Void Dweller

Verndari approached her daughter, tail stroking her shoulder. She took a seat next to the mourning adolescent. Her mother died the day she turned into an adolescent, and she was devastated. Her sorrowful eyes looked into Verndari's. Both of their eyes reflected the night sky, hues of purple and blue decorated them. “She lives on in the stars, you know.” Her pelt brushed her daughter's. The adolescent turned away. “I wish I could speak to her one last time.” She grieved. A single star shot across the sky.
Later that night as she slept, she felt a rain drop tickle her nose. The plains were still in drought, though. She hopped up to her paws, excitedly bouncing out her her nest to greet the rain she longer for! Her ears flattened in fear as she exited her den to see nothing but darkness. There was no grass, not even a ground. Her mother's spirit began to form in front of her. She raced towards her, but she did not come any closer. “Storm Dancer!" She cried out her mother's name. The warmth of her mother quickly surrounded her, her comforting scent calmed the frightened adolescent.
“There is danger.” Her aging voice rasped, her blue spirit glittered in the darkness with the faintest sight of her patterns. Void Dweller felt fear rise in her throat. “Omens of death, pestilence, famine, and war.”
Void Dweller gasped. “Are the rains returning, mother? I must know. Are the droughts causing this? Please, mother.” Void Dweller begged, but her mother's spirit began to fade away. “Please, don't leave me!” She cried out, devastated and afraid. She opened her eyes, snuggled into her den. Her sister twisted uncomfortably as Void Dweller stood. A loud burst of thunder shot across the sky, and rain began to pour. Void Dweller looked from side to side, droplets flying from her wet whiskers. With a burst of adrenaline, she dashed off towards the mountains. Wet paws thudded against the mud. She misplaced her paws, and tumbled into a ditch. Her paw caught in thorns. It twisted and she cried out in pain. She pulled her paw free, leaving flesh revealed. With a hurt paw and a muddied belly, she struggled to the mountainside. Finally, after what felt like years, she reached the Queen's den. Her fur was wet and heavy, holding her close to the ground. Her paw was held off the ground.
Verndari shot up. Her fur bristled for a moment, until she realized who's eyes she was staring into. The smell of blood wafted towards her, causing some lionesses to awake.
“I was sent a sign, I - I think we're in trouble.”
(8/28/20)

After explaining the dream to Verndari, she seemed distraught. Void Dwller didn't understand why, but later that morning, she found herself walking alongside her to the of the mountain. Every step she took along the hard, cold stone sent waves of pain to her wounded paw. Verndari ignored her cries, but to be frank, she wanted to know why they were travelling here.
“Why are we going to here?” She asked. A strong gust of wind hit against her pelt, almost sweeping her off her feet. Verndari didn't glance back at her. Verndari's claws scraped against the grey stone as she stepped. “Dierdre. He said that he often had visions of the future, he knew the king before me was going to be murdered. He could help us.” Verndari explained, a hint of sadness lacing her tone. Void Dweller blinked. Dierdre was a massive lion. His teeth were longer and sharper than any claws they had seen. His eyes seemed they were dusted with jewels. He was admirable, a beautiful lion. It was unfortunate that the prides separated. Void Dweller could only wish Dierdre had been at her ranking ceremony, as he had been with her older siblings.
“Do you think the prides will ever come back together?" She ventured curiously. Verndari flattened her ears. “Perhaps someday.” There was sadness in her tone. Did something happen? It was rumored the two pride leaders had a very special connection before being separated, but alas, pride leaders weren't supposed to be mates with other pride leaders. After what felt like days of walking, they finally reached Dierdre's residence. Void Dweller's paws were sore and red, but Verndari didn't seem to mind. “Stand up straight. Look powerful, we can't let these lions see how weak we've become since the droughts.” Verndari whispered to Void Dweller. Both lions straightened up. Void Dweller licked her fur out to make it look neat and cared for. Verndari shook her fur from the dust.
Both lions walked into the tunnel that lead to Dierdre's den. Lionesses began muttering and growling. Dierdre sat at the back of the cave, his eyes glittered in the dim sunlight.
“Why have you come? Have you come for our pity?” Dierdre growled. Void Dweller could feel the lion's around her tense ready for a fight. Verndari remained calm. “We have come to tell you of something, something my adolescent here has seen.”
Dierdre's eyes locked into Void Dweller. She felt her heart drop as he summoned her closer. He leaned down to her, his breath smelled of vulture food. “Spit it out.” His voice rumbled deeply, her fur stood on end. “I had a dream... A vision of death, war, starvation, and sickness.”
The air was still. Dierdre didn't move. His eyes flashed, scenes drifting across his vision. Verndari didn't seem to see the same thing as she did. Void Dweller gasped.
“You had a dream about this?” Dierdre asked. Without anger, his voice sounded wise beyond his years. Void Dweller nodded. “What's your name?” He questioned, his eyes stared intensely into hers. “I am Void Dweller." (8/29/20)

You what?" Verndari hissed in anger, barely able to hold back her claws. Void Dweller stared in surprise. Dierdre stared at Verndari. Verndari's eyes shared a sense of anguish, whilst Dierdre's held back calmly. "Don't lie to me, you have breeding projects. If she can't be my queen, I want her first litter to be fathered by me." Dierdre stated. "Give me her first heat, and our prides will be peaceful again." A yowl sounded out from the crowd, a lioness stepped forward. "For a pathetic cub you're going to give the prideland's peace? God, it'll turn out hideous!" She roared. Dierdre flicked his ear, gazing over to his lioness. With not much more than a stern gaze, she flattened her ears and moved away. Dierdre turned to Void Dweller. "You saw the connection, didn't you? These cubs could be the answer to our future. They could be born with our abilities." Dierdre seemed to plead out to Void Dweller. His eyes looked ever so desperate for these cubs.
"As long as Verndari allows it, I will consider it." Void Dweller muttered. It wasn't her choice who she had cubs with. Verndari growled. "No. I don't allow it. Dierdre, if you talk about this to my daughter again, I will not hesitate to send a fully trained group of my lions here to slaughter you and your pride." Verndari hissed. Void Dweller saw Dierdre's eyes flash with that familiar glow of precognition. He didn't react. Void Dweller wondered if he even saw it at all. She stood alongside her Queen, and the two left. The journey home was silent, and Void Dweller just wanted to sink into a hole and never come out.

(7/29/20)

“That queen, she's unbelievable.” Void Dweller heard the faint voice of Dierdre. She opened her eyes to find herself in the never ending abyss. In the distance, he saw Dierdre seated with another lioness. Her coat was dark like the night sky, with paws gingerly dipped into the sunset. She looked familiar, but Void Dweller could not make out who it was. The lioness gazed up to Dierdre. She began to speak, but Void Dweller felt a hard jab in her side. She opened her eyes to see her sister, Storm Clouds looking down at her. Void Dweller blinked. “What? Don't stare at me like that.” She let out a small growl. She wasn't sure if her dream was her eavesdropping or if it was just a dream. Either way, she was upset that she had not gotten the chance to hear.
“It's our first hunt, remember? Verndari wants us to catch something for the pride today.” Storm Clouds was a soft spoken adolescent. She didn't bother people much, and she obeyed every command. Now, their brother was different. Dark Fractal was quite a personality. He was cruel and demanding, every word he spoke was laced with venom and hate. Void Dweller didn't speak to Dark Fractal much, as he was always off alone. She wanted to know her brother more, but they never seemed to connect.
She rose from her nest, shaking her pelt free of the debris. She struggled from her nest, paw still somewhat stiff. After relentless training, her paw still had not completely recovered. A gruesome scar lay as a reminder of that night. Ever since then, she had awaken with the faintest scent of her mother curled beside her. Whenever she awoke, she was no where to be found.
Why me? Void Dweller agonized in her own head. It was constantly a battle between wanting to live a normal life, and wanting to know what else she was capable of.

She crept out of her den, stretching in the dawn sun. The rays of sunshine warmed her pelt. She was almost blinded when she stepped from the dark shelter. Storm Clouds stepped out beside her sister. "I was going to hunt alone, I saw some horses with their foals not too far away. I think I'm going to try to catch one."
Any sane lion knew that hunting down a horse foal alone was idiotic, but Void Dweller had too much on her mind to question what she was up to. She hummed in acknowledgement. "Okay. I'm gonna see if I can catch anything good. Maybe a cow?" Void Dweller muttered, but her sister was long gone by the time she finished speaking.

Void Dweller found herself stalking through the weeds next to a pond. Her paws dug into the dirt, waiting for something to scurry along her path. Unfortunately, nothing but gerbils or the occasional rabbit bounced past her. She flattened her ears in frustration. The threat of a famine was still tucked in her head. The pride had been struggling to find big pieces of food for a while now, actually. They still ate, but food was scarce, the season of new life was heading to a stop, and soon many pieces of prey would be leaving due to the harsh winters.
"What are you doing here?" Void Dweller whipped around, face to face with a silver lioness, Glistening Stream. Beside her stood that familiar lioness, the one with the night-sky colored pelt with paws dipped into the setting sun. Void Dweller's eyes gleamed in excitement, but dulled again with the hard realization that she had been eavesdropping and she may not take kindly to the knowledge. "It's my hunting assignment today." Void Dweller fessed. The lioness beside the silver lioness giggled.
"I remember my first hunting assignment. As the daughter as one of the most legendary kings, and apprentice to another, I could not let my assessment be something as easy as a rabbit." She puffed out her chest, proud. Void Dweller blinked. "What did you catch?"
The lioness's eyes gleamed in the sun. "I caught Dierdre, whomst I found prowling along our lands. He was an adolescent, and so was I. I became his queen, and head huntress. I did catch a few boars though."

Void Dweller blinked. "What's your name?" The lioness looked down to Void Dweller. "Dahlia."
"Well, Dahlia, do you ever see Dierdre anymore?" She ventured cautiously. There was almost no hesitation. "Absolutely not." Void Dweller caught Glistening Stream's gaze for a moment. It's almost as if Glistening Stream knew that Void Dweller knew more than she let on. Glistening Stream tucked some reeds into her pouch. "Void Dweller, could you come to the Mountains before sundown? I need to ask you a question."
Dahlia's tail waved slowly. "We should be on our way, don't you think?" She looked at Glistening Stream, and the silver lioness nodded. "Of course. I'll see you, Void Dweller. May your path be clear." (7/30/20)

“Heavy rains call for future droughts.” Glistening Stream explained quietly to Void Dweller. Glistening Stream and Void Dweller had become pretty good friends, and Void Dweller was open with Glistening Stream about what she thought the dreams meant. “The grass and plants are becoming alive once again, that's all that matters right now.” Void Dweller smiled. Glistening Stream grinned. “I've been meaning to ask you.. Would you like to be my apprentice?”
Void Dweller felt her heart drop to her toes. She surely did enjoy helping Glistening Stream, but she felt too old to become an apprentice now. As a healer with the power to see memories and the future, she could help a lot of lions.
“I thought you'd never ask.” (9/1/20)

Void Dweller opened her eyes. She was greeted to the faint glow of stars through dead trees. Today was the day she took the herbs of a healer. When a healer was appointed, they took herbs that caused them to have visions of the future. Void Dweller was sent into her dream before the moon rose above the horizon.
"Hello?" Void Dweller called through the trees. She saw a beautiful lioness appear through the trees, her eyes glowed a bright blue. She had majestic wings on her, making her look as if she could shoot off into the sky and fly away. Chains decorated her body, making a faint clinking sound as she moved. She looked like she held the secrets to every lion's past, and knowledge of the future. She muttered something. Void Dweller strained her ears to hear her. "...And your choices will change their fate."
Who's fate? Void Dweller thought to herself. The lioness walked closer to Void Dweller, scents of familiarity surrounded her.
"I am Cloud. Mother of the two prides, keeper of souls." A faint blue glow was seen in the back of her throats, other voices called out from her words, but Void Dweller couldn't understand them.
"What have you come to tell me?" Void Dweller asked cautiously. The lioness blinked. "I have come to warn you, but I can tell you no more." Both lions stood there for a few moments, Void Dweller staring in confusion. Cloud sighed. "I suppose I haven't told you everything you must know." Cloud's tone sounded grieved, her voice was almost heart wrenching. "It'll tear the prides apart, but you must fulfill Dierdre's request."
Void Dweller blinked. "And go against my king's command? Why can't my sister have his litter?" She hissed. Cloud glanced at Void Dweller over her shoulder. She didn't respond. The dream began to fade away, and Void Dweller shot up. It was still dark outside, the air sent a cold breeze through her fur. Glistening Stream opened her eyes. "Did you dream?"
Void Dweller looked back at her sister with an agonized look. Glistening Stream frowned, but nodded in understanding. (9/3/20)

“Tomorrow, the decision is yours.” Glistening Stream spoke softly to her apprentice. Void Dweller looked to the silver lioness. “Are you saying I go against the word of my king?” Void Dweller ventured curiously, a small smile on her face. However, it was torn apart when she felt the sudden drop of mood.
“No... Not at all. Just because the king tells you that you can't do something doesn't mean you can't. They told me I couldn't fall in love because I was a healer, they told me a lioness but abide to her king's word and never try to hurt him.” Her voice went dark at the end of the sentence, but Void Dweller didn't understand. (9/7/20)

Void Dweller's paw were raw from walking across the hard stone of the mountain. The journey alone was frightening, but she was confident in seeing Dierdre to tell him the news. This meeting was a secret, the only other lion who knew of it was Glistening Stream. The silver lioness swore secrecy when Void Dweller explained her plans, and honestly, she trusted her. Besides, her sister had her own secrets. What was she gonna do with someone else's?
Over the horizon, Void Dweller could spot a golden pelt in the distance. It didn't look like anything other than a speck because of the distance. It could be a jackal, but Void Dweller knew it was another lion. If it was Dierdre, then she was going to make him come to her. If not, then this is her chance to soothe her sore pads.
She sat down, her tail curling beside her. She licked her rough pads carefully, cleaning them from any debris that was caught in them.

The lion approached sooner than expected. The massive smilus stood upon the healer, his eyes flickered with a familar softness. He let out a soft pant, his breath crystalized in the cold air.
"I foresaw your arrival. I saw it the first time we met." Dierdre plopped down next to Void Dweller, sending dust into the air. She held back a sneeze.
"And I saw you speaking to Dahlia. She used to be your lead huntress, yes?" Void Dweller looked down at him. He flicked his ear. "This is not a contest of who is more powerful. This also isn't about Dahlia. This is about you. Why have you decided to meet me here? Even after your queen explained that you weren't allowed?" The king seemed to demand, quickly rising to stand in front of Void Dweller. His fangs were about the same size as her skull. She knew she shouldn't be scared, but everything about this unnatural lion was intimidating. She knew that if it came down to it, he could tear her to shreds.

"I've come to discuss terms." Void Dweller looked away from Dierdre, the eye contact almost being too much to bear. "I will have a litter with you," Dierdre's expression became excited. "under the terms that they never learn that you are their father. You will not treat them, or me, differently. If it comes to the point of battle, you will not hesitate to kill us."
Dierdre's happiness faded. "How will they ever know their power?" He snarled.
"We don't even know they'll have a power!" Void Dweller defended. When she saw Dierdre's claws unsheath from his massive paws, she shied away in fear. Dierdre lifted a paw, blinded by anger. Void Dweller tensed and closed her eyes, prepared for the hard blow.
It never came.
Dierdre sighed and set his paw down. "Very well. I agree. When your first heat arrives, come to my pride." (9/8/20)

After her cub was born, Void Dweller forbid Dierdre from Dierdre being in their life. A new queen was appointed after Verndari suffered near-fatal wounds. Her retirement left Void Dweller feeling guilty, so she approached the new queen with he intent to become her mate. At first Aella was hesitant, but eventually they were close. Even their cub, Dawning Flaame, loved Aella. They were their own little family. Dierdre was out of the picture for the most part.
Aella touched her nose to Void Dweller's dark fur, a soft purr rose from her throat. Void Dweller could feel the amount of love coming from the lioness. "Who's the father of her..?" Aella questioned in a soft tone. Void Dweller tensed. "What?" "Just wondering. She doesn't look like any ion I know. It's okay though."
For a moment, Void Dweller regretted birthing this poor cub. Just for a moment... (9/20/20)

Void Dweller travelled the mountains into Dierdre's territory. They hadn't met in moons. Void Dweller almost missed him and their little affairs, actually.
She noticed him in the distance, laying near a watering hole. He obviously knew she was there, as his fur began to prickle in anger... Or maybe excitement!
He turned his head over his shoulder to gaze at her, obviously noticing she was now adorned with silver chains. He huffed, and sat up. “Have you come back to beg for my love, Void Dweller?” His voice almost sounded sad. She blinked, and moved to sit beside him. He gave her fur a strong whiff, and sighed. “You moved on.”
“You know my queen - my mate - would never allow me to meet with you again. I've found love.” Void Dweller spoke softly. She almost felt the offense run through Dierdre's veins. She laughed softly, knocking him out of his silent anger. “But that won't stop me from thinking of you. In fact, I can't stop. Dierdre, I beg please allow us to stay connected.”
Her confession sounded so desperate. Her infidelity was clear. After all, lionesses were only allowed to mate with other king's with permission from their own.
Dierdre wrapped his massive body around Void Dweller's. He could clearly smell the milk from nursing on her. He didn't care though. He was happy that she was his. (10/12/20)

Many moons had passed since the young lioness met with Dierdre. Since that day, they hadn't met. The cub birthed from the pairing was little more than a lioness with subpar abilities. It crushed her heart to believe that the legacy that was supposed to be bestowed upon her cubs never got the chance to shine through. She looked into the distance. She was the youngest of her siblings. In fact, her eldest siblings had passed away. The litter she was born into only consisted of her and Storm Clouds. The litter born before her was still alive, yet she was unsure how long the lionesses had left.
Void Dweller's eyes gazed sadly off into the distance, storm clouds were rolling in quickly. Rain began to pelt her coat. Cold drops of rain ran down her muzzle and onto her nose. With a breath, she could smell the sweet, warm scent of her mother. She was only an adolescent when she died, yet she never seemed to forget the scent. She longed for the sense of motherly comfort again. Taking a moment to pause and take in the nostalgic smell, she allowed her body to rest. She too was growing older, her body wasn't what it used to be. Once the smell drifted into the wind, she stood. Her fur was soaked. Time to head home? (2/1/21)

The headhuntress sat hunched over the body of her sister. She had grown old, and her it was her time. She pressed her nose in the gray fur of the corpse. Now, she'd be with mother.
Her fur felt warm as she began to feel presences around her. Many ghostly figures surrounded her. It was her sisters... And her mother. Void Dweller cried out to them, and they just stared. Was she dying?
“Join us, sister.” Storm Clouds comforted quietly, her body wrapped around Void Dweller's. They slowly began to look alive again, and before she knew it, her mortal body lay on the ground next to her sister. She was home. (5/10/21)