Kasai
"We are almost there," Aldan practically cooed, the familiar scent hitting his nostrils as they neared the pride borders. "So, last time we were able to just go off. I mean, we are reavers, so we should be okay to do so, right?" The male asked the captain who just huffed.

"Don't go far," Aya warned with a frown. She would stay near the Captain for the purposes of wanting to rank up, otherwise she would be all for trying to go with him. Aldan and his headaches were not pleasant, and when she wasn't nearby she always worried for him. He was her best friend after all, and it was her job to worry.

"I won't." and he was off.

"Don't worry niece" the voice said from behind her. "I will make sure he doesn't go too far." Kristanf gave a smirk as he watched the winged lion bound off. He would keep his distance, but watch him from a far. What sort of thralls could the male pick up in this happy little land?



he air was laced with the smell of death and despair, chaos had come to shallow the Pridelands whole and it did so effortlessly, and without warning. The sky was falling and though the pale lioness had done her best to stay far away from the impending doom, she couldn't help but be aware of the calamity that had plagued the lands. It felt like her paradise was falling apart and withering before her eyes. Yorshka could feel her head ache from the stress she felt, her heart heavy with dissolution.

This brought her to the edges of the pride, some place between the Pridelands and the Outlands, tip-toeing along the fine line between.

"Ugh..." She felt herself mutter before jumping from the ground to a large rock, keeping her balance as the lioness stood tall and glanced out at the lands before her. Things felt darker lately, more cynical, and cruel. Her mother was nowhere to be seen, so the only thing she could do was offer her friend Koy her den while she took her wandering mind for a walk, searching for something to ease the tension she felt lately.

When would things be normal again? Yorshka felt a little defeated.

Things had to get better, right?

Kasai
As Aldan got further from Aya, the small pulse in his head started. He winced slightly, hoping he would find her friend soon. He did promise he would be back, but he couldn't risk one of his attacks if he didn't fine her soon.

Aldan sighed, scanning the area. What happened here? Things didn't seem as lush or green as before. Just as he was about to head back, the pale lioness caught his attention. Ah ha! There she was! "Yorksha!" Aldan called out with a chuckle. "I didn't think I would find you so close to the border, but look, here you are!" His mane had grown some more, although it still wasn't as full as a full grown adult.

Kristanf kept to the shadows where he could, eyeing the young reaver with interest as he moved forward. Just what had caught his young ward's attention?

The lighter colored eyes narrowed as he heard the male call out. "Well I'll be damned." The male said with a whisper, watching Aldan approached a much lighter, quite beautiful female. He needed her, Kristanf decided. Not yet though. What sort of things would Aldan do before Kris would make his appearance. The reaver flexed his paws in the dirt, time to play the waiting game for now.


As quickly as distress came it went, and with a soft smile the lioness turned to face her fated friend, smiling as warmly as she could.

"Hey! This is wild, I didn't think I would see you for a very long time." As she spoke she jumped from her place atop the towering stone, landing against the ground with a thud, followed by a an excited jump.

"But here you are!" It was like a God was sending her an escape from reality in the form of her younger friend. His stories would defiantly help take her mind off of things.

"So, tell me everything." The pale beauty laughed, moving herself just close enough to him to feel comfortable without overstepping her bounds, she remembered how he was with touching.

"Also- how is your head?" Yorksha figured she would go ahead and ask. She hoped that when he left he was able to rejoin his friend who could help keep his pain away.

She was unaware of the male that stalked the two in the shadows.

Kasai
Aldan chuckled. "Well...it's about a two week trip here depending on if we encounter anything interesting." They were reavers, of course they would always encounter something interesting. They would make it happen.

"But yes, here I am! I found another captain willing to go out right away, and he seemed okay with heading this way, so thus, here I am!" He repeated.

"I think first you need to tell me what's going on." He gazed towards the land that was once bright and vibrant. Now, it seemed otherwise. "Has a famine reached your land too?" Aldan questioned.

"I have so many stories to tell you, I don't know where to start." The adolescent grinned. "Oh my head? It's better now. Your divine-blood is doing the trick!" He joked.

Kristanf snorted straining to hear the conversation between the two. He was acting like some lovesick cub. Kristanf would have to make a move soon if he was going to pull this off. He looked around. They were still close to the borders of the land, and it didn't look like there were any other pride members around to hinder his plan.

He would sneak quietly up to the pair. That would be his plan. He just needed to wait for the opportune moment.


The second she allowed herself to forget the disarray that had fallen upon the lands Alden questioned the state of the pride. She couldn't help but feel guilty for wanting an escape, still though, the lioness would answer him with a soft look, one filled with discontent.

"The Gods are at war..." It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him more, she honestly just didn't know enough about the fine details to share, so with that she turned away, her back to the pride. Looking at it made her feel extremely disheartened. Her ears perked at his comment about his head, the fact that she was able to soothe him made her feel a little better, at least for now she could think about something else.

"I'd like to hear them all. I honestly could use a little pick me up. My mother fled to be with her sister far from here, so for right now I am on my own. It's honestly amazing how fate works, you came back to me just when I needed the company." Her eyes only seemed to glow when she spoke, brighter with every word. Alden had no idea what it meant to her to have him near, for now he could be here get away from the world around.

"So, tell me what you've seen." The pale lioness was always so sweet, it wasn't like she could help it, it was just the way she was raised. Yorshka was a child of Purity after all.

Kasai
"They are?" Aldan asked incredulously. Did anyone tell those hiding out in the stormborn this? Or...maybe that was teh reason for the influx of divine there.

"If their world is at war...one can only think ours is too." Everything was slowly starting to make sense. The Famine, the sudden 'death' of their former War Lord, the quick changes to the female ranks. Aldan frowned, putting the pieces together.

---

Kristanf inched closer, hearing the younger reaver talk. This was not how vikings worked. She would be the perfect specimen for a thrall. If Aldan wasn't going to claim her, Kristanf would not hesitate.

--

"Well, the morning after I left, I met this thing called a...a /cheetah/. I didn't even know such a creature existed! It looks like us but more...lithe almost fragile."

"Who's your friend Aldan?" The voice said from behind with narrowed eyes.

The adolescent froze, his head whipping around. "Oh...Um. H-hi Kristanf. This...this is Yorksha."

Ah, so he knew her name already. An obvious sign they had known each other. "Well...Aren't you going to bring Yorksha back to our camp. Introduce your new friend to everyone?" His raspy voice asked, insinuating on the word, friend.

"I...don't think she would like that..." Aldan glanced towards her, a questioning look on her features.




It wasn't like Yorshka oblivious to the madness around her, truly she was a creature of empathy, but sometimes it was healthy to get away. At least... her logic brought her all the way out here, maybe she would end up regretting it.

"I-" Before the lioness could finish her thought another male crept over, his larger frame slightly intimidating compared to Aldan. Did he know this lion? Her eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, his words as wicked as a snake.

"...Aldan, who is this?" She ignored the red-haired male's words, she found little comfort in even looking straight at him, so she would look away any time he glanced at her.

Introduce your new friend to everyone. What? Who was everyone and why was he talking about her meeting them? Her natural response was to back up, her face a little less welcoming than before.

"Aldan?" She questioned with a panicked tone.


Kasai
Ah. ah ah. Little liar, wasn't she. "Oh...but...I could have sworn I had heard your mother had fled the lands. She won't know you were gone if she isn't here, now would she?" Kristanf asked with a smirk. Even if she found it hard to look him in the eye, he didn't. His pale eyes were watching her like a hawk, only glancing towards Aldan occasionally. He would take it out on the male if he did not go along with this.

"Ah, Ayanga. Yes, she is waiting. You know she can't leave the Captain's side with these new rules placed on her....rank." Kristanf's tongue clucked, his mind beginning to swirl, trying to formulate an idea. That being said, his eyes narrowed when she backed up some more.

This wouldn't do.

"One more shot to get her to come willingly, Aldan." The male said quietly into Aldan's ear, watching her.

A shiver up his spine, Aldan seemed to freeze. "I mean, she would just be...meeting them...right? That's it. And then once the meeting is done, she can leave." Aldan was saying it more for reassurance to him than anything.

"Of course." Kristanf almost purred out.

Aldan nodded. "Our camp isn't far. I'm...still new to this rank, so maybe I made a mistake last time we met and should have brought you over to meet everyone. Kris has been doing this a lot longer so he knows the rules better." He felt himself shrugging slightly. "It shouldn't take long?" Aldan finally said, taking a step towards Yorksha. "I can tell you some more stories on the way?"


This felt dirty. The lioness felt hurt that Aldan wasn't even trying to protect her from a situation she knew wasn't safe, not with this red-haired demon lurking over them with every twisted word he spoke. Yorshka could feel her skin crawl. How did he know about her mother? Had Aldan told him? Why was Aldan telling anyone about her personal information, things she only shared with him? Something inside her felt sick and dizzy at the same time.

"I don't..." Even with her inner voice screaming at her to run she felt paralyzed in this moment, unable to move, unable to have a voice to speak with. Not that it would matter, that was starting to become clear now.

Whatever little freedom she had, it was being taken from her right now, wasn't it? Her eyes pinned as she settled them against Kristanf's towering frame, his shadow felt like an abyss she just couldn't escape.

"...I guess I could come say hello to her..." Maybe if she played along things would be alright. Aldan wouldn't let anyone harm her right? He was her friend. Friends protected friends.

"If you say so, Aldan..." Yorshka spoke with a dimmed voice, her eyes heavy with doubt.

"I trust you." Her final words, a whisper only loud enough for him to hear.

Kasai
Aldan's ears perked forward as Yorshka said she trusted him. He nodded slightly, an arm gesturing forward for the Pridelander to move ahead. The adolescent had unknowingly put himself between the elder reaver and the pure lioness.

He followed her before his pace quickened slightly so he would lead the way. Kristanf tailed the duo, a smirk on his maw. Well, this was turning out to be a much better viking than he had been on in a while. Now all he had to do, was get the female for himself instead of the young adolescent. The kid seemed like a pushover, it wouldn't be hard to deal with him.

However. With his niece traveling with him, things were made a little bit more difficult. He wished this was a 'boys' outing. More things could be done without much judgment then.

Kristanf shrugged, ears perking as he heard Aldan speaking a short story of their travel here. He chuckled darkly to himself. This girl was in a for a whirlwind of fun. At least...for Kris it would be fun.