Journey to the Trinity Tree - Summer event prompts

[/nyx.]

The portal opens in the center of your groups home, calling out for a champion, a hero. A representative to fight an enemy beyond any they'd ever seen before. Who could ever make that call? Who answers the cry to action? Does the leader appoint someone, do they battle for the right as a warrior? Do they send the smart or the brave or the healers? What drives your group to make the choice they make and how does this hero rise to the occasion, if they rise at all? Do they fight their fate, or accept it?

You're here now, champion, and no matter what made you step through that portal, you've got a mission.

Username: bmkmb
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Imortius, Dosatsu
Link to their pride or group: Hawker's Isle
Prompt level completion: Level 3

The island is silent as fireflies blinked once, blinked twice, in a faint pattern that light the night sky. Two forms stand opposite from each other, both radiating powerful and dangerous auras. Yet, neither of them move to attack. A black and orange tortoiseshell tom glares, his gaze being met by an even darker, black tabby. Said tabby wears a white cloth around his neck; it seemed to be drenched in blood. The air reeks of danger.

Suddenly, the night sky is lit by a streak of light, followed by a flash. The next thing they know, there is a swirling vortex over the island, green and blue and yellow and purple. If this were a movie, there would be dramatic music playing in the background, but this is not one. The cats tense, taking a quick glance at the no longer dark sky. Colors swirl faster and faster, but neither of them avert their gazes. They refuse to show weakness in front of the other.

"Dosatsu - explain," the tortoiseshell tom warns. He is the leader of the island and this phenomenon... it's unnatural. Supernatural sightings happen enough on an island ruled through bloodlines, but this is new. To his knowledge, this has never happened before, and Imortius does not like change. He has lived too long, only to see something happen now.

The dark tabby dares raise a questioning eyebrow. Dosatsu is a rogue; Imortius has no power over the other tom's actions. Do you think I was involved? the movement conveys. Although other cats have flee-on-sight orders upon seeing him, Dosatsu and Imortius are... well, they're not exactly friends. That would be treason, if such laws even existed on the island.

"I'll take a look at it," Dosatsu mutters as he turns tail and leaps away towards where the eye of the portal lies. He doesn't care if there's danger, he practically lives in the hands of harm. Besides, his eyes will protect him. Dosatsu can predict and sense attacks before they happen, and his body is swift enough to dodge them. Even without his bloodline, the dark tabby is an apex fighter. He lives in the thickets, a maze of thorns. Dosatsu is skilled in the arts of water, and his warden is a Siberian weasel. For those who do not know, they are very feisty creatures.

Imortius takes a half-step forwards, wondering if he should follow the rogue. He trusts the other tom to keep his word, but at the same time, there's a reason that Dosatsu is a rogue and not a member of his domination - it's not because of his bloodline. Silently, Imortius, the god of death, breaks into a sprint and follows. Dosatsu may be strong, but the tortoiseshell is even stronger. Some believe that he is a demon with a soul of ice and a heart of stone. This is false. Imortius is a competent leader, and if something is going to threaten his home, Imortius is going to cheat death to protect it.

[Panda-Love-100]

The portal opens in the center of your group's home, calling out for a champion, a hero. A representative to fight an enemy beyond any they'd ever seen before. Who could ever make that call? Who answers the cry to action? Does the leader appoint someone, do they battle for the right as a warrior? Do they send the smart or the brave or the healers? What drives your group to make the choice they make and how does this hero rise to the occasion, if they rise at all? Do they fight their fate, or accept it?

You're here now, champion, and no matter what made you step through that portal, you've got a mission.

Username: Panda-Love-100
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt:
Desmi + Kairos
Link to their pride or group: Sevasmos Pride
Prompt level completion: Level 5

Prompt: Desmi sighed as she finished spreading out the moss and feathers to dry. It had been a rainy anoxi for the pride of Sevasmos, and even the very feeble rays of the setting sun was a welcome improvement.
A shiver passed down her spine as a cold breeze blew over the camp. A loud noise sounded behind her and she whipped around to encounter a large glowing portal, seeming to sparkle and shimmer.
It called out to her in a low whisper. “The Trinity Tree is in trouble, and has called upon a hero—a champion—to fight an enemy unlike anything seen past, present, or future. Whomever will go will have to be able to face the danger and not hide in the shadows.” And just like that, the voice was gone.
Desmi stared wide-eyed at the blue oval in front of her. A champion? To go and fight an enemy unlike anything they’d ever seen? Surely someone had made a mistake; there was no one like that in her pride. Well, maybe Kairos could do it. She thought of her strong older brother. But Mother wouldn’t let him go alone, and how would we cope without him anyway? She shook her head and sighed. After thinking it over, she decided to tell Kairos and get his opinion first, then talk to Sprei.
She followed her brother’s scent trail until she found him by the lake, brushing dirt over a small gazelle he had caught. She cleared her throat nervously, stepping out of the trees.
“Hey,” she tried to sound nonchalant but she knew she wasn’t doing a good job of it as Kairos walked up to her, a questioning look in his eyes.
“What’s the matter?” He bent his head down to give her a nuzzle. “Is something wrong?”
She sighed and pressed her muzzle into his chest fur, relishing the warmth and comfort he gave her. “Nothing we can’t solve,” she tried to convince herself that it was true.
Kairos stepped back and went back over to his prey, speaking, “Well, we better head back to camp before dusk sets in.” He picked up his catch and headed back to the river side, Desmi following close behind.
Once they reached the peak of the hill, Desmi stepped in front of Kairos, blocking his path. “Before we enter, you have to promise not to freak out.” She doubted he would, but she wanted to be careful.
He looked at her with amusement and curiosity in his eyes, but mumbled a promise around the gazelle anyway.
After taking a deep breath, Desmi led the way down into the camp and right up to the glowing portal at the center.
Kairos dropped the prey, jaw open. After a few moments he managed to control himself and was able to speak. “This happened while I was gone?!” he managed, still seemingly shocked by what was in front of them.
Desmi told him about the quiet voice that spoke to her and what it had said. “I wanted to get your opinion on the matter before talking to Sprei,” she finished.
Kairos looked deep in thought. It was a few minutes before he responded. “Well, seems like someone should go through.” When Desmi started to protest he continued, “We would be away for who knows how long, but if we don’t go, then something horrible might come through the portal instead.”
“An enemy unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” Desmi repeated solemnly. She sighed, but seeing no way out of it she agreed. “We better talk to Sprei about this. We can’t go without her say-so.” She tried to keep her voice steady, but it was in vain. The mentally-disabled leader would never be able to cope without them on her own.
Kairos, seeing her worry, pressed up against her supportively. “I know it’ll be hard for Mother,” he spoke in a soft voice. “But I have a plan. We can ask Cowrie to come over and help Sprei while we are gone.”
Desmi looked up at him hopefully. “Do you think he would?” But she could answer her own question. Of course he would; he was their father after all. She got up and looked over to the mountain range in the distance. “Okay,” she decided. “But I’m warning you, Asteris won’t be far behind father when he comes,” she smirked, remembering the sibling dynamics between her littermates.
Kairos gasped in mock dismay. “Oh no! How will I manage to live with that bothersome pest?!”
Desmi rolled her eyes but couldn’t help a snicker. She stood up and gestured with her head towards the mountains. “Come on, let’s go talk to Sprei.”
They trekked around the lake and to the opening of the Spilayo, the cave which held the meteorite—Aerolithos—that was the source of magic in the pride. They didn’t step inside; instead, Desmi called out from the entrance. “Sprei?”
The graceful lioness walked out of the cave, her eyes glittering at the sight of her cubs. “Yes?” Her tail swished along the ground as she waited for what they had to say.
Desmi, swallowed, not knowing where to start. “You’d better come and see for yourself,” she finally managed. She led the way back, but she was taking her time. Desmi was still trying to think of a way to explain everything to her mother. How can I tell her without her freaking out?!
Kairos, catching onto Desmi’s worries, walked next to her so that their pelts brushed. “It’ll be okay, we’ll make her see somehow,” he murmured into her ear. “Don’t worry about it”
For a moment her mind stopped whirling and she was able to relish in this moment with her brother, his tail curling around hers. Everything will be fine, she reassured herself. Somehow...
At the top of the hill, she stopped them like she did with Kairos. “Mother,” she began. “Can you promise that you’ll listen to us and not freak out?”
Sprei gave her a questioning look, but agreed anyway. “Now show me what all this fuss is about,” she meowed, and they continued on. Her eyes widened at the sight of the portal, and Desmi could tell the thoughts inside her head were whirling around violently. “What in the name of Aerolithos is that?!” she exclaimed after a moment or two.
Desmi was still searching for the right words, but Kairos stepped forward instead, relaying the past events that Desmi had told him about. Sprei seemed to be taking it in, but Desmi wasn’t sure that everything was making sense to her. It’s hard for me to comprehend. No wonder she’s having such a hard time! Desmi thought about the slight mental disability that was passed down to her, but shook her head, clearing away the thoughts.
“So we’ve decided that we would like to go and help whoever may need it,” Kairos finished, then added, “With your approval, of course.”
Sprei sighed, her head lowered. “We’ve just started setting up our pride, we are securing our borders, and I am expecting more of Cowrie’s cubs!” Her voice rose as she continued. “We are having enough trouble trying to finish establishing our new pride, and you want to run off to who knows where to help someone we don’t even know?!” By now the leader’s eyes were blazing.
“But we-” Kairos was cut off by Sprei’s rant.
“And you don’t know what dangers exist and if you’ll even come back in one piece! Sure, go off and have a fun little adventure while leaving your poor mother to worry about you while you're gone for no one knows how long!” She stalked away, tail lashing furiously. “Why not just leave now and forget about me all together?!”
Desmi just stared after her mother in shock as Sprei disappeared through the trees. What just happened?!
She felt Kairos sit down next to her and she leaned into him. He nuzzled her back and she sighed. They sat there until dusk had come and the last rays of sunlight were shining through the few clouds that floated in the sky.
After what seemed like moons, she found her voice again. “I didn’t expect anything like that,” Desmi said at last, her voice quivering slightly. “I thought we could convince her, but maybe I was wrong.” She dropped her head, ears laid flat. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve messed something up.”
Kairos licked her affectionately. “Don’t say that. I should have tried harder to make her understand. It’s my fault more than anyone else’s.”
Desmi looked up, seeing love and kindness shining in his eyes. If only that were true…
At last she got up. “We better try to talk to Sprei again.” She couldn’t keep a bit of sorrow out of her voice.
As she was making her way up the hill where her mother had disappeared, Kairos ran up in front of her, blocking her path. “I’ll go talk to her,” he offered gently, then turned around and sped off into the trees.
Desmi followed him tentatively, then stopped. Better for Kairos to talk to Sprei alone than Desmi come along and inflame their mother’s temper again.
A few minutes later, Kairos came back, smugly swaggering along. “I convinced her,” he said, smirking.
“How?” Desmi asked incredulously.
“My natural charm and charisma, of course.” Kairos winked.
They headed back down the hill toward the portal. “No, but seriously, how did you do it?” Desmi insisted.
“I told her that we’re the only ones who can help. That, and the fact that we’re going together.”
The portal loomed before them, rings of blue light twisting and churning among one another. Desmi swallowed the lump of fear that threatened to choke her, then took a step forward. She had to do this, for her pride, family, and friends. Her lack of self-confidence didn’t matter; all that was important now was saving the Trinity Tree.

[1656/1000]

[Goddess Sword]

Username: Goddess Sword
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Mitko (Main character), Beatrix (Minor character)
Note: A non-cat NPC companion to Mitko, Ragin the red fox, makes an appearance as a secondary character in this as well. Additionally, due to the planned timeline of The Wayfarers' overarching story, references are also made to two other cats I have planned for my group but do not yet own; these cats are mentioned in Mitko's thoughts, but do not play major roles within the story and are included to add context and flesh out Mitko's life within the group, and will likely not be appearing in any more detail for the remainder of my promptfills. Although this story does focus primarily on Mitko, his role among The Wayfarers, and why he wound up going through the portal to the realm of this event, I know that only established cats count towards EXP in prompts, and so I have no problem if you choose to alter the level of completion for this prompt to account for these NPCs and unofficial characters!
Link to their pride or group: The Wayfarers
Prompt level completion: Level 5 (1,005 words)
Prompt:

The portal opens in the center of your groups home, calling out for a champion, a hero. A representative to fight an enemy beyond any they'd ever seen before. Who could ever make that call? Who answers the cry to action? Does the leader appoint someone, do they battle for the right as a warrior? Do they send the smart or the brave or the healers? What drives your group to make the choice they make and how does this hero rise to the occasion, if they rise at all? Do they fight their fate, or accept it?

You're here now, champion, and no matter what made you step through that portal, you've got a mission.

The pair had been traveling with the other cats for some time now. Truth be told, Mitko hadn't particularly cared for the lot - Still didn't, really. They were all foolish, all nearly unable to fend for themselves, all so filled with quirks so terribly obnoxious that it was hard to stand. One of them insisted on wandering into every town and city they came across to beg for scraps. Another, arguably the only one capable of even contemplating the idea of self-sufficiency, simply called himself Kat... what sort of name was that for a cat?! And the little girl...

Hmph. So insistent she was that she find her human again, as though they would still want her, as though they weren't the very one who had so callously left her to fend for herself in the first place. Ridiculous. What could she possibly expect to gain from this fool's errand? One last hug and a chunk of the salami she loved so much before her formed owner again dumped her on the streets and sent her on her way with a reminder that she was no longer wanted there? Because that, as far as he was concerned, was the absolute best that Beatrix would ever get. And the worst... his fur bristled at the thought, and he shook the idea from his head. No. He knew firsthand that a cat abandoned was a cat better off without their human. Why couldn't she - And the others, for that matter, journeying with her and playing along with the fantasy of a happy reunion - recognize that same simple truth?

All of them, so insistent on fighting for something that would never happen, all so utterly incompetent. They could barely even feed themselves. And now here he was, doing that job not only for himself and his vulpine partner, but for three more horribly irksome mouths as well.

Still, for all his complaining, it wasn't as though he could just leave. No... Ragin, for whatever reason, had taken a shine to the ragtag clowder. Perhaps it was because that fellow with the atrocious name had scared a mouse from its burrow and allowed the fox to keep it, just as he had before. Perhaps he recognized the two girls as former human pets, just as Mitko had been (and, he suspected, as Ragin might have been himself). Or perhaps he was really just excited to have more company. Were foxes social creatures? Mitko supposed they must be. They were rather like dogs.

Whatever the case, Ragin had been all too happy to follow the group on their pointless, foolish quest to find Beatrix's human again, and like it or not (not, most certainly not!), Mitko was now along for the ride. A ride full of cats who couldn't hunt, who couldn't feed themselves without the help of the humans who had scorned them - Scorned him! - and who lacked the most basic of survival instincts... Save perhaps the eldest, who had his own set of problems for the brown cat to contend with.

They were lucky Mitko was fond of the fox; were it not for that, he would have left the cats to starve. It seemed to him to be what they did best.

He snapped the branch of a small sapling in frustration as he trod along with the others. How absolutely wonderful, he thought, to be traveling with a group of incompetents.

Ragin, at least, seemed to be enjoying himself, dashing through and around and ahead of the group, bouncing to and fro in the long grass of the woods they were traveling through, stopping occasionally to dig furiously at the ground for no particular reason before noticing that the group had gotten ahead of him and sprinting back up to meet them. Mitko sighed. Well, if nothing else, his foxy friend was happy.

It wasn't until the group passed a cluster of rocks, covered in fresh green moss and with a hollow hole where the earth and stone met, rather like a burrow, that the fox's behavior began to bother him. He had bounded over to the formation and started digging at its base, and Mitko groaned. They had eaten recently; there was hardly any need for the fox to go holding them up, hunting for whatever might be residing there now. "Ragin," he called, "enough. Let's go."

The fox's ears twitched. He had clearly heard him... and yet he still kept digging. Mitko huffed, and responded with a chastising "Cht cht" noise. The fox turned from his digging to look up at him and whimpered... then turned right back to where he was pawing at a few seconds earlier and resumed his digging, faster now.

"Oh, for the love of...!" Mitko strode over to where his friend was causing him such trouble, to see what exactly he was so worked up about... and as he reached about the halfway point between where the fox was and where he had been calling for him, Ragin slipped into the hole and vanished.

The others were watching him now, wondering just why the two had stopped the group in their tracks, and, shooting a look of mutual annoyance back at the party, Mitko ran over to investigate the hole beneath the rocks himself, more than ready to drag the fox out by the scruff of his neck should it come to that. It was only when he brushed the grass that obscured the entrance aside that he noticed what his fox companion had earlier.

And it was only then when he realized that Ragin hadn't merely disappeared from his sight down in the burrow, but vanished entirely. He hadn't the slightest idea what his friend had stumbled upon, but it was clearly going to be trouble.

Mitko cursed under his breath and looked back at the rest of the group, who were now plodding over to investigate themselves. "Uhh... I'll be right back!" And he dove into the glittering light between stone and soil after the fox himself.

[TheSongOfTheStars]

Username: TheSongOfTheStars
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Bryva Hayes Lost Shard
Link to their pride or group: HOD Dark of Mists
Prompt level completion: 5
Prompt: Link

[denja]

Username: denja
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: heatherfrost
Link to their pride or group: thuralclan
Prompt level completion: level one
Prompt: the leader, herself, 😩

[Micki.]

Username: Micki.
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Azrael, Lysander
Link to their pride or group: Prophets of the Lost Stars (HW)
Prompt level completion: level 2
Prompt:

Everyone was going about their day when suddenly the horn rang out, loud and clear.

It was a call to gather in the center of the camp and to be quick. Such a call was usually reserved for emergencies - something the group hadn't seen in quite a long time, since the change in regime moved the clan into more peaceful ways - and almost always signaled trouble and bad times ahead.

The cats quickly gathered, and soon realized why they had been called to gather. Before them was a gouge in the middle of their camp and a strange... thing just below land level. A wave of whispers spread out across the crowd as Azrael stood in front of them, standing a bit too close to the strange thing for his own comfort.

"We don't know what this thing is - if it's a living being with a purpose, or if it's something else entirely. The council will be taking every measure to figure it out, and I will be personally volunteering to investigate it. However, I need a brave soul to come with me, should I need someone to watch my back, and we cannot risk another council member being a part of the investigation in the event that I don't return. So... are any of you willing to volunteer?"

Another wave of whispers spread across the gathered cats, some shaking their heads and taking a step back.

Then, after several moments of uneasy silence, Lysander pushed his way up through the crowd and stood just a few paces in front of the others. The tom smiled cheekily, "I've always wanted to go on a quest."

(275 words)

[Wet Bread]

Username: Wet Bread
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Worm, Bael, Aluraune
Link to their pride or group: Rusted Daemons
Prompt level completion: Level 4
Prompt:
Worm, for once, was sleeping soundly in the den she shared with the other cats of her rank when the portal appeared. The sound it made was unbearably loud and the force of it opening sent scrap flying in every direction. Luckily most everyone was sleeping and no one walking about camp or surely they'd been injuring. Cats bolted out of their dens from every corner, some alarmed and defensive, some dragging their paws as sleep continued to fog their brain. Worm herself fell into the former. She was always prepared for something bad to happen and usually her divination magic showed her the biggest events. She'd had absolutely no glimpse of this.

The large portal opened right in the middle of camp. All the cats of Rusted Daemons surrounded it, their fur bristling along their spines. Considering all the barriers to both physical and magical enemies, it was a wonder that the portal managed to open in camp at all. This set even Worm on edge. This portal had to be very powerful magic. Shadows zigzagged across the ground threateningly near the portal. The work of Bael's magic surely. The Archfiend was as prepared as ever for something bad to happen. Everyone watched, stunned as the glow of the portal seemed to grow and Bael's shadows dissipated into nothing. The glow grew and to everyone's astonishment, the portal began to speak, its words were loud enough for all to hear but sounded as a whisper:

"One must enter. Only one can be the hero and face your toughest foe. One must enter... or it'll mark the end of you all."

The cats all gathered to discuss the portal's words. Of course, only the high ranks had a voice while Worm and the other low ranking cats had to sit back and listen as they argued over which cat's magic was the most suited to enter the portal.

"How do we know it's not just a trap?" One cat argued.

"How can we turn down an opportunity potentially gain such powerful magic?" Another brought up. All the while, Bael sat back and listened to them argue in circles. Worm couldn't help but think she was a little pleased with this. It was like she lived and thrived off negative energy from others. Finally, after the same argument seemed to resurface for about the seventh time, Bael stood up. Instantly, without her saying a word, all the cats went silent, waiting for her to speak. They knew better than to make a sound when Bael was ready to speak.

"We'll investigate this portal," Bael informed them. "I don't really care about what enemies lie in wait in there, but if there's powerful magic we're going to take it for ourselves." She spoke. A dull murmur ran through the crowd but no one cheered and no one protested. "Aluraune. You will go." Bael commanded. Aluraune stepped forward, out of the crowd and dipped her head. There were a lot of things Aluraune was known for; holding a sorcerer rank which meant she possessed extremely powerful magic, being one of the most clever members of the group, and being one of the most beautiful members of the group. Most of all, though, Aluraune was known for being Bael's current mate. While she didn't possess one of the highest ranks, it was rare for anyone to question her. Worm could see the slightest smirk on Aluraune's face as she shared a look with Bael and Worm suddenly knew she had to take action.

Worm waited until late that night when Aluraune was meant to go in the portal all alone. Worm was aware that she shared a goal with Bael and that goal must be to capture whatever power was hidden within the portal for themselves and hide it away from the rest of Rusted Daemons. Worm didn't necessarily care about sharing the wealth herself, but there was no way she was letting Bael grow any more powerful. Worm hid, poised on top of the scrapheap of a car near the portal. She waited and waited until Aluraune seemed to melt from the darkness, he bright white pelt almost glowing under the light of the portal. When Aluraune got close enough, Worm pounced. Aluraune noticed her at the last second and, while she didn't manage to dodge completely, she moved enough that Worm's tackle only half got her. Worm's forced mixed with Aluraune's dodge changed their trajectory and both cats stumbled directly into the portal.

Worm felt a sense of dread as they were transported. Only one was supposed to go through, and now Aluraune would be there to sabotage her every move. Worm was in for even more adversity than she'd originally planned.

[hawkfire102]

Username: hawkfire102
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Fallenmoon Mallardtuft Marshpaw
Link to their pride or group: Moonlight Fields
Prompt level completion: Level 2
Prompt:
Fallenmoon looked at the portal in contemplation. Never had he seen anything like this in his lifetimes. He watched the two younger mollies sniff at it curiously. They would need to send someone in to deal with the current problem at hand. He knew it was his obligation to go himself to defend his group but his advancing years probably would not allow much of combat on his end.

"You can get that look off of your face, sir, because you're not going on your own." The smaller molly said as she waddled up to him. Despite her short stature, Fallenmoon knew Mallardtuft would be capable for fighting whatever was about to be thrown their way.

"I know Mallard, but what else am I to do? My time as leader is coming to an end and you and young Marsh can lead our home into a new age." He said calmly.

"Besides!" The cream cat, Marsh, bounded up to them. "We aren't a family without you, Fallen." She purred. Fallenmoon felt a raspy purr escape his throat.

"I thank the both of you, but my mind is made up. I shall embark on this journey alone." He stated as he got to his paws. Mallard let out a huff.

"Alright, that is your choice. But it is also my choice to follow beside you." She said sternly. "Because we're not about to leave your side in a time like this." Marshpaw nodded in agreement. Fallenmoon smiled softly at the two of them.

"Alright then. Let us head out." He said as padded through the portal with his clanmates by his side.

270/250 words

[Placebo]

Username: Placebo
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Bastion | Jasper | Anamika
Link to their pride or group: Lerwick
Prompt level completion: Lvl 3
Prompt: (530 words)

The bright pulsing of the light glared in the dark shadows of the night.

"My oh my. This is new."

Bastion walked a slow, measured circuit around the portal. With a swallow, Jasper clutched his bow to his chest and stumbled over his heel as he backed away. Into Anamika.

The molly hissed in surprise and pushed the anxious tom off her front. "Jasper, calm down!"

"Sorry! Sorry..."

All the while, Bastion ignored the two young cats, unable to look away from the light. He put a paw to his chin. He's seen many strange phenomena over the years, but the portal was... something else.

"Bastion, can we come back a little later with a larger hunting group, maybe?" The boy's words barely reached the mayor's ears. Bastion twitched and looked back over at Jasper's hunched form. Anamika, idling by his side, was clearly disgruntled but had a paw braced against the taller tom's back.

Bastion couldn't help a small, fond smile at the sight. "We can, don't worry. I won't be able to teach you guys about night-hunting for quite a while if we decide to head back, though, just so you know. The walk back will likely last until sunrise."

"No no, that's fine!" Jasper stressed, "Let's just get back to town, please."

Anamika shot the tom a baffled look, withdrawing her paw. "Dude, what? How about no? It took us weeks to plan this much instruction time from Mr. Novak!"

Jasper shot back an equally baffled, but far more worried look. "Do you not also see the massive glowing structure in the middle of the woods? We're all alone, Ana! I don't wanna be out here with that with only three cats!"

Anamika groaned and threw up her paws. "Oh my gods, Jasper, stop doing this!"

"Stop doing what?"

"You're always backing out of stuff when things get a little weird or uncomfortable or something! We already missed the group training session on night-hunting multiple times, and you told me--"

"Yeah, but--"

"You told me you were willing to work with me to get Bastion to teach us one-on-one! We're about to waste weeks of time!"

"Kits! Easy, now." Bastion's sharp baritone stopped the argument in its tracks. The male leveled a cool look on Anamika. The molly's eyes shifted away. "Don't delegitimize Jasper's valid concerns. This is an unknown, and Jasper has the right instinct to be wary." Anamika withheld a wince at the gentle dig.

"And Jasper," the tom in question met Bastion's gaze with trepidation, "it comes as news to me that you two have been planning on this for weeks. For that, I apologize." The two young cats perked in surprise. Their usually stoic mayor, admitting a mistake to two juveniles? "I wasn't aware that it took you two so long just to get some much-needed instruction. I have duties to attend to, yes, but if you truly want me to teach you two and are willing to wait a bit, I can make that happen. Otherwise, I can get you two instructors before the week is out."

Metaphorical feathers soothed, Anamika backed down. "We didn't want to bother you about the specifics.

wip oop

[Flicka]

Username: Flicka
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Yuki Ferdinand
Link to their pride or group: Frostbite Fields
Prompt level completion: Level 4
Prompt:

The small beginnings of a pride wriggled in their cave, stirring from their warmth and sleep. Ferdinand breathed deeply into Yuki's ear, his warm breath making it flick away for a respite from the onslaught before with a snort mid snore Ferdinand became alert from hearing a voice calling out; No one was supposed to be here, they hadn't had any new pride mates in sometime. Yuki had rolled away in a blissful puff being much younger than her companion, before being startled by the rumbling of Ferd's growl. He had risen while she was unawares, and while she was trying to comprehend what was going on she too heard the strange voice. A look of worry washed over her, however Ferd was ahead of her narrowing his crimson irises in suspicion of the intruder barking an order "Stay here, while I check it out" not even waiting for a reply the red and white maned male marched into the tunnel.

Yuki huffed in annoyance, she thought of Ferd as A father figure but boys always went overboard protecting her; As a new queen she would one day have to show her pride she was strong on her own, she could see Ferd's concern for her was real as there were stories of new prides being torn off the map when they weren't on their toes or perhaps too hospitable and other horrific stories. It would be better the sooner they could make new friends. Bunching her muscles underneath her dappled coat and digging her ebony claws into the frozen terra she rocked back and forth stretching herself for what could be a very long day, knowing Ferd he'd scare off anyone who showed up to join. Now shaking her fur she blinked and set about to follow behind her hunter, a stubborn sod. Closing her navy pools she took in the scent on the air, coming down to the warren with no results other than the crisp air and Ferd himself.

He weaved through the tunnels, a single-minded creature for the moment; Grasping a snarl on his tongue and thoughts trailing through his mind, he exited his home alert and perked seeking the voice there was a moment of silence before he heard it again and thundered off in the direction it seemed to be in at first seeming confident then lost. The white and brown male seemed frustrated, by the lack of a corporeal form being found. However the voice became more annoying, like that of a mythical creature darting around taunting him as he grimanced and went to investigate the frosted forest; Surely if someone was playing tricks on him, they would at some point target their best resources. Prowling in a crouch his tail now lashing behind him, his fur brushed the ferns and various frozen plants before coming to the clearing near the hidden hot springs. There was this weird thing just floating there colored like clear crystal, he decided to investigate circling the strange thing silently existing. It rumbled suddenly with the voice.

Navy pools widened as she entered the clearing seeing her friend wheel back onto his rump startled as the thing spoke with the same voice they had been hearing. Her harks flicked back against her skull in confusion looking at Ferd as to say what was that?! however in the same breath he composed himself leaping forward to give her an earful for not staying behind like she was told to "I am the Leader and I must show I am strong to any who may come." she spoke regally her pools flicking to the new thing as her companion opened his jowls to argue with her she had taken to studying the thing much closer as it did not call out specifically for anyone and yet it seemed no one was actually there calling it baffled her curiosity; Reaching out to poke it drowning out her companion she paused and turned now annoyed with him.

Ferd clicked his tongue in annoyance and shame as his crimson irises settled onto his queen's dappled frame unexpectedly and blatantly disregarding her safety, he turned on a pebble readying to approach her however she had met him before the words had trickled off his tongue; She had passed him with her lithe body circling the potentially dangerous thing and even reaching out to touch the thing "Queen!" her cross look was enough to take him aback as she rounded the thing and sat in front of it giving him a tongue lashing that had been festering. She went to turn away seemingly forgetting about the crystal colored thing disappearing before his eyes as did the color.

"You are not the warrior we called for, but you are the warrior we have...."