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 Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:04 pm
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The no-longer youngest prince wore a stern expression upon his face, as if glowering at the world around him could hide his inner turmoil. The attack by a roving band of Stormborn had nearly crippled the pride. Healers were still tending to the injured, and those that were strong enough to fight were out patrolling the borders of the Ukuhlwa'Izwe. He had come out of the fight relatively unscathed, but that fact alone only deepened his shame. Where was he when his brother was taken? That was the heaviest blow the Stormborn had dealt to them. Not only had they brought the Queen's to death's doorstep, but also had taken her successor.
It was a relief that Amachawne had received similar education as Kethiwe, and was a far more capable lion than the youngest litter mate. All Isigidi knew how to do was bash heads together, and even that had not been enough to save his eldest brother. The young male snarled at the thought. His body itched to do something. Isigidi had always been restless, and for most of his life he had sated that itch... that urge, by fighting.
Likely, he was the strongest brother, but that was it. Fortune smiled upon the pride that Isigidi was not the next in line for the thrown.
He rose up onto his feet, realizing that if he continued to do nothing he would only become angrier. He had already glowered a hole into the back of a Scars' head. It was time to do his part, act the proper Prince and help pull the pride back together. A mission such as the one he decided for himself was ill suited to his personality. There was likely a small disaster waiting to happen.
"Hey, come scout with me. There are some reports I would like to collect." He called out to a younger male, his coat a pale blue. It was why Isigidi's eye was so quick to fall onto him, the boy stood out like a sore thumb in a sea of reds and browns. The name was on the tip of his tongue. Dafanu? Datiri? Ugh.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:54 am
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"The crevice," Isigidi answered with a sidelong glance. It certainly wasn't a vacation spot, nor any place anyone would actually like to stumble upon. But it was a natural phenomenon in their pride lands and something that had to be kept an eye on. They had a few guards keeping watch over the place who reported to better lions than Isigidi, so he wanted to see it for himself. "I wouldn't worry, we're not going to get close enough for it to have any effect upon us." The prince tried to sound reassuring, but empathy was not his strong suit.
He turned away to begin leading the way towards the crevice. Isigidi could have just as well gone by himself, but he believed it to be ill advised to travel alone. He certainly could handle himself, but his mother also could handle herself and she was still attacked so mercilessly. Besides, he needed to mingle with the pride and be a reminder that the royal family was still strong. Amachawne was acting as regent, and Azisa was busy tending to the wounded. This was something Isigidi could do and should.
"It's good that you are well." He did not intend it to be a slight on Dafari's fighting prowess, though it certainly could have been taken that way. "We need as many lions upon their feet as possible. There's no guarantee that we won't face another group like that soon, so we have to be... ready." It had taken more than a few lions to convince Isigidi that going after his brother was a fruitless pursuit. Since he could not chase after Kethiwe, he would have to be ready for his brother's return.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2018 9:29 pm
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The crevice.
Well.. neat. At least if he was going to throw himself into his work, he was actually going to do something that needed to be done. He wasn't thrilled about it but that was because, like most, he didn't like what he didn't understand. And something like that smoking crack in the world wasn't just confusing, it felt wrong.
But that demanded investigation and having a prince tell him he was going there was one way to make sure he was part of that. Much easier not having a choice to start out.
He was nodding along thoughtfully at the reassurance about approaching the crevice but then grimaced when Isigidi commented on how whole he was. Dafari didn't know the prince well enough to guess if his tone was sincere but his status made a judgement seem most likely. There wasn't much he could say or do to defend himself from such a charge, though, so he held his tongue still. Until the possibility of another attack was brought up.
"Anything I can do to help, I will," Dafari said, not sounding nearly as grim as he felt (or looked). He didn't even realize it as breaking his silence proved to make it much easier to keep talking now.
"I heard it got bigger in the shake," he commented, frowning again as he admitted that somehow he had evaded sharing in the responsibility they all shared, "And the Scars and other Shields have been guarding it, but I haven't been there yet."
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2018 8:11 am
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Isigidi's expression was grim for a moment as he thought of the implications of the crevice widening. As it were now, the pride was unaffected by the nauseating fumes spewing from the gap in the earth. But, what happened if that crevice grew and the winds blew in the right direction? "That's what worries me," the Prince confessed. "The lands have not been so stable lately." He had never been held to the same standard as his siblings, though that was not to say that Ashiki held him to no standard. He was still a representative of the royal family... he just tended to say what was on his mind more.
"I wanted to gather the Shields and Scars to retrieve my brother, but with our lands in such a precarious position right now, it seems unwise to leave them." They could not risk sending their forces away from the pride lands, but it did not stop Isigidi from wanting to. His mother, the Queen, was correct in her judgment even if her body had been weakened.
He realized, belatedly perhaps, that he had put Dafari in a precarious position. The poor Shield was being subjected to becoming Isigidi's sounding board, a place for the Prince to vent his concerns. That was... unfair of him, but it wasn't as if Isigidi could talk to his mother or siblings about this. They all had their own responsibilities to attend to. "It is not too far from here. I know of an outlook where we should be able to observe it without succumbing to the gas." He steered the conversation back towards the task at hand, before he embarrassed himself further.
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Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 5:08 pm
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Dafari stumbled at the remark about gathering Shields and Scars to go hunting for the missing Crown Prince. He.. he wasn't sure how that might have affected his behaviour up to now if he had been thinking about it, of course, but to have completely put Prince Kethiwe out of his mind was rather embarrassing. He had been too absorbed in his own problems and, to a lesser extent, the problems within the pride.
He wanted to be reassuring but he was hardly friends with this prince, he'd merely been a convenient recruit for a job he already ought to be doing. Still, he'd hate to be stuck here if something happened to his sisters.
"We'll get the pride back in order so Prince Kethiwe has something to come back to," he offered hopefully, grimacing at the thought of the crevice forcing them out of their home, "Hopefully there's an answer to this toxic gas issue."
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 4:20 pm
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"I can't imagine being forced to leave these lands. With any luck, the ground will right itself and the gas will disperse." He did not want to think about returning to the rogue lands. He had grown up travelling between the borders of prides with his mother as his guide. This was supposed to be his destined home, and he would not abandon it readily. "But for now, it's best we just monitor it. Can't risk letting anyone get too close, I heard the effects can be pretty ill."
They were close. Above them, the sky seemed to darken, and the air he breathed in burned his nostrils slightly. "We need to get higher up," he commented firmly, and led the younger lion up a hill. At its peak, the ravine was easy to spot. Though he knew the geography of the Outlands well, the ravine was something he had not yet investigated in its new form. It seemed to be much larger, and the gas that floated from the crevice was a light green and heavy from the way it seemed to cling to the ground.
He lifted a paw and rubbed at his nose, hoping to rid himself of the scent. It wasn't so unpleasant as it was uncomfortable. "It looks worse than I thought it would be. I just don't know how we're supposed to deal with this. We have the religious sect asking the Ancestors, but no answers yet. Our Ancestors likely have far too many concerns to handle." If they could just guide his brother home, that would be a victory.
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