In the Dark of Night [Glaive]

[Kiou]

4th of Winter, 511AV Kiou padded silently along the base of the Unforgiving, glancing up at the looming mountains ahead of him. He briefly considered scaling one of the tall peaks, but figured he'd have plenty of time for that later on. For now, he didn't want to stray too far from Alvadas. He still had some interest in the strange city, and didn't want to leave until he had explored a tad more. It had most definitely the most interesting and strangest settlement he had visited yet. The wilderness was still his true home, however. He took a deep breath of the cool night air and glanced up at the sky, gazing silently at the almost full moon for a moment before turning his gaze away once more. He flicked his tail lazily as he walked, taking a slow sweep of his surroundings for the tenth time. Looked pretty deserted. Which was good, although a bit disappointing. He was hoping for a good hunt tonight. It was almost the perfect weather for this time of year. Not incredibly cold, with just a slight wind. The sky was clear and the moon hung high in the sky, not a cloud in sight, which allowed for the stars to shine down unhindered. Kiou came to a halt and plopped down on the ground, wrapping his tail around his front paws as he turned his gaze back to the sky. He wasn't sure why, but he enjoyed looking at the sky, whether it be night or day. It held a certain fascination to Kiou, though what it was that interested him so, he did not know. He reached up with his back paw and itched at a spot on his neck which had been bothering him for quite some time. He found that he was always happiest when he was a lion and alone in the wilderness. Everything was so much simpler. Virtually no drama, hardly any sounds, nothing to really worry about. He simply lived for the thrill of the next hunt. Nothing more. Nothing less. He let out a long yawn, which sound a bit strange coming from a lion. A bit like a lazy roar, was one way to describe it. Kiou dug his claws into the soft dirt, and looked out across the land in front of him. The land was quiet, and he was perfectly fine with that. Sure, he'd enjoy going on a quick hunt, but he was also content with just hanging about here for a little while more. So, he stretched out on the ground, placing his forepaws before him, crossed over one another. He gave a quick shake of his mane, to rid it of any dirt that may accumulated during his miniature trip out of the city, before turning his gaze back to the sky, where he was captivated once more by the moon and the stars that seemed suspended perfectly in the night.

[Glaive]

Glaive glanced around at her surroundings. Her icy blue eyes trailed up the large mountain and she enjoyed the heights, they always made her feel free and calm. She flicked her tail back and forth in pleasure. The area around her was distantly familiar, she hadn't been there for 4 years ever since she had left for Syliris. Glaive's coat glimmered lightly in the moonlight as she moved forwards into the shadows. She blended in perfectly and she growled her content. As a naturally solitary creature she enjoyed travelling alone, away from civilisation. She occasionally journeyed to cities and the like, but only if she had to. Glaive gently rolled her head stretching her neck muscles. She put her nose to the air and looked for a trace scent of prey. She was in the mood for a hunt, a chance to push herself and get rid of the restless energy that had built up inside her from being in a civilised area. Glaive thought back to how she had made her way to her current location and shivered at the thought. The boat ride had been sickening and all the while she had been cooped up like a goat ready for slaughter in a little inclosed box. Her claustrophobia had left her panicking and she hated the memory of that place. Glaive pricked her ears suddenly and her eyes narrowed as she smelt another predator nearby. She walked into the darkness closest to the mountain and began creeping towards the scent. From what she could tell so far it could possibly be a kelvic but she wasn't completely sure. Glaive lowered herself close to the ground and moved forwards as quietly as she could manage. As she approached the golden cat she frowned, unsure of what it was. She had never seen anything like it around and she tilted her head to the side slightly in curiousity. A sudden sound, startled her and she leaped forwards almost colliding with the creature before she realized it was just a breaking branch. She took a step away from the other cat and studied it suspiciously, wondering if she could take it on if it came to a fight. Glaive glared at it and stilled herself, she remained unblinking with her muscles clenched as she waited for it to react.

[Kiou]

Kiou's ears swiveled forward, thinking he had heard the slightest of sounds. Not even a second later, he nearly jumped out of his pelt in surprise as a black cat seemingly materialized out of the darkness. He quickly jumped to his feet, the fur along his spine standing straight up, simply from the surprise and shock. He gazed curiously at the cat before him. All black, a lean frame. He wasn't sure whether it was hostile or not, or if it just enjoyed scaring others out of their wits. He noticed the cat's muscles were tensed, almost as if it was expecting a fight. Well, there would likely be none, unless it was this strange cat that decided to start it. He let out a huff of air that he hadn't realized he'd been holding and sat back on his haunches once more, the fur along his spine starting to settle back into place after the initial shock if the incident began to fade. He was practically glaring at the strange black cat, though it was more amused than angry. Kiou didn't tend to hold grudges that easily, and he was sure this was simply a misunderstanding, or an accident of some sort. "So...jump out at others all the time, huh?" he inquired in the common feline language, amused. He gave himself a quick shake, still feeling a bit of the shock that comes with being surprised. He turned his gaze to sweep the surrounding area once more, to make sure that there were no other living shadow cats waiting to jump him when he least expected it. He turned his blazing green gaze back to the cat before him. He wasn't entirely sure but he figured it might be like him, a kelvic, he had been told. He could tell it was definitely a female. Bitter disposition and all, he jokingly thought. He was surprised he hadn't noticed the cat earlier than he had, but he accredited that to his observation of the sky. He had practically let down his guard as he looked at the stars and moon high above. A mistake he would not make again.

[Glaive]

Glaive glared at the other cat for a moment longer, her icy eyes betrayed no emotion. She turned away and rolled her eyes as he spoke, before growling in reply, 'It was no fault of my own, I was just being cautious. I normally make it a habit to avoid talking to strangers though.' She was still tense but she took a step towards him. Glaive shifted her weight as she stood there. She took another whiff of his scent, it didn't seem to completely animal but she was still unsure of it. Glaive circled around the lion, stepping lightly on the ground. She watched him, he didn't seem to be much of a threat, she relaxed slightly as shed returned to face him head on. 'I haven't seen the likes of you around here before.' She commented between her teeth. She sat on her haunches and flicked her tail as she gazed at him. Glaive glanced around then became still apart from the rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes gazed at the tree that had caused her to get into this situation then went back to looking at the golden cat. 'Do you have a name?' She finally said her throat rumbling slightly.

[Kiou]

Kiou watched the strange cat curiously as she glared at him with her icy cold eyes. "If you call jumping out of the shadows at strangers cautious, then I think we need to reevaluate the meaning," replied wryly as he watched her take a step towards him, though it didn't seem to be threatening. As she circled around him, he kept his gaze straight, opting to not follow her as she stalked in a circle around him. He kept on the alert though. Didn't want her jumping him from behind out of nowhere, only to have himself zoned out. When she returned to face him, he kept her gaze. "That would probably be because I just arrived here not too long ago. I came out here 'cause that city was started to fray my nerves," he replied nonchalantly, gesturing with his head back the way he had come, from Alvadas. When the cat took a seat in front of him, he relaxed slightly. She seemed to be calming down a bit now, at least. It was a start. "My name is Kiou," he replied as he gazed at the dark cat before him. He could hardly see her, as she blended in with the shadows behind her. He could merely faintly make out her outline, and of course, her icy eyes staring back at him coldly. He had the feeling that she was simply waiting for him to leap at her and attack her or something. The thought amused him, but he wouldn't do something like that unless he was threatened by her first. "And you would be...?"

[Tabarnac]

XP Award! Kiou XP Award: Observation +3; Wilderness Survival +1; Land Navigation +1; Intimidation +1; Interrogation +2 Glaive XP Award: Observation +2; Wilderness Survival +1; Land Navigation +1; Tracking +1; Stealth +1; Interrogation +1 Additional Notes: I’m sorry this one was cut short. It was a good beginning! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns. Keep writing!