❝ Azula wondered what that weird squealing sound was coming from,
and she investigated to find the cub Arlyn batting around a young meerkat.
It was still alive. ❞
--------------------------
Slots 1: 100% [ Marking Opacity Changer (1,800sb) ]
Slots 2: 100% [ Marking Opacity Changer (1,800sb) ]
Slots 4: 100% [ Marking Opacity Changer (1,800sb) ]
Slots 6: 100% [ Marking Opacity Changer (1,800sb) ]
Slots 8: 100% [ Marking Opacity Changer (1,800sb) ]
Slots 9: 100% [ Marking Opacity Changer (1,800sb) ]
Slot 10: Quartz Feline Unders [ Marking Replacer (3 GB) ]
Slots 10: 100% [ Marking Opacity Changer (1,800sb) ]
-----------------------
[WIP]
It started early, while he was still quite young; a strange comment here, a disturbing action there. First King Advimi found him abandoned under a tree, a gorgeous young boy that all others were avoiding, the cub's ears drooped low and head hung from it. A sad sight indeed, and the loving and young king couldn't help but bring him home. It wasn't soon after that the pride began to discover what everyone else could sense, the dark miasma following the tiny Arlyn around as he romped and played with the other cubs.
"The little one is not a normal lion," Azula told her King. Advimi's second was known for her insight and experience, and here was no exception. He was a rough child, a bully, vicious and gloating, but entirely by accident. Playtime often ended early with a crying cub darting over to a lioness with a fresh wound, leaving a confused Arlyn behind, wondering why the fun had stopped.
"He needs a watchful eye and a good teacher, and he'll blossom into greatness." And Advimi agreed: the awkward and cruel cub would be named his heir, to be taught by the best in the pride to be even better, to not let his dark inclinations rule him mindlessly, so the pride could follow him to amazing places.
That wasn't necessarily the easiest task. The dark winds of the fall months blew in, swirling across the savanna and bringing with it a fight between the angelic and the demonic. Arlyn
thrived in such a time, the celebration's gore more than enjoyable for him. Azula and Advimi found him batting around a barely living creature more times than either of them could count, chattering eagerly about how it sounded and felt to wound it, sighing deeply each time. The lessons sunk in and kind actions bloomed, however, and just in time.
As he approached adulthood, what truly swam in his veins came to the surface, painfully itchy bumps on his forehead soon sprouting into horns. Fresh wings followed quickly and the cause became clear: the pride had a demonic lion in their midst, touched by the flames of Hell, and his power was erupting. So many questions had sudden perfect answers, many more springing up in their wake, but luck had it that there was a place to go for guidance. Advimi braved scorn to open a portal to Hell, rising through the demonic ranks to learn about them.
It paid off; a solution was found for the blossoming power no one understood, a sigil that would restrain it so Arlyn could live as normal a life as he could, learning at his own pace instead of his power's. He agreed, though the process was painful; this was his pride, who stood by him despite his Hell born nature, and he wanted to stay their Prince rather than abandon them for Hell and fiendish power. At midnight under a new moon, Azula carved the mark into his shoulder and burned the wound closed, speaking the spell under her breath despite Arlyn's pained roars.
Recovery took a few shaky nights for the both of them, but soon mentor and pupil stood on their paws again.
