Sphinx- Normal
Kasai - Bold

After Aldan had left the pair, the winged mark male heeded the advice, and headed further into the pride lands. He should have gotten a better description of the goddess from her daughter, yet he didn't know he would find himself in this territory so soon.

The male sighed, shaking his head. Maybe this was a bad idea? He didn't want to say he was looking for a goddess again, out of fear more would be like the last two he had just met.

He'd give it a few more steps. If he didn't find anything then, he would head back to the group. He was already pushing his luck by traveling alone. He could feel a small headache starting. A clear warning side for him to not push
his limits.

The days seemed long for the dark brown lioness, longer than normal at least. Something in the air tasted sour. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her again, maybe not, it was hard to tell lately. Koy found it hard to leave her den, having lost her friend Yorshka to sudden disappearance. It had been over a month and the younger female had not returned to the den the two shared, what made matters worse was the state of her mother, Zimran, a Goddess who was heartbroken over her youngest daughter's disappearance.

Koy could only assume the worse, after all, females didn't just vanish in the night, not without a trace. What if a murderer had gotten to her? Would they find her body months later turned to rot and ash? The thought made the older female feel weak, still, everyday she searched for her friend, everyday until sunset.

The dark lioness would call out her name as she investigated, eyes wide with hope. "Yorshka!?"

Silence answered. Koy would keep looking, it was all she could do.

Yorshka!?

Aldan paused his steps, hearing the familiar name on the wind. Maybe it was his mind playing with him, but the lion could hear the name again. He decided to try following the sound, until he spotted what he assumed was the source.

“Excuse me?” Aldan asked quietly, approaching the chocolate colored female.

“…Did you call out to a Yorshka? Do you know her?” The young seer inquired. Maybe he was heading in the right direction after all! “I’m looking for someone named Zimran. Do you know her too?” Aldan’s eyes were hopeful as he stayed far enough away from the lioness, but close enough to continue to speak without yelling at each other.

He would hold off on telling the other who Zimran was, just in case the reaction was the same with the couple he had left just a moment ago.

As the white lion approached Koy took a step back, a look of confusion swept across her face when he questioned her about Yorshka. Quickly the darker female nodded, speaking with haste.

"Do you know her? Where is she? Her mother, what do you need from her mother?" Koy found herself staring at the newcomer with wide eyes. The lioness felt her heart jump as she paced herself around him slowly, her tail flicking desperately behind her.

"Have you seen her? We have been looking for her for weeks, any information could help us, please, please." The older lioness spoke with anguish raging against her, eyes watery at the prospect of seeing the younger female again.

"?!"

Aldan was bombarded with questions just as soon as the male had finished talking. His eyes widened, unsure how truthful he should answer some of the questions. In the end, it was always best to say the truth…wasn’t it?

He couldn’t hide the fact he didn’t know OF her. He wore her pendant after all, a token to return to her.

“I…I do know her. She…” He hesitated saying where she was. “I just with to find her mother. Could you take me to her?” Aldan asked with a frown. “I wished to talk to her….”

His head tilted. Yorshka had been in his care for that long already. Time really did fly by, didn’t it. “I haven’t seen her in a while.” It maybe have been the stretched truth, but it was the truth nonetheless. His eyes watched as the other’s began to tear up. “She’s…safe….but…” How did he tell the other she would not be returning? Not any time soon, at least.

“She’s safe.” He concluded with saying.

"Excuse me?" Koy blinked before moving herself back. Hollow eyes narrowed as she noticed the necklace around his neck, her necklace. With a sharp snarl the lioness lowered her ears and spoke again, this time her tone was a lot more aggressive.

"Why do you have that?" The darker female's voice was loud, booming with anger. "Where did you get that? What did you do?" Why on earth did this boy have Yorshka's necklace? Was why he here asking her so many questions about Zimran? He this lion looking to blackmail the Goddess? Threaten her with the safety of her youngest daughter? Brown eyes searched his face for answers.

"You haven't seen her in a while?! Why are you wearing that if you haven't seen her in a while!? Where is she?" Again the lioness cried out, this whole situation was becoming so confusing, why was this male withholding information from her?

"...Safe? She would be safe here at home, please...." Koy could hardly think.

Aldan backed up at the sudden tone change, and the snarl that emitted from the other’s lioness’s maw. His own ears pinned back, not in aggression, but in the loudness of the conversation. Oh, please don’t attract others. He did not need to explain himself to an entire pride.

The young seer shifted his gaze to Yorshka’s pendant. “She gave it to me.” He murmured, before glancing back at the female. “Yorshka gave it to me.” His tone was a little louder. “I didn’t do anything,” technically. Kris had ‘captured’ her per say. The only thing Aldan was rather guilty of was the intimate moment the two shared at the will of someone else. He couldn’t help but look away once those words escaped his maw. It was clear from the expression he wore, something did transpire, but would Koy know was questionable.

“It was a gift.” He said to the other. “A gift from her mother to her, whom she passed to me. Look, I really just need to speak with Zimran. I don’t have much time here. It’s best if you don’t know her location…for your own safety that is.”

"A gift? That isn't a gift she would ever give anyone, let alone you, who are you even? How would she even know you!?" Koy didn't recognize him at all, Yorshka had never once talked about a male before, so when this male spoke of the necklace as a gift she could only gaze at him in horror. Koy wanted to scream, but before she could bring herself to raise the alarm her nose brought her mind back to him. What... was that smell? Yorshka? The lioness picked of the scent of the younger lioness on the white lion.

"What..." Koy paused as her eyes financially danced along his figure.

"My safety!?" Another harsh snarl crossed her as the lioness flashed her fangs at the younger male.

"Did you hurt her? Is she even alive?!" It was hard not to let her mind race with dark thoughts, these uncontrollable feelings felt so overwhelming, the thought of losing her friend...

"Zimran will never see you. I will never allow that to happen, not until you tell me some truths."

“I’m Aldan.” The male offered his name when she asked who he was. He would not go into detail where he was from however. His lands could be dangerous. His traveling party could be dangerous as well, although they seemed to be relaxed for the time being. “I met her a few months back, when I had visited the pride for the first time. She showed me around the lands, told me a little bit about the inhabitants in them. Last time I met her here, she spoke of chaos reigning in your lands.” That was probably the last time Koy had seen the pale female.

“Yorshka did give me this though. We have been through…a lot…together. Just as she has a token from my own mother, I have one from hers.” Aldan said quietly.

He winced at the harsh snarl. “I would never hurt her…” Aldan said. “She is alive. At least, last I heard she was.” He hadn’t received an avian communication back from her yet.

“I am speaking the truths. I don’t know what else I can tell you. Look, I just want to tell Yorshka’s mother she is okay, before I have to get going.” He eyed the sun in the sky. Soon, he would need to turn back. He was getting nowhere with this female, and the pounding in his head was starting to worsen.

“If you won’t take me to her, perhaps just take my word to her. Her daughter is safe. That is all I can say.”

It didn't matter how many facts he got straight, it would never matter, not to Koy. It wouldn't bring her friend back home and this truth was starting to eat her alive. Her dark eyes shut tightly as he spoke of chaos and exchanging items, it sounded so... romantic. It just didn't add up, not from her outside perspective.

"....If she is harmed in anyway, I will haunt you." Koy spat under clenched teeth. "I will make your life completely miserable. I swear it, in front of all the Gods." It was becoming apparent that no matter how much she pushed the lioness would never get answers from him, at least not the answers she hoped for.

"Zimran will never forgive you." Muttered words lingered before her paw reached his face with a firm slap, claws would tare into the bridge of his nose, leaving behind a small blooded mark. "I will never forgive you." Koy had never harmed anyone in her life before, but something inside of her ached, ripping at the seams.

"...." She stood still with wide eyes. If he was going to leave she would watch him like a hawk. Aldan wouldn't be allowed to take anyone else. Koy knew that was what happened here. He took her. He did.

Aldan wanted to tell the other that he had made a promise to protect her. He would give his own life if it meant Yorshka was safe. But the words never came out. Instead, he felt the unsuspecting paw run the claws across the bridge of his nose, small beads of blood beginning to pool at the wound.

He blanched, back pedaled some more, before he stared wide-eyed at his attacker. He deserved that. For what he did to Yorshka, he deserved it all.

“I’m not asking for forgiveness. Only to let her know her daughter is safe.” Aldan turned away, wincing at the new pain in his face, in addition to his head. He needed to get back to his group. He needed to find that demigod, or whatever divine was hanging in mortal skin so his vision wouldn’t rear it’s ugly head.

The lion moved at a lope, coming in the direction he had previous come, leaving the dark lioness in the pride lands. He couldn’t be back. Not any time soon. He only hoped she would take his words to Zimran, if only to give her some peace of mind.