After a few weeks of travelling, granted they hadn’t been the fastest travelers, Usiku and Zyanya arrived at the highlands. Being an animal well enough adapted for climbing up trees, which were vertical, the only very-steep slopes that brought you higher and higher were simple enough to Usiku. Zyanya hadn’t been as pleased with them.
Truth be told, they had arrived a few days prior, but were exploring the territory rather slowly. Besides Zyanya not exactly being well adapted to walk on this kind of terrain, there was also the knowledge that here resided a pride. Being a leopard, Usiku rarely cared about the markers of lions, they didn’t matter much to him. The nly thing it meant was that he might be at a greater risk of running into a possibly aggressive pride and he would have to be more careful. He figured it went the same way for Zyanya. Ironically, it was because of his cheetah companion that he was more conscious.
Zyanya was… special to him. And he intended to keep her safe from harm.
“The food here isn’t so good.” The cheetah complained once again, and Usiku shrugged. He didn’t find it so bad. Though the goats were a little hard to catch, and primates weren’t what he was used to eating. He liked the weather and the altitude and could get used to it.
“I think you’d get used to it.”
“My lands, you mean?”
The new voice came out of nowhere, it seemed, and Usiku immediately tensed up, hissing at this new lioness who had seemingly materialized somewhere south of him. He immediately tried to back away from this red female and towards Zyanya, instead, but found that Zyanya was… indisposed. He snarled. “Let her go.” This was directed at the very large blue lioness who had seemed to conclude that the cheetah was as good a place as any to lie down. This lioness was big, and though Zyanya squirmed beneath her, she seemed unfazed.
“Or what?” The big blue lioness seemed to challenge, but her voice was monotone and dull, like she didn’t honestly care. He supposed she had no reason to. Even for a large leopard, Usiku couldn’t hope to face this lioness in a fight. He probably couldn’t even bring great harm to the red, smaller one. Still, he kept the snarl on his face.
The red lioness approached him calmly, and he turned his angry-face to her, but didn’t move. Something told him it would be unwise to attack. “You’d think trespassers would be a little less demanding, a little more humble.” Usiku snorted at that.
“I don’t care, just let her go and we’ll leave.”
Now it was Ting Lan’s turn to snort. Or almost snort. Really snorting would be unlady-like. So she had to settle for a much more regal huff of air. “Leave? Who said anything about leaving?”
“He did.”
“…Thank you, Pupitar.” The blue lioness wasn’t always very bright. It felt a little strange to not use her proper name, but, as was pride custom, these outsiders shouldn’t know. Yet, anyways. Ting Lan didn’t intend to keep them outsiders for long. See, she loved her little pride, but she didn’t want it to remain little for long. And she was perfectly alright with drafting a few new members in, so to speak. She could be rough at first, loving and kind later.
She noticed that at this point, the cheetah beneath Jian seemed rather squashed. She supposed that was about right, the big brute weighed perhaps thrice as much as the delicate little creature. Cheetah. Ting Lan liked them, because they were regal and elegant and pretty. However, she did wish they were a bit more resistant, might be more useful then. They seemed to find adaptation t the highlands the hardest, with their light little frames, the wind easily bothered them, and the uneven terrain made their hunts tougher. Too bad, this little female would just have to get used to it. “Pupitar, do let up a little. We don’t want you to crush her.”
The blue lioness obediently sat up, though kept the cheetah pinned with the use of her two front paws. The leopard seemed to relax a little, but just a little. The pair of them seemed rather close. Strange, considering they weren’t even the same species… Well, it wasn’t any of her business. Ting Land didn’t care. “What do you want?” The leopard seemed to be talking to her. She couldn’t really tell, because he was being so rude.
“Your names are fine, for now.”
The leopard seemed suspicious, but Ting Lan was happy to find the cheetah more compliant. “Zyanya and Usiku, miss. We really didn’t mean to trespass!” The empress immediately decided she favored the cheetah. She nodded, and Jian let the cheetah go, for most part. She kept a paw on the smaller cat’s tail, for good measure.
“What do you mean, for now?”
Ting Lan almost rolled her eyes at the continued lack of politeness. Not so much the leopard’s words, more his… voice. Still, she supposed she could forgive him on the grounds of not knowing any better. “Well, it’s interesting that you talked about ‘getting used to it’ earlier, because it seems you were seeing the future! Congratulations, you two are my new messengers, and you will have all the time in the worlds to get used to my home.”
Now neither the leopard or the cheetah spoke, just staring at her. Slow pair, weren’t they? Ting Land sigh. Maybe she had just sprung this one them. But they had sort of sprung this on her, as well. She had just been spending some time at the south house, for some routine checking up on the progress of the house, and had decided to take an early evening stroll at the borders when she spotted the two trespassers.
Really, they were quite lucky she was in a good mood and wanted more members for her pride. Even if they weren’t lions. Call it… cultural enrichment, perhaps. “What do you mean we’ll be your messengers? Who are you?” The leopard was making a very ugly scowl face. She hoped he’d lose this attitude soon, or she might have to ‘gift’ him to a noble she didn’t favor much. Perhaps her brother.
But that was too cruel. “I am Ari, empress of Tianxia. These are my lands that you have trespassed, and you would best try to remain on my good graces.”
Zyanya had never really considered joining a pride. Or a coalition, since she was a cheetah. She had always lived on her own. And she certainly wasn’t expecting to join one situated in this kind of place. But she looked at this red female and realized she seemed kind of… important. This big, dumb, blue lioness that had her paw on Zyanya’s tail obeyed her without question.
Also, the word empress meant something even to her. So, before Usiku could get all grumpy and defensive and protective, saying something they might regret, Zyanya was opening her mouth to thank this Ari. “Alright, miss Ari. Thank you very much for this opportunity.”
Zyanya also found she had other reasons to be taking this so well, even as Usiku stared at her with disbelief written all over his face. If she ever wanted a family with him… wasn’t a pride one of the safest places to raise cubs? A pride had just… well, captured them. Avoiding it seemed harmful, and she supposed she was willing to work. Or maybe she was just deciding things on a whim again. She tried to somehow convey in her expression that she would talk with Usku later, but the empress was speaking once again.
“Very well. You two will be spending the night with Pupitar, here, and whomever my lady of the south can spare. Attempts to escape will not be tolerated.” At this point, the red lioness looked at them. Usiku didn’t move, but Zyanya helpfully offered a nod to prove she comprehended.
“Then we will journey for my home in the center of the pride. On the way, you will be filled in wit your duties, and about the pride in a more general sense.” At this point, even the empress seemed to be getting tired of talking to the two of them. Zyanya was glad, maybe she would get a chance to speak to Usiku, then.
“Come on, then.”
Zyanya obediently walked beside the big blue lioness, while Ari walked ahead and Usiku sulked behind.
(This RP included a tiny bit of Pupitar, too!)
