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" Born under the light of a full moon, Terra was delivered into the clutches of brutality and tyranny. Her father, a general for the pride's legion, conducted his family like his assemblage of warriors. And her mother insisted upon a strict enforcement of traditional values. She was raised a solider, alienated from the aspect of familial bonds and love. Affection was a concept wholly foreign to the young lioness, having only known the acerbity of a distant father and the cruelty of a bitter mother's venomous tongue, planting the ravenous seed of silent resentment. "
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" Her detest grew as she did, blossoming from impish mischief as a cub, to adolescent rebellion, and finally.. rage. She attacked her mother, lashing out against the authoritarians who had terrorized her since birth, and who ever attempted to get in her way. Horrified, Terra's pride unanimously gave the lioness a guilty sentence, chasing her from the territory with howls of murder and justice filling the night sky. "
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" It was dawn when the panting Felidae collapsed into the dirt, clouds of dust billowing up from the dry earth in her wake. The pops of shifting pebbles and sediment seemed to echo in her ears, her blood running cold as a chorus of breathy cackles swelled to a crescendo. Bleary eyes lifted from the dirt, barely making out the blurred silhouette hesitantly slinking over to her heaving figure. As her vision cleared, more outlines became discernible. The scent of the cackling Hyaenidae was suffocating, nearly burning the back of her throat with the coarse bite of the pungent odor. The hyena inched closer, clutching an unfortunate boar's runt in its chattering jaw. The hoard seemed to flinch as she let out a warning huff, settling into a low growl that resonated within the cavern of her chest. A wave of unease set off another fit of nervous chuckles from the hyenas, some beginning to pace in anticipation. "
" Normally, she would have had zero hesitation in launching an attack on the encroaching canine. But attempting to rid the savannah of one its many scavenging bottom feeders while severely outnumbered was a death sentence in this state of fatigue. They had the advantage, a clear shot on taking her down. And yet.. not one of them moved. "
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" They chattered amongst themselves for a while, tension so thick between the two natural enemies it could have been sliced with the flick of an extended claw. The one brave member of the pack pressed forward. Terra stiffened as the Hyaenidae shakily laid the half-eaten prey a tail's length from her paws, it's eyes never leaving the herculean feline as tentative paw-steps placed a cushion of space between them once more. Perplexity did little to suffocate the gnawing hunger and thirst greedily tearing away at her gullet, but caution anchored her in place for a moment longer. With a final scan of the hoard, the lioness was able to conclude that they were just as intrigued as she was.. But why? "
" She let out a final snarl as she snatched the piglet, hooking the tender meat with her claws and tearing into the prize like it was her first and last meal. It was stringy, boarding on the edge of spoiling from at least a day of roasting in the scorching sun. But she savored every bite, bones splintering into dust within her powerful jaws. Flecks of blood decorated her snout, raising her gaze back to the circling hyenas. They seemed calmer now, comfortable, but still flinched under the weight of her stare. She eyed the bravest of the group suspiciously, curiously tilting her head as the creature flopped onto it's side, soft underbelly on full display. It wasn't long before a few more began to mirror the predecessor, others shuffling curiously around the perimeter of the pack. "
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(to be continued : i wanna go to bed)
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