|
Born May 10th, 2023. Named "Calling" in honor of my friend, Callie's, birthday on that exact date.
~~~~~~
The small, oddly white and pink cub screeched in horror as her mother's dead, dried-up carcass was being fed on by scavengers. The albinoid cub roared furiously, making various loud noises from chrrows to hearty roars in attempt to scare off the flock of ravens and vultures. Her pink eyes glowed with hate and, if you looked close enough, tears. The ravens mocked her, squawking and cawing loudly as she sat there, helpless. Moments passed and the vultures continued picking at her mother's carcass. Ripping parts off. Eating. Digesting. Finally, the young albino cub gracefully clawed at one of the aves, peaking attention from the rest. Suddenly, almost in sync, the birds rose as a flock and began swarming her. Sharp beaks and pointy talons jabbed and nipped at her sides. When she was sure that every bird was on her, she started snapping their jaws, digging her claws into their feather bodies, and ripping their feathers off.
Moments passed and soon she was panting, injured, and in a pool of bloody, dead scavengers. Finally. Her mother's partially missing body was now left in peace. Winter's Calling padded to the body. Weak paw after tired paw, she reached it and began sobbing. Scars now bruised her body and what she had done didn't fix much. She dug a hole in silence and nudged the dull, still body of her mother into it.
Ever since that day, Winter's Calling had a passionate hate for pesky scavengers of all kinds. She enjoyed hunting them, brining back their carcasses for the pride to enjoy. She loved to lounge in the nursery, playing with the cubs as well as looking out for them. She continued that repetitive routine until one morning when her father, Stolas, had informed her of the event of championships! Calling roared in joy, her pink eyes would shine as she joined Stolas to see them. Winter's Calling always wanted to participate in these but knowing that she can't, due to her being a female and such, she enjoyed just watching them. Her father noticed this and while he was away, exploring the vast territory, he met a female competitor. He was shocked, but accepting as his own daughter had dreams like that. The lioness's name was Pei`Kat, a sleek and mighty competitor. She had outstanding skills but due to not matching up with the weight and size requirements, she was in competitions less frequently. Stolas had informed Winter about this, enjoying her bright smile. Both father and daughter trained daily, both clawing to the role of champion.
Finally, the day came. Winter was nervous, fidgeting with her paws as they waited in line. They both had the sign-up fees in paw, and the primal king just elbowed her playfully. "You'll do well, Winter." Lions after lions signed up and got checked to see if they met requirements. Sometimes, there were a few who were too "skinny" or "lean" and got prevented from entering. Winter was quite sleek and lean but after weeks of training, she had strong legs and muscles in her hind legs, front legs, and shoulders. Even with those details, they couldn't possibly compare with those of her dad's or the other competitors. She hung her head slightly, averting her eyes as she dully stared into space. She would never make it, as expected, but father told her to try anyways. Soon, it was the lioness in front of her's turn. She was well muscled, not lean at all and perfect for the harsh battles in the competition. "No, you're a female." The lion who was taking the fees growled. The lioness snapped, "I am Blizzard the Hazardous. How *dare* you say such a thing? The rules clearly state that if a female meets the male requirements, they should be able to enter." She flexed her claws, digging them into the rough rock. "...You may enter." The lion hissed, flicking his tail in irritation.
|
