It was strange how time had a way of changing things. He didn't think it'd been that long since he had left his old home... but clearly it had. The evidence of another pride living here for quite some time was proof enough of that. Vaguely, he wondered what became of those that had lingered after him. They must have moved on as well, he thought with a hum.
But then, not everything was different. The temple still remained after all this time, a little more time worn but still very much standing. After the fall of the Dawnwalkers, Har had spent quite a bit of time just wandering through this place, seeking out things he hadn't seen before and memorizing as many details as he could.
So again, he found himself wandering these tunnels and taking in what he could see. The familiar clink sound of metal echoed around him as he walked, and were it not for the silence, he would have thought someone else was here. Unfortunately, he knew that it was just his own jewelry rubbing against each other to make that sound. There were no other Dawnwalkers than himself.
Breathing in a sigh, the dark male frowned deeper as he noticed the obvious evidence that the Nergui had made their home here. Very little of the Dawnwalkers' possessions remained - either taken with their owners, destroyed or claimed by one of the Nergui - and it just made the temple feel that much more alien to him now. He wondered if he would have been taken by the Nergui if he had stayed; if he would have been one of the ones captured today or taken from his home. It made him relieved and reassured that his decision to leave was the right one. He had a pride again, one he'd chosen for himself, and a family to look forward to when he got home.
Speaking of, he wondered what he would bring back to them. He wanted something special, something to pass on to his cubs as their heritage, but with so many Nergui belongings.... that might prove difficult. All he could do was search. Perhaps something of his old pride remained.
As he walked, his mind wandered once more, turning to the day's events. The kidnapped lions had been found, to the relief of everyone, and soon they would be making the trek back home. He wondered what would become of the remaining Nergui now. There was nothing for them here, and he doubted that the Firekin would tolerate them rebuilding as their original plans had been. Perhaps all that they could do... was leave. Find a new home.
Which brought his thoughts back to these lands. Would another pride move in here someday? It made sense. Once you figured out how to survive in the desert, the temple was a prime place to build a home.
But then, maybe it was cursed. Two prides had lived here now, and both prides had fizzled into nothing.
Harakhty shook his head. That was a silly, superstitious thought, and there was no point in entertaining it. He wouldn't be coming back to live here anytime soon anyway.
The corridor he was walking down had windows lining the side of it, so clearly he'd come to the outer ring of the temple. As he walked, he moved his gaze out the window at the darkened sky. Most were asleep right now, bar the guards that were chosen to stay awake and keep watch, so it surprised him when he noticed a figure stealing away into the night. No amount of squinting helped him decipher who it could be, but if he had to guess.... He'd bet it was one of the Nergui, taking off the moment they saw their chance.
He debated calling attention to it, retrieving a few others and giving chase, but then he paused. Whoever it was wouldn't be coming back and he doubted that they wanted anything to do with the Nergui now. Besides, by the time any of them got outside, they would be long gone. What was the point? So instead, he turned to continue his wandering.
It was as he did so that he noticed something glimmering in the corner of his vision. Pausing in his gait, Harakhty stared down at the source - a barely open little door (a cabinet) with something tucked away inside of it. There were a lot of these scattered throughout the temple, and while none of them knew what they were for, most used them to hide things. Such was the case here, he supposed as he reached a paw out to pull it open.
He would later wonder if this had been coincidence or the lingering will of one of his old gods. Perhaps even the Great Lion had had a paw in this.
The glimmer he had seen was from the moon reflecting off of some leftover jewelry, old and in need of some care but still intact. As he pulled the bundle out with his paws, his eyes widened when he realized that it was.... these were Dawnwalker adornments. Abandoned long ago, most likely.
He debated his options then. This was exactly the type of thing he'd been hoping to find - a piece for each of his cubs and Senka - but he wasn't the type to steal either.... That had been the reason for him not wanting to keep the feathers he'd found earlier. That said, he sort of doubted that the original owner was coming back for them. More than enough time had passed for them to do so. Any longer and the pieces would start to come apart from lack of upkeep.
He stood there for a moment longer, and then leaned down to pick them up gently in his maw. They still felt relatively sturdy, so that was good, and he was fairly certain that he could polish them back into perfect condition.
With a nod, the Mwezi lion went in search of some cloth to start the process with. He'd left what he normally used at home, but hopefully, like this jewelry, there was something leftover here that he could use. This in mind, Har made his way down the corridor once more, a little more set in his choices and looking forward to showing these to Senka.
