Faking Perfection

[ARTEMIS ¢¾]

paw beats hit the ground. two brutes raced across a desolate meadow. each of their orbs were glowing with malice, and the promise of a fight. one brute was black, while the other was a bright golden. the black brute was taller and stockier then the gold, but the golden lion had a more lithe, agile build that made it possible for him to fight the other.

the two met in a frenzy of claws and ivories. soon, each of their pelts were wet with their own and the other’s blood. the two brute snapped at each other’s throat, set on killing the other. the sir was split as the golden lion screamed. the black brute had pierced the skin next to his wind pipe.

he released the fold of skin and spat out a mouth full of crimson blood. the honey colored pelt turned a shade darker as blood spilled from the wound on his neck. the golden lion brutes breathing was hard, and it made gurgling sounds with each intake of air. the the black brute fell to the ground as the broqn lashed out at his fore legs. once he was down, then kicked his shoulder and skull.

a wail was heard from another lion near by. the looked at the other that were watching the two lions fight. “go on then kill me!’ the black brute spat at the bay.

“no, i don’t think i will.” the bay replied. he kicked the black brute one last time and then tottered over to the waiting pride. He was now the ruler of the lions
. he glared at the black brute

that was the first, and only time phoenix had lost a fight. he pushed himself up, shaking his dial and limped away from the battle field. he looked back over his should, staring at where his love, his herd, had left. “curse you, my son!” he yelled after them, then limped away, never to be seen around that land ever again.

Jade sobbed as she watched her father and brother fight.And over what who was ruler?Did it matter?Obbiously it did to them!She hissed and then raced off under the cover of darkness her pelt itching with nervousness as she made her daring escape.

And at that Jade woke up laying in the sand against a rock it was during a snow storm.She hissed and slowly got up seeking more shelter.She went behind some bigger rocks and closed her blue orbs hoping it would stop soon.About an hour later it did.She rolled her eyes and slowly got up it was still dark out.She had been wandering for days and she was getting weaker each day she spent in the sun.She rested as much as possible but she didnt want to.She kept on having nightmares of her fathers death.She just hoped she would find a Pride soon.

[i N s A n I t Y ;;]

D E L O C A T E S ;;

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words are flying out like,
endless rain into a paper cup
they slither while they pass
they slip away across the universe
pools of sorrow,
waves of joy,
are drifting thorough my open mind,
possessing and caressing me

jai guru deva om
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world

---

It was a silent, hot day at the open and wide desert. Nothing talked, except the moans of the coming desert winds, who will soon take over the midpoint summer. They tell the desert, 'We shall take this land as ours soon.' Hot, golden-red sand blazed under the sun's glare, screaming in joy as each sun ray hits their bodies of small crushed golden pebbles and rocks. No hint of water was spotted, for it was a bit farther up in secret places and somewhere around in the active lion camp here in the desert. Yep, there are animals that live here, except the difference is that they were strong and almost are able to survive here.

Yep, that active lion camp is the Pride of Xionth's Wrath, considered a sub-pride to the Main Pride of the lions. And trust me, they like the challenge of living in a desert, for it is their home. Their loving, deadly hot home.

Yes, you are correct, there aren't that many lions living in that camp right now. But soon there will be. The reason why there aren't so many lions living in Xionth's Wrath is because of the recent battle that will change the Pride's history forever;

There was a lord and a lady; Grenitvch and Liosa. They ruled Xionth's Wrath peacefully and happily, making the desert lions roar happily in the sunlight and run around in the disturbing heat. Though they weren't fully mates - just friends who had to "marry" each other - they had some heirs; Mikiau, Nia, Aigilia, and Delocates. Both of the parents trained them on how to rule and stuff, mostly Mikiau and Delocates. Everyone depended on Mikiau, because they knew he would become a powerful ruler after Grenitvch retires or passes away. If Mikiau dies, then Delocates would be the first on the line to the throne. But if he dies, then it would spell doom for Xionth's Wrath. Either Nia or Aigilia will become the lady, and it was kind of rare for a royal lioness to rule a Pride. Yet, no one died, so everything was fine... until a disturbing predicition came. Arroa, the prediticer, said, 'Wrath of Xionth will be unleashed more dangerously, causing no goodness in each of every lion and lioness. There shall be one, one who will kill or save this pride...' No one knew about the Wizardess' dangerous saying, except Grenitvch. He was scared, very scared. He hid her saying from everyone and didn't dare talk about it. Of course, this led him to dangerous consequences. Liosa, the lady, died unexpectdly. Grenitvch and his children mourned for her, and the whole Pride. Yet Grenitvch decided he would get a future mate. This came Ingia, the dark lady. She started the dark era for the desert Pride and tore everything up even more when she gave birth to a cub, Jaeg. She placed Jaeg to be the first on the line to the throne, and banned the other heirs from the line. This made Mikiau mad and he ran away from the Pride, saying his last words to Delocates. A great battle was followed when Jaeg got killed by a Worker, and everyone fought each other, losing lions and cubs in the bloody battle. Delocates was fighting Ingia, and when she surrended, she died. After Delocates told Grenitvch what happened, Grenitvch got out of his "spell" and apologized to the Pride. He left Delocates as the lord, passing away in sorrow and grief. Delocates then became the lord of Xionth's Wrath.

A dark blur shined in the sunlight, running in the thin golden sands. It was running without stopping, making it a bit harder to see. If you go closer, you can see it is a creature. A big creature with four legs, which is a sign of an animal. There were no fins or scales on the body, just coal-black fur with fire-red swirls. Now that is a sign of a mammal. Now, which mammal was this? There was a fire-red mane, not like a horse's mane, more puffier and longer. It goes to the chest and somewhere to the end of the shoulders, thick and silky. The paws have long and black claws, which can unsheathe and sheathe, the sign of a cat-like mammal. A hint of fur was on the tip of the mammal's long tail, flickering and swishing in the air. The eyes were a passionate soft blue, rare for any animal. Now, which mammal can this be? What about its muzzle? Long whiskers were twitching from its silver-gray muzzle, open to any vibration in the open. This had to be a cat. But its size was larger than a normal cat. No, it was a big cat. A lion. A magical lion.

No, this magical lion is lord of Xionth's Wrath. Delocates.

He felt his muscles pump under his fur, screaming and straining as he ran in the thick sands of time. His pale pink tongue was sticking out, thirsty. A growl came in his stomach, wanting food to make energy for its master. 'Where's my food!?' it asked Delocates, growling even more. 'Calm down, my poor stomach. Soon I'll get my prey and satsify you. Soon.' Delocates spoke softly to himself, blinking his blue orbs as he saw a couple of rocks not too far away. There is prey hiding underneath there from the sun's glare, he thought, they don't want to burn their pelts off. He ran until he got to the tall and gray rocks, their peaks and bases cover by desert sand. His legs, now tired from running, were gaining up energy to hunt some food as his paws were tingling to get something underneath their rocky-gray dry pads.

A sweet and musky scent hit his black nostrils, taking over other smells. A little squeal came from a rock, fur brushing around the tough cover of its home. It was like a squirrel, but lives under a rock. So it's basically a rock squirrel. Delocates' neck fur bristled as he put his nose to the hot ground and his back creaked, with his stomach low and his claws stuck. The rock squirrel looked around, too blind to even see the big black predator in front of him, almost a couple of paws away. Delocates flickered his tail and he crawled slowly, stopping each time the rock squirrel stopped. Then, when the squirrel almost went back to his home, Delocates made a huge leap and attacked the squirrel's neck. Black claws were nailing in the neck, blood squirting out. The squirrel went limp and its heart stopped. It was dead and now became food for the lord. Delocates closed his eyes for a long moment and then opened them again, dipping the squirrel into his jaws.

Another scent came, except this time it was of a lion. Curiosity overwhelmed the wise leader, and he walked slowly to where the scent was coming from. It smelled like a mix of a Pride lion and an outsider, but that didn't matter. It was in his territory, and it wasn't dangerous. Delocates was sure it wasn't dangerous. There was a tan lion with purple rings on her body, sleepy blue eyes blinking. Delocates took in a sniff once more, and it smelled like a female. He sat down and studied her curiously, leaning against a tall rock. Ribs were showing underneath the stranger's pelt, lines were underneath those blue eyes, and some patches of fur were gone. The big coal-black lion rolled his shoulders and asked the stranger softly with his wise and encouraging voice, 'Where are you from, young one?'

[Cookie -n- Cream]

^{Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as vague and ague,
But be careful how you speak,
Say break, steak, but bleak and streak.
Previous, precious, fuchsia, via,
Pipe, snipe, recipe and choir,
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, shoe, poem, toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery:
Daughter, laughter and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles.
Exiles, similes, reviles.}

[/b] walked forward, her ears, though one was torn in half, were perked as high as she could make them. She was short and her ear was torn to pieces, yet still she managed to keep herself just as beautiful as her father had been. Her father, Her father, Her father… his black fur was ever so taunting and it wasn’t until Eris grew up that she realized it was a dark blue fur. Her golden mother had given her shades lighter, a navy instead of a midnight, but like her father her pelt was blue, dark blue. Her father was a wizard, a beautiful wizard with the common curly coat and blue eyes. She had always admired him, being an outsider and all. She was raised with him for a short time, while her mother was hiding her, but to cease the fat of making Eris an outsider, her mother had to keep her within the pride boundaries… where her father was not allowed.

Eris wished she’d met her mother. When Eris wasn’t with her father, she was in a hole where a tiny lioness would come and check on her every few days and suckle her. She knew that it was not her gorgeously golden-pelted mother because her father always spoke of a wizardess, one with golden fur and the most striking blue eyes. The female that always took care of Eris was a small, brown-pelted, yellow-eyed, thing that never was seen again after Eris didn’t need to be suckled again. It was truly survival of the fittest from then on… when Eris got old enough to turn her father in, her father left and never returned… and she still never had any notice of her mother. All she had of her mother were old prophetic stories and something about a silly little sub-pride that had something to do with xion or something of the sort.

Eris and her brother lived together only a short while and it was a good thing that she was shy. Her brother was a courageous creature who would run out in the middle of the Savannah and not care that predators could take him down easier than he took down the multiple butterflies and leaves. Eris never left the den except when she was learning to hunt. Soon, she and her brother were starving because they had no mother to help them hunt. It was upsetting that the two would not be able to live, and Eris knew that if she were to ever find her mother, that at least one would have to stay alive. She remembered having to feast on her own flesh and blood to survive until she was big enough to catch her own prey.

“Small rodents were my favorite then, and liars are my favorite now,” she screeched and cackled in her mind. Eris’ mind was a jigsaw puzzle that was never really quite finished. Who knew what was in the child’s head… all that anyone knew was that she was a wizard, and wizards weren’t to be trusted. She sniffed. No one ever trusted a Wizard enough to let them into sub-prides. The King and Queen had to allow her into the main pride, the pride of good faith, because if they didn’t, they would have a revolution with the many Wizards fighting back. The female looked at her claws and then turned her striking blue eyes up toward the sky. Their reflection contrasted heavily against her dark, navy blue, almost black, pelt.

She picked her feet up once again, the bone necklace rattled against her neck. It was the one thing of her mothers she got to keep… The skulls were dully colored and showed their age, a few had holes in them where they were deteriorating. She figured they must have belonged to her mother’s mother, since they were so old. She even had a few feathers wrapped around a leather rope tied to her shredded ear. She didn’t mind that it drew attention; instead it only made her feel more beautiful. Everyone had said that her contrasting pelt and curly coat made her gorgeous to begin with- so why couldn’t she make the best of such a deformity?

As she walked, voices jingled inside of her disaster-zone head. Eris may have been the Greek god of Chaos and Discord, but this Eris was just a chaotic mind. The voices echoed for a moment in her head as they passed from ear lobe to broken ear drum. She was once an astounding listener, listening into the most secluded of conversations from across deserts and through daring jungles, but now she was reduced to that of a slightly less than average lion. It fumed her making her slightly angry. She stopped walking so that her rattling bones would not call upon attention to her. She hopped that they would continue talking, but for a second she could not hear the other’s voice.

She felt like investigating… maybe, even, she may find a home of her own where she wasn’t so constantly down cast as being that “wizard” who needed to be ignored and put out of the prides because she was “untrustworthy.” She decided that the best way to make an entrance in a situation where you were already mistrusted, was to be straight forward and outgoing about it… there was no room for sneakiness there right?

She had a strange knot in her stomach that she was already incriminated as being the sneaky one… she hadn’t even met these people yet! She could smell one young lioness, and then the older guy who was talking. She wondered how old he was, he carried a similar scent of age as she did… without the bones of course. She smiled as she walked forward. She made sure that her footsteps were heavy, so that they were heard and were not a “sneak attack” she didn’t say her neck to keep her bones from rattling and let them be as loud as they possibly could. She moved slowly enough that she wasn’t rushing in, but not fast enough to be seen as a swift blitzkrieg move. Finally, she parted her head through a bush, curly fur lining even her shortest muzzle fur. It was obvious that the midnight lioness was a wizard.

She then stepped through the area and sat, distancing herself from the other two, as far as possible without seeming suspicious. “Terribly sorry if I’m interrupting,” she purred hollowly. Inside, though, she was terrified that they’d attack her. At the same time, she was visualizing how she could use them in every way possible to get what she wanted, and needed, and then some. On one end of her tinkering little brain, she wanted friends, not enemies. And on the other she wanted sole power of a sub-pride full of Wizards, and only wizards. She shivered, the stress of her strange mentality riding on her every fiber. She then wrapped her long-furred, curly pelted tail around her golden back paws and sat contently.

“It’s just been… so long since I’ve actually met another lion. I’ve been wandering on my own too long.” Her voice, though a bit raspy, had a very feminine quality to it. No matter how gorgeous she was though, there was still a demon inside of her. What she really wanted to do, was not to join some random sub-pride, but find directions to the Xion thing place where she could actually meet the characters that played out in her mother’s tale. She knew, however, that they’d all be dead by now, and when Arroa left, she was unsure if the mother went off with the same pride again. She wondered if the lord and lady had any cubs or heirs, or if the pride had simply died. Oh how she hoped it didn’t die… but Eris didn’t know the story after the heirs had been born. It was obvious; however, that she was Arroa’s daughter. She looked just like the lioness except for the blue coloring of her fur.
[/ul][/ul][/ul][/ul]

[ARTEMIS ¢¾]

'Where are you from, young one?'
Was all Jade heard as she lay on the floor.She was startled to see two lions one male,one female as she opened her confused blue eyes.She jumped up startled for a minute as she heard what the older male had to say.Jade pricked her ears in his direction as she processed the question in her brain.Where was she from?She was from a place and she had been traveling for about four days barley any food or water;crappy excuses for shelters.
She then finally replied "I've been traveling for about four days but origonally i lived in my fathers pride"she replied clearly her soft lyrics almost a pur in some sense.

Jade's paws felt heavy under her as her body was been supported by a large boulder.Her whiskers twitched as she watched the female come forward.Jade was a little weary watching her with suspicion.Then the other lioness said.
“Terribly sorry if I’m interrupting,” she purred hollowly.
Jade smiled and spoke to the lioness "There was nothing to be interuppted young one"she smiled purring her wisness was true but she couldnt deny she was only a few years older than Eris.

Jade finally relaxed as she saw how nervous the female lion was.Jade breathed slowly as she shook her large head and closed her eyes for a moment;almost like meditating she cleared her mind trying to relax even though she was hungry and quite tired.

While Jade was meditating she was thinking how nice it would ben to make this place her home,her real home where she wouldnt get kicked out and be forced to wander all alone and find somewhere else to live again.Then she finally spoke up directing her question to the large male lion "What is your name sire?"she asked him respectfully.

Word count::329 words
Muse::Pretty high!

[Cookie -n- Cream]

(eris is 20 ;3)

[ARTEMIS ¢¾]

O!

[i N s A n I t Y ;;]

D E L O C A T E S ;;

[/size][/center]

words are flying out like,
endless rain into a paper cup
they slither while they pass
they slip away across the universe
pools of sorrow,
waves of joy,
are drifting thorough my open mind,
possessing and caressing me

jai guru deva om
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world

images of broken light which,
dance before me like a million eyes,
that call me on and on across the universe
thoughts meander like a,
restless wind inside a letter box,
they tumble blindly as,
they make their way across the universe

jai guru deva om
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world

---

The almost-black pelted lion stared at the young golden lioness who had a look of confusion and worry on her face. She was panting and her blue eyes glanced around at everything. Delocates knew this was a Wizardess, for her golden curly pelt and her wide blue eyes were the obvious signs of a Wizardess. He wondered if she was part of the Main Pride, but he didn't wonder about any sub-Pride. He knew the sub-Prides wouldn't let a loner Wizard live on their land, for they are suspicious and scared of them. Of course, there are some Wizards that were born in the sub-Pride, but they can't just kick out a member, right? His big paws tapped on the golden sand, which the golden sand was beginning to cool as the sun disappeared unexpected and the dark blue colors of the night were setting in. He waited for the Wizardess to do something, but then he realized why she wasn't saying anything or doing anything when a new fresh scent came in his heavy black nostrils.

It was the smell of female. Yes, fresh female. But he scent something else with it: age. His nose twitched as he took in his own scent, which also smelled of age, but a bit fresher than the female one. The lord watched as a shadow of a lion's came in, almost invisible with the night sky. He blinked his blue orbs as he saw nothing – just smelt a lion – but didn't see an old female lioness. But then, he noticed it. The dark-blue curly pelt, camouflaging with the night sky so deeply, and the light blue eyes were already sparkling in the darkness, showing a hint of mischief in it. Another one of the golden lioness', Delocates thought quietly. Will more come? I don't believe so, since I don't smell anymore scents of lion, just these two. A Wizardess, like the other one, but older and wiser. A blaze of curiosity entered him, and it became more powerful when he saw something from his past;

'I carry something with me, my child;
An old crackled necklace of skulls,
With the colors of the rainbow all over them,
The sign of death lies inside these colorful ones,
And my heart too.'

'Arroa...' His whisper said to himself, memories of the curly golden-pelted lioness flooding his wise head. Her laugh, her eyes, her pelt, her actions, her thoughts... were inside him now, his heart beating so fast, yet he stayed calm with the fire of curiosity inside him. Delocates studied this old lioness as she walked forward. Her midnight – well, more like a navy – pelt was beautiful, blending in with the desert night. The curls on her pelt were looking soft and a bit dreary, but still curly. She was smaller than him, yet muscle showed on her body. Her eyes were just like Arroa's, striking blue... The black-and-red-swirled lion was so deep into the old Wizardess' looks that he didn't even realize what was going on until he heard the stranger talk;
'Terribly sorry if I’m interrupting.'
'There was nothing to be interrupted, young one,' said the other lioness.

Delocates flickered his tail and amusement with some worry came in his eyes when the lioness called the stranger young one. Delocates knew that the young lioness didn't know this stranger was old, especially older than him. He was lord of Xionth's Wrath, yes, and he's old, but there's many others that are way older than him. Like the Sun. Like the Moon. Like the desert winds. Like this Arroa's-skull-necklace-carrying stranger who had to be linked to Arroa somehow.

Just somehow she had to be.

'It’s just been… so long since I’ve actually met another lion. I’ve been wandering on my own too long,' the navy-colored lioness spoke in her strange, sweet voice. Delocates stood up as his whiskers twitched on his beautiful old silver muzzle, which was the only silver on his fur. He shook his mane and looked at the stranger carefully. It does look like she didn't meet another lion in such a long time. Her eyes showed sadness and confusion, yet there was a hint of insanity in there. He was curious, and he already faced these kind of lions, so he already knows how they act like. They weren't bad, just lonely.

A bit like his father and maybe like his brother when he ran away.

'What is your name sire?' the young golden Wizardess piped up to him.
'My name? My name is Delocates, lord of Xionth's Wrath. But I must know your names too, for I am also curious.'

[Cookie -n- Cream]

[/i]' she thought curiously. There obviously was something she was interrupting. "Ah, that's called being social," She whispered silently to herself, her tongue clicking the way an old persons does when the light bulb of knowledge hits them. She smiled warmly at the other lioness, her comments striking Eris as amusing. She chuckled slightly and flicked her large ears forward towards the other lioness. "And you, young one, have a bit to learn." She smiled, lights of pure amusement twinkled in her bright blue eyes, this was fun- the whole social interaction part.

She turned as the large male spoke, her small frame even feeble looking to the other lionesses, but a tad bit bulkier than even the noble man before her. She flicked her tail eagerly as the lioness spoke, inquiring the name of the male. 'Hmph!' she thought arrogantly. The feisty spark in her eye grew as the male answered back. 'I know more manners than that!' she growled inwardly. A rumble in her throat sounded just a bit but she cleared her throat to cover it up. She suppressed the feeling to leap upon the young lioness and rip her maw off of her face. 'If she cannot speak properly then she should not speak at all!' The wizardess wanted to put a 'curse' on the other lioness, but other Wizards knew that wizards held no true powers. It was fortunate, however, that mere lords and ladies did not usually know that Wizards had no power- they knew they were sneaky creatures not to be trusted, but most still believed they held strange powers.

Eris liked to use that to her advantage.

'Need to know my name? Hmm? Well, chicky chick, I can tell you a few things-' she was cut short in her thoughts when the black male spoke. "Now, I know I've heard of the name somewhere,' She whispered quietly under her breath. Arrogance clustered in her throat once more, but this time it was much easier to suppress the need to growl. She was so frustrated that she didn't know where she'd heard the name from… but she was sure she'd heard it somewhere. Then, the elder lioness remembered when she buried her mother… what her mother had said- she didn't really remember. Eris was too bothered with hating her mother to even remember what her dying words were, but she did remember the name Delocates. She let out a brief sigh, the lion her mother could have been talking about, could have been any lion in the entire world. Eris had met a few other Eris', so what if this was the first Delocates she'd met- it may not have been the same one.

She decided to let it go and forget about even remembering the name, there was no need to let him know anyway- it wasn't like he knew her mother or anything. She sat her rump squarely on the ground and grinned old yellowed teeth that sparkled against the white moon's glow. The temperatures were dropping so rapidly that she could feel the shivers running up her spine where as moments ago she was in the midst of a sweltering heat, panting her brains out. If the lions were going to survive the night, being born here like she was or not, they were going to need shelter.

"I don't know about the two of you, but I've lived in the desert my entire life… if we don't find shelter, we'll most likely freeze, because, unfortunately, I don't feel like I'd be comfortable cuddling with either of the mess of you two… no offense," she purred matter-of-fact like. She looked towards the male, the other wizard did not look like she was from the desert at all, but the male seemed as if he were kingly in presence. His body was strikingly stiff and upkept. It was obvious that he thought of himself highly- even if he wasn't arrogant about it, so wat if he were lord of Xionth's wrath. "Sir, you wouldn't happen to be a lord, or a lord's father of a sub-pride around here… would you?" Her face was pleading, even he couldn't deny that the cold was getting to him… any place that went from a ninety degree evening to a below thirty degree night was deadly.

Eris, being the little snake she was, preferred not to share her name until the other wizard decided to share hers.
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