The War for Surra: On the Brink

[Zorayda]

[OOC: Okay, here we go! I'm gonna go ahead and post a little bit of something for each one of my characters I've entered into the RP just to give it a beginning boost. I've gone ahead and given it a 'part one' just in case this escalates like previous epic roleplays I've known and loved XD Everybody... enjoy the journey.]

Part One: On the Brink

The winged lioness stood at the very top of the Mwani den like a huge, perched bird, her fringe gently tossed by the breeze. Today...something was going to happen today. She could just feel it. Murmurs of discontent shivered through the pride below; they could sense it just as well. The tension in the air couldn't have been chewed by a hyena, it felt so thick. Zorayda spotted the bright, fiery mane of their leader and fixed her eyes upon him.

She knew that Moto would probably utilize her wings as a means for her to take a message, or to spy upon their new nomadic neighbors. The Mwani had been here by the Gulf of Claw for generations upon generations, watching over their edge of the savannah and keeping the levels of prey constant so that new herds could grow and feed their cubs and pups later in the pride's life. So many had lived here their entire lives, from birth to death... migrating was just out of the question. They would only save a pawful from starvation.

Her eyes filled with the ghost of tears that refused to fall as she realized with a heavy heart that there was nothing they could do to change the hearts of the Belbel pride, the ones responsible for ruining their delicate circle of life. The nomads were just that--nomads--and their way of life revolved around taking what they could from one place before moving on to another. It was how they survived; Zorayda knew that, and it saddened her that it had all come to a head; a simple displeasure that had turned into frequent altercations and injuries, then declarations of hatred, and then a threat of battle.

She bit back a terrified sob and tried not to think of the implications of war. Gathering her wits, she reigned in the emotion with what fragile courage she could muster. Movement of familiar features caught her eye and she bunched her muscles, fluttering down gently beside the hybrid cat.

"Satoba..." she addressed. The violet lioness tried but failed to hide the myriad of emotion in her voice, knowing that Satoba's trained ears would pick up on every one of them. She'd known him her whole life as a peaceful, kind soul, and right now was a good time to find comfort in friends.

"..." Zorayda opened her mouth, but no sound came out, so she clicked her jaws shut again, opting to give her pridemate a friendly nuzzle of greeting.

---

"...so, anyway, this one stupid jackal kept trying to sweet talk me into being alone with him, and I was just so disgusted," the adolescent wolf complained as she walked alongside her stoic pridemate. "I mean, seriously, how do you keep 'em from talking to you?" the wolf queried. Mlezi seemed to notice that Rey had finally quit talking and looked down at her, blank-eyed.

"...Huh?" The older adult lioness answered, having zoned out for much of the conversation and being too polite to dismiss the other. Rey snorted and rolled her eyes in obvious frustration.

"Ugh! Seriously, do you listen to anything I say? Nobody around here appreciates me," the pale canine whined before trotting off in a different direction. Mlezi, still a bit confused by it all, simply sat on her haunches and allowed her tail to wrap around her paws. The stoic lioness wondered vaguely how Rey could worry about such petty affairs when there was obviously some sort of impending battle about.

It was nothing new to the Belbel pride, fighting for land and resources, but it became tiresome after a while. They'd never stayed for long and they'd never had more than a few scuffles before moving on. This time, though, they were up against a much bigger pride with much more than a few gazelles at stake... Mlezi felt a little guilty that the Belbel were interfering with the Mwani's way of life, but the Belbel had traveled so far to get here, to a land of plentiful resources. They would have the ability to settle down for a longer period of time and allow their elderly to rest their bones for once.

Sighing, she settled down and lay her head on the paws, allowing the small comfort of solitude to give her a chance to think in peace for a while.

---

This was going to work out perfectly.

Haraka let himself get dozy as he lay on a huge fallen log near the riverbank that belonged to the Mwani. He was too sleepy and full to properly clean his blood-caked fur at the moment, having only just finished a huge, fresh meal of gazelle for himself. The Mwani were far too busy dealing with the Belbel to handle a rogue thief such as himself, who lived off of others' resources and scavenged off of the Mwani for quite some time now.

He let out a huge, contented sigh and rolled to the side, belly too full to lay on without discomfort. The scars on his muzzle scrunched as he flicked his tongue out to clean his whiskers. Later, he'd go for a dip in the river and perhaps a drink, taking care to watch for crocodiles... but for now, it was time to take a nice, long nap.

[Deleted]

"Come on what are we going to do?" Moto had been sitting in the grass for what seemed liked hours. He had been thinking over the situation that his pride was in ever since the other pride showed up. "Maybe I could have Zorayda tell their leader that I just want...No never mind, if he says no who knows what will happen?" He knew exactly what would happen.War. His mind started spinning at the thought of it. Not once had his pride ever had to experience war for they were a peaceful pride that lived in an almost carefree life until the Belbel came. He did not want to resort to having his pride migrate to a different location for that was not an option. Both of his parents had lived and died here and he was intending to do the same for he felt that leaving this area would be disgrace to his pride that has lived here ever since it was created and a disgrace to his family for each and every one of his family members had of course lived and died here.

He didn't want his pride to lose their land, but he didn't want to be enemies with the Belbel either, but then he started hearing in his mind war, war, and nothing but war. The word was repeating itself over and over and started to sound like some mysterious voice in his head that got louder each time it said war and it was saying it so many times he nearly became insane just from hearing it. "No!" he yelled towards the sky. Without noticing the attention he was getting from his behavior he looked back down towards the ground slowly and cried. His fiery tears burning the parts of the ground they landed on. "I-I can not l-let this h-happen." he sobbed. He eventually laid on the ground sobbing into his paws. "No. I have to tell them that I want peace between our prides."

He looked towards the den where he saw Zorayda and Satoba. He had know the two for at least 7 months now. He quickly pulled himself together and walked rather slowly towards them. "Zorayda" he said when finally got there."I need you to tell their king that I want peace with his pride and that I want us to share the land peacefully. If he agrees then there is nothing for us to worry about." he said hopefully. "But if it's a no"he started to sound more doubtful."then I'm afraid we'll just" he paused for a moment."have to prepare for the worst. When you come back I want you and Satoba to meet me at the river where we can talk privately about what we should do, because I could use some advice right now." He ran in the direction towards the river.

[KanuTGL]

OOC: Like I said, I'll be having "primary" and "secondary" characters, so they won't always all appear in the same post, hehe.

IC: Today was going to be the day. The general's green eyes narrowed as he gazed across the open plains, towards the rocky formation that could only just be seen in the distance. That was where the current masters of this land resided, but not for much longer... The old lion had sent out a messenger for his declaration of war. It was common courtesy to at least give your enemy the chance to surrender, and leave, or fight. Sumai did not expect this pride to give in so easily - these beautiful lands were worth fighting for when so many other kingdoms had fallen to the harsh weather - but none the less, they had to be given the choice. He knew that some members of his pride didn't agree with this and that they should utilize the element of surprise and strike unexpectedly while they could, but honour and respect were things the old general valued above all else. Because they often lived rough and on the move, discipline and unity within the pride was of utmost importance and the leaders had always enforced their rules of honour and loyalty firmly. The Belbel pride lived what some probably would call a barbaric lifestyle, moving with the herds and removing whoever else was on that land if they turned out to be troublesome... but this was their way of survival. Usually they did not have to fight many battles in order to claim what they wanted; the rumours of the Belbel strength often travelled faster than they did.

Ghedi was a good runner - he would reach the other pride soon enough. Sumai would have preferred to deliver the message himself, but recent... circumstances had made that an unwise option. The leader needn’t put himself at unnecessary risk... The old lion let out a quiet sigh. He hadn’t wanted this - he wasn’t a leader, he was a soldier. Who was he however to defy the last wishes of Xena? She was the only lioness he could ever follow. But she was gone.

Gone.

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Satoba rested his head on his paws, lying down near the entrance to the Mwani pride den. He looked peaceful where he lay, soaking up the warm midday sun, but his mind was anything but calm. Even he could feel the tension in the air this day and it worried the young cat greatly. There were rumours of another pride entering Surra from the south; a hostile pride, who no doubt wouldn’t hesitate to fight them over the land. Satoba knew that times were hard outside of their protected paradise - it had only been a matter of time before someone would come with the intent to take it from them. And now that time had come... He shivered in the African heat. Not from cold, but from fear. Pain and death horrified him, and Satoba was glad that he could not see when he had to use his abilities to heal the injured. For he was blind, with grey, dim eyes that always seemed to be looking towards the sky. This did not mean that he was without sight - his other special power was the ability to "see" the auras of all living creatures. They varied in size, brightness and colour and he had learned to identify certain shapes as different animals. All beings also had their unique colour, which helped him tell his fellow pride members apart. The bright purple shimmer heading towards him now was for example Zorayda. She spoke his name, but didn’t seem to get further than that. Instead she gave him a gentle nuzzle and Satoba mustered a small smile, returning the greeting. He could tell she was worried, and afraid, just like him. And they probably all were. Satoba said nothing, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to mask any emotions either, and leaned over to rest his head against the lioness. The warmth of a friend was always comforting, even in the darkest of times. Hopefully she was within reaching distance still...

"Zorayda."

The voice of their leader, Moto, broke the silence as his golden glow approached them and he told the lioness to bring a message to the other king. They would have the option of not fighting them and sharing the land. But if they didn't agree...

"Then I'm afraid we'll just... have to prepare for the worst."

Satoba shivered again, his ears flat against his head. The thought alone was terrifying. He nodded at their king's request of meeting at the riverbank later and then nuzzled Zorayda once more. "Good luck." he whispered.

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Panting, the painted dog had finally crossed the river and was swiftly approaching the enemy den. Because they would be their enemies; there was no way they'd just nicely up and leave this place. Ghedi shook the water from his fur and continued his quest, bouncing almost merrily along at a trot. He kept an eye on his surroundings, just in case they had lookouts or something, but was otherwise not concerned. Not far now. Come what may.

[Deleted]

By the time Moto reached the river he was completely tired. He quickly laid on the ground letting the sun shine down on him so he could regain his energy." The other pride probably would've sent a messenger of their own by now." he said tirelessly. He laid on the riverbank a little longer until he was sure he had all the energy he needed, but after awhile he noticed something.

He had seen another lion laying near a fallen log. "Who is that?" he said quietly. It was almost strange seeing him laying there for he was not part of his pride so therefore he was tress passing. "Well whether he's a rogue or sent here to spy on us from the other pride, he sure didn't do a good job keeping himself hidden."

He slowly walked towards the lion making as less noise as possible and by the time he got to him instead of yelling at him to wake him up he roared at him instead. The unknown lion got up only to have Moto already pinning him down." Who are and why are you here?" he quizzed the lion.

[KanuTGL]

(OOC: Just a note - Moto, it's really not a good idea to go back and edit your posts after someone else has written something. It can get very confusing very quickly, so I'd really recommend that you don't do it, okay? :3 And does this mean we don't want to go with the idea I posted in the OOC-thread then? xP)

[Zorayda]

"Sir," Mlezi addressed Sumai, having had wandered over to where he stood. Their leader seemed to be in another of his brooding moods, tense before the dawn of a battle for resources. The lioness was used to this lifestyle, but something about the Mwani made her wonder if it was a smart idea to pick a fight with them.

Mlezi was a very protective soul, and so after their previous leader's death, she had pretty much appointed herself guardian of Sumai. She never said this aloud or acknowledged it, since he'd probably throw a fit over a female feeling the need to protect a male, but she felt that it was necessary. Even an experienced old fighter such as Sumai needed backup from time to time. That, and she felt some kind of...connection with the older feline. He, like her, had trouble expressing interest in social situations and often came off as grumpy or unfeeling.

"Do you have a plan of attack, if it comes to that?" she asked in her atypically slow and deep voice.

---

Despite her fear, Zorayda smiled softly when Satoba leaned against her side, glad to have someone who understood her need for comfort. He'd always been sensitive to others' feelings and emotions--even without seeing their faces. She remembered him as an abandoned cub, taken in by the Mwani. They grew up together, though she was a bit older; the winged lioness considered him one of her closest friends today.

The moment was interrupted when Moto, their leader, addressed her. She was unsurprised at his request, though her heart clenched in fear again. She was afraid to venture closer to the other pride, which could very likely be full of hostile enemies who bitterly hated her because of her Mwani heritage.

"Yessir," she answered in clipped tones. She hadn't realized how much her shoulders had tensed up until Satoba gave her one more gentle nuzzle, wishing her good luck. The violet-furred lioness took a huge breath before taking a few steps forward. She glanced back at her fiery-maned leader and her blind friend, just once, before breaking into a run.

Her large, soft gray wings began to extend as her paws carried her forward, and she could feel the wind pluck playfully at her feathers. Zorayda finally spread her wings all at once and leapt with all her might, flapping until she gained air and altitude. The ground quickly fell from her paws and she was soaring, the wind teasing her fringe and fur. Now she was like a huge eagle, scanning the horizon and following the familiar landmarks from afar. Acacia trees dotted the savannah, and on her right she saw the waves lapping at the shore. She could smell the sea breeze from up here and it calmed her racing heart just a bit. Zorayda was at peace up here, though she knew it couldn't last forever.

She disappeared behind a layer of clouds, where she could still see but would be at least partially covered. Those who truly wanted to find her would spot her right away, given her brightly colored fur, but those who weren't paying attention weren't likely to catch her right off.

Less than an hour had passed and she suddenly spotted a dark splotch running straight towards the Mwani den, alone. Her brow furrowed and she began to circle downwards, following the downdraft to allow an easier landing. She chose a place near to the figure, which turned out to be a wild African dog. His markings looked typical for a dog, but there seemed to be brightly colored paint splashed upon his face and chest. Zorayda briefly wondered who put it there for him and why.

"State your origin and purpose, stranger," she ordered in a voice that sounded braver than she felt. She stood warily away from him, wings still partially opened in case she needed to take off again quickly.

---

The rogue snapped awake, eyes opening wide to see a muscular red lion with a mane of fire above him. Haraka's heart started racing as he thought rapidly of how he could get out of his current predicament.

"Uhhh..." he stammered. "Oh, is this your territory?" Haraka asked innocently, golden eyes wide. "Oh, dear, dear... I'll tell you what. You let me up, and I'll--" Mid-sentence, the chestnut lion used his ability to throw a large rock in the direction of the Mwani leader's head as he shoved the leader away, getting quickly to his paws. With a smirk, the rogue created a small, inconvenient wall between himself and the other lion, running as quickly as he could in the opposite direction.

[Deleted]

The possibly rogue lion stammered a little, obviously nervous about the current situation he was in. He asked him if this was his territory rather innocently. He started tell him something else but the next thing he knew he gets hit in the head by rock. He falls to ground and almost became unconscious, but manages to recover only to see a wall in front of him.

"If I ever see you again in Mwani territory you will be sorry!" he yelled. He was really made about what had happened. How could he not see the fact that he would have done something to get away? He didn't bother chasing him almost finding him not worth it. He decided to take out his anger on the small wall the rogue had made focusing all his anger into one point shooting a large fireball at least the same size as that of a hyena into the wall causing an explosion. He laid where he was waiting for Zorayda and Satoba's arrival hoping nothing bad happened to either of them.

[Kirsui]

Kirsui had slept unusually late and was only now exiting the den. She hissed slightly at the bright sunlight and shut her eyes tightly, fighting the urge to groan at the headache that threatened to assault her mind. After a moment she sighed and gave up, cursing her own stupidity for sleeping too much.

She half-opened her eyes to see who was up and around the den. Her eyes then widened, her headache completely forgotten, when a large, fiery explosion took her by complete surprise. Had something happened...?

With swift feet and wide, slightly frantic eyes she trotted over to where she had spotted the explosion, only to come face to face with the Mwani leader. She realized he must've caused the explosion, and she quickly she scanned the area for any imminent threats. She saw none, and relaxed somewhat as she turned to Moto.

"What happened?" she asked with a slightly worried expression, fearing that the new, hostile pride might have sent someone to attack them while she was sleeping.


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


Anapa walked slowly back to where the Belbel currently resided. She had been out, scouting the area and getting to know the layout of their future battle field. She had spotted a few areas that could be used as ambush sites, and had been lucky enough not to see anyone else during her scouting. It was not yet time to engage the Mwani, and she was only glad she had not crossed paths with them for now.

But those were thoughts for another time, for she had arrived at her destination and it was time to seek out their leader and report her results to him. With a quick scan of the area she spotted Sumai, together with Mlezi, and began to make her way towards them.

[Deleted]

Kirsui: "What happened?"

"Huh?" he was taken aback for moment not focusing on what was happening"Oh Kirsui!" he said with surprise not having noticed her." I destroyed wall formed by a rogue that hit me in the head with rock, formed a wall,then of course he ran away." he sounded and looked embarrassed when he said this." But I've for got to tell you something." He looks around for a little bit just in case." Me, Zorayda, and Satoba were going to have a private discussion about our current situation." He looked around one more time." I forgot to tell you about because I wanted you be included in the conversation. It will start once you guys get here but first Zorayda has to give my message to the other pride's king." he said calmly." If he agrees then we will share the land peacfully and if he doesn't agree then we'll go to war."

The word started going through his minds again but he quickly shook it off." So what do you want to do? do you want to stay here and wait or go back and wait for Zorayda? Hopefully nothing bad happens to her." he said concerningly. He sits and waits for a reply.

[KanuTGL]

Mlezi's approach pulled back the old general's thoughts to the present and his gaze became focused and hardened once more. She was a decent lioness, Mlezi. She mostly seemed to keep quiet and caused little trouble; good traits for a female. She asked about a plan of attack and Sumai nodded slowly. "Yes." was all he said, not feeling the need to reveal anything else. She would find out when the time came, like everyone else. "Ghedi should return shortly." The black-maned lion sat down, eyes ever focused on the distant rocks. "I shall inform all of you when it is time." For it was all they could do for now - wait.

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Satoba winced, his ears flat to his head and eyes wide. An explosion! Who was it? Where? What had happened? Heart racing, he tried to determine from which direction the boom had come. From the river, no? Moto had no doubt been the source of it. Had someone ambushed him? Was the Mwani pride at war!? The young feline swallowed nervously. He couldn’t sense any presences from this far away but he hoped that, somehow, it hadn’t been anything serious. The sparkling blue aura of Kirsui then swished past, in the direction of the sound. Satoba hoped she would be able to find bwana Moto safe. After all, Satoba been instructed to meet him by the river as well, but now he dared not move. Oh, how he hoped nothing bad had happened!

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Ghedi had spotted the flying purple lioness too late and she took him by surprise as she touched down near him. The dog came to a sudden halt and watched her carefully, lowering his body to a defensive stance. It had to be a member of the resident pride... Her confidence, or the attempt at it, told him that much. Confronted by an enemy then... No doubt he would have to prepare to fight her in order to get past her. Was she an important member? Maybe their leader? Nah, there would’ve been a different air about her if she was... Now... she was at least a head taller than him and huge. He guessed that his weight would be less than half of hers, and engaging a lion alone was always a very stupid idea. Especially a winged one. However, Ghedi was not an ordinary dog. All he needed was a bite or a scratch and suddenly he would have the advantage. An attack on a wing would probably be the best approach; the venom would weaken that first. Then she wouldn’t be able to fly off, which would even out the odds some more. But he was getting ahead of himself. She had, after all, made a request.

"State your origin and purpose, stranger."

"I have no obligations to reveal such information to you." he replied calmly, straightening his stance and raising his tail like the flag of a standard bearer. "I bring an important message, so let me pass." The canine then lowered his voice to a threat. "Or else..."

[Zorayda]

Haraka panted with effort as he ran, wild with adrenaline as he made his escape. After a ways, he slowed to a trot when he was sure he wasn't being followed anymore.

'Whew, that was close.'

He sat on his haunches and caught his breath. Having a full belly had made him slower than usual, but it looked like the Mwani leader wasn't going to continue the chase. The rogue looked to the sky and thanked whoever was up there for his abilities. Just as he was about to get up and find a new hiding spot, however, a purple blur shot down from the sky, looking like some kind of strange, misshapen bird.

Brow furrowing in confusion, Haraka stared as it got lower to the ground, far away from where he stood. He perked his ears in curiosity before making a beeline towards the descending figure, careful to remain hidden from view.

---

Mlezi nodded slowly, knowing a dismissal when she heard one. Sumai wasn't one for pleasantries. He seemed tense, anyways, and everyone in the Belbel pride knew to stay away from him when he was in one of his moods.

"Yessir," she complied easily, turning and walking to leave him in peace, but hesitating momentarily. "Sir... if you need me for anythin', I'll be here right away," she commented, but then felt immediately awkward for saying it. She shuffled her paws for a moment, golden eyes downcast, before padding away. She nearly ran into Anapa as she left, but stopped right before it happened. Not one to speak if she didn't have to Mlezi simply looked at Anapa, then glanced back at their leader before looking back at the jackal before shaking her head slowly, as if to indicate that it wasn't a good idea to approach their leader right then.

"Walk with me," Mlezi requested, shrugging a shoulder.

---

Zorayda held her breath as she watched the dog size her up. He looked apprehensive, but she knew better than to underestimate him. Most of the members of both prides consisted of felines or canines with special abilities, and she was sure the Belbel leader wasn't going to choose just anyone for the task of bringing a message.

"I have no obligations to reveal such information to you. I bring an important message, so let me pass. Or else..."

She frowned at his first statement, irritated at his self-important tone. His words made her partially forget her own fear and delve into her quick temper--the lioness went so far as to growl a bit at the last little warning he threw in there, hackles rising. Zorayda was tempted to ask, 'Or else what?', but she knew it wouldn't end well. Instead, she raised her head high and gave him an annoyed stare.

"Hmph. I was sent as a messenger, as well. It seems that fate brought us here, dog," she commented, her tone curt. "We want you off our land...or else," she snapped back, throwing the dog's words back at him.

[Kirsui]

"I destroyed wall formed by a rogue that hit me in the head with rock, formed a wall,then of course he ran away."

Kirsui released a breath she hadn't known she was holding when it became clear that there was no threat. Still, she partly wished that Moto had not reacted so harshly at a rogue's trespassing, for she knew that if the explosion had startled her, it certainly must have scared some other pride members too. Either way, she kept her opinions to herself. After all, she wasn't one to question her superiors.

"Me, Zorayda, and Satoba were going to have a private discussion about our current situation. -- So what do you want to do? do you want to stay here and wait or go back and wait for Zorayda? Hopefully nothing bad happens to her."

The creamy lioness smiled ever so slightly. "I'm confident with Zorayda's abilities", she commented. "She can do it, I'm sure of that."

She tilted her head slightly, letting her gaze flicker towards the direction where she knew the Belbel resided. She was silent for a moment, then shook her head and let out a small sigh.

"I'll go back to the others, if you don't mind", she told Moto. "I was startled when I heard the explosion, and I would assume that the others are too. They need to know everything is all right."

She gave the Mwani leader a small, polite bow before she turned to head back towards the den, wondering just how long the peace and quiet would still last.


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Anapa halted suddenly when Mlezi turned to leave and almost bumped into her. The jackal raised an eyebrow at the lioness, silently asking what was the matter. When Mlezi glanced back at Sumai, Anapa followed the lioness' gaze, and understood even without Mlezi shaking her head that the Belbel leader didn't seem to be on his best moods.

"Walk with me."

The jackal wagged her tail slowly, her emerald eyes examining Sumai for a moment longer. Something was about to happen today, the jackal was certain of that. And so she decided her report could wait. Her information wasn't top priority, and would come in handy only when the time for action would begin.

And so Anapa turned and followed Mlezi, walking side by side with the lioness in silence.

[Deleted]

Kirsui: "I'm confident with Zorayda's abilities. She can do it, I'm sure of that."

He looked in the direction towards the other pride then said "Yeah your right.I'm sure she'll be okay." She tells him that she'll stay with others while also mentioning that she was startled when she heard the explosion and assumed the others were too so she would let them know everything was okay. "I guess I reacted to what happened to me too harshly." he said embarrassingly." If I had focused on how others would react to what happened I wouldn't have done it. Sorry about that." She bowed politely before heading back to the pride.

He watched her head back to the pride until she was out sight, then decided to take some rest until Zorayda, Satoba, and Kirsui should up for this rest might be the last time he knows the meaning of peace and quiet.

[KanuTGL]

OOC: This might be my last post for a week or so - TL is coming to visit tomorrow! :3 Sorry if I’m jumping ahead too far and giving Ghedi an easy escape - I’m just trying to get the plot going quicker, hehe. Long post ahead... xP

IC: "Hmph. I was sent as a messenger, as well. It seems that fate brought us here, dog."

The dog’s lip curled into a faint smile. Indeed. This was destiny.

"We want you off our land...or else,"

Ghedi pricked up his ears, almost looking surprised for a moment. But then, it was not really surprising. "So be it." he replied, smirking. The dog then simply, without a word, turned around to begin the trek back to the Belbel pride. He broke into a swift trot, then a gallop, and glanced over his shoulder to see what the winged lioness would do. She would hardly attack him now - the heralds had done their part. Her message had been delivered and he had got what he came for. But just to be sure, he changed his pattern to better blend in with the yellow grass and become a more difficult target. It would not hide him entirely, but it was better than nothing. The wild dog seemed to fade in and out of the savannah, only entirely visible against darker shrubs and the patches of red earth scattered near the riverbank, where the grass grew scarcer.

"We will meet again, winged one!" Ghedi shouted back to the lioness as he went "Destiny has brought us together - I look forward to our battle!"

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The heat of day was fading and soon the shadows would begin to grow long. Sumai had not moved from his post, ever watchful. Ghedi was taking his sweet time coming back. The general had expected to see him return by now. Though... wasn’t that patch of grass in the distance... moving? The old lion’s emerald green eyes narrowed, trying to focus. Maybe his sight wasn’t what it had been after all... No, that grass was definitely coming closer. Sumai quickly rose to his paws. It couldn’t be anything but Ghedi’s camouflage-ability and as the dog approached, it became clear that this was the case.

Ghedi had in his excitement forgotten that he was still using this power and let his pattern fade back into its normal form. Even now he wouldn’t be the easiest the spot, as his fur was naturally made to blend in, but the bright cerise markings gave him away easily. He came to a halt beneath the black stone the leader was standing on, panting heavily and head hanging low. "Sorry..." he gasped before gathering himself into attention, nodding a salute to the red lion.

"Well?" said Sumai, looking as stern as ever, but returning the dog’s salute.

"I met... a messenger... of the resident pride." Ghedi panted, still worn from the long run. He gave the general a look asking for permission to catch his breath. Sumai nodded again. The dog inhaled deeply, calming himself down, then continued.

"They want us off their land, sir. And they will take measures to drive us out if we remain."

Sumai’s expression became, if possible, even graver. "Well, then." he said slowly. He was hardly surprised - it was the response he had expected. "It seems we are at war."

Ghedi’s eyes widened. Even if he had known that these were the words the leader would speak, it still sent a chill down his spine every time he heard them.

"Ghedi" Sumai continued "gather the pride." Striking swiftly was important, now that the conflict was official. It would show them that the Belbel pride meant what they said and it also gave the enemy less time to prepare their defences.

The dog groaned at the thought of having to run any more this day, but, with a disgruntled look from the red lion, he obeyed none the less.

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

The sun continued its journey. The warm light had turned the savannah into a sea of gold and in the distance the river glittered in bronze. Sumai stood tall before his pride with the blazing sun on his back. "Belbel!" he said "As of now, we are at war. The other pride has stated their refusal to surrender peacefully."

Ghedi looked down, shuffling his paws slightly. That hadn’t been exactly what she had said... Not that it mattered now, anyway...

"Tonight at dusk, we shall strike!" He then continued to explain his strategy. The main force of the pride would attack them head on, while two smaller groups would separate and lie in ambush on each flank. Those groups would join the battle at a later point, signalled by Sumai, causing further confusion and should that way give Belbel an advantage.

"Make any necessary preparations. Then, we march. This land will become ours!"

[Zorayda]

"So be it."

Zorayda's expression flickered from anger to sudden horror, then to worry. She was ready to try and plead with the Belbel, but it seemed that the dog didn't even bother to continue their conversation, already running swiftly away. The winged lioness opened her mouth to call out to the dog; even though she already seriously did not like him, she didn't want to have a war with the Belbel at all. She held no desire for such things.

But... the wild African dog had literally disappeared before she could say anything. One moment he was there, his patterned fur visible, then he'd vanished into the grasses. Zorayda stood, stunned into silence for a few moments, wings still awkwardly half-spread in self-defense.

"We will meet again, winged one! Destiny has brought us together - I look forward to our battle!" she heard him call out from somewhere ahead.

The violet feline frowned deeply at this. 'So... they really are...barbarians,' she thought bitterly. With a deep intake of breath, she turned around and came to a run, taking off into the air. She tried not to think too hard about what had just transpired between herself and the messenger of the other invading pride... she didn't think she would have been able to fly straight if she had.

---

On the ground, a certain golden-eyed rogue watched Zorayda take off, taking a moment to marvel in jealousy at her wings. His brows were furrowed in thought...

Haraka had never wanted death and destruction to come to anyone, but it seems it was to happen anyway. He just wanted the two prides to squabble a bit so he could have free reign to take his fill of prey while they were distracted with one another. Now... it seemed he'd be free to do whatever he wished, at the cost of several lives.

The rogue flattened his ears. That...was not a pretty thought. After a few moments, he turned and began to make his way towards the river, downstream from where Moto had chased him off. It was time to think.

---

Zorayda finally saw the familiar grounds of her home, where she saw Satoba waiting for her. She circled a few times above everyone, flying low, and gave a short, signalling roar, hovering for a moment over Satoba. She noticed Kirsui, as well; it seemed she would also be joining them for a meeting with their leader.

Knowing that she would break down if either Kirsui or Satoba asked what had happened, she flew a bit above them instead, making her way to meet with Moto by the river. It was a very short distance; Zorayda flapped her wings a few times as she settled for the landing.

She waited for everyone to come close enough to hear the news, but when they all focused on her, she almost couldn't speak. Her ears were flattened to her head, which hung lower than usual, and her whiskers drooped and trembled with her shivering body.

"I... I told them wh-what you wanted me to s-say, sir," she addressed Moto, still looking down at her paws. "It... it seems they w-want..." she hesitated, the words getting stuck in her throat for a moment. "...We're...at war..." the lioness whispered miserably, two fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

---

Mlezi walked in companionable silence with Anapa. There was a somber mood about the pride, and a sort of tension that tugged at the tall lioness's shoulders and made them stiff. She was used to small battles and such, but this seemed so much bigger than what they were used to... still, the Belbel had the advantage of experience over these soft Mwani, and that thought brought some comfort to Mlezi's mind.

A little later, a sudden call for attention came. Mlezi's eyes met Anapa's gold-framed green ones for a brief moment before they came closer to listen to their leader's speech. Sumai seemed so... legendary, when standing like that against the sunlight. Mlezi's heart surged in pride for a brief moment at their leader's strength and majesty. He was meant to lead them to glory, surely...

"Belbel! As of now, we are at war. The other pride has stated their refusal to surrender peacefully."

The lioness frowned slightly, not liking the statement but knowing it would happen anyway. She hoped Ghedi wasn't attacked by the other pride at all... she gave the dog a quick once-over, but noticed nothing amiss. At least, physically, anyway--Ghedi looked troubled by something. No doubt over the war...

"Tonight at dusk, we shall strike! Make any necessary preparations. Then, we march. This land will become ours!"

So soon? Mlezi guessed it was for the purpose of surprise... nevertheless, she roared along with the rest of the Belbel pride, her blood pumped full of adrenaline at the thought of battle. The Belbel dispersed and began to get ready for their immediate attack, and Mlezi looked to the jackal at her side.

"Now seems a good time to give 'im that report, I guess," she suggested, giving a small sigh of resignation at the end of the statement. The red-brown lioness gave Anapa a small nod before trotting off elsewhere, eager to have a bit of time alone to think.

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

The pale wolf snorted in disgust as Sumai spoke, earning her a couple of glares from elders next to her. Rey didn't care. They weren't her parents...none of them were. Those two were long gone, by now, romping around as a lone pair... the thought left a bitter taste in the canine's mouth.

And, honestly, she hated their leader with a passion. As much as he disliked females, she looked down on the males, making them perfect opposites. Rey saw Sumai as a cranky, old lion, with nothing but war on his mind. His statements only proved her point. Battle was nothing but the act of trying to prove one leader was tougher than the other--a classic male trait. After the speech, Rey trotted away. She really had no desire to use her abilities for Sumai at all, or fight. The only thing she would do would be to save her own tail, and that was final.

[Kirsui]

Kirsui trotted swiftly back to the pride, meeting the gazes of her alarmed pride mates with a soothing expression as she explained that everything was, for now, all right. As she was nearing the den she spotted Satoba, and realized that with his blindness he must have been more anxious than the others.

"Everything's ok, Satoba", the light creamy lioness said calmingly. "Our leader had a run in with a rogue. The stranger high-tailed off."

However, right then she heard a familiar roar from the sky, and with a quick glance up she confirmed that Zorayda had returned. She felt instantly on edge, for there was just something in the way that the winged lioness moved that told her something was amiss.

"We'd better go", she muttered to Satoba before she headed over to where Zorayda had landed, anxiously waiting for the news.


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


Anapa rather enjoyed Mlezi's company. The lioness made no needless attempts at small talk, merely walked with her in the calm before the storm. Oh yes, there had to be a storm coming, the jackal was certain of that...

Right on cue the call for attention came, and the jackal's ears perked up. She met Mlezi's gaze for a second before she followed the lioness back to Sumai - not that they would have gotten very far from him in the first place. She stood there among her pride mates, her emerald gaze locked on their leader. Whether or not he had picked the location for his speech on purpose, she had to commend him for how perfectly the blazing sun complemented his already intimidating and respectable appearance.

All these thoughts washed away, however, when Sumai began his speech.

"As of now, we are at war. -- Tonight at dusk, we shall strike!"

The jackal's eyes lit up and her tail made an involuntary twitch at these news. Finally there would be some action, and so soon too! It would be glorious to finally see their hard work blossom as they would drive the resident pride off of what would soon be their land.

However, it seemed not everyone was happy with this new development as she heard someone snort not too far away from her. Anapa turned her still blazing gaze at whomever thought this was a waste of time, and was not surprised when her gaze fell on Rey. She narrowed her eyes a fraction at the wolf, a fair warning that if she would not stop being like that, someone would take action.

The jackal pushed Rey out of her thoughts and listened intently at Sumai's plans for the coming battle, and she agreed that the plan was sound. The flanking troops would now only need their perfect hideouts for the time being...

"Make any necessary preparations. Then, we march. This land will become ours!"

Anapa released a shrill, wailing howl as the felines of the pride roared, though she reined her emotions in rather quickly when silence once again began to settle. Her gaze was still focused on Sumai even as the rest of the pride began to disperse.

"Now seems a good time to give 'im that report, I guess."

The jackal glanced briefly at Mlezi and nodded, watching as the feline retreated to spend the remaining time before the attack doing... what ever it was she wanted to do. She then realized that she was pretty much the only one left besides Sumai, and finally started her way towards the pride leader to turn in her report.

"My lord", she started with a calm, hushed voice that betrayed none of her earlier excitement at the coming battle. "I have returned from the reconnaissance mission you sent me on with information on the enemy's territory. I believe I have a few suggestions as to where the flanking troops could wait for your signal without detection."


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


"...We're...at war..."

Kirsui closed her eyes momentarily, taking a shaky breath at the news. This was bad, very bad indeed. Despite the grim news - or perhaps because of them - she approached Zorayda and gently nuzzled the winged lioness' shoulder comfortingly, unable to stand by and watch as her pride mate was breaking down. She had no words of comfort, however, and could only turn to Moto with a grim expression as she waited for their pride leader's orders.

[Deleted]

As Moto laid in the in grass he was awoken by a shadow.It was Zorayda and the others. "So, what did he say?" he said hopefully. His heart started beating fast with anxiety.

Zorayda: " I...I told them wh-what you wanted me to s-say, sir. It...it seems they w-want...We're...at war."

"No." he said quietly in fear. He noticed that Zorayda was starting to cry. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. I have faith in our pride and you guys. All we have to do is train and I'm sure we'll come through fine." he said in a comforting way. He wanted to give her a friendly nuzzle but decided not to because of his mane.

"We're going to need to make preparations for when they come so everybody is going to need to be placed in certain positions to prevent a surprise attack." he said seriously. "I wanted to send Zorayda to spy on the pride and report back to tell us how many of them there was and wich direction there coming from but I decided not to." He wanted to tell them why but decided to keep the reason why to himself. He was sure they understood. He looks towards Kirsui and says "Kirsui, do you have any ideas?"

[KanuTGL]

Satoba's ears pricked up as he heard Zorayda's roar above him. So she had at least made it back safely, but there was something in her tone that wasn't right. The young feline swallowed nervously and stood up. Zorayda would probably meet with bwana Moto at the river and Satoba did want to hear what she had to say. Besides, he also wanted to find out what that explosion had been about... Slowly, he took a few tentative steps forward. Satoba always moved very carefully as terrain was something his 'special power' couldn't make out. The rocks and the immediate area around the den were places he knew well enough, but there could always be something new in the way - a few misplaced pebbles, a fallen tree branch... Anything could be a trip hazard and he had lost count of how many times he had fallen over. Much to certain pride members' amusement, surely... Before he made it far, he was joined by several other Mwani - they had also heard Zorayda's roar and were on their way down to meet her. The golden shimmer of Talha was among them and Satoba smiled, suddenly feeling a little better.

Talha had slept through most of the day, having been part of the night-hunt, but the others stirring in the den woke her and she understood that something was going on. The young lioness yawned and stretched her legs, waking up her muscles and clicking the bones into place. She blinked her golden eyes a few times, then stepped out into the sunlight and joined her dearest friend, Satoba. He was worried, she could tell, but a soft nuzzle would soon calm him down. She walked beside him, guiding her friend down the rocky path of the Mwani den and onto the soft savannah grass. "So, do you have any idea what's going on?" she mumbled as they went.

"I'm not sure..." Satoba replied quietly. "You know that other pride that they've spotted beyond the river? Bibi Zorayda was sent to them as a messenger. She was supposed to request their leave, or... or..."

Talha nodded, even though she knew Satoba couldn't see it. "An ultimatum then..." The red-furred lioness narrowed her eyes and looked towards the river bank, where several members of the pride, including Zorayda, Kirsui and their leader had already gathered. This could get... bad.

The duo stopped near Moto and sat down. Talha frowned, realising what Zorayda was going to say. Her expression and body language revealed everything... Right now the red lioness was actually quite relieved that Satoba couldn't see, or he would know too, and she moved closer to him, sitting shoulder to shoulder.

"I...I told them wh-what you wanted me to s-say, sir. It...it seems they w-want...We're...at war."[/i]

Talha said nothing, but closed her eyes and bowed her head, ears flattened. She didn't quite know how to react. Right now numbness was the only thing she felt - the full impact of these words would probably hit her later...

A distraught yelp escaped Satoba - he couldn't hold it back - and his legs buckled beneath him. He fell to the ground, trembling like a leaf and gasped for air. No! This wasn't true! It couldn't be true! No, no, no! Talha's paw on his back was comforting, but it didn't change the fact that that other pride now were out to... to kill him! And her! And all of them! He sobbed quietly and buried his face under his paws.

Moto's voice was calm, but serious, and Talha knew her ability of sight would make a good guard. "I volunteer to take first watch, sir." she said, looking at her leader. "I can see to the river from the den. I can warn you early if someone is approaching."

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

As Sumai stepped down he was approached by Anapa, the jackal, who had completed her scouting mission successfully and gave him her report. "Ah, splendid." he replied, with a smile even. "Well done, Anapa." Indeed, for a female, she made a good spy and her work was usually thorough. He continued to find out the details as they walked around the pride, assuring that everything was in order and that everyone was fit for battle. A certain young wolf, Rey, was hardly worthy of his attention, but she was part of the pride and he spared her a quick glance as they passed. Her reaction at his announcement hadn't gone unnoticed, but at the moment the general had more important things to think about...

Thanks to Anapa's report, Sumai could now decide where to place the flanking troops and he assigned two officers to lead them while he would march ahead with their main forces. Everything was ready - it was time.

(OOC: I don't have any specific characters in mind for the two officers - if anyone wants to be one, they can :P The next post I make will probably also be the battle, because I'll have very little to do with Sumai and Ghedi until then xD Thought I'd say, so you can decide if you want to skip ahead to the beginning of the battle as well.)

[Kirsui]

"Kirsui, do you have any ideas?"

The creamy lioness was startled when Moto addressed her with such a question. She gave their leader a hesitant look, not really sure why he was asking her what to do. She hadn't been a part of the Mwani pride for long after all, and she was certain that there were others much more adequate to give him a reply.

But Moto hadn't asked anyone else. He had asked her, and by the looks of it he did expect her to answer.

Kirsui sighed, glancing towards Satoba who was now trembling on the ground. The creamy lioness flattened her ears, not liking at all to see any of her pride mates in such a condition.

"I volunteer to take first watch, sir. I can see to the river from the den. I can warn you early if someone is approaching."

Her gaze flicked to the lioness standing beside Satoba - Talha, she thought her name was. She nodded lightly in agreement before turning her attention back to Moto. She wasn't a tactician, but she had to say something.

"Assigning a guard, or a few, is a sound idea", she pointed out quietly, "Also... Just in case the Belbel are... successful in taking over the den, we need to evacuate those members of the pride that cannot stay and fight."

She paused, frowning slightly. It was a grim thought that they might loose their den, but it was a possibility that couldn't be overlooked. "I think... there is an abandoned outpost further away from both where the Belbel are currently residing as well as from our den. It has a few caves too, if I remember right. It could serve as a temporary shelter. I'd suggest assigning a few guards also for those that are evacuated, just in case the Belbel find them."

[Zorayda]

[OOC: Okay, so, I totally stole Kanu's roleplay post style and bolded my dialogue, because walls of text are hard to sift through. Hopefully it'll make things easier from now on, and I'll be going back to modify my older posts eventually, too.]

Mlezi's golden gaze followed Anapa as the jackal made her way to their leader, tiredly resigning herself to locking her mind into thinking of tactics and training for war. The tall lioness closed her eyes for a brief moment, frowning and slowly drawing in a breath. It was going to be a very bloody battle. She tore herself away and made her way to one of the rocks outside their den, where she could relax and think. Mlezi needed to have a clear mind in order to summon her shields and properly protect as many of her pride as possible, especially their leader. She and Sumai shared the same guilt over the death of Xena, their previous leader... if only Mlezi'd been able to protect her better...

Mlezi growled deeply at herself for these thoughts. Thinking of such things would not help her to focus.

"What's the matter with you?"

The lioness opened her eyes and perked her ears towards where the sound of the irritating voice came from, confused. Rey the wolf was there, a sneer evident on her muzzle. The pale yellow canine seemed highly annoyed and strung up for some reason.

"Well, aren't you gonna answer?" she snapped after a silence. Mlezi gave the teen an indifferent look before laying her head on her paws, closing her eyes to clear her mind once more. The moody wolf wasn't something she felt like dealing with right now; besides, the lioness had never been good with handling social situations. Rey huffed and went quiet for a long while. Mlezi almost thought that the wolf had left, but after a few long minutes, she heard Rey pad up to her side.

"Can I sit here with you?" Rey asked, her bright green eyes fixed upon her own paws, voice reluctant.

"...Yes."

Without saying much else, the two of them concentrated silently on taming and quieting their minds in preparation for the war that was soon to come.

---

Zorayda leaned into Kirsui's touch and nodded at Moto's words, appreciating her pridemates in that moment. They were going to need each other in these days to come... The winged lioness's ears perked forward instantly at the sound of Satoba's voice, flattening down again with guilt. Of course he would need comfort, moreso than she, herself, did. He was an emotional and soft-hearted being, and it made her insides freeze to hear him wail.

She made her way over to him, eyes still streaming with silent tears. Giving Talha a sad glance, Zorayda wrapped a forearm around Satoba's trembling shoulders and embraced her friend.

"It's okay, 'Toba, we'll be all right," she said soothingly, though she knew her words were empty as soon as she said them. They weren't all going to be all right... some of them would die, get hurt. It was a sobering and dark thought...

Talha volunteered to be a scout, and Zorayda immediately turned to Moto, as well, still rubbing small circles on Satoba's side. Kirsui had been asked for advice, and though she looked confused, Zorayda knew that Kir was fairly smart and could come up with good ideas. Moto was good to have asked her. The purple lioness nodded at certain points in her speech, agreeing that they needed to safeguard the cubs and their elderly in a new area, hide them away.

"I am blessed with wings, my lord, and I can keep watch from the skies, and be the fastest to bring you news," she offered. "I think I would be more of use as a guard to watch for the Belbel's arrival, since those who protect the cubs need to be immediately available on the ground. But... I can't fly forever, and I'd need to take a break once in a while. Talha," she addressed, turning to her pridemate. "Me and you can switch off... you can keep watch with me and we can rest in between my landings and takeoffs. Does that sound all right?" she asked, addressing Moto again.

---

It was time. The pride was eerily silent as they began their journey across the river, nearing the Mwani pride with every step...

Rey felt her mind thrum with power as they marched towards their enemy, her eyes glancing ahead to where Mlezi flanked their powerful leader. It was only a matter of a half hour or so until they all arrived to their destination. The Ethiopian wolf was unsure of how ready she was for this battle... she was not brave. She felt little loyalty towards Sumai, though she would grudgingly protect him if she had to, as well as other pridemates. With a sigh, she blanked her mind again.

Up ahead, Mlezi felt her blood begin to sing with the adrenaline being pumped through her veins, the anticipation of battle fueling her mood and making her hyped to the point of growling every once in awhile for no reason. She would protect all she could in this fight and use her shields to her pride's advantage, take the enemy off-guard... Mlezi grinned fiercely, an out-of-character expression for her that was forced from the feeling of this moment. It was a short time later that they began to notice signs of the Mwani... stronger scent, fresh pawprints, bones from kills.

The dusky-red lioness eagerly awaited instructions from Sumai, tail twitching in anticipation of their hunt.

---

'Holy crap... these guys aren't kidding,' Haraka thought with a mixture of amazement and horror as he watched a huge troop of canines and felines trot across the sands and plains.

All looked ready to kill, hackles raised, teeth glinting in the sun's dying rays. It was nearing dusk, and the rogue lion could sense that the ground as well as the sky would be blood-red by morning... he shuddered. But... what could he do about it? These two prides were going to kill each other, no matter how much he didn't like it or felt guilty about it. It wasn't any of his business... it really wasn't.

Haraka frowned deeply. Not really knowing why, he got up and followed stealthily behind the Belbel, keeping his distance.

[Deleted]

Talha: "I volunteer to take first watch, sir. I can see from the river to the den. I can warn you early if something is approaching."

Moto nodded in agreement. With a situation like this they would need as many lookouts as possible. He knew that the Belbel would be here any time soon so he wanted to get this conversation over with as fast as possible.

He turned back to face Kirsui who he was waiting for a reply from though she looked rather hesitant abou him asking her what and could understand why but as he said before he could use some advice. She suggested that they assign a guard, or few and that in any case the Belbel take over the den that they should evacuate the members of the pride that can not fight. She then mentioned that there was an abandoned outpost that was further away from the Belbel and their den and it had a few caves in it as well and that they should assign guards there as well for those evacuated.

"Good idea Kirsui!" he said happily before getting serious again and looked around slowly at each and every one of them seeing if anybody else had something to say. Zorayda said that she could keep watch from the skies bring news to him faster but, thought she would be more of use as a guard since the ones protecting the cubs would need to be immediately available. But before he could answer she pointed out that she could not fly forever and wanted to know if it was okay if her and Talha could keep watch and rest in between her landings and takeoffs.

"Sure, but just make sure you use your time wisely while your resting. We can't afford any surprise attacks." he said seriously. "Okay, so does everybody know their roles? Zorayda and Talha are guards, but what we also need are healers." He turned towards satoba who was lying on the ground sobbing into his paws."Satoba," he started but at this point couldn't think of anything to cheer him up. But he had to convince him to at least heal and care for the injured. "Satoba, we need you to be the healer and at least unlike us, you don't have to see what has happened to those that are hurt." He could not think of anything else to say to him even though he was normally good at encouraging others, but with war...no. "I suggest we move now and get to our positions before the Belbel get to then den. We don't time to train so that's no longer an option, but we really have to get moving. If we have to we'll start the evacuation before the battle starts, but there is one question I need to ask you all... Are, you, ready? Because the war for Surra is about to begin."

[Kirsui]

OOC: So I'm totally stealing Kanu's style of making speech bold too. :P It indeed makes things a whole lot easier to read. *nods*.


"Are, you, ready? Because the war for Surra is about to begin."

Kirsui felt anything but ready, but she did her best not to let it show. She glanced between Moto and Satoba, knowing that their leader would most likely want her at the front lines.

However, she had other ideas. She wasn't strong, and her only real asset in battle was her special fire. However, that could be used for ranged attacks as well, and so she decided that Satoba would need her more. She could, after all, help him with the wounded and keep any possible enemy away from him and the wounded.

The creamy lioness walked over to Satoba and nudged him gently. "Come on, Satoba", she said comfortingly. "We need to get out of the way and into safety before the Belbel arrive."

Kirsui hoped with all her heart that there would be enough time before that.


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


Anapa marched with the rest of the Belbel in silence. While she noticed that most of those around her seemed eager or nervous, her expression and posture betrayed nothing of how she felt. She was just as eerily calm as always, and her calm would come in handy when they would face their enemies.

The jackal trailed somewhat behind Sumai and Mlezi - not too close, and not too far. Her role was clear in the coming battle: she would not engage anyone directly. It wasn't because she didn't want to. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was merely because she was not physically as strong as most of their opponents would be, never mind how good control she had over her abilities.

No, her role today would be supportive. She would keep the heat off of the vital members of their pride - namely their healers - as well as stand ready in case Sumai needed her help with anything. She doubted he would, but it never hurt to be prepared for such an event when it came to battles.


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


Zito led his group swiftly through the grasslands, finding cover for the whole unit when ever it was possible. It was critical that no one would see them, and because of this he had even dirtied his pristine white fur and instructed that any other light-furred member of his group would do the same.

Though the tiglon was somewhat disappointed that he could not be part of the main group that would begin the Belbel assault against the Mwani, his eyes were still blazing with barely contained excitement. Sumai had trusted him with an important task. He was to lead one of the flanking groups into the hideout that Anapa had found earlier, and there he would wait with his group until called on the battle field.

The tiglon couldn't help the grin that spread on his muzzle as he and his group reached their destination, so far undetected. He issued quick orders for everyone to take their positions under the dense vegetation that was to serve as their cover.

Indeed, Zito decided he rather liked his current position as a flanking group leader as he settled himself under the thick bushes and prepared for the hopefully not too long wait. It would be priceless to see the Mwani's reaction when they would attack from their flanks.

[Lionel]

(OMG! I just saw this!)

Meusi was lost. Just 24 hours back he had killed a bunch of strange things to get out of the lab. Now he wandered around the plains. hunting, not understanding anything.
He saw something big in the distance and started moving towards it. He wanted to find someone, who could tell where is he, what is going on and maybe...Who is he? The wind bringed Meusi's nose lot's of unknown smell's. His blue lines started to glow a little, as he got worried and a little bit scared. He keept heading towards the object in the distance.
suddently the dark lion stopped. There were many creatures folowing him, as he thought. He started running faster untill he reached a den. ( He's at the lion's den. Anyone here, to bug him?)

[Zorayda]

[OOC: NPC's used-Wynna of the Belbel pride. She is free for anyone to use, but to keep track, please say which NPC's you are using in an OOC post. Thanks!]

Zorayda flew above all of her fellow Mwani, keeping her eye out for any sign of attack. Back at the den, Moto was hopefully getting the others organized, preparing for battle and hiding their elders and young away so they wouldn't get slaughtered in battle. The winged lioness shuddered at the thought... their future and past, dead, lying in their own blood...

Zorayda's wings stuttered and she lost a bit of altitude. Straightening out, she swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked the one good eye she had, trying to rid herself of the blurriness that comes with fresh tears. She sniffled before shaking it off, missing the dark figure that shot under her in that moment. But she was aware enough to notice one thing... a huge group of lions headed straight for their den! And there, right in the front, was the feared, fiery Sumai, ruthless and battle-scarred.

"T-Talha! The Belbel! They're coming!" she screamed, panicking. Zorayda fluttered her wings and began to zoom back towards the Mwani, making sure Talha was coming, too. The last thing she wanted was to abandon someone and leave them to the merciless paws of the vicious Belbel. The purple lioness roared the loudest she'd ever roared, sounding the alarm for battle. Once, twice, three times she roared, warning her friends, her family... her pride.

And still, she was unaware of the flanking troops about to close the Mwani in...

---

Mlezi's blood was just beginning to sing with the promise of battle as they approached the Mwani, her golden eyes dancing, when a strange figure came from nowhere and zoomed past. A startled gasp escaped her maw before she snarled, nose wrinkling to bare her fangs. But the dark lion kept going, looking back with fear in his eyes as he ran straight for the Mwani. His scent was odd, and carried something she'd never experienced before. The reddish lioness looked to her leader with questions in her eyes, waiting for him to give an order, but it seemed that the dark lion had already gotten away.

Rey, still reluctantly following her group, perked her ears forward at the interest, then flattened them, bored. One stupid rogue didn't mean anything, especially one who would just antagonize them like that. He'd be dead soon anyway.

Behind the group, Haraka held his breath, realizing that they'd paused. He sank into tall grass and held his breath, hoping nobody would notice him there in the confusion. His brown coloring, thankfully, was earthy and blended well. In the meantime, he used his power to quietly cover himself in a thin coat of sand, trying to block his scent.

---

The blue-spotted hyena narrowed her eyes viciously as a figure approached, one not familiar to the Mwani. Her sharp nose caught his foreign scent and she growled, not recognizing either Mwani or Belbel, but something different. Something new. Wynna's aquamarine eyes came alight with the summoning of her power, and she plucked at the water droplets in the air with her magic.

"Halt, stranger!" she barked, hoping that others surrounding her would notice the noise and the intruder. It would not do to be caught by surprise by a lion when there was a war going on.

But a loud, panicked roar sounded... the Belbel were coming! There was no time to deal with this stranger, they had a battle to fight! Glaring at Meusi, the hyena mage roughly shoved him aside to answer her pride's call.

[Lionel]

There was an animal he had never seen. He had never felt the grass under his legs, he didn't know what was this place, but he knowed, that that bunch of lions weren't up to anything good. He didn't know what was kindness, but he knew hate. And he felt hate from the animal.

Bark at me , right! I wish they would lock me back inside that thing. There is a bunch of lions coming your way, and they don't seem nice at all. Can I help whit anything? I will tell my story later...

Meusi told the animal. He turned to the side, from where the other lions where coming. Even if they wouldn't want his help, he had 2 choises - to go and join the other lions or help these lions whitout them knowing it. He wanted to feel new feelings, explore the world. Meusi had enough whit beening just a test bunny. He wanted his life.

The dark lion walked a bit to the side and got up a hillock. The lions got closer and closer. He could escape from here, but he didn't want to be a coward.
[will this be enough for a start? i have only one char here.]

[KanuTGL]

OOC: *gasp* You format-thieves! xD

IC: Satoba tried to calm himself, concentrating on taking slow, deep breaths, but the trembling wouldn't go away. It was embarrassing to be this way in front of the whole pride. He was weak enough as it was, they needn't see more of it...

"It's okay, 'Toba, we'll be all right,"[/i]

The young hybrid sighed, face still covered by his paws. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I... I'm sorry..." he whispered, not trusting his voice to stay stable if he tried to speak properly. He wanted to apologise, wanted to put on a brave face like the rest of them and stay strong, but he just... couldn't. Satoba admired Talha and Zorayda's courage; they were afraid, but still offered their help and they would still fight for their land. Unlike him, they were not useless. Not weak...

"Satoba."

Moto's deep voice was like a thunderclap, pulling Satoba back to the present. He lifted his head to better hear his leader's words, revealing his swollen eyes and wet cheeks.

"Satoba, we need you to be the healer and at least unlike us, you don't have to see what has happened to those that are hurt."

Satoba sighed again, frowning, and nodded slowly. It was true, he did still had a duty to fulfil...

The evacuation began immediately. Lo, the leopard-lioness hybrid, was the assigned leader of the small group leaving the den and after saying their goodbyes, they set off towards the Mwani pride's old, disused outpost deep in the Fila forest. Satoba had recovered somewhat by this time, but his head was still hanging low and his ears drooped. He followed Lo's orange shimmer almost apathetically, only able to think about how he might never see some of his fellow pridemembers again. It was a terrible thought.

"Satoba!"

It was Talha's voice. He stopped. "Talha..." he began and turned his head; he seemed to actually look directly at her. The red-furred lioness raised her eyebrows in surprise; she had never noticed him do that before and it felt nice, but quite odd, even if he probably wasn't doing it on purpose.

"Yes, Satoba?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"Of course, Toba, whatever you want."

"Be careful."

Talha smiled and gave her friend a nuzzle as a reply. Of course she would be careful. Besides, there was no way this pack of rogues would stand a chance against the great Mwani pride! Lo called out for Satoba to catch up, so Talha stepped back and gave the 'leoness' a nod. Then she turned around and began the walk over to what would be her post on top of the den.

Her golden glow grew distant and when mixed with those of the other pride members, Satoba could no longer discern hers from the rest. His group was also now going without him and he had to follow.

"Don't... don't die..." he whispered.

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

Dusk had come - the twilight would be the opportune moment to strike and the Belbel pride moved like dark shadows across the land. At times it was hard to tell what was a living creature and what was harmless vegetation, which was perfect. It made their approach easier and while it would be harder to tell their enemies apart in this light, Sumai knew that the Belbel pride was experienced and unified enough to not attack any of their own by mistake even in darkness and the chaos of battle.

The general could feel the tension in the air and it seemed to increase with every step they took. The savannah seemed to feel it too - had it ever been so quiet? Soon now, very soon...

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

Talha squinted into the murky light. Even though her night vision was excellent, there was something out there that she still couldn't make sense of. Were the thorn bushes moving? Was that an enemy? No, it was definitely just a bush swaying in the wind. Or was it? She grew increasingly uneasy and rose to her paws, tail twitching nervously. Then, suddenly, a scream cut through the silence.

"T-Talha! The Belbel! They're coming!"

The lioness gasped, now seeing the dark shapes definitely form into living beings, and she turned on the spot, racing down the rocks. She joined in with Zorayda, roaring with all her might. "They're coming!" she shouted as loudly as she possibly could. "They're here!"

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

Sumai had also noticed the foreign figure rushing across the plain in front of them and slowed his pace for a moment. It had probably been a scout. Possibly. Its scent had seemed odd though; it was... not of this land. Nevertheless, it had not attacked them, therefore it was of little concern at this time. Sumai harrumphed, irritated that his focus had been lost, and lowered his head and body, readying himself. Then, in the not so far distance, he heard agitated roars and there was a surge of activity ahead. They had definitely been spotted. "Well, then..." he thought and increased his speed, knowing that the rest of the pride would follow his lead. Even now, on the brink of battle, the old lion showed no signs of either excitement or fear; he remained stoic and calm. After all, battle had always been a part of his life and, even if his heart pounded with energy and the adrenaline was rushing through his body, Sumai had grown to not show it on the outside.

The speed continued to increase until they were at a steady gallop, approaching the enemy den fast. They would charge straight ahead, attacking with their full force, as to not give the Mwani pride the important time to organise and think. They would not know what hit them.

With a mighty roar, Sumai broke into a full run, summoning his flames around him. They lit up the darkness, signalling the beginning of the war for Surra.

[Kirsui]

Kirsui had found herself some higher ground from where she could see over the soon-to-be battlefield. Her spot was close to the other Mwani healers so that she could join them if she was needed. For now, however, she would keep her gaze trained on field below her, waiting...


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


It was time. She could hear it, feel it and see it in her comrades as they all sped up to keep up with Sumai. They had been spotted, but then again Anapa hadn't expected that such a large pride as theirs would go completely unnoticed by their enemy. The darkness died when Sumai summoned his flames, and the war was finally here. With slight anticipation the jackal prepared to use her own powers while she ran towards the Mwani, her gaze flicking through the darkened field in an attempt to spot any trouble coming their way.


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


The echo of Zorayda and Tahla's warning hadn't properly even died when Kirsui's breathing hitched. She could see movement now, right at the edges of her field of vision. As she let her gaze wander she realized that the Belbel were far more numerous than she had anticipated. And right at the front of them was Sumai, now ablaze with fire.

She fought back the panic that threatened her then and steeled her resolve as she began to summon up her own power. Attacking Sumai would be foolish, and she didn't even know what would happen if her fire clashed with his, and thus she chose to cause chaos in the enemy ranks instead. With a low growl she formed a ball of her blue flames above her head, which she then proceeded to hurl towards the Belbel lines.


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


Anapa's gaze caught the small flicker of blue in the distance, and for a brief moment she wondered what it was. However, when the flicker grew larger and brighter, and was then hurled towards her pride, she nearly cursed aloud as she tracked its path with her gaze.

"Watch out!"

Her warning bark was the only thing she had time for before the ball of blue flames hit their lines somewhere to her left. The ball exploded, releasing a similar sound to what a fireball would cause, but instead of the overwhelming heatwave that she had expected, she felt a bone-chilling breeze.

The jackal caught another blue flicker in the distance, and realized she would have to stay more alert now. She focused her powers while she ran, just in case she was required to raise her shields to defend the healers from who ever it was that was giving the Mwani some ranged support.

[Deleted]

Zorayda and Talha's warning caused Moto to jump into action. He immediately looked around for any signs of the enemy only to see their leader Sumai who had seemed to have summoned flames around him as he headed towards their den. "Looks like it's time to get this thing started." He leaped to ground and immediately started using incantations to fight the enemy. "Alika moto ndovu!" Upon saying this two elephants of fire appeared on both sides the lion. "Now this should make things interesting. Amuru." The elephants charged towards the Belbel.

[Zorayda]

Zorayda spotted the two fire-elephants conjured by her leader--impressively huge, but she knew that they were just normal fire shaped to be more intimidating. Hopefully the ruse would work and scare some of the Belbel, breaking up the huge pack that rushed in at them now.

She took note of Kirsui's blue ice-fire that shot from afar, giving them ranged support--but she was not the only one who could provide that. With a determined roar, Zorayda pushed aside her staggering fear to bank hard to her left, her huge gray wings nearly vertical as her body swung into an about-face midair. Her right eye glowed pale white as she summoned her ability, using the soft light of the moon to draw upon. Now to choose her target...

Ah. Perfect.

With a grim snarl she loosed a bolt of energy straight towards the Belbel leader. She feared him greatly, knowing of his ferocity and battle experience, but that would not stop her from hindering his movement towards her pridemates. There was no way she'd fly idle while he took out her friends one by one... The violet-furred lioness hovered for a moment to make sure her shot landed... but it never did. With a grunt of surprise, Zorayda saw her trusty bolt of moonlight deflected just before it got to Sumai. Something blocked her shot! And then she saw the lioness to the left of the Belbel leader look up at her, snarling ferociously.

'So... that's his angle. A protector...' She noted. Zorayda would have to warn the others, but... how, in the midst of such chaos?

---

Rey was frightened, horribly so. The noise around her seemed to dull as the icy-hot pain shot through her shoulder, making her shiver and shudder. Just a few seconds ago, she'd been running, ready to fight, then--a projectile of some sort, a flash of blue, and it had struck her square in the chest and shoulder. It hurt so badly that she had trouble keeping conscious. As it was, she was lying crumpled on the ground, panting as other excited pridemates passed her by to fight the Mwani.

'I don't want to die,' she thought to herself, terrified. 'I never wanted to fight, please, don't let me die...'

A figure loomed over her and she cowered, a soft puppy whine escaping her throat.

"Don't worry," a friendly male voice sounded. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

She looked up, confusion written in her emerald gaze. A brown lion looked at her with soft gold eyes. Rey noted the scars across his face, probably from several battles. Was he Mwani? He certainly was not of the Belbel pride... A glance around her showed that there were no more of the Belbel around. They'd all moved forward to fight. She licked her dry muzzle.

"What do you want?" she asked defensively, though her usual biting tone was softened by her fear.

"To help you."

Rey was surprised to feel her body being lifted and carried by the much larger lion, though to where, she didn't know. Her vision blurred and she blacked out to the sound of the lion panting.

---

Mlezi was not about to abandon her leader. First the blue fire that made others yelp in pain, then the huge fire-elephants that only made her eyes narrow in determination, then the bolt that nearly nicked Sumai... it was easily deflected by her shield, but the indication that the Mwani had such range and flying pride members made her more wary. But the Belbel would perservere. They were fierce, and they knew what they were doing. Their flanks would come in and slaughter the Mwani, she was confident in that.

They finally came upon the others face-to-face, and with a roar, she swatted aside several attacks as she kept an eye upon Sumai, making sure their leader was safe. Without him, they would be lost, confused... but it was hard to get the fiery lion to keep out of battle. The most she could hope for was that she could protect him.

---

Edai growled low in his throat as he waited in the tall grass, eager for the signal from his leader. The red wolf glanced back at his small group, ready for the surprise attack that would most likely eradicate their enemy. One of them looked frightened, but Edai honestly couldn't care less. If they could not fight, they were not worthy of the Belbel anyway.

He cracked his shoulders and continued to wait for Sumai's signal.

[Lionel]

Meusi saw the lions fighting. He was standing there, like an interferance. But the next few seconds are going to change his life.

The lions were coming, ready to tear up everything and every one. Meusi ran up, to a higher place and then he roared. It was a loud roar, and his white mane was whiffled around his face, blue lines on his body got brighter. They contrasted whit his dark fur.

After that his Darkness skill came in. He could drain the lion š powers, but he got weaker. Meusi stopped doing that and, whitout saying a word ran towards the lion's. It's all up to him, to fight for his life.