Post by Niara Malika on Jul 28, 2011 16:40:41 GMT -8
Niara had never smelled death. She was amazed that she recognized it, having never encountered it before. Her nostrils gave an experimental twitch, drawing the horrifying smell closer. It stunk of hopelessness, despair, helplessness…other horrifying things she didn’t even want to give a name. She wished she could stop breathing the rotten air. She wished she could stop breathing period. She wished she could just drop dead, be done with it all. That’s how this strange place made her feel, like death was a present wrapped in sunshine. A gift she couldn’t have, held just out of her claws reach no matter how desperately she leapt for it.
With a sigh, the lioness stopped padding forwards and closed her golden eyes as they filled with tears. She wanted to weep. For the deaths of her loved ones, for the loss of her beautiful plains home where the way the air smelled made you just want to run until you couldn’t anymore. Everything was right there. The sun was white hot in the center of the blue sky, the plains grasses spread on and on, occasionally stopped by the thin form of an Acacia tree, or the gnarled massive body of the Baobab near the watering hole. She recalled the sense of power she had lived in, knowing that she was queen of her own pride, never hungry but always proud in the knowledge that it was her and her female kin that kept food in plentiful supply for them and her powerful mate. At the thought of food, her stomach rumbled. She had barely eaten during the long trek here. When she had been allowed to hunt, it was because he was hungry. Scarcely had seven mouthfuls gone down her throat before she’d been chased away from the kill which had been brought down with her own teeth and claws. Niara felt her mouth begin to curl into a nasty snarl, but before it could escape, something hit her heavily in the side. Her eyes flew open with a gasp of surprise at the impact. She winced as the scabs on her left side cracked open and bled, hot and sticky on her fur.
With pained agility, she whirled around to see what hit her. A giant cat was stalking away in the other direction, his pelt the color of a sunset sky striped with black. His jaws hung open as he panted, exposing brilliant white teeth. Niara’s ears pressed back flat along her skull. She didn’t recognize any of the cats around her, with the exception of the cheetahs and leopards. None of them moved to help her, or had sympathy in their eyes. This merciless place was filled with cats coming and going, some in the condition she was in, some worse. You could easily spot who was a slave and who was a person of privilege. Never had she seen so many fat cats, sleek and well fed. Her own coat was becoming patchy and unkept, crusted with old and new blood. She glanced up at the giant rocks that held everyone together on the narrow path, some with cats going in and out. Holes towards the tops exposed cats resting in them, lounging like leopards in trees. Never in her life had she even imagined such a place.
Niara grimaced as a cuff came to her head, as if she was being a naughty cub who needed punishment only with much more force and anger behind it. She let loose a small growl. “Shut up,” said the male lion beside her “Keep moving. We’re almost at our destination.” She shrank close to him. This was all his fault, but at least he was familiar unlike the strange hell surrounding her. “Someday,” she whispered in her head, menace filling the thoughts “I’ll kill you, Nyeboni.” They continued along, moving both with and against the chaos of the street. Nyeboni stopped suddenly, causing her to bump into him. He flicked his tail with annoyance but surprisingly didn’t reach back to claw her yet again. His back was stiff, and Niara knew he was almost as skittish and scared as she was. This was a strange place for him too. She moved a few inches forward, peering around his large shoulder. “Whatever you do,” he threatened quietly “Don’t speak unless spoken to, agree with everything I say, and do exactly what I tell you to do. If you don’t obey me now, the lives of your cubs are forefit. Understand?” Niara’s jaw tightened with anger, but she nodded. She didn’t know it yet, but she had just signed away her life.
word count ;; seven-hundred-and-sixty-eight.
reserved for;; Lulu with Graverobber.
ooc notes;; First post with Niara! Not all my posts are this long...I just have lots of pent up muse!
With a sigh, the lioness stopped padding forwards and closed her golden eyes as they filled with tears. She wanted to weep. For the deaths of her loved ones, for the loss of her beautiful plains home where the way the air smelled made you just want to run until you couldn’t anymore. Everything was right there. The sun was white hot in the center of the blue sky, the plains grasses spread on and on, occasionally stopped by the thin form of an Acacia tree, or the gnarled massive body of the Baobab near the watering hole. She recalled the sense of power she had lived in, knowing that she was queen of her own pride, never hungry but always proud in the knowledge that it was her and her female kin that kept food in plentiful supply for them and her powerful mate. At the thought of food, her stomach rumbled. She had barely eaten during the long trek here. When she had been allowed to hunt, it was because he was hungry. Scarcely had seven mouthfuls gone down her throat before she’d been chased away from the kill which had been brought down with her own teeth and claws. Niara felt her mouth begin to curl into a nasty snarl, but before it could escape, something hit her heavily in the side. Her eyes flew open with a gasp of surprise at the impact. She winced as the scabs on her left side cracked open and bled, hot and sticky on her fur.
With pained agility, she whirled around to see what hit her. A giant cat was stalking away in the other direction, his pelt the color of a sunset sky striped with black. His jaws hung open as he panted, exposing brilliant white teeth. Niara’s ears pressed back flat along her skull. She didn’t recognize any of the cats around her, with the exception of the cheetahs and leopards. None of them moved to help her, or had sympathy in their eyes. This merciless place was filled with cats coming and going, some in the condition she was in, some worse. You could easily spot who was a slave and who was a person of privilege. Never had she seen so many fat cats, sleek and well fed. Her own coat was becoming patchy and unkept, crusted with old and new blood. She glanced up at the giant rocks that held everyone together on the narrow path, some with cats going in and out. Holes towards the tops exposed cats resting in them, lounging like leopards in trees. Never in her life had she even imagined such a place.
Niara grimaced as a cuff came to her head, as if she was being a naughty cub who needed punishment only with much more force and anger behind it. She let loose a small growl. “Shut up,” said the male lion beside her “Keep moving. We’re almost at our destination.” She shrank close to him. This was all his fault, but at least he was familiar unlike the strange hell surrounding her. “Someday,” she whispered in her head, menace filling the thoughts “I’ll kill you, Nyeboni.” They continued along, moving both with and against the chaos of the street. Nyeboni stopped suddenly, causing her to bump into him. He flicked his tail with annoyance but surprisingly didn’t reach back to claw her yet again. His back was stiff, and Niara knew he was almost as skittish and scared as she was. This was a strange place for him too. She moved a few inches forward, peering around his large shoulder. “Whatever you do,” he threatened quietly “Don’t speak unless spoken to, agree with everything I say, and do exactly what I tell you to do. If you don’t obey me now, the lives of your cubs are forefit. Understand?” Niara’s jaw tightened with anger, but she nodded. She didn’t know it yet, but she had just signed away her life.
word count ;; seven-hundred-and-sixty-eight.
reserved for;; Lulu with Graverobber.
ooc notes;; First post with Niara! Not all my posts are this long...I just have lots of pent up muse!
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