Using Caligula's Lv. 5 Pathfinder Perk

Caligula had always been fond of the sky. He was often found watching it, mostly at night as there was much more to see then. Lately it had been more the clouds that kept attracting his attention. The cover was lower than usual and in the early morning hours it continued to linger on the ground longer and longer. It was unnatural for this time of year and had Caligula carefully taking note of the changes. It wasn't right.

After collecting as much data as he could about it, mostly just going out and exploring surrounding areas to see the effect there as well. It wasn't just happening in the Brook but in other places as well. It was a thick haze that took over the early mornings in places. In some spots it was impossible to see anything through it. It was that hazard which finally had him choosing to speak on it. The Brook had already been challenged for twice in the recent months. Someone might choose to take advantage of this early morning cover.

The bronze lion stood towards the middle of the pride's lands before he sent out his call. This was information that he only wished to pass onto the residents of the Brook. He wished to make them aware so that they might guard themselves against any surprise attacks.

FORTUNE FORTUNE SMILING FATE
I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU MUCH OF LATE
NEED YOU NOW AND CANNOT WAIT
BUT WANNA LOOK, YOU'RE NOT AROUND

Aquila's fist gut reaction was one of alarm. Wondering, fearfully curious, what Caligula was calling for. It was not to terribly normal and something in his mate's voice made him anxious. The large bronze Sovereign respnded quickly- arriving from a stretch of land near the borders of their home he came. His pace was slowed once Caligula came into sight and Aquila saw nothing immediately harmful or obvious reason to worry. And he did not want to be scolded for moving about recklessly with his injuries still on the mend...

With the last few strides he could not hold back and he took them quickly to come up on Caligula's left side. His head hovered close in and the bronze lion looked over with a rasied brow. "Caligula what's going on?"

@Caligula

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Aquila approached and Caligula was glad for it, if only because it meant someone thought him worth listening to. The others here did not know him that well and so he couldn't fault them for any mistrust they might have. To them he might as well be just another nameless face in the crowd.

Caligula shifted slightly to lean ever so briefly against Aquila. Caligula had always been one for physical affection but he didn't wish to cause any undo stress to the High Sovereign. Aquila was still healing after all.

"I... I am not sure, something it not right though." How could he then begin to explain just how off things felt? "There is something not right in the mornings. The mist. It stays too long. It's too thick. If you aren't careful then you can get lost in it. I don't know what exactly is going on but I don't like it. I don't trust it. I think everyone needs to be careful. They might listen to you more than me." If it wasn't proof enough by Aquila having been the first to arrive to his call. "It is not just here in the Brook either but other places as well."

@Aquila

FORTUNE FORTUNE SMILING FATE
I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU MUCH OF LATE
NEED YOU NOW AND CANNOT WAIT
BUT WANNA LOOK, YOU'RE NOT AROUND

"Maua has veiled the land in mist before." He explained with a frown, a deep concerned narrowing of his eyes while he looked southwards in the general direction of the peaks. A year ago he'd have rejoiced to know this, in the mist he could feel safe and hidden like they used to. A year ago he had some faith in Maua left and now even this seemed suspect. Especially if it concerned Caligula like this. "It kept us safe, hard to find... but they pulled it away two years ago when more and more lions began to travel here." And since then the morning mist was just that.... morning mist that faded in the sun's light.

He kept a light lean against @Caligula, his face though was troubled and looked arounds the forest and not towards his smaller mate. "Its return can't be good news." He agreed, nodding his chin lightly. Caligula's instincts were right so far as Aquila could reason. Even if this was, at last, Maua trying to stifle things and regain control it was too little too late. "I'll make sure the word gets around..." Convince his family this mist was no good omen from Maua. "And we'll bulk up the caches a bit. Just incase hunting gets difficult."

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"I remember that mist. I didn't know if you could see it as you were already here. When I first cam everything was covered in mist. Then it slowly dissipated and more land was revealed then everyone went crazy with snatching up every bit of land that they could." Caligula had never been a fan of all that. But he supposed that everyone was eager for a home after having done without one for some time. And in the beginning no one had known of the natives.

Caligula was glad that Aquila was listening to him and taking him seriously. "This feels different than that mist. It's unnatural, though the first mist had been too. But there is something unsettling about this, not the comfort that you had felt." The small bronze male couldn't exactly articulate his feelings. He couldn't express the wrongness that he felt in this mist.

"That might be a good idea. Who knows how it will affect prey." And Caligula hadn't thought of that part of the equation. "We should probably get in touch with our allies as well. I plan to go to the Hollows already." As Aquila already knew he had a friend in Hanneth there and so he had to tell her. "Parvati is in the Cove so I should go there too." Not that he could know that the Cove had disbanded and Parvati had left the place. "Where else should we check in?"

@Aquila

FORTUNE FORTUNE SMILING FATE
I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU MUCH OF LATE
NEED YOU NOW AND CANNOT WAIT
BUT WANNA LOOK, YOU'RE NOT AROUND

"We could see it." He confirmed. "We saw the same thing as you, bit by bit it faded and in its place more and more lions." Until it was gone for good. Or so it had seemed. But now the mist came back with more worrisome patterns. At the very least it was going to make travel, and hunting, more dangerous. Worst case, without a clue what Maua was doing to their world anymore, Aquila couldn't imagine what this mist might bring this time. "That first mist... it was thick, unnatural but it felt like Maua's love." Which led one to think... was this mist really different ot was it the double in Maua's love?

"If you'd feel better with your kids here, bring them. I don't care if they join permanently or not they can stay as long as needed." He said when Parvati was mentioned. It could be a small bit of peace for Caligula. "We're allies with the Mire pride and there is a band of lions under Astrid in the tundra up north I count among our allies. My family has also always had good relations with the Sigrun of the Lagoon pride. " But- Aquila hung his head forwards to rest his forehead on Caligula's crown. "Warn the Hollows, check on your kids. And come back ok? I don't want you lost... Someone else will tell them."

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"Yes, more and more lions." He agreed. "I hadn't traveled here with the ones looking to snatch up every piece of land that they laid eyes on. I'm uncertain where they had even come from." They hadn't all made the exodus with them, that was one thing that was known for certain. Unlike at previous times Caligula wasn't in the know, he hadn't had names to put to all of those faces. That was something he still needed to work on.

"This doesn't feel the same as before. It feels thicker. The other mist you couldn't see anything but you could still walk through it. This feels more like herding because it prevents you from going certain places." That was the best way that he could describe it. It felt like this mist was trying to force everyone to only go to certain places. It didn't feel proper. But maybe it was just him because Caligula was all about free will and personal choices.

"They are adults now." Which meant they were free to make their own choices and live their own lives. But it didn't mean that Caligula would worry about them any less. Certainly Aquila would understand that as Scipio got some age to him as well.

Caligula made not of all the allies that Aquila listed off. The tundra one would be harder to find as he didn't know where to exactly search for that one. He could find the others well enough though. But then he was being told not to warn them. To leave the job to someone else. A part of him wanted to ask if Aquila didn't trust him to deliver the message. Or maybe they wouldn't believe it coming from him.

"I will. I promise." Caligula gave in easily enough and pressed himself close to Aquila. He didn't exactly want to be lost either. But more than that he didn't want Aquila to get lost coming to look for him.

@Aquila

"It doesn't matter, they're not going anywhere. Except maybe lost into the mist." He sighed with a grumble in the back of his throat. Inwardly feeling great appreciation for Caligula- for all the number of lions he'd grown to know and respect it was still rare to hear things like that out of them. Thoughts and feelings that mirrored so closely to Aquila's own. Even the ones who had not taken with malice, out of necessity, still forced their will on the land and enacted a change.

It didn't take much for Aquila to believe Caligula's impression of this mist, that it was different and forceful. It came in line with all he'd seen and believed. Bits of his world that looked familiar but were entirely different at the same time. "We will need to be careful, watch that the mist isn't herding things to us that we don't want here."

He reached forward a paw and aimed to brush it on Caligula's forepaw. To rest beside his while the High Sovereign reached over to press his nose gently to Caligula's ear and the crown of his skull. "Come back safe. Please." Calgula had already promised he would. Aquila believed him... and Aquila couldn't shake the feeling of loss that Caeso's own disappearance left him with. He couldn't go through it again.

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"I suppose not. Unless something were to happen to force them out." Caligula had been through such situations before. Once he had found a home and had settled he hadn't wanted to leave the place. He was wishing for that to happen with the Brook as well. That he wouldn't have to leave this place for a long time coming.

Aquila brought up a point that Caligula hadn't even thought of. Could things be being brought here? He hadn't paused to consider where the herding was to be corralled. "I hadn't thought of that. I have been worried about others getting lost that I haven't considered what else might be found." So maybe they would need to beef up border patrols just because of that. It was certainly something to think about. "How odd would it sound to you that it feels there is a sentience behind this mist?" What else would explain portions where one lion could pass through easily and other portions that denied entry altogether?

Caligula closed his eyes, a deep rumble of pleasure reverberating throughout his chest. He could never get enough of this. "I have every intention on doing so. But if something does happen then you have to stay here. You can't come looking for me. The Brook needs you. You have to think of the pride first." Caligula wasn't planning on anything happening. So far nothing had happened. So far there were no lions lost at the moment. But still, life was unpredictable. And for that reason he made his own demand.

@Aquila

"It wouldn't surprise me. If it is a creation of Maua or some greater power... why couldn't it have life and will like you or I?" It did not make the mist seem any more friendly, quite the contrary it seemed to make his belly churn tight and his worry to grow. This mist was dangerous.

Just one more to count among those who would bring harm to his family he supposed. He leaned to Caligula for comfort and assurance that the lion was still there. Even though clearly he was. Aquila couldn't quiet the fears and bad memories. Memories of waking up day after day wondering why Caeso had left, if he was coming back. Damn it he'd just found Caligula he wouldn't lose him the same way and be left shattered. But Caligula was right... he couldn't leave his family like that if it came down to it. "You'll leave me broken if you don't come back." And he reached his head over to nuzzle into Caligula's neck and pepper the length of it with some kisses. "Go- I don't know if it'll get worse over time but we should not risk it. I'll take care of warning the pride."

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