Hunting Party

[Alastor]

March 21st | Closed to Kula and Vitani. This'll start off in Agrabah, but move to the Pridelands.

"This is beneath us. Why in the world would we be sent to hunt mere animals when I could easily snap their necks with the smallest hint of magic?"

"Because I said so, Corson. Now quit your whining, and let's go and collect the others." Alastor snarled. Corson snorted his disagreement, but swallowed his protests, and trudged after the smaller demon, heavy hoofsteps echoing across the courtyard as they crossed from their stables to the palace itself.

Sol was waiting patiently near the entrance, rising frrom her sitting position as the two demons approached her. Her tail wagged slightly as Corson playfully nudged her with a massive hoof.

"It's about time, I thought you two were never gonna show up! I think the others are ready, but we've gotta go find them." Sol said, turning to lead the duocorns down the hall.

"Kula! Vitani! They're here, let's go!" Sol barked.

[Kula]

To say Kula was excited was an understatement of the highest magnitude. Permission had been granted for her and Vitani to return to their birthland.

To Actually!! Kill things!!

The lioness had foregone her standard armor in favor of the simple ruffed collar that served as her trophy. She was returning to the Pridelands to hunt and kill the way her people were meant to -- there was no need for cumbersome armor that might slow her down and detract from the pleasure of the take-down.

Seated on the cool tiles near the open doorway of the gardens, tail thrashing, Kula was practically reverberating with excitement. Like a kid in a candy store she was ready. When the call came for the group to be off Kula was quick in leaping to her paws. "Yes, yes, yeeeaassss!!"

Flicking her tail for Vitani to follow the elder teen bounced her way down the hall, practically dancing in place. "I'm ready!"

[Vitani]

"Ugh, finally!" came the lioness's gruff voice. 

Although less emotive, Vitani certainly shared her sister's enthusiasm. It had been too long since she'd felt the thrill of the hunt, the feeling of her jaws locked around prey and forcing it to the ground. Vitani was sure she'd go stir-crazy and clamp her teeth on one of those pretty-looking birds she'd seen around, unsatisfying as they may have been. After all, what kind of lionesses didn't hunt? 

Hauling herself to her paws, she drawled along behind Kula with an easy-going grin on her face, huffing an amused chuckle at her pridemate. "You look like a cub that's never been hunting before." the scruffy lioness teased, unable to resist the opportunity to playfully prod the bouncy lioness.

"To be fair, it's been so long it might as well be our first hunting party." 

[Sol]

Sol didn't remember much of her past life prior to Nasira purchasing her from the man who had raised her and her "siblings", although they could have just been other puppies that were trained alongside her. She never really remembered having a particular penchant for killing, at least, not until she'd met that street cat. The feline held no fear towards canines twice her size, and once the Akita began to learn all that she could from the cat, she developed an unusual taste for blood.

The thrill of the kill.

She couldn't help but feel a little bit giddy at the prospect of hunting down some sort of large African animal, but she kept her emotions sequestered, not outwardly displayed like Kula. With the two lionesses in tow, Sol followed the two duocorns out to the courtyard, where one of the magical portals leading to Africa stood. Blue eyes peered into the swirling vortex of colors, following their slow, constant spinning.

"Are you done daydreaming?"

Sol's attention then fell onto Corson, who looked down on her with those bright golden eyes of his. She nodded, maybe a little too quickly, and followed the two of them through the portal.

--------------------

Sol squinted as they passed through the portal, revealing the bright African sun overhead. She blinked a few times, shaking her head to try and clear her vision so that she could actually see.

"So. What do you lions typically hunt around here? Elephants? Gazelle?" Alastor asked, turning his blood red gaze onto Kula and Vitani.

[Kula]

Kula took the ribbing well, tongue sticking out between her teeth at her younger sibling. "Myynneeh. Little do you know, dear sister mine, this is actually how adults show off. I am absolutely the most mature creature in the palace -- no, on the face of the planet!" A raspberry completed Kula's statement of absolute maturity before she trotted her way up to the opened portal.

Emerald eyes glittered with excitement before pressing onward. The lioness didn't have time to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

The Pridelands were waiting!!

Kula's leap through the portal brought her to a skidding halt in the warmth of Africa. Sun-soaked soil pressed against the pads of her paws as narrowed eyes grew wide. Grass green with life glistened in a sea of waving strands that stretched out in the open plains, dancing beneath the clear sky above. Trees dotted the landscape, clustering here and there in forests among the hills. The blue smudges of mountains clung to the horizon.

Before them though, towering in the near distance, was the pinnacle of her cubhood. Pride Rock. The throne of the kingdom.

Kula's throat felt oddly tight as a gentle breeze tousled her fur with touches of familiar scents.

Home.

It took a moment for the lioness to recognize that Sol had spoken. "Mm? Ah." Sharp teeth were exposed by a toothy grin. "How much of a challenge do you want?"

[Alastor]

Alastor's lips pulled back to reveal unusually sharp fangs, in a terrifying grin that matched Kula's.

How much of a challenge do you want?

His blood red gaze glanced around the Pridelands, watching the vibrant wildlife around them. He could sense the excitement stemming from the lionesses, having heard far more than enough stories of their ancestral homeland.

He lifted his nose to the breeze, inhaling deeply. Turning his head, he locked eyes with Corson, who offered a raised brow. The behemoth pawed the ground somewhat impatiently, his muscles itching to gallop and chase something down.

"Well, my bloodthirsty friends, let's go hunt down an elephant. That's a challenge right there." Alastor said, scanning the area once more for any signs of said animal.

"An elephant? Can't we start off with something easy, like a gazelle?" Sol asked.

"Too easy. Besides, the cheetahs are hunting right now." Corson said, gesturing towards spotted bodies hiding in the grass.

[Tucker]

Tucker slips through the portal hot on the train of the others, having heard the words “hunting trip” the ex police dog was eager to show off his skills to his fellow soldiers. Black and brown fur is given a shake as he takes in the hot Africa air as he looks around before giving a wag of his tail greeting the others. “So, how are we gonna take down a elephant without getting squished flat?”

[Vitani]

Vitani couldn't help but huff a scoff, trudging forward to meet Alastor, eying him skeptically. "Yeah, sure, an elephant." she sniffed. "You do realize the point of hunting is to bring down food to keep us alive, and not get us smashed to a pulp, right?" she grumbled dryly, turning away with a flick of her tail to face the open grasslands. An elephant could be fun... but they were huge and could be pushed to dangerous levels of aggression. Vitani loved a good fight, but she wasn't foolish. Definitely not foolish enough to risk another death in the family. 

"Besides, elephants and gazelles aren't the only thing to hunt out here. I say we find some zebras to pick off." she chuffed with a short, confident nod. 

[Kula]

Kula's lips pursed as she regarded the sea of grass before them, dotted here and there with herds and greenery. "There's also the issue of carrying an elephant back. We'd have to send someone back for help... Then try and make sure hyena and other scavengers don't try to rib us out of our kill."

Kula eyed her companions for a moment in assessment before nodding slightly. Turning to face them with twitching tail she grinned. "How about a compromise? Water buffalo are big, beefy, and a tough take-down without getting gored. The payoff though?" Kula pressed her claws to her mouth for a moment, kissing the tips before releasing them with a little smack of her lips. "Gamey prime rib. A la carte with some fresh crocodile if we feel especially venturesome in our tastes."

[Corson]

Alastor turned his gaze upon Tucker, raising a brow. He'd forgotten that there was more dogs than just Sol in the army. The silver dog trotted towards Tucker, tongue lolling out with a happy expression on her face.

"Tucker! Never thought you'd make it." Sol said, as she bounded over past the duocorns, playfully shoving the police dog as she stood to his right. Her sky blue gaze fell back on Alastor after Vitani spoke.

"Maybe we should follow Vitani's suggestion. Zebras would be a little easier." Sol said. Corson scoffed, tail whipping with discontent, as he kept his gaze locked on the cheetahs and their hunting of the gazelle. At Kula's suggestion though, his ears perked up, and he returned his attention to the lioness, a smile curving across his maw.

"Water buffalo sounds just perfect." Corson said, looking to Alastor for approval. The smaller duocorn rolled his eyes and nodded his head, as he motioned to Kula with a cloven hoof. If they couldn't hunt an elephant today, they could at least enjoy the spoils of a water buffalo and some crocodile.

"Lead the way then."