[PRV] Have to do it myself...[Peke, Mchawi, Unyevu] [FIN]

[Atheare]

"You know full well that I'm not afraid of you." He snapped. Ha, stay in line. They both knew that he had been out of line more and more recently, and he was not about to go back to his blind obedience. He would not allow her or Msiba to control him without some resistance.

Unyevu glanced at the cub, who seemed to be talking to the white raven in a hushed voice. He didn't seem frightened at all... In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd say that they were planning something. But no, that was foolish. All the cubs were afraid of Mchawi, the 'Witch' of the group. Surely none of them would be so bold as to resist her?

And yet here he was, doing it right before his eyes. The young one did not seem to have too much trouble, even after the blow from Mchawi. He didn't know why, but Unyevu felt a sense of responsibility towards the cub. Like he ought to do something to help him...

In the way he had been unable to help his own children.

Well that was it then, wasn't it? He had to help him escape from Mchawi.

"No, that's not all I came for." He said with a shrug, "But if this is a bad time, I could come back later." He said, trying to be casual but at the same time grab her curiosity. She would want to know what he had come for. But perhaps this was not the best time to be playing games.

"After all, I don't care what happens to your brother." He gave her a sly grin, his mind working furiously to make up some elaborate lie to make Mchawi run off.  

[Kimaria]

(( sorry for posting out of sync guys. Just trying to push things forward a little bit. I'm in the GMT Timezone which is PST +8 so I find it hard to be on at the same time as everyone else. If I can, I'll try to get online later so we can finish things up. ))

She ground her teeth together, hovering between the cub and Unyevu. It almost looked as if she were protecting him, but she was only protecting him from being saved.

Would she kill the cub?

Well it depended on what mood took her at the time and Unyevu certainly wasn't helping matters. Her hate for the lion spilled from her in torrents. She could barely restrain herself from attacking him. But she knew she had to, for now at least. If she didn't then the cub could escape and she couldn't let that happen.

"Unyevu, you are so close to feeling the wrath of my claws." Hell, she was going to kill him. She knew that now with all her heart. If not now then sometime in the future. She didn't care anymore. He was of no use to her in thsi disobedient state. It'd be better to go off without him. The satisfaction of his death was too much. She sighed, revelling briefly in the thought of spilling his blood.

"Tell me NOW, Unyevu, or to hell with it, I'll kill you right now. What has happened to Msiba?!"

Nondo gave a loud angry screech. He could sense the hatred bubbling off of the lioness and knew how difficult a time she was having controlling herself. His own feelings, he realised, where beginning to sync with her own. Nondo hated Unyevu too.

If he had been bigger and stronger, he would have killed the lion himself. But he was just a raven and all he was good for was watching and spying. Besides, he had to keep an eye on the cubs whilst his Mistress was distracted.  

[Atheare]

Unyevu raised a brow, surprised at just how quickly Mchawi was getting angry at him this time. Perhaps he had left more of a mark on her than he thought?

"On the southern slopes of the valley, he is having some... Difficulties." He grinned, his mind racing with excitement as he wove his lie. "You remember Umoja, don't you? Well it seems they've had a bit of a disagreement. The sort that has resulted in a bit of a scrap."

Would that be enough to send Mchawi running to his aid? Probably not. He needed more.

"Umoja is winning handily, and it does not appear as though he is feeling merciful." Yes, that ought to do it. Unyevu let out a harsh laugh at the idea. So what if it wasn't really happening? The thought of Msiba lying bleeding upon the ground was enough to make the normally gloomy lion smile.

"Like I said before, I could care less, but I thought you might like to know."  

[Kimaria]

She bristled at Unyevu's words. How dare he! How dare he laugh at her! How dare he hold off on telling her this news. He should have fetched her straight away. Msiba was in trouble and here she was cuffing cubs and being mocked by scum.

Her tail thrashed. "You b*****d." She hissed. "You better hope that Umoja isn't getting the better of my brother or I'll take out every inch of my anger on you." Her eyes narrowed.

Why on earth had Msiba gone and done this? Why get on the bad side of Umoja of all people! They had to keep up this masquerade for as long as possible. She knew their secrets were starting to slowly be revealed, their true natures peeking out from behind their masks. Even still, whilst there were still naive lions and lionesses in the pride, they had to keep up appearances.

But enough of that now.

She had to help her brother.

"Then Umoja will die. Just as you will if you don't wipe that smirk off your face." She advanced, then, remembering the cub she craned back her head and scowled at the white raven and the cub, Peke.

"Nondo. Watch them." Her order was cold and harsh and with one last deathly gaze at Unyevu she took off in the direction of the southern slopes, praying that she wouldn't be too late to stop the fight and talk Umoja round.

If it wasn't one thing going wrong, it was another.  

[Atheare]

Perfect. His lie had worked, and as soon as Mchawi was out of sight, Unyevu hurried over to the cub.

"Go." He said hurriedly, "Get out of here, do you hear me? Take the bird and run as fast as you can. Do not stop until you are safely with a group, your family, or better yet, find Ngao."

With that, he turned to Nondo. He could not have the bird rushing off to find Mchawi and cut short the cub's escape time. Without hesitating, he lunged at the raven, his jaws open wide to bite the raven. His intention was not to kill, but to wound severely enough that he would not reach Mchawi before she realized what was wrong.

Before she came running back to punish him for what he had done.  

[Kimaria]

It was all happening so fast. Nondo barely had time to register what was going on!

Mchawi was gone and he had been left behind to do his duty - watch the cub and the white avian at all costs. Even still, he had to admit that he was a little nervous of being left behind. The cub he could possibly handle but Unyevu...

Nondo did not trust the seer one bit, and apparently his judgement of character was good.

The raven barely had time to turn his head to keep an eye on Peke and the raven when Unyevu had spoken up again. Nondo couldn't believe his ears! Unyevu was working with the enemy! He had turned against them! Did he no longer care about his life? Nondo did not know the full extent of what his mistress had done in the past, but he knew he loved her and this Unyevu was doing his best to destroy all the plans she had worked so hard for.

He flapped his wings and gave an angry caw. "Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!" His beak clacked loudly after every word and he spread his wings wide.

Then Unyevu was coming at him and the raven saw his life flash before his eyes. The lion meant to kill him! But death or not he couldn't let the cub escape! He couldn't let this traitor get away with it.

In his anger the raven swept towards the lion, wanting to lash at his eyes. But his aim failed and Unyevu was too fast.

The lion's jaws closed around him.  

[Nuxaz]

Peke had been watching, waiting calmly for Mchawi to leave, to be distracted enough that he could make his escape. He knew that he should be afraid of the lioness. That he shouldn't have ticked her off earlier as it could have very well meant his death. But he couldn't. He couldn't be afraid of her when he needed to protect Nguvu. He had to protect the white avian, his bonded. He just had to. It was like when he felt the need to protect his sister, the sister he came out to find.

He continued to plot his escape with his new companion as the adults bickered with one another. It wasn't until Mchawi told her bonded to watch over him that he looked over at them again. A light smirk had begun to form upon his lips as he started to shuffle to a safer distance away. Then the male's voice rang out and he nodded. "Thank you." That was the first word of thanks he had ever offered another. But he knew he needed to say it. Especially since the others actions could result in death.

Not bothering to glance at the other lion, or bird, he broke into a run, Nguvu clinging tightly to his back. "Go into the clover!" He crowed as they came upon it. The clover smelled so strongly that Peke nearly crashed as he came upon it.

"But!

"Trust me!"

"Alright...."

With that Peke dove into the clover running as fast as his paws could carry him. He could feel his heart pounding heavily in his chest with fear. While he was not afraid of the lioness herself he was afraid of what would happen if she caught him. That would be bad, so very very bad. Not only for himself but the the wounded bird with him.

"There should be streams up ahead, a maze. Follow my directions and we should be safe." Nguvu told the cub as he looked out in front of him turning his head back ever so often.

"Okay." Peke mumbled pushing himself faster.

Soon he came upon the streams. Going down straight, then left, left, right, straight continuously turning until he couldn't move anymore. Falling to the ground he panted heavily. "Are we safe?"

"For now."  

[Kimaria]

(( just a note: the following RP was completed over PM))

Kimaria

He flew as fast as he could, shocked and hurting as he was. His dark wings flashing vividly against the dark sky. The occasional cry of a vulture had him swooping lower and every so often the shape of a larger bird would pass over him, forcing him to take cover. He knew this flight would be risky but had forgotten it until just then.

Flight was a natural instinct for a bird, but when predators filled the skies that natural instinct became dangerous and unpredictable.

He just hoped he could find his mistress before it was too late. If he didn’t then this could spell disaster.

And since when had he started to care? Nondo had never really felt attached to the lions before, even Mchawi. But ever since Unyevu had pinned her to the ground he had felt something stir. Something akin to love. When she had moved away from Unyevu, angry but upset, he had been the one to comfort her. Not Msiba, not Machafuko. Nondo had been the one to bring back that confident glint to her eyes. And ever since then, her determination had increased tenfold. He knew she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

So when Mchawi had said that she believed no one would ever love her, she was wrong.

For Nondo loved her and he would prove it by risking his life to fetch her.

And for a terrifying moment of that solo flight, knowing that with every passing second the cub and that bird would be getting away, Nondo wondered if he’d be able to find her.

And just as he was worrying that he’d gone the wrong way, she appeared in front of him, anger in every line of her face. He’d never seen her so angry! The very look in her eye caused him to falter and he dropped from the sky to her paws, wings sprawling weakly from his erratic flight.

“Mistress!!” He cawed loudly.

She was looking down at him, concern flickering to mask a little of the rage in her expression. She could see his ruffled appearance, the missing feathers on his back to reveal a small, bleeding wound.

“Nondo? Nondo what’s going on? What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to watch the cub and that bird?!” She bristled and the concern left her.

“I did Mistress. I was Mistress.” The bird was trembling now. “Unyevu attacked me! He told the cub and the bird to go. He’s betrayed us! Betrayed you, Mistress!”

“Attacked you?” She hissed and her body trembled with rage. She’d had this rage ever since that lion had pinned her and suddenly it was becoming too much to hold in. The adrenaline burned through her and with an angry roar she stepped up alongside the raven.

“Up, quickly. I want you with me.”

Nondo, nodding weakly, flapped up to her shoulder, gripping tightly in preparation.

And the speed in which she summoned was unbelievable. It was if she had wings on her heels, aiding her. The adrenaline pumped through her body, heating her with fuel. There was no mercy left in her now, nothing. She’d kill if she had to. She’d kill Unyevu if she had to. That spiteful, pitiful lion would regret the day he’d ever been born. She’d lame him with a fierce bite, slash his eyes out, then drag his pitiful carcass back home. Then she’d murder his family and let him listen to their cries. And he’d do nothing but lie there and listen.

Before the end, he’d be begging her to end his life.

And she would.

She leapt across a dip in the ground and put on an extra spurt, slowing as she came to the place where she had left the cub and the raven under Nondo and Unyevu’s care.

“UNYEVU!!”

 

[Kimaria]

Atheare

Unyevu waited precisely where Mchawi had left him, a smug look on his normally grim face. While part of him was fearful of what Mchawi might do to him once she arrived, he was mostly quite proud of himself. He had done something, he had made a difference. Plus, the pure rage that Mchawi was sure to show would make it even sweeter. He loved watching her get angry, watching her lose the control he knew she loved so dearly.

At the lionesses voice, the seer suddenly became alert. He stood up to face her, his stance firm but not aggressive, and he watched her with both an intense gaze and a slight smirk.

"Oh dear, thank goodness you've arrived." He shook slightly with the thrill of the situation, unable to hold back the impulsive mockery dripping from every word, "It seems that the young thing escaped while you were out. Oh, and the bird! He took the bird with him." His tail flicked behind him as he knew in the back of his mind that this was a bad idea, taunting her like this. But he could not help himself.

"How does it make you feel, Mchawi? Having your loved ones used to manipulate you?" Yes, he had tricked her into leaving because she thought Msiba was in trouble, much as she had done to him. "Come now, you can't be that angry, can you?" He could see it in her eyes, the pure rage she felt inside. "After all, you did the same to me and according to you, I should just.... Let it lie."

Oh yes, he had done it now. He could feel his excitement fading into a more rational emotion. Fear. He felt his actions were justified, but that did not mean that Mchawi was going to be forgiving. Not in the least. Unyevu could practically feel the urge to kill radiating from her, and he fell silent. Content with continuing his smug grin, he merely waited for the inevitable punishment he was going to receive. Would she try to kill him? Would she threaten to kill his family? Either way, he could see that she was tired and if things got out of hand, he did not think that besting her in a fight would be a difficult feat.

Perhaps he'd even get his chance to bring justice to the witch of a lioness.

 

[Kimaria]

Kimaria

That smirk. That infuriating smirk.

She was going to wipe it off his face. She was going to make him wish he’d never been born. She was going to…going to…

The murderous thoughts flowed like water into her mind and she let them take control. All the things she could imagine doing to him, all the wondrous, terrible, horrific things. Her mind had become a picture straight out of hell, full of jeering demons, torturous screams and images of Unyevu being torn apart.

She looked practically mad with rage.

Her tail lashed as if she were cracking a whip. Her hackles were up, her eyes were narrowed into slits of piercing, glinting green and froth wetted her jowls. She trembled violently - as if being held back by a single thread. It was clear that all she wanted to do was go for him, to cut the words from his traitorous throat.

She took a step forward as he confirmed Nondo’s accusations.

He had let them go!!

As Mchawi drew closer, the raven on her shoulder huddled up nervously. He’d felt the lion’s teeth himself, knew how strong they were. The wound on his back ached at the memory of it. He wanted to warn his bonded but knew she wouldn’t listen. She was too angry to be stopped now.

And then Unyevu was speaking again and those words seemed to have greater effect on the lioness. Msiba. Msiba wasn’t hurt. She knew that now. She should have trusted in her brother, put more faith in him. But Unyevu was right. Her love for her sibling had made her weak.

Love. Made. You. Weak!!!

The growl in her chest was like distant thunder.

Mchawi, a creature of words, a creature of wisdom, was completely submerged. She could think of words to reply to him, think of good responses. She tried to open her mouth, tried to tell him that she would let it lie once he was dead. But she couldn’t. The anger had closed up her throat, forced her into silence.

Well, it wasn’t exactly silent. The growl was growing louder and that spoke more than words ever could.

She charged at him, hesitating only at Nondo’s loud, harsh caw.

“Mistress!” He whispered harshly. “Mistress, don’t attack him yet. Not yet!”

She didn’t know why she shouldn’t. After all. He had attacked her, lied to her. He was a traitor who could no longer be trusted. She didn’t trust him now and she never would again. For all she knew, he had lied to her about the visions. Maybe he’d been scheming all along.

But Nondo was right.

Amongst her anger there a little piece of her sanity, nestled away in the dark. And if she focused on it she could see that she had no chance at killing him. Not when she was so blinded by her anger! Besides, she had more important things to do.

Like finding the cub.

Even still, in those brief few moments when all those thoughts had been racing through her mind, she had been charging at him. And as she reached him she reared up, brought back a paw and lashed out at him.

She’d at least wipe that smirk off his face.

 

[Kimaria]

Atheare

Unyevu's smile fell as he watched Mchawi, her rage making her appear insane, like a rabid beast. As proud as he was for being able to make her this angry, the reality of the situation was beginning to sink in. Mchawi was not going to let him get away without a good deal of pain.

He stood his ground as she charged, a snarl on his face as he prepared to fight her head on, but then she did something he did not expect.

Or rather, in a way he had not expected.

The sheer speed and power of her attack caught him off guard, and agonizing pain shot across his face and he felt himself fall to the ground with a crash. He wanted to get up, to fight her, but he had never felt such physical pain before! He could hardly tell which way was up!

Even now, as he lay upon the ground bleeding, he could still feel her claws in his face like white hot knives, burning mercilessly and making him pay for what he had done, making him suffer for his defiance.

Blinded by his own blood, the lion could not see as he thrashed on the ground wildly, an ear-shattering roar bursting from his jaws all the while.

 

[Kimaria]

Kimaria

She stood over him, quivering.

The emotions she felt were indescribable.

The first and most powerful feeling was pleasure. Pleasure at causing this lion pain, pleasure in making him pay for his disobedience. But along with the pleasure was fear. Because with that single slash she had broken the fine link between them. There was no more wary trust. No move civility. She doubted that Unyevu would ever help again, even if she did threaten his family.

He’d chosen the cub over his family only a few moments before.

Maybe he didn’t care about them anymore.

Either way, that threat was old. She didn’t care about his feelings or about his pathetic family. She cared for nothing but getting her own way. He’d learn, in the end, what a grave mistake he had made. He had chosen his fate when he had let the cub go.

And with those two emotions still lingered the anger. The anger at Unyevu, at the bird, at the cub, at everyone who had ever sought to harm or belittle her. Thoughts of her past came back to haunt her now. Of the time before she became a witch. Before she became deemed a killer. She hadn’t chosen to be this way. She’d been moulded.

Her lips curled back to reveal yellowing, sharp fangs and suddenly her voice was free again.

“Your time to die hasn’t arrived yet, Unyevu.” She whispered, not caring whether he heard or not. “But it will be here soon.”

And as she turned and stalked away his roar quickened her step. Someone would have heard that call, and if they were more brave than wise, they might come looking. She didn’t have time to be interrogated. She needed to find the cub and that bird.

So with a shake of her head she stalked off, tasting the air with her nostrils, seeking the scent of the cub and the bird.

The raven, shaken and dazed, sat huddled on her shoulder, pressing himself against her neck. His head was tucked low; his wings fluffed up around him like a protective blanket. His little heart was beating so fast that he was worried it might fail and he would die.

Mchawi, seeming to sense Nondo’s distress turned her head to look at him.

“Why do you shake, Nondo?”

“I thought you were going to fight, Mistress.”

“I could have.” She mused. “But if I had killed him his suffering would have come to an end. We can’t have that, now, can we?” She lashed her tail. “Besides, a fight would have cost us precious time. The cub is more important than Unyevu’s life.” She sneered and turned back to face the way she was going.

Lucky enough, the cub had left a good scent for her to follow. It still hung in the air, fresh as any scent could be, and she followed it adamantly. She was a good huntress, keen eyed and sharp of nose and ear. It wouldn’t be long before the cub was in her grasp again. Then it would answer her questions. Maybe it was even the cub she desired. In fact, it was highly likely considering that he had cared for the white raven so much.

Maybe they were bonded, or were to be.

Yes. Maybe this was fate’s guiding hand, luring all of them to be together in one place. Maybe fate, too, had led Unyevu to cross their path to ruin things. What would happen if she were working against fate? Was all this work for nothing?

She laughed. Pah. Fate? Who believed in fate?

And as she continued onwards, the scent that had been so strong had vanished. It was as if Peke had disappeared in thin air.

She went rigid with anger and fear, raising her head to glance across the landscape. Her eyes could see nothing but a stretch of clover and a stream that twinkled brightly in the sunlight.

Peke was gone.

Fin/