+5 Exercise to gain endurance

The setting of the sun across the horizon was like a green light signaling for the Hodari lion to go. Without the glare of the dry season's sun, it was once more possible for a dark and shaggy lion such as him to be able to roam the land without falling prey to the harsh rays and heat exhaustion. It was a lesson that he had learned the hard way on multiple occasions, unable to restrain himself from setting off on grand adventures of discovery--especially in his younger days spent sedentary on the peaks.

Dusk set the scene for Kiton to prowl on towards the peaks he'd had his eyes on for multiple days. He trotted forward up the slopes, his experienced paws able to grip the stony surface to find hold as he made his way up winding trails as quickly as he could manage. There was no telling what he would find up above, but he had a feeling it would be worth the trek.

"speech"

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Getting to the top of the peak was less challenging than Hera had expected. At first glance it had seemed steep, but the path was smoother and more forgiving than its appearance suggested. She'd overheard another lioness talking to her friend at the watering hole about this spot, and how sunset or sunrise was the best time to look out across the valley. Hera's interest had been piqued, wondering if maybe her appreciation for her new home would be hastened by what the other woman swore was the most beautiful sight in all of Amaryllis.

Hera had made it to the edge of the ridge, only slightly out of breath, just as dusk was settling in. She'd wanted to get here a little early in case there was a crowd, but surprisingly there wasn't anyone else up here to enjoy the view. She settled down on her stomach, the rocky ground mildly uncomfortable beneath her, with her paws dangling over the edge. With her gaze fixed towards the horizon, she waited for the sun to set.

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+5 Exercise to gain endurance

There was no denying the deep internal satisfaction he took from being able to scale a mountain once more. While Kiton often tried to fend off thoughts of his homeland, it remained a fact that he felt he belonged on the mountains where he was born. Even if he was not as in shape as he was as a youthful prince, a bit of climbing exercise was exactly what he thought he needed to lift his spirits since the chaos of the past few months.

He made quick work of his ascension, only stopping when the land seemed to taper off somewhat. This was when his senses finally picked up the scent of a strange lioness nearby--strange to him, at least. The lion stood in place for several moments as he tried to catch his breath, his jaws hung agape in a steady panting. Too exerted from his climb, he opted for a simple greeting chuff to try and announce his presence to her so he could gauge a reaction.

"speech"

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@Hera

As she was trying to make out distinct features in the valley below, Hera picked up the scent of another lion before she heard the panting breath. Her ears twitched at the greeting chuff not recognizing who it was from, but it sounded friendly enough. Besides, Hera knew from having made the trip herself that no lion would be in an aggressive state after that climb.

Hera turned her head to look over her shoulder, her gaze immediately landing on the dark figure attempting to catch his breath. The right corner of her lip turned up into a smile at the sight, "Do you want to sit?" she offered. Ungracefully, she scooched herself to the side to make more room at the edge of the look out. "I'm assuming you came all the way up here to see the sunset, right? I think this will be the best spot."

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He watched expectantly, able to detect subtle movements and eventually the lioness turning around to look at him. As he really took her in and saw how she looked perched there on the ledge painted by the colors of sunset, Kiton suddenly became very aware of how winded he must look, hunched over and panting as he was. He snapped to more rigorous attention and took a few shuffling steps forward to try and bridge some of the distance between them.

"Hmm?" He questioned her, realizing she had asked something of him but having failed to process exactly what it was. Do you want to sit played back in his mind at a delayed rate and he quickly nodded once he understood, pressing forward to approach further.

"Came up here to see something," he clarified, still trying to catch his breath from the difficult running hike. "The sunset works perfectly. I'm Kiton Hodari--unaffiliated here, so far. And, you are?" He attempted to sit rigidly in the spot she had cleared for him, casting the stranger a sideways glance.

"speech"

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@Hera

The stranger, now known as Kiton Hodari, sat beside her as he finally seemed to get his wind back. Hera's own home pride didn't bother with last names, as they all knew who each other was and where they had come from. She thought a last name would be nice now that she was here, and wondered if she would take the name of her mate when she found them.
"Hera," she offered back, looking towards the horizon again. "I just arrived here. A kind lioness invited me to join the Lagoon Pride, so I supposed that's my affiliation now." It was still a strange thought, that she belonged to a group of those whom she had yet to formally meet. I wonder if they all have the same last name? she thought, but didn't ask aloud in case that was a stupid question. "It's okay to not be settled yet, I know finding somewhere to call home is a big decision, but I hope you find it soon."

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+5 Learn a character’s full name and rank
___

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hera," he offered politely as he cast another sideways glance toward the lioness before fixating his gaze upon the land before them. It was absolutely sprawling, showing multiple biomes and territories that Kiton had yet to even catch a glimpse of from below.

"How beautiful," he noted in a murmur. Kiton had climbed to even greater heights in search of a good view, but the experience of looking out over a land and watching the sunset had yet to grow stale for him.

"The lagoon pride, hmm? I believe I met them, as well. How are you liking it?" He asked as he continued gazing out over the horizon. "Have your sights on a rank yet?" He tried to make conversation, drawing from what obvious questions he could think of. The feeling of crouching so close to a near stranger was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, his mind wandering to visions of her deciding to push him off of the edge without any prior warning.

"I appreciate that," Kiton confessed with another warm smile cast in her direction. "Quite honestly, I am beginning to lose hope in finding the right pride for myself and my friend. Is it crazy to think of claiming something for myself?" He wondered out loud, deciding that it could not hurt to say something hypothetical like this to someone he would probably never meet again.

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Hera felt her posture relax as Kiton spoke, his tone and topic of conversation didn't suggest any ulterior motives, though she briefly sized him up to see if she could push him over the edge if things took a turn. The answer was probably no, but there was also something about Kiton's presence she trusted.
"It is beautiful, isn't it? I've never been so high up anywhere before, I thought maybe I would be afraid, but how could I be with such a view?" she moved slightly further off the ridge so she could get a better look down. "I haven't settled in quite yet, but so far I think I could call it home." She tried not to think back to the other prides she turned down, and what missed opportunities she may have found there. In this new life, she didn't want to focus on the maybes and what ifs.

Kiton mentioned her rank, which came as a surprise to Hera, as she had never held one before. She blinked in surprise and turned her gaze to his masked face, "Rank? I have no idea, I don't believe I have one. I'm not sure what a lionesses role is there, or if I will even be able to gain a title." Her tail swished behind her as she thought about the prospect, "I'm not one to seek out power though, I think I'd prefer to learn more about my trade, focus on being useful that way." Hera worried that perhaps she sounded boring, so she was grateful when he brought up his own musings about taking a pride of his own. "I don't think that's crazy at all," she answered honestly. "If you can't find a place that suits you, the logical step would be to make a place for yourself. I think that's very admirable." Hera couldn't image leading a pride or what it would take to claim one. The task sounded daunting, but Kiton seemed to posses a sort of calm determination that one would want in a leader.

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+5 Learn a character’s full name and rank
___

"Sometimes fear enhances beauty," he surmised wistfully, unsure if this was truth or just something that someone would say if they had experienced a lot of fear in their life that they wanted to justify.
"I think it's just familiarity, but the highest mountains are my favorite. I grew up living on a mountain and nothing quite matches that feeling of being on top of the world," Kiton continued, glancing at Hera to see if she would share in his feelings of mystery and delight at the sensation. Truthfully, he appreciated any chance he got to reflect on his time on the peaks as if they were only a happy time and not thinly veiled by tragedy.
Their conversation shifted easily to the subject of ranks and prides--natural first topics of conversation for lions just meeting. He always thought it more interesting to hear from those who did not desire power than those who did. It seemed he was in the presence of one very such lioness.
"Enough knowledge in your trade could make you just as powerful as a king," he nodded his approval, even if she had not been asking for it. Power came in different forms, and Kiton liked to think that he was learning to find his preferred way of wielding it. In turn, she expressed her own approval of his fantasies of creating a pride.
"Thank you, Miss Hera," he murmured with a smile.

@Hera

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Hera tilted her head at the mention of fear and beauty, as this was a course of thought she had never taken before. She could see what he meant by it though, "I wonder if this view would be half as beautiful if we were not somewhat concerned about falling off the ledge," she quipped. It was unexpected to hear that Kiton had spent his cubhood on a mountain, Hera had not heard of such a thing, but she could admit that her scope of what lions did and did not do was limited. "I can see the appeal, though I think I would always be worried about my cubs tumbling down," this time she was only kind of joking.

As they spoke, the sun continued its leisurely decent into the horizon, and it became harder to pick out specific details in the view below. "I suppose I could find my own power as king of my trade," she hummed, "And you can find yours in being an actual king." She turned her head to him, and matched his smile. "You and your friend have a lot of options here, I believe you'll be able to find a new home. Maybe even on a new mountain," she used one of her paws to gesture at the one they were currently settled on.

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