The feel of the jungle floor under his paws was one he never thought he'd feel again. The scent of Lakshmana lingered, but it wasn't current. His father was still out, seeking him, the wayward lion-lover. Mkorogo closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. No, he wouldn't let that taint his visit... At least, not for now. Opening his eyes again, he stepped out of the jungle and into the ruins, surprised to find them nearly empty. Where were the leopards that were usually everywhere? Where was the colony? What had happened to the Usafi'tukufu?
The morning light did little to please the white leopard. An oddity amid the ruins, he stood out amid the recovering colony. Surely he couldn't be alone out there... Letting out a yawn, the white cat stepped down the stone steps, cautious of stones that had come loose from the earthquake. It had been a while, but they were all still cautious. They couldn't clean it up, after all. Having no thumbs bit like that. As another yawn escaped, he noticed a form moving through the ruins. Now that was a leopard that didn't look like they belonged... Yet... "Hey... I don't think I've met you yet?"
The orange-haired male frowned, giving the white leopard a look. Even in the colony's boom days, white wasn't a color one saw too often. That was more a color of the world beyond the trees, the world of the plains and deserts, where white was a great advantage in a place where the sun ruled everything that went on. Stepping closer, Mkorogo frowned. "I believe we have... Nava of the Humans."
Scowling at the title, Nava went up to Mkorogo. He had to look up to glare. "You know I hate being called that, Mkorogo. Why are you here? I thought you left to be with a lion." Tail curling, he stepped back, eyes narrow. "Left the colony, in its time of need, for a LION..." It sent a shiver across the leopard, glare still in his eyes.
"I left for my own reasons!" Taking steps back, Mkorogo glared back. Gold eyes narrow, he circled the other. "Where is the colony, anyway? There were so many when I left..." He looked around, trying to spot any signs of life... Any at all. He saw few, if any, and most were the signs of adults passing. It was as if the colony had all but died. "I know Sayen and Kamawi were out looking for me..." He paused. "And speaking of Sayen... What are your ententions for my little sister...?"
The matter of impurity in the family was dropped, for the time being. "The colony was nearly completely whiped out. Fu, Sayen, Kamawi, Sayuri, you, and me are all that's left of the original colony. Everybody else that's here was brought in." He paused. "And then there's Fu's cubs with a rogue male, but they're the only cubs in the whole colony." He sighed, then choked a bit on it. The last question caught him off guard. "Ah.. Um.. Well..." A blush rose up under the white leopard's fur, tinging it red.
A smug look crossed Mkorogo's face. "I see, so you DO like her..." He moved close, getting in Nava's face. "Whatever those ententions are... If you hurt my sister... I swear to the gods above, I WILL come back here at first word..." He backed Nava into a giant stone block. "And I will evicerate you. You will SUFFER, a very slow... Painful... Death."
Nava nodded, eyes wide. He swallowed, trying to become one with the stone. A threat from an older brother was something one did NOT argue with. "Oh, d-don't worry, Mkorogo... She'll be treated right!" When Mkorogo backed up, Nava scrambled away, putting space between them. "Have I ever done anything to cause suspicion?"
"No... No, you haven't..." Mkorogo sighed, closed his eyes, then started up the temple steps. "Tell me one thing, Nava... How was the colony decimated?" What could whipe out the colony like this? "Was it gorillas? Humans...?" Like any animal, he had a healthy fear of humans and what they could do. But like any Usafi leopard, he had a healthy fear and respect for the gorillas.
Looking to the larger male, Nava gave him a sad look. "Some months ago... An earth quake hit the area..." He motioned to the debris with a paw. "Some were killed by the falling stones, a couple by falling trees... And then the sickness came..." He sat down, ears folding back. "All anybody could figure is that it came from some sealed cavern within the temples. It spread like wildfire, killing swiftly. Of those left alive, many fled. We've been rebuilding since..." He stared at the ground, then got up, heading up the stairs and into the temple. "Do what you want, Mkorogo... Just don't hurt the colony any more in these times of recovery."
Looking up at the ruins, Mkorogo frowned. An earthquake... Was it the same one that had shaken up a lot of the rest of the areas? Granted, it hadn't been THAT strong in the east... Not too many noticed it, as far as he could tell. Sighing, the leopard slowly climbed the steps, heading in to see the passages he used to explore as a cub. Memories, after all, could be kind... Or cruel. He hoped his would be kind.
