Sacred Ground

The spy from the Pridelands had been pursuing his given mission for several days now. Korofi had passed up the Shadowlands and somehow found himself in the Desertlands for his first visit to the neighboring territories. After a brief encounter in the sandy kingdom, he had returned to the savanna, where rogues were free to wander without fear of being chased away from a protective pride. By chance, Korofi had discovered the dais considered sacred to some lions. But Korofi was not a religious lion, not by any stretch of the imagination. His parents had been extremely faithful to the idea of the Great Spirit, but the notion was ridiculous to Korofi. He could sense that this was a special spot to many, but the significance of the holy site was lost on the lion.

Sitting down with a weary grunt, his piercing jade eyes scanned the immediate area in search of life. It had been days since his last meal, and though Korofi was accustomed to a life of hunger, he was beginning to feel his body revolt against his constant activity. He felt light-headed, and so the chance to rest in such a seemingly secluded place was welcomed by the dull pelted lion. If he was fortunate, a random herd would happen upon him there, but he knew not to get his hopes up. His dark nostrils scented the breeze anyway, in case it was to be his lucky day after all.

Korofi tried to remember everything that Scar had told him about the other kingdoms. He knew that the desert had been directly east of the Pridelands, and that a place called the Shadowlands was northward of the savanna he now occupied. Unknowingly, he was closer to the Shadowlands than he realized, but his sense of direction was off due to his weakened state. Then, his nostrils detected the smell of someone else close by, and his ears perked up as he looked around diligently for any signs of movement near him. His body was pressed low to the ground now, in case the newcomer was feeling less than friendly.

The last few months had treated Abuto surprisingly well. The young lioness had managed to hold her own against the elements and creatures of the various lands she had roamed, though generally it meant sneaking and running away -- but Abuto was okay with that. She knew she had neither the strength nor courage to stand up to most creatures, especially the ones bigger than her, and she understood it was simply her way of life to submit to such creatures and turn tail when needed. Once she had accepted this, seeing the alternative basically suicide, Abuto’s outlook brightened somewhat. She had managed to figure out how to survive on her own, and explored territories she’d never come across before -- cautiously of course -- looking into nooks and crannies of the different lands and finding it all very interesting. But the life of a rogue was grating on Abuto recently. While curious, she was never a lioness who looked for trouble or excitement. While her explorations were fun, she was beginning to think her curiousness of the world was more or less sated.

So she had spent some time in the Desertlands, among the larger pride that ruled the lands. Quanna was a very welcoming queen who let her stay as long as she wished. The rogue had toyed with the idea of staying, but the climate of the Desertlands took its toll on the dark lioness, who simply was not used to such weather. It had been a few weeks now since she’d taken up momentary residence in the Desertlands, spending most of her in the Stonghold side of the valley to stay in the coolness of the caves, as she hated spending too long with the desert pride, worried she didn’t quite fit in despite the niceties. And Abuto hated to be a bother. She liked the valley enough, coming across the Stone Dias a short while back, and finding herself oddly comforted by the religious monument.

Abuto never thought herself particularly religious, though her mother had told her stories. But a certain level of spirituality, perhaps, the lioness had. At least more so as she spent more time near the religious site, which she visited most every day now. It surprised her how much comfort she found in some stone steps, but it was on this side of the valley, especially at night beneath the stars, where she felt closest to her deceased mother. Overall, despite several hardships she had run into, the young rogue’s mood had been lifted a good amount from when she first started her life as a rogue. The taunting voices of her old pride still rang in her head, but not at the same pitch as they used to. Her self-confidence hadn’t changed much, but she had accepted it as it was, which had helped in some weird way. She had grown an inch or two and filled out a bit, her paws no longer awkwardly bigger than normal, and she finally looked at least a bit more like a real lioness rather than a cub, though she was still smaller than average. And even now, a bit past three years old, her spots remained. Abuto’s hope that she would grow out of them was waning, and she had yet to be comfortable with that aspect of her appearance.

Padding from the small cave she had been napping in, Abuto came up to the Stone Dias again in hopes of feeling her mother’s presence once more. But this time, something was off. Very much so, actually. Her skin beneath her russet coat tingled as if shot by a cold breeze, though no such thing had happened. The scent of another came to her, surprising the lioness. She’d yet to run into any others in this area -- it had seemed the religious monument had been more or less forgotten, and she had secretly enjoyed the solitude of it. She thought about turning around, but she was already here as it was, and perhaps the visitor would be on his way soon, so Abuto cautiously approached.

Once the other rogue was in sight, Abuto froze, tail flicking, taking the lion in. He was pale with a dark mane and seemed worn, and he was pressed near the ground much like Abuto usually positioned herself. Except where Abuto would always be sincerely submissive, the rogue seemed more crouched for action, and she hesitated to move closer. “Oh, uh, hello,” The russet rogue greeted softly, watching him warily, the natural fear she got when meeting a new lion taking hold of her heart once more despite herself. “I wasn’t expecting others around the monument...” She regarded him closely, tilting her head and running his appearance across her memory, finding nothing. “You’re not from these parts, are you?”

In most cases, it was the scent of another animal that grabbed Korofi's attention first, and his sense of smell hadn't failed him this time. He saw the russet lioness moments before she addressed him, and his curiosity was immediately heightened. If there was one thing he enjoyed, it was running into a lone lioness in a territory that was unclaimed. In neutral lands, a rogue is essentially free to do as he pleases. For a male lion, this could especially come in handy when encountering a lioness foolish enough to risk to life of a rogue on her own.

A wide, toothy grin was flashed when Abuto asked if her was a local to those parts. "No, I'm not. I wasn't aware that someone claimed this place," he assumed aloud. The lioness had appeared from a cave that Korofi had failed to notice, so he assumed that she lived there. In spite of his assumption, he made no attempt to leave, instead rising to a sitting position from where he had been crouched. Whoever this lioness was, it was clear she was no threat, but Korofi's muscles remained tense. Even a small lion could inflict a great deal of damage, if one drops their guard.

By the look of her, Korofi could tell immediately that she was a rogue, whether or not she claimed the monument as her residence. She was lean, but the lioness also looked as if her growth had been stunted. By her scent alone, Korofi could tell that she was fully matured into adulthood, but she was small. Perhaps she had been the runt of her litter, or was starved and hadn't had proper nutrition as a cub. Her unusual spots were difficult to miss, and the lion's cruel green eyes traced Abuto's form with an amused grin. "Either you need to give yourself a bath, or you're the biggest infant I have ever laid eyes on.

Ever restless, Korofi did not remain sitting for long. After the taunting words had parted his lips, he stood again, sauntering closer to the little lioness. He obviously had no fear of her, though he would be quick to defend, if she decided to lash out at him as he inched closer. A few feet still remained between the two lions before he stopped. His head lowers, mane falling before his eyes. "What's your name, mini? Do you live here all by your lonesome?" His tail flicked quickly, like a cub's tail before he practices his pouncing skills.

The rogue sat up and mentioned not realized another had claimed the area, though made no move to leave. Abuto frowned, but decided not to correct him. She had more or less claimed this place, though for a short time, and she wasn’t planning on making her home here, especially as she would need to find food again soon. But it may be safer to let him assume as he did, she thought. His muscles were tensed, which just reminded her of her disadvantage as a small, lone lioness. Not like she needed reminding. Her own muscles remained tense and maw pursed, keeping her guard up. She noted the fact he didn’t care to tell where he was from, if not here. He was rugged and lean, his mane rather wild, and she figured he too was a rogue. A hungry rogue at that, as he seemed thin and still worn out, no doubt due to the desert’s environment. The weeks she had spent here had gotten her body used to the heat of the day and chill of the night, though she still had difficultly moving over the sand, which usually felt more like wading through it. Still, it didn’t take much for the desert to sap the energy out of it’s inhabitants, and Abuto still didn’t really enjoy the climate.

Abuto froze as his eyes traced over her form, and he might as well have just brushed his body over hers with how invasive the simple sight-study felt, even worse with his added grin. He commented on her spots, calling her both dirty and cubish in one breath, in a way that reminded her of the taunts of her old pride. She wasn’t really surprised, but her mouth fell open and ears dropped. Shoulders hunched slightly, Abuto stared down at her paws, unsure how to respond to such a taunt. “They’re natural...,” She mumbled, rubbing her paw against on of the spots on her legs to no avail. Wide eyes flickered up as she watched him draw closer, even though he stopped a comfortable distance away, more or less. She remembered what Nyota had told her months ago, “S-Some consider them royal markings.” Abuto did her best to stand up a little straighter, like she had been practicing, but his chilling gaze made it difficult.

“I live where I wish, which is currently here, but I have several friends nearby. ” The rogue said, unwilling to reveal her true state of solitary. “Have you met the Desertlanders yet? They’re quite the pride, to survive so long in conditions like this.” Abuto added, keeping her tone steady, hoping to make it clear that she was not alone, even if she really was. When his tail flicked she instinctively flinched, crouching down, fully expecting him to leap at her. But his smirk mocked her actions, and she grimaced, slowly straightening up again.

“I’m, uh, Abuto.” She finally said, hesitating slightly and still regarding him warily, though unsure what harm giving him her name could cause. “So if you’re not from around here, where are you from?” She finally asked. The lioness didn’t move, though she really should’ve just turned around when she had the chance. Retreating now wouldn’t do any good, she figured. “And why are you here if you’re not from these parts? It’s not exactly the most flourishing of places for a rogue to stay.”

The lioness stuttered in response to his heartless observation, and Korofi knew he had struck a nerve. Everyone animal had their insecurities, and it was easy for the lion to guess what hers might be. To be smaller than average was an obvious disadvantage, and Abuto an easy target for his bullying. Korofi had always had a knack for being insensitive to the point of cruelty, and it was a trait he had embraced during his time spent alone. He seldom had the opportunity to harass a lone lioness, and he was going to enjoy the mental abuse and the comedy that would ensue. "Royal markings? Come on. You don't really believe that, do you? I don't believe I've seen anyone less regal in all my life."

The lioness claimed to have friends nearby, but until he saw them with his own eyes, he would not accept this as the truth. At the mention of the desert pride, Korofi began to chuckle under his breath, as if he was recalling a dark joke. "As a matter of fact, I've just come from the Desertlands myself. My time spent there was brief, but memorable," he said vaguely, but there was a gleam in his emerald eyes as he thought of it. At least one desert lioness would not be forgetting the rogue anytime soon, but this information was kept to himself. If Abuto's nearest friends were in the desert, than Korofi felt comfortable inching closer still to the russet loner. The dunes and sand were not far, but the pride there would never be able to hear her cries for help, no matter how desperate.

"Korofi," he offered his name in his low, gruff voice, offering a nod of acknowledgement. Manners and politeness were useless for a rogue, and he made no false pretenses with the small russet female. "I'm from nowhere." His tone suggested that he was irritated by all of Abuto's inquiries, but his expression seemed amused nonetheless. Now that he was fully matured, even the most annoying lioness had her redeeming qualities -- namely, that she was female, and a young lion like Korofi wasn't terribly picky.

"I was just passing through. Nothing more. Normally days can pass and I won't see anyone else, but here we are. We can make the most of our meeting, can't we, Abuto? You have nowhere else to be. Isn't that so? And neither do I." His muzzle was parted with a sick grin that suggested what the rogue had in mind, now that he was fairly confident the two were utterly alone in a place seldom visited by anyone else. The place may have been safe for Abuto before, but now Korofi knew how to find it. The pale lion slipped closer to the small lioness, taking in her scent. He was uncomfortably close now, awaiting her response, his sour breath filling the air between them.

Abuto’s entire body sagged as he mocked her attempts to stick up for herself, spots and all. No one less regal... he was right though. Even Nyota with all her markings had the grace and poise of the queen she was, while little Abuto, status-less, pride-less, and homeless, had about as much grace and poise as a monkey. She stared down at her paws, pursing her lips together into a thin line as she wished for the thousandth time in her life that her spots would just disappear. “They’re n-not that bad,” she tried, unconvincingly to either party, “They’re part of who I am, they make me unique... I-I’m not meant to be regal anyway, I just...” Her voice lowered with each word, finding no comfort in them.

His chuckle was less than pleasant, and she wondered just what had happened there. The lioness shot a quick glance towards where she knew the pride resided, suddenly worried, but knowing there was nothing she could do for them -- let alone herself. As he inched closer, an unsettling gleam in his eyes, the young lioness realized she should be far more worried about herself right now. She flinched when he growled out his name, even the sound of the syllables sounding as harsh as she was realizing this rogue was.

From nowhere... Well, wasn’t that comforting? Abuto’s gaze flicked around the valley, trying to find the best way out of this worsening situation. She did her best to keep her composure, even though that wasn’t much by her standards, as she studied the landscape and ran over her own mental map of the sandscape. The lioness realized with at least some relief that she had some upper hand -- she knew these parts, having lived in them for a few weeks now. She could navigate the nooks and crannies well enough. The russet rogue swallowed, trying to keep herself from falling to his bullying.

Korofi began to approach again, and it was clear he didn’t believe anyone was close enough in the area to be of any help, which caused her ears to sink down against her head once more, her legs starting to shake as the rogue sauntered nearer. His words took a moment to sink in, as Abuto’s mind raced between his proximity, his obvious physical presence over her, her pulse now beginning to race, and his comments. She could hardly even take in his scent, she was so distracted. The russet rogue took two steps back instinctively, ears dropped and body lowering closer to the ground, especially her backside. Abuto didn’t know how to handle this aspect of approach, except that she knew Korofi’s was not a positive one. “N-No, I’m quite fine with our meeting as is. Korofi, from no where, just passing through, yes. I think that was a very good meeting. You should just keep passing through, there’s really nothing of interest here.” Certainly not herself. Her stomach churned and the worry seeping into her limbs was starting to make her want to vomit, but she pushed the feeling back.

“I’m sure we both have other things we should be doing, s-so it’d be better for all parties involved if we just part ways... I’m sure there’s more water and food towards the savannah, there’s no reason to stay here.” She rambled slightly, retreating back with every step he took, though posed to bolt at any moment. The lioness hoped she could talk Korofi out of his plans so she wouldn’t have to fight her way past him and find a new safe haven, but a part of her knew it wasn’t meant to be.

Korofi watched in amusement as his words affected Abuto, and the weight of his insults seemed to be crushing to the meeker of the pair. Though she attempted to defend her unusua markings, the larger lion only laughed, shaking his head as if he felt sorry for her. She struggled to find her words, so Korofi spoke up again to help fill in the blanks. "You're just a rogue. Is that what you're trying to say? Well, I can see that for myself. You don't have a pride to call your own. A loner. Didn't your mother tell you it's not safe for a lioness to roam alone?"

His gaze followed Abuto's as she looked briefly towards the direction Korofi had just come. The male rogue did not intend to return to the desert, aware that they would likely rip him apart if he dared to enter again, but enough distance now separated him from the Desertlands. He wasn't concerned about them, nor was he interested in finding somewhere else to go that day. "I disagree," he said simply in response to Abuto's assurance that there was nothing of interest to be found there. Korofi found the lone lioness to be very interesting, indeed. Clearly, Abuto would rather be rid of the lion, and Korofi could assume why. "Here's what I think: You don't have a friend in the world to call your own. If you do, they're too far away to lend a paw, should disaster strike."

Indeed, disaster was looming, but now Korofi kept the short space between them empty. His green eyes were locked on Abuto's form, awaiting a sudden escape attempt. He knew full well that she wouldn't have it in her to attack, so fleeing seemed the best option for the little russet rogue. "Tell me.." Here he paused, trying to recall the name the lioness had just recited, but he found it had already been lost in his recollection. Oh well, her name wasn't terribly important anyway, and he shrugged it off. "Do you believe in fate, or random chance?"

For being such a blunt, coarse brute of a lion, Korofi did have the ability to philosophize, though for his intents and purposes, he was merely mocking the lioness before he did as he pleased with her. Some days, he thought to himself, it was good to have been born a male. Korofi was not one for pity, but even he could see how great a disadvantage Abuto was at. This would not stop him, naturally. It only made the task that much easier, and the unsettling grin remained plastered across his sharp muzzle.

Abuto let out a breath at the mention of her mother, swallowing to try and find her voice. He was right though, even if every mention of her solitary state seemed almost like a physical blow. He didn’t even need to pick more at her lack of confidence, her mind doing it herself as she did her best to push down the familiar thoughts that plagued her when nothing else was around to distract her: She was weak, tiny, would always be a cub, would never amount to anything, wasn’t worth amounting anyway. No one would ever like her, she would be alone for the rest of her days, or worse... Even with events and a few lions she had met proving these thoughts wrong, once the mind was stuck on negativity, it was hard to remind herself of the kind words offered to her in other lands. “My mother is not in question,” Abuto said, stronger than anticipated, but immediately deflated again, “It was just everyone else that gave me no choice...” She quickly shut her mouth and shook her head -- why was she telling him this?

The russet rogue swallowed when he saw right through her fib. She opened her mouth to say otherwise, but found her voice gone and mouth dry, too aware of his eyes glued to her, as if she were prey. And prey she was. “Y-You’re wrong, I-I...” But her nerves were getting the better of her now, and she couldn’t manage to voice her argument. Even worse, a part of her agreed with him. No friend in the world... well she had some, didn’t she? Nyota, maybe some of the Desterlanders, Ni... but what was a friend really? She was probably more of a bother than everything, met once or twice but no real care past that. She shook her head to try to rid herself of these thoughts -- she had been doing so well in the past few months, but here this rogue was ripping down her defenses again as if the scars on her neck were fresh. “I-I can handle myself just fine.” Abuto said lowly, glaring up at the male, though both knew her statement was really in question, especially now.

Abuto blinked when Korofi asked about fate, thrown off for a moment, pulling her gaze from the surrounding valley to Korofi with raised eyebrows. What? “I...don’t believe in coincidences,” She said, giving him a funny look. Then again, she wasn’t sure what she did believe in, but at least that was a start. Then she realized he was just trying to be posh about what he really wanted, and she pressed her tail closer to her body.

His mention of her friends, or lack thereof, did manage to get her thinking of an escape route. Korofi didn’t know this area as well as her, and might not even know where he was in relation to all the territories. Directly behind Korofi lay the Shadowlands, which weren’t too far away. She may not be able to outrun the bigger lion, but she could outmaneuver him with her knowledge of the landscape, and with Ni and his brother’s scents around, maybe Korofi would be more hesitant to chase her into that territory. “Which do you believe in?” Abuto asked, somewhat curious herself, but mostly in an attempt to distract him as she slowly tried to position herself in the best angle to escape towards the Shadowlands. “My mother always said everything happens for a reason, and I’m inclined to agree with her.”

The larger rogue did not care about Abuto's life story, and seemed to tune her out all together when she made mention of her mother and her former pride, unsympathetic for the tribulations she had faced in the life she had left behind. He was hungry for something other than flesh that day, and there was no denying the evil that graced his thin features. It didn't matter to him that she was small and looked younger than her true age. While many lions were keen on spreading their genetics with the strongest lionesses they could find, Korofi was not interested in fatherhood, or any cub that would be produced while he was young and sowing his wild oats. Let the lionesses raise the cubs, that was their life's purpose, while the fathers remained free to do as they pleased.

As he had expected, his random shot at thoughtfulness threw the lioness off-guard, and she considered Korofi's question with a puzzled expression. He did not realize that his question had given Abuto a chance to ponder her escape options. The little rogue still made no attempt to flee, but Korofi was ready, anticipating. Abuto confessed to having faith that everything happened for a reason, and her response was met with a scornful laugh, as if she was a fool. "Sure, everyone wants to believe that. Wouldn't that be nice and reassuring?" His head shook slowly, cynicism apparent. Korofi was a bitter lion, and a realist.

"I believe that every lion is alone in this life. From beginning to end, we're alone. Some are luckier than others, but life is all chaos." At this, Korofi finally made his move. His body lowered to the ground again, and though he was swift in his movements, it allowed for a few seconds to pass. His attention had strayed from the lioness to gaze around him to be certain that the two were indeed alone. "Nothing happens for a reason. Some days are good, most are bad, and there's nothing anyone can do."

Now Korofi was done with talking. He looked like he was going to pounce her, and he readied himself to spring at the lioness once he had double checked their surroundings. In spite of what Abuto said, Korofi was quite convinced that she could not handle herself just fine, and now he wanted to find out for himself. Some days were bad, as the lion had said, and Abuto's would take a terrible turn if she didn't act quickly. A devilish look lingered in Korofi's jade eyes as he began to growl, low and menacing.

The russet rogue scowled briefly at his mocking laugh, reminding herself to not give her opinions to those who weren’t interested in them. His own opinion of all lions being alone made her frown. She didn’t want to agree with it, but could definitely understand Korofi’s view. “That’s a rather sad outlook,” She commented softly, but quickly brushed away any sympathetic feelings towards the other rogue as he crouched, ready to pounce on her, studying their surroundings -- no doubt to be sure no one would bother them.

Once he finished talking, ending with a rather grim outlook, Korofi turned his sick grin back to Abuto. But for once, she refused to be a helpless as he expected creatures to be. Ears pinned back and body lowered, Abuto tried to ignore his chilling growl and bared her teeth, though knowing she probably looked more laughable than anything. “I beg to differ,” The lioness said lowly, feigning flight to his left before darting to the right, bounding past him with a sudden burst of speed. Abuto bolted, green eyes focused on the edges of the Shadowlands she knew lay in the near horizon. The sand shifted uncomfortably under her paws, threatening to slip beneath her and force her to stumble with every stride, but for once she didn’t fumble.

Abuto didn’t dare look behind her, but kept her ears locked onto Korofi’s growling. Every time the lioness heard his approach she changed direction, darting in and out of dunes, climbing over the sand using the stray rocks as paw holds. The russet rogue kicked up sand behind her whenever she worried he was too close, doing her best to avoid the male’s claws.

The young rogue didn’t stop running. Her spotted body galloped over the landscape as she huffed, tail flicking behind her. She took in scents of air between breaths, heading straight towards the strongest scent of the Shadowlanders she hoped would still offer her protection, deciding life of as a rogue was no longer worth the freedom she never really wanted in the first place.

[[I figured you didn’t want a drawn out flight scene, so I added a sorta exit paragraph, but left it open enough so we could add more if we wanted.]]

Indeed, it was a gloomy outlook for anyone, and for a split second it appeared that Abuto would feel sorry for the rogue, which only made him laugh more. Females were always too emotional, too trusting, and it would lead to the downfall of many. Finally, Abuto looked as if she was going to run one direction, and Korofi fell for it. His mistake would allow the lioness a chance to run before he could spring to life after her, green eyes narrowed. The thrill of the chase was not lost on the lion, but he was not accustomed to the sandy terrain, and his large paws slipped helplessly over the dunes. Abuto quickly gained the upper hand as she fled, and Korofi found it impossible to catch up to her once she was ahead of him.

He hated not getting what he wanted, and when he finally gave up the chase, he snarled after her before belting out an enraged roar. Abuto was safe for now, but she had crossed paths with the wrong lion that day, and the spirits help the lioness if the dark rogue were to ever find her again. Korofi watched with an indignant snort as the small russet form disappeared over the horizon, safe for the time being.

With other business to attend to, Korofi eventually shrugged off the loss. There would be other lionesses, he was sure, though finding one alone was a stroke of good fortunate that Korofi seldom got. He decided it was time to head back to the Pridelands, with information to discuss with the devil king there. Liberating as it was, spying alone had proven to be challenging, and with his mind on the opposite sex, a better idea had crept into his mind as he tread carefully over the warm sand.

[Works for me!]