Release (Private saraiya & Lyonize)

[Lyonize]

(Hey! No worries! We're a little slow here these days, but it's good to see you back!)

"Of course! We've got all the time in the world." Zoba said as he returned the nuzzle with a shoulder rub.

The waterhole was a beautiful sapphire among the lush green. The river that flowed to and from it kept the water fresh and clear. Zoba stepped out onto a rock and leaned over to lap up the water. The familiar hint of sweetness met his tongue as he closed his eyes and his train of thought drifted. Just then, the blissful moment was interrupted by a voice.

"See? I knew it was Zoba." It was an elderly female voice. Zoba stood and turned to his left to see an old pangolin, the first familiar face he had seen so far. He was about to greet her when she continued. "Heh. Where one goes, the other is sure to follow." Zoba took a moment to think about what she meant by that. At the exact moment the answer clicked in his brain, he was tackled into the water. Only Uriah could sneak up on him like that.

The two lions found stable footing on the rocks under the water. Zoba brushed his mane away from his eyes and the other lion shook the water off of his.

"Hi." He smiled, with squinting bright blue eyes.

"Heh heh. Hi." Zoba replied with a gentle headbutt. The two almost identical lions splashed their way out of the water and onto dry land where they stood before the pangolin. "Tetiwa. It's good to see you again."

"Almost didn't recognize you with that beautiful thang hangin' off your shoulder." The old pangolin leaned over to make eye-contact with Kela.

"This is Kela." He introduced her to the lioness. "Kela, this is Tetiwa. And this," He bumped the other lion. "is my brother, Uriah."

[saraiya]

Kela smiles at friendly, elderly pangolin and is nearly on defense mode when Zoba is suddenly tackled into the beautiful water. However, she relaxes with an almost confused amusement when Zoba pops out of the water with a lion that looks far too similar to Zoba, if not a bit smaller, to be anyone other than the brother that he spoke so fondly of. The introduction of him confirms that suspicion.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." She smiles at them, then moves closer to Zoba and uses her paw to move some of his soaked mane from his face. "And you're soaked." She says with a small giggle.

[Lyonize]

"Nothing a little sunlight can't fix." Zoba rubbed the back of a paw on her forearm affectionately, leaving a little dampness on her fur.

"So how long has it been this time?" He said to Uriah. "A month?"

"Yeah." Uriah replied. "Is that a record?"

"I think so." There was a long pause as Zoba's eyes drifted across the ground. "Mom and dad. Are they..."

"It's still here. I haven't been yet... Do you want to?"

Zoba nodded to Uriah and then looked to Kela. "Our parents are buried here. We're going to go visit them. You're welcome to come with if you'd like." Zoba said quietly with a smile, though there was a hint of melancholy to it.

[saraiya]

"I want to come." Kela smiles at Zoba and then looks to Uriah. "Did you just arrive here, too? We've only gotten here a little while ago, but it's so beautiful here, I see why it's a paradise."

[Lyonize]

"I arrived yesterday morning. I was in the area and I couldn't resist a visit." Uriah replied. "I'm glad to have you here with us." Uriah's smile is wider than Zoba's and he speaks with a bit more charisma. "So I guess I missed a lot in the last month. How long ago did you two meet?"

[saraiya]

"About a month, I believe. Probably shortly after you two parted ways last time." She informs him. Kela notices that Uriah's personality is also quite different from Zoba's. He seems more easygoing as opposed to Zoba's more serious nature. "We have been through a lot together since then, so we can probably get all caught up later this evening?"

[Lyonize]

"Definitely!" Uriah replied. "I'd love to hear about it all."

"I'm curious to hear what you've been up to, Uriah." Zoba said as he lead on.

Zoba stayed just ahead as they walked slowly downhill into the valley. Flat plains full of grass and dotted with trees stretched out before them as they walked.

[saraiya]

While Zoba was somewhat in the lead, Kela spent a bit of the walking chatting with Uriah, including telling him how she met his brother in the first place and of their first adventure together.

"He was almost killed by some hyenas before I managed to hear him roaring for help, and basically saved him, because no small group of hyenas wants to deal with two lions." She started out, then continued to tell a somewhat summarized version about how they uncovered the conspiracy from the lion-led hyenas and basically raged a war after forming an alliance with other animals from the land, thus freeing them. It almost felt like she was reliving it as she spoke about it.

[Lyonize]

"Hyenas?" Uriah asked, sounding unimpressed.

"Remember Kyrat?" Zoba called back. "It was like that but I was alone."

"Oh... Oh!" Uriah's expression turned from confused to surprised, and then to concern at the thought that his brother had almost died. "I'm glad you were there." Uriah said to Kela as they walked. Zoba stopped and Uriah stopped next to him. At the base of one of the surrounding mountains, there was a willow tree that bent over a bend in the river. The brothers looked at each other, neither wanting to say anything but knowing what the other was thinking. Zoba's heart pounded once, sending a warm shiver through his body like thunder groaning in the distance before a downpour as they stepped toward the slight mound in front of the tree.

[saraiya]

Kela saw how difficult for Zoba and Uriah to approach the mounds that clearly indicate a burial site. She walks up closer to Zoba and nuzzles his shoulder in silent support. "Zoba, do you want me here? I can step back, if you want some privacy."

[Lyonize]

"You're welcome to stay. But you don't have to." Zoba half whispered to Kela with a soft nuzzle.

With that, the two lions gazed down at the base of the tree trunk, remembering the upbringing they experienced with the lion and lioness that loved and cared for them. Their cubhood was everything they could have asked for. Every cub dreamed of adventure, but as a nomadic family, every day was an adventure. Zoba remembered how safe he felt between his father's paws at night. He grew up with a desire to be just like him. Strong, gentle, and protective.

They both lifted their eyes and looked at each other, a small smile making its way across their muzzles, but the sadness in their eyes soon overtook even that. They embraced each other as emotion welled up and tears fell. The two brothers sat with one paw around the other and cried into each other's shoulders.

When no more tears came, Zoba pressed his forehead to Uriah's. "I wish-." Uriah whispered shakily, the rest of the sentence caught in his throat.

"I know." Zoba sniffed. "Me too."

Zoba and Uriah finally separated and walked around the mound to the willow tree trunk. There, carved into the wood, were four sets of claw marks like the one Zoba used to mark the trees when he first met Kela. Two sets looked like the size a grown lion would make, while the other two sets looked like the work of a couple cubs. The brothers each placed a paw on the smaller marks, and seemingly instinctually, moved their paws up the trunk and over the larger marks.

With another quick embrace, they took a deep breath and smiled again. Zoba returned to Kela and pressed his cheek to hers.

[saraiya]

While the brothers had their shared moment of mourning, Kela thought it best to give them a little bit of space. Not too much, just a few steps away. While she did love her parents, she couldn't see herself mourning for them like Zoba and Uriah. Even when her father recently died, she mostly kept her composure and didn't have a place like the before her that seemed special to all of her family.

When the brothers calmed down, Zoba padded back towards her and rested his cheek against hers. She automatically rubs against him to provide some comfort before pulling away and looking up at his eyes. "I don't know your parents, but I know that they were great, seeing how you and Uriah turned out. I'm sure they would have been proud of you guys."