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~Newborn cub dialogue~
Lunga watched over her precious newborn. She was the only one in the litter, but she was like a gift from Hell itself, in her mother's opinion. Those vile eyes! That powerful frame! She had everything Lunga ever wanted in a prized daughter! It was almost too good to be true. At last, the sacrifices, the prayers, the damning acts of evil had blessed her with little Lisha, one of the absolute best daughters of Isiphepho. She vowed that her little girl would grow big and strong, mighty enough to hold her own against even a primal male. And when Lunga's time had come, she would carry out the tradition of chaos and secret bloodshed...
~Cub dialogue~
This cub is curious of you, but also extremely wary. Things must have gone wrong around here; the local river has swollen red, as if with blood and clay, and it even smells bad. Could there be rust in the water? What if there were weapons used to kill lions resting at the bottom, hidden from view, poised to snag you if you entered it? You wisely keep your distance and do not approach. No, whether to drink or to cross, even crocodiles do not dwell here. You do not even see the fin of a single fish be it day or night in this location.
The young cub, on the other hand, is at peace here but she is in training. She is practicing something, chanting in a low voice and checking on different things. It looks like she's trying to see if sticks are set on fire, or if rocks are moving, or if even the wind and water are reacting to her. Maybe she's touched with demonic powers...and if that's true, there's nothing you should do around her right now. For all you know, if she feels threatened enough, she could jump right into that red water and summon some kind of monstrous spell!
~Adult dialogue~
Where the river runs red like blood, you see this decorated broodmother protectively laying beside the cubs in the nursery. They all look content and healthy, yet this lioness is slightly bigger than the rest; her muscles flex as she stirs, sitting up and then standing to move closer to you and get your scent. As soon as she picks up on it, she gently smiles at you and then returns to her position, curled around the children. She relaxes, knowing you're not here to hurt them or her.
"Greetings," she says softly. "I'm Lisha. Come by for a chat or looking for another girl? I might have some time to spend with you, alone, when I get a break from my duties. The role of a broodmother is never done, you know? They say among the two-leggeds, 'It takes a village', and for us, it's the whole pride. Every girl and boy born has aunts, uncles, mother, father and a legion of siblings." She chuckles then. "Would you like me to show you around? Some of the land is treacherous. I wouldn't step into those red waters if I were you..."
With such a seemingly innocent greeting, you either decide to take her up on her offer or politely excuse yourself to find a lioness...less disarmingly charming than her. You swear that you can smell blood on her breath whenever she exhales.
~~
Sole cub of Lunga's third litter, "Lisha" is the Swahili word for nourish, due to her unexpectedly perfect balance for a broodmother despite her hardcore appearance. Brought up to revere demons and dark forces, she was a completely fearless guardian of the children, which accounted for both her ability to dispatch rivals and prey without hesitation, and she seemed detached and unfeeling during those intense moments. Even her own resting place, along the bank of an ominous red river, was like an omen of fate joining at the worst possible instance. It seemed to spell doom and destruction to all who entered those waters...but Lisha, hearing the whispers of demonic entities and dead souls, was forever safe there, as were the cubs in her care.
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