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Mother: Baroness Nasreen
Neculai was born to a loving mother but a distant, if not cold-hearted father who didn't care about himself nor of his siblings (whom he didn't know wasn't his biological father). The young lion cub always knew that he was different given that he didn't mind it if he was by himself as he rather preferred to be alone once he was able to wander away from his mother and pride. From time to time he would explore out of the territory boundaries but for whatever reason he was being watched by another of the male lions that were older than him, Verde. It annoyed him a great deal when the older lion would follow him, not close but enough that he knew he was there.
Finally when he was shy of his first year, Neculai hid from Verde before pouncing on him, unsuccessfully taking him down but the eldest lion humored his young counterpart and dropped down.
"Why are you always following me?!" He growled at his eldest pride brother.
Verde chuckled then sat up, shaking out his growing mane and raised a brow. "I'm patrolling the borders of our pride and you just happen to walk on the trials that line it. Now I should ask you, why do you walk away from the safety of the pride?" Verde stared at Neculai who wiggled in annoyance at the all-knowing stare.
"That's none of your business!" The young cub snapped then huffed.
Chuckling some more, he shook his head then stood up. Walking forward he flicked his tail behind him then called back. "You are welcome to join me if you have nothing important to attend to...you might learn something other than sneaking away." Verde drawled, leaving the young cub alone.
Neculai pressed his lips together then blew out an annoyed, young cub breath and began to follow after Verde. Since that day Neculai found himself looking forward to walking with Verde even though the young prince pretended he wasn't really interested because his father was the king. Wladisalv didn't care that he existed or even remembered when he was such a solitary king who was a cold-blooded killer when those around him lost their purpose or felt they didn't belong.
Instead, Neculai looked up to Verde as a big brother and a surrogate father as he finally reach past the year mark and began to train to become a good lion.
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On one sunny and especially hot day, Neculai had been summoned by Wladisalv to meet him in a dust bowl in front of the pride. All the lionesses were either maintaining their protective den, grooming any of the young lionesses that were left to become hunters or broodmothers, both were required to be learned according to the beautiful Queen Titaia, other lionesses assisting those that were heavy with cubs and a team of huntresses out to bring nourishment for all of them. Verde had been the messenger to escort him to his father with a stoic expression. While they walked side by side, Neculai looked up at his mentor with a frown. "Have I done something wrong?"
It wasn't usual for Verde to say anything harsh but he looked at the young lion with sharpness in those green eyes. "He wants to spar with you. Do not back down from your father. He will try to make you submit but you must prove yourself worthy of the self and to your pride." Came the response then he fell silent when they entered the dust bowl where the King of the Pride who was dark deep within looked pleasantly content with himself.
Neculai had never seen his father look so pleased but as he continued forward to meet with his father the elder lion told him to bare his claws. Obediently doing as he was told, his father struck with a swift slap of his paws against his son's cheek making him see dots from the surprise blow. Snarling, Wladisalv pounced but Neculai rolled away and crouched to lunge forward to knock his father at his shoulder.
Both males spar as it slowly turned into a brawl. The lessons from Verde were paying off as Neculai as young as he was made it possible to hold his own. However a miscalculation costs him a harsh blow of a claw from his father to slice down his right eye, causing it to gush blood. Wladisalv looked pleased with himself but that look was dropped when Neculai stood up to stare down his father....all the while Nasreen had been alerted that her son was injured and facing the king. The beautiful lioness had a steady look on her son in that moment then looked at the king, as did all of them, with a pointed look.
Wladisalv lifted his chin then turned away to leave them and the young lion to their peace as well as a reminder of his strength on Neculai, but the young lion took it as a reward for holding his ground.
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Afterwards, a strange occurrence happened to Neculai. It was an incredible, off-putting and confusing transformation that occurred on one of his walks away from the pride but on a stormy day. The lightning flashed in the sky like living veins and the thunderous boom of a heart beat of the storm filled his ears while the sharp pelting of the rain drops hit against his fur. It was cold too. Enough to encourage him to quickly find shelter and indeed he found a cave with a rather slender opening that Neculai managed to squeeze through where it was definitely warm and much dryer than the torrential rain that burst through the angry clouds overhead. Walking in, Neculai explored until he was far away from the entrance coming upon a soft glowing water of faintest blue. Approaching, the lion sniffed the water to make sure it wasn't a stagnant; which thankfully it wasn't and proceeded to drink deeply. Once he was done, the lion continued to explore in the dimly lit cavern and came across a strange fruit in the colors of blue and pink with green leaves. Feeling his stomach clench at the sweet scent of the fruit caressing his nose, the lion looked around before proceeding to consume the fruit.
Little did he know that there was a strange change of the mind, body, heart and soul from lion into lioness. Neculai only felt his body tingling and sleepy until he passed out for days when the transformation completed....
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Neculai was sadden by the passing of her best friend Hippolyta. Her passing would mark Neculai was the new guardian of the Sanctuary cave but it was bittersweet. Neculai had loved Hippolyta with all her heart and knew that has she never eaten that fruit and stayed as she had been born....he would have fought fang and claw to find her sooner. But they were soul mates in a different capacity and Neculai will hold that close to her heart until it is her time to depart.
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