The Flooding of Kingwa Valley

[xinonhyena]

Xinon lay low in the grass, his teeth bared, expecting a cheetah to pass or run into him any moment now.
If they decided to fight him he would probably not win, even compared to him a cheetah was lanky but they were still bigger then him as almost everything was.
Cautiously he rose his head from the tall grass, only a few feet in front of him was the cheetah, having a conversation with.... something... the hyena could hear someone speak but the cheetah stood in the way. Not that it mattered... or did it?
Xinon immediately ducked under again as the Cheetah ran off, hoping to avoid whatever had just been talking to that cat.
Snake venom in the eyes he had heard, that just had to be nasty, and had no doubts she could not see much through that eye at this moment, she could use help... any help... Perhaps profit could be made if he played it smart.
Keeping himself hidden under the grass wasn't very hard with his size and so the hyena ran off into the direction he had seen the cheetah go.
Xinon emerged out the grass now, it wasn't high enough here. No problem! The cheetah was heading for the river, perfect place to meet a 'young helpful hyena cub'.
The grinning scavenger wanted to giggle of glee but joy left him as he noticed a lioness only a few strides away. The hyena gave a loud frightened whoop and raced back into the tall grass. "Lions.." he hissed under his breath.
Perhaps she had not noticed him... "Stupid!" Xinon whispered to himself. There was no possible way the lioness had not noticed him, even a dead one would have!
He had been careless, and for that he would probably pay the price.

[superrr]

(ooc]
Zulu and Simulia.
At least, that was what I was thinking when I posted.
They're still near each other, right? Nevermind, I think this next post'll make it less confusing.



A loud yelp in the tall grass. Mauaji quickly snapped her head over to the right, the direction in which she had heard the noise. The yelp was familiar. She'd heard this kind of animal before...Yes, she'd, definitely heard it before. A small growl escaped her lips, part of her fur twitching after a flea had successfully jumped from one strand of fur to another.

Her red markings crinkled up as she curved her snout into scowl. Rounded ears flattened onto the back of her neck. Her fangs glittered off in the very little light that was there in the valley. Rain pounded onto her back, paws sinking into the soft mud beneath her. Shaking her neck slightly, flaps of fur expelled water onto the ground once more, the blades of grass sticking to whatever they could grab onto.

They were already flattened onto the ground, so there really wasn`t much hope for them. The little vegetation needn't wait for a hungry zebra to come along and devour them. The rain was already doing it for them. Mauaji stalked over to the grass, growling and grunting under her breath. A hyena. She could smell it a mile away, those filthy little buggers. Twitching her dark nose, the lioness slowly lifted a brown paw to the grayish-green grass.

Unsheathing her claws, she swiped at it viciously, scowl turning into something of a more agitated and vicious snarl. The skin on her snout crinkled up, nose being lifted a bit higher into the air. Mauaji did not like hyenas. Especially of these kinds, the ones that were so pompous enough to think that they could even be graced by her prescence.

Xinon was in plain sight. The female took her black claws and dug them into the dirt before him. Half-snarling, half-roaring, she dipped her neck a bit lower, bony structure poking out of her skin.

"Peekaboo," she spoke in a haunting tone with a touch venomous structure in it.

She could at least toy with it first.

[mahewarac]

OOC: Well darn. Right after I meet my limit of two characters there are a bunch of hyenas. Kigeni would love this! Maybe I'll switch Fira for her one day. And by the way, superr, Xinon never told your character his name, so you really shouldn't know it.

Simulia scanned the land, looking for the male cheetah. As she happened to look down, she saw the cakes opon cakes of mud creeping up her legs and tail. Goodness, I don't want to think about how long this will take to wash out. She didn't recall being this dirty in her life. Oh, the story she could tell when she returned from her Run.

Spotting Zulu, she raced over to him.

"The crocodile is back, I'm afraid; he is still waiting where you left me, as far as I know." She rubbed her now slightly swollen eye. "Oh, I feel like such a fool. I put all of you in danger, didn't I? And Okumi...is she safe, do you know? As you can tell I was never much of a babysitter; all my life I was surrounded by others caring for me.

"What are you all doing, having a little group therapy session?"

"Excuse me?" Simulia cried, spinning around. She saw a dark lioness, smirking at them. But lions are usually so polite..."Who are you and what business do you have here!?"

She glanced past the lioness as it bounded off growling at something, she didn't know what. Looking closer, she saw a little mangy creature, not much higher then her knee. A hyena pup? She hated hyenas, such disgusting little beasts. Never give a respectable cat a rest with their loud, obnoxious laughter.

But yet, this was a pup. It seemed almost cruel to kill it like this. Almost. Why, if it had only had a proper upbringing...Goodness, that was it! She could raise it to be a high-class animal.

"Don't!" She cried, leaping between the lioness and the pup. Looking at it closer, she noticed it didn't really show any youth except for it's size. "Excuse me," she asked it, "how old are you, really?"

[superrr]

|ooc|
i was just using the name since there are other hyenas; and i wanted to avoid more confusion.
she doesn't know his name. let me just make that clear before i look like a complete idiot.

|bic|

"Who are you and what business do you have here!?"

Mauaji scowled as she heard the cheetah address her in such a tone. She'd heard it far too often in such a small span of time. Her ears flattened against her neck, twisting and turning a bit before the lioness had come up with a response to her.

"I've my own business," she replied lazily, narrowing her eyes and crouching down for the pounce, keeping her eyes locked on the hyena, "And my name is none of yours."

The lioness wasn't exactly the type to just give away her name on a whim. After all, it wasn't her real name. Although, her real name wasn't any of their business either. Flicking her tail around just as she was about to leap, the cheetah leaped between them. She quickly attempted ot land herself, as she was just pushing into the air. Claws reached down for the ground, digging into the soft earth. She slid onto the bottom of her neck, chest fixed downwards.

Snarling to herself, Mauaji quickly and roughly pushed herself up, coughing a bit as she did so. That same scowl from before never escaped her lips. Before acting once more, the lioness could only wonder to herself why that cheetah had defended a hyena of all things. Weren't hyenas the common enemy, or some sort of thing like that? They were disgusting little rats; that was something the lioness was certain of.

Her dark fur blended in with the mud, now successfully moistened by the storm and the flood. The chill of the air made some of her fur stick up on end, although that may have been because the mud has molded it a bit like how wet clay could be molded just before it dried. Mauaji moved forwards, her limbs stiffened and powerful with frustration. A small roar now found its way bubbling out of her throat.

"What are you doing?" her voice was a bit lower than usual, "That's my kill, there. You haven't a reason to fondle it."

Her brownish-orange eyes darted over to the hyena, blazing with anger. Fangs didn't glitter or glisten. Her mouth was watering, after all. That little runt certainly did look tasty to her. Especially that hind leg of his.

"The pest won't feel any severe pain," her neck was stiffened and straightened out as she slowly stalked around the cheetah, nudging her view towards the hyena again, "If that's what concerns you. Though I don't understand why you would feel sympathy for that..."

Her last comment was added without a single breath more. The rain plopped onto her muzzle, causing the skin to tighten and crinkle up once more around that area. The lioness suspected the stupid hyena probably deserved what was coming to him. Why not she just speed up nature's natural process of life?

[Tamber]

Zulu paused as Simulia ran up behind him, obviously feeling more comfortable with her vision. She told him anxiously that the croc had returned and was near them. Zulu hissed to himself and bared his fangs in frustration. Soon a lioness and a hyena cub came upon the scene, and Zulu snorted loudly and dashed away from them as quickly as possible.

<I've had about enough of this stranger crap> he grunted to himself as he ran. <When I find Dhakiya and Okumi I'm getting the hell out of here. I'm finding the valley. Screw the dam>

Zulu was only half paying attention to his surroundings now. He was searching desperately for his friend but couldn't escape the anger boiling inside of him.
______________________________
Jiro dashed through the forest with the wolfess and the cub, feeling himself draw closer to the place he had seen the two cheetahs run off to. He could hear voices nearby, growing louder with each moment. <That must be them> he thought, and he turned in their direction.

But something dashed past him and made him falter. Just outside the line of trees he and the wolfess ran through, Jiro saw what looked to be a cheetah tearing up the earth in a vicious run in the direction they had come from. He must have been returning to find the wolfess and the cub. Panicking and having no clear plan in mind, he skidded to a halt. "Stop," he grunted at the wolfess through his teeth, and when they had paused he looked back in the direction the cheetah had run. He could still hear voices ahead of them, but they seemed to be concerned with something totally different.

[xinonhyena]

((OOC: I don't mind, it's not like her character actually said Xinon. It's easier to avoid confusion indeed))

The panic stricken Xinon bared his teeth and growled loudly in anger. Quicker then ever he thought of his possibilies. He was stepping back slowly. Could he run? He didn't think so. Even if he was a full sized hyena he could not outrun a lion from such short a distance, it was impossible to run. The hyena fought the reflex, if he ran now the lion would jump him from the back and then he was lost.
He glanced at his surroudings, softly giggling out of fear. He couldn't run, he could fight although that would probably result in his death... as would running... but perhaps...

"Excuse me, how old are you, really?"

That was it! The perfect chance! That voice of the cheetah sounded almost worried, as if she was sorry for him. Of course! She thought him a pup! Xinon had to surpress himself or he would've cackled aloud, all chances were open at this point!
"Grr I'll fight! I'm on my first hunt to earn my place in the clan! Xinon will fight you!" The hyena growled in a tiny voice and he giggled childishly.
Xinon made sure he looked as afraid as he could, which wasn't really that hard concerning the moment, it had to look pitiful.
This poor little hyena a victim to this large cruel lionness. Perhaps the cheetah would kill her and he'd yet have something to eat, and if not it always presented a nice opportunity to escape.
"My clan will come and eat you." he continued to growl. "Yes! They big hyenas, they eat you whole, they're not here right now but they'll come looking. I'm Matriarch's best pup after all!"
The hyena wondered if it would work. It could better! There was no way out now, he would have to bluff himself out of this... or die.

[mahewarac]

"Grr I'll fight! I'm on my first hunt to earn my place in the clan! Xinon will fight you!"

Simulia smiled, hoping the child still had potential. How it's face got to look so old, she'll never know, but why kill something that could change it's species forever, bringing them from the pit of barbarianism?

"Don't you see?" She told the dark lioness. "It is only a child. If we raised it like a cat, it could pass the cat morals onto it's species. Less horrible hyenas."

"My clan will come and eat you. Yes! They big hyenas, they eat you whole, they're not here right now but they'll come looking. I'm Matriarch's best pup after all!"

"Best pup?" She sighed, dropping her head. "Alas, he sounds close to his kind. Maybe he is beyond help." She walked away, to the river to rinse her eye. Her vision was blurringly improving, but was far from restored.

[superrr]

|ooc| guess i should go then.

|bic|
Mauaji scowled to herself as the female cheetah dared to seperate her and her potential prey. Impatiently, the lioness plopped onto her hind legs, tail swishing in anxiety as she eyed the two creatures talking. Her blackish-brown nose twitched as the hyena began to speak. Those things always spoke in a strange rhythm that always found a way to agitate her.

The dark female swiped a paw slowly across the ground, moving almost in a liquid type of smoothness. As it passed long the pebbles on the moist ground, her coal-black claws began unsheathed. She darted her dull-amber eyes from the padded, soft grass over to the cheetah that was now walking towards a rushing line of water. Now they were...along. Perhaps she could have her way now.

Narrowing her eyes, Mauaji lifted herself from her sitting position, back arched as she lumbered towards the hyena. A lick of her fangs prompted her to speak, lowering her head to the hyena's own level.

"Yes! They big hyenas, they eat you whole."

The lioness scoffed at this remark, her blood-red markings stretching and crumpling up with her ever expression.

"Now, pups shouldn't lie like that," she let her voice run over bumpily in her throat, dried from some sort of object obscuring it, "Although, you're a little fat for being a pup."

Snickering would've improved her mood; but she couldn't let the hyena think she was just some giggling pushover. Especially in this sort of situation.

"I'm Matriarch's best pup after all!"

"Matriarch's best pup is about to become my DINNER if he doesn't cease his incessant yelping," the lioness curved the end of her snout into a threatening snarl, flattening her ears onto the back of her neck and pushing herself slightly towards the hyena.

[xinonhyena]

Xinon nervously stepped back again. This situation was not going as he wanted it to, perhaps that last part had been a little too far. But you had to go far if you wanted a bluff to succeed.
The Cheetah turned away, he growled loudly squinting at the spotted cat with deep hate. What did a matriarchs best pup matter? And why did they believe that part? Any hyena could come up with something like that.
Xinon pondered long, he tilted his head slightly down for a brief moment.
He saw the rain had made the soil wet and muddy, the sand was heavy now, perhaps... The hyena seemed to tremble nervously on his front paws, his left claws digging slowly into the ground as he turned and wriggled with his paw.
He gave the lion a toothy grin. "Oh? A fat pup..." The first so savage hyena suddenly spoke with a slight tone of intelligence, although the growl and the fear were still present. "B... better a fat pup then a lying lion. Would the ceasing of 'yelping' be so effective?" Xinon sniggered under his breath.
His paws twitched as the lioness snarled at him, his left paw was almost half dug into the sand. The hyena also bared his teeth, he wouldn't go down without a fight, or at least not without an attempt to run.

[cheezeegriff]

"You do realise that if you start fighting with one another then there'll be nobody to watch me,"
Grimork said, dragging himself forward through the mud and grass. Looking about for a moment, his eyes widened with aparrent mirth.
"Ah, yet more new faces. Wonders never cease."
He looked at Simulia, but addressed them all.
"In case nobody's noticed, the water is STILL rising, and will continue to do so until the dam of logs and debris at the end of the valley collapses."
He sighed, and looked around.
"I don't suppose any of YOU want to dislodge it, do you? Save the residents of the valley, preserve the circle of life, and all of that? I've got a very good reason for why you should, after all. Care to hear it?"
He slithered a little closer.
"Or will I just be wasting my breath? Breath is very important to crocodiles."
He winked.

[KanuTGL]

Dhakiya had lost most control of the situation - she just ran. Was that her heart that made that pounding sound? Okumi was heavy, but thanks to this new wolf's help she wasn't quite as heavy as she had been. Yes, it must've been a rather amusing sight to see - two wolves running like insane gazelles holding a lion cub between them... At least they finally reached the forest's edge and the male wolf grunted a "Stop.". Two seconds later the trio had come to a stand-still and with a sigh of relief Dhakiya put Okumi back on the ground. She then sat down too, next to the cub, and tried to calm herself down, panting heavily. If only they didn't have to run any more... Though that was very improbable. They must've stopped for a reason, and Dhakiya feared that that reason was lurking danger (simply because it usually was). The wolfess made an effort to slow down her breath so that she could try and pick up any sounds from the surroundings.

And her large sensitive ears did pick something up - voices. Several of them. And they did not belong to any of her friends. Cold anxiety struck her again and she wanted to start running. But for some reason her paws would not obey her - she sat where she sat, like glued to the ground. Those voices didn't seem to be paying any attention to her, the cub and the other wolf though so maybe they were all right for the time being... At the same time, a strange feeling of having missed something important came over Dhakiya. As if a vital part of the solution of this situation had just passed her by, without her noticing. She looked about her, but saw nothing but dark, dripping wet jungle. Strange...

[Tamber]

Jiro and the wolfess caught their breath and listened in on the conversation for a few minutes. They remained silent, paying close attention to the voices and the topic on which they were currently focusing. The older ones seemed to be taunting a younger critter, and before long Jiro heard the sinister voice of the crocodile reappearing on the scene. Still, this was the only voice the wolf recognized after following the group all day.

The wolf sniffed the air and looked up through the dense trees, blinking as water dripped onto his face and sometimes into his eyes. The day was darkening at last, beginning to fade gradually into night. They needed to leave the area and steer clear of this crocodile before darkness swept in. This wolfess needed the company of a larger animal to help watch out for her in the night. Jiro knew that he must help her reunite with the cheetah before it was too late.

Wait...why was he thinking so seriously for this stranger's well-being?

The wolf shook off this thought and spoke to the wolfess very quietly, waiting to speak until someone in the group was talking, as well. "Do you know any of these people?" he asked with slight impatience, nodding his head toward the group beyond the brush. "I saw the marbled cheetah run off the other way. Should we pursue him?"

[mahewarac]

"I don't suppose any of YOU want to dislodge it, do you? Save the residents of the valley, preserve the circle of life, and all of that? I've got a very good reason for why you should, after all. Care to hear it?"

Simulia winced at the crocodile's voice. Would he just leave them alone, her expecially? Her nerves were getting worse. She was normally a very calm girl, but the situation was just so stressful.

"I beg your pardon, crocodile, but our group is heavy in creatures of speed, not strength. I do not beleive we could move it anyway."

.......................................................................

Kigeni just didn't get it. Maybe hyenas were better at moving when times got tough, but why are all these animals staying in this mud heap? It was just stupid. The only reason SHE was here was to pick of the drowned remains of the stupid animals. One look and you could tell this place was a scavengers paradise.

Unfortunatly, she looked up just in time to see a group of cats and a crocodile having some kind of meeting or something. Both the crocodile and one of the cheetahs talked like they were better then everyone else, which Kigeni hated. One lion, however, was growling at a small lump in the grass. Looking closer, she saw it was none other then a hyena pup.

Just let it get eaten. She told herself. It's his own fault for getting itself in that situation.

Still, it was pretty damn small. And given the fact that her pack was the only one for miles, he must be alone. She remebered what it was like to be a lone pup.

"Hey, hey, hey." She said, stepping inbetween. She'd delt with cats before. She knew what to say, what not to, and when to run like a demons on your tail. "There is so much dead in the water, can't you let the kid live?"

Turning to face the pup, she growled.

"You ain't a kid." She lowered her head to the hyenas level. "Who are you, and why are you so friggin tiny?"

[superrr]

An African Wild Dog panted frantically as he raced along the marsh-like area. The grass was plastered onto his sides, sticking to him like bugs on a gum tree. His dark paws smuded through the mud, slapping it up onto the upper half of his legs. The white spots that were once neatly outlined with black against a light tan were now painted a deep and dark brown. His eyes darted across the horizon, searching for someplace to rest.

It wasn't every day that Abioye was running around and about. In fact, there was rarely a day when he acted as such. This was drastic, though. He'd just found his den flooded out this morning, waking to muddy water gladly filling his nostrils. Afterwards, he was hacking up the sludgy substance for what he reckoned was an hour or so.

Squinting his eyes slightly, the male could spot a few creatures off into the distance. Sighing with relief, he lowered his eyelids. Carelessly, his limbs dangled as his paws slipped from the slippery surface, flying into the air. He startled himself with his own yelps as he landed on his back, quickly sliding towards the other animals there. There were...cheetahs and wolves? Now, at least there weren't any lio--, scratch that. There were lions.

Nervously, Abioye rose to his feet, now finding himself considerably closer to the wolves. He gulped frantically, smiling in an awkward sort of way.

"Hello...?" his voice was in an unsure tone.

~~~~~~~

"B... better a fat pup then a lying lion. Would the ceasing of 'yelping' be so effective?"

Mauaji snarled angrily, swiping the air in front of the hyena. She didn't mean to hit him. Not just yet. Her fangs grazed the edges of her gums, tongue flicking behind her lips.

"Lying lion? You're the one that lies!!" her claws grew unsheathed as she huddled herself before the hyena, "It's clear you aren't a pup, with that kind of face...though a lot of your kind are ugly."

Snickering to herself, the lioness was quickly interrupted by another hyena. More of them? Ugh, just disgusting. Mauaji snarled to herself, pushing harshly in front of the new hyena.

"There is so much dead in the water, can't you let the kid live?"

"If he doesn't die, a lot more will," she flicked her head to the left, averting her gaze from the cheetah and hyena, "Including you."

[mahewarac]

(OOC) Simulia wasn't the one to jump in between you two. It was Kigeni, so you might want to change that. Kigeni is a hyena.

[superrr]

|ooc|
wow i'm pretty smart, right?
edited the post

[.::Rehama::.]

Rehema was hungry, sick, and dirty. The carrion she had last night wasn't loving her back. The world around around her had become increasingly cold, cruel, and wet.

She attemped to climb a tree and get out of the mud, but the moment she stepped foot by the roots, she stumbled and fell into a pit lying beneath the tree. She tumbled down past the roots and landed on her chest.

Coming to her senses, she realized she was stuck. She yowled in fear and rapidly clawed at the wall of mud seeping in .

The sound of pawsteps and lion grunts made her increasingly desperate.

[neo]

Neo was walking in the rain he loved walking in the rain the thing that he didin't like was walking in the mud it always seemed to be muddy these days Neo didn't like mud.

"this is so boring" he thought to himself as he truged along one foot after another

((sorry for the short reply but I was pushed for time))

[xinonhyena]

Xinon was ready to die when the lion swiped, he bend back with his fangs bared. He was maybe small, but his jaws were still powerful enough to break bone, at least if he would get the chance to get that close alive.
But then fortune happened, another hyena! He had never expected such a thing, but it was real!
For some time Xinon was staring at her, refusing to believe his eyes but she was really there. He started to snicker, more out of tensity then out of joy. "Rough talk now that you're outnumbered. See one hyena and more will pop up." He said, sounding almost as self-assured as before, although he did take a step back when the lioness briefly turned for the other hyena, if they would clash he could try to escape, or even help the female, she might make a good ally in this flooded land.
Xinon gave almost a respectful nod at the other hyena. "And yeah, I'm no pup, you're smart." he said, smiling half-heartedly to her.
She was definitely not part of his clan, so he reckoned she might yet abandon him and come back later when he had turned into a carcass, but he tried to stay optimistic for the moment.



((OOC: Sorry for the long inactivity guys, my connection was down for two weeks.))

[Shari]

Something was moving through the undergrowth. Even those with keen eyesight would have trouble seeing the strange white scales which were visible through the wet blades of grass now and then. For a ten meter long python, an albino nonetheless, Shari was remarkably stealthy. Crimson eyes peeked through a small opening in the otherwise solid wall of flora, and the snake let his forked tongue escape the confines of his powerful maw several times.

The rain rendered his heat vision nearly useless, and this low to the ground his normal eyesight wasn't optimal either. Thus he had to resort solely to his smelling tongue for observational purposes. The particles in the air betrayed a gathering of a rather unusual group of animals. Lions, hyenas, cheetahs, even old scent trails of the rare Ethiopian wolf.

But there was one scent that stood out from the others, the stench of death and decay. There was only one creature the old python knew that reeked of beings long since passed away, while actually being alive.

"Aah, Grimork. Our paths have yet crossed again." he thought to himself as the edges of his maw curved slightly upwards to form a sickening, almost alien grin.

Without a sound he slithered on, which wasn't that great of an achievement considering the tons of water crashing down from the heavens rendered nearly every sound inaudible. Nonetheless, his banishment from the Pridelands may prove to be interesting after all.

[Kiaku]

The very pregnant female entered the lands. She looked around and saw male and female lions, along with wolves and smaller creatures. Groaning with a snort, she laid down a few yards away from the crowds and started panting in the heat of the day. Her coat was damp and dirty with mud. She looked at Baraz and sighed, "How lucky to be a male." She snorted.

[KanuTGL]

OOC: *is embarrassed about not posting* I'm sorry, guys

Also, Kiaku, This Land (Baraz) is no longer playing in this RP - just thought I'd let you know!

IC: Dhakiya shivered as the voice of the crocodile seemed to almost slither through the air. Was he that close!? She swallowed nervously and tried to get up again. This time her feet were more cooperative.

"Do you know any of these people?" the male wolf whispered.

"Noo, not really..." she replied slowly. "Or, well, I sort of know the croc... But the only thing I know about him is that I'd prefer to be as far away from him as is at all possible." She smiled sheepishly.

"I saw the marbled cheetah run off the other way. Should we pursue him?"

Dhakiya's expression changed into surprise. Marbled cheetah? That might be Zulu! But on the other hand, it might also be someone else who'd rather have a tasty wolf steak for dinner... Though what else could they do right now? Better to take a chance with the cheetah than stay here and instead be at risk of getting eaten by the crocodile. "Yes. Let's." the female replied to the other wolf's question and nodded, getting up slowly. Her paws were obeying her again at least. Always a good sign... "Come on, Okumi, can you walk?" The lion cub nodded slowly, but she was still shaking with fright. "Or, wait, I've got a better idea; climb onto my back." Dhakiya crouched down and let the cub climb onto her. She turned back to the wolf. "Shall we? You saw where he went, so I'll let you take the lead, heh..."

[Tamber]

Jiro nodded as the wolfess responded. Before running by his side she kindly bent down and allowed the lioness cub to climb onto her back. Deep down, Jiro saw something nice about it, maybe even sweet, but he immediately repressed this emotion and started off in the direction the cheetah had gone, running at a considerable speed, since it was a cheetah he was following.

The wolves dashed between the trees, over bushes and small plants, and with each step the sounds of the group they had been spying on grew fainter and fainter. Jiro grew more comfortable as he put more and more ground between him and the foolish animals. What were they thinking, various species clumped together like that and bickering about nothing? How idiotic.
________________________________
Zulu had arrived back at the place he had last been with his full group, but now it was only he who stood by the small stream where they had met the crocodile. It made Zulu miss the little clan he had come into acquaintance with. Reichuru, Kye, Isha...they had all disappeared. And now he found himself separated from Dhakyia, the one who seemed as committed to this clan as he was. He assumed Simulia would go back on her travels, and he had no clue whether Okumi was still alive. Or Dhakyia, for that matter. Though the king cheetah hated being large groups, he didn't mind a little family here and there, and it seemed as if he had lost the friends he had recently made.

Darkness set in with each passing moment. Zulu smelled the remains of the creatures that had been here before, but nothing recent. The bitter truth was that he had no clue where to look. For all he knew, his little friend had run off to survive on her own.

I guess I should do the same. he told himself.
________________________________
The wolves soon found themselves in the place they had begun, back by the stream the crocodile had inhabited before, by the valley of molehills. It was much more serene this time around, with no one bickering, attacking, or scheming animals. It seemed that the group he had been following all day had ended up going their separate ways, which was no surprise to Jiro. Animals of separate species can't stick together. They only fight and quarrel, as the last group of imbeciles had proven.

But there was one thing Jiro saw as he stopped running and peered between the trees. The cheetah they had been seeking was here, seemingly lost and confused at being alone. Probably a weakling who crumbles when separated from social support.

"There's your friend," Jiro said blandly. "I uuhh...it's nice to meet you...ma'am," he said with little emotion, but sincere words, all the same. He hated that he had done so much and yet he was now letting the wolfess go without so much as a chat. It hurt to watch a fellow wolf slip away again, but what choice did he have? Join this group of outcasts? No, sir.

[KanuTGL]

Running with the lion cub on the back was much easier than carrying her by the scruff of her neck, and the way out of the woods felt shorter than the way into them. Soon they reached the edge and came to a halt.

"There's your friend." said the male wolf and Dhakiya peered into the dimness of the rain, trying to spot the cheetah. It took her a couple of seconds, but there he was! She sighed with relief; Zulu seemed unhurt, thus all was not lost. Though where was Simulia? Hadn't they run off together...?

"I uuhh...it's nice to meet you...ma'am,"

Dhakiya turned to him and smiled. "It's nice to meet you too." she said, not really taking notice of that he was trying to leave. "If not for you I wouldn't have made it! I'm Dhakiya, from the pack up North that, well... doesn't exist any more... Where's your pack?" She sincerely hoped that he'd say 'Oh, they're just on the other side of that hill over there!', but somehow she knew that that wasn't the reply she was going to get. He didn't seem like an all too sociable wolf to begin with... But that didn't mean he lacked kindness - he had helped her and Okumi after all, hadn't he? "Or, wait, you can tell me later. I need to let Zulu know we're okay! Come on!" The wolfess darted off towards her friend the cheetah and quite simply assumed that the other wolf would follow her. Dhakiya was by now not very rust-coloured any more, she looked more like some sort of brown dog and many blades of soaked grass and moss were tangled into her fur, but there would be time to tend to that later... hopefully. If they had been able to see the sun, it would be almost sunset now and night meant more darkness and more danger. For things that hid in their dark dens in daylight came crawling and slithering out in the dark... "Zulu! Zulu! Over here!" she howled through the curtain of rain and came to a stop in front of her friend, a worried look on her face. "Are you okay? Where's Simulia?"

[rinafish]

Ooc: Oi vay. I'm still a little lost, so if I'm wrong about anything PLEASE correct me, xD, and sorry its kind of short o:

Bic:

Spencer's eyes fluttered open, his vision slightly blurred as his violet iris's searched around. He lay flat on his side in a puddle of mudd, under the safety of an umbrella tree. His fur felt heavy, he was soaked, and dirty. He sat up, and lowered his head a little, looking around.

"Where am I...?" Spencer quietly asked himself, his fogged up vision made it even worse to see. He violently shook his body as he tred to get the mud from his body. Turning around to face the tree, he got on his hind legs and dug his claws into the tree. He was still fairly young, and didn't weigh much as he had a rather lighter build. He then began sliding his lower paws onto the tree as his front paws began climbing. Easily reaching a high branch he stood on it, then flopped on his belly under the leaves. He glared around at what was infront and beneath him.. Nothing really interesting besides the rain, mudd, and foggyness. His right eye was terrible, one of the main reasons for the extra groggy sight.