kept him feeling alive. Sheek returned a warm smile to the sun and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, he started to hear something running, at first he shook his head as he thought it was his tired mind playing tricks on him like as if its his own sounds from running earlier was still ringing in his ears. When shaking his head didnt help, he started to question himself and he perked his head up.The sound got louder and louder.
"It cant be....them, no no no no!"

But Before Sheek could react quick enough - as his legs had frozen in aching after all that running, a Gazelle had lept over a mound he was by, shot right past him and back over the other mound on the opposite side. After all this time, a fresh meal ran right past him, compared to his meal in which he had to run for. Sheek chuckled at the irony, he could now as he wasn't hungry anymore. Thats the best way to do things, keeping in good spirits keep you alive.

Then what suddenly got Sheek questioning himself is that as soon as the gazelle went over the other hill, it sounded like it was startled by something and the sound of the footsteps changed direction. He immediately knew that something must be over that hill, A uncontrolable growl escaped Sheek's throat, and with no real thinking, he leapt up the hill and peered over the top to see what caused that gazelle to startle, he may be walking in danger in other lion's opinions but for Sheek the whole land is a danger so what has he got to loose ?

The sight that Sheek seen landed many emotions. First off he was suprised he actually had found another lion, he was confused at his very rare colours, and felt sorry for him as thata nice meal of gazelle had escaped him. Sheek ducked back down as loads of thoughts were whizzing around in his mind in what he should do now. Few of many thoughts running around was that was this lion hostile? Friendly? to be left alone? to have company?

Now he knew that every lion is prestigious in their hearing, sight and smell, so sheek has already notified his presence straight away

Sheek could only think to do what he was best at, and that was to be friendly...somehow. He didn't know anything about this lion so going up to him and starting to have a friendly chat was out of the question, he needed to do something more subtle and meaningful of his hospitality. With a quick decision before the lion came to investigate, he sprinted a couple of steps back over to the meat he had left for later, he picked it up and slowly walked to the top of the hill making a long detour around to give himself some space between him and the lion. He got to the top and dropped the meat on the floor and took several spaces back. He sat down but not directly facing the lion, but just enough angle to see if things turned ugly and he had to run.

"Very quick decision there Sheek...this a good idea ? You Sure? well your gonna find out!

Sheek clawed the dirt, he didnt want to admit it, but he turned quite nervous now

[Pulsar]

With the gazelle more then likely long gone at this stage, Pulsar decided that he should continue on his journey: sadly time wasn't something he had the luxury of having in abundance.
Before he could continue however, out of the corner of his gaze he caught sight of what appeared to be another animal, popping it's head out from behind the hill that the gazelle had recently dashed over.
Turning his head, he frowned and prepared himself for a possible confrontation, widening his stance slightly so he had a firm footing.
He waited to see what would happen next so he could decide what to do. The only thought running through his head was what animal had just took a peek over the hill. He wasn't so much concerned about whether the animal was hostile, indifferent or friendly.
After all, those facts would become very quickly and very clearly self evident within the first few seconds of contact.

It was then that the animal emerged up from behind the hill, perching itself at the peek of the dirt mound.
<A lion...>
Pulsar watched as the lion set down a chunk of meat before taking a step back.
<How curious...>
It seemed that this lion had no ill intentions toward him, at least as far as he was aware. Letting out a very faint sigh of relief through his nostrils, Pulsar relaxed his muscles, his shoulders slouching down a bit as he did, his stance changing to a more upright position as if he were standing proudly. He tilted his head up slightly as if looking down upon and judging this lion that now stood, or more correctly, sat not too far in front of him up on the hill.

For several seconds there was nothing but silence, Pulsar stood firm, his yellow eyes glinting from the light of the setting sun.
After a brief and tense moment of silence he finally decided to speak, that was after he was finished gauging the other lion to asses any possible threat.
"You know, leaving food out like that as an "offering" could and would be considered by some as a sign of weakness..."
Pulsar turned his head so he was now facing the lion.
"Some would also consider it an sign of peace..."
As he spoke he lowered his head to its normal position and his fait frown faded from his face.

"You're gesture is appreciated, but I am not hungry..."
As he spoke, he started walking again.
"You needn't offer me any sign of peace, I have no intention of remaining in this.... place, any longer then I have already...."
Turning his head, Pulsar looked back out onto the horizon. Though it seemed he wasn't giving much care to the situation, it was merely a ploy, for Pulsar was taking in his surroundings just in case the meat was a trap and he was attacked.

Though he didn't show it, secretly he was relieved to see another lion, from his travels he had thought that few if any remained of his species. Not to mention that this lion had shown generosity: a rare trait in these trying times.
<I'll probably regret this... but I don't have time to stop and make friends...>

[Kirsui]

Under a lone, dead tree up a small hill, a white lioness sat in solitude. Her gaze calmly swept the horizon, taking in the scenery, the almost golden hues that the sun painted the grasslands. She thought these lands were beautiful, in their own, twisted way. She tried to imagine what they had looked like when everything was still alive, yet she even had hard time recalling what fresh grass looked, felt and smelt like.

She sighed, shaking her head. Xoren was tired of watching the world die where ever she went, and thus she kept going. It had been a long time since she had last seen anyone - and perhaps even longer when she had spoken to someone who was not herself.

A wry smile crept on her lips. Complaint wasn't befitting of her. She had chosen this path, and she would walk it to the very end. Her pride would not allow anything else.

It was then when she spotted the most curious sight. Her gaze flicked to the small cloud of dust that had formed somewhat to the left of where she sat. It was surprising to see signs of other creatures in this area, and the noises she heard from that direction indicated that someone had just managed to kill something.

The lioness didn't have to think long before she got up on her feet and started walking. While she wasn't all too hungry, one could never pass an opportunity when it presented itself like this. Food was scarce, and if what ever had hunted here didn't need that food, she would take it.

With silent steps she made her way down the hill, not wanting to alert the other predator of her presence. Hiding was already difficult enough for her, being nearly completely white, and she would be very lucky indeed if she would not be detected.

The sight that waited her almost made her want to laugh out loud. Her silence, it seemed, had been unnecessary. A lion - or something that looked like one anyway - had taken down a small gazelle, and was greedily feasting on the skinny little thing, and apparently he wasn't even paying any attention on his surroundings.

Calmly, with a faint smirk, the white lioness sat down and waited for a moment, simply watching the other feline eat. When it became clear she was still pretty much unnoticed, she carefully swept the smirk away and spoke.

"That iz a nice catch... Conzidering the amount of prey around here."

[This Land]

Sheek sighed in relief, as this lion seems somewhat OK so far.
He slowly approached up to the lion and sat down near him, but not too close.
"Weakness is a thing we all have at the moment" Sheek smiled slightly
"My offering will still stay if you should change your mind, remember that you never know when your next meal is...." he said as his voice turned slightly serious
Sheek slumped onto the floor, but his legs still tense, if things did take a sudden ugly turn, he stared at the sunset once again
"But where else is there to go except this place ? its the same all around here, ive trekked around here over and over again, all i see is the same" he pondered randomly

"I given up trying to escape a long time ago, ive just faced the fact that this is my life, i best live most of it as much as i can....."
Sheek paused and randomly shifted the dry dirt around with his claw
"For some reason"
Sheek took a long sigh
"What rubbish comes out of my mouth, i don't know what im saying anymore, im too exhausted"
Sheek lay his head on the ground
"Whats your story ?"

[KanuTGL]

"That iz a nice catch... Conzidering the amount of prey around here."[/i]

Sumai's ear twitched and he stopped gnawing at his meal for a moment, but didn't otherwise move. Nicely done, sneaking up on him like that... However, that was a female voice. The old lion turned his head and found that not only was it a female animal, a female lioness on top of that! What were the odds? She couldn't be having an easy time in this climate, being completely white. She would be spotted from a mile away! ... Sort of. He hadn't seen her, after all... Either way, meeting a fellow feline out here, even a female, was a nice opportunity for conversation. A more and more uncommon opportunity, indeed. And if she turned out to be hostile, well, she would be no match...

Sumai rose to his feet, standing tall at a rigid attention. Habit. "Indeed." he said "It has been a long time since I last saw a herd. I have been lucky to find this straggler..." He snorted and glanced back at what was left of the gazelle. "And even that is hardly worthy of being called a 'meal'." What had happened to these lands... Sumai turned his attention back to the lioness, looking, analyzing. Preparing a strategy, in case she wanted to fight him over this kill. She was indeed white all over, except for a couple of facial markings. The black really did stand out against the white, which drew one's attention straight to her just as black eyes. They sure had an interesting look in them... What had she seen through the ages? It couldn't be something ordinary. "My name is General Sumai." said the red lion after a moment's silence. "Might I ask who you are? And how you have ended up here?"

[Kirsui]

Xoren watched with mild amusement as the male lion froze at her words for a moment before he turned to look at her. She didn't say a word or move at all under the lion's gaze, only watched and waited for his next movement. After a moment he stood up, and she noticed his rather rigid stance. She knew that stance, having seen so many lions move the very same way for so many years. But such memories were not important, and so she pushed them aside.

"Indeed. It has been a long time since I last saw a herd. I have been lucky to find this straggler... And even that is hardly worthy of being called a 'meal'."

Xoren smiled faintly, a smile that told without words that she understood what he meant. She herself had been living off of scraps, either successfully finding more than plenty to eat, or finding none at all.

The lion was watching her again, she noted, apparently examining her features and analysing her. She waited again, staring back at his green eyes with a calm expression. If she was correct, if he indeed was a former soldier as she thought him to be... How did he view her? A threat? Her original plan had been to check what kind of predator had brought down the skinny little gazelle, and now her curiosity was sated. She would not fight this lion for his kill, and so she made certain to keep her pose calm and relaxed.

"My name is General Sumai. Might I ask who you are? And how you have ended up here?"

Ah, so she had been correct that he was a soldier, and a general no less. It had indeed been a wise decision to remain calm. One would not get the position of a general if they didn't know how to fight.

"I am Xoren", she replied to his question. "Az for how I ended up here..."
She shook her head, a faint, sarcastic smile on her lips.
"That iz a long ztory. Letz juzt zay that zomething happened, and I thought it waz wizer to leave my pride - or what waz left of it."
She snorted faintly, turning her head away from Sumai to glare at the horizon.
"I would not be zurprized if they were all dead by now..."

She turned back at Sumai and just watched him in silence for a moment.

"And you?" she finally asked. "How doez a general end up having to hunt zomething that izn't really worthy of being called a meal?"

[Pulsar]

Pulsar stopped walking as the lion started speaking to him again; it was after all, impolite to walk away from someone when being addressed by said creature.
He does have a point. The yellow maned lion glanced at the ground, his attention given to the stranger. It was true after all, these lands were destroyed, damaged... broken. It was nothing local either, this plight stretched far and wide across the territories of countless prides, although to say that those lands still belonged to said tribes would be to say that there was anything left of them, which sadly there was not. At least as far as Pulsar had seen in his travels anyway.

He waited for the anonymous lion to finish speaking, his gaze turning as it slumped to the ground. Clearly living in this area had taken its toll on him.
Pulsar let out a very brief and low hum as if thinking to himself, then he turned back to face the other lion.
"My name is Pulsar," he finally spoke after a brief silence, it seemed right to answer with his name first before giving his "story".

"I'm...." he paused, how much of his past could he really share with this lion he just met? better to just give him the bare bones of it, no need to give him the detials.
"I used to be in a pride, our lands are.." he paused again, closing his eyes as he let out a light chuckle and a faint grin appearing on his face. "our lands were far from here in a rather, inhospitable land I guess one could say." his eyes opened as he looked back up and around at their surroundings. "Nothing like these lands however... ours were more lush and green, mountainous, it was more so the terrain and the weather that made it harsh, constant rain and steep slopes made traveling not only difficult but dangerous for us, not to mention it seemed to always be dark because of the constant cloud cover..." he stopped himself, realizing he was trailing off. Thoughts of home; such fond memories they were. But that's all they are now.. he thought shaking his head to bring himself back.

"Needless to say, when this, drought, plight, whatever you wish to call it. Once it spread to our lands everything went to hell as i'm sure you can imagine..." his gaze had now returned to the lion. Remembering what the other lion had said only moments ago about there being no where else to go; he tilted his head up and to the side slightly.
"Tell me, what do you know of our species' history, of our lore, our myths?"
His voice of a curious tone. Of course Pulsar knew a lot about old history, the elders of his Pride often regaled the legends to the younger cubs on long nights.

[KanuTGL]

Huh, so there was indeed a story behind those eyes, though, clearly, she would rather not speak of it. So what was she then, this Xoren? A fugitive? A criminal? Interesting accent too.

"And you? How doez a general end up having to hunt zomething that izn't really worthy of being called a meal?"

Sumai snorted and smiled faintly. "Yes, how indeed..." He sighed. "The storms came. Swept us all away. We tried to stick together, but eventually we all lost one another. For all I know, my friends and comrades might all be dead... I do not expect to see them again." The old lion paused for a moment and a sad look came over his face. A gentle breeze ruffled his long black mane. "It was not possible to stay in my homeland, so I since follow whatever paths those winds wish to take me. They have now led me here, and I--" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide. Was that...? Sumai slowly turned around, raising his head. His green eyes were now narrowed and focused as he sniffed carefully at the wind, trying to catch the scent properly. Was it really...? It was! But, how could that be possible? Until now he had only come across this one feline in weeks, so what were the odds of finding two more in such a short amount of time!?

Sumai looked over his shoulder to Xoren. "We are not alone." he said. "There are others... And nearby." For a brief moment, he hoped that he had at last located some lost pridemembers, but, testing the scent again, it was obvious that the other two were strangers. Potentially a threat, but potentially allies... The old lion had to admit that until this moment he had felt better off without a pride in these harsh conditions, but... in times like this it would be a better strategy to form a group and to stick together. "Follow me." It was a command, not a request. He assumed the lioness would come. Sumai crouched down slightly before setting off in a swift trot, moving softly and silently across the ground towards the source of the other lions' scent.

It seemed to come from that mound ahead and, as he closed in, it was indeed possible to discern the shapes of two lions on top of it. Sumai would be at a disadvantage at the bottom of the slope, regardless of his approach... But he was at least downwind, which made it impossible for the others to catch his own scent. It was also hard to tell what kind of condition the strangers were in. Should it come to a battle, that would be important information... Sumai came to a halt and thought for a moment. No, the easiest way to do this would be simply to call to them and then he would just have to take it from there. The general stood tall at his normal rigid attention and shouted up ahead: "Who goes there?"

[This Land]

Sheek lay still of the ground, using this time to regain his strength and listened to what Pulsar had to say, still dazed by what the harsh enviroment had thrown at him today.
"Tell me, what do you know of our species' history, of our lore, our myths?"
Sheek's eyes shifted to where Pulsar was and he blinked slowly
"I hardly know anything, only that our species is strong, we have a reputation of fighting anything that gets in our way, be it nature or animal. we must keep this reputation alive" he said softly
Sheek gazed back at the floor
"I know only of one rumour...." Sheek said even softer but then was interrupted
Who goes there?"

Sheek suddenly jumped to his paws and went into defensive stance, he looked at Pulsar then then to where the source of the sound came from, his front left leg buckled as he was still exhausted in which a low growl escaped his throat, He soon regained his stance and tried to stand firm not to show any weakness.

Sheek didn't know what to say in this kind of situation so he just stayed quiet, not the smartest thing to do but he didn't want to say anything un-smart.

[Kirsui]

Xoren blinked her eyes lazily with a calm expression on her face as she listened to Sumai tell his story. It sounded believable, considering the state things were on right now. She was only too glad she had left her home before this wide spread destruction had reached it.

It was then that Sumai fell silent, and she watched him with a lifted eyebrow. It was clear that he had noticed something, and so she too turned her attention to their surroundings. She had missed what ever it had been that had alerted the older lion, but then again she suspected that it might be because she had never been trained to keep constant watch on what went on around her.

"We are not alone. There are others... And nearby."

Ah, he was indeed right. Now that he had mentioned it, she could pick up two different scents in the air, and that they belonged to other lions. The white lioness got up on her feet when Sumai commanded her to follow, though she would have done so even if he had not. It was most curious to meet another lion, but that there were two more nearby...

She smirked ever so slightly as she followed the older lion with silent steps. She wondered briefly if it was even necessary for her to keep so silent, considering that she could now see the figures of these two other lions on much higher ground than she and Sumai were, and she would be surprised if they didn't spot her soon enough. However, hiding seemed to become useless soon enough anyway as Sumai stood up and spoke out.

Xoren stopped to stand beside Sumai and turned to examine the other two lions. She saw one of them falter in his defensive stance ever so slightly, though he soon enough got himself somewhat upright. She said nothing, simply watched and waited for one of the other lions to answer Sumai's question.

[Pulsar]

Pulsar's gaze drew away as he listened to the other lion speak. His admiration for their species was... admirable. Sadly, Pulsar could not believe such things. It's hard to believe our species is strong and resilient when all one has to do is look around to see that we aren't exactly fairing too well. His eyes returned back up to look at his acquaintance. Pulsar's mouth opened as he was about to enquire further as to the 'rumor' that the other mentioned, before he could get out a word however a creature suddenly sprung up at the bottom of the hill as if appearing from nowhere.

Pulsar's open mouth immediately shut and his expression changed to a frown. The sudden appearance had caught him off guard, thankfully his natural instincts for fighting had kicked in and he had (almost as if without thinking) dropped into a combat stance.
His initial thought was that this may have been a friend or other of the lion he had been speaking to, if it was, then was this really a trap after all?
The lion thought to himself for a moment, he had felt like asking the one he had been speaking to if this new arrival was a friend of his, but the new lion's demeanor and call toward them suggested that maybe they weren't. It was then that yet another figure appeared, standing just behind the first.
more....
He could tell from the males stance that he was tough; he stood tall, firm, marks of a trained soldier. Not to mention he had the obvious physical appearance of someone who could more then likely hold their own in a fight and had probably seen a fair share of battles. The female on the other hand, he couldn't quite gauge her, it was hard to tell when it came to the opposite sex. It was no secret that lioness' were skilled hunters, but in some prides they were also trained to be lethal killers.

Probably best to just test the ground and see what happens...
He thought to himself before adjusting his stance. He stopped standing as if ready to fight and stood up tall and firm like the male who had just addressed him, not so much as sign of respect as it was a sign that he knew what he was dealing with and wanted to show that he was going to try be civil.

"We are but simple travelers."
He finally called back in response to the lion's question. Pulsar realized that these two new lions might think he and the other one were traveling companions and since he didn't know what the other lion had planned, he decided to distance himself somewhat by stating so.
"Myself and my.... acquaintance, were traveling along and we crossed paths, we were just discussing the current events and states of the land, we mean no harm."

[KanuTGL]

OOC: Sorry it's so short... Writer's block ;_;

IC: Sumai watched the other lions' every move. Two grown males, both younger than himself. One was clearly injured in some way, as he struggled to even stand up. He wouldn't be a problem. The other one... well, worthy of putting up a fight, that was for sure. He looked intimidating enough; jet black fur with a bright yellow mane. But he had now adjusted his stance from offensive to a more neutral pose, much like Sumai's. If they were of direct hostile intent, it would've shown by now.

"We are but simple travelers. " the stranger said and hastened to add that the other lion was merely an 'acquaintance', as if he didn't really know him.

Unlikely? Indeed. Just meeting the lioness and then finding two other males in such a short space of time defied enough odds already, surely those two must know each other... So why would the black one pretend otherwise? But Sumai decided to play along for the time being; he wanted to find out more and, of course, the other lion had claimed they meant no harm. "I mean no harm to those who mean no harm to me." replied Sumai. If they tried any funny business, they would get what was coming to them... "And the state of these lands is indeed worth discussing. Will you permit us to join you?"

[Pulsar]

Pulsar found himself more then a bit reluctant when the unknown male asked if him and his female companion could join in (what was as far as Pulsar was concerned) a rather non-exsistant conversation. He had after all; only met his 'acquaintance' just moments ago. Pausing for a moment the yellow maned lion weighed the situation, on the one paw this could be some sort of well laid trap, he couldn't discount that possibility, on the other paw however was an opportunity to gain possible information about how the events of this blight may have effect other lands and prides. The question was, is the potential risk worth the potential gain?

"I guess I see no harm in your participation in our discussion if indeed you truly mean what you claim." he finally spoke out to the new stranger after his brief moment of thought. "Having the peaceful company of other lions seem to come few and far between these days after all." he added, a somewhat faint and slightly forced smile appearing on his face.
One couldn't exactly blame him for being so.... unsociable? Trying times as these did bring out the paranoia in a lion after all, even more so when it's nearly impossible to tell who is a friend and who is a foe.

Well Pulsar, you've put yourself in it now, might as well make the most of it...

[KanuTGL]

OOC: Just something (very) short to get everyone together.

IC: "Having the peaceful company of other lions seem to come few and far between these days after all."

Sumai nodded towards the other lion and strode up the grassy hill, keeping an ear on Xoren, expecting her to follow. Two against two was always better. Once at the top, the old lion sat down two paces from the other males; a respectable distance. "Indeed they do." he said, giving a slight bow, and introduced himself. "I am General Sumai of the Feraga pride. Or, what once was the Feraga pride. The lioness is Xoren." Getting a better view of the two males now, he studied them both closely. The yellow-maned one looked strong; a lion in his prime. The brown one not so much. What had happened there? Hyenas, probably. "Ran into a spot of bother, did you?" said Sumai, sparing him a brief glance, before turning his attention back to the black lion. "I thought these lands were dry of our kind. From where have you come?"

[Kirsui]

OOC: I just have to say, I love how you mentioned Feraga there!


Xoren said nothing as the other lions conversed. She simply stood with a relaxed stance and watched, analysing the two lions on top of the hill. The brown one had said nothing so far, letting the one with yellow mane do all the talking. Careful of strangers, though not hostile when not directly threatened... That was the conclusion she came to.

She allowed herself a small smile. Who wouldn't behave like this, considering the current state of these lands.

However, her smile was gone by the time that Sumai began to walk up the hill to join the two other lions. She didn't hesitate to follow, and approached the others with confident steps. Sumai, she noticed, sat down a respectable distance away from the other two lions. As Sumai introduced himself and her, she sat down as well, though she kept her distance from Sumai too. She didn't exactly know him, after all.

"I thought these lands were dry of our kind."

Xoren chuckled aloud, smiling with faint amusement as she glanced at Sumai.
"Dry of our kind indeed", she commented quietly. "Yet there'z four of uz here already... Ztrange timez, theze are..."
Her voice trailed off and she fell silent again, turning her gaze back at the two lions as she waited for them to introduce themselves.

[This Land]

Meh, sorry for posting short garbage but i deleted 2/3rds of my original post because it didnt sound right and now too tired to correct it, but want to keep the RP going...

Sheek kept a close eye and ear on his surroundings, he watched as a Lion and Lioness came into veiw, He continued to stay quiet and hear what they had to say. At first impressions they didn't seem hostile, he just hoped it stayed that way. Sheek noticed the lion looking at him, Sheek stood firm and never took his gaze off him.

"Ran into a spot of bother, did you?"

Sheek just returned a dry expression

Sheek Looked over at Xoren in which he nodded then his eyes narrowed back at Sumai.

"Yes...but i won in most respects" he smirked

Sheek looked back and forth between Sumai and Xoren once again

"The Name is Sheek by the way" he said to them both

[The Missing]

The dirt beneath him unsettled, as the warm, dry breeze ruffled his fiery mane weakly, in a desperate attempt to divert his gaze from the strange, rare sight before him. Unsuccessful, the air around him died down to its usual stillness, burning his eyes with its harsh heat. They shut momentarily, just so that some moisture may return to them, stopping his vision from blurring any more than it already had. He had convinced himself it was a hallucination, a mirage, his lack of food or water being his theoretical cause. After all, a still intact pride in these unbearable conditions was a ridiculous idea. In the past months, it was hard enough for him to survive as a lone predator, and the idea of having to feed three other mouths on top of that didn't sound like a relatively logical idea, yet he found it impossible to prize his eyes away from the pride. His curiosity peaking, he decided to venture closer to the unaware lions, a dangerous move in these surroundings. He knew this from personal experience, just a few weeks before he had ran into a solitary lion who didn't really appreciate the coincidence of their meeting. And even with the scars from that encounter proudly on show on the bottom of his front, left leg, he still crept ever closer to the pride of four.

As the wind made one more pathetic attempt of being existent, Riku picked up each of the lions' scents. And that's when things really confused him. Each lion, or lioness in one of the cases, had a vastly different scent to them. The only plausible reasoning for this was that they had come from different prides. This separation from a pride was nothing Riku was new to, but this strange coming together of four lions? That was definitely new. After the plains started their slow, painful death, Riku's pride grew more and more volatile. With Riku's remote nature, he managed to stay away from the arguments, the harshness of which grew just as quickly as the land became useless. That was until one of the members of the pride mentioned his br-...

He cut off his trail of thought there, partly out of sadness, but partly out of concentration as he slowly descended a mound of brown, parched soil, the four lions now very close. One wrong move, and his whereabouts would easily be revealed. Until then, Riku decided to just listen in on the conversations which circulated between the four members.

"Yet there'z four of uz here already... Ztrange timez, theze are..."

That was something Riku couldn't deny. The pure chances of four lions, from completely different backgrounds, ending up, alive, and in one place was certainly an extraordinary occurrence in times like these. Then, when you filter in that they were all actually getting on with each other, it was just, well, bizarre. As his eavesdropping continued, Riku heard one lion, with colouring quite similar to his own, introduce himself as Sheek. It had become apparent that Sheek, and the lion with very unusual colourings of black and yellow had met each other first, before running into the lioness and the older male.

As his surroundings fell into a silence, Riku tried to stealthily move away from the pride, quite satisfied with his findings. As he covertly got to his feet, he felt the wind behind come in one strong, uncommon blow, directly in the direction of the pack. Shutting his eyes, and clenching his paws, and condemning his curiosity, he understood exactly what this meant.

"Damn... There's no way they wouldn't pick up my scent after that..."

(OOC: Italics are his thoughts)

[Pulsar]

OOC: Sorry for the long reply guys =P

Pulsar stood his ground and maintained his eased stance as the male lion and his female counterpart made their way toward him (and his still as of yet unnamed acquaintance). He couldn't help but note that not only did the male sit a certain distance from them, but his female companion then lay down a certain distance from the old lion himself.
Perhaps they have only recently come into contact with each other like me and this other one have...

The thought that all these lions might simply have stumbled upon each other by sheer happenstance put the yellow maned lion at ease. With that possibility after all it was easier to assume that this WASN'T some sort of trap. It was a comforting idea, but he knew better then to let himself fall into such a trail of thought, it could after all still be a very... very, well planned trap.
But would they really go through all that trouble to fake mannerisms like that? Maybe they are just giving each other distance to be respectful... Or maybe they're just doing it out of caution.
Could he blame them after all? Times like these would make any lion paranoid.

It wasn't until the older regal lion spoke that Pulsar gave himself a mental shake to bring himself back to reality. Truth be told, he had pondered so much on the subject of it being a ruse that in his distant thought any one of them could have jumped him while he was in his own little world.
Once the older lion had settled down onto the ground he then introduced himself to them. What caught Pulsar's attention wasn't so much the lions name, which sounded strong in it's own respect, it was more the fact that ('Sumai' as he called himself) also stated his rank in his pride, or what was once his pride anyway.
A General, that certainly explains his demeanor.
Pulsar had tried not to let the information phase him but he felt a slight frown appear upon his face as he heard it. Military lions were not be trifled with after all, especially ones of a rank as high as General. He knew from that alone that Sumai was not only battle hardened but probably knew more then his fair share of fighting tactics.

When Sumai introduced the lioness 'Xoren', Pulsar turned his gaze to her. It appeared that even though the two of them probably only met recently, it had been enough time for them to at least exchange names. It was then that Sumai threw a question in the direction of Pulsar's acquaintance, to which he received a somewhat candid reply. The brownish lion was also quick to offer up his name afterwards, that left Pulsar as the only one who had as of yet not introduced himself to the group. A task which he didn't exactly relish having to do.

To his surprise however and perhaps in a stroke of luck, Sumai had turned his attention back to Pulsar and aimed a general question in his direction. For a very slight moment he actually entertained the thought of simply answering in reply to Sumai's question, hoping none of the others take any real note that he never introduced himself. Such an act though would certainly paint him as having something to hide so he decided against it. Before he could answer however he heard the lioness speak although what she said was very faint, passing a comment on what Sumai had asked.

Pulsar's yellow gaze came back from the lioness and returned to the red furred lion before him.
"You're not the only one who thought that very thing..."
He began, his eyes lifting up from the group and suvaying the arid land around them.
"I think at one stage we all thought we were the last of our kind out here..."
Taking a moment he continued to observe the land before returning his view back to Sumai. Pulsar wasn't necessarily one for making constant eye contact when talking to another but he didn't want to offend the other lion by talking while not doing so, it was somewhat common place in the military ranks for lowers to face their superiors when addressing them, something he had assumed Sumai would be used to and possibly expect.

"I can't speak for Sheek, but I myself have traveled a great distance from my former homeland."
Once more his gaze drifted off to the distance as faint thoughts of home slunk back into his mind.
As of yet, Pulsar had not laid down on the ground like the other three had. He had maintained his upward stance.
"I come from a land far to the north-east, at least a few weeks travel from here."
Once more he paused as he brought his eyes back to the group.
He took a moment to question why he was even bothering to mention his rank among his now non-existent pride's military.

"Among my pride I was known as Captain Pulsar Everlight."
Although he hated to admit it, he was still proud of his accomplishments and as he had spoke that sense of pride came through in his voice, although perhaps a little half-hearted.

At that moment a rather strong breeze blew past the group, on it, Pulsar's nose caught the scent of another creature, a lion?
But none of us...
He wasn't sure if Xoren and Sheek had caught the scent but he had a feeling Sumai might have, as part of training most lions that served had to hone their tracking skills among which was to improve scent detection for the tracking of targets.
Pulsar's head lifted up slightly.
"Well, that was quiet the breeze..."
He said in a rather calm and collected tone as he looked at Sumai wondering if the old lion would catch on to what he was implying.

[KanuTGL]

"Yes... I can see that." Sumai replied to the younger male, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Pleased to meet you, Sheek." he added none the less, giving a polite nod. He also turned his head to give a nod of agreement to Xoren's statement. Strange times indeed. And they would only get stranger.

The black lion introduced himself as a Captain and had evidently travelled far. A fellow officer, huh. Yes, now that Sumai looked closer it was clear that the other lion had a military history; his posture and demeanour were typical of a soldier. Pulsar Everlight... It wasn't a familiar name, which ruled out him being a previous member of an enemy pride, at least. Being in the presence of a fellow warrior did make the old lion feel a little more at ease, and such was a welcome feeling these days. He was about to respond to Pulsar, asking more questions about the land from where he had come - he was interested to know whether things were as bad in the far north-east as they had been wherever Sumai had wandered - when a sudden gust of wind swept across the plains. And it carried all sorts of things with it, one interesting scent in particular...

"Well, that was quiet the breeze..."[/i] Pulsar said, looking to Sumai.

The General's green eyes narrowed and he gave a slow nod. "Indeed, Captain." he said sternly and rose to his paws, defences on the alert once again. He padded to the edge of the slope and peered into the twilight; the sun had disappeared behind the jagged edges of the mountains and it was now becoming more difficult to tell what was a living creature and what was a piece of vegetation... Sumai decided to go again with a forward approach to save some time and to see if the new lion would prefer to make himself known voluntarily. If he didn't, well, Sumai would not have a stranger spying on him in the night... "Your cover has been blown!" he shouted. Hm. Yes, quite literally too. "Show yourself!" His words echoed over the plains and the old lion stood tall, still as a statue. Waiting. Listening.

[This Land]

"Your cover has been blown!" LMAO

"So we have a General Sumai of the Feraga pride and a Captain Pulsar Everlight, I feel this is going to be quite an experience"
Sheek smiled at his own thoughts, it indeed was. What can you say or do after that kind of introduction.

"Nothing to say about myself really, nothing of importance"
Sheek paused then continued
"Just recovering from a 'little' run, some hyenas found something that I wanted" he chuckled

A breeze blew over the group in which Sheek reacted by lifting his head with a smile on his face, such a refreshing breeze to be felt blowing against him after all this heat and running.
"Lion that feels good" he said relived with a continuing smile, forgetting to take in any scents from that breeze and just loving the cool air on his face instead.

Sheek watched as Sumai got up, seeming to be on the track of something. Sheek was going to offer help but he felt something more important needed to be done......Sheek slumped back onto the ground to recover from today's events.

[Kirsui]

Xoren lifted an eyebrow slightly at Pulsar's introduction. First she had ran into a general, and now a captain? What strange company she found herself in. She smiled to herself, clearly amused by the whole situation as she glanced at Sheek when he added that he didn't have such special titles.

"Well, that was quiet the breeze..."

Xoren's gaze shifted first to Pulsar at his comment, then to Sumai as the older lion clearly caught up on what ever Pulsar had meant with his comment. She watched as Sumai stood up, seemingly on high alert. She had seen similar behaviour on his part before - right before they had met Sheek and Pulsar. This time both of her eyebrows rose as she came to one possible conclusion as to what was going on. Was there yet another lion around?

The lioness shook her head and turned her gaze back on Sheek. Let the other two handle the situation - they had the training for that in the first place. She noticed how Sheek slumped back down, and remembered how his stance had faltered earlier when she and Sumai had arrived.

"Don't puzh yourzelf too hard", she commented quietly, though she suspected that Sheek was already aware of what she was saying. Perhaps she pitied him, feeling that she had to say something when he was in such a weakened state.
"At timez like thiz you don't really want to collapze out of exhauztion. I've zeen a few that did exactly that... They never got up again."

[This Land]

Sheek Listened To Xoren's words of advice, and also at the same time couldn't help her amusing (well to him anyway) accent. but all the same, very wise words. It was the longest duration he ran and his body had felt like it almost given up coping. The only thing that concerned Sheek now is that even though she and everyone here seems friendly enough and not take advantage, its still not the best thing to look weak in-front of others, he didn't want to feel a burden.

"I should be fine Xoren, thanks for your concern though" he smiled

"Is it ok to sleep out of exhaustion though?" he asked half joking and half serious

[Deleted]

Blowfly had been circling high overhead for some time now. Ears made to pick up the slight wheeze of a sick animal in a herd of hundreds listened to every word. They were lonely, they were desperate, they were without a leader.

They were perfect.

He circled slightly lower, examining the stony ground around them. How could he get their attention? How could he make them listen? He had seen the kill a short while away, stunted as it was, but it wasn't close enough that scavenging it would draw their eye. Not straight away anyway...

Ah. There. A scrap of meat, left abandoned just on the outside of their little circle.

Perfect.

Blowfly stopped circling. He flew in a straight line, away from the lions for a moment, then turned and dove. Not at the lions, but at the little scrap of meat just out of their reach.

The wind did not whistle in his ears, because he had no earflaps. His specially-ruffled feathers made hardly a sound. "Is it ok to sleep out of exhaustion though?" , one of the lions said, just as he landed a few feet from the meat, picked it up in his talon and carried it high into the dead talons of a nearby tree. To safety.

"I'd make a decent eagle," he said aloud, in a voice that grated like two dry bones knocking together, then examined his catch by holding it up in his claw. "Is this what passes for a meal around here?"

[Pulsar]

Pulsar watched as Sumai stood up and approached the start of the downward slop of the hill the four of them stood atop. A slight frown appeared on his face as he watched the older lion so clearly call out to the possible enemy that lurked nearby. Calling out that you were aware of another's presence, especially when they were possibly meaning to be stealthy, was probably not the best strategic choice. Pulsar could only assume that Sumai wished to face who ever it was that had been observing the group.

It was at that moment when the group seemed otherwise preoccupied, that a scavenger bird swooped down and snatched one of the spare pieces of meat that had been lying nearby. It's very sudden appearance grabbed the yellow eyed lion's attention.
Damn scavengers, never have I seen a creature take such advantage of an oppertunity as they do...
He couldn't help but curse the bird, yes the meat didn't interest him at the moment, but it was nourishment that one of the others could have probably made use of.

"No reply.."
Pulsar said as he strode over to stand beside Sumai, his gaze aimed at the General to see if he could notice any reaction in the lion's face.
After a moment of thought he then proceeded slowly down the hill, making sure his stride was that of a prepared posture but not one of apparent aggression.
"I'll go have a look..."
He said as he passed the fire colored lion and made his way down the hill.
"Perhaps your blunt exclamation of being aware of their presence, ended up scaring them away..."
Pulsar added as he turned his head back slightly, his view still locked on the field of tall grass below.

It wasn't that he offered to check so much as he stated that he was going to. This gave him a chance to distance himself a bit from the others, he was after all, still unsure of them. He hadn't completely let go of the idea that this could all be some sort of elaborate trap.

[This Land]

Sheek;'s head was soon resting on the ground, his eyes flickering on and off, trying to keep awake. Suddenly he noticed a vulture on the ground, right next to his scrap of meat. he attempted to get up as quick as he could, he took a few steps to try and capture the vulture but landed flat on his face back on the ground, his legs just didn't want to work., they had froze up.
A deep growl erupted from his throat, followed by a sigh

"Ive been running for a whole day continuously for that meat to remain mine.....i give up for today...." he said in a forever weakening voice

"Better look tomorrow aye sheek" he chuckled to himself

Sheek coughed out the dry dirt that had enetered his mouth and throat, and closed his eyes. Hostile or not, Sheek couldnt handle it no more, he needed to recharge, he fell asleep right how he landed