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Post by Zazu on Mar 11, 2007 2:10:51 GMT -5
Palandasya - Majestic Kopje
Three huge slabs of stone form the base of this majestic sculpture, accentuated by multiple smaller stones along the sides - making climbing at least partway up this structure possible. Acacia trees grow around the base of these giant monoliths, and one or two have found root further up the rock. Entry to the inner cavern is made possible by balanced slabs of rock, accentuated by fallen branches. It's obvious that this space is well-used.
Exits:
[West] to the High Scrubland
[East] to the Baobab Grove
[Into] the kopje
Present:
[ZZZ] Katibu
[ZZZ] Five-Rivers
[ZZZ] Uzuri
[ZZZ] Katana
[ZZZ] Chioh
[ZZZ] Akase
[ZZZ] Maafa
[IC] Adhama
[ZZZ] Kiume
[ZZZ] Kimua
[ZZZ] Hukumu
[ZZZ] Kasia
[ZZZ] Koroshiya
[ZZZ] Limuka
[ZZZ] Tisea
[ZZZ] Sambria
[ZZZ] Kunjuka
[ZZZ] Anja
Adhama sighs with the rising sun, his eyes turned north, wondering, as he had for weeks past, what exactly lay beyond where he could see. Preheps he'll never know, and that's just something he has to accept, but the thought of never knowing is depressing. His new siblings were no where to be found, but as he as witnessed firsthand at the damage they can do...he really isn't worried to much about that. Pity the animal that happens upon them. He paces the mouth of the cave a bit before deciding to take a walk, and see if he can't get the courage to leave and just see what lay beyond the northern horizon.
The wheels of serendipity have not forgotten the juvenile and his wanderlust. As it turns out, he does not have to go far to find the unfamiliar--indeed, not beyond the boundaries of the kopje. The scent of hyena is hard to mistake as soon as he steps outside. It's something more, though...a blend of herbs from someplace unknown...the world's garden in a disturbing aromatic form. The source of the scent isn't visible, but a slight sound of air passing through lungs can be heard somewhere behind the entrance, higher on the kopje.
The scent catches Adhama's nose ever so slightly, not enough to identify, but enough to catch his interest. The cub makes a quick turn, facing back the way he came, towards the kopje. No, not in the kopje itself, but beyond it. Rationalizing that nothing dangerous could have made it this close to home under the watchful eye of his father and uncle, Adhama has no reservations about checking it out. He makes his way back, making no effort at all to be quiet; it's not like he's trying to scare anyone or something, right?
A little trickle of rock on rock punctuates the relative silence. It's like liquid being poured seductively into a fluted wine glass. A wisp of dust curls upward...and above it, the interloper is visible. It's not a typical spotted hyena, though. Aside from the odd combination of scents, this hyena is fat and thickly-furred. His front feet are barely visible against his dark form, under the shag of his fur. His eyes are black and alert; they focus on the juvenile. The creature's lower lip bends inward, where he chews it with a modicum of tension.
When Adhama is presented with the hyena, he is a bit surprised. the first question into his head was the most obvious, and that was what, exactly, was he looking at? What kind of animal? He had yet to see something that looked anything like the creature in front of him. Perhaps it was another wolf? Still a fun word to say- wolf. But to the task at hand, he wasn't sure if he should introduce himself, or assume that since the creature was so near to the kopje that it simply knew everyone already, and had been kept a secret from Adhama. So the cub just stares.
Another patch of stone trickles down the lines of the kopje, and the hyena steps downward slowly. "Good morning," he says. His voice is low and scratchy, though not exactly menacing. His little tail flicks up for a moment as he steps down, closer to the young lion. For now, he's still a fair distance away. "Are you a native to these lands?" the stranger asks.
Adhama nods, still unsure of what to say, his mind fumbling with words. This was obviously new here, and this creature was not part of some vast secret that kept from Adhama, which was slightly heartening. What had his dad said to say to new animals when he met them? Something formal...what was it? His dad had said it would be good practice for when he's king, but Adhama didn't have the best memory. "Who are you?" Not the best manners, either.
The hyena shows no indication that the prince's manners are anything less than impeccable. He nods, blinking briefly. "I am Roho the Thief," he says. "I am an invader." Now his speech rumbles off and the silence faces Adhama--no doubt a pregnant silence, to follow such a statement. Thank goodness for the sweet morning breeze.
There is a pregnant silence alright. Adhama's not quite sure if he heard what he just heard, of if his ears were playing a trick on him. He blinks, trying to watch the other creature for some indication that Adhama had just heard wrong. "Umm.." Adhama says, only a bit louder than a whisper to start, "What?"
"One who does not have sanction to occupy," the hyena explains in the same bass baritone, stepping forward again with a pointed muzzle. "One who comes from afar regardless of immigration law. I am here. I am Roho. Do you know the name of this place?" The nose twitches, and the cheeks move, as if swallowing nothing.
Adhama isn't quite sure what the animal said, the first part, at least, but he gets the feeling that he did not hear the creature's previous statement wrong. And that was classified as a Bad Thing. A Very Bad Thing. "Ummm...Palandasya?" He says, though it sounds like a question. This while encounter suddenly felt wrong to Adhama, as though he had just disobeyed his father or skipped hunting practice. What was the point of teaching him to hunt? the lionesses did that, and teaching him just seemed...get back on track Adhama, focus. "Wha..why?"
The stranger gives his head a little shake, or a toss. "You must have a respect for the knowledge of one's surroudings. You are young...but still, you must know that, mustn't you?" Suddenly he coughs. It's not a pleasant thing to hear, or to see. "Palandasya. Gazers...watchers...some such thing? What do you watch, here? Hm?" He shifts his weight, and a piece of rock tumbles down, landing at Adhama's feet.
The thing's coughing make Adhama wince. Whatever it was, Adhama didn't like it."Watch..? What do we watch? Um..I guess our lands? The herds? Um...sometimes..sometimes I watch the sun set?" He isn't quite sure what the thing is asking him.
The hyena stares pointedly at the youth with his deep black eyes...but then he shakes his head and the tension is released. "It doesn't matter. Is there an organization here? A pride of lions? Are you one of them?" His ears swing forward and dangle, swinging slightly. "Are you aware of what goes on around you?"
Adhama suddenly feels like he wants to run to his dad and tell him about the weird whatever-it-was. "Um..Yes. There is a pride of lions here. A pride if the really strong ones." Ha! that should take care of whatever invasion this thing's thinking up, right? Adhama takes a half step backwards, thinking again about simply running.
The hyena's muscles relax somewhat, though it's not easy to say how. He looks off to the side and exhales. "Strong lions. Good, then. Strong enough to take on an invasion. I'm glad...don't like routs, you see." Now his eyes meet the young prince's own again.
Sikusiku has arrived.
Wait, the thing /wanted/ really strong lions? that's not good. Adhama starts wishing Uzuri was here. Or Dawa. Or even anyone. This thing was starting to scare him a bit. "Oh," Adhama says, not sure what to say to the thing. "Um..ok..." He paces another half sep back, then foreward again. He was really starting to get worried.
Now he descends, step by careful step, knocking little bits of dry rock and shale down as it goes. Unconcerned for anything but his descent, the hyena soon arrives on the level ground in front of Adhama. He looks around, letting his fur and ears wave in the breeze. He happens to notice the cave entrance. "You haven't seen...you haven't seen a bat about, have you?" Now he looks at Adhama inquisitively. "A fruit bat? Loud in the mouth? Do you know the one I mean?"
Oh! A bat! Adhama knew about those, they flew around at night! "I've seen a bat! I've seen lotsa bats! They come out at night and fly around sometimes!" Adhama steels himself at the animal's approach closer, making himself hold his ground, though every fiber in his being told him to make for the cave and yell to anyone in there.
Chioh has connected.
The stranger looks over Adhama's shoulder apprehensively. "But none of them recently? None who's come poking about and making trouble?" he continues.
[OOC] Adhama chiohclings. Save me!
[OOC] Chioh blinks as there's a vulture and a hyena on his front porch. ._. wtf
[OOC] You say, "Nice to meet you, too."
[OOC] Adhama points. "Eat 'um!"
[OOC] Chioh says, "Hello. :3"
[OOC] Sikusiku gives Chioh an icy stare.
[OOC] Chioh says, "hyenas don't taste right. >.< But vultures are nice with A1 steak sauce."
[OOC] You say, "Feel free to join in...although Adhama has suggested that he may bed down soon."
[OOC] Sikusiku says, "Funny, so are your eyes."
[OOC] Chioh says, "I feel the love coming from you, Siku."
[OOC] Roho is delighted that you've found something in common!
Adhama shakes his head quickly. "No..no bat's came talking to me, anyway." He takes another half step to the cave. Another half step away from the strange thing, and another half step towards safety. Adhama knows he should let it drop, but since the thing already said it was an invader, Adhama had to ask. "Why?"
Chioh takes a few steps out of the cave, noticing his son taking steps backwards as he stood in the darkness. The king doesn't even speak, he just lets out a low growl that echoes in the den as he walks out, stepping protectivly in front of his son. There he stands, tall and proud. His golden eyes almost flaming with anger. With a glare, he looks at the hyena.
The hyena peers, squinting, into the cave. He works his lower jaw. "Well...I came to worrying about this place," he says in a gruff but not unkind tone. "The bat--he's rather mad, you understand. He wants to spark a fight...and he thinks he's found just the place to do it. The battle lines..." The stranger swings his tailand looks out to the west, and to the north. "They run right about through here," he says. "So I'm glad you have all these strong lions, in the way of defence...that's all I can say."
"Battle?" Adhama repeats, interested as all boy cubs his age would be. "What do you mean?" He thinks about it, being a hero on the battle field...but then another mental image, one more haunting- his family dead on the ground, dead and never coming back. And this crazy bat and this thing were at the cause. "What do you mean, battle?"
Chioh takes a few steps out of the cave, noticing his son taking steps backwards as he stood in the darkness. The king doesn't even speak, he just lets out a low growl that echoes in the den as he walks out, stepping protectivly in front of his son. There he stands, tall and proud. His golden eyes almost flaming with anger. With a glare, he looks at the hyena. With the mention of battle, he looks back down at his son and growls at the mention of the fights. He's seen many fights, and he's been in that many as well. Then, it's back to glaring at the hyena.
"I mean, a fight between agents of destruction. A confl--" He's clearly ready to continue his explanation in some detail, but the father has arrived, and that somewhat dampens the mood. The hyena looks up slowly from the young lion to the higher face above him. His expression, inscrutable as it is, doesn't change much. But his fur does rustle somewhat. "Ah...one of the big, strong ones I've been hearing about, then! In the flesh! Very good...very good indeed." The hyena's eyes look over Chioh's body with the faintest hint of approval. He stands his ground.
Adhama looks up to his father with a bit of relief, while at the same time a bit of disappointment. He kinda wanted to hear about the battle, but at least with his dad around, the thing doesn't scare him as much. Adhama takes a few quick steps back, to get fully behind his dad. Let the bigger lion handle this thing.
Chioh glances back at his son, letting him hide fully behind him, and he looks back at the hyena. "Now tell me. What were you talking about with my son? And please, don't spare /any/ of the details." His voice a mix between angry, malevolent, and pissed off. He then chuckles a bit darkly, his teeth getting a glint of light here and he says, "Also, pay /no heed/ to the fact that I'm the king of these lands." Sarcasm is with him as well. Must have woken Chioh up from a nap.
Did someone mention killing? Sikusiku wheels out of the sky from nowhere in particualar and lands with a thump upon the top of the cave entrance... "A battle bat...whodathunk?" he mutters. He nods to Roho, professional courtesy, you know.
It's not easy to get a sarcasm missile through these defenses. If the hyena takes the lion king's comments as anything but genuine, it's very hard to say. "Oh, yes? The king?" He wags his tail twice back and forth with a flop. "Your son there didn't seem to know too much about his situation. It's a pity, you know. I was asking if he'd seen a bat about...a speedy sort, frugivore. Might have been poking about." He draws himself up slightly. "If you know the one I mean, watch out. You're in a bit of danger." A glance to the flyer makes the hyena seem slightly nervous...an effect the angry lion, oddly, doesn't seem to have. He sighs and looks at the lion again. "If I were you, I'd be wary of impending sparks."
Chioh's gaze shoots up to the vulture and he lets out another growl, louder then the last one. "The next animal to come onto my den is going to become the next meal of my family," growls Chioh lowly as he then looks back at the hyena. "A bat, you say. I'd venture a guess as to say I haven't seen one. To know that, you would have to ask my brother. But as a warning, he's not as... talkative as I am." He narrows his eyes at the hyena and says, "This danger doesn't suprise me, mongrel. A pride is always within danger, even a neutral one such as my own."
Sikusiku tilts his head and shrugs, "Not that I don't doubt you Chioh.... but I honestly don't have the time to wait here for your family to eat their next meal--placestogopeopletosee, ehrm?" ...Now that hyena on the other hand, he sounds like a real thinker. "What did you mean by 'a bit' exactly?"
The hyena's eyes open just a little wider. He shuffles back a little bit on one side, as much to adjust his position as to expedite possible retreat. A rumbling starts up in the beast's large stomach...making him look more odd than he already does. "I'll stay out of your den, then, thanks. Won't invade any farther now that I'm here and heard. So the little pip hasn't come by then, eh?" /Flick/ go the ears, and the eyes acknowledge the vulture. "Well, a bit is a piece, less than the whole. Some danger of attack...nothing certain. You may be safe. Relatively speaking, I mean." He finishes his report with a bow.
Chioh watches the hyena shift his position, and the lion's tail starts to sway behind him ever so slightly. "You better stay away from my den, and this kopje. If you know what's good for you." He glances back at the bird, not turning his head, just moving his eyes as far to the side of which the bird is on. "You would be suprised at how early my family can wake to eat, bird." Then his moves his eyes to look down at the hyena and he takes a step closer. "Now tell me. Of what dangers does this flying fleabag intend to cause."
Sikusiku's neck sticks out, the vulture looking down with almost an expression on his face. "....you are more than welcome to surprise me!" They usually don't get up until the sun is shining through that hole in the wall there anyways. Sigh.
The hyena clears his throat laboriously, though briefly. "Well, I appreciate your taking a concern for my well-being," he says, "even though we've hardly met. I have to wonder how well you really know what you're saying--that I'd better stay away. But then, you're not the only one talking on hunches." He glances to the bird again. "So you like surprises, do you?" A sharp bark may be some kind of laugh. "You may want to stick around these parts, then! That fleabag, if that's what he is, is planning to raise himself to power. Seems it's been his plan all along. The bat thinks he has a genius for politics and warfare, and he's intending to create himself some. And this...this tract is part of the land he told me was the most fruitful for the job. I understand he's all but chosen his antagonists...a gang of lions heading this way." He nods off to the northwest. "So, you may want to mobilize...pull out your guard, what you've got."
Chioh gives a low chuckle. "Well, if anything you have seen the land that I control just by walking to this Kopje. The trees are ripe with fruit in some parts. If this bat is any bat, then he knows prime estate when he sees some." He gives another low chuckle, a bit more malicious then the last. "I'm going to love this challenge. I haven't had a fight in /so/ long. I was beginning to think it was getting a bit...boring here actually." Though the spars he has with his brother escalate a few times. He glances back at the vulture in the same way as before and he says, "I haven't slept in the past few days, if you haven't noticed." Maybe /that's/ why he is acting differently.
Sikusiku's look refines itself subtly, "...not feeling so well, eh-heh?" Smooth talker: "You'd best get your sleep then... don't do me no favors!" He nods to Roho again, "The clan might do some mobilizing ourselves... thanks for the hot tip. Keepyerheadlow and all that!"
Roho lowers his head on cue, though it my be a coincidence. His large ears fold in against his head. "You would not be unwise," he replies. Then the breeze speaks alone for a few moments. The hyena addresses the king with a more clipped tone than before. "Glad to be the bearer of good news, then. I wish I had a clan or club to offer in support, but...not at the moment. All my allies are back in the way yonder. As for me...well, I don't take sides too easily. But anyhow, I hate an unfair fight. Good luck, Watcher King. Hope you and your kid survive." He turns around with a grunt and takes a breath, ready to head off.
Chioh gives a low growl at the hyena and he says, "Get off of my lands...now." He looks back up at the vulture and says, "You as well. Leave." With that, the king turns around and pushes his son back into the den. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.. No way is he leaving Adhama out there, and plus...it's the fatherly thing to do.
"...what a marvelous brain he must have between those two ears," the vulture remarks with admiration as Roho turns to walk away. Full of all that... stuff! He notices Chioh's look and gives a small hop, "Sure, sure, whatever you say..." he complains, flapping rustily, "--blaming me because you got up on the wrong side of the cave, howsatjustice?"
It's possible Roho is miffed at what he perceives as a sudden chilling of the lion's attitude toward him...but he barely shows it, since he was on his way out anyhow. He gives one last blank look over his shoulder, then shrugs and moves out westward. "As for my brain," he mutters loudly, "chances are it's not as tasty from the outside." Take that, opportunist!
Chioh walks back out of his cave and roars loudly. "Leave now!" Then he walks back into his cave, grumbling loudly. His roar causing birds to fly away in the forest.
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