To many, border patrol was tedious. Not for the lioness called Hakuna'jina. In her mind, she was best suited for it. She was loyal to the pride...even if one of the kings was that idiot Iartuupe...and she held no 'true name'. Her demon had no name, only emotions. And therefore, no one could use it against her. And she refused to let ANYTHING kill the pride. And danger came from outside most often. So the lioness of blood and shadow kept steadfast guard, like a mother watching her young.
In a way, she thought of the pride as her child. Five of the nine first members were her children, her blood. These thoughts kept her company as she stopped and looked about, ears trained to listen for any noise out of the ordinary. She did this about every ten paces.
Another demon...this area was rife with them, and glad was she of it. Already her body bore the scars of her encounter with one of the kings. He had accepted her...finally, as he had had his jaws clamped about her throat, and she her hindclaws against the delicate skin of his belly. Agreed, they had, that they had spilled enough demonic blood. Thrilled, was Mora'era to be here, the wind seemed to whisper to her now...of what she would be...who she would be... In her current euphoria, she paid little attention to her surroundings. A crucial slip.
Movement. Hakuna's ears were first to detect it. It was too light to be either king, and too large to be any of the cubs. Her body turned to face the direction the sound came from, hackles raised, teeth bared, and a low growl in her throat. "Who dares tread on the soil of demons." The question was said more like a statement. Part of her hoped it was another demon...they needed more blood in the pride. It was still too small, too weak.
Ah, another one? At least this one spoke first. "One of like kind..." She replied serenely, continuing to walk forward, towards this lioness. "My body bears scars as witness to my encounter with one of our kings, and in my body is engraved the mark of our pride." Mora'era intoned, a zealous light shining in her crimson eyes.
Hakuna's hackles fell, but her muscles stayed tense. Her orange-amber eyes watched the other lioness carefully, taking in her appearance. So...she was of like kind. Moto chuckled and grinned. "Well well...I was wondering when others would realize we were here. Like calls to like." She looked about, but kept the other in partial sight. "If you should like to talk, or see how far our borders go, walk with me. I do not wish to be lax in my duties." Oh no...she would not have her precious king see her fall behind on things, and she wasn't going to give Iar a chance at her until she did not have cubs to worry about.
"Indeed, for the wind whispered rumors of you to my ears, and swiftly did I come..." She murmured, charcoal grey ears flicking to give her undivided attention to the red lioness. "And I wish to know as much about these lands of ours as I may, thus, I shall walk with you..." moving, she padded alongside the other lioness, noting that this one, must be one of the first members of the pride, a strong creature, built to endure, far different from the sleek build of Mora, which had clearly been created for speed, a speed that was only outdone by how swiftly her claws could sink into flesh.
Hakuna liked this one so far. Quiet...but Hakuna felt the same loyalty to the pride burning under her words and in her eyes. "Our lands encompass three types of terrain. The savanna we walk in now, jungle, and desert. And each has it's own challenges in guarding the border. In the savanna, I have an advantage with my size. The grass is not as much of a problem to see above as it would be for a much smaller lion. The desert is filled with stupid buzzards that hyenas and the like follow." Hakuna wrinkled her nose. "Stupid things don't even taste passable." She chuckled. "And then the jungle...The thick trees and humidity play tricks on oneself. And there's the not-quite-demons to watch out for. They prefer the night, like us." She stopped again, repeating her listening and watching routine. Once finished, she continued. "I am Hakuna'jina. And you will receive but one warning about my name. NEVER call me Jina, for I do not have one." She chuckled again, cruel smile on her face. "That fact has left many a savanna creature thinking their comrade is insane for ranting about the 'no-named demon'." Oh how she enjoyed when those incidents happened.
She nodded slowly, clearly listening to the other female. "I've met one of these not-quite-demons." She murmured, "A child, who was unafraid of anything. Had I not known better, I would have thought that he was one of us." The little one had even threatened to suck her blood, though she had very firmly encouraged him that that was a most bad idea indeed. "And I shall refer to you in a far more respectable manner. What is your place in this pride, if I might ask?" It was clear the question was harmless, simply curious about this group that she had now joined.
"I am Tirma'eth, a guard." She smirked. "There will likely be those in the future who will mock that...and they will find themselves wishing they hadn't. I do not take insults lightly...no matter how long it takes to rememdy things." She chuckled. "Maybe he will join us one day, then. To some, the demon does not start really calling until they are older." She wondered if her sister's demon had begun to call without Hakuna's around. "And some need only another demon nearby."
"You are one of the founders, the eldest of the pride." She arched a brow. "They have no grounds by which to mock." The pride was small now, but it would grow, they would populate it, and the demons would thrive again. "Perhaps...when I know he is older, I will return to see if his demon has called him, or mayhap he will come to us." She laughed low in her throat. "I told him that I would remember him, and remember I shall."
Another chuckle from Hakuna, this one lower. "Yes. But sometimes...I think I will let others forget that. Few realize what the low are capable of." Oh yes...her little bird was a good example. As was her toy. "It will allow me to watch for treason much more easily." Before the other could grow confused, or not, Hakuna continued. "This pride I consider my child, and I will guard it from within, as well as without." A cruel grin crossed her muzzle and lit up her eyes with cold fire. "Any who try treachery against the kings and their mates shall find themselves quickly put down. If not by me, then by one of my cubs. I suspect, eventually, even my toy will leap to their defense."
"A worthy calling..." She agreed, respect evident in her tone. "And you have naught to fear from me, for I serve this pride with all the talents provided me...to kill our enemies, and those that it has been decreed need die." Mora sunk her claws into the dirt below her, as though imagining flesh beneath her paws. "I will be a dark assassin...the silent death." The cold fire that touched Hakuna's eyes seemed mirrored in this dark lioness. "Now tell me the way to the innermost sanctum, if you would...I desire to meet our other king." And see if he was as worthy of his position as the last.
"Good. You and I are alike, in spirit rather than form and manner." An assassin...A perfect mixing of stealth and viciousness. It fit the other well. "I wish you many successes. Sadly we all fail at some point. But as long as we demons stay together, even if one of the kings stumbles, we shall be there to pick him back up so he may continue on, stronger." Hakuna now looked to the volcano that towered, sleeping in the distance. "The sanctum lies within there. But once inside the tunnels, you must find your own way. Your demon will know the way. Listen to it well. I shall see you again."
She nodded, bowing her head to the other female. "Fare thee well, and we will meet again." With a devilish smirk, glancing up at the stars that seemed naught but glittering points of unflinching blades to her biased eye, she then took off into the night, headed deeper into the pridelands of the Aikanaro'hini. She had come home.
