finch

finch leads the vultures and lions of the nest with an iron set of claws and bared teeth.

as a cub, her mother fought for her, swearing the white patches on her fur weren't a bad omen- that she was perfectly healthy and would make a promising lioness. but her king was cruel, and she was abandoned.

growing up alone in the unforgiving desert, there was many times finch was sure she would make it. still she was utterly determined to survive. she quickly learned to chase down small lizards, catch unsuspecting birds or sometimes snakes, and even where to find the occasional grub.

it wasn't when she was laying on the sand, mouth agape, panting, and claws twitching that she knew she was a goner, but when the vulters came.
flocking around her, their shadows provided a brief shade that was almost reliving in the blazing desert sun.
she closed her eyes and accepted her fate.
steadily, the flickering shade of swarming vultures melted into a constant, chilling shade. a shade she had never felt before.
was it all finally over?

she cautiously opened her eyes, half expecting to see a vulture towering over her, beak wide and ready for the taking. and the other half expecting darkness, nothing but herself and the stars. instead, she found herself under the protection of a tree- the biggest tree she had ever seen, no, she was sure it was the biggest tree anyone had ever seen. as she gained her vision back, she realized it wasn't one tree- but multiple. finely aged trunks stangled and twisted into each other, forming an ancient titan.
she strained her eyes up, up, up to the leaves. leaves she was sure not even a giraffe could reach.
and in the leaves lay vultures watching from above. hundreds of them staring, unblinking, until one flew down, its wings spanning longer than young finch's entire body.
its feathers formed a crown around its collar bone, and small hairs pricked up its neck.
she stared helplessly into the vultures eyes.
the vulture's eyes were beady and all-knowing, hers fiery and desperate. finally it blinked and finch could finally breathe. the unfamiliar chill of the tree soon became comforting, and the jarring bone filled nests became home.

with her newly gifted wings, she'd soar across the desert, taking in "cubs" such as the one she used to be.

Founder of the Vulture's Nest