It hadn't been that long, really, since leaving home and striking out into the world. But for a man accustomed to having someone else around almost every minute of the day, it had been the loneliest few months of his life. He found himself missing the constant background buzz and chatter that came from living in a massive family and equally massive pride. Several times, he'd almost turned back, but then he'd remember the things that had prompted him to finally leave, and his wavering resolve strengthened. At least, out here alone, there were no suspicious glances or backhanded remarks if he spent a little too much time with some of his friends.

Zacharie found himself humming as he went, if only to have something other than the sound of his own thoughts. Originally, he'd just picked a direction and started walking, occasionally choosing paths at a whim, or whichever kept the wind from blowing his mane into his face. So it was pure luck and chance that brought him to the sandbar, and the lands beyond.

Now he found an open stretch ahead, cliffs rising as a natural gateway, and he finally slowed. There were a lot of scents in the air, of all ages, crisscrossing over each other, but most leading back toward the gap in the mountains. After a moment or two, he'd sit, and then stretch to lie down, basking in the midday sun as he tried to figure out what kind of place he'd found and whether it would be better to follow the temptation of company, or to turn back and continue his lone wandering.

code by corvus

cassandra

The Passage was a familiar haunt for her, somewhere she'd been coming since before she was even 2 years old when she had been Caladan's Heiress under her mother when she was but a yearling. For most of her adult life, she'd been in some position of power within a pride, and she enjoyed getting to help a pride grow and thrive. Unlike some others, she actually enjoyed making her way to the Passage.

Quietly padding along the sands of the Passage, Cassandra was enjoying the cool breeze that came from the water surrounding the sandbar. Flicking an ear, she caught the scent of another on the wind. Lifting her head, she spotted a lone lion a little ways away from her. Letting out a polite chuff to announce her presence, Cassandra approached the large lion. "Greetings, and welcome to Amaryllis." She began, her stance neutral and polite as she spoke.

"I am Cassandra, Royalty of Illyria Summit. I can offer you a place within my pride, or can assist you in finding a location that suits you better. I've been in these lands my whole life, and know vaguely what the different prides are like." She said, flicking her tail as she spoke.

@Zacharie

Art by Cala & Code by Zodiac

It's been some time since the tripod has graced the passage. Enjoying the sun and licking wounds from previous claims, Sersie funds herself wandering among the well trodden paths again. Almost immediately she finds the golden pelt of a stranger catching her eye, making her way in such an iconic awkward gait that she too is hard to miss. But another approaches before her, and the demoness hears only the tail end.

Something about the summit, and the typical speeches from the mouths of politicians. She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue.


"When will you people learn to be more demanding. This is the claiming grounds no?" her harsh, raspy voice cuts through the air after @Cassandra finishes speaking. "Everyone's dick must be cut off, where is the passion? The command?" she asks, but expects no real answer.

Her head and good eye swing to land a gaze upon @Zacharie "I won't dazzle you with speeches. I need capable bodies, brawn or brain, who can stand their ground and hold their own" she smirks "And you definitely look like you can."

code by daanyan, Art by Ink

the man was a colossal sandy colored thing that immediately caught faustine's attention. she had seen a lot of those lions in the distance and had wondered just how they grew to such sizes. though a yearling, faustine already knew she would not be able to bypass her own mother in weight. that was just how the dieudonnes were - medium in build, with thick muscles and a strong crocodilian jaw.

are you lost, monsieur? faustine asked. there was a glimmer in her eyes, the kind that shone when a child found something particularly interesting. or are you merely here for a home and food to nourish you? we at wolfbron are in need of more members like you. she didn't look at the other two lions, one of which seemed to have a more impolite tone. better for those two to fight and bicker than to take yet another potential member away from her. @Zacharie

code: cala | art: drifty

@Zacharie may have thought that he was alone in his journey away from their homelands, but the truth was that he had never been alone. His kid sister was hot on his trails, but Amour was smart enough to leave enough distance between them to not make him feel crowded. Her own curiosity kept her from letting him get too far out of her sight, and where her brother went, she went. When they did cross into Amaryllis her pace had slowed, if only to take in her new surroundings. During that time Zacharie had gotten a good bit ahead of her. By the time he was back in her line of visage again he had three new friends at his side. She was practically skipping to close the distance between them all and when she did arrive by Zacharie's side she was intrigued by the different women. Most importantly, the one sporting only three legs. Except Amour had no intentions of staring, after all she was missing two things herself. It was already distracting enough when meeting new individuals, she had no intentions of turning any extra attention onto @Sersie's obvious missing appendage. Rude, it was always rude when people stared. Her ears would perk lightly at the french tilt in @Faustine's voice, a low smile curving her pink features. "Non - we are exploring." She pipes in, ducking from behind her brother and standing at his right. Amour hardly even made it to his shoulder but all the same she stands right next to him, beaming up at him. "Did you fink you could leave me behind?" She says quietly to him with a sly grin, hoping in the least he wouldn't mind her company again.

[ambassador exp/doubled]
+10 - Learn a character's name and rank (Cassandra)
+10 - Learn a character's name and rank (Sersie)
+10 - Learn a character's name and rank (Faustine)

code

When the first stranger appeared, he rolled back to his feet, shaking out the sand that clung to his fur and fixing the smaller woman with a grin as she introduced herself. How lucky was he, royalty already. Maybe he should have groomed a little better, but he hadn't expected to meet anyone important right away. "Bonjou, cher,"¹ Barely acquainted and already inviting him home, or offering information, what an interesting place. "Mais, dhat's a generous offer-" and whatever else he might have said was cut right off by the arrival of a more aggressive woman.

Brows raised at her general demeanor, but her request for brawn or brain did earn a good-natured laugh, "Oh, 'fraid I never been accused a'bein' either. Y'should know not to put much stock in appearances, weh?" Surely others made assumptions about her own, with her missing pieces. Zacharie wasn't the sort to do that, though, he was far too close to someone with their own missing pieces. Or had been.

Speaking of!

Her voice followed the arrival of a very dark woman with a familiar accent and Zacharie's grin grew, gently bumping his sister's shoulder with his own in greeting "So you de one was followin' me." He'd thought he'd been pretty stealthy when he'd left, but maybe that was just impossible for someone his size. Or she was more observant and better at tracking than he'd ever given her credit for. Actually that was probably true of most, he'd never put much thought into the art of stealth.

So far, he was most intrigued by the lioness who shared at least some version of their own treasured mother tongue, but offered a nod toward his sister as he reclined to sit again, "Dhis my sister, @Amour, I'm Zacharie," he introduced them both, "we on a trip t'see de world, but a place t'settle while we here'd be très bon." Because existing within a group was far, far less lonely, and much easier than hunting for oneself. Especially when you were so large.

@Cassandra @Sersie @Faustine

¹ Technically "Hello, dear" but "dear" used in this case as something like "hon"/"honey" in the way southerners (american) tend to call everyone "hon". Very casual and friendly

code by corvus

cassandra

A dark ear would push back and a lip would lift ever so slightly with @Sersie's arrival. Not everything was about brute strength and brawn. Diplomacy and politics could be handy as well, in brokering alliances and trucks with different prides. "If it is adventure you want, the Summit allows for views of the entire land. My mothers are not tyrants, and would allow you to come and go as you please - along with allowing for you to leave the pride without question if you decided the land was not to your liking." She said, knowing her mothers' stance on allowing those who did not wish to remain to leave when they wanted to do so.

The lioness that appeared next to the golden male seemed familiar to him, and it would soon be revealed that it was his sister. "The Summit protects its own, and allows members to freely choose what they wish to do, be it hunting, fighting or watching over cubs - the Summit allows for it all. My mothers have ruled since it was founded, and have bested many challengers that have come for the throne." Cassandra added on, hoping to make the Summit appealing to the two rogues that were here.

@Amour @ Zacharie @Faustine

(Cass was IS Royalty when initially posted here, timelines be funky lol)

Art by Cala & Code by Zodiac