Naeem, Kesia, Keyara, Mashaka
Naeem kept an eye on his sisters as they moved through the area. It was one that they went to quite often in the winter time in order to stay warm since most of them took their fur and such after their mother's cheetah lineage and craved the warmth. Naeem thought himself the protector of his sisters, though, so he kept his golden body between them and any could be danger as they walked along the heated ground.
Mashaka had taken a lot after the snow leopard from her father's side, so she found the warmth of the area to be slightly uncomfortable. She had adjusted to all of the different temperatures, not wanting to be away from her siblings to seek a cooler environment. She trudged along with them.
Kesia and Keyara wrestled around and frolicked as they moved through the area, allowing their brother to lead them as they played around.
Tuini & Autumn Sun
Autumn Sun followed her leader's gaze. Under the glare of the bright sun above, her coat nearly glowed in golden richness. An orange tinge and her unusually large size suggested she was not full lion, despite having the general body structure of one. "Curious, I don't know that I've seen them before." Not seeming to care that they were outnumbered, Autumn sent out a low roar, letting her voice carry the distance to the strangers.
Naeem, Kesia, Keyara, Mashaka
The wind changed directions and all of a sudden it wasn't just the stale scent of other animals that had been there days before that filled the nostrils of Naeem. Immediately, his head was lifted and he began to look around the area cautiously. There were other felines there somewhere but by the time the scent had reached him, the wind had changed again. It wasn't until he heard the roar that he could pinpoint the direction the smell was coming from. He took in the sight of the two large felines and his body tensed. They didn't normally come into contact with others if their own kind.
Kesia and Keyara paid no attention to the scent that the wind carried their direction as they had started a game of tag around the volcanic vents, enjoying themselves without a care in the world. At least until they too heard the loud roar that announced that they weren't alone. They hurried back to their brother, both staying in almost perfect step with each other.
Mashaka stood nearby her brother, shaking her head slightly at her sisters' antics but being on guard herself. When it became clear that the others were unknown to any of them and that they were definitely approaching them, she pulled back her lips to show big teeth as she hissed in hopes of getting them to leave while kicking up the volcanic ash at them with her massive paw.
Tuini & Autumn Sun
Autumn Sun had laughed quietly to herself to see Kesia and Keyara romping with one another, appearing and disappearing through the heavy steam that poured from the many vents of the heated land. They reminded her of kittens, and she felt the sudden urge to bounce forward and join them in their play. She didn't of course; the liger knew such an intrusion would be seen as an attack, and she wasn't keen on making enemies of these strangers. Besides, Tuini seemed to have a plan of his own.
The flash of teeth from Mashaka did little to discourage Tuini. It did, however, get the lion to stop a respectable distance from the four. "Now, now..." His voice carried out in a deep rumble, fitting for the powerful creature that he was. "I'm not here to make snacks out of anyone. At least, that's not my intention." He let that subtle threat linger at the end, just to make it clear that he could attack if he were so provoked. "Pardon my interruption, it's just that I don't often come across other big cats. At least not out this way, and not... of such breeding."
Autumn Sun had stepped up to his side now, the big female nearly eclipsing her smaller counterpart. "Are you Shadow Haunters?"
Naeem, Kesia, Keyara, Mashaka
Kesia and Keyara had stopped their game as soon as it had become clear that they were no longer alone. The whole group of felines were little more than adolescents, but they had been on their own and fending for themselves for months already. Their mother wasn't much for groups, though the four of them found that it seemed more comfortable for them to travel together. Maybe it was their mixed lineage that kept them from being solitary creatures like their mother, the two young females didn't know but they both felt a little better being surrounded by their littermates now that they were confronted with these new cats.
It was Naeem who stepped up to be the voice of the group. He had always been the undisputed leader of his sisters, so he stood a half a step in front of his sisters, between them and these new possible threats. They weren't used to other cats, only each other. So he was a bit on edge. The threat from the larger male wasn't lost on him either. "We've never come across other big cats. You two are the first we've actually come into close contact with aside from our mother." He explained, being young, he didn't have quite the diplomacy that he had the potential to exhibit, but he hadn't needed it.
"What is a Shadow Haunter?" It was Mashaka that had asked in response to the other female's question. She was still on edge, ready to fight if she needed to in order to protect her siblings, but she was holding tight for now. They said they weren't looking to harm them after all...
Tuini & Autumn Sun
Tuini's focus shifted to the single male of the bunch that stepped forward ever so slightly. He was slender like his siblings, with his coat being a curious, pale gold that utterly lacked any other contrasting markings. Only his tail bore any spots, making Tuini wonder what kind of lineage this group carried. Whatever it was, and wherever the came from, it didn't seem they held any allegiance to the Haunters. And that eased Tuini's mind, and emboldened his earlier plan.
"Ahhh, I see, I see." The African lion murmured in acknowledgement. "Let me be the first to introduce myself then; my name is Tuini, son of Martimoor and Paranorma, of the Makucha pride. And this-"
The male turned his head and Autumn took her cue and spoke up, "Autumn Sun. Daughter of Mohan and Dusquei." Continuing on Tuini's lead, Autumn Sun elaborated, "The Shadow Haunters are a clan of mixed creatures, hell-bent on enslaving this land under their rule. Enemies of you and I." The liger could see the tension riding in Mashaka's muscles, and the clouds of frosted air that rose in puffs with each anxious breath the smaller feline took. "There's no need to fear Tuini and I, as long as you aren't Haunters. In fact, this could be a great opportunity for you." She side-glanced to her leader, and the look she got from him bade her to continue, "You can join us, and become Makucha... before the Haunters discover you."