! Poco 90% (Vandal) Dwarfism

Poco was born 9.29.15 She is the 5th known dwarfie in Lioden. :3
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Poco's mother was once a lioness of Kadek's den. His cruelty toward her, and toward the other lions around her, was more than she could bear. Fearing that she would be killed like so many others, she fled. Her new pride, led by Onske, was much more tolerable, for though he had a sense of evil about him, he was not cruel. She became pregnant, and eventually birthed a litter of cubs.

Though her joy of having a new home turned to ash in her mouth; she must have been tainted from Kadek's cruelty, for all her cubs were mutated! One was like snow with pink eyes that seemed to find it hard to see. Another had flopped ears that found it hard to hear. But the worst, the cub that tormented her so, was a stunted thing, hardly able to stand, and it barely moved around.

She could not bear to tell Onske of this failure, did not want him to see her ruined litter... she took the dwarf, Poco, to the edge of Kadek's territory around the time she knew he would patrol that particular area. She left Poco there under a leaf-barren tree, and hid nearby. She wanted him to smell her, to know that this monster was his fault... she expected him to kill the cub out of vengeance, or disgust.

However, when Kadek found the little mutant cub, mewling sadly, alone out there... killing it was the last thing that he did. She watched as he looked around, clearly knowing who had dropped off the cub. Maybe it was to spite her, but he picked the cub up almost delicately, and vanished back into the tall grass.

That was the last mother and daughter saw of each other. Kadek raised the dwarfish lioness with the help of a few lionesses in his pride. He took a liking to her, because of her darkness, because of her differences, and because of her fiery spirit. Despite being small, and seemingly weak, she was a cunning little creature with a black heart that matched Kadek's easily. Kadek was waiting for her first breeding day, and they agreed to meet under the tree she had been found at. While Poco waited alone, however, Onske came to the spot that Poco's mother had once left the dwarf. After all, he had secretly followed her, and then kept tabs on Poco. She was his daughter, after all. Before Kadek got there, Onske approached Poco...

When Kadek arrived, Poco was shamefully hiding herself. They talked briefly, and he smelled another male on her. She confessed that a "star-covered lion" had descended upon her, swiftly and thoroughly.... Kadek thought she meant Apademak had come to her, and took this as a good omen. He also coupled with her, and they returned to the pride.

However, when the cub was born, Poco knew.. she knew it was not Kadek's cub. The starry pattern splashed in its fur, the stars shining out from its eyes... this was the cub of the starry lion that had come upon her. She knew that within this cub lay a mutation, but hardly what it was. It was like her, different, but at least it was not short of leg. She presented the cub to Kadek who seemed overjoyed that it was star-ridden, "another good sign!" he had said...

Poco hoped that Aekina, the blind one, had no visions of her and this cub. She was sure that Kadek would kill them both if he knew the cub was not his, that the stars belonged, not to the self-proclaimed god of lions... but to the king who had taken in that lioness years ago....

Poco joined Aekina's hunting party in recent times, not only to keep an eye on Aekina, but to build up her strength, and her ability to kill. One day, she might have to fight Kadek to save herself and her cub. She wanted to be ready.