Post by Alibaster on Jun 30, 2014 7:12:03 GMT
So I decided to go ahead and write about how his parents met and shit. This is the first installment, with many more to come!
They came out of nowhere. One moment Sarraphine was alone on the savannah, the next hyenas were ripping into her from all sides. She twisted, roaring in pain and lashing out blindly as wave upon wave of searing agony raced through her. There were teeth everywhere, snapping on empty air, tearing through her flesh.
Blood splattered on the ground, oozed into her eyes. The lioness's vision blurred, pain pulsing through her. She was still struggling, raking her claws through whatever she could reach, but it was futile. In a moment she would be dead. The fight drained from her with her blood, and Sarraphine slumped to the ground, groaning in agony as she waited for the killing blow.
Eyes shut, blood roaring in her ears and spilling from her wounds, she waited. The pain was unbearable, her flesh was on fire! But the attack that would end her life never came, the hyenas had gone, leaving her to bake alive in the blistering hot sunlight.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*
“Hey, are you alive, or can I eat you?”
Sarraphine blinked sleep from her eyes, groaning in pain as she regained consciousness. Flies were swarming her wounds, the edges of which had blistered in the hot sun. With no adrenaline to block it, the pain swam back in force, washing over her in waves.
“Okay, I guess that means you are alive. How disappointing,” The lioness forced her head to turn, honing in on the source of the voice. A large, male leopard was sitting about a foot away, looking at her with a sort of stoic concern. She barely managed a growl, the pain too great for her to do much more. It wasn't long before she blacked out again, drifting into blissful darkness.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*
When the lioness once more opened her eyes, she found herself staring down at the ground, which was about ten feet below her. Had she not been in severe pain and slightly concussed, she probably would've panicked and fallen to her death.
The burning pain coursing throughout her body made her think that might be preferable. But as it was, she was, in fact, slightly concussed an paralyzed by pain. Therefore she stayed alive simply because of her inability to move, which probably would have killed her in any other situation.
“Thank god you're awake, I’ve been terribly bored,” A slightly sarcastic, leering voice drew her attention away from the ground. (Which, once again, was way too far away from her paws.) The sight of the male, lying languidly in a branch not far away, brought back her previous experience in wakefulness. “My name is Cathile, your savior. A thank you would be appreciated, although I suppose I can't really expect much from a lion. Dreadfully rude, your lot.”
Despite his taunting and seemingly careless behavior, the leopard appeared to be watching her with interest, his eyes bright and alert. “By the way, I wouldn't recommend getting maggots in your wounds again, that shit was disgusting.”
Sarraphine blinked, her mind taking a few moments to register this new information. So, this leopard had saved her? How interesting. Of course, that also meant it was his fault she was up a tree. (Again. Ground: way too far away.)
“Hello? Anybody home?” Cathile asked, smirking. “Name?”
“Sarraphine,” She answered automatically, her brain on autopilot. Her tongue felt dry and numb, her own name foreign on her lips. “Why did you save me?”
“Because lion meat isn't all that tasty and you're pretty,” Cathile stated. Well, no beating around the bush with this one. “Also, if you plan on living for very much longer I suggest you eat.” He nodded toward a spot a little above her. Sarraphine looked up along her branch, surprised she hadn't noticed the scent before. Lodged in amongst a few smaller branches was a half-eaten carcass, of what she couldn't be sure, but either way it was food.
With slow, tentative movements, the lioness stretched out her neck and pulled the meat towards her. It was warm from the hot afternoon sun, the scent strong, pungent, and heavenly. She began tearing off small chunks, nearly groaning aloud as the bloody meat hit her empty stomach.
“You wanna tell me why you were way out there all on your lonesome?” Cathile asked, his snarky voice once more demanding her attention. “From what I’ve heard, lions hunt in prides.”
“We do,” Sarraphine said, her brain feeling less sluggish now. “I was scouting for new territory. My king wants to expand the pride's domain.”
Cathile grunted and yawned, still smirking. “Not much out here for lions. Mostly just hyenas. Although I think you already figured that out.”
She grimaced, shifting slightly on the branch. Each rent in her pelt surged with fresh pain, and this time she did groan, her vision blurring. She very nearly slipped away again, only managing to stay awake by sheer force of will. Well, it looked like she wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.
“Don't move, princess. You'll crack the scabs.”
Sarraphine ignored him, twisting her head to examine herself. Well, shit. Her once beautiful light-gold pelt was torn open in at least twenty places, the wounds covered by ugly black scabs. Every movement sent fresh tendrils of pain dancing through her body. I wish they had killed me.
“I need to go home,” She stated, looking at Cathile with hard eyes. King Nanka would be wondering where she was, not to mention her mother and sisters. The thought of them made her very eager to leave Cathile behind and return, where she could be taken care of and rest properly.
“No can do; I'd say you're out of commission for a week, if you're lucky. A month if you're not,” The leopard said. He stood on his branch, stretching out to rake his claws through the bark. Then, he jumped to the ground. “I'll see you in a bit.” He called, his spotted pelt disappearing into the tall grasses.
Sarraphine glared after him, her green eyes flashing angrily. “Get me down you spotted idiot!” She yelled, her tail lashing. When it became clear he was gone, or ignoring her, she groaned. “What the hell have I gotten myself into.”
They came out of nowhere. One moment Sarraphine was alone on the savannah, the next hyenas were ripping into her from all sides. She twisted, roaring in pain and lashing out blindly as wave upon wave of searing agony raced through her. There were teeth everywhere, snapping on empty air, tearing through her flesh.
Blood splattered on the ground, oozed into her eyes. The lioness's vision blurred, pain pulsing through her. She was still struggling, raking her claws through whatever she could reach, but it was futile. In a moment she would be dead. The fight drained from her with her blood, and Sarraphine slumped to the ground, groaning in agony as she waited for the killing blow.
Eyes shut, blood roaring in her ears and spilling from her wounds, she waited. The pain was unbearable, her flesh was on fire! But the attack that would end her life never came, the hyenas had gone, leaving her to bake alive in the blistering hot sunlight.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*
“Hey, are you alive, or can I eat you?”
Sarraphine blinked sleep from her eyes, groaning in pain as she regained consciousness. Flies were swarming her wounds, the edges of which had blistered in the hot sun. With no adrenaline to block it, the pain swam back in force, washing over her in waves.
“Okay, I guess that means you are alive. How disappointing,” The lioness forced her head to turn, honing in on the source of the voice. A large, male leopard was sitting about a foot away, looking at her with a sort of stoic concern. She barely managed a growl, the pain too great for her to do much more. It wasn't long before she blacked out again, drifting into blissful darkness.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*
When the lioness once more opened her eyes, she found herself staring down at the ground, which was about ten feet below her. Had she not been in severe pain and slightly concussed, she probably would've panicked and fallen to her death.
The burning pain coursing throughout her body made her think that might be preferable. But as it was, she was, in fact, slightly concussed an paralyzed by pain. Therefore she stayed alive simply because of her inability to move, which probably would have killed her in any other situation.
“Thank god you're awake, I’ve been terribly bored,” A slightly sarcastic, leering voice drew her attention away from the ground. (Which, once again, was way too far away from her paws.) The sight of the male, lying languidly in a branch not far away, brought back her previous experience in wakefulness. “My name is Cathile, your savior. A thank you would be appreciated, although I suppose I can't really expect much from a lion. Dreadfully rude, your lot.”
Despite his taunting and seemingly careless behavior, the leopard appeared to be watching her with interest, his eyes bright and alert. “By the way, I wouldn't recommend getting maggots in your wounds again, that shit was disgusting.”
Sarraphine blinked, her mind taking a few moments to register this new information. So, this leopard had saved her? How interesting. Of course, that also meant it was his fault she was up a tree. (Again. Ground: way too far away.)
“Hello? Anybody home?” Cathile asked, smirking. “Name?”
“Sarraphine,” She answered automatically, her brain on autopilot. Her tongue felt dry and numb, her own name foreign on her lips. “Why did you save me?”
“Because lion meat isn't all that tasty and you're pretty,” Cathile stated. Well, no beating around the bush with this one. “Also, if you plan on living for very much longer I suggest you eat.” He nodded toward a spot a little above her. Sarraphine looked up along her branch, surprised she hadn't noticed the scent before. Lodged in amongst a few smaller branches was a half-eaten carcass, of what she couldn't be sure, but either way it was food.
With slow, tentative movements, the lioness stretched out her neck and pulled the meat towards her. It was warm from the hot afternoon sun, the scent strong, pungent, and heavenly. She began tearing off small chunks, nearly groaning aloud as the bloody meat hit her empty stomach.
“You wanna tell me why you were way out there all on your lonesome?” Cathile asked, his snarky voice once more demanding her attention. “From what I’ve heard, lions hunt in prides.”
“We do,” Sarraphine said, her brain feeling less sluggish now. “I was scouting for new territory. My king wants to expand the pride's domain.”
Cathile grunted and yawned, still smirking. “Not much out here for lions. Mostly just hyenas. Although I think you already figured that out.”
She grimaced, shifting slightly on the branch. Each rent in her pelt surged with fresh pain, and this time she did groan, her vision blurring. She very nearly slipped away again, only managing to stay awake by sheer force of will. Well, it looked like she wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.
“Don't move, princess. You'll crack the scabs.”
Sarraphine ignored him, twisting her head to examine herself. Well, shit. Her once beautiful light-gold pelt was torn open in at least twenty places, the wounds covered by ugly black scabs. Every movement sent fresh tendrils of pain dancing through her body. I wish they had killed me.
“I need to go home,” She stated, looking at Cathile with hard eyes. King Nanka would be wondering where she was, not to mention her mother and sisters. The thought of them made her very eager to leave Cathile behind and return, where she could be taken care of and rest properly.
“No can do; I'd say you're out of commission for a week, if you're lucky. A month if you're not,” The leopard said. He stood on his branch, stretching out to rake his claws through the bark. Then, he jumped to the ground. “I'll see you in a bit.” He called, his spotted pelt disappearing into the tall grasses.
Sarraphine glared after him, her green eyes flashing angrily. “Get me down you spotted idiot!” She yelled, her tail lashing. When it became clear he was gone, or ignoring her, she groaned. “What the hell have I gotten myself into.”