If his time here had proven anything, it was that his visions did not stop, even in this new land.

No, some nights before he dreamt of sand, of being swallowed by it, and so, he headed into the badlands. It was not an easy decisions. Was he walking away from his fate by doing this? Or was he walking from it if he didn't? His visions were a gift, surely, but who controlled them? In the end, he resolved that no matter what happened, he would simply prove fate wrong and piss on the destiny she made for him.

Besides, he was too far into the desert now to leave it easily.

Trusting his visions not to lead him astray, he soon too sight of greenery in the vast expanse of sand and so drew towards it. This must have been what his vision was showing him. As he came closer, the unmistakable stench of a border hit his nostrils. Even he knew to stop, though he waited, not daring to cross it. He knew how bands were, so very touchy about their borders and so he stood, looking around and keeping an ear out for someone to approach him.

Maybe the lions who laid claim to this place would be appreciative of his gifts.

Lachesis is waiting at the border.

Were borders always this busy? He didn't remember it being that way when he was in Wolfbron. Not that he was complaining, really, since all of his visitors so far had been more interested in joining him than pestering him.

He spotted the man from a distance, but only left the shade of the vegetation once the stranger paused just outside the territory. Probably a good idea to see what he wanted, if anything, or point him in a good direction if he was lost. Although whether 'good' would mean 'beneficial' or just 'funny' would depend on how the conversation went if he was lost.

Ryker paused at the edge of the border, a brow lifting at the man - a stranger, though one who bore a striking resemblance to...well, way too many lions he'd met recently. Had he missed a memo and bright white patches were all the rage, now? Or was this some cosmic karma for ousting the patchy ex-desert-ruler? Either way, it had become a source of amusement for him. "Yeah?" Had he come here for a reason or just by chance?

@Lachesis

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

It did not take long before he was approached.

So this place was active, good, it mean he could get out of the abhorrent heat and into the shade sooner. When he looked at the lion who approached him, he was not certain if he had come across the band leader. Just like their borders, he knew band lions to be touchy about respect too, which meant it would be best for him to choose his next words carefully.

Choosing the keep the truth of his gift and the reason he was here to himself, Lachesis lifted his chin slightly. I seek to join the band that lives here, he said, Are you the lion to talk to? This, he thought, was much sweeter sounding than saying he was tired of hunting for himself and sought protection from the trouble his impulse brought.

@Ryker

Band? A brow lifted; he didn't immediately ask for Alexander so Ryker would put assumptions about his familial connections aside for the moment. "I lead the pride," a soft sort of correctional emphasis was placed on the word, "here, yeah." Didn't matter what the guy called groups of lions outside Amaryllis, but here, prides and bands were distinctly different things.

Reclining to sit, he looked the man over, "This is Andal Oasis, I'm Ryker Dantanian, High Sovereign. We're a place that values strength and ability," a beat, and a half-shrug, "and it's obviously a desert so it's not an easy life." He didn't really care how the man had come to his borders - whether by luck or choice - and the idea of spies wasn't something he troubled himself with. Andal had no active enemies as far as he knew. Not yet. "So if I'm not gonna find you dead from heat in a week, and you'll pull your weight, you can join." The oasis had shade, and cooler spots, but winter was heading toward spring and when it wasn't raining, they days were growing steadily warmer.

@Lachesis

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

Ah, pride.

Band? Pride? It was a group of lions defending a border and caring for each other, was it not? He saw no difference between them, with that in mind though didn't say as much. He supposed the lions here were not as...astutue as what he was used to, but that served him well. They would make better minions in his scheme to prove fate wrong.

And it would be glorious.

Until then, however, he would need this pride, this Andal Oasis. A place that valued strength and ability appealed to him, though the insinuation that he might die in a mere desert was beyond offensive. He however, simply nodded, believing it best not to offend his new High Sovereign.

I am Lachesis, he said, And you need not worry about adding a weakling or a slacker into your ranks. I will make myself useful. A Peitho was anything but weak and useless, that much he would make apparent in short order.

@Ryker

"Good," he grinned, a quick flash of teeth, "because otherwise I think the others might just eat you alive," technically an exaggeration, but so far he'd added several ambitious members who didn't shy away from violence. The softest soul within the oasis was likely their lead healer, but Ryker had never seen the man fight, so he had no idea if there was a hidden talent there. And besides, he was fairly convinced that if he tried to kick Iofiel out, the man would just keep coming back anyway, and he wasn't enough of an annoyance to refuse him access to the place.

Ryker shifted to stand and stepped aside, gesturing with a paw to invite @Lachesis inside, "Welcome to Andal, if you want a rank, challenge for it." And if he did, and no one stepped up to accept, he'd just test the man himself.

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

This Ryker was right to the point, he enjoyed that immensely.

There was, after all, nothing more distasteful than wasting time. It was for that reason Lachesis did not ask for boring details like laws. Truly, he didn't care, but more than that, he was not stupid. Such things could be figured out in time. For now, he wanted the benefits, later, he would determine where it was he fell with the the Oasis hierarchy, though the prospect of challenging for rank sounded tempting, it would be best not to get ahead of himself.

And so, when Ryker stepped aside, Lachesis dipped his head slightly. Thank you, my High Sovereign. Let us go? Well, he was going to go anyways, as was evidence by him trotting along deep into Andal territory.

The first part of his plans were coming together.

Fucking finally.

Exit Lachesis to AO.

To be perfectly honest, he wasn't really feeling like leading a tour at the moment. He'd much rather prefer to return to his shady spot until the sun was less oppressive and he could bear to do something more productive. The longer he lived within the oasis, the more he wondered how the darker-furred former members had managed to live comfortably. At least his fur wasn't abnormally thick, he supposed.

As the man passed him by, Ryker shrugged a shoulder, "Go ahead, it's not hard to find your way around here." It was a ring of plant life around a...would one call it a lake? It wasn't all that deep, but it didn't seem right to call it a watering hole. Either way, the terrain wasn't all that complicated as long as the air wasn't full of sand.

As @Lachesis took his leave, Ryker would head back to his shady spot to wait for evening.

-exit-

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus