A Burning Heart

The male could hardly believe how large he'd grown, his paws were huge and so was his body, he was easily one of the biggest males of the pride now. His sandy golden coat was blanketed around his shoulders by a large and thick chocolate brown mane that he kept groomed. The untamable swirl of his bangs had returned full force now and he'd just accepted it, he couldn't get rid of it so why bother with fretting over it. Maliki had found himself restless that day and he had wandered into the Elephant Graveyard as a result, it was close to the pridelands but he didn't mind, it let him watch the border better. Patrols weren't necessarily his job but he liked them, he had a fighting spirit in his body and it at least gave him some illusion of importance. Better than lounging around all day like he was sure Kusu was doing at this very moment, most likely with the girls.

Maliki ran full tilt at a wall behind a particularly high skull, turning at the last moment so he could use the surface as a springboard and propel himself to the top of the skull. His claws dug into the bone and he shimmied his way to the top, the breeze ruffling his mane but doing little to calm the heat that gripped the lands. The wind was a warm one and not by any means cold, to escape it one would have to travel to the Coldlands, or near it, and it was forbidden to trespass even if the King was friendly and had a truce with the Shadowlanders. He'd been resistant at first and he couldn't deny he was still restless but the Shadowlands had become his home, and the pride his family much like the renegade cubs had been when he was young. They still stuck close of course but now it was more out of comfort than need like when they had first arrived.

He layed down on his belly, facing the Pridelands border, his dark blue eyes following the clear line to him and looking out for any trespassers. He doubted there would be any, things had been deathly quiet lately and it was both a relief and worrisome all at once. What if their neighbors had kicked the bucket? What if the whole pride had died. He had heard stories by now about the Pridelands and what was happening under their King and his reign, it was sickening and more than once he'd felt himself itching to take a small force of lions to overthrow the bastard and take the lands back for that pride. They deserved a better leader than the one they'd been settled with. He frowned deeply and let out a snort through is nose in displeasure, just thinking about it boiled his blood, but he knew the King would never agree to something like that. Not while the Hyena's sided with the Dark King Scar.

It was a pity but Ni was right, they didn't need the wrath of the dogs brought down on them, not with new cubs wandering around. Royal cubs. The Queen had given birth to a litter of three, and they seemed to be growing steadily and healthily to the young male, but he'd never been around newborns much in his days yet so he didn't truly know. Regardless the Queen seemed happy and so did the rest of the family so that was what mattered, at least for now, it didn't make Maliki feel any better about their continued indifference to the Pridelanders suffering.

It seemed that despite countless warnings the Lowlander Princess had received, she heeded none of them and continued to go on her adventures, each time further and into more dangerous lands then the last. Her mother's had constantly scolded her and she'd ever been under surveillance more than once so she didn't sneak off and vanish into the open plains - but the moment that she was free of her grounding experience, she was off and exploring again. She cared not for the punishments but deemed the adventure's she had to be worth it. She didn't like being locked up, but if she never explored than she would never experience anything and how could she be a good Queen if she knew nothing of the dangers that were in the world or even anything about the lands that bordered her own? No, she thought that she was just raining herself to be a good Queen and setting herself up for when she would become royalty. She wanted to make her mother's proud.

Of course, the Lowlands would not have herself as a Queen if one of her missions or 'quests' as she preferred to call them, for knowledge went deadly wrong but she worried naught about that, preferring to have faith in herself and her own capabilities. She'd learnt the art of being stealthy and sneaky, and she'd fled from more than a few dangerous situations. If her mother's ever knew about the dangers she'd experienced she would never be allowed out of the cave - something that Nyima did not desire at all. Naturally, the young lioness was cautious whenever it came to her mother's finding out about her adventures and she never let them know just how close she was to being captured and they would've lost her forever. That would destroy her mothers but it didn't seem to stop Nyima from being reckless.

Nyima had made her decision today though - and it was to travel farther than she ever had before. Her feet carried her over the land as she raced along faster than she thought possible, her eyes narrowed in concentration as a laugh toppled off of her lips. She threw her head back and soared over the land, light as a feather but fast as a cheetah - well, almost. She felt her chest constrict as air became difficult to breathe from the speed she was running at and she forced herself to slow enough that she could capture her breath which had escaped her once more. She halted and lifted her paw to wipe the sweat that had built on her forehead away from her face. It was common knowledge that lions were sprinters, not endurance runners which was why it took Nyima from the early hours of the morning to finally reach her destination - far, far away. A scent hit her nose and she looked at the barren lands before her, smelling decay and deceased creatures. She tilted her head and moved forwards.

Rounding a hill which had been blocking her view, Nyima gasped in shock, horror, and then grinned with delight at the sight before her. There were large, decaying elephant skulls and bodies all around her and it was the perfect playground for an adventurous young lioness! She giggled in delight and ran straight into the thick of it, not thinking of the dangers as she climbed up the skulls and weaved through the bodies, jumping from one to the other and holding back woops of laughter as she did so. Her footing slipped a few times but after pouncing around she managed to get the hang of it and lithely leapt from elephant to elephant until another scent hit her nose - a lion's. She leapt over to another elephant and landed softly, peering over the side where the scent was strongest. He seemed slightly tense and so Nyima decided not to tackle him. "Hello?"

Sandy gold ears swiveled in the direction of sudden noise and the large male turned his head towards the excited woops of a lioness. Whoever it was sounded like they were having a lot of fun, he smiled slightly, he wondered if it was one of his girls that was doing it and lifted his nose to scent the air. He couldn't smell whoever it was, the wind was carrying his scent towards them but theirs away and he frowned but settled again on his skull. He was sure if it was Kiseki or one of the other girls he was about to turn into their lounge chair, he always played like it annoyed him but it really didn't, something about the closeness and warmth was comforting to him and the childishness let him deny that they were all growing up and apart eventually.

He kept his blue eyes trained to the horizon and a small but hidden smile on his lips as he waited. Maybe he would pounce them first this time, but they were all so small and it was too high up to be safe so he stayed put instead and tried to keep himself serious. He could hear scrabbling close and he ducked his head away, acting as if he was totally distracted by something in the opposite direction, let them have their pouncing fun. However when a voice spoke up instead of a pounce he was startled and he immediately climbed to his feet, his full height towering over the lioness he turned to face, an unknown lioness. His face registered shock first, then a cold suspicion and he slightly narrowed his eyes at the female. What was she doing trespassing on Shadowlander land? Unless she had just arrived this morning, but Ni usually made sure everyone knew when a newcomer had joined the pride, he'd done so with the cubs so why not this one.

"What are you doing here, these lands are owned by the Shadowlands Pride" he had snapped the question but felt bad after a moment. She looked harmless, her coat with a soft shade of milk chocolate and her eyes a bright and innocent blue, he was being too harsh with her. Though didn't he always hope that a lion would have been firm with Kiseki every time she trespassed to persuade her to stay home, maybe that was what he needed to do...or maybe not. He cleared his throat but kept his expression the same, "I mean...are you distressed, in need of help?" he tried to salvage his first impression but he was a warrior after all, or so he fancied himself. He had to appear strong and be loyal to his new pride, they deserved their safety and female or not he had to see what her intentions were here. Maybe she was just exploring, she did look young, somewhere around his own age actually.

Nyima lithely jumped down beside the lion but her grin fell away from her lips as he towered over her, a menacing look on his face. She felt fear rush through her and she immediately took a step back, resisting an urge to cower beneath his cold, suspicious gaze. She didn't realise he was so big, and though he looked to be around her age he was much taller than herself. She cowered slightly, giving into the urge to flatten herself to the ground to look less suspicious. She slowly lowered her body, legs trembling. She remembered the images of herself and her friend who she had not seen since, remembered the tall lion with a crazed look in his eyes as he swiped at her young figure. She knew she would've been dead if it wasn't for her mother. But her mother was no where around and if this lion wanted to hurt her than she had no one to protect her this time.

A voice in the back of her head that sounded a lot like her mother's shouted that she was being ridiculous, she was to be the Queen of the Lowlands and should not allow another to talk to her as such when she meant no harm. Nyima straightened up her position and wondered how her mother's would deal with this. With a calm and level head, showing they meant no harm and were merely exploring. She stared at him hard for a moment, before dipping her head politely in greeting. "I don't think that's any way to speak to a lioness who means no harm. I'm merely exploring is all." She responded, not able to conceal the upset in her tone. She didn't like being talked to like that, it made her feel like a foolish young cub and she didn't like feeling like that.

She was just making an attempt to expand her knowledge of the world around her, after all, a Queen who knew nothing about the world around her was hardly a Queen at all. He seemed to soften after considering his reaction and Nyima didn't even notice the smile cross her muzzle. She always liked making new friends, and even someone who'd originally spoken to her in such a way that made her feel frightened and guilty at first and then tried to make up for it was friend material in Nyima's mind. "Nope i'm just exploring! I like to know more about the world and I can't be a very good - I mean it's just good to know lots about the world around you so that you can know the dangers and all of that!" She exclaimed with a grin, sitting down. "The Shadowlanders Pride? I've never heard of it! Are you in the Pride?" Nyima didn't consider she could even sound like a spy, she was just curious.

He did feel guilty when the female started to flatten herself to look less imposing, her body moving to the ground with a tremble. He supposed he understood, he was an imposing figure as far as males went with a strong and large build, he couldn't imagine the fear she felt and he huffed softly. Whatever instinct had flattened her to the ground was pushed aside as she stood again and reprimanded him for being rude to her, his mouth almost fell open at that, his lips did part and he looked at her like she was crazy for a moment. She had to be kidding? Regardless of her intentions, trespassing was trespassing, he was being far kinder than some might have been but rather than get unpleasant he let her dip her head in greeting and continue with her words. This young lioness was baffling already.

Her high spirits however returned and when she sat he let himself do so as well, he had a feeling he was going to be here for a minute. And he was right as she was already asking him questions, it was nice to know at least that she hadn't trespassed on purpose but by pure chance. He could sympathize with her to a point, when he'd moved his small pride of cubs in the Savannah he'd made sure to check every inch of where they were staying for various reasons. Maybe she was new to the area, a rogue, he'd have to ask her but he'd answer her questions first of course. "You must be from far away if you don't know of us, but yes, I am part of the pride" he answered truthfully and shifted slightly, his tail wrapping around his legs with the tip twitching occasionally. He peered at her a little closer and raised a brow with a slightly disbelieving look, "So you're not from around here are you? Just where are you from, if you don't mind me asking" he questioned.

She couldn't be a Coldlander, or even a Pridelander or Desertlander. For one she had no idea they existed and the other three certainly knew about the, except maybe the Pridelanders but she was too well fed and healthy to have been one of them. Even their females were skin and bones at this point, he'd seen very few who looked like they'd had a good meal in a while. Troubling times when a Pride came to that point, and it showed what a sad excuse for a King they had if he'd let them get there. That of course begged the question of where she was from again, there were other lands out there of course he was sure, he'd traveled enough to know that but he'd never bothered to investigate himself, it was too dangerous to trespass as a cub.

Nyima knew she had severe personality crisis problems, but it never seemed to bother the young lioness. No, it was more of a bother to others than the crazy, light brown lioness herself. Lions that she had come across through her youthful years when she'd discovered the fun of breaking the rules and running off to explore had been baffled by how much of an emotional roller coaster she could be. One moment, she was cold, calculating, scrutinising them and judging every movement they made despite the fact that she was the one trespassing on their land. The next, she would be a bouncy, cheerful cub excited to make friends with anyone and everyone. It was no wonder that Maliki looked a little confused by her sudden mood swing from fear to reprimanding to cheerful and friendly.

Nyima wrapped her tail around her body, the end flicking lightly as she scratched her claws into the earth like she always did when she was thoughtful, her vivd blue eyes resting on the lion and examining his coat. It was a dusty orange colour, resembling the sand she remembered when she'd wandered on the border of the desert that she'd sought out to find her childhood friend, Akili. A fond smile appeared on her muzzle just thinking about the young cub - though their meeting had been filled with danger, he had been the one to tempt Nyima into a life of wandering and curiosity, and she was grateful for it. Her eyes moved from his coat that was in-between the orange-golden sun and the sandy deserts up to his mane, a rich brown colour. After much deliberation, Nyima decided she liked his coat - she hadn't seen an orange coat before save for Kiburi's, but his was far paler than hers.

Nyima looked around her and her lips thinned. Though this area was certainly fun for a playful lioness such as herself, she was not sure how a Pride could live here - but then she had been fortunate to grow up in the Lowlands, she knew this by now. She had yet to come across the Outlands which would shock the young lioness surely due to the terrible conditions that those who lived there were in. "I'm from the Lowlands, it's quite far away from here," Nyima had been taught from a young age that giving information to strangers was a danger, but she had never really paid attention and would most likely pay for her mistake later in life. At the moment though, she was quite content to tell him about her homeland. "Doesn't look at all like this place, and you say this is your prides land?" She looked around skeptically, suddenly wondering if he was insane. After all, she could see nor hear anyone else around, it was just him. She looked back at him and tilted her head - he didn't look it.

He could see the disbelief in the females face when her lips thinned and she seemed to squint at the Elephant Graveyard they were in. True the Ashlands did look desolate but the pride made it's life in the area with only a few hardships to contend with, it made them stronger in Maliki's opinion. When she told him where she was from his mouth dropped open slightly before he shook his head and closed it again, he had seen the Lowlands once from afar, a jungle heaven that most animals coveted but that was owned. She was far from home indeed if that was where she was from, and he wondered what would dare draw her from somewhere like that to a place like this. Adventurous spirit most likely, "You are far from home" he commented with a slight wideness to his eyes before his expression was somewhat tamed.

Again she was skeptical but this time clearly so and he lifted his chin higher, "Yes it is, not just this area, we have more land. This is just one of the many edges, the Elephant Graveyard to be exact" he explained with a clear pride in his tone. Regardless of their lands being less than ideal this was still his home now and he was proud of the pride that lived here, even if he wasn't one of their own by birth like most. He cleared his throat, "I'm not the king or anything though, just a humble guardian of the borders" he would have said warrior but that might have sounded a tad too pompous and that's not what he wanted to convey at all. He let his head lower slightly again and he paced a little to the side of the large skull to peer down. He saw no one below and he wigged before springing towards a tusk that he used to bounce his paws off of so he could reach the ground safely.

He peered up at her with a slight smile, "You might want to come down from there, your scent is spreading all through the wind" he suggested and shook out his own mane. His scent was fine, he was a well known entity in this area but an unknown female could rouse both suspicion and unwanted attention, the last thing he needed was this female getting hurt on his watch. He wondered if she could make it down without hurting herself, maybe he should let her land on his back if she wanted, she didn't look that heavy and he was a sturdy male. "Do you need any help?" he called out and quirked his head to get a better look at her in the glaring sun.