Efah had tried to slip away to follow an odd vision. Scents, mostly, and white -- but Efah recalled the scents as similar to a path entering Doma, from her mother's travel into the pride territory, and now she followed the scent-vision herself, sighing when she found the source. The area was large enough to congregate in, and there was scent of others, recently too, but much of the grass and brush was ample hiding, and the lioness paused in the space, nose twitching in confusion as she looked around pensively, feeling watched.

She knew she wasn't alone here -- she felt their eyes -- but she also didn't wish for them to feel attacked, and so she reached an impasse several moments, sighing before a familiar voice caught her ears.

"Efah?"

The darker female turned to see Zephirin drawing close, a larger white and grey lion following calmly behind as Zephirin drew close, and Efah nodded, ears alert.

"I... I smelled something to draw me out here." Efah admitted. Zephirin nodded, the pale male glancing around before bowing his head politely.

"A pleasure. I am Elidibus." He introduced calmly. Efah lit up promptly, bowing back.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." And then she looked to Zephirin. "Where's your friend? And -- there's others nearby here, but..."

"Yangu is attending to seeking Zodiark." Zephirin soothed. "And this is close to where Jin and Ormr usually are..."

As if on cue, a black face peered out tentatively. looking to Zephirin, and then the pale form of Elidibus, then Efah before slowly the lion slipped out, Ormr sitting to look to Zephirin.

"We heard her coming and hid in case it was her mother." Ormr admitted. The yellow figure of Jin crept from the brush after him, snuggling close to her chosen mate anxiously as she looked around and calmed, sniffing.

"So what's going on, Zeph?" Jin asked, tail swaying. Ormr leaned into her as Zephirin smiled.

"Elidibus felt it would behoove us to plead with Efah's father for aid in getting her mother under control." Zephirin explained. Elidibus nodded.

"Nacht would exploit seers to find means to prove her words." He explained softly. "To prove she is in tune with the will of the gods -- how else but the use of a mortal child of a god?"

Efah was quiet, thoughtful before sighing.

"It might help. I don't know. I haven't seen father since I was very small -- and then after my siblings began leaving, mother just.... Slipped away with me." Efah frowned, Elidibus moving to rest his head on her shoulders reassuringly before Ormr considered.

"She's a god-child? She doesn't look much like any in the Kixingo..." Lrmr admittted. "Although I don't know how many gods there really are."

"Many." Jin admitted, studying the female intensely.

"I... Might know who her siure is."

There was quiet as eyes turned to Jin, the yellow female blinking at the sudden attention, before rising, dipping her claws in a puddle and then dark soil, beginning to scratch on a flat stone. Normally she might use the Aegnor'hini's classical symbols, but none here knew them, so she drew, slow and carefully before stepping aside.

"In our pride there's the four leaders - a male and emale each dedicated to internal and external affairs respectively. One of them is a goddess, an ascended mortal named Hakuna'jini, as old as our pride, and older. And to balance them is a god, Primitus. The lastIwas in my home -- before I fled to be with Ormr - rhey were a polyamorously mated pair. Primitus and Hakuna'jina have cubs in the pride. Hakuna is goddess of Perseverance. Primitus, Leadership. Their children... Idon't know what, but are named Valya, Talma, Galvus, and Quilde. She resembles Primitus best -- and most of that litter." Jin then sighed, looking to Efah.

"If I know anything, it is that your fgather won't like what Nacht is doing. If we go to him, we might be able to muster help."

Then Jin was quiet, Ormr nuzzling her softly. Going home meant she may not getto see him anymore, and the male pressed close to her quietly, grooming her ear in worry. Zephirin sighed, lookingthoughtful as Elidibus considered, then regarded theyoung pair nearby.

"We may need speak to him, yet, but --" Elidibus raised a paw. "Not alone,. Youknow the pride, my dear -- and we would not ask you work alone. We will all accompanyyou." Elidibus smiled kindly, and motioned. "As our affairs do not concern these Aegnor'hini, it is possible they might not mind overmuch passing folk seeking to appease one of their gods."

Zephirin nodded thoughtfully.

"They might. I onlyknow rumors thoiugh. Isn't that pride a collection of demons? A legion?"

"Not all." Jin coughed. "Not me, or my parents. Not most pale -- aside those whom prove demonic. And dark leopards. All else are sador largely -- we aid them, and they protect us., But I feel like my pelt is wrong siometimes. The only one of us five whom would be demons are Ormr and miss Efah." Jin admitted. Ormr snorted.

"Demon enough to me, my heart." He reminded. "To hear them guide youto whatyou are meant to be -- you'll reach that zenith. I know it." The male then rumbled, grooming his mate lovingly.Efah blinked at being included, however, head tilting.

"Me? Accompany?" She asked, confused.

"Why wouldn'tyou?" Ormr asked. "You clearly want to helpo. And it's your father."

"I do, and I do miss my father -- but mother may notice if I just vanish overlong. What if she suspects? She... Could do any number of terrible things." Efah sagged, looking at her paws sadly before Elidibus regarded her quietly.

"Does she frighten you so? To put her own child in such fear is.... Not normal, little one." elidibus said, quietly. "Even Zodiark and Hydaelyn love their children."

Efah trembled, nodding as she remained focused on her paws. Zephirin frowned, recognizing the panic response before sighing, drawing close to lean.

"None of us want to hurt or frighten you, Efah."Zephirin soothed. "We want to help."

Efah nodded, pressing her face into the smaller cat anxiously, ears pinned, and Elidibus sighed, looking to Ormr. So much fear from most of those present -- Jin and Ormr fearing loss of one another, Efah fearing hr mother... It concerned him, but the male was not botheed. Instead, an ear flicked thoughtfully.

"Ormr, have you considered joining Jin's pride?" It was a question seeming from nowhere, and Ormr startled, blinking atthe other lion in confusion.

"Me? In the Aegnor'hini? But what if they realize I'm more like a dragon? What if--"

"Oh, do be reasonable, now." Elidibus chuckled. "To lead, one needs sense. The leaders may not even mind the two of you. You don't know unless youtry." Elidibus smiled, before looking to Efah as Jin made a considering noise, before leaning against Ormr. It was a nice thought, one she valued, even as Ormr considered as well, then groomed his partner.

"Efah, yoiu are far safer with us, than if your mother has a flight of fancy and decides to put her plans into full motion. I for one, can more than easily handle her until Lord Zodiark and Lady Hydaelyn arrive with Plouton and Yangu." Elidibus offered. Efah blinked, ears pricking.

"Who is Hydaelyn?" She asked. "And Plouton?"

Elidibus laughed.

"Our Master's mate and son, that's whom. Although, Plouton seems most taken by miss Yangu. Surprisingly so." Elidibnus shrugged, Jin giggling as Zephirin shrugged.

"You just advised a love-struck pair from two prides to just stick to the female's pride." Zephirin noted. Elidibus smirked.

"Would the Goddess of Love not want lovers to be in one another's loving paws?" He asked softly. Then he motioned. "As for my advice, would not the God of Fathers wish a father reunited to his child?"

"That's her grandsire." JKin giggled then, Elidibus lighting up.

"See? I merely voice the will of the gods. They do not always seek a grandoise master plan -- but sometimes simple, little things even the mortals seek. It is impossible to please all gods, despite Nacht's fractured thinking, but it is best to focus on those who's wills benefit more souls."

Efah nodded, rising slowly before a snarl caught the five's ears, eyes turning to spy a black female drawing near. Efah immediately huddled low in alarm, and elidibus moved wqith a speed even Zephirin did not know him capable of, positioning himself between the party and the advancing form of Nacht, the female clad in bones and a red dyed skull mask.

"Really, Elidibus? Feeding my daughter lies?" Nacht hissed. "And where are your accoutremont? Your mask?"

"I need it not." Elidibus hissed cooly, paws planted firmly in the ground as he narrowed his eyes. "As foir what I speak, I'm not the one whom stepped out of our Master's lessons before they completed, or you would know this, as well. And I promise you, he will not be pleased, Nacht."

Nacht shifted, trying to move around the pale male, and Zephirin suddenly shot to help block the trio behind them with a burst of speed, eyes locked on Nacht sharply.

"Be still, witch. We will not suffer you destroying another pride, more lives."

"Destroying?" Nacht sneered. "Your pride welcomed those dragons back amidstthem. Just because you lot were exiled--"

"There were other ways to end a war than to plant the seed of chaos in an aging leader." Zephirin snarled.

"Well it's not my fault he's a doddering old fool. I make things better! You lot made things worse. That's what the smallfolk do. You make everything worse." Nacht sniffed. "Egah, come here, now. Stop hiding behind those idiots and the smallfolk. We have a responsibility to the gods."

"Leave her alone." Jin's tone was a sudden, deadly low snarl, eyes turning on the lioness with a look of regard. A look very much reading the other female's movements as she bared her fangs, Ormr blinking athis mate in surprise. So. Was this the demon she could be...? It was...

'Beautiful.

Nacht eyed Jin in boredom, sniffing.

"Oh, what do you know? You're barely an adult." She sniffed. Jin grinned toothily.

"I know much and more. I was birthed in a prife blessed with gods, taught to heed the voices within. I may be a sador, but Iam better than some common, insufferable rogue who seeds trouble." JJin then bared claws, Nacht considering, then yawning.

"How frightfully boring. And arrogant you are. What proof0-"

Jin moved beside Elidibus, head raising firmly.

"Myhome is the Aegnor'hini, the demons and those theyaccept. My mother came to my homeland with my father and found my kin -- my cousins, my aunt, the tales of my grandmother -- great grandsire -- and of hisd sire, and I am of the blood of a god, the very same god you dfecieved into beddingyou." And there was silence as Jin grinned, stalking for Nacht sharply. "You are of no godly blood. You are a rogue, a wandering whelp."

Nacht tensed, before snarling back, the lioness narrowing her eyes before Jin's tail twitched -- just enough for Ormr to read her and the male blinked, moving and whispering to Zephirin.

"She's buying us time to take Efah and run." He murmured. Zephirin blinked.

"Wait, what? But she knows where the Aegnor'hini might be." Zephirin responded. Elidibus frowned.

"We can sort this out later." He responded softly, and nosed Efah softly, the female shaking violently, but accepting the male's nudge as a sign to move, creeping to slip away as Ormr slipped for the brush, Zephirin following.

Jin remained offensive, circling with Nacht as the pair saught an opening on the other, eyes watching the other female as they waited. Bade time.

Efah slipped after Zephirin and Nacht looked, and Jin lunged, clamping her jaws down on Nacht's leg roughly before Nacht snarled, jumping away -- or trying as Jin remained attached. Nacht roarted, swiping at Jin aggressively, and Jin released to duck, Nachy moving to attack in return, claws siping the female's side. Jin only beamed, clashing with Nacht with a wild laught on her maw.

"Yes! Fight me -- fight to live, to hunt, to see dawn!@" Jin crowed. "Fight me and know your master!"

Nacht snarled, lunging when Elidibus suddenloy moved, tackling her away from Jin roughly as he turned to herd the female away, Jin allowing it as she laughed mockingly at Nacht, the dark lioness hissing sharply, but when she tried to chase, she stumbled, and was forced to lift the injured leg.

"Damn you all!" Nachty snarled. "I'll kill you!"

"And explain tyo Master Zodiark you attacked his Emissary, I'm sure." Elidibus responded. Nacht froze, huffing as the two slipped into the brush, moving throughto catch upo to the others. Ormer breathed and moved, nuzzling his matye lovingly before offering his bulk to help her move, and Zephirin took a position beside yjrm yp drtbr sd lookout asd Elidibus gently moved to help Efah, a low, quiet tumble the only comfort her risked as the group began their journeythe difficult path -- under brush and cover, but to move towards the Aegnor'hini nonetheless.