Chozi was feel great today. The scratching in his throat was barely there - he could still feel it of course, but he hadn't coughed that much today and managed to keep down food. He was excited by the prospect of being able to walk around and not be completely exhausted.
Of course, that meant he wanted to explore. He wanted to explore everything! Most of all though, he wanted to see Tikoto. His eyes sparkled at the thought of of leaving the pride's lands for an adventure. His children were all of doing their own things.
They all had their own jobs to do. He didn't have any children that were young anymore. All his children were adults and off doing their own thing. That meant Chozi, feeling better than he had in months, could go do his own thing too, right?
He gave a soft sound, like a sigh, and made his way towards the border. The trek was slow. He was unwilling to expend all of his energy now before he even made it to the rogue lands where he could finally go and find Tikoto.
It took him almost all morning, in fact, but he wasn't feeling extremely tired like normal. Of course, that was when one of his children popped out of nowhere. Well, maybe not nowhere? He didn't hear him coming anyhow.
"Celes," Chozi said carefully. Celes was Chozi's first child. He hadn't named his child, and in fact, the children had grown up with his mother. He was grateful that his son had decided to seek him out. Even so, Celes was almost an adult. He was different from most of the children he raised himself.
"Hey," Celes greeted in turn. "Where are you going?" His son asked. Chozi couldn't help but wince. It seems Celes had figured out his plan. His son rolled his shoulders, and Chozi watched the easy way he seemed to move.
Chozi thought for a moment before shaking his head a little. "Nowhere," he lied. Celes was the biggest enforcer of his rest, despite little Saren being the one to constantly be by his side. The chipper little cheetah had taken it upon himself to be Chozi's helper.
Celes, though, had connections with the guards. He could keep Chozi in the pride for as long as he needed. It was a problem, because Chozi wanted to go. He needed to go. He looked at Celes, who frowned at him. The lie must have been incredibly obvious for that frown to be in place.
"Dad, you're not well enough to go on your little adventures, yet," Celes scolded his father. Celes wasn't normally the type to do so, but his family was ill. He didn't want his father - the one who normally took care of the family - to get any sicker than he already was.
Chozi gave a soft snarl, pulling away from his son. He was going, and that was final. He stalked away in a huff, almost breaking into a spring. He was faster than Celes, who had barely any of the cheetah's speed in him. He shared far more traits with his mother in that respect - he was better at climbing.
Unfortunately, Celes also had better stamina, especially with Chozi's weakened state. Celes gave chase, following his father at a distantance until his father tired.
And tire he did. He hadn't made it far before his body started shaking with the exerstion. He was trembling a little with the force it took to stay standing. He stopped running, and sat, panting. He was angry, tears burning at his eyes and bile burning in his throat. Regret immediately lodged itself in his chest.
Slowly, carefully, Celes came up to his side. "Dad," he said softly, and Chozi only pushed him away before dragging his tired body further from his son. "Come on, dad. Let me just take you back to the den.
"No, no, I don't want to. I want to leave!" he sobbed pitifully. He just wanted to see Tikoto. He ached for her, though at the moment he couldn't seperate his aching body from his longing for the only lioness he felt a fondness beyond a quick fling.
He missed her.
Celes gave a sigh, sitting down next to his father. He wasn't quite sure what to do, and Chozi didn't seem to want to be touched at the moment. All he could do was wait out the sobs, frowning all the way. His father would be exhausted by the end of this.
"I just want to see Tikoto," Chozi sighed when his body refused to produce more tears. He was dehydrated, but he managed to swallow down the bile, saving the food that was nourishing him still. He doubted he would be able to eat again soon.
Celes sighed again. "You need to rest for now. I can send Mpenzi out to find her, perhaps?" Mpenzi was Tikoto's child with his father. Celes sometimes thought she was his father's favorite - she was a tad eccentric - she barely spoke at all, but she had a bite the rivaled anything Celes had ever felt.
She had been born when Celes was just on the cusp of adulthood, and she was an adult now too.
Still, though, Chozi gave a small whine. He felt the defeat heavy on his shoulders, so he nodded in agreement. Celes gave a small, defeated sigh.
"Come on, lets get back to the Den..." Celes offered. He was roughly the same size as his father, a little bigger though. It was easy for Chozi to rest nearly all of his weight on his son. Celes was strong, and Chozi lost a lot of weight in the past months. He had grown lighter and lighter as he couldn't keep food down quite as much as he needed to, and drinking water made his stomach cramp painfully, but it was all he could consume most days.
He sighed, getting led back to the den. Today has started out great! But not he felt awful and he just wanted to cry and sleep. Celes lead him easily to the den where he crawled back inside. "I'll bring you something to eat," his son offered softly before trotting off.
Chozi shook his head, not wanting to eat. He coughing and sobbed dry, unable to produce tears in his dehydration. He sobbed himself to sleep, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.