[PRP] We are Nergui. (Larak x Sorra Suau)

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The meeting with the Kaar Oma had gone about as well as Larak could have hoped. She was just as fierce as ever and he wondered if she had seen this coming. They spoke in their native tongue, he would never use such ugly words with a higher up.

Once the topic of cubs had come up, Mchawi demanded to know if this lioness was fit to bear the Nergui cubs and as he said he would, Larak had advocated for the lioness rogue. Dhlurr couldn't breed, this was fact, so he went on to saying that he would train this rogue in the Nergui ways and take responsibility for her actions.

"Maexo lou Emkurcar. (Make her Emkurcar.)" He had insisted. "Slo v'rr do d'ro aerb I v'rr daexo tiuo tlo baotr'k tkuaev. (She will be mine and I will make sure she doesn't stray.)"

Eventually the Kaar Oma gave her consent. The lioness would be considered Emkurcar, but she would have to prove her worth to the Nergui as all rogues would. Larak bowed his head and herded the lioness out with a shove. When they emerged, he stared at his pride mates and growled.

"Slo 't d'ro. (She's mine.)" And stalked off towards the ruin-rock he had claimed for himself. It wasn't much, of course, for he was just a Braak, but his mother was Gren ga-Groul. Many knew not to challenge the son of Gren and he had proven that he was more than just her son when he fought off others before.

The rock was little more than a fallen wall that jutted out of the ground, rather than laying flat on its side. It provided enough shade at the right times of day and was a pleasant place to escape the majority of the sand around the times when shade was impossible to find. At the moment, there was minimal shade beneath the stone and Larak deposited the flesh-stone-holder under the shade. He did not like burnt or rotted flesh on animals and so suspected that the flesh-stone would task equally awful baked in the sunlight.

Now, at last, he turned to the lioness and sized her up.
"We will not kill you." He told her. "You are now Nergui. You are pride mate. Nergui will not kill you, if you are strong. Your spirit is not enough, but I will show you how to be Nergui." He thought about that fiery spirit and added. "If Nergui sees weakness in you, they will kill you. I will not be able to protect forever." Hopefully that would be enough to smooth over anything this lioness would have to say and get the pretty no-longer-rogue to cooperate with him. Remembering her spirit, he doubted that she would go along so easily, but he did hope all the same.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Sorra couldn’t believe she agreed to cubs. She swallowed thickly. What did that mean in a pride like this? Would she only be useful until she gave him cubs? Would he expect them immediately? She wasn’t ready to be a mother! She wasn’t even ready to attempt to have them! But it was the only thing she could think of to spare her life. And it was a gamble at that. Looking around, she could see there were plenty of attractive lionesses. It really was a gamble. Or was this lion not really a catch? Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying Larak. He was a desert savage but perhaps he was attractive. Not that she found him so; she was his captive so thoughts like that were purged from her mind immediately.

She had half listened to the conversation, tense and eyes narrowed. She wasn’t ready to die but she would pull off her claws before she groveled. Offering herself up to Larak was already past her limit. It was to live, she reminded herself. She wasn’t quite sure on what her position was, however. Would she just be some… breeding object? Would she have rights? Did that make him her mate? Or not? She couldn’t think of what was worse.

He had finished speaking with the lioness who seemed important and growled something in the harsh language she didn’t understand. Watching him stalk off, Sorra was half tempted not to follow. Feeling the stares on her, however, she hunched her shoulders and trailed after him with a sulk.

If this was his home… it was ugly. Sorra stared at it with almost dismay. Looking at it made her miss the hollowed trees and mossy rocks that created a cave with cool temperatures. This bit of stone was barren. As barren as the rest of the desert. She clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to speak. She would not be the one to break the silence.

Fortunately, he was the first to speak. And what he had to say wasn’t pleasant. But… it was better than expected. So she wasn’t a slave or a hostage. It still didn’t make her happy though. ”I don’t need your protection,” she sniffed, turning her head away. This place was miserable. ”After I give you… want you want, I can leave, right?” Doubtful. Her tail thumped in irritation before her eyes zeroed on the sack. Her fruits. ”Give me my fruits back,” she demanded.

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Larak rolled his eyes. Of course it wouldn't be so easy. Why couldn't he have taken interest in a Nergui female? He had known one of founder-blood to had taken interest in him, but he didn't feel a connection with the reddish-roan female called Ngozi. That said, the only connection he felt with this female was the strange urge not to kill her.

Yet when she claimed that she didn't need his protection, he turned to glare at her.
"Oh, you don't, do you?" He growled at her, eyes flashing. "Fine. If you think you can defend yourself, go meet Nergui." He went on. "Nergui will want to size you up, will attack if they choose. You do not know our language, you are still an outsider, you have to prove yourself." He shrugged and turned away. "But you don't need my protection, I'm sure you'll be able to handle our Hoard." He said, voice turning casual as he turned away from the lioness. "If you come back alive, I will give you..." What had she called it? "A froot. Prize for being stronger than in spirit. You will not need froot if you die."

He had been willing to teach her straight off the bat. The training would be difficult, outsiders always had some challenges, but if she wanted to insist that she was ready to handle herself without his help, he would let her prove herself.
"Go on." He said, slumping over the top of the rock slab. "Go prove yourself or get yourself torn apart. You don't need my protection." He taunted her.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Oh boy. She really did it this time. Sorra’s neck stiffened, chin held high in indignation. She must have struck a nerve. Not that she cared. ”Those are mine,” she hissed, furious that the lion still treated her treasures as his own possession.

Hoard. What was he talking about. Fighting… she couldn’t fight in this condition. Sure, she could hunt. And she was quick, usually. She had definitely gotten into scuffles back then. But straight up fighting someone? What sort of place was this? However, her pride was once again taking the lead, a growl vibrating through her in frustration. Maybe she can just walk around, avoid others, and come back. No fighting involved. She wasn’t about to back off and admit she did need his protection.

”Fine,” she bit out and whirled around, stalking out of the ugly den. She stormed several paces away from the fallen wall… and paused, hesitation catching her. She remembered the stares from earlier… What was she going to do? She wanted very much to sit down and cry but knew that wouldn’t solve her troubles. She ached, her wounds stung, her eyes hurt, her pride wounded. She was practically a prisoner to this… this.. this lion she didn’t even know the name of! Quite frankly, she was starting to miss her jungle.

Steeling her nerves and glad that the dry arid air prevented moisture from misting up her eyes, she picked the less busy direction, head held high. She would not look weak. Looking weak would make her a target. That’s what gazelles did, not a lion. She would not. The effort to appear brave nearly ached.

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Dhoruba Kimya was not a Braak, rushing in to fight at a moment's notice. She was Shuko, a shadow guard and one who blended in with her terrain. She, like the lioness Larak had brought in, had been an outsider to the pride, but she had been proving her worth every day since. Unlike the lioness, however, Kimya had chosen to join the Nergui, enchanted by their ways of fighting and their honor. The young lioness had joined and had risen in the ranks. She was happy to be here and she was eager to befriend the other lioness.

Larak was a lion she did not have many dealing with, but she knew Ngozi, the lioness who had once courted him. Ngozi was a Seer and a lioness of founder-blood, yet they had not mated nor produced any cubs. As far as she knew, nothing had happened between them at all. Regardless, she assumed this meant that Larak was of imposing character and that made her stay away from the seal-pointed lion unless her work demanded otherwise.

In her thoughts, slinking about the ruins where the Nergui currently called home, though it was always uncertain where they would move again or when, Kimya was surprised to see the lioness on her own so soon. She walked with a heaviness in her paws. Where her shoulders hurt? Kimya's eyes narrowed as she evaluated the new lioness. Going up to help her would be seen as weak, but helping an opponent after a fight may not be. The decision was made and the Shuko approached the other lioness.

"You are an outsider." She said as she approached. "You are nameless and you do not yet belong. Let me change that." Her voice was loud, drawing attention and other Nergui, lions and hyenas alike, turned their heads to face the oncoming battle. Someone in the back started chanting and she circled the other lioness. "Let me show you how to become apart of the Nergui." And so she lunged at the other lioness, claws slicing and teeth bared as she attacked her opponent, for the betterment of the both of them.

- Mynsed -

 

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Larak watched the lioness go with a growl in his throat, but it died once she was gone. He should have killed her, he thought remorsefully. She would be slaughtered at the claws of his kin. He closed his eyes atop his perch and thought through what had happened.

If she had continued forward, she would have met with the Nergui anyway. She would have been killed by someone else on the spot, like I was supposed to. Pesky thing doesn't even realize the mercies that have been given to her, yet she still asks for more. He thought Yet when I offer to teach her how to survive here, she turns her nose up at it. Why did she offer me cubs if she was just going to go kill herself anyway?

A roar of approval carried to his ears as he heard the familiar sounds of a fight. His kin were fighting again.
With her? He fretted, but shook himself. It didn't matter. She had practically been begging for this treatment by turning him away. She deserved all that was coming to her. And yet...

If I allow the others to pick on what I've declared as mine, then they may see me as weak for not being willing to protect it. He reasoned, telling himself that this reasoning was the only thing that caused him to leap off his perch and go seek out the source of the fight. If she was in the middle of it, like he suspected, then he was going to put a stop to it.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

She hadn’t heard her coming until her head turned. And then… she saw a gray lioness approach. Anxiety ran through her and she quickly straightened her posture, contemplating running. No, she shouldn’t run. ”Yes, I am-“ Sorra began but was cut off by the other lioness. Who was speaking rather loudly. And drawing the attention of quite a lot of lions. Her eyes widened, taking a step back. But the lions had gathered around, forming a circle around them. Chanting began. Sorra, horrified, stared at the psychotic lioness. She had barely been in the pride for an hour and already a fight was being picked!

Become apart of the pride? ”I don’t want-“ again, she was cut off as the lioness lunged. She tried to dodge but she was just a second late, movements sluggish in the sand. She felt the claws graze her shoulder and gritted her teeth, a low growl approaching. Why, why, why did she have to deal with this? She bared her teeth, claws out and swiping, attempting to fend the lioness off. She could see the movements, guess which ways to dodge. But her body wouldn’t listen. She wasn’t fast enough. Her teeth attempted to sink into flesh but barely grazed. She couldn’t keep up with the lioness, could just barely dodge. Her body was gathering wounds by the second. The fight was kicking up sand, stinging her eyes, making her sight blurry. Panic caused her to keep pushing but she was no longer thinking smart, just focusing on surviving. And with that, mistakes were stacking up.

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Maybe she had been all pride and no fight, Kimya thought. In which case, this lioness may need her help more than she had originally thought. Pride was for the respected, Kimya knew that first hand. You couldn't waltz into the Nergui and expect respect, it had to be earned. A battle scar from surviving an ordeal on her first day would serve as a good reminder that the other lioness was not easily broken and so she was slicing shallow, painful swipes wherever she thought would be the most noticeable. Have her look like she'd been in multiple battles, thought Kimya, have her look like a fighter, even if she definitely isn't one.

She was going in for her last blow, a blow to the head that would send the lioness toppling over and ending the fight, but a roar that was not the fighting chant burst out from the outside of the circle and Larak entered the fighting ring. Kimya spat at him.

"Trek ek mus aeuir kesrs. (This is not your fight.)" She hissed, flattening her ears. "Yui dekrumur srek reumakk bae emsarrivsems rar bossra omd mus rassems ik kemekr. (You dishonor this lioness by interrupting her battle and not letting us finish.)" Kimya's accent was different, for she had learned the Nergui way as a mixture of outsider and Nergui, instead of the garbled worse that natives had learned, but she cared not. She just cared that Larak was throwing away the chance for his lioness to be better accepted into the Nergui. Maybe he was just as prideful as his taken lioness, thinking he could change the way things were.

Larak had broken the fighting circle with his roar, spooking a few into enough movement that he was able to shove his way into the center. He pushed his way between the grey lioness, Kimya and his lioness as the other spoke. He growled at Kimya and took a step forward, his fur bristling and his eyes clear with a terrible calm.

"Yai ba rak sok ka bok'bo vlaek laevvort ka lou. Ig vai vaerk ka g'slk, vai kaer g'slk do. (You do not get to decide what happens to her. If you want to fight, you can fight me. )" He snarled and he saw the lioness thinking it over, before she shook her head.

He was making a mistake and she knew it, but she would not fight him.
"I roqa mu piorrar vesr aeui. (I have no quarrel with you.)" She told him, ears twitching with irritation. She was annoyed, but she wasn't about to challenge someone she knew she could not defeat at this time. Turning her gaze to the lioness, she smiled at the other and spoke in her native tongue of the "outsiders." "You would not have let yourself die, I suspect. Come see me later. You are not as alone as you might think" A warning growl from Larak and she simply shrugged. "She needs more than you in her corner." She replied nonchalantly, before turning around and slipping through the hoard of lions. She had tried to improve the situation, but if Larak wanted to botch her work, that was his choice, but that didn't mean that she was ready to give up hope on this newcomer just yet.

Larak looked on Kimya after she left, feeling something like appreciation for her offer of odd friendship to his lioness. He would dwell on her intentions later and turned to his lioness. She was bleeding, red staining her pretty coat, but Kimya had only left marks that would scar, not wounds that would infect or kill. He huffed. Maybe Kimya really had had good intentions with attacking his lioness, but he would not dwell on it now.

"Come." He told his lioness and when he began to walk away, the group parted for him. They would linger, he suspected, maybe start a fight between others, but that was their business. His was to make sure his lioness was alright. He was silent as he returned home and moved to her sack drawing out a strange, long yellow froot that looked a lot like the desert snakes that liked to occasionally sun bathe on his stone.

He placed the strange froot at his lioness' paws.
"I may have protected in the end, but you still did not die in my absence." He told her, though he was beginning to suspect that she had never been in any real danger. "You eat that. I will check your wounds." He scooted closer and let his gaze roam over her flanks and back. He needed to be sure that even if sand were to enter any of these wounds, which it surely would, that they wouldn't get infected. "Do not fuss. You will only make things worse for yourself." He advised and ran his tongue over one of the cuts, cleaning it with a single swipe and eyeing it more closely. Well, that one was fine. Now to the next....

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Her feet were starting to slip when she heard the roar. Sorra jumped, startled, nerves high. She couldn’t handle this, she could barely handle one. She took a step back, fear seizing her… and the lion who had captured her and started her hell emerged from the crowd. She stared, wide eyed, as he stood between them. A buzzing was in her ear and she hardly registered the unfamiliar words thrown between the lioness and lion. She wanted to collapse in relief. It looked like the fight was over. However, she kept steady on her feet and nearly flinched when the lioness began talking to her.

This place was insane. Where was there sanity on attacking someone and then inviting them over? She gave the crowd, the lion, the lioness… she gave them all a wide eyed look, bewildered. This was too odd. Sorra didn’t respond, watching the lioness walk away and then, she watched the lion walk in the other direction after the command to come. Sorra didn’t hesitate, wanting to be away from the crowd immediately. Better the enemy you know. Not that she knew the lion very much. Her silence was thick as the approached the ugly den with it’s ugly wall and ugly floor. She didn’t think she would ever find it pretty. She remained silent as he snuffled around in her bag, grabbing a banana. She was about to protest, snap that he couldn’t have it… and he dropped it by her feet. She blinked before eyeing him suspiciously. ”I’m fine,” she muttered, confused. She had been ready to snap at him to not tell her what to do but the viciousness of the crowd outside curbed her tongue for the moment.

For the moment, she ignored the banana. She would eat it later. At the moment, her stomach was too much in knots and her blood was still pumping too fast. She went to move it with her paw. ”Make what worse?” she demanded to know when he spoke, suspicion thick. And discovered just what he meant when his rough tongue lapped at a wound, dragging the sand across the tender flesh before it was picked up. She let out a strained roar, flinching away. ”Don’t do that,” she hissed in a gasp.

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Larak paused at the pained sound the lioness made and peered at the wounds over her. She didn't hit him, he doubted she'd be able to if she tried, but if she had just simply hissed as she did... Well, it was improvement.

"If I do not clean and inspect the cuts, they could get infected." He said, the phrase more articulate because he was reciting the words from his father, Gael. He went on. "An infected wound is more painful than dying at the claws of another." A pause and then. "But if you prefer, you can clean the wounds yourself and call me for the ones you cannot reach." It was the best thing he could think of. He nosed her this time, avoiding touching any of her cuts and towards the shade and the froot-holder. "You know better than to run off with the Hoard looming?" He asked her and searched her gaze for confirmation. "Good. You will stay and clean your wounds. I will return with meat. Tomorrow, we begin your lessons." He needed to reward good behavior, he had realized. Enough with the glares and sulking and tantrums. Hissing, he could tolerate. Anything more and he began to get testy himself.

He was beginning to turn away, to go harass a proper Emkurcar into hunting for him and his lioness, when he paused. He kept thinking of her as his lioness, but it occurred to him that he didn't even know her name and, he realized, she didn't know his.

"I am Larak." He told her. "You may address me as such. What might I call you by?" Maybe, maybe this could work. They could work. Something within him told him he wanted to see this lioness flourish as Nergui. Become stronger, strong enough to match her spirit. He would do what he could to see that happen.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Sorra sent him a glare but complied, moving into the shade and laying down. For now, she’ll play nice. She really couldn’t do much, injured. Even uninjured, she doubted she would make it very far on her own, in the desert. Even less likely step out of the pride boundaries without someone jumping her as that lioness did. She let out a sniff at being asked if she would leave, beginning to tend to her wounds. No, not today or tomorrow. Probably not for a while. At least the lion was going to leave her be in order to get food. It would give her time to wallow in self-pity. She needed a moment alone.

But… he lingered. She blinked. Larak. That was the name of the lion who did this to her. She glared a bit, contemplating whether to respond or not. It couldn’t hurt and she’d rather not be given another name or term. ”Sorra Suau. Sorra,” she responded shortly, almost in a mutter before turning her face away and to her wounds. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Larak trot away. A shudder ran through her and her eyes misted. Oh, only for a second. She would succumb to her misery for only a second or two and then, she needed to toughen up. She wasn’t going to survive, wasting tears in this desert wasteland. She would clear up evidence of her distraught before he got back. If she still had red eyes, it was the sand. Sorra laid her head on her paws and succumbed silently, ignoring her wounds. Just for a few seconds.

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