The Unofficial King

The unclaimed territory south of the jungle had been home to the large tan lion for several months now. He was Nako, the unofficial king of the Ashlands, which were an unofficial kingdom. He had already deduced that without a pride, he wasn't much a king, but it wasn't for want of trying. Occasionally, a rogue would wander into the ashy territory, but they were always just passing through. Sometimes they would stay for a day or two to rest, assured by the docile lion that he was no threat to their safety. But eventually, without fail, they would continue on their way. Often, they wouldn't even bother to say goodbye. They were simply gone. Most days, however, Nako saw no one else of his kind. Weeks would pass slowly with no one to talk to but his own reflection in Kalamsha Creek, which ran clear, despite the prevailing ash.

He knew that he was lucky to have the kingdom he affectionately called the Ashlands. His father had traveled his entire life searching for a territory to call his own. So despite the loneliness, Nako did his best to keep his spirits up. He would play games of his own creation, like Ash Monster... Which basically entailed rolling around in the gray ash until he was totally covered in it and running around like a wild lion, roaring and snarling and carrying on like a cub at play. Since there was no one else around to see his silliness, there was nothing to stop Nako from acting so. That day, he had enjoyed (sort of) an hours-long game of Racing. As one might imagine, racing against himself was hardly rewarding and barely entertaining. He would run along the creek, up and down, until he got tired.

It was hardly a thrilling existence, but it was a one of autonomy and freedom. It was late in the afternoon when Nako had used up all of his energy, and he collapsed carelessly beside the creek. His breathing was haggard with exertion. If Nako had suspected he was being watched, he probably would have collected himself, but he remained oblivious. "Good game," he said under his breath.. to himself. If he didn't hear his own voice, then it was very likely he would hear no voices at all. It was lonely, but it could have been much worse. This knowledge brought an unconscious smile to his features as Nako rolled onto his back, exhaling a long, drawn out sigh.

Baset had been traveling for a long time and with each new climate change, it baffled her. She was a sturdy lioness and capable of taking care of herself, but she had grown up in the Pridelands. So she had been babied when it came to environments. Along her travels she had encountered rocky, uneven terrain, boring, flat savannahs and barren deserts which had been inhabited by some pretty unfriendly lions - so combined with that and the generally unforgiving territory, Baset had been pretty quick to leave the desert landscape in order to return to the familiar, boring savannah and is sparse peppering of acacia trees.

But somehow, out of some sort of cosmic meddling, Baset had ended up in the middle of a flipping ash pit. Of all the time she had spent as a cub training to hunt and track prey, she couldn't of taken a break to learn a decent sense of direction? Of course, back then Baset hadn't ever really expected to ever have to leave the Pridelands, so she had only memorized the basic landmarks within the kingdom. Everything else was just a blur.

Picking her way through charred trees and bits of cinder, the golden lioness was trying her hardest to not get so much of it on her coat. Not because she was finicky, but because whatever did end up on her fur would eventually end up in her mouth. And from her little stroll through the fire-ravaged territory, she already had inhaled enough ash to make her throat raw and sore. She was desperately searching for some sort of water source, but it was hard to smell anything aside from the burnt landscape. So instead, she followed the newly forming shoots of grass and flowers, because hey, it was her best bet.

And surely, Baset had won the bet! After what seemed like hours of grueling labor (but was, in all reality, just a few moments), the golden lioness could hear the babbling of a happy little brook! Letting out a shrill squeal of delight, Baset bounded forward, bursting through the grass and flowers to the creek's bank, kicking up dust and ash behind her. She splashed into the stream, happily lapping up the cool and crystal clear water. How heavenly this water was! Baset was positive she had stumbled upon some sort of utopia. She had expected any water she found here to be just as ashy as the rest of the land.

The golden lioness drank until her belly felt tight and lifted her head, licking the last few drops of water off her maw. And her eyes immediately found a very large lion, sprawled out across the opposite side of the bank. Talking to himself. Baset pursed her lips and took a few defensive steps back, her face settling into a scowl. "I wasn't playing any sort of game with you." She barked, green eyes never leaving the lion.

The sharp sound of an unhappy lioness jerked Nako from his distracted state. Across the creek, watching him, was a golden hued stranger. But the newcomer didn't look thrilled to see the hulking lion laying there. He remained on his back, paws dangling loosely in the air above him. From his position, the lioness was upside down, but how could she be so haughty when the lion was in such a silly state? His mouth fell open in surprise before his expression changed to one of embarrassment. A sheepish smile appeared. He rolled onto his side and pushed himself to his paws, revealing his true stature and size. He called out across the babbling brook, stumbling over his words: "Well, I didn't see you-- that is to say, I had no idea.."

But he had no excuses for himself, and he ducked his head with a rather shy smile that seemed ill-suited to such a massive creature. "I'm sorry. I'm usually much more aware of what's going on around here. I should have come to greet you." From the harsh expression on her face, however, Nako could see that the lioness wasn't exactly thrilled to see him. He kept his distance, hoping that she would not feel threatened. His tone was bright, friendly, a sharp contrast from the gray territory. Her green eyes were narrowed and they never left the lion. Many lionesses behaved this way upon meeting Nako, and he didn't take offense. Being a lioness in a lion's world was probably not easy.

"If you're worried about other lions, I'm the only one you'll have to deal with here. I'm Nako. This is the Ashlands." Despite the dreary scenes that the lioness had passed through to reach Kalamsha Creek, Nako seemed proud when he offered the name of the territory. He didn't know what it was called before he arrived. No one else was living there when he found the land, and nobody else had decided to stay, save for Nako. It wasn't the most attractive kingdom, but it was home. He had already gotten used to the ash. Now if he could only convince another to stay... And he would certainly try.

Baset pursed her lips. Had she come off as being grumpy? She totally came across as being grumpy. He's the first lion she's seen in days and she goes off on him and he hadn't even noticed her presence, so she really had no reason to be so aggressive. It seemed he had only been goofing off, something Baset herself was wont to do every now and then, and she had to go and criticize him for it. Hadn't she just squealed with delight and practically skipped to the stream the moment she noticed it? Such a hypocrite! The stranger probably already hated her and it was only .5 seconds within meeting each other.

Baset shuffled her paws sheepishly, dropping her defensive posture but she still didn't step any nearer. "It's okay, I mean I must have hit my grumpy bone on the way over here..." She trailed off from a mutter, cringing inwardly. Despite her coarse approach, this lion was still being so friendly! Guilt slowly began to seep into Baset's conscious and she offered her own sheepish grin. Then he stood up.

Holy crap. This guy was huge.

The golden lioness regarded him warily yet again. She wasn't usually so suspicious of others but after traveling as a loner for so long, it got to be a habit. The last time she tried to be friendly to a stranger, she'd gotten a few clumps of hair pulled out and had to make a hasty retreat. She didn't want any more bald spots, so she learned her lesson. "The Ashlands? Here? Nooo," She snorted rolling her eyes. "the name so doesn't fit." Baset waved her paw at the lion, cackling. Her laughter tapered off awkwardly. "Um, I'm Baset. Nice to meet you." She grinned sheepishly. That was strike number two, right? First she yells at him, then she makes fun of his home. "I make a great first impression, don't I?"

Nako watched from across the water. The lioness appeared nervous again when the lion rose to his full height, and he frowned. It was a common reaction. Nako wasn't offended, only puzzled. There had to be a reason the lioness was so distrustful, and Nako could guess it had to do with past experiences with other lions. Despite his curiosity, he was not the type of lion to ask prying questions. If she cared to tell him, then he would know. It wasn't his business anyway. Anyone looking for a safe passage would be allowed, no questions asked.

She teased about the name Nako had bestowed upon his discovered kingdom, and he had to laugh as well. "Well, to be honest, I did consider Nakoland but it didn't have quite the same ring to it," he said with a playful grin. "No worries, Baset," he reassured, testing out her foreign name on his tongue. He didn't know what her moniker meant, but he still thought it suited her. It was exotic and interesting, like the pelt of the golden lioness. Her eyes were a shade of green that reminded Nako of his neighbor, the jungle, and all of the beautiful things that grew there. But her scent wasn't strongly indicating that she was a Lowlander. Even from a distance, he guessed she had been to many places before happening upon his slice of the world.

"In any case, I know these lands are a little rough and can cause sneezing fits, but it's a safe place for travelers. There isn't another lion from here to the other edge of the valley." He nodded towards the south to indicate that the Ashlands extended further in that direction. "There's plenty of water, and some herds migrate through here so you can help yourself. You catch it, it's all yours." A wide grin crossed his muzzle. Nako was proud to share with a stranger in need.

Baset snorted. Okay, she'd been to quick to judge. This Nako guy seemed alright. He hadn't responded to her aggressive greeting in a similar way and had tried his best to diffuse her tension. And well, it worked. Baset looked at the golden-tan lion across the stream, regarding him, but not as suspiciously as before. He was big, no doubt about that - with broad shoulders and a very pronounced chin. Although his hulking stature on any other lion would seem similar, Nako seemed...disarming. Baset liked that.

Reclining onto her haunches, the golden lioness was visibly more relaxed. She let her scowl fade and peered across the stream at her company. "It's a big relief to finally be somewhere welcoming," She said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she thought about all the other kingdoms she'd happened upon during her travels. They had been a bit less understanding than Nako here. "Waitaminute - you're the only one here?

Baset gasped. If he was the only lion here in the entire territory, that must mean - "You're the king!" She sprang up immediately, splashing through the stream before throwing herself down into a low bow at Nako's feet - which subsequently meant that Baset was kneeling in the water. "I-I'm sorry Nako - Your Highness - I -- I didn't know you were the king! I mean, you were just flopping around in the ash - " Baset suddenly realized that bringing up royalty's behavior when they thought they were alone probably wasn't in good taste. She snapped her jaw shut and straightened up, a peculiar look on her face. "I guess you really should have named the place Nakoland, huh?" Baset sort of chuckled. "Oh account of you being the only one here. Ha ha haaaa...."

Baset winced. Smooooth.

Yes, Nako had heard that before. It seemed few kingdoms were as welcoming as the newly formed Ashlands, which was their loss, and maybe Nako's gain if he played his cards right. He wasn't the type of lion who was interested in gathering a harem. The Ashlands would be a pride that accepted anyone who really wanted a home rather just than a place to pass through. Then it occurred to Baset that the lion before her was, in essence, the king of the lands. She hurried across the creek and Nako looked surprised. When she bowed, he looked embarrassed. "Well, I mean, what kind of king am I, with no one but myself to lead? There's no need for this, Baset, honestly."

His expression remained shy as he shook his head, lowering himself down so his belly touched the ground. Now they were eye level, and a creeping smile formed on his muzzle. "Regardless, the first new law of the Ashlands is please, don't ever do that again. No bowing required here." The wide grin was deliberately replaced with an expression of feigned seriousness, and he sat up, urging her with a look to do the same. He then gave his most regal nod of approval and took on a sitting pose that he thought looked kingly, with his chest puffed out, ashy mane wild. By appearance, he looked rather like a maniac, but obviously looks weren't everything.

In truth, he had no idea what being a king was all about, since he had never been a member of a real pride with an actual home. Clearly he was making it up as he went along, with the rigidity and pomp that his supposed titled applied absent from the brute. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself about her Nakoland comment. "There's room enough here for more than one lion. You'd be surprised how many I've seen wandering through here. They're always going somewhere. But if you ask them where to? They don't know where, they just got to go somewhere else. Just a little further." He gave a faint shrug. "I've been beyond here. It's not that great."