A child of the Earth, and its eternal guardian.
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Father Theresa walked through the grassy plains, the tall grass tickling his ankles. It had been years since he last visited this meadow, but today he felt extra sentimental. This was the place where Gaia had found him as a newborn, eyes still closed and weakly mewling in hunger. Back then, Gaia had recently lost her firstborn, and her heart had shattered at the sound of his pitiful cries. Gaia had affectionately adopted him, gently grooming him before carrying him home. Looking back now, Father Theresa realized how kind of a mother Gaia had been, living up to her title of Mother Nature. He had been lovingly raised, and taught to value the spirits of all loving things. But... Gaia was an immortal lioness who would live for aeons to come, and Father Theresa was nothing but an ordinary lion. Father Theresa soon grew old and feeble, breathing his last shuddering, labored breaths. In a final act of love, Gaia had granted her own immortality to Father Theresa, as long as he watched over all life that crossed his path. Father Theresa let out a longing sigh, ending his reminiscing. As he left the grassy meadow, he vowed once more to guard the Earth and all its beauty until the end of time.

The Snow Maiden
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Hidden within an icy valley, a single source of running water was the livelihood of the pride residing there. A river, flowing fast through the snowy path it had carved for itself. By the water's edge, a lone lioness could be seen, hunched in the snow and seemingly concreting hard on a task known only to herself. It was Tiyica, the Snow Maiden. The well-liked yet humble princess was a descendant of the original Snow Maiden, a title held by the guardian of the local pride. The guardian was responsible for preventing the pride's demise by keeping the river flowing. How they did so was a mystery whose answer was heavily guarded, sacred knowledge passed only from one Snow Maiden to the next. Though young, Tiyica had recently delivered a beautiful cub into the world, whose beauty matched that of her mother. This cub would be the next Snow Maiden, the future of her pride. Suddenly, Tiyica rose, seemingly having finished her task. She hurried back home to the warmth and comfort of those she loved. They were counting on her, and she had a role to fulfill for her pride.

The Sun Warrior
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Red-hot flames consumed the desolate battlefield. The looming silhouette of a muscular primal male could be glimpsed through the dancing embers and choking smoke. It was Surya, panting, with blood matted into his flowery mane and golden-colored fur. Whether it was his enemies or his own, he couldn't tell. Surya was the Sun Warrior, the guardian of his pride. He had been tasked by his father many years ago to prevent the encroaching darkness from consuming their pride. He had been the destined one, chosen for the markings of the sun covering his fur, and his potential to produce offspring even greater than himself.  Surya huffed and lowered his head, in pain and exhausted. He slowly left the wasteland behind, his presence fading into the ashen smoke. This was far from the last time he would have to fight. The war would drag on for many more years, and if he were to fall on the battlefield, who would replace him? It had to be one of his sons, a chosen male with a future blazing as bright as their fur, a spirit as fierce as their starry eyes. It was inevitable that the sun would set on his reign, but he wouldn't worry. After all, every sunset was succeeded with a sunrise.

Freedom is nothing but the distance between the hunter and the hunted.
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Once a vibrant young stag, the misformed lion cub longed for the carefree days when they ran spirited and free through the woods. They had been a handsome stag in the prime of youth many years ago. Birthed to the deer goddess, the deity of the forest, the young stag had been a well-respected and loyal spirit, worthy of someday taking his mother's role as guardian of the forest.

The forest had been a beautiful, almost mystical place, with great cedar trees reaching up into the sky. The wind was often stagnant and only thin rays of sun pierced the thick canopy of leaves, painting the illusion that the forest was frozen in time. But this serenity was not eternal. One ominous night, hunters of some human tribe had overrun the forest like bugs infesting a rotting tree. Their shouts had split the silence like lightning splitting a trunk, their flames torching leaves and setting the forest alight with an intense heat no animal had experienced before.

The other deer had fled, chaos breaking loose as every animal sought refuge within the deeper sections of the forest. Only the young stag and his mother had remained, courageously facing the human invaders. The humans had a glint in their beady eyes. The stag realized that they were not only here for the forest, but also the residents within it. They were here to hunt.

Enraged, the stag had lashed out in blind rage, the sound of antlers crushing bones accompanied by the desperate screams of the hunters. And yet, the two deer were overwhelmed, unable to face the hordes of hunters alone. That dreadful night, the young stag and his mother had fallen, the solemness of their demise leaving a dreadful gloominess in the choking smoke. The forest would never recover. 

The stag's vengeful spirit manifested itself in various forms, over and over, relentlessly searching for a means of revenge. But every time, the stag would come back misformed, unable to grow past the first stages of life. It had broken the stag's spirit, and they reluctantly accepted their fate, coming to stay in the form of a mutant lion cub. Their mind would be tormented until the end of time, longing for a revenge that would never come.