Noh'Vah lead her daughter Afon towards the location the Nat were resting, the older lioness intent on teaching her daughter a lesson now she was grown.
Why the Nat were needed. The female did not forget the crimes of each, and her body ached thinking of the sisters, but Jezebeth was away and Lillith? Slacking, so the lioness felt now was a fine time for a lesson.
Afon was far less excited to go, the lioness' ears back in a mix of frustration at constant lessons, and the need to see the Nat. They were tools, so why see one? Weren't they invisible to cubs? However, barely-kempt dens and the scent of others made he blink, nose twitching as she looked, her mother growling in her chest as they drew near.
Lillith was lazing, stretched on a flat rock and she was almost certain the gnat-lion haranguing her about work earlier had left when she'd tried taking a sizeable chunk from the male's shoulder, letting her enjoy a rarte spot of peace and quiet and self satisfaction as she stretched and yawned, relaxing until noticing two light coats. Had a sador been sent to bother her? She flicked an ear in dismissal, but rolled on her stomach lazily as the pair approached, frowning. One she'd seen before, a pale demon whom had contributed to her capture, while the other... Was it half a demon? Lillith snorted in the younger female's direction before flashing Noh'Vah a feral grin, kneading stone.
"Hello poppet." Lillith crooned. "Come for another try?"
The giggle was unstable, Noh'vah sitting, a cue to Afon to mirror, and the younger female snorted. The other lioness' movements were... Off. Wrong. Erratic. Afon sat, fur bristling on edge as the pair watched Lillith, Noh'vah snorting.
"This is a Nat." Noh'vah explained to her daughter coldly. Afon raised a brow, tilting her head curiously to her mother, whom continued staring coldly at the lioness giggling again. "Nat are the lessers of the Savannah; worse than all. They are things that must be watched for acts against our pride." Noh snorted again, and Lillith burst into giggles, circling and rubbing Noh'vah like a kitten, purrs and grooming and giggles, Noh'vah impassive to the female's movements. Afon shivered, moving back a bit before Lillith cooed to Noh'vah, rubbing again.
"Surely I'm not that bad~" Lillith cooed. "Everybody makes mistakes. Even you, lady~"
Afon shifted uncomfortably away from the Nat, sizing up her erratic behaviour as the lioness rumbled fondly at her mother. Noh'vah remained in her position, eyes forward as she frowned.
"This one attacked your uncle and I with her sister. She is why he limps, and it was fighting them that awakened his demon." Noh'vah curled her lip warningly. "Never turn your back on them."
Afon nodded, blinking as Lillith turned, sitting in front of Noh with a broad, toothy grin, one Afon could swear had too many teeth, and gave her mother a worried look. Noh'vah was impassive before Lillith, herself, eyes cold and hard as she growled warningly.
"This one in particular needs punished now for slacking." Noh'vah snarled finally. The grin on Lillith's maw continued, Afon shrinking back as Lillith leaned into Noh's face.
"Jezebeth and Death might forgive you if you stop playing, pale demon~" Lillith cooed. "Put your paws on a right path."
Without Jezebeth, Lillith felt reason slip, a response Jezebeth had nurtured and fostered as long as Lillith remembered. At one point, she knew it was bad for her, a poison, but that part waned and quieted as time passed. Weak males gave way and she accepted her sheer power as a gift, and the lioness cooed.
"It's easy to just... Give in..."
Noh'vah growled, and swatted Lillith from her face, teeth baring warningly, and Afon all but scoot back, eyes wide at Lillith as she stretched, then turned on Noh'vah with a dark look.
The pair of lionesses were sizing one another up, eyes narrowed as Lillith began circling, the larger female's fur bristled as Noh'vah watched calmly, before rising.
Afon had a feeling that demons didn't normally answer a challenge by a Nat, but something felt off. Hostile between them - likely, the female's crime affected her mother enough to foster animosity, and the pair circled before snarling, and Afon huddled back to shiver.
Lillith moved first, the unstable lioness lashing for Noh'vah with a practiced swipe, and Noh'vah ducked, hissing as she rounded on Lillith to swipe and snarl and bite, snapping for Lillith before the larger, tan lioness snapped at paws, and Afon's ears pinned back as Noh'vah roared angrily, lashing with her claws.
"Afon!" Noh'vah snarled. "Find someone. NOW."
Afon nodded, shaking as she backed from the fight, Lillith's laughing echoing in the Nat denarea as the two females fought, and the lioness ran from them.
Her paws did not run far.
Mauji had been escorted to help another demon, mostly picking and cleaning what they did not wish, but it brought him near the Sador dens, and his Demon handler of the night had generously given him precious time with Tencho and his cubs. It was not long, but it assured they were well, and the male did not test patience, merely pleased to see them well rested, healthy and fed, and he was sent, escorted part of the way, to his Dens to rest. A lioness crashing into him in a fright was not unheard of, however rarel, but he recognized a demon that grew just after his own - at least one even, perhaps, a playmate.
A female just barely dark enough to be a demon herself. For a moment, Mauji stepped back, the large leopard sizing up the lioness cautiously before accepting she meant no harm, and was, in fact, shaking. His mind rolled to her brother, and he decided he'd try.
"What's wrong, Mistress?" The large Nat drawled. Afon shivered, accpting the larger Nat as adequate and huddled close, shivering, and the leopard blinked, tail twitching.
Lions never saught his reassurance. Never considered him... As...
THIS female, yes. He liked this demon, somehow. She was so shaken though, and finally Afon spoke, all eyes.
"My mo...mother. A Nat is attacking her, but she said get help, I... Please.. Please my Mom... I don't know how to help please..." Afon's voice cracked, and Mauji tensed. The female didn't know he was a Nat, based on the fact she was huddling against him, and he dared not correct her now, instead nodding. If it was who he thought it was, he disliked them anyhow.
"Allow me, my lady." Mauji rumbled, and the leopard bound toward the fight. Afon shivered, and bound after the leopard, Izanagi whispering angrily. He was better than nothing but the female did so need to fight...
It wasn't until they drew nearer that they could see the fight. While neither had severe injury, Lillith was moving as Mauji and Afon returned, and she leapt on Noh, the small lioness knocked off her paws as Lillith pinned her, grinning sharply.
"I'm hungry, you know..." Lillith drawled. "So... Very hungry..."
Lillith prepared to bit Noh'vah's throat when she was suddenly knocked of by the rush ogf a large pouncing Feline, and Mouji stood between her and Noh'Vah, the burly, thin, but muscular leopard snarling in her face.
It was a male, and Lillith began grinning, recognizing the loner Nat as she beamed, dancing on her paws and Noh'Vah got to her paws, grimacing as she did.
"Oh, a snack! A delicious one, yes please!" Lillith crooned, giggling wildly, and Mouji snarled, swiping her face. Lillith howled, and seemed to forget Noh'vah for the moment, the Leopard and Lillith circling one another as Noh moved next to her daughter. And then Mauji addressed Afon.
"Pounce, cub." He drawled to the young adult. "Hold her down for me. She's learning a lesson."
Afon paused, blinking with large, wide eyes before Noh'Vah nosed her forward, and after stumbling briefly, ignoring the cackle from Lillith at her own clumsiness, Afon leapt on the female Nat, soon standing on her enough to use her bodyweight to weight the tan lioness down. Lillith snarled, trying to twist for the younger female when Noh followed her daughter in a flash to hold her backend down, and Mauji circled, suddenly and with expert precision leaning and snapping at her paw, biting the foot hard, and Lillith shrieked, suddenly howling and screaming. Mauji snarled around her now-broken paw and spit it out disdainfully, swiping her face with his claws. Lillith stopped squirming, whining at the male in irritation as she bared her teeth.
"You're no better than Jezebeth or I you stupid male!" Lillith shrieked. "You're a Nat! You're lower than us by merit of being male! You're nothing!"
Mauji stared, frowning before huffing, eyes narrowing before he turned to the demons.
"I atleast accept my place. Perhaps you and that infernal sister of yours can learn the same."
Mauji's tail flicked in her face, narrowly avoiding Lillith snapping at it as he moved to inspect Noh'vah, grunting breifly.
"Mistress," He drawled, flatly. "I hope suggesting a healer is not overstepping my boundries."
Noh'Vah paused to think, frowning. This was the male whom killed Hakuna'jina, but Hakuna had returned....
...And he'd just saved her. This called for her to discuss things with her mother at minimum; perhaps even Hakuna'jina herself, and Noh'vah felt his testimony was needed, as well as knowing Jezebeth may well attack him if left alone too long, and she nodded.
"Guard my daughter. Escort her home. Remain with her until this cvan be discussed tonight."
Noh'vah paused as Mauji nodded, Afon blinking to her mother in surprise, and Noh'vah looked to her daughter.
"Before you go home, Afon, while I'm with healers, please do visit the Sador dens a time. He is a Nat, but he has gone beyond what is asked. He needs time with his family.
Afon nodded, then paused at the large leopard that silently stalked to her side, appearing both grateful, and also silent, and blinked. She hadn't known he was pride entirely, simply odd... But... Was he another Nat? She didn't dare ask, Noh'Vah leaving for the healer dens already, and Afon rose, shaking faintly from the ordeal before looking to Mauji and nodding.
"Come with me. Mmm... Please?" She asked politely. Mauji blinked, and nodded, and the pair walked for the Sador dens side by side in silence, leaving Lillith to shreak and yowl alone in the dens until a healer came.
