Deathlord of the Jungle

=======B A C K G R O U N D========

Sod's young cub memories are a blur to him. He sees a loving (or maybe unloving?) mother and a father which he couldn't piece together a face for. He does remember, in his oldest memory, that he was alone. It was dark and the weak pale green blades of grass swayed in the shallow wind with the male's fur. He remembers tears.. strolling down from his eyes to meet at his chin. Sod's stomach was badly wounded and bleeding incredibly quickly.
Then, a dim light entered his life; saved him from the darkness.
From under the tree from where Sod laid, a charming white lioness has padded towards him. She took care of the male's wounds, licking and grooming him as if he was her own. Her name was Etrikleys, and she was alone, just like Sod.

Weeks pasted and Etrikleys watched as Sod grow into a formidable adolescent male. She taught him how to hunt; how to hide himself low along the grass and how to stake out behind or in large bushes. Sometimes, Etrikleys would leave Sod for multiple days at a time.

Etrikleys had been gone for almost a week now, leaving Sod to hunt and learn more skills on his own. Sod made his way back to the den, and upon entering, was Etrikleys's beautiful white pelt soaked in blood.
"Red puddle," Sod called it, naming the substance in what the beautiful, beautiful, Etrikleys was laying in.
For many days and nights, Sod cried and huddled next to her carcass.

And even now, after so many years, you can still sense the beautiful lioness's blood on his pelt.