Welcome to Gaia! ::

Los wasn't quite sure why he had agreed to take pups home with him from their mother. She hadn't seemed terribly upset with the idea - there had been seven of them, after all - but she had tried to push all the males on him and it had been a bit of a mess. He couldn't take many back with him, per the rules of the pride, so three had been all he could take. A set of twins had come with him, as well as one of the lighter pups who seemed to be missing his mane. It was no concern of Los' what his children looked like, though. He would raise them all to be true to the Nergui way and be fierce assets to the lions.

But for now, they were pups. They got into mischief and, while he wasn't exactly fond of the pranks they tended to pull, he let them get away with most of it. It was harmless fun, as he saw it. Best to get it out now before the real training began, when they got a bit older.

The call of 'dad' reached his ears and he turned, spotting the non-twin of the trio he had brought back, Rechot. He gave him just a bit of a smirk in greeting, lowering his head to bump his nose against the smaller hyena's cheek. "Hello," he said quietly, speaking common for the time being. They would come to learn the Nergui language as he had, but for now it was best to stick with simple things.

"You seem excited about something," he said, tilting his head just a bit. "What did you tie to your sister's tail this time?"

The snap and snicker made Los' tail wag in delight. He had hoped he had picked the three pups with the most tenacity and brains. They'd certainly need them in this pride. If you were too slow or stupid, you were killed or made a slave, and no child of his would fall to that dishonor. The pride their siblings were in was exclusively hyenas, and he figured the softer ones would have a better time there than here. They were still pups, though, and it was hard to tell just what they'd grow up to be like.

"Mhm...if someone comes running once you leave, I'll be on your tail," he warned, but let a grin remain on his face. In all honesty, as long as he didn't seriously hurt his siblings, he encouraged that kind of behavior. The needed to toughen up, but also needed to learn how to take defeat honorably.

"Questions?" He tilted his head before sitting down, resting his paws just in front of his bouncing son. "Oh...no, I can't say that they are," he said, shaking his head. "It's a case to case basis. Not even all lions are friends with all lions, or hyenas with all hyenas." His mother had been outraged when she learned that he worked for lions, after all, and the Nergui didn't like anyone that didn't conform to their beliefs, no matter their species.

Los followed his son as the little pup trotted around him, moving his head as was required. He licked his lips, grinning a bit at the question and laughed at the comment about his brother. It was true, siblings were sometimes the hardest to get along with. It was why Los had left his family. They had all been far too soft for him.

"Case by case means just like you said...you may not like your brother, but you may make friends with another hyena pup. Or, there may be a lion that doesn't like you, but there may be another lion that does. Everyone is unique and sometimes some don't like the way others act or think. Which is why the lions here like us, and we like them. We think the same," Los said with a little wag of his tail. "The same beliefs. We try to bring our knowledge where we go, but not everyone likes our ideas."

So we kill them, or enslave them, he added to himself. That would come later in the training of his children. "We are friends with these lions, yes. We help them and they, in return, allow us to travel with them. In such a large group it's easy to stay well fed and protected, and with diverse animals our fighting skills are unparalleled."

Los chuckled quietly to himself. He had yet to teach the cubs the full beliefs of the Nergui, as he thought they might be too broad to understand, but he could certainly tell them the gist of what the belief system was. He reached out a paw to tug the excitable ball of fur closer, lowering his voice to just above a whisper.

"The Nergui - and I - believe that there is a wonderful, powerful force in this world called Tra Ord Omak. He is everywhere and nowhere all at once, he is what makes the world change and the plants grow, and the creatures die, and new life to be born again. He is the wind, the earth, the sun, the sky, the air we breathe, the water we drink. He is what gives us, the Nergui, so much power and strength. We want the world to see his power and become his followers, as we are."

He left out the part about the 'gods' that roamed the African landscape. The Nergui thought them to be leeches, sucking the power away from the great one, and that they were to be exterminated. Too many gods would confuse the poor pup, he was sure. The idea alone of one powerful 'being' existing everywhere and nowhere probably sounded like a riddle.

"All you need to remember, Rechot, is that Tra Ord Omak is all-powerful, and that we want everyone to know of him. Those that do not believe in the power that rules this world or believe in some other, lesser power need to be disposed of."

[list][list][list][list][list][list][list][img]https://imgur.com/iD1v9XP.png[/img] [list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list] [imgright]https://i.imgur.com/Wg8KwEX.png[/imgright][align=right][align=left][align=justify] [size=14][color=transparent][*][/color][/size][img]https://imgur.com/jXGeCYV.png[/img] [color=#a6a6a6][size=9][color=#4da7a2]〖[/color]l o c a t i o n [color=#4da7a2]◈[/color] Ballroom[color=#4da7a2]〗[/color][color=white]xxxxxxxx[/color][color=#4da7a2]〖[/color]c o m p a n i o n s [color=#4da7a2]◈[/color] Luk[color=#4da7a2]〗[/color][color=white]xxxxxxxx[/color][color=#4da7a2]〖[/color]o t h e r [color=#4da7a2]◈[/color] [url=https://www.pinterest.com/pin/829929037571272840/?nic_v1=1a1LgJDc+nX1O+dgdHoNUwwhl8LDUyqd2D988O1WiUopo2JwerxY+hY6/uH2DSS777]Dress[/url] [color=#4da7a2]〗[/color][color=white]xxxxxxxx[/color][color=#b0686d]s p e a k i n g[/color] = "#b0686d"[/size] [color=gray][size=11]She was late. It was all by design, of course. No one would notice a lady in waiting that slipped in sometime after the festivities started, and with everyone gathered in the ballroom to bask in the glory of the [i]mighty[/i] royals, she was given an essence of freedom to move about the wings of the palace. Some of it was for Dianthe, who had days earlier requested her to… attend to the rooms of some of the other royals. What was she in search of? Well anything of interest, really. Incriminating letters, charred pieces of code, risque drawings of naked men and women. While she found more of the latter then she had assumed she would between the six royal rooms she shuffled through, nothing of terrible interest made itself known. They were either incredibly good at hiding their intentions, or they really were just a bunch of rich kids on an adventure of love and lust funded by their parents. Well of course it was a [i]bit[/i] more complicated than that, but her version was far more pleasing in her mind. Unable to find anything worth reporting back to either Dianthe or her master, Cerina had returned to her rooms to finally ready herself for her actual duty - playing secret guard to the Prince and Princess of Femoko. It was a position she was still new too, if one could consider only a couple years new. Under the rigid instruction of the Femoken instructor back home, Cerina had learned to take the skills she’d developed as a home wrecking maid and use them for the ‘greater good’ of her nation. Bah. Greater good. It was all tricks and politics, and she was just a facet of the ever turning, ever breaking machine called monarchies. Still the past years had not been entirely unpleasant. She had developed a respect for Princess Dianthe that was still a bit foreign to her - one that prompted her to complain to herself less when given an order from the delicate, studious woman. And then there was Luk. Luk was just a handwoven basket of beautiful fun. She found something of a distant kindred spirit in the Prince that had become part of her duty to protect. In many ways he was a mess, but he held his mess with a pride and ego that Ceri could honestly respect. They could easily share a few witty quips, catty remarks and the like. Palace gossip never escaped him, and boy did she enjoy how easy that made her job at times. Though the fondness that was developing for the stunning Pince was getting harder to squash out the closer she was forced to be to him, and boy did it keep her up at night sometimes. Tossing and turning and cursing all that was holy that she was tangled up in the mess that she was. Sometimes she wondered if it would just be easier to go sit at the bottom of a lake until sweet darkness took her mistakes away. And then she would remember. She was a godsdamn fish. Not tonight she wasn’t, however. No, her scales and fins had been retracted in favor of glittering jewelry and sharp makeup. In front of the mirror she was perched, well aware of the ball in full swing somewhere across the castle. But she would take her time getting ready and preparing herself for the endurance test of a social gathering she was about to be subject to. A soft song drifted past her lips as she touched up the makeup atop her eyelids - hummed so as not to risk cracking her vanity mirror. Naked skin rippled in the low light filtering through her room’s long windows, water reflecting from the large pool cut into stone. Estrea knew how to treat its guests, and the massive mineral bath was a welcome appreciation to the general lack of water on this floating Kingdom. Satisfied with her look, Ceri rose, hands tilting back to toss her long locks off her shoulders to cascade down her bare spine. As she turned away from the mirror, however, a voice rippled from behind. [b]”I thought it was your job to go about your business unnoticed, dear one.”[/b] She stopped, hands raised, silken locks curling over her fingers. Her brows flattened and her lips pressed thin. [color=#b0686d][b] “If you have doubts in my abilities, maybe you shouldn’t have conscripted my services.”[/b] [/color] His low, raspy chuckle made her hands drop and she folded them over her chest, turning to face him. It was nothing he hadn’t seen, and nothing she was not accustomed to showing, so she stood naked without shame in front of the hazy, hooded reflection in her vanity mirror. She did not encourage him to speak, but her look made it obvious - he was to get on with it or she was to ignore him. So he went on: [b] “A small change has been made - we need you to act tonight.”[/b] A small snort left her. [color=#b0686d][b] “Impatient bastards aren’t you? Well then, who has earned the honor of your list?”[/b] [/color] [b] “Dealer’s choice,”[/b] he mused. [b] “So long as it facilitates what we discussed before.”[/b] A shift in power. Her brow furrowed and a finger tapped impatiently atop her slightly scaled skin. So they wanted her to make a move on Estrea or Galynia this early, huh? Eager ********. And she had barely settled in. [color=#b0686d][b] “I make no promises.”[/b][/color] She muttered. [color=#b0686d][b] “I have not even seen them.”[/b] [/color] [b] “I have faith in you, dear one.”[/b] He hummed. [color=#b0686d][b] “Then best leave me to my work, perverted one,”[/b][/color] she sang back, her soft voice making the glass perfume bottles on her vanity rattle. He chuckled once again and she turned her back in disgust, drifting toward the bed where several dresses lay ready for her choosing. His voice echoed once more, visage already gone. [b] “You should wear the long one. It would look wonderful on you.”[/b] ---------- timeskip ----------- She wore the short one. Cerina turned out to not be as late as she thought. Ducking through a side door, she glanced briefly at the stairs, watching the Demon Prince and Princess escort a rather flustered looking… someone down to the main floor. Had she missed a name? Probably. The buffet table at the far wall was calling her name, and with Luk surrounded by royals and Dianthe not in sight, she decided announcing her arrival to her employers could wait until [i]after[/i] a snack. Every country and many of their sub cultures were represented in the spread that unfurled along the long tables before her. A few milled about, some brave enough to even carry plates, though Ceri noted that none of them were women. Electing a cloth napkin for a few meager pickings - she had a figure to watch - she began to drift her way down the expanse in search of something to pique her interest. Hmm. Something meaty. Maybe wrapped in pastry. Or something light? Fruity for a change? Her chin tilted towards the desserts at the far end and she straightened. Though her quest for sugary sustenance would be briefly delayed when a young man of average features swept in front of her and promptly offered her a sausage. No, [i]his[/i] sausage. Sausage roll that was. She eyed the offered meat wrapped in dough and politely declined with only a hint of a smile. He wasn’t really her type. Leaving the forlorn noble lad in her wake, Ceri sashayed her way down to the chocolate and fruity treats awaiting her keen eye. A few noble women chattered at the far end, glass flutes in hand, dark eyes skimming over her and her lack of company. She could smell their disapproval of her attire from here, though it did nothing but prompt a small smirk as she leaned forward to sniff at what appeared to be shortbread layered with some sort of sticky fruit jelly. [color=darkblue][b] “What about some Nigiri? It's a delicacy where I come from.”[/b][/color] Oh the look on her face… Forced to straighten and once again face the milk toast noble brave enough to offer her a seafood dish, she looped her arms behind her back, mustering an attempt at a kind smile. But before she could utter yet another rejection, a subtle sound caught her sensitive ear. While she refused to let her fins spring free, Ceri tilted her gaze out over the crowd. Had she been mistaken? No, she had distinctly heard the sound of metal slipping from the confines of a shea- It always started with a scream. This one came from the far side of the ball room where a cluster of the royal children remained at the base of the stairs. Her brow crumpled, jaw snapping closed. The ground under their feet rumbled and in the distance a few crowned heads rose above the rest, while shouts of stabbings and assassins made her remember that she was on the job. [color=#b0686d][b] “Sorry, I’m a carnitarian.”[/b][/color] And with those parting words she was gone, darting her way through the crowd towards a familiar cascade of teal locks. Dianthe was accounted for at the side of the unmistakable Dragon King, and Ceri was sure Calypso was somewhere nearby. If anyone took their job far too seriously, it was Caly. Ducking and weaving her way through the crowd, Ceri fell into step besides the one person she was looking for - the only finely dressed man in the area [i]not[/i] staring at the mass of rising earth. A dagger was eased from under his tunic, Ceri releasing a small sigh. Predictable. And far too obvious. It tilted upwards into the air, only a few steps between the assassin and the Prince of Fomoko. In an easy step Ceri closed the distance. Her arm shot up, a hand slapping down over the assassin's mouth, the other grasping at his wrist where her painted nails dug deep, forcing the dagger to clatter to the floor. A swift kick knocked one of his knees from supporting him, and he sank down the few inches she needed. Her lips found his ear, voice vibrating softly so only he might hear. [color=#b0686d][b] “Pathetic.”[/b][/color] The ripple of her words sank into his ear, and her fingers tightened over his lips to muffle the small cry of pain when his ear drum burst. Annoyingly they needed him alive, so she would leave her own dagger nestled safely between her breasts. A low hum was all it took to knock the dazed assassin unconscious and she released him to thunk to the floor at her Prince’s heels. A small scowl wrinkled her nose and she dusted her hands over the front of her dress as she glanced over Luk for wounds. [color=#b0686d][b]“Whoever hired these fools should demand a refund,”[/b][/color] she admitted, lifting her gaze to his face. [color=#b0686d][b]“Are you harmed, your Highness?”[/b] [/color] [/size] [align=right][img]https://imgur.com/pEPGsmb.png[/img] [spoiler][size=7][quote="tiramitsuu"][/quote][/size][/spoiler]

Furchtlos chuckled as he lifted his head, watching the lighter hyena bounce around excitedly. He had lots of spunk, that much could be said about him. He thought the pup was a bit fond of his pranks, but with a resounding statement like that, perhaps he'd turn in to a fierce fighter some day.

"I've had my share of reminding those of their place," he admitted with a sly grin. "And I've certainly taken it upon myself to destroy those who are unworthy of even a chance of being converted to our beliefs. But," he added, lowering his had just a bit. "I do as the lions ask of me, Rechot. There are things brewing that are too important to tell the whole pride. For now we are biding our time, and there has been little destroying as of late. I feel as though we're biding our time and energy...but," he added again, lifting his head with a smirk.

"When you are a bit older, I will certainly allow you to accompany me and even help me should the need arise to destroy someone."