The bright sunny sky had been obscured by large gray clouds accompanied by a strong breeze that rolled off the ocean as the waves crashed against the shore. The air had thickened with the impending storm, but that hadn’t deterred her purposeful, but almost defeated stride. Her head was still held high with some sort of pride, but she was exhausted. Not so exhausted, that she couldn’t appreciate the sheer beauty of the shore around her- but too exhausted to stop and care as she trudged along. Her paws had shifted around the sand further away from shore, but as she strayed closer to the water- she left small indents in the sand as moved, with grainy sand clinging to her paws.

Ghyslaine had spied the strip of land from further back, and as she approached the land, she was intrigued by the land bridge. She walked towards it, her tail twitching as she studied the way the land cut through the waves- the way the water crashed against it, and as she arrived at the mouth, she studied the path. She could almost swear that she saw the indents of previous walkers- leaving their prints behind.

Where were they going? What’s out there?

She took a deep breath, casting one long glance over her shoulder at the land behind her, and stepped forward- onto whatever she would find. She walked along, keeping herself cautious despite her exhaustion. The winds picked up as she ventured further and further onto the path, but the clouds didn’t let loose the storm they threatened to bring. She focused, picking up her pace into a more brisk walk, as she started to really see the land she was approaching. Instead of sand beneath her feet, it was grass now as the land gave way to the wonders of the island. She halted, near a narrow opening, her breath leaving her in a long sigh, as she contemplated the land before her, tail and whiskers twitching as she breathed in the many scents here.

Other lions… but what was this place?

when i speak

ART BY GONEAPEY VIA CC, CODE BY LARS

You look like you've traveled far. The Heir would comment as he approached the stranger. His posture was relaxed and merely curious to see a new face (many new faces came through here all the time). He paused a respectful distance away from her and offered a ghost of a polite smile. My name is Myrkvi Sigrun. I'm the heir to Scilla Lagoon pride not far from here. Who might you be? The inferred question lingered in the air. Perhaps I may be able to answer some questions for you? A polite offering. If she were completely new here, she probably had some.

@Ghyslaine

Art by K'sariya || Code by Zay

Caligula absolutely hated the water but he had to suck it up as he had a job to do. He had promised Aquila to fulfill the duties bestowed upon him. Part of those duties now included recruiting. He didn't have the lay of the land like he once did but he at least knew of the other prides and their locations even if he wasn't informed of leadership and recruiters. He figured that was something that he would learn over various trips out to the Passage.

When he got there he found a lioness and a lion already present, an Heir apparently. "And I am Caligula, Noble of Vermeda Brook. It is some distance from here but a place to rest and a warm meal in your belly will more than make up for that if you desire." He wasn't about to force things. Claiming wasn't something that he believed in.

@Ghyslaine @Myrkvi

She wasn’t alone for long. Her nose twitched as she scented another, her eyes looking up to see a male approaching. Instinct had her tensing her muscles, but she noted that he had a relaxed posture, and forced her body to relax, loosening a quiet breath as she did so. He was a larger dark male, who stopped a respectful distance from her. He spoke, and Ghyslaine’s eyes roamed until she could try to meet his gaze. ‘You look like you’ve traveled far,’ he spoke, and a slight smirk pulled at her lips. Of course she looked like she’d traveled far- she was thin, and exhausted- but she didn’t reply yet- as he spoke again. Myrkvi Sigrun, heir to Scilla Lagoon pride–A name of a pride? – A name that Ghyslaine put to her memory- then he offered to answer any questions she had.

”I’ve traveled far enough.” She spoke, her voice a low tenor quality, as she studied him. ”Ghyslaine Olympe,”she introduced herself with a polite nod, as another lion appeared. Another male, but this one was small- like she was. He introduced himself as Caliuga, a noble of Vermeda Brook. Where was that? He was quick to offer a place for her to go, and Ghyslaine was amused at the quick offer, but responded politely.

”Is this a place where you search out homeless lions?” She asked, with a teasing tilt to her voice. ”I followed the bridge here, and now I’m curious- What is this place?” Her expression was curious, posture relaxed, though she studied them both carefully.

@Myrkvi @Caligula

when i speak

ART BY GONEAPEY VIA CC, CODE BY LARS

OOC: Sorry for the wait


A pleasure @Ghyslaine. He politely responded to her introduction. @Caligula joined them. Myrkvi looked at the Brook Noble and gave him a polite smile. Nice to meet you too. It was good to put faces and names to the Brook - a pride the lagoon had long since supported. Their traveler would ask after the purpose of this place and Kvi’s answer started
with a nod. This is the Passage. Many of us representatives come here to find lions like you to either invite or at least offer some aid. Kvi would offer both in due time. He was not particularly rushed. The name of this place is Amaryllis. He paused to await any further questions and allow the Brook lion some time to speak too.

Art by K'sariya || Code by Zay

"A pleasure to meet the both of you." Caligula said once introductions were out of the way. Then the bronze male had to chuckle at the question that she asked. "That is pretty much exactly what we do here." The maneless lion pretty much reaffirmed what Myrkvi had to say. Of course the other male also had more to say than to just answer the question. "You forgot claim should there be those sorts that come here as well." But given that Myrkvi hadn't included that in his list made Caligula figure that such a thing wasn't common practice for him.

"I haven't been to this place too often but I'm surprised there isn't more of a gathering." He was used to a representative from nearly every pride showing up in the lands of recruitment. "Well, there is Obsidian Hollows, they live in caves and ruled by the Hodari. There is Caladan Cove, neighbors to the Lagoon and close by beachfront property. Andal Oasis is in the desert. Wolfbron Bluffs is a mountain. There is Firnen Rainforest and Ecosia Mire as well. Sorry I'm not currently versed in who all the leaders and what their values are." He figured he'd at least give the lioness a run down of the different prides in the area in case there were landscapes that she had an aversion to. Like him and water.

@Ghyslaine @Myrkvi

Introductions were quickly done with, and she tried to make a mental note of their names. Myrkvi of the Scilla Lagoon and Caligula of the Vermeda Brook- easy. She could remember that, surely. They both seemed friendly, as they confirmed that this indeed was a place where they looked for homeless lions. She wasn't super surprised by that, based on the fact that Caligula had been so quick to offer her a warm meal and a place to rest. The males took turns politely allowing them to speak, and she was eager to see that. Was this a place of fairness?

She listened attentively to Myrkvi, as he spoke, and further confirmed what she'd come to guess by the beginning of their interaction, and then Caligula spoke, and she fixated her attention on him as he started listing groups of lions. "There are that many prides?" She asked, almost breathlessly. "This place- Amaryllis- you called it must be massive to house so many groups." She finished that thought aloud, with a look at the both of the males. She contemplated her thoughts for a moment, allowing either of them to speak should they wish too, as she tried to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say next.

"And what are the values of your Lagoon, Myrkvi?"She would ask the darker hued male, curious now- trying to figure out each of these groups. Maybe she could find herself a place within one of those homes. Caligula had given her the idea actually when he mentioned not knowing what the values of some of the prides were. Values were a good place to start, if one wanted to get to know the types of homes that were within this land.

She'd let Myrkvi speak if she wished, before her attention would shift to Caligula, politely asking him the same. "And you? What are the values of the Vermeda Brook?" Her questions were warm and curious, she had no reason to be rude or short with these males. After all, they'd been nothing but polite to her.

@Myrkvi @Caligula

words

_{— art by yumpy}