Starbane

'He better not be grumpy.' Thought Starbane with a sudden pang of worry as he guided Likara through the maze of stonework to the fabled home of their most infamous 'River Monster'. After all the time he spent hyping up the alligator, Star worried that their temple guardian would be a near literal bump on a log.

"So this is Dima's Temple, and during times of war, we can send our pups, elders, and such here to keep them safe. Also, uh... it's also for Haunters that get in trouble." The liger didn't elaborate on that one, instead skipping over a crumbled pillar and easing to a halt at the edge of a large body of water. Unlike the moat that fed into this acre-large pool, the waters moved even slower, allowing for the growth of duckweed, algae, and a smattering of other water plants that made it near impossible to see the bottom of the pool. And smack dab in the center of it was a small temple, flooded up to its second level, where a staircase led to a flat, mostly opened rooftop. "You're not really allowed to go to the temple unless you're ordered to by Senka or Tersek, but it's not a hard rule. And this is where Dima spends most of his time - he's our biggest River Monster. Dima!"

Likara

Following in the pawsteps of Starbane, the she-cat scans the dilapidated structures with a prick of thought. Certainly the hidden area, protected by the fabled River Monster would provide a safe place for the young, mothers and elderly during times of peril. Likara teeters a bit on the crumbled pillar she follows Starbane upon, tail stiffening as she centers herself and gathers her balance. "Are we talking treachery or...Starbane level trouble?" Likara muses with a little purr, already knowing it wasn't a simple area of time out. The leopard blinks down at the murky waters, flicking her tail as she squints in an attempt to locate the magnificent Dima amongst the dark waters. Her search yields no results, hoping the creature comes in peace to Starbane's greeting. She isn't sure what to expect with the creature, but the curiosity makes her paws prickle. She can't help but feed that side of her amongst Starbane's presence.

Starbane & Dima

Pale eyes traverse the surface of the green-speckled waters for a second or two before he shifts his head and coasts a brief, sly look to his companion, "Little bit of both? Well, Oracle got in the most trouble, her and her brother. Took us cubs out exploring, I got caught by the Makucha and stolen for a bit, it was a whole ordeal..." His gaze was back on the water as he nonchalantly dropped that information, then trailed off when he finally spotted a stir in the water.

"Dima?" Starbane stood up, raising his massive dial and taking a cautionary step back. The water stilled again, but only for a few seconds before it parted before the pair, algae and duckweed giving way to a long, dark gray-green snout that broke the surface just feet away from where Likara stood. Two golden-yellow eyes flashed to the pair, larger and brighter than the orbs Starbane was expecting.

"Bluescale!" He purred, as the rest of the crocodile rose to the surface, until nearly all eleven feet of her scaly length was revealed. "Likara, meet Bluescale Blue, this is Likara."

"And here I thought I was getting dinner?" Bluescale's fang-lined mouth and immovable features made it near impossible to gauge what emotion played behind that comment, and whether it was meant as a jest or not. Even Starbane's purr weakened a little as he tried and failed to read the reptile. For a few tense seconds, silence hung palpable in the air until it was broken by the scaly beast, who wedge her front half up out of the water and stretched her stubby forelimbs out at either side. "Good to meet another face, Likara." The rumble that came from Bluescale sounded a little friendlier this time, somehow.

Likara

The leopard tilts her head to the side as she listens to Starbane's tale, blinking. "That certainly sounds terrifying," Likara mews. Her friend, nonchalant about his previous quarrels, simply gazes back at the murky waters on the ground. The she-cat purrs with amusement, sidling up beside Starbane to gaze down into the waters. Her hair stands up along her shoulders as the water suddenly breaks, Bluescale traversing to where the two cats stood. Likara presses briefly into Starbane before giving a little dip of her head towards Bluescale in greeting.

"Starbane might be dinner. Tersek wasn't too thrilled with his hide, it seems," Likara purrs, shaking off her surprise as she flashes a mischievous look at her companion. "Although, I presume he'd be wading around someone's stomach already if he was truly in trouble."