Well, Ranyshia was a fool. He had packed up his life, said farewell to his pride and left. In the span of a week since he had last seen the mysterious female, Rayn. He knew he was crazy, but he felt strangely invigorated. He felt alive for the first time in a long while, and he could thank and blame the strange female for that. He had been content in his little life, amongst his pride mates that he felt a strange apathy for. He had felt the worst about leaving behind the baboons, but he knew the pride would look after them. They were, after all, the backbone of the pride. It would be ridiculous to let them be let down now.
He didn’t know which way to go, so he had picked a random direction and set off. He knew he was looking for the ocean, so surely it would not be hard to find that huge body of water. Surely. He hadn’t left the pride in forever, so he didn’t really recognise any of the landscapes. He was planning to ask the first person he met for directions … but that plan did not go exactly as he had hoped. It took him two days to run into another creature who was not a prey beast (and therefore terrified of him) that was willing to talk to him. It seemed that people in the rogue lands were a lot more cautious. He had found it hard to get his pride-mates to not talk to him, and now he was trying desperately to find someone who would.
The male in the distance was a muddy, reddish brown, and he was large. For a moment, Ranyshia almost didn’t notice him, but it seemed that the male had noticed him. The stranger had a large, toothy (and dangerous looking) grin on his face as he approached Ranyshia.
“Well hello stranger,” the male called out, his voice loud and booming. Ranyshia had a feeling in his gut that he should turn and run, but he wasn’t sure if that wasn’t just his general annoyance with all people, and so he pushed that feeling aside.
“Greetings,” he responded instead. “I am seeking directions to the ocean.” Well, there was no point beating around the bush. He wasn’t after a buddy, he was after information.
The male looked surprised. “The ocean? Meh, that’s boring stuff. Why would you want to go there? Now inland, that’s the place to be. You’re a pretty strong looking guy…What are you doing out in the rogue lands alone?”
Ranyshia frowned, the question catching him off guard. He had been expecting a straight answer. “That is none of your business. If you cannot help me, then I will find someone else who can.” It was simple. This male was obviously useless to him. As Ranyshia started to walk off, the male stepped into his path, forcing him to an abrupt stop.
“Now, now!” The male said, almost in a sing-song. “Don’t you go running away. I was just starting to get to know you. My name is Gerasimos. What’s yours, friend?”
“I am not your friend,” Ranyshia pointed out bluntly. He got a weird feeling from this male, there was something… dangerous lurking behind his eyes. He wanted to get far from this male as he could, but he had a feeling that might be difficult to do so.
The male’s eyes hardened, the colour becoming sharper and less playful. “You are quite rude, you know that?” He said, his voice bitter. “I was just trying to be kind, but you, you forced my paw!” The male snarled, and Ranyshia barely had time to react before the male had launched himself at him. Catching him off guard, Ranyshia was forced to the ground, Gerasimos’ teeth latching onto the flesh of his shoulder. He roared in pain, and kicked out his back legs, managing to get purchase by Gerasimos’ stomach, launching the male off of him.
Ranyshia was not a fighter, though he was grateful in that moment that his job was physically demanding and so he was reasonably muscular. Due to his lithe muscles, he was able to catch the other male off-guard, using his surprise to his advantage. Ranyshia rolled onto his paws quickly, putting distance between him and the male.
Gerasimos had Ranyshia’s blood around his maw, and it was only then that Ranyshia actually realised his shoulder was bleeding – and quite heavily. He cursed under his breath, and Gerasimos offered a broad, blood coated grin.
“I like you, friend,” Gerasimos chirped cheerfully, his eyes going back to their former playful glint. “What’s your name?”
“Ranyshia,” he said, not wanting to provoke the other male into a battle. “Now that we are ‘friends’, will you tell me the way to the ocean?” He wanted to put as much distance between this male and himself as possible, his blood racing through his veins and he tried hard to resist the urge to flee. If he ran now, this male would follow, he just knew it, and then Ranyshia would become the ‘prey’, and that was the last thing that he wanted. It would end badly for himself, he knew it.
Gerasimos grinned. “Well we are friends,” he said, happily. He seemed unconcerned with his bloodied expression, and made no effort to clear off his face. “The ocean is that way,” he said, motioning in a direction. Ranyshia followed his motion and nodded, slowly, cautiously.
“Thank you. I must go now,” he was trying to keep his tone light.
Gerasimos pouted, and grumbled, but made no physical motion to stop Ranyshia, so the male began to back away slowly, not keen to turn his back on the male until he had put some distance between them. Gerasimos watched him go, his eyes never breaking their focus on him.
When Ranyshia felt safe enough away that he could turn around, he did so and began to move quickly away. He physically started when the male, from some distance behind him, called out, “goodbye friend!”
Ranyshia did not dare risk a glance back, and fastened his pace to a steady jog. For the first time since his journey began, he began to honestly miss the safety of his pride.
- fin -