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Description
The ground was cold as ice with the lack of sunlight drenching the caverns beneath the territories with a sense of dread and hopelessness. The rasping, false breaths of the damned creatures that resided here echoed, their cries bouncing from wall to wall, stone to stone. It was here that Kutikisa had woken with a startle beside the body of the Queen's mother, Nala, who's chest was rising raggedly upward and downward, uneven. It had taken several fearful hours of urging her to wake, worrying that she would expire, for her to awaken herself. The old queen was already partially blind, and with the only light being the dim glow of the fungi around them, it was impossible for her to see anything. She was worthless here.

It took much coaxing for Kutikisa to fearfully tread away from her to further inspect their surroundings. The scent was overwhelming- like death, and soon Kutikisa would find that they were trapped, like..... nothing he had ever seen before. It would take considerable effort to find a true escape route. Returning to the queen, who he located by sheer luck with her rasping a harsh cough, his body shook with terror. Nala however seemed accepting of this situation. It was just like her cubhood, after all. The scent of death. The cries of agony. The empty lifelessness of this place she could not see. She held Kutikisa close and allowed him to be afraid, to be there for him the way nobody had for her.

Hours passed. Nala urged him to go. To find an escape. Promising to follow.

But she would not if he did.

Kutikisa had so much life ahead of him, and she.... She was ill. Worthless. She would only drag him down. There was no hope if they both attempted to escape. But him. He was small. Lithe. Agile. He could do it....!

She talked with him softly about his life, about hers. Urged for him to understand the gravity of his situation. To understand what she had to do to escape Scar when she was a child. Maybe, just maybe it would work.

And it did.

Kutikisa finally agreed, and turned from the old lion. Stomach lurching, his mind telling him not to leave her, but.... His instinct urging him to try to survive.... He stepped forward, leaving the old queen in the dark, alone, and at the mercy of the creatures.

It was her wish. To see him escape. As the footsteps padded away, Nala would feel weakly for a corner, or perhaps another warm body to accompany. Curling up to wait, hoping for someone to come to her, to help her, she couldn't help but understand the gravity of her choice.

If she were to die at the cost of this cub's life... So be it. She could go at peace. See Simba again. Time was running short regardless.

Kutikisa looked back, the old queen already lost in the darkness. He could hear the wails of the creatures that he had seen once, twice.... Terrified, he tried for a wall, one that looked like he could scale it, to escape the pens. To free himself.

But would he?

------

Earned:

3 Crystals (Art, Story) , 55 pebbles (2 Half bodies, L/C/S/B, MSE bonus)

Roll for escape attempt for Kutikisa ONLY:

Description
The ground was cold as ice with the lack of sunlight drenching the caverns beneath the territories with a sense of dread and hopelessness. The rasping, false breaths of the damned creatures that resided here echoed, their cries bouncing from wall to wall, stone to stone. It was here that Kutikisa had woken with a startle beside the body of the Queen's mother, Nala, who's chest was rising raggedly upward and downward, uneven. It had taken several fearful hours of urging her to wake, worrying that she would expire, for her to awaken herself. The old queen was already partially blind, and with the only light being the dim glow of the fungi around them, it was impossible for her to see anything. She was worthless here.

It took much coaxing for Kutikisa to fearfully tread away from her to further inspect their surroundings. The scent was overwhelming- like death, and soon Kutikisa would find that they were trapped, like..... nothing he had ever seen before. It would take considerable effort to find a true escape route. Returning to the queen, who he located by sheer luck with her rasping a harsh cough, his body shook with terror. Nala however seemed accepting of this situation. It was just like her cubhood, after all. The scent of death. The cries of agony. The empty lifelessness of this place she could not see. She held Kutikisa close and allowed him to be afraid, to be there for him the way nobody had for her.

Hours passed. Nala urged him to go. To find an escape. Promising to follow.

But she would not if he did.

Kutikisa had so much life ahead of him, and she.... She was ill. Worthless. She would only drag him down. There was no hope if they both attempted to escape. But him. He was small. Lithe. Agile. He could do it....!

She talked with him softly about his life, about hers. Urged for him to understand the gravity of his situation. To understand what she had to do to escape Scar when she was a child. Maybe, just maybe it would work.

And it did.

Kutikisa finally agreed, and turned from the old lion. Stomach lurching, his mind telling him not to leave her, but.... His instinct urging him to try to survive.... He stepped forward, leaving the old queen in the dark, alone, and at the mercy of the creatures.

It was her wish. To see him escape. As the footsteps padded away, Nala would feel weakly for a corner, or perhaps another warm body to accompany. Curling up to wait, hoping for someone to come to her, to help her, she couldn't help but understand the gravity of her choice.

If she were to die at the cost of this cub's life... So be it. She could go at peace. See Simba again. Time was running short regardless.

Kutikisa looked back, the old queen already lost in the darkness. He could hear the wails of the creatures that he had seen once, twice.... Terrified, he tried for a wall, one that looked like he could scale it, to escape the pens. To free himself.

But would he?

------

Earned:

3 Crystals (Art, Story) , 55 pebbles (2 Half bodies, L/C/S/B, MSE bonus)

Roll for escape attempt for Kutikisa ONLY: