Bonds as strong as Time [[For LoneDigger and Myself]]

[Full_Moon_Rising]

"Ha! Bigger than me, you say? My Prince, that is highly unlikely. I would never allow you to shame my lioness pride if you overtook me in height one day. I might even die of shock" Hiyori purred out a somewhat loud laugh.

 

While perhaps one day Dakari might very well grow taller than her, Hiyori would never admit to it so willingly. The Prince was cocky enough and she didn't want to have him filling his mind with even more things that would have his ego grow too big for him. Until the day came when Dakari could actually back the words he spoke, Hiyori had every intention of teasing him endlessly to her heart's content.

 

"Of course, she was" Katsu chuckled as he watched the younger pair with amused exasperation in his voice.

 

Honestly, as if his sister, his followers and Kisame weren't enough, adding Dakari to the bunch would probably drive him into an early grave. Not literally, of course. He was just pleased that his sister and the young hyena were getting along rather well despite their time apart and the obvious animosity of their animal spirits.

 

"I would say so, having a Prince spend his entirety in the palace gardens would be quite the thing for talk. As much as we're destined to fight and protect you, I don't think I'd be willing to draw blood for a Prince who knows only about frolicking amongst flowers" Hiyori remarked lightly, eyes gleaming in mischief. "How about you, brother?".

 

"I can't say....it would definitely be hard to rise the motivation to charge into war if my Prince didn't know the first thing about politics and battle preparations" Katsu responded with a small teasing grin of his own as he added "Heck, Prince Dakari might end up simply throwing flower petals at the enemies as opposed to lifting a sword or baring his canines with reason".

 

"Right? That's what I'm saying. And if that were to happen, I'd prefer to sit back and watch the flower petal throwing scene take place. It should be hilarious" his sister giggled while winking playfully at the young hyena they were taking turns teasing as gently as they could.

[LoneDigger]

"Hahah, very funny! But neither of you will be the ones laughing when the flower petals turn out to be poison~"

 

The cub grinned mischievously, acting out his imagination of the scene by snatching a flower from the vase arrangement on one of the tables -the ones he wasn't supposed to mess with- and plucking off the petals to toss up on the pair's heads. Decorating their hair with the soft velvety pieces. Though they were of course only rose petals and not the poison ivy he was pretending it to be.

 

"I'm the only one with the antidote, sooo if you want me to give it to you I suggest you better start recognizing me~"

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Scrunching his nose just a touch when Dakari managed to land rose petals not just on his hair but on his sister's as well, Katsu slowly felt a grin start to take over his features as he traded a viciously mischievous look with Hiyori. As a unit, the two seemed to nod at each other before both turned their eyes back on the Prince and didn't bother to hide their playful and amused expressions.

 

"Recognize you?" Hiyori asked playfully as she began to circle the boy on one side.

 

"How would you like us to recognize you, my Prince?" Katsu asked in an equally playful manner as he circled Dakari's other side.

 

The two moved in perfectly sync, each footstep, each twitch of the tail, the heightened level of toying nature in their expressions. It was a perfect reflection of their sibling. While Dakari had only just barely scratched the surface of who Hiyori and Katsu really were, by provoking them now in a clearly game filled manner, he was going to catch a glimpse of just what these two feline's could do when they decided to up the charm and mischief factor.

 

"While you are our Prince" Hiyori giggled, gazing down at him.

 

"You are still quite young" Katsu continued without missing a beat.

 

"And being that as it is" Hiyori added just after her brother spoke.

 

"There isn't much we can recognize you over-"

 

"-Aside from being the little Prince that loves to play in his garden-"

 

"-And be that as it is, recognition can not be given-"

 

"-To someone quite as adorable as you are-"

 

"-So I think we'd rather die of poisoning-"

 

"-Than give more recognition to that simple fact" Hiyori finished after the pair had once again reached each others sides after finishing circling the young boy.

 

"To put it more simply" Katsu added after a moment, leaning down somewhat so he could be eye to eye with Dakari, his face just small inches from the Prince's and his grin still vibrant and bright. "If you want our recognition, little one. You might just have to earn it. And being cute won't add any favors to your end".

 

"But don't worry" Hiyori put in, plucking a few rose petals from her brother's hair "I'm sure one of these days you might impress us...Of course that would probably be when you're far older, powerful, and wise.....Don't worry though, it'll be fine! You'll get there someday!" She cheerfully exclaimed, smiling down at Dakari and offering him a playful wink as she shook petals from her own hair.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari fought back laughter crawling up his chest at the sight of both felines covered in the rose petals. Instead, he just grinned widely watching the pair. It was as if he were expecting something, but that something was not what happened next at all.

He had never seen the two Sentinels moving in sync like this before. He had always thought they were close, yes...

But, they were still just brother and sister, right?

 

His warm brown gaze followed the two big cats movements, it was almost surreal how effortlessly they seemed to stalk around him.

Was this how they taunted their prey before pouncing on it? It did give the hyena a slightly sinking feeling, being surrounded on either side while the two seemed to flow together as one smooth voice.

 

The cub's ears and tail lowered slightly. He didn't want to turn his back on them, but yet by the time they were finished without even noticing how they had gotten in front of him so fast he was face to face with a pair of glowing blue eyes, a white flash of a teeth.

He too was smiling, but it was more in an unsettled manner.

Dakari finally relaxed again once the spell seemed to break, leaving the same old Hiyori and Katsu that he knew so well.

 

"I will be all that when I'm older! I'm already almost there... They made me study all morning!"

 

The prince informed the pair proudly, helping to remove one stubborn little red petal that had refused to be shaken off from the lionesses golden hair.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Chuckling at the proud little hyena and his declaration about studying, Katsu straightened once more and watched Hiyori grin when Dakari helped her clean herself off. His sister's green eyes gleamed with laughter as she reached out and gently cupped on of Dakari's cheeks in one of her palms. Her touch was gentle, never even holding the slightest indication of holding malicious intent and her eyes were soft as they watched the young hyena in front of them. For someone so prickly when it came to accepting people into their inner circle, Hiyori seemed to be quite taken with the Prince. Then again, so was Katsu, so who was he to complain about it.

 

"Did they now? Well then, you're well on your way to becoming a Prince we would gladly offer our lives to protect. Right, brother?" Hiyori asked, leaning her weight against her brother's side and took a moment to nuzzle his clothed chest in an affectionate manner. And still, her eyes remained on the Prince.

 

"You're right. Dakari will be an admirable leader in the near future. Let's hope he never loses that light that shines within his soul" Katsu mentioned while wrapping an arm around his sister's waist and holding her close.

 

As much as the cub was proud of all his a accomplishments so far, Katsu was curious about one particular thing. For no matter how much he studied and learned about politics and the mannerism required to rule a kingdom, the cub had to know how to defend himself as well. Lest what happened with Shiba tried to repeat itself once more in the future.

 

"Have they begun training you in combat practice, little one? Surely your parents have shown interest in teaching you how to successfully fight" Katsu asked, tilting his head curiously to one side.

 

Hiyori raised a brow as her brother mentioned a rather important topic. She too was curious about that. After the scare the cub had those couple of years ago, surely he had learned a thing or two when it came to fending off aggressors.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari melted a bit, Hiyori's hands were strong, but the touch against his cheek was nothing but tender. He had seen both sides of the lioness, the one that would make you wish you were never born and the side that was more... motherly and warm.

Despite the differences, and the fact that their spirit animals were natural rivals in the wild, he still felt nothing but fondness towards her.

 

Letting out a faint chirping sound of contentment, his eyes closed and his hand reached up to gently brush over Hiyori's, in pure acceptance of her affection.

When Dakari opened his eyes again he saw that Katsu and Hiyori had joined together again, pressed closely to each other's side. It was like an eclipse... the sun and moon joining together. Day and night, fire and ice...

 

The prince beamed at the praise from the felines, but yet there was something humbling about their faith in his greatness he found himself bowing his head slightly to show the weight that those words carried was felt, yet so appreciated.

The boy gave a firm nod.

 

"They have. But I want to learn more! They don't let me fight alone... Strength lies within the clan."

 

But that didn't help in the cases where as Katsu had rightly remembered with Shiba the prince had been alone a majority of that time and was helpless since not truly because he was just a cub, but he had never been taught how to handle himself alone. When it came to threats from within that was like a death sentence in of itself.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Smiling at the cub's reaction to her touch, Hiyori released a soft purr almost to answer the chirping he was making while leaning in just a bit closer to her brother. Eyes flickering up to lock with him for just the span of a heartbeat, Hiyori saw the answering warmth in Katsu's gaze and couldn't help it when her purring grew louder. Outside the Sentinels and their followers, the pair wasn't very accepting to outside people. While they could be polite and charming, they often didn't allow people under their mental and emotional walls. However, Dakari was different....in fact, he was turning out to be so different in so many ways and quite frankly, the siblings were happy to have met him. There was something special about the boy that they couldn't deny.

 

"Perhaps in most situations, strength does lie within your clan. However, your clan won't always be there to defend you throughout every scenario....You must learn to survive with your own strength if you want to thrive during your reign" Katsu remarked gently, soft blue eyes watching the boy with a healthy mixture of understanding and warmth.

 

"Brother is right. After all, the clan is only as strong as its weakest member.....and that right there can lead to complications" Hiyori added, resting her head against her brother's shoulder. "If you like, I'm sure Katsu wouldn't be opposed to training you. He's one of the strongest Sentinels we have and he could give you some valuable lessons to live by".

 

Blinking at his sister's suggestion, Katsu flickered his gaze from her then back down to Dakari and raised a thoughtful brow at the young boy. He wasn't opposed to what his sister had just said...but Dakari was still his Prince. Yes, he had aged a bit but he was still the gem of the kingdom. Katsu didn't want to accidentally hurt him especially when he knew the boy wouldn't stand the least of a chance against him in a spar. But if it was for Dakari's benefit, then they might as well give it a shot.

 

"As Hiyori said, I'm not against teaching you to fight on your own. But the choice is yours. If you choose to come under my tutelage, things won't always be easy and I won't always stop a lesson just because you don't understand. Under my care, you'll become a proud warrior....but you must be willing to learn without given up at the first sign of difficulty" the snow leopard spoke calmly while watching the young hyena in front of them closely.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari seemed to tilt his head to the side, perplexed by the snow leopard's words.

...Only as strong as the weakest member...?

He took that phrase to heart, it was never something he had ever even considered, being without his clan or even worse them being his own downfall. Right now he were probably one of the weaker ones still, and that couldn't be the case for the prince if he wanted to be a true leader.

 

"I want you to teach me... She's right about everything..."

 

As much as hyena hated to admit when a lioness was right. But in any case...

 

"You are the best this kingdom has, and has always had..."

 

At least for the young cub it was ever since he could remember that Katsu was Sentinel, so it made the snow leopard timeless in a sense.

He truly was a figure of admirance, because despite his status, Katsu always showed humility around the pestering cub's every request, never ignoring his questions no matter how silly they got.

Dakari looked over to the elder, trying to judge his reaction. It had been Hiyori's suggestion and not a direct offer from Katsu, would he really agree to train him?

 

"How could I give up? I want you, and everyone else, to see that I am a prince worthy of being proud of."

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Smiling lightly at the determination the young hyena cub produced when it came to wanting to be trained and being someone the kingdom and the Sentinels themselves could be proud of, Katsu exchanged a quick glance with his younger sister who grinned back at him before his eyes were once more on Dakari.

 

"If that is the case, little one, then we will start training bright and early in two days. I will send Natsume to retrieve you when the sun first peeks upon the horizon. Come prepared to give it your best on your first day. I will push your limits and test your endurance perhaps more than you'd be comfortable with.. but it is only to see how far I can take you before it becomes to dangerous. Remember, Dakari, this will be no game. If you want to make us all proud, then I will mold you into a Prince that will one day protect his people from anything that would seek to do them harm" Katsu finally consented calmly enough.

 

He had faith in the little one. While Dakari was still young and had much to learn about life, despite the lesson in trust he had already stumbled through, Katsu knew the boy would be capable of great things in the future. And if time gave him the chance to see the little cub become a King worth every fiber of his existence, then he'd know that he did a good job with him now. However, it was still up to debate on how long their training would have to be and just how much Dakari would be able to endure before learned to grow into the new skin, per say, that he was evolving.

 

"I will inform the King and Queen of this new development. I'm sure they'd be rather pleased to have you fall under the wing of one of their Sentinels. All in all, no matter what brother has in store for yoh....I'm sure you'll do just fine" Hiyori put in brightly, winking at the cub before her green eyes were lifting to scan around the sea of people in search of the two she was seeking.

 

Once they had been spotted, Hiyori quickly pressed a kiss upon Katsu's cheek and another against Dakari's forehead before she was strolling away towards her target, hips swaying in natural sensuality with every step she took.

 

"Go mingle with the others in the party, Princeling. I'm sure they are eager to be able to exchange words with you in this special time" Katsu suggested towards the boy lightly even as he watched his sister walk off.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari shifted anxiously in place, but it was a nervous excitement. He really wanted Katsu to agree to this idea, and he could already tell from the look inside the snow leopard's brilliant blue eyes that he was already saying yes.

As much as he wanted to just tackle the elder with a hug of gratitude, he knew that he was sadly, getting too old for that. The last time he had done a similar thing he had almost toppled someone over which was far from proper behavior for a growing prince.

He'd just have to keep his over the top affections to himself until he learned to control it, or use it for something more useful.

 

"Endurance... That's a word mother and father uses a lot."

 

The cub murmured out loud, he had taken the Sentinel's words to heart and he knew now more than ever after scuffling with the other before that this was no joke. That Katsu wouldn't treat him like a baby anymore if he were to prove he was something more than just a scruff of whining fur.

Already it seemed the hyena was growing larger and stronger by the day, just from doing things all young ones do, eat hard, play harder, and then sleep hard until the cycle repeated.

Even now however he was starting to get bored with his own games, his imagination wasn't the same it was even last year, he was maturing slowly and starting to crave some real battles, or going on a hunt that he could lead.

 

"I won't disappoint you... Thank you, Katsu."

 

Despite what he had thought to himself early even the proud little prince couldn't help but from very gently leaning against the elder and giving him the smallest of embraces. He knew soon that this would be the last hugs he could give before he was officially not a cuddly little cub, anymore but a proud warrior.

 

With that said he was still apparently young enough that Hiyori would still share her affections with him, and his ears pinned back when the lioness's lips met his forehead, it was a strange feeling. Like a tingle of fear whenever she came near him. Even if she was very to dear to him, she was still a lioness, and he was a hyena. Simply put those two did not share kisses in the natural world. But here was special.

 

~~~

 

Two days later, just as it was promised, Dakari awoke even earlier than usual which wasn't hard considering he could barely sleep the night before because his own anticipation was keeping him wide awake half the night. It did nothing to dampen his spirits or energy though as he leapt out of his bed to get ready.

He waited outside with a few of the early morning guards for Natsume's arrival who of course was right on time as expected.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Flying high up in the clear blue skies of the kingdom, Natsume's large eyes peered down from the heavens to the sight of the palace he was approaching. It was early and he would have much rather been sleeping than out here away from the Northern Tower, but Katsu had asked him for a favor and Natsume had never been quite able to deny the snow leopard anything. Being as that was, even from his place high above the grounds of the palace, he could still make out the shape of the young Prince of the Kingdom waiting for his arrival. Dakari seemed rather eager to begin his training and Natsume couldn't help but feel the touches of amusement that drifted through his tired mind. The young one would soon find that training was not something one should be eager to endure. Especially when one was being trained by the elusive Northern Tower Sentinel.

 

Natsume was sure that Katsu would not strive to harm the boy and that he'd more than likely take it easy on the young one, despite what he may have said....but still, it wouldn't be easy for Dakari. Hell, by the looks of it, Katsu and Hiyori were intent on pushing the cub at least to some degree today. He had left the siblings in their animal forms sprawled out on a low cliff edge, calmly grooming themselves and waiting patiently for the arrival of the cub. By all intents and purposes, it would appear Dakari would be doing some climbing to start his training...which was something Natsume did not want to miss seeing. It would be interesting to see how the cub managed to reach up to where the siblings were laying without them going out of their way to help him.

 

Folding his wings gracefully, Natsume plummeted from his soaring heights to lower himself closer to the ground and the young one that was waiting for his arrival. It didn't take more than a few moments for the snow white owl to spread his wings once more and swoop down with nearly impossible grace and land on a low branch of one of the trees that claimed the land just a few feet from where Dakari was waiting. Neatly folding his wings against his body for the moment, Natsume blinked those large golden eyes at Dakari and cocked his head just slightly to one side before his quiet, tranquil voice was ringing out into the air.

 

"Good morning, my Prince. It is pleasing to see you are already awake and ready to depart. Shall we be on our way or do you have something you still must do?" Natsume asked politely the moment after he had lowered his feathery head in the form of a brief bow.

 

Straightening again, the owl waited patiently for a reply from the cub even as he silently inclined his head as greeting to the other guards. A greeting that was returned with equal politeness and even a thread of awe from said guards. Something that amused Natsume to no end. Truly, sometimes being one of the few allowed into the close circle of the Sentinels was worth it by the reactions he received.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari grew impatient waiting, even though he knew it was his own fault for waking up much early then planned. It was even more annoying because he had to be dressed for the climate of the tower which was practically opposite from his home.

He was also in his animal form, since it was easier to travel long distance in. He was wearing a special vest made to fit a hyena's body and it also doubled as a pack for carrying his things.

Right now it was too warm to be wearing, but he wouldn't have much time to change on the journey so he was already set.

He glanced down to inspect his paws, they had been rubbed in a balm that was supposed to toughen them against the harsh surface of rocks and ice common to snow leopard territory. He sniffed, it smelled odd. Like spices or something.

He paced around a bit until one of the guard reminded him to save his energy so he huffed and sat back on his haunches, gazing up at the sky, waiting...

As soon as the cub spotted the form of a silhouette in the clouds he let out a sharp yip and sprung back up to his feet.

 

"Natsume!" He was practically bounding over to greet the owl, "Good morning! Yes! I mean... no! I'm all set to go!"

[Full_Moon_Rising]

There was no way Natsume could stop the soft chuckle that escaped him at Dakari's energy. Truly, the boy was quite an endearing creature.

 

"Very well then, young one. Follow me and try to keep up. Remember, your training begins now and having you arrive after successfully being able to track me will serve to put you in the good graces of Katsu and Hiyori. Now come along" the owl spoke gently, mirth in his voice before he was raising those intense stare to look at the guards.

 

"I will have him back by dusk, you need not worry. The boy will be in good hands" he murmured. It was after receiving nods of acceptance and understanding from the guards that he was glancing down at Dakari once more from his perch.

 

"Keep up, my Prince" he called down to him with what could be said was the briefest shred of playfulness in his soft toned voice. Spreading his wings, Natsume flapped them once with enough force to have them lifting him into the air once more before he was turning and heading back in the direction of the Tower.

 

Staying lower to the ground this time, ducking and weaving his way through the trees of forest that would soon give way to the mountains of the North, Natsume made sure to occassionally glance back and assure himself that the young one was following along well. He didn't want to baby the boy, especially not now when it was time to mold him into a proper Prince, but that didn't mean he wouldn't make sure the cub was doing good as he soared on ahead of him. And while Natsume had the potential to go much faster than the speed he was a mostly lazily flying in now, he wasn't particularly motivated to have the Prince arrive too tired to indulge in the lessons that awaited him.

 

It wasn't for about an hour or so that the mountains finally came back to view and as Natsume embraced the coldness that came with arriving back in his home, his speed picked up just a bit with eagerness. The sooner he had delivered the cub safely to where Hiyori and Katsu were, the sooner he could spend a moment or two watching the cub train before vanishing to give into the much needed sleep his body craved. After all, his kind was not meant to be awake during this time of day anyways.

 

Catching sight of Katsu and Hiyori still sprawled on the ground of that low overhanging cliff, Natsume chuckled at the less than intimidating sight of the rather dangerous pair. Katsu was laying comfortably on his side against the frozen grounds, eyes closed and tip of his tail twitching contentedly as Hiyori lay against his side, smoothly grooming the fur of his throat, her eyes also half closed in the peace of the moment. While the siblings weren't to high off the ground, it would still take some work for someone who was not used to this terrain or how to climb properly, to reach them. Though he assumed that was the affect the pair were looking to achieve.

 

Flying over them once, Natsume performed a calm circle before he too was lowering himself to the ground beside the pair, landing gently upon the fur of the snow leopard's side, a soft yawn causing his beak to part momentarily while Katsu lazily purred out a welcome to him.

[LoneDigger]

In some ways Dakari thought he would be at a disadvantage, birds could fly faster than any other animal could run and with little effort if the wind currents and thermals were ideal they could soar for hours without even beating a wing.

Yet hyena were made for long distance travel and endurance, he wasn't a very fast animal by any stretch. But he was sturdy and relentless when he had his sights targeted. Which right now happened to be following the snowy owl, and in his mind's eye the tower and Katsu himself. Even the lioness too.

 

Dakari knew he was slowing Natsume down considerably having to wait for him to keep up, and the poor bird should have been sleeping the time when most animals were just starting to rise with the sun, he knew that owls rose with the moon.

The cub trekked on, first going more swiftly through the more plain like terrain of his homelands which shifted to jungles, then to more shrub lands that were more hilly, slowly the land scaled upwards and got colder. He could see the dark green pines on the horizon of the forest. Katsu would be beyond those somewhere, and that motivated the prince to keep going. Even if his legs grew tired his paws were protected and did not crack or become too worn. Already he was feeling more grown up. The last time he had made this journey was following a traitorous wolf. And he had whined the whole time and felt too small for such a journey, but now he was bigger and stronger. No wolf could stop him this time.

 

Finally...! The mountains! Dakari was so thrilled to see them that he completely forgot about the part where he would have to scale the rocks. Last time when he was littler Katsu had helped carry him up, but this time he wasn't a baby anymore and could do it himself. So he firmly planted one paw to get a grip in as he swung his other onto the surface while his back legs clawed against the side of the rock to propel him upwards. Surprisingly for a creature not used to climbing it it's environment he seemed to be quite the natural. Maybe it was his natural upper body strength that aided him in such a hard task.

Or just maybe it was the fact he was dying to see a certain snow leopard again that give him that extra boost up.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Parting his jaws to form a mighty yawn the moment the cool wind blew Dakari's scent to him, Katsu forced somewhat lazy eyes to open as he took a moment to raise himself slightly off the ground. Hiyori's rough tongue continued on its journey across his gray pelt from his sister's self appointed task to groom him in order to pass the time. Releasing a soft rumble of amusement as she turned her work to begin to lick at the rosette patterns on his back while Natsume hopped around lightly to perch on on of his outstretched front legs, Katsu made no move to stop her affections. Ears twitching, calmly gathering all the sounds of his silent frozen world, Katsu felt amusement and pride ripple through him at the sounds of paws scraping across the frozen terrain. Clearly, Dakari was more at home in the ice than Katsu would have thought.

 

Waiting for the cub to reach his sights, Katsu eyed the young hyena with a fine level of fondness even though he did not rise to his paws. Instead, he remained laying comfortably on the ground as his sister slowly stopped lavishing attention to his fur and turned those forest green hues onto the animal that clearly did not belong in their world. Much like herself by the appearance she bore that did not reflect the half of her blood that was drawn to these very mountains. That had claimed them long ago as her safe haven, whether the sight of lioness in the mountains was a rare one or not.

 

"Welcome, Princeling. I assume you journey here passed rather well. You don't seem as tired as I would have previously assumed you'd be" Katsu greeted the young hyena calmly, tip of his tail twitching once more and eyes observing the creature with cool intent.

 

"Come now, brother, Prince Dakari wouldn't let himself grow too tired without truly starting his training session. You must have a bit more of a higher expectation for him" Hiyori laughed, pushing herself to her paws just so she could sit properly and gaze fondly at the youngest member with them at the moment.

 

Chuckling low in his throat, Katsu shook some of the snow off his head before addressing the Prince with a question he was sure the Prince would answer eagerly. "Are you ready to begin your journey to become a proper warrior, Princeling?".

[LoneDigger]

Dakari didn't even care about formalities anymore after that long and tiring journey he wanted nothing more than to receive some praise or affection for howling out loud! So the first time he did was crash right into Katsu's side, although this time it was a lot more graceful and he left room for Hiyori to finish giving her brother a bath. He only lingered at the snow leopard's side for a moment long enough to really let his scent fill his head and feel the softness of his pelt. It was so warm in such a cold place, or maybe that was coming from him or the lioness.

Carefully he removed himself from the snow leopard's side and instead stood in front of the feline eagerly waiting to begin, he may had been tired, but since his mind was still so determined it seemed to give his body a renewed energy to keep going and going.

 

"I'm not tired at all! I was always ready."

 

The hyena cub grinned up at both of the cats, they really were such a pair those two.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Grunting out a breath of startled air, Katsu didn't really have the time to prepare himself for Dakari to crash into him the way the cub did. As such, for just a moment, the weight of the cub had him flopping back against the ground on his side as Natsume rose into the air to avoid getting jostled too much. Hearing Hiyori's musically laughter in response to the excitement in Dakari, Katsu couldn't help but rasp his tongue briefly over the cub's ears before the boy was pulling away and the snow leopard was finally beginning to climb to his paws. While he didn't feel like doing much today on such a calm, peaceful day, he had promised to train Dakari and that was what he would do.

 

"I'll leave you two to it then. When you're done for the day or when it's time for a break, I'll have some food cooking in the Tower" Hiyori informed the pair cheerfully as she rose to her own paws and began to walk off. Pausing for just a moment to brush her tail against Dakari's side and murmur a quick yet honest "Good luck", the lioness was gracefully leaping down the small cliff and heading into the direction of the Tower with Natsume flying overhead.

 

Stretching his paws out in front of him in a brief movement to try and shake off the laziness that was clinging to him, Katsu barely twitched a whisper as the skies overhead began to darken and snow began to fall with growing intensity. This was just his own sign of the beginning of the training and he hoped Dakari would be as ready as the cub had claimed.

 

"Alright, Princeling. Let's begin, shall we? We'll start things off relatively easily. All I want you to do is find me. Follow my voice, feel my presence, try and catch my scent....Frankly, I don't care what you do. But I want you to be able to find me successfully. A true warrior never loses sight of his comrades even in the messiest of terrains" Katsu commanded lightly, looking up at the falling snow and darkening skies.

 

For all intents and purposes, it would appear that a blizzard was forming and that was exactly what Katsu was doing. Dakari wasn't familiar with this terrain, but he would learn to be. There was no room for weakness here on the mountains and the cub would have to prove his worth from the start if he wanted the snow leopard to be able to train him properly. Katsu would keep an eye on the Prince, but he wouldn't make things to easy for the hyena.

 

With the wind picking up, Katsu calmly eased his way through the storm that was now howling around them. He knew his coat blended perfectly with the buffeting winds around them, he knew that in this snowy weather, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to catch sight of a snow leopard. They were not called the ghosts of the mountains for no reason. Yet, he wanted to push Dakari. He wanted to see what potential the cub could show him. Dakari could very well be someone to lead their Kingdom towards an even greater future, but for now, he had to learn to stand on his own.

 

Paws as silent as a phantom as he padded in a wide circle around the area he had left the cub, Katsu eyed Dakari from a relatively good distance to the Prince's right. If the young one could pass this first test, then they could move on to clearer waters.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari turned his head towards lioness and gave a firm nod in response. Normally he would have already been distracted by the mere mention of eating later, but right now his focus was so strong not even the thought of food could sway him the way it usually did.

 

"Don't worry, I won't wear your brother out too much~" The hyena cub teased Hiyori gently with a mischievous glint in his honey brown gaze.

 

"What's with all the stretching? Don't tell me you were planning on taking a nap today. I know the elders need their rest, but you promised~"

 

Now the cub's playful mocking was directed at the snow leopard seeing as Hiyori had already climbed off. It seemed Natsume had also flown away, that or maybe he still perched right there but with the snow flakes turning the air almost white it seemed that the owl would have been perfectly hidden.

The hyena kind of stuck out oddly in such a landscape, his light golden fur flecked with spots that one by one seemed to fade by the day indicating that the prince was indeed growing up.

 

"I've always been able to track you. This won't be any different just because there's a little snow!"

 

The cub huffed with a grin as he pawed at the ground to scuff up some of the white flakes, they seemed to melt almost too quickly the moment they touched or came within his heat range. Shouldn't a creature of the dessert be shivering in such a state? Yet he seemed perfectly comfortable.

 

The wind kicked back his ears and he decided to press them against his head to keep them warmer, though then it was slightly harder to hear Katsu, but honestly whenever the sentinel decided to pad quickly there was no use anyway. He was so silent it really was almost ghost-like.

Dakari couldn't have been any more the opposite, in the snow storm he appeared to move like a bear, slow and lumbering.

The prince kept his head down to avoid being blasted in the face with the flurry, and to keep closer to the scent he was following. He snuffled up some of the white powder and his breath were like clouds rising from his muzzle.

Where was the scent? It was everywhere yet nowhere at the same time.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

If one thing Dakari was surely above all else, it was the fact that he was quite the cocky little brat....Well perhaps not so little anymore. However, the Princeling did have the mentality to assume he could take on the world and win. And while there was nothing truly wrong with that, Katsu would have to open his eyes and show him that in fact, that was not true. Especially when he had just called him an elder. Honestly, while Katsu might have been older than Dakari's grandparents, that didn't mean he enjoyed having that fact rubbed in his face. As endearing as the little one was, the snow leopard would surely have fun toying with the cub until he learned just how outmatched he really was.

 

Watching the hyena prowl through a snowstorm of the snow leopard's own making, Katsu could help the ripple of amusement that filled him at the sight. Dakari might have the affinity for fire, but one so young as he with no real control over his element yet, could not hope to last long in the blowing winds that surrounded him. Tbe cub was brave, willing to take on an element that was the complete opposite from his own....but that didn't make him smart. More so when instead of trying to follow the changes of the wind and the scents they carried, he was pushing against it. At this rate, Dakari would end far more tired than Katsu would have hoped to have the cub feel.

 

Smoothly moving above the slowly growing amount of snow gathering on the ground, Katsu circled the cub a second time before calling out calmly, his voice seeming to join with the howling of the wind and surround the little one. "What's the matter, Princeling? I thought this would be easy for you" he teased.

 

Long tail twitching with pensive nature, Katsu easily crossed the distance between himself and the cub, his pelt blending beautifully with the falling snow and making it impossible to see him. Or nearly so. Brushing his flank against Dakari, Katsu only stayed within the cub's reach for s heartbeat of time before he was leaping away once more. Blue eyes never once left the shape of the young hyena even as he put some distance between them.

 

"Find me, Dakari. Find me....or do you simply wish to have me lost to you forever in this falling snow?" Katsu called out a question to the young Prince.

[LoneDigger]

"It's so easy that I'm just taking my time to find you!"

The cub retorted cockily, not letting the old cat think for one moment that he was the one at the disadvantage here, even if it was painfully obvious as the golden fur that stuck out like a sore thumb against the grey-ish white landscape.

He could feel the snow leopard brush against him briefly, so Katsu was closer than the hyena had previous thought...

"That shouldn't be too difficult~"

The prince hummed as he let his ears pop back up to catch the whisper of his voice being carried by the wind. He should be just ahead and-- "Oof!" Dakari had just walked snout first into a boulder.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Releasing a soft purr of amusement at the sight of the cub colliding nose first into a boulder, Katsu allowed the cold wind to sweep over his pelt for a few more moments before he was charging. Paws making absolutely no sounds on the snow covered ground, the Sentinel embodied the trait his species was known for so well. They were predators, silent and so very deadly when they decided to strike. While they might not have been the largest of the wild cats, snow leopards were quite the lethal apex predator and there was no denying that. So as he practically soared through the raging snow and howling winds, the feline didn't slow his targeted approach towards the cub that would never have been able to find him in this.

 

It was easy to say that it wasn't hard for Katsu to practically bowl over Dakari, still holding some traces of gentleness to his actions. Katsu wasted no time to rolling the cub into his back before planting a large paw squarely on his chest to hold him down. Blue eyes seemed to be all the more vibrant in the white of the howling world around them as Katsu stared silently down at the younger male, a stern sort of mentor air seemed to shine in them. Keeping most of his weight off the cub so not to hurt him too much even as he pressed Dakari down into the snow, Katsu spared a moment to lean down so he was whispering right into one of those rounded ears.

 

"You know what the problem is with you, Princeling? You don't quite know when to accept defeat. When to give up. Even the bravest of warriors knows when to change tactics and allow their arm to bend when there in no chance of victory. You should learn such a trait yourself" the snow leopard all but purred in rather cold amusement down at the young hyena he had toppled over and was holding down to teach a lesson.

 

Even if the cub didn't like to admit defeat, he would have to learn that not all battles could be won so easily. Especially not when he were going up against someone that was far more stronger than him. There was much Dakari had to learn and Katsu hoped that the cub would one day mature enough to be able to embrace those lessons with a clearer state of mind.

 

"A hyena is not meant to hunt in this weather. My element is much too brutal for you and you have yet to harness the true power of your elemental affinity" Katsu spoke lowly in that ear again, this time leaning a bit further down to nip sharply st the throat of his pinned prey. "Admit defeat, cub, and I will let you up. Admit defeat and we can move on to the next lessons. Remain stubborn and I might just leave you out here to freeze" he suggested calmly, eyes never once leaving the face of the hyena he held down.

 

It would be interesting to see what Dakari decided to do. He was a stubborn little brat but even he had to know when he didn't have the upper hand, right?

[LoneDigger]

Dakari yelped loudly when he felt his back crashing against the snow, it was enough to help break the fall softer, but it was still freezing and getting underneath his fur. He didn't have the plush layer like the snow leopard did, obviously.

Whining loudly up at the Sentinel that seemed to have him pinned pretty good, the cub froze when he felt Katsu's breath blowing against his large ear.

He didn't like what the elder was telling him at all! Why should he ever have to admit defeat if he was one day strong enough to defeat any enemy who so much as tried to defy him?

The prince was still thinking like a child, and not a wise leader. True to his nature.

But then something a bit surprisingly happened after he felt teeth against his neck his ears and tails pinned themselves tightly against his body as if in submission and he began to chuckle nervously, grimacing up at the snow leopard.

It really seemed like Dakari was about to submit and admit surrender, but in the blink of an eye the hyena's hind legs which had been lifeless until just now dug up hard right in his most vulnerable area, his soft belly of course, in an attempt to throw the large cat off of him.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Seeing the change in the younger male the moment Katsu had gently nipped against his throat, the Sentinel thought that the Prince was finally learning valuable life skills. That he was finally crossing the threshold between thinking like a small child and thinking like a learning warrior. However, just as he was getting ready to let the cub rise again, pain on his underbelly momentarily stunned him. Blue eyes widening in surprise even as a yowl escaped him, Katsu made quick work of gettin off the cub and leaping a safe distance from him. Crouching low to the snow, a soft hiss of annoyance escaping him, the Sentinel eyed the Prince with the barest signs of impressed amusement.

 

"Nicely done....however, there is still much you have to learn, little one. Let's see how well your evasive maneuvers are" he called out in a voice that was just barely loud enough to be heard in the storm around them yet seemed to meld into the wind itself and surround the area they were in.

 

Long tail lashing from side to side as Katsu watched the cub with considering thoughtfulness, the snow leopard seemed to make up his mind a moment later because as soon as he had lifted a paw lightly then set it swiftly back down, a spike of ice formed and burst out of the frozen ground to the immediate right of Dakari. It wasn't meant to hurt or frighten the cub, well at least not if Dakari evaded it properly. When Katsu had said that their training sessions wouldn't be so easy, he hadn't been lying. He might take it slower than normal with the Prince on their first day, but that didn't mean he would baby the boy. It Dakari wanted to grow stronger, he would just have to work for it.

 

Digging his claws into the snow, Katsu racked his paw back and with that movement, two other spikes of ice exploded out of the vicinity Dakari was in without so much as a warning. Snow continued to fall all around them, slowly covering the perfectly blended pelt of the leopard crouched in the snow that watched the young Prince with mild amusement and expectation. If this continued and Dakari didn't find a way to counter this attack, the snow leopard could easily disappear from his view and that would just make worse for the young Prince.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari gasped when he felt something suddenly glide just inches from his fur, it was an icicle shot up from the ground right next to him. He had seen this before when Katsu had used the very same powers to torture information out of Shiba.

That admittedly had been exciting to watch, but now that it was being directed towards him for the first time since he was kidnapped the cub felt a hint of genuine fear towards the icy powers of the Sentinel.

Shivering, the hyena somehow forced his widened eyes to shut in concentration as he tried to listen for the next attack, his ears pricked and swiveled gently, trying to pick out the sound beneath the roaring of the snowstorm. There!

The prince quickly rolled over to the side, just narrowing missing the next icicle.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

As he watched Dakari dodge the next icicle that exploded out of the ground next to him, Katsu couldn't help but feel somewhat impressed by the cub. However, this was childs-play compared to what the Sentinel could truly do. What Dakari was seeing now and what he had witnessed happen between Kiba and Katsu when the wolf had been interrogated....that was just barely skimming the surface of his potential and powers. It would have been shameful to say that was the best the Sentinel of Ice could offer their world. Downright pathetic honestly. Thankfully, Katsu was one of the strongest Sentinels to have ever existed and while perhaps one day Dakari would be able to feel the complete effect of his full power, that day would not be anytime soon.

 

Still....he could toy with the boy a bit longer.

 

Changing strategy in the blink of an eye, Katsu concentrated on the ground beneath Dakari's paws. It wasn't hard to make the ice on ground below him snap up to wrap its cold grip around the cub's legs. It wouldn't outright harm him, no...While the cold of the ice might burn a bit after some time, it would do to hold the cub still for several moments as pillars of ice shot up around the cub, weaving and clashing together around and above him to form what would almost appear to be a cage made perfectly of pure ice.

 

Glancing up at the storming skies above, the snow leopard focused his mind briefly to will the blizzard to come to an abrupt end. The howling winds dimmed and died down and while snow did continue to fall, it fell in tiny flakes from a rapidly clearing sky. Lowering his eyes once more on the caged hyena, Katsu pushed his body to shift back to his human form, brushing long strands of black hair away from his face while he dusted off the robes that wrapped around his body without flaw.

 

"You are fast....I will concede that point. But you lack the mentality to face the challenges you encounter with the proper mindset. You think still as only a child and not a warrior. While you manage to avoid attacks that give little hint of where they will come from, you do not think ahead as to watch what other attack might be approaching. Overall....while I am somewhat impressed....you have much to learn before you can prove yourself to me, little one" Katsu murmured, sinking down to sit comfortably on the snow covered ground.

 

"That cage you are currently in is made of pure, nearly unbreakable ice. The same substance of what is binding your legs right now. There are many ways to get out of it, however, I will let you figure those methods out yourself. Once you have gained your freedom.....if you manage to do so, we can move on to the next lesson" the Sentinel remarked rather calmly to his caged Prince. He gave no indications that he would help the cub out at all, simply opting to wait it out and see just what the cub would come up with. It was a method his mentors had used before him and it was a method he would now use on Dakari.