Release (Private saraiya & Lyonize)

[Lyonize]

From the edge of the savannah, Zoba watched as the hyenas shouted threats at he and Kela. He rose up and paced along the edge by the trees while this spokesman for the hyenas ranted.

"Listen up, lions. You don't want to mess with Genan, so forget about this whole 'conquering our territory'."

As the hyena laughed, Zoba clawed a mark into a tree next to him. He did it slowly while looking at the hyena across the field and then continued walking along the treeline. The hyena paused, either intimidated or angered. Ether way, it was the response Zoba wanted.

"You're out of league. Leave while you still have all four legs to help you."

"Tough talk coming from a male of your kind." Zoba shouted. "I mean, you're not exactly a high ranking member of your clan are you? Even if you're the top male, you're still below the bottom female." Zoba chuckled as he reached out and marked another tree with his claws. "Here's the deal. You probably don't know what you're getting into so I'll spare you for now." Once more, Zoba tore a claw mark into the next tree and continued. "So until Genan conjures up the courage to come talk to me herself..." He paused as he made another mark. "I just can't take you seriously."

"You don't know what you're dealing with, lion! Genan will-"

Zoba interrupted with a roar as he took off in full sprint towards the hyenas. Two of them ran instantly. The other two stayed, including the one who was shouting. He tensed up in a defensive stance but Zoba could tell he wasn't at all ready to fight. The other one merely froze in place, paralyzed by fear. When Zoba got to them, he used his momentum to knock the first one off his feet. Then he turned to the other. It yelped before Zoba even hit it. Zoba landed a paw right in the hyenas side, knocking its breath out of its lungs and sending it crashing to the ground.

He turned back to the other one which was just now getting back up. The one that was making all the threats earlier. Zoba grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and slammed him into the tree while pressing a paw against the back of his head, rubbing the hyenas face into the claw mark. "This is the mark of MY territory!" Zoba yelled into the hyenas ear. Then he pressed the hyenas face into the ground. "You're going to take this message back to Genan." As he said this, Zoba unsheathed his claws, dug them into the hyenas skin and dragged them across his forehead, making the same mark. Blood dripped down its face as it yelped in pain. Finally, Zoba grabbed the hyena again and threw it. He was going to let them leave. "You idiots have got to learn that I'm a lot scarier than you are." He growled.

[saraiya]

"A lot scarier indeed. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you would've eaten them, your Majesty." Kela teases and gently bumps his shoulder.

"On a serious note, what's the plan now. Genan is surely going to know that we're planning to take over this area, and is going to send more than her grunts."

Then, she notices something odd that causes her to step back a moment and blink several times to make sure she's not imagining things. "Okay, don't panic, but there is a mouse on your head."

[Lyonize]

"A lot scarier indeed. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you would've eaten them, your Majesty."

Zoba grinned and perhaps blushed a little as Kela bumped him.

"On a serious note, what's the plan now. Genan is surely going to know that we're planning to take over this area, and is going to send more than her grunts."

"Well, we should probably stay on the move. We don't want them to be able to ambush us and for that, they need to know where we are. We should also try to win over the trust of the local animals around here. After that, we should..." Zoba trailed off as he noticed Kela's confused expression and that she was looking just over his head. "What are you looking at, Kela?"

"Okay, don't panic, but there is a mouse on your head."

Zoba looked up as far as he could with his eyes, even though he certainly wasn't going to be able to see the top of his head. "Panya?"

(OOC: If I ever say "Uriah" instead of "Zoba", let me know. They're brothers and they can act similarly at times and I play Uriah more often than Zoba so I might get them mixed up from time to time. lol)

[saraiya]

"Panya?" Kela asks, looking at the duo in confusion. "You know this mouse?"

She failed to hold back her laughter as Zoba tried fruitlessly to look at the creature on his head. "Hold still, Zoba. I'll help you out." She offers. Then, she walks closer to his side and uses one paw to support herself, and the other to rest atop his mane, allowing Panya to crawl on her paw.

Gently, she let's the mouse onto the ground. "Greetings to you, little mouse."

[Lyonize]

"Panya? You know this mouse?"

"He's the one who told me about the hyenas." Zoba said as Kela picked up the mouse and set him down. "Anyone else in there?" He joked as he rubbed his mane.

"No, nobody else. Just me" Said Panya as he hopped off Kelas paw.

"Greetings to you, little mouse." Kela said.

"It's good to meet you. Zoba mentioned you, and I must say, he has good taste in females." The little mouse said with a flattering raise of his eyebrows. Zoba blushed under his fur as he looked at Kela, wide-eyed.

"Oh, I didn't say we were-" Zoba fumbled around to find the words to say, now looking back down at Panya.

[saraiya]

Kela almost laughs at Zoba's flustered expression. "Calm down. Panya's only teasing you. Besides, you're not the only one with a good taste in company." She waggle her own eyebrows and laughs.

Once calm, she turns to the mouse. "I'm sure you come with more important business than to compliment me. Is something the matter?"

"The matter? No no!" Panya squeaks out. "Actually, I came to say that I saw the battle with the hyenas and how you're claiming this land. But, in order to do that, you need help, right?"

"We actually do." Kela admits. "Any help would be greatly appreciated."

"Of course! You might want to meet with the jackals. Not the nicest lot, but detests the hyenas for taking over and leaving them very little to eat. They might help with a convincing argument."

It sounds like a risky bet, seeing how jackals are known to be manipulative, but she's willing to make the bet. "Where can we find them?"

"There's a mound of abandoned termite mounds about two miles east. That's where the typically are. If that is all, I must go." Panya scurried away, calling for good fortune over his shoulder.

With a small sigh, she turns to Zoba. "Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this could go wrong."

[Lyonize]

"This could go very wrong." Zoba furrowed his brow in thought. "Jackals are crafty. They do have some incentive to help us but I still have a feeling that they'll try to manipulate whatever deal we make vastly in their favor. Still, it's a start." Zoba began walking east, just as Panya had directed them.

A couple minutes ticked as Zoba tried to think of something to say. Any conversation would help pass the time as they walked. He turned to Kela. "I can't tell if Panya is just joking or if he actually thinks we're a couple. I guess we can't blame him. He sees a lion and a lioness together all of a sudden so I guess it's natural that some might jump to conclusions." Zoba chuckled.

[saraiya]

Kela giggles. "I understand. Personally, the assumption doesn't really bother me too much. I actually think it's flattering when I get compliments." She admits, then looks off into the distance. They still have quite a ways to go.

"Besides, I'm not in any rush to find a lion to stay by my side. I still gotta live, ya know?" Then she looks back over to Zoba. "What about you? You waiting for a lioness to catch your eye? I'm sure you had a few chasing you at some point." Kela teases.

[Lyonize]

Zoba laughed. "With a mane like this, sometimes it's hard to find some peace and quiet." He paused. "I'm just not ready to settle down. I don't know if I ever will. I've always been on the move and I can't imagine spending the rest of my life in one place." His gaze drifted to the horizon as he scanned the terrain. The midday sun beat down on their backs as the insects made their buzzing noises. Zoba noticed he was thirsty. The next time they came upon some water, they'd certainly have to stop to drink.

"So what brings you here?" It wasn't often that Zoba would come across a lonely lioness. More often, he'd run into another traveling male looking for a pride to call his own.

[saraiya]

Kela groans audibly. "My father always wanted a son. He never vocalized it, but I knew it was true. Wanted a male heir to inherit the pride, yet he got a pretty little girl instead. He pushed me a lot, you know. I had to be the strongest. The leader. The lion with the body of a lioness. I didn't really mind though, at first. It was fun being the best."

She pauses to bat at a pesky mosquito then continues the trek. "Then, a new lion came to the lands. Everything my father wanted in a son. Strong. Fast. Good leader. Everything my father forced down my throat since cubhood just landed right in front of him. My father wanted me to marry him. Continue the line and make him proud.

"I would have considered it, but our personalities clashed. We were too similar. We were always at each other's throats; literally on a few occasions. We tried to make it work, but there were too many times where just looking at eachother sent us to a war zone. We argued about what to hunt and where. Which waterhole to rest at. Even which part of the zebra is the best, which everyone knows is the haunches.

"I confronted Father about it. Said that there was no way I could marry him. He got angry, I got angry, we argued, then I left. Now, here I am."

She let out a breath. What a story. "What about you? What brings you out and about?"

[Lyonize]

"My parents traveled around just like my brother and I do. They never really settled down. They were content with going from place to place, just the two of them. When my brother and I were born, it was the four of us, just making our way where the wind took us. When our parents died, my brother and I continued traveling together. Sometimes we part ways for a while but we always find each other again."

Zoba thought about his brother for a moment. What could he be doing right now?

"I guess I'm here for the same reason I go anywhere. I just picked a direction and walked."

[saraiya]

"I understand. Maybe if we run into your brother, he could help us." Kela nods and looks to the distance, then grins. "Hey, I think I see the termite mound Panya told us about." Ahead of them is a massive group of termite mounds that could be mistaken for termite palaces with holes carved out for jackal entry. Very impressive, if Kela had any say so.

"If these jackals are as food deprived Panya said, then I think it would be best if we stayed by eachother's side. Don't ya think?" She asks, walking a tad closer to her friend. The leering gazes from the shadows of the mounds were making her anxious.

[Lyonize]

Just ahead were some tall, old termite mounds, just like Panya described.

"If these jackals are as food deprived Panya said, then I think it would be best if we stayed by each other's side. Don't ya think?"

"Yeah. We'll stick together. Keep your senses about you. Watch each others backs. We don't know what they might try in desperation."

The two of them stopped just on the edge of the community. There wasn't any movement. "Here we go." Zoba said quietly.

"Anyone home?" He said loud enough for the Jackals to hear. One by one, little jackal heads began poking out of the burrows in the termite mounds. Some faces were more confused, others were more concerned. All of them had a touch of curiosity about them.

[saraiya]

Kela takes a small step forward and looks around. "This... meeting may be unexpected, but we have a proposition, of sorts. Frankly, we're not impressed with the 'leadership' the hyenas have displayed. With your help, we believe it would be very possible to change that."

A slightly larger than average jackal climbs out of one of the larger mounds and approaches them. From Kela's eyes, he's almost painfully skinny. Several other jackals, too, emerge and surrounds the pair. "Well, never thought I would see this in my lifetime. Two lions begging lowly jackals for help. How quaint." He chuckles lowly. "Tell me, why should we help you? Lions always seem fine without our help. What bought you so low, so desperate, to ask for our help?"

"We're new around here." She answers, managing to keep her cool. "We need the help that knows these lands just as well -if not better - than the hyenas. If you help us, your pack won't have to starve themselves in crumbling bug mounds."

He seems to consider for a moment, then turns to Zoba. "What say you, lion? Your lioness seems to be doing most of the negotiations around here."

[Lyonize]

"What say you, lion? Your lioness seems to be doing most of the negotiations around here."

Zoba squinted at the jackals choice of words. "She is nobody's lioness. She speaks both our minds and of her own volition." Zoba began, then smiled. "Besides. You don't give yourself enough credit. A sly group of individuals like yourselves would do wonders against the hyenas here."

The jackal turned his head, still eyeing the lions suspiciously.

The lion continued. "All we are asking for is some knowledge about the hyenas that will come in handy, maybe a bit of espionage, and we'll do all the dirty work. And when all is said and done, your food situation is as good as fixed."

At that, the jackal stepped forward. He paused for a moment, scanning the lions expressions. "Alright... We'll do it. But only because we have nothing to lose. This doesn't make us frends and you do not have my respect. You aren't my king and she certainly ain't my queen. We're doing this for us. Not for you."

[saraiya]

"Fine by us." Kela smiles. "Thank you for accepting our offer."

"Don't mention it. Ever." The jackal growls. "Jackals working with lions. Who would think such an absurd thing." He mutters to himself.

He turns away and begins to walk, only to pause and look back. "My name is Koto, by the way. Come. Tell me how you plan to overthrow Genan and her pack." Koto orders, then climbs back into the mound.

Kela looks at Zoba and grins. "At least the opening is big enough for you to fit." She teases and follows the jackal.

[Lyonize]

"At least the opening is big enough for you to fit."

"Being big does have it's disadvantages, I suppose." Zoba said, laughing quietly enough not to be heard by the Jackals.

The den was just wide enough for Zoba to fit through just after Kela. The opening was just at the base of the largest spire in the termite colony. Zoba hoped the insect inhabitants had long been gone. Once he had gotten into the den, it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim light. Just a few beams of sunlight could be seen in side what they could now see was a decently sized cavern underneath. Termites couldn't have done this by themselves. It looked like the jackals had dug most of this out. It was a perfect escape from the midday sun, though, it was still dry and dusty.

Koto was joined by three other jackals, all of them seeming a bit older than the rest of the pack. He addressed them all and explained the lions proposition. At that, their brows furrowed and they looked at the lions quizzically.

"Why don't you just do it? What do you need us for?" One of them pointedly asked.

"There are only two of us. Even we need allies." Zoba said. "And from what we have heard so far, Genan and his clan are hard to pin down. Even just knowing their location would be of tremendous help to us."

"But why us?" Another elderly jackal asked, seemingly annoyed.

"You're merely the first of many we plan to ask for help." Zoba looked at Kela and back at the jackals.

[saraiya]

"Exactly. We were pointed in your direction by a source of ours, and we believe that not only can you help us familiarize ourselves with the territory and Genan's forces, but can also know the animals that would be most willing to help us fight." Kela explains. "Truthfully, you'll most likely be pulling a majority of the strings, while Zoba and I act as figure heads." She gives Zoba a small glare that told him to go along with it, then grins at jackals.

"Us? Controlling the movements of lions?" One of the other jackals snorts. "The pride of a lion would never allow such privilege. How foolishly gullible do you think us?"

"Not foolish, nor gullible. Just more experienced than us. What have you got to lose?"

"Our lives!" He snarls, stalking/limping up to her. His smaller stature makes him less intimidating, yet Kela can't help but move closer to Zoba out of nervousness. "The lives of our entire pack will go to waste over this petty excuse of a coup d'etat. Also, we never trust lions."

The old jackal storms off, allowing Kela to catch sight of an old, yet brutal, set of claw marks on his weaker side. The lioness sighs quietly to herself. This will be harder than she thought.

[Lyonize]

"And what in your lives is currently pleasant?!" Zoba shouted, his voice reverberating in the den. A silence hung in the air as the jackals looked at him. "Are you satisfied with your lives then? No jackal I have ever known was satisfied when there was more to be had. And here we are, offering you everything on a silver platter." Zoba glared at Koto. "There's no point in rallying the help of cowards." He growled as he turned to leave.

[saraiya]

Kela turns to follow Zoba, but stops when Koto steps in front of her. "A moment of your time, lioness?" She glances at her friend's retreating form and sighs silently. Hopefully, he'd understand.

"A moment I will give." She consents, and follows the jackal to another part of the cave. The area was significantly smaller, possibly an area used privately. "What did you want to speak to me about?" She asks, sitting.

"Tell me, how much were you told about how we to such a situation?"

Kela ponders a moment. "Not much, I'm afraid. Only that the hyenas rule through fear and over hunt."

Koto scoffs. "If only it were that simple." He let's out a dry chuckle. "When Genan first came to power, it was not too long after the previous lions moved on." He begins. "It started off small enough, with the food dwindling at a slow, yet steady, rate. We tried to confront her, asking her to call her hyenas back before all the food perished. She wouldn't listen.

"We were beginning to feel desperate when a young lion passed through these lands. Like you and your companion, he offered his assistance. We accepted, gave him any and all information we had and he promised to come to a compromise with Genan." He snarls lowly.

"I suppose it didn't happen?"

"Hardly! The traitorous fool allied himself with Genan, further ruining the lands. That's when she started to publicly torture and execute animals. To instill fear in us, to never search for outside help again. If caught, we die. If we try to escape, we die. There’s no win for us."

Kela had to fight back her own snarl. A lion was supporting this madness. "This lion, he's holed up with Genan somewhere, isn't he?"

"He is. Goes by the name: Ozu."

"And if we swear not to betray you in exchange for your help?"

"As long as you also swear to let us deal with that traitor, then you have a deal." Koto nods. "Also, I don't believe I caught the name of you, or your companion?"

"My name is Kela, and his name is Zoba. I have to go speak to him on this new information. Thank you, Koto." With that, Kela runs out the den, nearly crashing into a certain lion. Meeting his almost angry stare, she lowers to the ground slightly.

"Okay, I know you might be a tad bit upset, but I have some new information about the hyenas." She breathes out. "They have a lion on their side."

[Lyonize]

Slowly, Zoba turned his head towards Kela. "As surprising as that is, it doesn't change much. We'll have to keep that in mind but as far as I'm concerned, whoever this lion is, he doesn't get any more sympathy than the hyenas." He turned his head back to glance at the termite mound again. "What else did they tell you?"

[saraiya]

"Well, the lion came to the jackals for help, too. Then made a promise to strike a deal with Genan to help the animals. Instead, he joined her forces and that's when the hyenas started to use public torture and stuff to keep the animals in line." Kela explains in one breath.

"Also, the lion's name is Ozu. And Koto agreed to accept our offer, so long as we don't betray him and we let them deal with Ozu."

[Lyonize]

Zoba looked away, an expression of worry adorning his face. "This is troubling. What could Genan have told him that made him switch sides?" He thought hard for a moment, trying to search his memory for the name 'Ozu.' "There's more to this than we thought. We'll have to ask around about this Ozu." The odds seemed to be stacking against the two lions. There were in fact, only two of them. "We may need some more help. Knowledge is valuable but it's still really only the two of us against an entire clan of hyenas allied with a lion. How many more allies could they possibly have?"

Zoba began walking back the direction they came as he muttered. "We may be in over our heads."

[saraiya]

Kela walks with him and briefly rubs against his side. "Chin up. We can still do this if we put our minds to it. And I do have an idea on who we can ask next. Just follow me."

She says, then dashes off in the direction of her next target. She only noticed them briefly before, but they could be helpful.

[Lyonize]

Kelas encouragement was welcome and it was good to know that she still had some ideas. Zoba grinned slightly, a second wind finding itself in him as he trotted off behind her. He picked up his pace slightly, his long stride allowing him to catch up to Kela. Now side by side, he glanced at Kela. Her determination seemed to rub off on him. Zoba smiled with a newfound readiness for whatever lay ahead.

[saraiya]

After a brief run, Kela stops just over a ledge and looks at Zoba with an elated grin.

"Okay, so we have eyes and info, but we need muscle, as you know." She begins. "So, let's ask these guys." She nods her head at a group of rhinoceros below. "Think they'll be enough muscle? Or should we ask some elephants, too?"

[Lyonize]

Zoba looked down at the rhinoceroses, smiled widely, and turned back to Kela. "I'm so glad to have you here." From atop the ledge, Zoba could see a small water hole with several rhinoceroses on its edges. Surrounding them was a bank of sand with various footprints of all shapes and sizes. Birds of many different colors dotted the edge of the water.

"So how should we approach? Just walk up and say hi?"

[saraiya]

She wouldn't admit it, but Kela felt quite happy to hear that Zoba was glad she was with him.

"Um, I think being straight forward would be the best idea with these guys. You wanna do the talking this time, or want me to go again?" She said, a smile refusing to leave her face.

[Lyonize]

"Right. Maybe I should take this one." Zoba began to think these rhinos might be easier to talk to if they were confronted by someone of exceptional strength. Not that Kela wasn't strong. She was surprisingly strong for her size. But so was Zoba, and at a glance, he was already bigger than most male lions. If he played his cards right, it might be easy to convince them to join their fight.

Zoba found his way around the ledge to a portion that was less steep and much shorter. After easing himself down to the sandy banks of the water hole, Zoba strode purposefully towards the group. It didn't take long for them to notice a big lion approaching them. At first, they seemed a little anxious but then relaxed, still watching him out of the corner of their eyes.

Zoba scanned the group of seven or eight rhinos before his gaze fell upon the largest one. It stared him down and in a particularly gruff voice and accent, spoke to the lion.

"Wot're yew lookin' at?"

Zoba cleared his throat. "Excuse me." He said in his deep, commanding voice. "I'm looking for the leader of this herd."

"That'd be me. Wot's it to ya?" The eyes of the thick-skinned, heavy beast glared down at him with all the weight you might feel if he were standing on top of you. Zoba nearly stepped back but consciously forced himself to stand his ground.

"My name is Zoba. I'm looking for some help. I understand there's a certain group of hyenas and perhaps a lion who are causing some trouble."

At that, the rhinos looked at each other. The leader, whom Zoba was speaking to merely glanced at one of the others. "Maybe." He said. Zoba could tell there was more than that to his answer. This rhino was intimidating for sure but he couldn't hide the fact that he was at least concerned about Genan and her clan.

"Well, maybe... we can help you, and you can help us." Zoba paused to look at the other rhinos who were listening intensely but still allowing their leader to do the talking. Zoba could tell they were all interested. "What's your name?"

The rhino puffed out his chest and raised his horned head. "Name's Grog. Leader of the Strongjaw tribe." He said, motioning with his horn at the other rhinos. "But wot'yew mean by 'us.'? You got a pride 'round here or somethin'?"

"Not exactly. My companion here is Kela. She and I have traveled to these lands and discovered an imbalance we'd like to correct. That imbalance being Genan and her clan." Zoba saw the gears turning in Grogs mind.

"Let me get this straight... You want me and my tribe to help you kill those annoying hyenas and their lion friend." Grog stared down Zoba with an intensity that nearly made him feel like a mountain had been dropped on top of him.

"Yes. That's the gist of it." Zoba replied, this time, visibly nervous.

After a heavy pause, Grog grined and loudly responded. "I'm in! Those hyenas 've been nothin' but trouble and it would give me great pleasure to trample their ever lovin' skeletons into dust." Grog glanced over Zobas shoulder at Kela. "Yew must be Kela!" Grog said with a smile that betrayed his stoic expression from before. "Noice to meet yew!" He then looked back at Zoba and spoke in a quieter, but equally low voice. "Beaut'iful female ye' got there." He said with a wink.

"She-" Zoba began to protest but then thought it pointless to argue. "Thanks..."

[saraiya]

"Nice to meet you too, Grog." Kela replies with a smile. "And thank you for agreeing to help us."

"No need to thank us." The rhino smiles. "Yew jus' do whate'er it takes to get them hyenas outta her'." Grog nods, then adds. "Yew found yerself a good male to be by yer side. Good head on his shoulders and a strong body. If Yer decide to stick 'round, maybe I'll see a few young'uns after a while."

Grog and the surrounding rhinos let out a boisterous laugh at the comment, while Kela felt a strong blush coming on. "U-Uh, t-t-thanks." She manages to get out, and turns toward Zoba. "Let's, um, just go. It's been a long day." She trails off quietly, not making eye contact. She doesn't mind the teasing comments, but she never thought they'd actually bring up potential cubs.