Familiar Face

The lion walked confidently through the neutral territory, head lifted high. No lion could chase him from the savanna, for none claimed it has his own. His mind drifted back to the desert sands, to the lioness who called the distant kingdom home. Her name had already been forgotten in Korofi's mind, he cared so little for the outcome of their encounter. By now, there could be half a dozen little Korofis littering the Desertlands, for all he knew, and yet he had no interest in seeing them himself. The brute had already gotten what he wanted, let the lioness clean up the mess that had been created. It was their lot in life, he was convinced.

As he wandered along, he saw a black speck in the distance – but it was closer than he thought, for the ebony form was a massive one. Green eyes squinted in its direction, trying to decipher whether it was something to eat or something else entirely. Finally, he stepped carefully towards the black form, but within minutes, he saw that it was a huge, pure black lion. In all his life, Korofi had only ever seen one black lion before, in his natal pride, and the thought caused his ears to pin back in annoyance. It couldn't possibly be...

Korofi doubted the dark lion would remember him at all, and he stopped dead in his tracks, hoping the other had not noticed his approach. If he turned quietly now, he could leave without any interaction at all. Could it be a ghost from his own past lurking? Could it really be Abasi? Korofi was not interested in sticking around long enough to find out, but just as Abasi’s dark pelt caused him to stand out, so too did Korofi's pale sandy pelt against the golden grasses of the serengeti.

Having left the Pridelands and wandering to different prides, collecting information for Scar, which of course was completely not happening, Abasi was on the Serengeti now. Scar only wanted him out of the Pridelands, simple as that. However, as much as he didn't like leaving them all under Scar and Zira's reign, Abasi saw this as a good thing. It only allowed the dark lion to be solitary as was his nature; that and he could begin gathering allies to take back Pride Rock. Of course, no one else knew this. He never showed anyone his revolutionary tendencies. All they saw was a stoic and unemotional male who kept to himself. It made it difficult for possible rivals to read him. There were other things on the scarred lion's mind as well. His real home. After all, Abasi was not a born Pridelander. He knew that with his father dead, the usurping pride in The Beyond would need to be taken off his throne.

Abasi's steps came to a slow halt as he found a small watering hole. Taking a drink, thoughts on home then turned to his betrothed. He had not seen Imena since he and his father were forced to flee, and they had been quite young. They played a few times but Abasi had been a shy and serious cub, Imena was very much the opposite. The black lion's musings had then stopped. Sniffing the air, his head turned to look up and his eyes locked onto another male nearby. Well, who was this? Was he a threat or not? Abasi then stood up and slowly approached the other. He could see the other's light colored pelt against the grasses.

Stopping a good distance away, Abasi could see his face more clearly. He didn't think he'd seen him before. "I couldn't help but see you watching me... who are you?"

Korofi had spent limited time in the Pridelands in recent days. How else would he have met the dark king? But during that time, the ebony lion from his past had remained elusive. Years had passed since Korofi himself had left the mountain regions, and it was entirely possible that Abasi had no knowledge of the crimes the former had committed there. Still, Korofi made no attempt to conceal himself, or to back away. He stood firm as the other lion approached, proving to be considerably larger than the lean form of Korofi.

So he does not remember me, the lion thought to himself with secret glee. This was fortunate, and Korofi simply smiled in his narrow, glaring fashion. "I am no one, only a rogue. Is it a crime to watch others in unclaimed territory now?" He asked provocatively. Neither lion had any right to attack the other, but there was no law to stop them from ripping each other apart right there and then, if they felt like it. Korofi kept his distance, regardless. Any fight would not be a fair one for the smaller, paler lion. He was smart enough to know when muscle and threats would do him no good.

Instead, he merely inspected the black lion, tiny green pupils glancing over his unusual pelt. After a moment of silence, he decided to have a bit of fun. "But I know who you are," he said mysteriously, his smile spreading across his muzzle. "Abasi." He waited now for his suspicions to be confirmed, still standing as still as a statue, still not offering any information about himself.

Abasi watched warily as the other male answered him. He's a sly one, isn't he?' he thought to himself with a slightly raised brow. He was about to reply to the other when this rogue suddenly made a peculiar statement. He knew him? How was that possible? Abasi never or rarely socialized with anyone in or out of the pride (except for the still missing Fumbe). Unless this rogue just happened to only know of him and not personally. "Indeed? I don't recall seeing you about the Pridelands, so it's unlikely we've met before." After a brief pause, he asked, "Might I at least know who you are?" He didn't offer a name, yet. So there was still a chance of recollection or mistaken identity.

It was indiscernable of what Abasi's feelings or thoughts were with this odd potential acquaintence. Either way, Abasi had learned to not trust anyone. Even if it was someone from the past. It wasn't only the time he got his scar, his preference for travel and such had him run into many characters, some friend and some foe. He liked few well enough and trusted his own instincts, no matter what was told to him. At times his recklessness wasn't always the best course of action, but in his eyes, it got what he needed done. Other times, the black lion knew better than to jump headfirst without thought. It always depended on the situation and this one, was most certainly odd. He needed to find out first what this rogue's intentions were, if indeed he had any.

So the darker male waited silently for an answer, wondering just who this stranger was.

The darker male's expression remained neutral as he tried to deduce the odd situation, but Korofi couldn't wipe the sadistic grin from his sharp features. He liked having the upper paw in these situations, and apparently his memory served him well. The distance between the two lions was carefully maintained. There was no telling what the other would do if he remembered Korofi's former life in a territory far away. "Oh, no," he corrected with a dry laugh that ended in a sputtering cough. "I'm not a Pridelander. I have met the king, but I have no connections with them."

The sandy colored brute obviously did not take proper care of himself, from his dusty coat to his lanky form. He ate when he was starving and had to, or if prey was readily available (which was not usually the case). It was a pain to hunt alone, but he also wouldn't lower himself to be a scavenger. So genetics and a poor diet left much to be desired in the aging lion's physique. Even his mane had grown thin in some places. He could still overpower a lone lioness, but he knew better than to cross Abasi. The ebony lion was likely to best Korofi in a fight, so the latter had no intention to pick a fight.

Still, this would not stop Korofi from having a bit of fun. If Abasi had remembered his old name, then that would be a different matter, but since he did not, Korofi didn't feel inclined to share it. Perhaps the forgotten name would have brought back memories: bloody memories of Korofi's crimes against his own. "As I said, I am a lone rogue, a traveler. And how did I know who you are?" Mischief flashed behind his otherwise dull green eyes. "Perhaps I can read your mind. Maybe I know what you're thinking at this very minute. For instance, I know you're not a Pridelander by birth, only by circumstance." He grinned defiantly.