ooc: set the next day after "ICE BREAKERS" / "DANCING WITH HIM"

Pistis has given him a job to do, To find the missing people from the Hollow and to find out they're well being and if they wanted to come to the Lagoon. Of course, he would not force them, if they wanted they would be allowed. He shifted through the sands of time before finally coming to the gorge of mountains and red stones. A chuff echoed from his lips as he called out "Metzliiii?" his voice echoed, surely she'd be here right? Maybe she had stuck to the underground locations when she went with Zagan.

Gently. Softly. Scream. Run. Softly. Gently. Run. Scream. Softly, run. Gently, scream. These words hung over the silver and shadow lioness, wept unseen from the raw scab of cuts over her muzzle and chin. There was nothing to be done about it however, just live. Live until her use ran out. She lay on her side in a cradle of red stone and even redder shadows, listening to the wind as it whispered by outside. She could have sworn it was saying something, words or a name. Yes, a name. Her name. Metzli rolled onto her belly, ears pricked and listening now in confusion. What was coming for her now? It sounded familiar, just barely familiar. A flash of gold in her memory, salt from the sea. Ah, that was right. The male that had first offered her shelter in his pride, the one that spoke so tenderly to the female leader Jewel. Diurus, was it? Why would he be here, yelling for her of all creatures? Standing now, she felt a fresh and cold trickle of fear down her spine. It wasn't safe here...she could warn him. The dancer padded in the direction of the voice, keeping her steps light until she finally drew close enough to smell salt on fur nearby. Her eyes, though useless, roved about more in thought than actual searching. She couldn't even make a slight chuff in response, her throat still too raw from her first scream in over a year. @Vasilis

BG Stock | Lion Stock | Manip by Taboo | Coding by Werge

Vasilis was unsure of where she was, how could he find someone who was blind and barely spoke a single word? His ears more alert to try and nit pick at the sounds around him. So far silence. Should he try another area? Moving a bit more he huffed under his breath - she wasn't here...maybe he could turn back and head to the Hollow and see if he could remember her scent? But the likely hood of that was zilch.

Suddenly sounds crested near, his head swiftly turns and soon enough - there she was. Ahh, thank the guardians! He cleared his throat - releasing a soft-sounding call to aim her where he was before taking a few more steps. " Pistis has called upon me to find you. She resides at the Lagoon after the Disappearance of Gwyn." lips smacked a moment, the air here was unlike the lagoon - oof he was gonna have some chapped lips after this. " Are you okay Agapité mou? " he asked her as he glanced.

Another chuff, and she froze where she was. Metzli's ears were turned back flat against her skull, dread weighing her body down to the spot. What was the last thing she'd said to this male? I'm sorry. She was. She was sorry. She was so so sorry. The thickness in her throat hurt, so she couldn't swallow the silent heave of a sob as it shook her thin frame. She didn't have time to cry however, her fur still prickled with unease. She had to warn him before something happened, and it would be all her fault. 'Are you okay, Agapité mou?' She shook her head, maybe in response to the question but mostly in regard to the situation. Swallowing painfully, Metzli then threw her head to the side. It was a wild gesture, but one that she hoped she had made a clear point with; go, get away, shoo! It was dangerous here. @Vasilis @Skarde

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skarde knows the maiming of his lionesses will be the death of him, and a uprising against his authority can come at any moment. metzlki and avaneira are barely holding on, looking for the first escape attempt. yes, this must be true; how can it not be? why would any lioness willingly lie with him and seek his protection and comfort? a twang of guilty sadness resonates along his heart strings that, while frayed and ripped from years of abuse, still twinge with the softest of melodies at times.

the scent of his newest catch is fresh in the sand. he sees paw prints, shuffled and unlevel, buried halfway in the body of the sloping dunes. her gait is wobbly and slow: that much he can gather from the erratic left and right prints failing to make a perfectly straight line. skarde crouches, stalking forward as he slips along the trail, keeping an eye for the wind that may wash the evidence of metzli's escape attempt away.

and that's when he sees her. skarde jumps behind a large, orange sandstone hardened by the brutal weather of this place. he curls his scarred lips back, baring teeth as the palomino demon fills the view. the massive lion is about his size, but the king's mane looks more like a bush of goldenrods than a darkened, matted jackal skin. eyes narrow, he stays hidden in the brush.

@Metzli, @Vasilis
exp attempt:
+5 Follow a character without getting caught

She came and started to shake her head. What in the world was that all about? He turned on his toes to come closer, his face full of worry. "Metzli?" pursing his lips and edging his eyes around her. What was she doing? Swallowing he turned and hums "What's wrong? If you are lost I can take you back to where she is." he stated softly. He knew she said not to get too close to Metzli as she didn't like physical contact. So Vasilis would remain near her, as he leaned his head with a frown. Her body looked more rigid, did something happen? Did Gwyn do it? "Did the Hollow hurt you?" he asked in a soft voice.

She'd barely heard half of his words to begin with, so focused on trying to get her message understood. But at the mention of 'she' it finally struck her that this wasn't an entirely random encounter, someone was looking for her. She hadn't been forgotten. By the time she'd learned of the Hollow's silence, after only spending a short time in its embrace, it had already been too late for her. A final stake through her tarnished heart of silver, making the cracks spread that much further. She'd expected to be forgotten, just like always. A shudder went through the dancer's frame, starting at her extremities and ending in a rattle at her throat and a building pressure behind her eyes. But all the could come from her mouth was a puff of desperate air, her lips forming the word 'go'! She wasn't aware of Skarde's lurking presence, but she knew him to be in the area. It...she... Had the Hollow hurt her? No, it barely knew her. But something else had, and even as her heart beat fiercely in her chest she felt something akin to determination. It was a twisted logic, to repay the kindness of being remembered by seeking to be forgotten. But she didn't know her captor beyond the slash of his claws across her face and his willingness to shred a strange lioness into submission. If he was willing to do that to her, how far would he go attacking another male? Setting her trembling jaw, Metzli repeated the motion with her head and rasped a single harsh word that vibrated painfully in her throat. "Run!" @Vasilis @Skarde

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the temptation to burst out of his hiding spot is real. skarde barely forces himself in place, watching with narrowed eyes this exchange which he never condoned, not of his new slavegirl. or was she a wife? he doesn't know. the gigantic yellow male seems innocent enough, if not completely ignorant. he snorts to himself, softly in hopes his presence won't be discovered too soon, but he's feeling drawn into exposing himself, especially considering his little girl is not being good like he asked. 'stay. don't move. if you run, i'll find you.' isn't that what he'd said? was she deaf too as well as blind? black claws scrape across the earth, like the teeth of a saw's blade.

run.

that bitch. skarde can't contain himself any longer. the need to shred, to bite, to discipline is so strong it compels him into self-exposure. with a great yowl of rage and possessiveness the massive viking leaps from behind the boulder, clambering onto it before jumping down in between vasilis and his would-be wife.

oh, yes! skarde snarls, gray eyes almost glowing as he gives vasilis a wild, crazed stare. the wheels are coming off the tracks, his brain fibers tearing. run. run now, if you know what's good for you. trying to take my property, are you? fucking thief! then skarde whirls, turning on his damaged and blind mistress, tempted to wallop her against her already slashed face. i told you to stay put! are you deaf? would you like to be?

@Vasilis, @Metzli

What was going on? So the hollow had not hurt her? Or had they? He looked closer, something was definitely off from the last time he saw her for sure. She seemed more .....scared... How weird, he would have to question Pistis for sure now seeing how this poor dear was behaving. He shifted and shook his head 'run' "Run? Why? I was told to find you." he said somberly. That was until nails on rock causes him to flench, what in the world? He shifted, trying to see what was her reasons to tell him to run. Was it because she believed she didn't deserve to go back to Pistis? But then he saw it.

Eyes darted to the dark male, a seething man full of odd behavior. 'run. run now, if you know what's good for you. trying to take my property, are you? fucking thief!' What? What property? Metzli?! He snapped his eyes to her quickly before turning back to the man. His defense already rose up, legs level as he pinched his face together tightly. "I assure you she is not a thing to possess like a stone found in a cave." then before he could say anything more, he turns on @Metzli

'i told you to stay put! are you deaf? would you like to be?' What?! WHAT?! The man couldn't believe what he was HEARING let alone SEEING. He shifted, hackles rose, the hair on his neck spiked. He was now poisoned with his anger. Anger for how the man was talking to her, for how Metzli seemed so scared. He was scared for her. For what this man had done to her. When he faced her he snapped. So he assumed to steal his 'property'? oh, it was fucking on. " You don't deserve her. " anger snapped.

He shifted attempting to unleash his left arm out to aim for the man's shoulder. How dare he hit her, hurt her more than she already had on her body. She didn't deserve it! Claws dropped, aimed to find a purchase on the man's body (right shoulder) as his back legs pushed him off the ground, all his weight aiming to attempt to lift his own body up and press his left arm DOWN. Did he want to crush Metzli? Wanted to hurt her? Vasilis would turn that favor onto the man instead. A fierce growl escaped his mouth - danger danger danger - Vasilis had snapped. Mouth dropped, his fangs were ready to find anything to grab, but not yet. Tail flashed behind his weight - eyes slant with his anger for the situation. But he would be damned to allow it to continue. Vasilis was evenly matched with the dark man in height, but he would do his damnest to protect her from this vile creature.

Vasilis vs @Skarde
For: (Dominance) Metzli's freedom / Don't hit a woman you dumbass!!!
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 12 + 8 + 15 + 6 + 19

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 7 + 9 + 18 + 4

Attempt attack 1
ATTEMPTS: Attempting to grab with his left front paw at Skarda's right shoulder location, as he attempts to lift up his body to 'press' his paw down on the shoulder.
DEFENSE: Jaws slack, eyes slit, legs even, ears tucked
INJURIES: None, Currently healed.

Everything seemed to explode at once, a cacophony of threats and snarled voices that made the dancer wince. Skarde was here, roaring his fury and spittle upon both her and Diurus. She felt her belly turn to ice at his bitter words but in the moment her concern was at best partially for herself. The Lagoon king hadn't run, he was putting himself directly in harm's way for her sake. If he was injured or worse it would be her fault. There was the sound of a scuffle beginning, close enough that she could feel the thud of paws on stone and click of snapping fangs. But she'd used up her bravery for that day, maybe even for the year or this life. She was frozen to the spot. @Vasilis @Skarde /exit

BG Stock | Lion Stock | Manip by Taboo | Coding by Werge