Inheritance of Chaos [Invite]

[TheRoguePrince]

The fight had been difficult for the Keto, and he knew he had to make a decision whether to kill the rogue or not very quickly, lest his adrenaline filled fury fail him. As much as he felt like ripping the vulnerable rogue beneath him to shreds, something kept nagging at him, something telling him that he needed to clear his mind. His claws were on the rogue's throat as he looked down at the terrified lion, now all too mortal after being thoroughly beaten. Pity, that was what he felt, pity for the poor soul that had the same ill luck as he, maybe not the same circumstance, but the same luck.

With a grimace at his own decision, Keto held his blow, silently cursing himself for his restraint. Mercy was a hard thing for him now, especially with the turmoil in side him threatening to burst forth at any moment, destroying his fragile self. His paw slowly left the neck of his opponent, and he sighed as he walked a few paces away to settle on his haunches. "You are not worth the loss of my sanity..." he whispered, looking at the rogue, who seemed to be in shock, but was recovering quickly enough. Keto watched him lest he become a threat again, which would justify him ending the rogue for good.

Whatever made him stop to think kept nagging him as he kneaded the dirt with his bloody claws. For the first time in days he wasn't alone, and he had just about killed the lion who had ended his solitude. This rogue may have threatened him, but a foreign voice was far better than the sound of his mind raging against itself in a war for balance. Keto's wounds bled freely, but they were not so bad, not even bad enough to cause more scarring it seemed. Lucky for the rogue he didn't have to return the favor of another mark. It would be a pity to have to ruin another face, or another life for that matter. As much as he hated and distrusted the rogue, he wanted to know what his presence meant... He might even be useful in his quest...

[DGFone]

The lion removed his paw from Delano's throat, who let out a breath he was holding. He was so convinced that the lion was going to kill him, that he didn't fully comprehend what had happened initially. The crazed look he saw during the fight was still etched in his memory, and he doubted that it will go away any time soon. But after a little bit of time, Delano began to realize that his life was not going to end in a few moments.

Hauling himself to a sitting position, Delano kept his head low, but still watched the other lion wearily. Seeing some blood flow on the lion's fur made Delano feel slightly better about the fight. He then examined his own wounds, and tried to clean one of them. But when he instead got a mouthful of ash instead, he gave up and placed his foreleg back on the ground. He will have to clean up when he will find some waterhole or another source of water.

His gaze returning to the lion, Delano became slightly confused when it looked like he was being examined almost with a sense of curiosity. Normally, Delano would have asked what the lion was looking at, but the fight had left him angry. Suppressing his confusion, he growled lightly at the other. "What are you looking at?" Even though he wanted to rest, Delano got up slowly and turned his back to the lion, slowly walking away. His legs shook lightly as he walked, but he didn't feel safe enough being so close to another lion, especially one who had just fought him and won.

[TheRoguePrince]

Keto watched the lion walk away, apparently in great pain from the wounds he himself had caused during the fight. He felt a little guilty about what he had done to the rogue, especially since living alone practically required constant health and readiness. Another lion might not be so lenient if he was to come across such a vulnerable target, and Keto frankly didn't want to see himself as the cause of that. He decided then, partially out of concern, and partly out of his own selfish desire to have some sort of company, that he would follow the wounded rogue.

He set off slowly, feeling his own wounds slow him a little as well, and carefully kept himself at a distance, and beyond the detection of the wounded lion. Keto used his own stealth skills in the pursuit, ensuring that he would not start another fight, at least not yet. Something about the rogue drew his attention, he was a survivor, and certainly capable of handling himself in combat, if a little too cocky. The worst Keto could do is keep an eye on the rogue, for his own sake and in order to sate his own curiosity. He knew little to nothing about how rogues operated, unless he could count his own experience alone as living a rogue lifestyle.

The truth was, no one really much paid any attention to the rogues that wondered the land. They were little threat to a Pride, and often disappeared as quickly as they arrived. Keto himself had never seen a true rogue, especially since he made a point of avoiding contact with others for most of his life. If he was to learn how to live out here and do more than survive, he would have to learn, and what better way to learn than from one of them? Keto only hoped he would be able to get more out of the lion than an angry comment and a rough fight next time he closed with him.

The fact remained that Keto was not a real rogue, and his recent physical and emotional trauma left him vulnerable. Sure, he could take care of himself in terms of food and the like, but he was still a lion used to having a Pride as a fall-back. Now he depending on his on cunning and skill alone to keep him alive. In spite of his confidence, he needed something to help him stay himself. The horrible fury and despair that had built up in him was starting to manifest itself in him, and if it was allowed to consume him, there would be nothing left of Keto. Little did the lion know that his survival had not just been a random act of mercy, Keto needed him, and now he needed help too.

[DGFone]

For some reason that he couldn't explain, the fight would not leave Delano's mind. It was odd, considering that this was not the first fight he had gotten into, nor was it the first one that he lost. And even with those, he would be able to escape, and quickly find something else to concentrate on. But the fight with the lion he walked away from, something was odd about that lion. Never before had Delano seen such ferociousness in another's eyes. It was almost as if the lion was... possessed.

Delano stopped walking, thinking briefly of turning around and trying to find the lion again, get a closer look at the creature that nearly killed him. As he was trying to make up his mind as to what to do, Delano got the uncanny feeling that someone was watching him. He looked around for any signs of an intruder, but he didn't see anyone. He eyed his tracks, looking at where they came from, and Delano made up his mind then. If he would walk into the lion in the future, he might try and talk. But right now, Delano wanted to get out of this place, and finally leave this ash covered hellhole he had walked into. Turning back to his original direction, Delano proceeded to once again stumble slowly onward.

As he walked into the distance, Delano became aware that the wind was starting to pick up slightly. Occasionally, a wave of air would pick up some of the dust that covered the ground, and he knew that it was only a matter of time, especially with all the fresh ash, before even a gentle wind will create a dust storm that will be unbearable at least, and dangerous otherwise. Keeping his head low, Delano began to look for anything he can use as cover, knowing that time was short.

The wind really started to pick up, and Delano began to wander side to side in his trek as the dust storm picked up in strength, pushing him about. Knowing that panicking could spell the end of him, Delano forced himself to stay calm and try to see though the darkness and dust for some sort of shelter. Eventually, to his great relief, he found a tree lying on the ground, most likely burnt in the fire that had swept through here recently. Delano pressed himself towards it in a faster pace, ignoring his discomfort and fatigue.

Reaching the fallen tree, Delano pressed himself as far into the branches as he could, trying to hide from the wind and dust. The tree offered only marginal cover at best, but it was much better than remaining out in the open. With nothing better to do other than to wait out until the winds will die down, or the ash blown away, Delano closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall into a much needed sleep.

[TheRoguePrince]

Fortunately, or unfortunately, as either case might be, following the lion had found him shelter from a rather sudden dust storm. Normally a dust storm wouldn't have proven to much trouble to the robust Keto, but given the fact that most of the "dust" would in fact be the ash currently coating the land he wouldn't risk it. The burned tree was poor cover, and he was half tempted to try to find the leeward side of a hill. Unfortunately, the wind was picking up the bountiful supply of heavy ash, and Keto didn't have much time left to find shelter for himself. It would have to be the tree after all, and that meant spending the night with the one he had almost killed a few hours earlier.

Keto crept up to the tree from downwind so as not to alarm the rogue, who had seemingly bedded down in the thick inner branches of the tree. Despite his distaste at exposing himself any more than he had to, Keto determined that he would shelter on the other side of the trunk, perhaps waiting out the storm without being detected. Visibility was poor, and it was only getting worse. As Keto made it to the burned out husk of a formerly mighty tree, he pushed himself as close to the trunk as he could, curling against one of the blackened branches. The wind pelted him with stones and wave after wave of ash. This was just not his night...

Misery was a uniting factor in this land, and it had driven Keto to within a few yards of a lion he had felt like killing earlier. Whoever this lion was, they were now to some extent bound together in this mess. He wouldn't allow the rogue out of his sight until he could be sure he would be fine, and it wasn't completely out of his care for the wounds he had caused. He did not regret doing it, and the excuse to stick around was a convenience to allow him to examine the only lion he now knew of other than himself. Most people would think it crazy, but he needed the occupation, if only to allow him to ignore his own inner problems.

Sometime during the night, Keto permitted himself to nod off, as his mind fogged from exhaustion and turmoil. He did not sleep heavily, but he could no longer keep himself awake. He had not slept for several days, and he desperately needed the rest, even with the danger of having a potential foe so close by. At least the storm was in full force, there was little chance of him being discovered before he awoke.

[DGFone]

The night had turned into the glow of early morning when Delano woke up. The storm had weakened into a gentle breeze, but one that still picked up dust all the time, making visibility still poor. Looking around, it was hard to recognize the landscape, as the wind had mixed the ash and dust into a monotone gray color that now blanketed the land. As he slowly stood up, groaning as his wounds stung from the movement, Delano was able to tell that the tree didn't do much in the form of cover. Examining himself, Delano couldn't exactly recognize his normally tan fur, now covered by the same grayish ash. Shaking himself lightly, he stared in disbelief at how much of the stuff rained off his body.

Glancing around, Delano decided that, wind or not, he was going to leave this place once an for all. Taking one last look at the tree that he used as a hiding spot, Delano frowned when he saw something strange on the other side of the fallen log. He made his way around the tree slowly, and froze when he came face to face with the lying form of non other than the lion who nearly killed him the night before.

His first instinct was to quickly cover the distance between them and finish the lion off right now. At least, that was what his wounds were telling him to do. But as Delano examined the lion carefully, he noticed that the lion's eyes were open and staring straight at him. "Wha- what are you doing here? You followed me, didn't you?" Confusing feelings swept through Delano. Clearly, this lion had followed him, and had to also take shelter using the tree. And most importantly, if the lion had meant to kill Delano, he would have done so already.

Delano sat down again, resting himself against the tree. His curiosity of why the lion had followed him was greater than his desire to fully expose himself into even the gentle wind on the hopeless search for a way out.

[TheRoguePrince]

He examined the dust covered lion with the same intensity he had earlier, only this time he had no need to focus only on weaknesses. He seemed to be greatly pained by the wounds he had inflicted the night before, and moved with less than the expected grace of his heritage. There was a lot of confusion in his expression, and those eyes, eyes that questioned the validity of everything around them, were focused on him. "Yes," Keto said, moving his aching muscles to shake off the worst of the thick grey ash, "I followed you here last night. It didn't seem right leaving you in this state." Keto grimaced a little as he saw the dirty lines of his claw and teeth marks across the other lion's hide. He had done horrible damage to the rogue, and what was worse, he had taken pleasure in it.

He too had sustained injury, but they were nothing too severe, a laceration here or there. They bled badly, but no real harm was done, just more grime on his now hideously mangled coat. His rich brown color and dark markings were replaced with layers of ash, dirt, and dried blood, caked unevenly across his entirety. Now the only thing that separated the two lions were rough size and the knowledge of what had happened the night before. As little as he knew about his opposite, the lion had shown real bravery, despite the horrifying things that had befallen him. Terror had been apparent in his expression, but he did not run. Keto respected that, even if he knew it was a self-preservation act.

The lion had sat himself back down against the trunk of the tree, relieving the stress and pain the wounds on him caused. "Those pain you a lot, don't they? Keto asked, gesturing his head toward the deep slash marks across his legs and chest. It was evident the lion was not going to be able to move properly for some time, and in this world, that was pretty much a death sentence in and of itself. Normally Keto wouldn't mind losing someone who was essentially a complete stranger who had tried very hard to kill him, but with madness lurking in the back of his mind, he needed someone to talk to. He continued to stair curiously into the face of his new, if unusual, companion as he waited for an answer, or perhaps another question.

Despite the pain and the absolute misery of sleeping in the midst of the storm, this day was shaping up to be far better than the last few. At least it seemed to be, it was never good to assume until you knew for certain. The talk was just starting after all.

[DGFone]

Delano followed the strange lion's gaze towards his wounds, visible even through the layers of dried blood and dark ash. "Well, yeah, they do kinda hurt. But I'll get over it eventually." It wasn't entirely true. The wounds hurt a lot more than he cared to let on, and Delano wasn't too eager to reveal just at how a bad state he was in now to a stranger, especially the lion who caused the wounds that were now hurting him. "But I guess that I deserved them... I mean, sneaking up on you like that and trying to scare you off... You do have a right to defend yourself." He chuckled a bit, quickly turning his laughter into a cough as he accidently inhaled some dust. "Although I would have preferred it if you had ran instead of fighting me, the less painful of the two options."

Delano lay on the ground again, in order to give his limbs more of a rest. True, he didn't want to show the full extent of his injuries, but he also knew that if he had to fight again, it's better show his weakness now and get some rest, than to try and hide it and fight fatigued. Not to mention that once again, he thought that if the lion had wanted to kill him already, he would have done so a long time ago.

He motioned at the lion again. "And speaking of fighting, where did you learn? I've never seen anyone fight as you had. You nearly killed me, and I did what?.." He looked over the lion again, feeling somewhat envious at how much better his adversary had gotten off. "... Just a few scratches. And to be truthful, seeing how easy it was to find and sneak up on you, I thought that, well, you're new, aren't you? New to living alone?" Something clicked inside his head then. "That's why you followed me, isn't it?"

[TheRoguePrince]

"I followed you here for a number of reasons, most of the personal if you don't mind, but yes, that is part of it." Keto said gruffly, not pleased to have his play picked apart by the other lion. The rogue had a mildly jealous look in his eye, mixed with a slight grimace of continual pain from the many injuries Keto had dealt upon him. "As for fighting, my father taught me how to fight. It was one of the few occasions we would actually talk for more than a few minutes. Combat is your life when you're, or at least was, the crown prince of the Pride." He perhaps sounded a bit smug telling this to the other lion, but deep down the simple words hurt him badly. It was too early to bring up what had happened, and he didn't want to explain why he was alone.

On another note, Keto could tell the lion was lying about his injuries, the way he sat himself down rather than continuing his defensive posturing suggested there was a great deal of damage Keto couldn't see. "Might I ask your name? I find it rather difficult to keep thinking of you on the current terms." Keto tried to break the ice a little, other than dire circumstances, the two had entirely different lives, and Keto didn't want to get into a discussion about his own past for the time being. No, if he ever discussed that, it would be a long time from now, long after the ash was gone from this land and his Pride was all but forgotten.

It was puzzling that someone with so much reason to hate him had hesitated to try to finish him this morning, obviously Keto could have killed him in his sleep, but shouldn't rogues be less scrupulous about those sorts of things? Perhaps it was the knowledge that he had little chance for survival that had stopped him, it certainly hadn't been any concern for his foe. No, he didn't show any sign of compassion in his face, just raw curiosity. Keto certainly didn't trust this one yet, but his loneliness and anxiety were not going to let him walk away from this, not yet at least. No, he would have to make efforts to befriend this one.

Even more curious than before, and perhaps just a bit more compassionate, Keto waited expectantly for the other lion to answer as he saw fit. Either way, Keto had decided that he wasn't going anywhere for the time being...

[DGFone]

Delano stare in shock at the lion. This guy was a prince? "Wait, so why are you alone? What happened to your pride?" But immediately, it became obvious that this lion was not going to answer those questions. He grunted lightly, feeling that digging answers out of the lion would prove more difficult than digging a warthog out of its den. Delano could see the way the lion slightly averted his gaze when he mentioned his father. Something bad had happened to the lion recently, and Delano doubted he was going to find out.

But instead of feeling pity or compassion for the lion, Delano felt himself feeling a little better when he saw just some of how hurt the lion was inside. Instead of trying to comfort him, Delano only felt a little better knowing that the few wounds he had succeeded in giving the lion were not the only source of pain. As much as he hated to admit it, Delano doubted that he will be able to feel empathetic to this lion any time soon.

Despite wanting to continue to lay and rest some more, Delano got up, grunting with the effort it took. "If you want to know my name, its... well, maybe another time." he slowly began to walk away, leaving the lion behind. But after a few steps, he stopped and turned his head back. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to leave this place now. Leave the ash behind." It was going to be his clearest invitation for the other lion to join him, and before he even waited for a reply, Delano turned back to the ash lands and resumed his slow walk, ignoring the wind as it enveloped him.