[empty cages] - - muddy

[♥Picasso]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,470,true]

[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] "Speech" It was an eerie place, this Zoo. As Denim padded through the baking heat, he kept his head low, yet eyes peeled as he walked. Denim had learnt a lot in the first few months of his life, and one of the main rules from his teachings had been to keep vigilant. You never know when someone who may threaten your life will come around that corner and lunge at you. Denim did not have sharp enough teeth and claws to defend himself, however he did have speed and stamina to flee from any attacker who may be lurking. Denim had been extra cautious ever since the attack at the hospital on that fateful day, only a week ago. He still had nightmares of that day, remembering the bodies he'd passed when in the hospital, remembering the look on Alexander's face when he was suddenly picked up by the savage dog. Denim didn't even know whether his elder brother was still alive. Denim felt oddly lonely now that all three of his siblings were gone. Sitting by himself for the whole day, waiting for his mother to return for a feed, was extremely boring without his brothers and sister. Although Denim had always felt like he never fit in with them, at least they had been there to make conversation with and to play with. Now they were gone, Denim was left to his own devices. It was rare that his parents would stay with him to keep him company. Either they were away, trying to plan on how to attack the Tempest Pack and bring back their (hopefully) alive cubs, or they were with Denim and were merely teaching him more about the way of life. It was even more frightening to have one on one lessons with his mother, especially after the whole cubnapping fiasco a week ago. She had become more irritable and more angry as every day passed with no luck in finding her cubs. Denim had overheard that they would apparently not survive much longer without milk from their mother, and that made Denim's heart clench in fear. It would make him next in line for the Iris Pride, and Denim didn't want that. He just wanted to be a normal cub, without the responsibilities of the Pride on his shoulders. Closing his eyes for a few seconds, Denim let out a small sigh. It was pure luck that he had managed to get out of the Pride Territory. He desperately wanted to speak to Natiri and confront her about where his siblings were. His parents reckoned that they were in the Tempest Pack, and if so, maybe Natiri could help bring them back to him. Denim gazed over at the empty cages that had once confined animals who were merely entertainment pieces for humans. Denim felt he was lucky that he no longer lived in a world where humans flourished. They were beasts who had corrupted the land and caged animals for their own purposes. They were murderers and savages. Denim took a few seconds to realise how similar that sounded to his own mother, and he let out a small, hysterical laugh as it hit him how frightening the world in which he lived. Following the path past the cages, Denim finally came to a stop at an old, rotten picnic bench. He sat himself atop of it and narrowed his eyes as he looked out at the cages. Lions once roamed these cages, his father had come from one of these cages. It sickened him to think of staying, confined in such a place, for his whole life. Denim grimaced and lowered his eyes. Yes, he was lucky to be able to roam free wherever he pleased.

[/color][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[MudBug]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=height,319,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i55.tinypic.com/10gidxe.jpg);] Watch my moves! Read my mind! "Hear my voice!" His paws, still soft in his youth, walked solemnly through the once bustling paths of the zoo. Won't be long now, he thought, if you could hear his thoughts you would be stung by the bitterness in his tone. The trouble in the air was tangible all over the city. War, betrayel, surprises, new alliances. It was almost too much for the young lion, almost. Still, he felt as if he were at the center of it all. Him and his mistake of a sister, wherever she was. He could only assume Iris, with their psychotic mother. He briefly wondered if his sister - he didn't even know her name - would be at all like their mother, or take after their father. He decided it was of no consequence to him. He heard the faint movement of grass in the distance, and thought to sniff the air for signs of company. The smell of another cub reached his nose, and it seemed to be tinged with something vaguely familiar, like he recalled the scent from a very distant memory. He realized it was Iris, the smell of Iris. Not long ago he lay nestled in the warmth of his mother, she had reaked of it. Still too young to roar properly, he called with his voice. It came strangely husky, so he cleared his throat with a shake of his head. "Say, who's there? It may be the freelands, but I still wouldn't sneak up on people, if I were you.

[♥Picasso]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,470,true]

[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim had been lying on the rotten bench for several minutes, just breathing in the fresh air of the outside. He wished he could stay out here forever, and not have to go back to the Iris Pride, where they would probably be looking for him already. Letting his eyes slip shut, Denim sighed and drooped his head over the edge of the bench. As he lowered his head, he suddenly caught the scent of another animal. It shouldn't be surprising to come across someone else, but he was a little shocked when he scented another lion. He had never really met any other lions, other than his siblings and parents, and was intrigued as to how other lions from outside of his family acted. He immediately perked up and tensed his body, just in case the lion wasn't friendly. He had learnt from a young age that you must always be wary of strangers. You have no idea of their intentions. What surprised Denim more was the voice that called out in the distance. A cub, like him! It had been so long since he'd last heard another young lion, and he almost forgot to be afraid as he suddenly jumped off the bench and began heading towards the voice. He was eager to make a new friend, and just hoped that he wouldn't be hostile. Denim was desperately, pathetically lonely, and all he wanted was someone to keep him company. He hoped his parents would rescue his siblings, but he had seen the way his father had been grieving, as though they were already dead. Perhaps they were, and his parents were just keeping it from him. Not only had he seen his father holing himself up in the shadows, but he had seen his mother when she didn't think he was looking. She would get a terrible look on her face and Denim desperately wanted to get rid of it. They both looked so hopeless, so defeated. He caught sight of the cub a few seconds later, and Denim refrained himself from running towards a potential new friend. Instead, he stayed back and slowed his legs to a stop, facing the lion cub. "I wasn't sneaking up on you," Denim said with a frown, "In fact, I only just realised you were here." He let a dopy smile slip onto his face as he took another step forward, hesitant. The lion held himself well, and seemed to be well educated, yet he didn't smell a trace of Iris on him. He was confused as to what the cub smelt like, so he kept quiet for now. If this cub didn't want to tell him, then Denim respected that. He didn't judge a canine or feline by the pack they belong to. His thoughts flickered to the first puppy he made friends with. The Tempest Pack were meant to be ruthless killers, but Natiri? She was nothing like that. She was his friend. "I don't mean to harm you." He said softly. He tried to judge the age of the cub. He was a little smaller than Denim, but that might not necessarily mean he is younger. He could just be small for his age. Either way, they seemed like they had been born around a similar time. Just Denim's luck! He hoped that this lion cub wouldn't be aggressive or stand offish towards him. It was pathetic, but all Denim wanted was a friend. He may go insane if he spent another week alone, with no one his own age to play with.

[/color][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[MudBug]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=height,319,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i55.tinypic.com/10gidxe.jpg);] Watch my moves! Read my mind! "Hear my voice!" Course took a good long look, and looked at the ground with a crooked grin as he spoke. "Well, ain't you just the most well trained cub of the pride? Hm? Seems your crazy momma has you very well whipped, bud." Not a word was meant to be mean, but you couldn't mistake his condescending tone. He looked back to the other cub, replacing his grin with a genuine smile. He didn't expect, however, to see Denim stalking toward him with a strained smile, like the poor little guy needed to relieve himself and was afraid Course might kill him for doing so. It took all of Course's concentration to not start laughing right then and there. He couldn't deny feeling endeared to the other lion cub. They had something in common, a lot in common actually. Crazed Iris bitches for mothers, and... Well, maybe not so much, but something substantial, to be sure. He thought of broaching the subject, stating the obvious, but decided against it. He already felt a dark tendril wrapped around his mood, at the moment. A friendly chat with a nice guy like Denim might help to ease him out of his funk, but not if the chat centered around everything wrong with his personal world. "Don't feel bad, little guy. You don't scare me," he said, as he sat down in front of Denim. He looked the cub over again - he looked like he must resemble his mother a great deal. Course had heard of the monster that lurked in the depths of Iris, of course. Florence, was her name. He'd heard of her honey brown coat and other attributes that he'd purposely forgotten. He didn't much care to think about the beauty of the black widow that seduced his father, quite literally to death. He noticed his face begin to feel heavy with a scowl, and quickly wiped it away before Denim thought the worst, which, couldn't be much worse than - I'm thinking about how much I detest the thought of the sight of your murdering bitch of a mother, and siblings. Still, his feud was not with Denim, in particular. Then again, maybe it was? He wondered what this cub might think of Lexis. Surely he couldn't have a developed opinion of his own. Iris spoke curses of the other packs while cubs were still in the womb. He likely never stood a chance at thinking for himself. What a shame. He decided to let his dark curiosity get the best of him, even if it wasn't such a grand idea. "I'm Course, by the way, from Lexis. You could call me The Prince, but, then again, you could call me quite a few things." he spoke offhandedly, as if he'd just said "I'm course. I'm a lion." Still, he payed gravely close attention to every aspect of Denim's reaction. He almost silently dared him to a challenge. I dare you to speak of my father, Iris pawn. Go ahead, make my day.

[♥Picasso]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,470,true]

[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim flinched at the quip about his mother. He had seen his mother very little other for feedings recently, mainly because she had decided to cut herself off from the world since his siblings had been taken. As much as Denim longed for affection, he knew that his own mother would never give that to him. His father was a little different, but they were both fairly cold towards him. He had seen a few glimpses of his father wallowing in his sorrows in the small alleyways. He would hide in the shadows in hope not to be found, and Denim always refrained from approaching him. He was clearly grieving the loss of his children, and that made his heart sink. If his own father thought that they were dead, then what use was it for Denim to believe they were still alive? Denim knew that his mother had fed him lies about the Tempest, about how they were all ruthless, and yet Denim was still conflicted over his opinion of that matter. Natiri had told him differently, yet he had seen those bloodlusting eyes when those dogs had come to the hospital. The genuine smile Course flashed at him relaxed Denim's small body as he stopped in front of the other lion. When Course referred to him as 'little guy', Denim let out an unexpected guffaw at the irony of it all. "You can't call me that!" He laughed, "You're smaller than me!" He pointedly looked the other cub up and down, eyes sparkling with mirth. It was refreshing to speak to someone else his own age. There were few other cubs or kittens in his Pride, meaning Denim often resorted to playing by himself. That often involved chasing his own shadow and catching those blasted flies. Those games got boring after a while. Denim just hoped that his mother would think of a plan to rescue his siblings so that he could finally have someone else to play with. Denim didn't spare a thought to the fact that his siblings may have been mentally harmed by their experiences. As the lion introduced himself as Course, Denim's eyes widened a fraction. He wasn't sure what he should be more shocked about; Course's damned audacity, or the fact that he was part of the Lexis Tribe?! Denim had heard much about that Tribe, about how it involved cats and dogs working together. He had recently heard of the death of its leader, Streiter, which had died under the paws of Florence's other litter. Denim knew little about that whole situation, and he reckoned he didn't even want to know about his mother's conniving plans. He blinked back at Course. He had often wondered whether he would one day join the Lexis Tribe, as he believed his mother's opinions were unfair and unjust. He had met nice dogs that didn't want to rip out his throat. Denim was now insanely curious about this lion and wanted to know more. "Don't flatter yourself," Denim quickly replied, "I don't know how your head is so small when you act so big headed." Biting back a small grin, Denim drove on, "What's the Lexis Tribe like? My mother only ever says that they are all fools who are asking to be slaughtered. I know not to trust me mother now." Denim stared at the lion, eyes sparkling with curiosity and eagerness.

[/color][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[MudBug]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=height,319,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i55.tinypic.com/10gidxe.jpg);] Watch my moves! Read my mind! "Hear my voice!" Course snickered at Denim's overreaction to his "little" comment. "I didn't say I was big, I simply called you little," he clarified with a knowing smile. His grin widened until it was quite toothy as he saw Denim's reaction to who Course was and, more pointedly, where he called home. The other cub didn't looked alarmed, however. Course made an effort not to show how surprised he was at Denim's...curiosity. He was curious, really? To be honest, Course had expected a ridiculous reception. Probably some teeth and claws, or a full blown monologue on Iris' supremacy. Instead, Denim only sat down, got in a light hearted jab at Course's overblown egocentric attitude, and then blindsided him with the very last thing he could have seen coming from the Iris cub's mouth. What was Lexis like? No, back up. This cub didn't trust his own mother? And here I was completely underestimating his mind! Course's surprise betrayed him for a fraction of a second, but he regained his composure. He could only hope Denim hadn't noticed his startle. Where did he start? What was Lexis like? Course suddenly felt his heart drop, as he realized he didn't rightly know. He knew what Lexis was meant to be like, but could they claim that in these dark days? The world had flipped on it's ear, and the once great tribe of equality and peace was in shambles, practically at the paws of it's own leader; Course's father. Course felt rage boil up inside of him, rage, and hunger; hunger for vengeance. Revenge, vengeance, justice, retribution, revolution. It all blurred together in his young restless heart. His gaze grew dark. He looked into Denim's innocent eyes, and spoke with a heavy tone. He undoubtedly sounded dramatic, but the truth still hung in his voice. "Lexis is not what it should be, Denim. It is weak, corruptible, and hopelessly useless. That will change. I will change it. Lexis will be strong, someday, and Hexasol will have peace, through war, if that is what it takes."

[♥Picasso]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,470,true]

[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim managed to roll his eyes and prevent himself from retorting at that comment that he had been implying that he was larger than Denim. Instead, he just wriggled against the ground as he watched closely for a reaction from Course. It was amongst popular opinion that the Iris Pride were seen as stuck in their old ways, and they never accepted change. Denim wished that it was a lie, and that one day the Iris Pride would be different, however the future outcome looked bleak. Already Denim was seeing the leader that his older brother was going to become, and it wasn't what Denim was hoping for. He longed to drag Alexander into reality and show him how things could be different - show him what he was missing with the canines. It pained him to see his mother and father's influence taking affect, and even sometimes Denim felt himself being swayed with their words. The Pride definitely knew how to be persuading. As Course startled for a fraction of a second, before he composed himself, Denim let a small smile quirk against his lips. Now Course hadn't been expecting that. Thrashing his tail from side to side, he awaited the words of glory that the Lexis Tribe was amazing and a haven for those who wanted peace. He had heard such hippies singing to themselves in the cells of the Iris Pride, and his mother had once scoffed at the thought of peace. He could remember her words clearly: "Peace? Ha! Listen closely, my darlings: there will never be peace among Hexasol. There are too many greedy little maggots wanting power over everyone else. You can't please everyone." As much as it pained him to admit it, but Denim agreed with his mother on this. There were too many other dogs and cats very much akin to his mother, who wanted nothing more than to rule over everyone else. Discussion and diplomacy were not the way to go with these animals, as much as Denim wished it would be. As he saw Course's gaze darken, Denim wondered whether he had said something wrong. Denim quickly backtracked his thoughts, but found nothing that would have been offending to the other lion. As Course spoke of the Lexis, Denim was surprised that Course was quick to admit that the Tribe was crumbling. Cocking his head, Denim shuffled closer, and was amazed at how sure Course was of himself. It was strange to look at this small cub, and believe that he was going to change a whole Tribe around. One day maybe Denim will meet with Course again, when they both have thick wreaths of mane, and they will look back on this meeting. Smiling, Denim nodded slowly, "I have no doubt that you will one day do that," Denim murmured, because he had seen how much a single lion could do with nothing but the fur on their back, "I do not know about peace just yet, but maybe... maybe I could somehow help?" Denim bit his lip, unsure, "I know I'm just a cub, Florence's cub at that, but I am sick of that damned Pride." Denim wasn't sure what he was expecting at that. Only minutes ago, Course thought he was yet another Iris cat, ready to shed blood at any canine walking by. But no, Denim wanted to rid the chains that were keeping him back, and become his own lion.

[/color][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[MudBug]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=height,319,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i55.tinypic.com/10gidxe.jpg);] Watch my moves! Read my mind! "Hear my voice!" As Course spoke the woes of the Lexis in it's death throws, he noticed a canvas of surprise and intrigue fall over Denim's face as the cub scooted closer. Course's monologue was quickly finished, but the diatribe in his mind would drone on for hours yet. He knew all too well how his mind could be. right in step with his mood, no doubt; there to drag on with the same speeches and valid points that no one would hear but him, at least not for a long time. One day, he would think to himself, One day. His gaze had drifted off to the distance over Denim's shoulder, but as the cub began to speak Course refocused his eyes. Denim, once again, did not cease to impress Course with his wide open mind. This time, however, Course had the sense to only grin; no ridiculous startle like only moments before. So, the little guy wanted to help, did he? This was an . . . interesting development, to say the least. Course gave him an exaggerated looking over before he spoke, being dramatic as usual. Something about being in the presence of other young creatures, of any species, made his dramatic streak flair dramatically. Perhaps it was his ego; always the one to look far more mature than he should rightly be. Whatever it was, it wasn't going away for poor Denim. Thankfully, the other lion cub seemed to find it nothing more than amusing. "I'm certain I will too, but you etter not get your hopes up. You could be dead, Iris scum," he said with an exaggerated laugh. Leave it to a bitter pill like Course to point out the horror of such an innocent meeting. "So, you'd want to help? What do you think you could bring to the table, eh fierce warrior?" There is was again, that ridiculous chuckle.

[♥Picasso]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,470,true]

[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim briefly wondered whether Course liked the sound of his own voice. The confident way he spoke was almost theatrical in a way. Denim had never heard anything like it before, but it certainly amused the lion cub. He could imagine some dogs and cats getting irritated by the confidence of Course, but Denim quite enjoyed just listening to the lion cub, especially as they held quite a few of the same views. Already, as Denim's mind drifted away into another fantasy, Denim could see the two of them older, more powerful, doing something fantastic. He could definitely see Course as a lion capable of running a pack like the Lexis Tribe. Could Denim stand by his side? Help him run the Tribe? God, that made him sound like Course's mate. No, Denim wasn't going to be Course's bitch. Denim flinched as Course reminded him of the consequences of such treason. Yes, he could be dead, but that was something Denim was willing to risk. He was scared of death, but he was more scared of the way dogs were being treated in his own pride. He's seen the horrors, the torture, the death, and he is putting his paws down. He won't allow that anymore, and he vows to help as much as possible, and if that puts his life at risk, then so be it. He was going to be careful, and no one had seen him sneaking off to talk to his puppy friend just yet. He knew the Iris Pride inside out, so he knew how to get past guards and not be spotted. Besides, most of the Iris guards were idiots. When Course asked what Denim could to, the cub laughed. "Warrior? I wouldn't say that," He snorted, "I may be the son to Florence and Panja, but I am not one to get involved in warfare. Murder isn't my thing." He explained to get the story straight. He wouldn't accompany Course on the battlefield, if a battle were ever to happen. The thought of taking a dog or cat's life made Denim shiver with disgust. It was cruel and sick, and Denim would have no part in that. "I have all information of the Iris Pride possible. I know their strengths and weaknesses and just how to make them fall." Denim grinned wickedly, "And I have a friend in the Tempest who has been there since birth. I reckon she'll know everything about the Pack and will be willing to tell us." He explained excitedly, eyes sparkling. Was this really happening?!

[/color][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]