Eye of the Storm { Mac }

[¿ Taçhi ?]

NATHAN

[/font][/right]

It was a late summer evening, and the smell of rain was in the air. Between the trunks of ancient trees a dark shape could be seen making his way through the forest, occasionally glancing up at the clouds that spread across the sky like a steel-coloured blanket. The tail of the jaguar flicked irritatedly from side to side in rhythm with his steps, as he continued upon the path, his fur puffing like that of a young duckling due to the high humidity that hung heavy in the air. The smells of the city with its concrete and rancid sewers were carried upon the wind, and he knew that Hexasol was close - but not close enough that he would be able to reach it before this downpour began.

On cue with his thoughts, a single droplet fell from from the sky and splattered upon the nose of the panther. The wanderer stopped his wandering for a moment to stare upwards, glaring daggers at clouds that could not have cared less for the black feline far beneath it. He sent a short prayer upwards to the Ancestors that they may keep the storm away for another half of an hour... and the spirits above promptly answered his inquiry with the downpour of a century. The large feline jumped into action as raindrops plummeted to the earth and hammered upon leaves and twigs and jaguar alike. Lightning split the sky and the rolling thunderclap was not far behind, as Nathan sprinted - his shaggy body already soaked to the bone.

Suddenly he caught a glimpse of something between the trees far ahead, and altered his course towards this hope of shelter. Again he caught a glimpse of something grey that rapidly grew and morphed into what appeared to be a... castle? Nathan did not consider it further as he pressed a little more speed out of his travel-weary body, speeding towards the promise of cover from the storm. The wind had risen to a gale by the time he reached the perimeters of the castle grounds, and the rain felt more like small hails when he finally reached the broken down remains of the double doors that marked the main entrance to the castle. Heart hammering in his chest with part exhaustion and part adrenaline, he skidded to a halt on the marble floors of the main hall. The wind swept through the gigantic room like an evil spirit, and lightning lit everything up for a moment as the the partially panting panther let his gaze slide over the room he had just entered.

Word Count: 433
Notes: Partially panting panther? God I'm lame.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[{Mactíre}]

``Nebula

It should have been cooler than it was. The night sky was lighter than usual, covered with suffocating clouds – presumably the reason for the heat. The young lioness’s ear twitched irritably as she headed away from Avalon lake, into the forest, not wanting to head home yet. For the first time in a while, she didn’t want to stay in Iris territory – she felt as if her home was as suffocating as the clouds gathered above her. Her father was a senile old lion who was practically friends – friends! with one of his former scum, her eldest brother was too busy training to prepare for the time when he would become the Pride’s leader, and her youngest older brother was a dog-loving idiot. It was almost as if she was the only one in her family who wasn’t occupied or insane, and her home had become a prison with no-one to spend time with. She was sick of cats bowing to her and calling her Princess; for once she just wanted not to be singled out or given a label, to be left alone to do what she wanted.

Lost in her bitter thoughts, Nebula didn’t notice the rain pattering on the foliage above her until she was almost out in the open again. Glaring up at the sky with furious amber eyes, she gave a loud snarl of frustration as her body was soaked to the skin within moments. Hoping no-one was around to witness such an indecorous occurrence, she abandoned every shred of dignity to flee across the open space, the sound of thunder booming in her ears and several lightning nearly blinding her as she ran. She had no plan other than to find shelter, and her low hopes of discovering it were raised as she spotted a building not too far away.

The wind whistled as it tore across the land, and the ivory lioness almost fell on her face as it pushed at her from behind. Narrowing watering eyes, she realised that the building ahead was a castle – old and crumbling like many of the buildings in Hexasol. Quickening her pace, she raced into the grounds of the place, making a beeline for the wildly swing front doors of the place.

Once inside, the Iris princess slid a short way across the marble floor, sobbing for breath as her heart pounded. Only too late did she espy the shape of a damp panther a metre or so away – she did not have time to stop herself from colliding with him, though there wasn’t much impact – just enough to send her reeling backwards.

Picking herself up, Nebula took a few steps away from the stranger and shook herself, before raising her head to speak. “I apologise for such an uncouth entry, sir. I was seeking shelter from the weather and I did not see you,” she explained, a sheepish half-smile on her face.