Roleplay: The Seeds of Fate

[Zorayda]

The red-furred lioness led her smaller companion silently. She watched the tails and backsides of the others they were following, wondering exactly how'd they'd ended up here... Mlezi and Ijus had simply come upon this ragtag group of wanderers, nomads looking for something important to all of them... land that would supply them all with food and shelter. 

That was extremely scarce as of late.

Ijus looked back in Mlezi's direction, her soulful eyes unseeing and yet noticing everything. The little clouded leopard knew exactly when Mlezi was thinking about something important or troubling... the lioness wasn't exactly sure how she did it--perhaps her pawsteps faltered, or her breathing changed, so the blind leopard could hear it--but the cub knew how to help every time.

"Mlezi, can I get up on your shoulders awhile? ...Please," Ijus asked in her soft, lilting voice. Mlezi couldn't help but to crack a small smile.

"Yeah," the stoic lioness answered evenly. She knelt down to allow the smaller feline to scramble up onto her taller, larger frame, let her get settled, and began walking again, now tailing a little behind the others.

They were all a strange bunch, really--a lion with metal legs, a leopard interested in human objects, a creepy vulture and a black lioness who both possessed various super powers; and then, there was the pair of them. Ijus and Mlezi had been companions long before they joined this group... they'd simply found each other, two loners who clicked in personality as soon as they met. Mlezi felt an instinctive need to protect the shy, quiet cub, and Ijus felt as if the lioness needed company and kindness. The two of them had their own little world between them.

"I'm sorta thirsty," Ijus whispered quietly to Mlezi so the others couldn't hear.

"Mm. We'll find water soon," Mlezi promised in her deep, feminine voice, golden eyes still focused on the others as she walked.

[Kirsui]

Thera was trailing at the rear of their ragtag group, her face blank and her mind filled with grim thoughts. She never thought she would travel with anyone - ever. She had never desired the company of others, for when one lives as long as she does any attachment to others would only come back to bite her in the end.

And yet, here she was, acting as a self-appointed rear-guard for the lot of them. Fate, it seemed, had a sense of humour.

She had lived a long life, far longer than she sometimes would have cared. She had seen the ages pass by, saw the warning signs well before the nature began to die. She never knew the true reasons behind the deaths of so many, for she had never cared to find out. Why should she have? She had known that she alone would not be able to do anything about them and she was never going to go to others and ask their help.

By the time she realized something had to be done, it was already too late.

But she never mentioned any of these things to anyone else, because saying them aloud would force her to explain some things about herself that she didn't want to share. Sure she had told them of her abilities, she wouldn't have gotten with the group otherwise. But never had she mentioned her long life, or the fact that she honestly didn't know how long she had lived.

The black lioness' thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Iroetem decided it was time to land. She heard the swoosh before she saw the large, white bird swoop down from the sky and land on a tree - a very dead tree, Thera added in her mind - well ahead of the rest of their group. The vulture was a strange one. Most of the time she ignored their group as if they meant nothing to her. But Thera had seen the glances that Iroetem gave them, and she knew that there had to be some reason why the bird continued to travel with them.

She wished she knew what the bird's motive was.

While she watched the bird she caught Mlezi watching the rest of the group, herself included. She returned the gaze with a calm expression and a slightly arched eyebrow, silently asking what it was that the lioness wanted. She wasn't sure what to make of the lioness and her clouded leopard friend, but so far they had done nothing that would have immensely bothered her.

[Leorgathar]

OOC: During this roleplay I could occasionally make a few posts like this one, but they won't always be like this, of course. I'll normally RP in the traditional way too xD

“Balam’s diary log entry number four:

It’s been two days since I left my home back at the other side of the sea. I’m still in Africa. Today I finally got to meet the rest of the team, although I still have problems memorizing their names... I guess I’ll get used to them soon. They all seem to have very special abilities, some of the craziest stuff I’ve ever seen! I have heard of lions with powers, but these powers... wow! Not all of them are lions, though, there’s also a vulture joining us, whose power I find beyond comprehension, she kind of gives me creeps, and there’s also a young clouded leopard, she’s such an adorable cub, but there’s something in her eyes that almost disturbs me, I can’t describe it. Oh, and among the lions, there's even one that has some kind of mechanical front legs, which I'm really curious about, maybe if I ask him he'll let me have a look at them. I’m planning to give more details as for what everyone is capable of, but that will come in my next log entry when I learn more about them... hopefully.

I can’t help but feel intimidated by the team members; If I'm correct, I'm the only one with no special power of any description. Really, I feel useless! And yet here I am, with nothing but my passion for human stuff. I guess I left some impression with my gadgets, but will they really need someone like me? Anyway, I’ll still try to be of some assistance if I’m needed at some point. I’m carrying the most useful items in my backpack, including this recorder I’m using right now to make this diary.

Today they also finally told us where to go in our quest for the so called “seed bank”. Apparently someone who knows more than me about humans discovered it far in the North (or was it a prophetic vision or something? ... I don’t remember). I’m feeling a mix between disappointment and fear. Disappointment because... I was really looking forward to see more of Africa. It’s a longtime dream of mine, and just when I’m finally here it turns out that our mission will take me farther away from it. And fear because... well... a journey to a harsh environment accompanied by lions with special powers... I think it’s pretty self explanatory.

What else can I say? What else? ... oh yeah! Just something I’ve been noticing... Since I got here, everyone thinks I’m a leopard! Funny, isn’t it? I guess most lions can’t tell the difference. It was annoying at first, but then it got me thinking... I know there are no jaguars in Africa, but what if I can blend in with the leopards here? Maybe when I’m done with this mission, I could come back to fulfill my dream of being in Africa and start a new life as a leopard, maybe even find myself a leopard mate. Who knows? Perhaps this could mean there’s a future for me here... well, if I ever come back from this quest alive, that is.

I guess that’s all for today... Balam out.”

[KanuTGL]

Hagen trudged on, suddenly leading the group it seemed. Despite having been assembled at 'base camp' for days, no one seemed particularly interested in conversing now. Perhaps the enormity of their quest was putting everyone in a solemn mood. The young lion glanced backwards, reminding himself what characters he was travelling with again. They had all been chosen for this quest - this impossible quest - for their unique abilities. Some of them even possessed powers that seemed to be beyond what a mere 'mortal' should be able to achieve. But, well, he wasn't exactly normal either. The rhythmic clanging and low whirring of metal machinery that could be heard with each step he took made that pretty obvious. Both his front legs were mechanical, made from solid steel, wires and other things he didn’t understand... Hagen couldn't, or didn't want to, remember how he had lost his original legs, but he knew he had had them once. These replacements sure did come in handy, and they were probably the reason why he had been picked to go on this journey, but they were nothing like the real thing... He couldn’t feel anything; no warmth, no cold, no tender touch or pain. They were just... there. But it was thanks to them that he was alive, so to dislike them was like disliking life. Or that was at least what the young lion would tell himself whenever those thoughts came around. He couldn’t help but wonder if this ‘source’ or ‘seed bank’ they were looking for could help him. If it apparently had the power to bring life back to this dying Earth, maybe it could perform other miracles too?

Queen Imae had instructed them to travel north - as far north as they could possibly go. They were to look for the Northern Star on the rare occasion of a clear sky, otherwise the group was supposed to trust in Balam, the odd leopard, or what he was, and his human technology. Pfft, humans. Hagen rolled his eyes. Them and their work had made this mess of the world in the first place, even getting themselves extinct in the process. Such foolishness. Except now, a human creation was going to save the world. It was ridiculous. But the animals were desperate, and this was their only hope - this legend of a chamber deep in the white cold, holding the key to the world’s salvation. A breath of life that would restore balance and let nature flourish anew. It was a fantastic story - surely too good to be true - but, indeed, it was the only thing they had left to believe in.

Hagen squinted ahead - how far ahead was the sea supposed to be anyway? They were to cross some ‘straight gibber tar’, or what it was, to get over to the continent of Europe. And it was then that things were going to get interesting...

[Zorayda]

Mlezi caught the eye of the black lioness, who gave her a somewhat prickly look. Not used to such social behavior (or any for that matter), the tall lioness simply kept eye contact, giving Panthera a blank sort of stare. When it started getting uncomfortable, Mlezi glanced away. She had matters to take care of anyway.

The white metal-lion seemed to be taking charge, so she picked up her pace a bit to catch up. Ijus let out a tiny noise of surprise up on the lioness's shoulders, but clung fast.

"Uh..." she'd forgotten his name, only to realize it now in a slightly embarassing situation. "Sorry, I don't remember names," she apologized in her slow, deep voice. "I was jus' wonderin' if we could stop for water soon. Th' little one's gettin' thirsty."

Ijus 'meeped' and tucked her head into Mlezi's neck as she was addressed, hiding from Hagen's scrutiny at her caretaker's mention. The cub perked her ears up slightly in rhythm with Balam's random clicking and clacking, his various gadgets making noise as he walked.

[KanuTGL]

"Hm?" Hagen turned his head to face the brown lioness - Mlezi, was it? - and her little leopard friend. He could only just spot her hiding behind Mlezi's head. Silly little thing, what was there to be afraid of in this wasteland anyway? Especially with companions like these. But cubs would be cubs, he supposed. The thing was, if she was afraid now, how would she be able to cope in the dangerous land of Europe? Where they said the monsters lived? Hagen wasn’t quite sure how much he agreed with such a young member coming on this long dangerous journey, and he had let this be known during their first meetings, but Queen Imae had insisted. And it was true, Hagen should be the last lion to doubt the abilities of a cub... But... he was afraid for her; how would he be able to protect her?

"I was jus' wonderin' if we could stop for water soon. Th' little one's gettin' thirsty."

"Well, if I knew where to find some, I would. Have you seen any?" the white lion sighed. Indeed, a drink would be nice. "It’s Hagen, by the way. My name is Hagen." It was ironic, soon they would arrive at an immense body of water, but it was salty and undrinkable... A sip or two was doable, but no one any longer knew what other unpleasant substances, or creatures, floated about in the dark waters. A bird’s-eye view would be pretty convenient at this point. Bird... Hagen glanced at the large vulture, Iroetem, perched in the tree some steps ahead of them. He had remembered her name simply because she was the only avian member of their group. She generally seemed mildly interested in their business, but it was worth a try. She was here after all and she could very well do her part. The young lion trotted forwards, the metal making a lot of noise, and stopped near the bird's tree. "Hey! Hey, you!" he shouted. "Do you reckon you could do some flying and spot some drinking water for us? You’re the only one with wings here." He thought for a moment. "And while you're at it, how far away is the sea?"

[Leorgathar]

Balam had stopped for a minute to organize his inventory. The faster they trotted, the more his gadgets scrambled and thus were harder to find in his backpack. He placed them in order of importance within different pockets, and just when he was about to close the zipper, he glimpsed at one item he had almost forgot on the floor. It was a round object with markings in human language and a needle that always pointed in the same direction, no matter how he held it. The compass made the jaguar let out a sigh. Just days ago, when Balam had been summoned by Queen Imae’s council for a demonstration of what he could do, he emptied his backpack and showed the council what each of his manmade gadgets were for and how he used them. He had honestly thought that the item that would have caught most of their attention would have been his camera, because who wouldn’t be amazed by the ability to have an extra set of eyes and ears, and be able to peek into their memory? But no... the item that Queen Imae herself showed more interested in was this compass. Balam had never really given it any importance at all before; it looked like an object so simple that he hadn’t even remembered it was there in the depths of his backpack when he left Spain. And yet, the Queen specifically instructed him to take good care of it, she had told him that the direction it pointed to was towards the Northern Star, and that it would provide the group with guidance even in the most starless skies.

With this knowledge, the jaguar hooked the compass to the side of his backpack, lifted its weight over his shoulders and back, and hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. On the way he overheard Hagen shouting to the vulture.

"Hey! Hey, you! Do you reckon you could do some flying and spot some drinking water for us? You’re the only one with wings here. And while you're at it, how far away is the sea?"

Balam had the answer to that last question, so he went ahead and replied immediately instead.

"Um… Actually, the sea is not too far from here, after those dunes we should start seeing some vegetation, and then it would just take a few miles to get to there." The jaguar then realized none of the others had really been in the land at the other side of the sea, and only he had been across the Strait of Gibraltar. So he decided to step forward and address the other big cats.

"Alright, everyone, can I have a moment of your attention?" he cleared his throat, and then spoke loudly. "Well, if I’m not mistaken, I’m the only foreigner here who came from the land of Europe. I guess that makes me your guide at least until we have reached the European coast. I'm Balam, for those who didn't know my name". He added with a smile, half expecting some acceptance after his introduction. "...Anyway, as we have been told, we have to get across the sea through what's known as the Strait of Gibraltar. There are two ways to cross it. The first would be by a bridge that connects both lands, and the other way is through a tunnel the humans built that goes under the sea all the way to the other side. Both are equally far from here. I came here by crossing the bridge, but I found it’s quite an old human construction, and some parts of it are much damaged or have already fallen down. It’s not very stable, but the option is there. As for the tunnel, I’ve heard it’s well preserved, although I don’t know of anyone who has gone through all the way to the other side. Many of the lions where I live fear it, there are some superstitions about it, but I think it’s safe and it would lead us to the other side very easily. What do you all think?"

[Zorayda]

Ijus's head turned instinctively towards Balam as he spoke, though she couldn't see him. She and Mlezi waited until he was done with his speech, the latter's brow furrowed in thought. The protective lioness wasn't much for leadership, so she simply nodded mutely in agreement. It made sense; the leopard was naturally gifted with gadgets and had more knowledge than the rest of him, making him the perfect guide to get them to where they were going.

Mlezi turned back to Hagen and tilted her head inquisitively, a look that was somewhat silly on a grown adult lioness.

[Kirsui]

Iroetem had began to casually preen her feathers after landing on the branch. Much to her annoyance, she didn't get to sit in peace for very long when one of the felines already called her.

"Hey! Hey, you! Do you reckon you could do some flying and spot some drinking water for us? You’re the only one with wings here. And while you're at it, how far away is the sea?"

The great bird stiller her movements for a moment before she slowly finished preening the feather she had been working on and turned the glare of her icy eyes at the metal-mixed earthling. Did he actually expect her to go out and scout for them, just like that...?

Of course he did. He had a point when he said that she was the only one capable of flight anyway.

"Um… Actually, the sea is not too far from here."

Iroetem turned her gaze at the jaguar that had provided a small part of the answer to the metal-mixed lion's question. She didn't bother with an answer for now and instead continued preening her feathers while the jaguar continued speaking.

"-- There are two ways to cross it. The first would be by a bridge that connects both lands, and the other way is through a tunnel the humans built that goes under the sea all the way to the other side. -- "

Iroetem's preening came to a sudden halt once again, and her gaze snapped back to the jaguar. A tunnel? Was he serious?

"What do you all think?"

"Do what you will", the vulture spoke out, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "But I am not going into the tunnels."

---

Panthera chuckled lightly when Mlezi averted her gaze after she caught the lioness watching her. She watched as the lioness hurried ahead to walk beside Hagen, and turned her attention elsewhere for the moment seeing as how she was out of earshot and couldn't hear what the two were talking about.

"Alright, everyone, can I have a moment of your attention?"

Thera turned her gaze to Balam and listened in silence what the jaguar had to say. She caught Mlezi glancing at Hagen for a decision on which route they should take, but before they could hear his answer the vulture decided to speak out.

The black lioness visibly smirked at Iroetem's clear displeasure at the idea of using a tunnel. She said nothing, however, not right now anyway. She wanted to see how the others would react first.

[KanuTGL]

The vulture gave the white lion a, to say the least, icy look. Hagen flicked his tail and returned the glare, not about to be stared down by some bird. "Well?" he began, but was interrupted by Balam, who claimed he knew where the sea was. The young lion decided to leave Iroetem to it and trotted back to the rest of the group, who had gathered around the gadget-savvy leopard. If he was indeed a leopard... He looked a lot like one, but there was still something not quite right; he was bigger and his spots were a different kind. Hagen decided he would ask him later... The white lion sat down, ears perked and listened carefully.

Neither of the options Balam presented seemed particularly pleasant; an unknown tunnel or a rickety old bridge. Hagen frowned, looking down towards his metal paws as he considered. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mlezi looking at him, as if she wanted to know what he thought. Well, they did at least know that crossing the bridge had once been possible, because if Balam had done it, so could they. The problem however was that they did not know if the bridge was still in good enough condition to carry them... The group would also be completely exposed to the elements up there - a bridge over the sea would offer no protection against the wild storms that plagued the world. A tunnel would keep them safe from that, but on the other hand, nobody knew if anyone had ever emerged on the other side of this one. And what if it wasn't as well preserved as they thought? What if it caved in on them? If it didn't hold up, they would have no escape from the weight of the ocean crashing down on them. Or, worse yet, what if there were... monsters down there? The Great Light had destroyed, but it had also created... Hagen had heard many stories of creatures of nightmares; beings that could devour a lion whole, or tear down mountains. Who knew what could be lurking down there? On the bridge they would at least stand a chance... The young lion had made up his mind. "I'm with the bird." he said. Iroetem had at least made it clear where she did not want to go. "We should go by the bridge. I'm not risking Ij-- everyone's lives by going through an unknown tunnel in darkness. Besides, you've already crossed it once, so we know it can be done." Hagen looked around at the other members of the group, not really looking for approval or disapproval - he had made up his mind and that was final - but he wanted to make sure everyone had listened. "So, shall we move?"

[Leorgathar]

Hagen: "We should go by the bridge. I'm not risking Ij-- everyone's lives by going through an unknown tunnel in darkness. Besides, you've already crossed it once, so we know it can be done."

Balam lowered his look to the ground thinking for a minute, he didn’t like the idea of having to cross through that damaged old bridge again. He didn’t want to admit it to the others, but he was really terrified of heights and the many holes and gaps on the bridge made him feel uneasy, but he decided he wouldn’t argue about it. The lion with metal front legs was right; Balam had already crossed it along with two other lions, and he ended up feeling like an idiot for suggesting risking the party by going through an unknown underground tunnel that he feared less than the bridge.

"All right then... the bridge it is", he said with a smile. "Come to think of it, it’s the best option we have. It’s a bit farther, but we'll reach it when the Sun is still high. We can find water easily if we get to an old human village; I know exactly where to look. Come on! Let’s get going."
The jaguar turned around and started trotting, thinking of how many canteens can fit in his backpack. The thought of the bridge then came back into his mind, having mixed feelings about it.

Yeah, don’t worry, Balam. He thought. It’s not like the bridge will collapse with just a bunch of lions over it. Although that also means I’ll have to jump through those wide gaps again... *Sigh* stupid heights.”

[Zorayda]

Mlezi simply nodded in agreement, having heard everyone's arguments. She felt Ijus shiver with some fear above her... of course the blind cub would be afraid of whatever they faced. The leopard was completely dependent upon them, save for her strange, seemingly useless ability. With a grunt, the reddish lioness gave Hagen a look before beginning to walk again, a bit grumpy from all of the discussion and lack of action. Ijus needed water, after all.

"Um, Mlezi... can I get down?" Ijus's girlish voice sounded. The taller feline stopped and nodded, allowing the young clouded leopard to get down. With almost painful shyness, Ijus approached Balam, stopping short of where she'd last heard his voice and pawsteps.

"I just... um, I wanted to say... th-thank you, for helping to guide us, and, uh..." She seemed to realize halfway that she wasn't able to speak anymore, however, and she squeaked nervously before scuttling away to catch up with Mlezi. Under her fur, her skin flushed, showing up around her ears and nose.

[Kirsui]

Iroetem was pleased with the way things turned out, and decided to take to the skies again when it was clear that the discussion was over and the group started moving. However, before she could completely spread her wings, she spotted Panthera stand below her, watching her with a small smirk. The vulture narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but she knew well enough that the dark lioness would not leave her be until she had said what was on her mind.

And so Iroetem folded her wings again and waited. Panthera was silent for a moment, letting the now moving group move slightly further before she spoke out her thoughts.

"You should scout ahead of us", the dark lioness remarked before she turned to follow the others without waiting for Iroetem's reply.

The vulture's eyes narrowed even further. How dare that cat speak to her in such a manner? Her initial anger at the lioness faded quickly, however, for she knew that the words were true. They were on unknown lands, and though Iroetem wasn't particularly fond of any of the cats, she thought she could at least keep an eye out for trouble.

---

Thera heard Iroetem take flight again, and soon enough the bird had flown over them and was heading further ahead. The lioness smirked lightly, pleased with how easily she had managed to prod the somewhat arrogant bird into doing something useful for a change.

With that done, there was time to satisfy her own curiosity concerning their passage of choice. She sped up her pace to catch up with Balam, then moved in step beside him.

"How large is this bridge?", she asked quietly, wanting to get at least some sort of an idea of how long they would be forced to survive on the unstable construction.

[Leorgathar]

Just as soon as the jaguar had resumed his trotting, he was halted by a little voice coming from behind.

"I just... um..." Balam turned back around and looked down at the little clouded leopard. She looked nervous. "I wanted to say... th-thank you, for helping to guide us, and, uh..."

Without letting the jaguar say a word, Ijus scurried away back to Mlezi’s protection, leaving him a little startled. But then his thoughts went towards the cub herself. Balam had never really seen himself as good with cubs, but he liked the thought that at least someone was grateful with him and made him feel useful. He felt a nice warmth in his chest as he saw Ijus joining Mlezi, and he smiled at the red lioness... perhaps silently agreeing with her in how adorable the little clouded leopard was.

As he resumed his walk, the jaguar wondered why there was such a young cub involved in this mission. I know animals with special abilities are essential for our success, but are we really that desperate? He thought. At least Mlezi seems to be taking good care of her. I guess I’m beginning to earn her trust as well... I’ll try not to disappoint her.

"How large is this bridge?"

Balam noticed the black lioness, Panthera, now approaching on his side.
"Hmm… it’s about 9 or 10 miles, according to my map. If we hurry, we can cross it all the way to the other side before night time comes."

The trip hadn’t really been long, but the lack of water and the recurring thoughts about the bridge made Balam feel otherwise. He thought that at least he soon could satisfy the former when the group finally reached the last remains of a human civilization in the North edge of Africa. As soon as they got there, Balam rushed to break into house after house looking for all the water he could find. To his disappointment he couldn’t get much in the first few houses he tried, but at least he managed to fill up a canteen. The jaguar then galloped to where Mlezi and Ijus were, holding the canteen by its strap in his jaws. He put it down and addressed to the little cub.

"Here you go, little one, you just have to chew on the tip and water will start flowing out," he told her with a smile. "Don’t finish it too quickly." Then he addressed Mlezi. "Water is very scarce in this old human city, but I’ll keep looking. With enough luck I might be able to fill some more canteens."

Continuing his search, he suddenly looked up to check on Iroetem soaring the sky. She must have a visual of the bridge already, he thought. Then he shouted:

"Iroetem! Can you see anything?"

[KanuTGL]

OOC: Short post, I didn't really know what else to write xP

IC: Hagen clunked on. At least they were now on the move and getting somewhere; the speed seemed to have increased now that the group was moving with purpose. After reaching the remains of the human settlement, Balam went off in search of water and Hagen sat down for a quick rest. It was not as if he was tired or anything, of course, but it was always nice to take some strain off the metal every now and then. They were, naturally... rather heavy...

This town was an eerie place to be. Once it had been a grand city, populated by countless humans and bustling with life both night and day. Now this was little more than a pile of rubble, and who knew what now resided in its shadows. Hagen felt he had to be alert. It was... as if they were being watched. The young lion frowned and looked over his shoulder. There was nothing there, of course.

Balam returned with water, which he offered to Ijus.

"With enough luck I might be able to fill some more canteens."

"I'll help you." Hagen stepped over to the trio. "Just tell me what to do."

[Zorayda]

The rag-tag group walked on after the lengthy discussion, in which Iroetem made her wishes clear upon entering the tunnel. The vulture's piercing eyes were like shards of ice and made Mlezi somewhat uneasy, as did her somewhat harsh personality. So it seemed they were to cross the bridge, which Balam was only too happy to inform them of. That leopard was extremely strange, given his fascination for human objects and gadgets, but he seemed amiable enough; Mlezi accepted his loquaciousness with a shrug and chalked it up to intelligent gibberish. Besides, Ijus had taken a liking to the young leopard, so the protective mother-figure softened to him considerably. Just as the lioness considered speaking aloud to ask Balam exactly how far they'd have to walk across the bridge, Panthera piped up and took the words right from her mouth. It was all the same to the reddish cat; she wasn't much for talking so the fewer words she had to say, the better.

The bridge was miles long and would probably take all day to cross... though at this pace they were likely to be able to rest afterwards. The group of felines trudged on heavy paws, the sun beating on their backs. This was the norm in this forsaken wasteland now... Mlezi felt her hide burning under her fur as it was exposed to the sun. It would be itchy as all hell later... They all stopped when they got to the edges of old human ruins. Balam looked overly excited about this and rushed into one of the human dens, opening their strange entrance-blockers with practiced ease. The rickety, man-made things made Mlezi uneasy, which, in turn, made Ijus fidget with nerves as well.

"Those things have a strange shape," the tween cub said softly in reference to the houses as she sat between her guardian and Panthera. Mlezi glanced at the clouded leopard in surprise for a moment before remembering that the cub had the ability to 'sense' things and gather the shape of them in her mind's eye, thanks to her energy pulses she sent through objects. Mlezi caught Thera's eye and shrugged as if to say, 'that's normal for her'. The group waited for a little while as the gadget-savvy leopard went from house to house, coming out with a metal object in his mouth that sloshed as he walked. Balam looked quite proud of himself as he stopped in front of Ijus, who squeaked slightly and shrank back. 

"Here you go, little one, you just have to chew on the tip and water will start flowing out. Don't finish it too quickly," Balam said brightly, giving Ijus a reassuring smile. Ijus relaxed a bit and took the container, clamping her jaws down on the tip as the leopard had instructed and gratefully taking a big gulp of water. It felt weird to drink like that, but water was water and the pre-adolescent accepted it gratefully. Mlezi nodded at Balam's next comment in understanding. With a bit of thought, the lioness took a few small sips of the water to quench her thirst, but left plenty for the rest of them to share. She was smart enough to know her limits; without water, she would become exhausted much too quickly in the hot sun. When she was done, she offered the canteen to Panthera next to her. Being a dark-furred feline, she must have felt the heat a bit more than the rest of them. The sun was attracted to things with dark fur; Thera would be no exception. Once it was handed off, Mlezi turned back just as Hagen stepped up and offered his paw in helping them find water.

"Aye, you've got my help if you need it as well," the lioness offered. 

[Kirsui]

"Hmm… it’s about 9 or 10 miles, according to my map. If we hurry, we can cross it all the way to the other side before night time comes."

Panthera nodded when she got the reply to her question and continued walking in silence. She hoped that they would indeed be able to cross the bridge before nightfall, for the very thought of spending any more time than what was necessary on a construction that might not be very stable unnerved her. She knew, however, that should darkness reach them before they reached the other side, she would be able to provide enough light for their little group to continue somewhat safely.

She continued pondering this until they reached the town. She halted beside Iljus and Mlezi, gazing absently at the man-made constructions. It was unnatural for them to be here among the now abandoned buildings. But she understood the need for it, knowing full well how difficult it could be to find water further away from the abandoned human settlements.

"Those things have a strange shape."

Thera glanced down at Iljus when the cub made her remark, lifting an eyebrow curiously. She glanced at Mlezi in question, but only received a shrug from the other lioness. She pushed away the thoughts of the cub's strange behaviour and resumed examining the buildings until Balam returned with water.

"Water is very scarce in this old human city, but I’ll keep looking. With enough luck I might be able to fill some more canteens."

She pondered the jaguar's words until Mlezi passed the water to her. She took a few gulps, glad to have some relief to the thirst that the blazing sun had caused. When Hagen approached them, she offered the canteen to him in case he was also thirsty.

---

Iroetem didn't bother to land for now, taking full advantage of the heated air to soar above the human settlement while the cats looked for water. Her gaze swept lazily over the scenery, making sure that nothing out of ordinary was going on.

"Iroetem! Can you see anything?"

The vulture glanced down, noticing how the jaguar gazed up at her. With a small snort she turned her gaze towards the horizon, narrowing them to see better in the bright sunlight. For a moment she saw nothing else but the dull scenery that had accompanied them from nearly the beginning of their journey. Then, as she gazed further and further, she caught the strange way that the light sparked in the distance, and realized that what she at first had thought to be part of the sky was in fact the largest area of water that she had ever seen. Though she rarely was surprised by anything, her eyes widened now that she understood just how large this ocean was that they needed to cross.

"I see the ocean", Iroetem shouted back down, her voice somewhat awed by the sight she saw. She continued to sweep the watery area, and finally spotted what they were looking for.
"The bridge is there. I cannot see its condition, but it is still standing."

[shani]

The young adolescent female called Mariama carried on following the crowd.She was not scared of the water and could Easilly breath under there due to her abilities to controll water.Her ocean blue eyes scanned the lions infront of her, watching as there tail moved as they walked as they stopped at the waters edge.Mariama made her way to the front of the crowd where she could see her reflection.She looked at her ocean blue orbs and the blue streak that went from her nose, along her head and spine to the tip of her tail, where the tuft of fur at the end of her tail was.The tuft of hair was also blue.She dived into the water, diving deeper into the water, twisting and turning, feeling at home here, a smile flickered onto her face.She was visible in the water as the sun glistened off the surface bubble floating to the top as she breathed the water in.

[Leorgathar]

"I see the ocean. The bridge is there. I cannot see its condition, but it is still standing."

Balam let out a sigh of relief after hearing the vulture above, now he knew for certain he had led the group in the right direction, and knowing it was there, he wanted to get closer to see its condition... but first, they needed to find more water.
After discussing the water issue, Hagen approached him from his right. "I'll help you. Just tell me what to do." And Mlezi from his left. "Aye, you've got my help if you need it as well."
The jaguar was pleased with their offer to help, he felt more trusted and useful now. He looked at both lions like analyzing them; a lion with metallic front legs and a lioness who could cast shields… both abilities could be very useful.

"Alright then... water is hard to find in this place just like that. I was hoping some of the dens still had water, but this is all I’ve found as of now." He referred to the canteen he had just brought back. "But the humans of old had this system in which they canalized the water directly to their dens from a particular water source. They used wells which mostly collected water from rain. I believe these wells must be near the coast line in the North. Although I don’t expect them to be very accessible, judging from the condition of this town, maybe we’ll have to dig a bit to get to them. But... Perhaps it will actually be easy for lions with abilities like yours." He smiled at the thought of seeing their powers in action for this task. Then he unfastened his backpack and looked inside it, taking out 3 more canteens. "Also... take these with you, for if any of us find any water on the way, just open the tip and fill them in." He strapped one of them around his neck to show them how to carry it. "Let’s start moving to the North, then we’ll probably spot the wells."

As they explored more, Balam finally got a visual of the bridge in the distance. He took out his binoculars, modified so he could wear them around his head, and took a good look at the structure. At least it still looked complete, but he shuddered seeing how fragile it had been when he first crossed it, almost like it swinged with just the wind.

[shani]

Mariama poked her head from under the water so that she was direct ally in the view of the binoculars.She looked straight down them swimming to the shore pulling herself out the water.She diden't want to use the bridge due to the fact it looked so unstable, she found swimming, much easier.Mariama lowered her head to the ground and could sense water close buy under the ground .She padded forward following the water untill she came to a hot spot right under balam.She lifted her head up and spoke quietly.
"Escuse me, do you know anyone who can dig where you are standing due to a water source right under you"Mariama said her eyes looking down at her feet.
She was thirsty and there was no fresh water except from where this male was standing.

[KanuTGL]

Hagen nodded, taking in the information Balam had given them. He took the canteen and, after some fumbling, managed to get it around his neck by the strap the way the leopard, or what he was, had done. “Right then” said the white lion. “Let's get going.” He looked around them. A sudden gust of wind blew through the hollow, abandoned dens of the humans, making an eerie howling sound as it passed. A chill went down Hagen's spine and he frowned, looking over his shoulder again. There was still nothing there. The young lion gritted his teeth; they shouldn't be here. They should get going to the sea and cross the bridge as fast as they could. But they needed water... He exhaled slowly. 'Wells' Balam had said. Hagen had no clue what that meant, but he knew the scent of water, so he assumed he would just have to look for that. He was about to step forward when a lioness suddenly appeared, seemingly out of the blue. Hagen flinched, eyes wide in surprise. Where had she come from? The white lion opened his mouth to speak, but she spoke first.

“Excuse me, do you know anyone who can dig where you are standing due to a water source right under you.”

...What? Hagen stared at the little lioness in disbelief. How did she know? Where had she come from? Had she been spying on them? “Hey!” he exclaimed, taking a step forward to tower over her. “Who are you? And why should we suddenly trust you? How do you know there's water under us?” Hagen's bright, blue eyes narrowed, staring intently at the stranger. Had she been the presence he thought he kept sensing? No. No, there was something else... The burning sensation at the back of his neck had not gone away. Hadn't something rustled in the rubble over there?

[Kirsui]

OOC: I just realized, I have a bad habit of writing some of the characters' names wrong.... Ouch. ._. Sorry about that, I'll try to be more careful in the future! :'D



"I believe these wells must be near the coast line in the North. Although I don’t expect them to be very accessible, judging from the condition of this town, maybe we’ll have to dig a bit to get to them."

Panthera gazed to the North thoughtfully, as if attempting to see these "wells" that Balam spoke of even though she knew it was an impossible feat. She did, however, realize that scouting up ahead for the wells might be a good idea. That way they could go directly to them and avoid wasting time searching for them. Besides, she reasoned that even if they had found more water in the village, an additional opportunity to fill their water reserves would be useful before they entered the bridge. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she glanced up at the sky to spy the great, white bird above them. Yes, Iroetem most definitely wouldn't be thrilled at her suggestion...

The dark lioness already opened her mouth to voice out her plan, when a voice from behind her interrupted her. She turned to look over her shoulder, giving the newcomer a calculative look with her light green eyes while Hagen took a few steps towards the new lioness while demanding answers from her. Panthera examined the lioness for a moment, then turned her gaze away, having apparently come to the conclusion that the lioness was not an imminent threat.

"Iroetem."

She called the Egyptian vulture's name with an even, dispassionate tone that was barely above the normal strength of her voice. Yet within a few seconds the vulture landed, having obviously heard her name. She flapped her great wings to slow down her descend as she took a few hops to steady her footing, coming to stand in front of the dark lioness. She folded her wings and turned her icy glare on Panthera. For a moment the two just stared at each other in silence, until the great bird averted her gaze. It was an odd sight, and against Iroetem's very nature to willingly submit in defeat under the dark lioness' stare.

"There are wells to the North, close to the coast line", Thera said, as if nothing out of ordinary had occurred. "They need to be found before we can continue to the bridge."

The white bird turned another icy stare at the white lioness, but was once again unwilling to meet the unfaltering stare of her light green eyes for long. Without further ado the bird spread her wings again and once again took to the skies, heading North as Panthera had instructed. She was not certain what these wells looked like, but she assumed them to be somehow related to water.

[Leorgathar]

The sudden appearance of the new stranger on Balam’s binoculars startled him. Confused as to who this blue eyed lioness was, he said nothing until she got closer.

“Excuse me, do you know anyone who can dig where you are standing due to a water source right under you.” The lioness said.

The jaguar opened his eyes wide. A water source? Here? he thought looking down and staring at the ground between his paws. While Hagen was questioning the new lioness, Balam unstrapped his backpack and from inside he pulled out a dish-like object, which he strapped under his right paw, and was connected to a screen he strapped to his left one. Then he turned on a switch and the device began emitting a beeping sound. A diffuse image started to form on the screen, and after a minute of analyzing it he finally spoke. “S-she’s right! It’s hollow down below, and there’s definitely water down here!” Then he addressed to the stranger. “I don’t know who you are, but thank you so much!”

Guessing that the others would be confused about his little machine, Balam decided to explain with a tone of pride in his voice. “This thing is called a portable ultrasound device, it emits a sound wave that bounces in objects and comes back as an image in this screen. It’s sort of like what bats do for hunting in the dark, but... more powerful.” He then put on a pair of complex goggles and looked around. “Now, maybe I can use my thermal goggles to find a weak spot on the ground, let’s see...” It didn’t take him long to find a place where the ground looked lighter by his thermal vision. “Alright! I found a good one. Maybe we could crumble it down easily with the help of...” He suddenly paused, losing his breath.

He was still wearing his thermal goggles while talking, and when he turned around to face Hagen and Mlezi, he noticed there were many menacing figures stalking them from the shadows, otherwise invisible to the naked eye. They were so many that he couldn’t count them all immediately. “Uh guys... w-we have some trouble.”

[KanuTGL]

OOC: Alright, here goes xP

IC: Hagen looked over his shoulder, brows furrowed in a stern look. Now he wasn't doubting it any more - there was definitely something watching them. He turned around, deciding that this was more important than questioning the lioness and peered into the shadows of rubble of stone and steel wires. All other sounds seemed to grow distant as the white lion focused all his attention on one particular part of those shadows and he took a couple of careful steps forward. Eyes narrowed, Hagen lowered his head to try and see underneath a large stone slab jutting out from the debris. He stayed completely still and focused all his senses forward. There was a quiet rustle; a small pebble rolling out from under the stone; a glint of eyes; a low growl...

"Run. RUN."

The white lion's eyes widened and he whipped around, shouting at the top of his lungs, "RUN! Get out of here! HURRY!" as he zoomed past the puzzled-looking group. "HOUNDS!"

Crawling out from under rubble and through the hollow windows of the ruins came a horde of howling, large, black dogs, covered in mud and dirt with bloodshot, red eyes gleaming. Their fur was scruffy, torn and most were missing an ear or a tail, sometimes both. Some were horribly deformed - an effect of the Great Light that had destroyed their world - and had an extra set of eyes, an extra leg, deadly tusks or saber-like fangs. They would hunt and kill anything that moved and were terrifyingly skilled at this game, something their wild dog ancestors had passed down onto these creatures. It was difficult to tell now that they had once been beautiful; 'painted wolves', they had been called. Now they were nothing but monsters, living only by their instinct to survive no matter what, like so many others...

Hagen glanced back to make sure the group were following. There was no point in trying to fight this mass of claws and fangs. Their only chance was to run and hope they ran faster than the hounds did. The place was teeming with them now; they seemed to pour out of every nook and crevice. "Come on!" Hagen cried. They weren't running fast enough. He gritted his teeth and darted around in a semicircle until he was behind the last member of the group. "Faster!" A hound leapt out from a ledge above to catch one of the fleeing felines, but was foiled in its plan by a mighty blow from a metallic paw. Hagen roared, adrenaline pumping, and continued to urge the group forward but stayed at the back himself. No one would left behind on his watch. "This town must be a hound head quarters..." he thought, bitterly "No wonder it's so quiet. Everything else is dead..."

They dashed through the town, but more and more black canines seemed to join the ever growing howling and shrieking horde as they went. Hagen's mind was racing. What were they going to do? These creatures were known to hunt tirelessly. Hagen fought off a few more hounds that got a little too close, but it wasn't exactly a long term solution. He looked up and could now see the bridge ahead. It was still a long way, but it felt like that was their only hope. They had to make it. Had to.

-------------------------------------------------

Hagen was panting heavily, the weight of his metal limbs wearing him out, but there was no time to be tired yet. The bridge! It was so close! He risked a glance over his shoulder. Sure enough, the hounds were still on their tails, but weren't they... a little further behind them now? It was as if they were slowing down. The young lion was too tired to think about this odd occurrence any further and, strengthened by the distance between them and the monsters, he looked ahead once more, to the bridge that was now towering over them. If one knew that the humans had once built a road leading up it, one might have noticed the bits of black and white asphalt and flat metallic discs scattered on the ground. If one had been paying especially close attention, one might also have noticed the big footprints that had crushed it too...

The bridge was definitely falling to pieces. The road at the beginning of it had withered away, but there was a narrow passage of metal rail that lead onto what was still a fairly wide path. With some difficulty, the group leapt onto this rail and crossed it as quickly as was possible. Once on a wider part of the bridge, Hagen slowed to a halt. He could run no more, but he would fight them with all his might... He turned around, teeth bared and ears flat against his head, expecting the army of dogs to come at them. But the young lion found to his surprise that they... had stopped. Even though they surely could jump onto the metal rail with ease, they were just standing by the base of it. They were yapping and howling still, but not moving. For a few seconds they remained this way, then, with whines and growls, they turned. And ran. Ran away. Hagen couldn't believe his eyes. But this did mean that the group was off the hook. They had made it. With a sigh of relief, Hagen slumped onto his tail. After catching his breath, he turned to the others. "Everyone okay?"

[Lionel]

Ahh, couldn't keep away from posting!!

Scout came all the way from the forests of North Europe, seeking out the lions from the prophercy she heard just before eaving.
The lions will revive the kingdom. The planet of justice foretells war.The palace of the north is restored by the young feline.The dark traitor will burn.
She thought, that she could be the young feline, that's why she went all the way dwn to the coast of the Mediterrian. She wasn't afraid of no tunnels, and came outside after a days walk. She was amazed, how much the plains here were diffrent from the one's back home. Everywhere she looked, was nothing more than sand. She was used to everything around her beeing green and lively, but this seemed just sad. She knew about the bridge and started walking by the coast, untill she could see the bridge.

--------------------------
Scout saw some figures running away from a bunch of black hounds. The hounds looked strange, and she started running. As she got closer, most of the hounds started paying attention to her and slowed down. She got surrounded.
Take that, you stuppid mutt! And that!she shouted, letting her claws out and eaving wounds on the hounds' faces. She fought her way out and shouted somethings, while running towards the bridge. Then she looked at the group on the bridge.
Hey you! Move a bit further! They won't touch you on the bridge!!

[Zorayda]

(Gah! Wait for me to catch up, guys! I'll post soon, please don't post after this one ;_; It will be edited with a reply ASAP.)

[Leto]

((Sorry Zor, I just felt like getting Lycur up to speed with everyone else! <3))

------------

Water, this mantra had been on his mind constantly since they had been forced to move on from Lake Chad, making the long grueling walk through the Sahara desert, much to Lycurgus’ praise the ragtag gang had opted to wisely cross it under the cover of night, the cool air was less of a danger to them, and an outright life-threatening hazard to him. Deserts and dry savannahs were not his favorite type of environment; he was after all a creature of the deep ocean, a native of the abyssal plains.

Ever since he had found sanctuary in this gang he had stayed in the background, walking the rear guard, speaking little unless absolutely necessary. He knew the premise of their quest, whether he actually believed in the prophecy or not he wasn’t entire sure; though it was worth a shot, they had after all nothing left to lose.

The smell of the brine was the first thing that hit him as they narrowed in on the strait of Gibraltar, his heart rose of joy upon seeing the Mediterranean stretch for miles of unbroken cerulean blue. While the others plotted a route across Lycurgus raced for the beach and continued straight into the ocean soaking himself in water up his neck the krajiin sucked the water through his dehydrated gills, rejuvenating his body with moisture and a second source of oxygen.

His bath was sadly cut short as the cry of ‘hounds’ shattered the salty air, the dark canines came out of every nook and cranny of the derelict overgrown structures that had once been shelters of human habitation but now long since reclaimed by nature, forcing the group to run towards the broken bridge. The krajiin could hear the jaws snapping his heels, their growls and snarls as they closed in, he turned a corner when out no where one of the beasts threw themselves at him from a ledge, but before the creature could even touch his fur, the monster was flung into a near by wall as if hit by some great force. "Hagan!" Lycurgus exclaimed as the white furred half-metallic feline had just saved his life, indeed the white lion was protecting their rear flank; keeping the hounds occupied and thus buying the group precious distance.

-------------------------

Lycurgus’ pale blue eyes was locked on the hounds that had stopped on the edge of a gap in the bridge, frowning as he heard their howls, yips and barks but for some reason they didn’t cross; in the krajiin’s mind something was not right. But any musings on such was kept short as Hagen’s question called out. “I’m fine, sir.” Lycurgus breathed glancing over his shoulder towards the group, before he turned around walking back to the gathered members thankfully no one appeared to be missing. His ice-blue eyes then settled upon the white lion with the unusually forlegs, brows narrowing as the krajiin stepped up towards Hagan the bioluminescent markings flaring in a bright display across his form betraying his state of mind as one of anger, though it was an anger born out of fear.

“Do you have a death wish?” be exhaled shock lining his slightly raised voice, his usual courtesies and timid nature completely forgotten, “You could’ve gotten killed!” he exclaimed the angered expression changing into a frown of worry, he was staring intently at Hagan who was significantly larger and much more powerfully buildt than himself, not that Lycurgus wasn’t thankful for what the white male had done in keeping the hounds off them, hell Hagan had even saved his life; but they didn’t have enough people for anyone to risk taking one for the team in an act of misguided valor, they all needed each other if they were succeed in this.

[Zorayda]

"Iroetem! Can you see anything?"

The rusty-red lioness flicked her ears and looked up in curiosity as Iroetem called back, her normally sharp voice softened by awe at a sight the land-bound felines could not see. The ocean...? Mlezi had never seen it, but she had heard tales. She had heard that the ocean was made of salt and sand, mixed with water and unknown creatures, and that the waters were so deep that nobody knew how deep they were. The lioness was surprised to hear that the bird also saw the bridge... finally, some good news on their travels! The bridge was an essential landmark, a place they had to cross to continue on their journey to find their salvation. As Balam explained how to get water, along with several other unneeded statements that were just ignored by the quiet lioness, Mlezi got to work filling canteens as he'd instructed... though it seemed their luck was running out with the amount of water readily available to them. She frowned as mere trickles went into the canteens. Nearby, Ijus sensed Mlezi's stiffened shoulders and nuzzled into her neck out of comfort. They were all tired, hot, and worn from so much walking... More stress was not needed.

Unfortunately, more stress was what they were all going to get... a stranger suddenly appeared--an oddly colored lioness with dripping wet fur and no sense of caution approached them with a perky attitude, addressing Balam right off the bat. Mlezi growled instinctively and shielded Ijus, who squeaked and hid in Mlezi's fur.

“Excuse me, do you know anyone who can dig where you are standing due to a water source right under you.”

Mlezi was just about to open her mouth and snap at the feline when Hagen beat her to it, getting worked up and angry that some random stranger had just invaded upon their party when all of them were hot, tired, thirsty, and cranky. They certainly didn't know who this random lioness was, and who was she to say--

“S-she’s right! It’s hollow down below, and there’s definitely water down here!” 

The rust-red lioness's ears pinned back, golden eyes narrowed in irritation. Of course the newcomer was right... it was just annoying to have Balam act so cheerful towards someone who could have been a threat. Plus, being wrong about the new lioness further rubbed Mlezi's fur backward and made her snort dismissively, much like Panthera's attitude towards the newcomer. Then, to have Balam go on and on again about technical jargon... Mlezi was trying very hard not to snap at someone, but being an expert at staying quiet was working in her favor. Plus, Ijus chose that moment to wrap a foreleg around the strong lioness's neck and cuddle close, effectively shutting Mlezi's irritation down in an instant. But that instant of comfort was replaced quickly by apprehension as Balam made yet another announcement...

“Uh guys... w-we have some trouble.”

"What? What is it?" Mlezi asked, finally speaking aloud. Her ears perked forward as something made a sound nearby--Hagen had heard it, too, and had gone quiet.

"M-Mlezi! It's--" Ijus began in a high-pitched, panicked tone, her claws shooting out and stinging Mlezi's skin suddenly.

"Run. RUN. HOUNDS!" Hagen bellowed, and surged forward on heavy, clanking paws... much slower than the others, making Mlezi wonder if it was his heavy metallic build that made him run behind them. Snarling and barking sounded behind them, and as Mlezi glanced over her shoulder as she ran on Hagen's orders, she saw dark, dirty dogs, some mutated into unnatural beings... all of them bent on violence and mindless hunt of the felines who were now running desperately to escape their snapping jaws.

"Hold on, Ijus! Don' let go!" Mlezi shouted to Ijus, whose claws were digging in so hard that she was drawing blood from the lioness underneath her. Mlezi watched Hagen strike one of the dogs true with a heavy, steel paw, shielding Lycurgus from a nasty bite... More and more of the nasty creatures hunted them, barking, howling, racing forth to catch them at any cost... They had to reach that bridge. The hounds were nearly upon them--Mlezi could feel one of the disgusting beast's hot breath at her tail, but one flick of her shield and the dog's teeth were shattered as it tried to clamp its jaws down on it. Mlezi's paws carried her forward tirelessly, and they reached the rickety bridge. It crumbled beneath their feet as they raced across desperately, trying to stay alive.

But as Mlezi looked back, she realized something odd... the hounds had stopped chasing them...? As they stopped on the bridge to catch their breath, the dogs stared at them from the other side, snarling before running off in the opposite direction. The golden-eyed lioness's brows furrowed in confusion, but it was quickly shoved aside for relief that they had survived this encounter. On her back, Ijus trembled with fear, her claws still in Mlezi's skin and drawing quite a bit of blood. Only just now, Mlezi began to notice the stinging pain and winced. "Ijus, hon, yer claws..." she gently reminded the clouded leopard. Ijus made a squeaking noise and retracted them, whispering a meek apology and curling up to get over her mild panic. At Hagen's question, Mlezi nodded curtly before glancing around to see how everyone else had fared in the chase.

[Kirsui]

Panthera didn't pay attention to Balam when he began to fuss about the water once more. Her gaze was still locked on the retreating form of the great, white bird, until she became too difficult to see clearly. The black lioness blinked her eyes and finally lowered her gaze from the skies, only to tense up when a sudden sense of dread washed over her.

Something wasn't right.

"RUN! Get out of here! HURRY! HOUNDS!"

Panthera hissed out a curse and turned to look behind her just in time to see one of the dark beasts pour out of their hideout and advance towards them.

She needed no further encouragement to follow Hagen's warning. With quick, long strides she caught up with the lion, her long hair flapping wildly behind her in her haste to flee from the deformed canines. Even as she ran, however, she remembered why she had been chosen for this mission, and growled at the unpleasant realization that she had to begin fulfilling her duty sooner than anticipated.

A ball of light, roughly the size of her paw, appeared above her. It pulsed softly, and was soon joined by two others. Panthera saw Hagen suddenly shift his position to the back of their group, and with a swift glance over her shoulder she saw him slam away one of the hounds that had gotten too close to Lycurgus. But she knew they could not fight them, not when there were more and more of the beasts pouring out of their hideouts and joining the hunt.

Panthera shifted her position so that she too was at the back of their small group, then flung the first ball of light behind her. It pulsed as it went, growing brighter and faster the further away it got from the lioness. Then it collided with the ranks of their pursuers, and exploded with a brilliant flash that sent several hounds flying. She flung a second ball, and then the third, and both times more hounds were sent flying.

However, even though her ranged attacks somewhat slowed down the beasts, they still kept coming, and briefly Panthera realized what a fool she had been in sending away Iroetem. The bird, with her ranged attacks and ability to fly out of the reach of dangerous, biting maws would have been useful now. Time for such thoughts was later, and right now all she had to and would worry about was getting everyone to safety.

The race to the bridge felt endless, and the black lioness lost count on how many times she had sent her three balls of light behind her. At the sight of the bridge and realization of how close it now was, the lioness poured all of her strength into speeding up her running, and felt a small sense of relief when her paws first touched the strange, unnatural material that the humans had so long ago used to build it. She followed the group as they crossed the gap via the narrow metal rail, coming to a halt beside Hagen and turning around in order to defend the group from the hounds.

But the hounds did not cross the bridge, and Panthera watched in confusion as they retreated further away.

"Everyone okay?"

The black lioness nodded, only now realizing how heavily she was panting after the race with the hounds. She stared at spot where her feet had first come in contact with the bridge, though she wasn't actually seeing it. Relief washed over her, and though she wanted nothing more than to slump down with exhaustion, she quickly extinguished the three orbs of light orbiting above her and joined the rest of the group.

"Do you have a death wish? You could’ve gotten killed!"

Thera shook her head when she caught Lycurgus' words to Hagen and quickly stepped in. "We could all have gotten killed", she said with an even voice that betrayed nothing of the inner turmoil she felt after coming so close to death. "I do not think this is the time and place for this, however. The bridge is unstable. We need to keep moving."

[Lionel]

Scout finnaly ran far enough, to look back. The stupid hounds had been too surprised about her attack, to continue running after her. She padded to the bridge, looking back mand laughing. The adrenaline slowed down and her breathing evened out. She looked back and shouted : "Stupid mutt's! That's what you get when you mess with me! Ha!"

She padded to the group and before stepping on the bridge, looked around. She didn't like it at all, the tunnel was much better in her thoughts. You couldn't fall anywhere, and it wouldn't collapse under anyone's feet. she took a step and then another one. Just making sure, that it's safe. Then she walked over to the group and listened to them shouting at one of the lions, who had mettalic legs. She had seen Mecha- Bears, but not lions. This was an interesting group. There was a cub even with them. And it was sitting on some lionneses neck. Scout rised ne of her eyebrows. The rest of the group were interesting too. and then there was a... jaguar. How did he get here?
Well, if he tries to say to someone, that he's a leopard, I will burst out in laughter.
She waked closer to the group and started talking.

Hello. The name's Scout. Are you sure you want to take the bridge, because the tunnel is much more safe. But the mutt's are there, so... Yeah. Then she stayed quiet, waitin for someone to say "Thank you" for not letting the mutt's get to them. Nobody payed attention to her, so she got a little angry and rised her voice.
, You know, living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a I-saved-your-life-now-where-is-the-thank-you?