Iola came to the edge of the swamp. The sunset colored lioness looked all around her. From the plains, where she had traveled from, to the shadow covered swamp in front of her. There was something odd about this place. All the trees and dark foliage cast dark shadows all around. She was never one for dark places, and this place frightened her.
But in the same way, it had this mystery that pulled her in. She wanted to explore the swamp. To wade in the dark waters, crawl into a dead tree lying on the floor. To the cub inside her, this was all just one big playground that she could explore for days with no adult supervision.
But her insecurities and nightmares quickly turned those playful trees into deadly beasts, waiting to grab her and take her to the darkest parts of the swamps.
She trembled lightly as her violet eyes glanced back to the open plains. There were no dark hiding spots for her monsters, and she liked that. But this was the place her grandmother told stories about. The swamps, where lions who lived there talked with spirits. In her eyes it was all so magical.
She had come this far, there was no going back now.
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