Aarav And The Lost Tribe

+ Prologue +

"Long ago, Aarav was a land of peace and unity. The four tribes were combined into one and their ancestors, the Great Wild Cats, watched them flourish. Every cat had a unique ability that had been passed down from their ancestor. Those whose ancestor's were cheetahs were born with swiftness and nobility. The cats whose ancestor's were lions were loyal and brave. The tribe of cats whose ancestor's were leopards were gifted with stealth and excellent climbing abilities. And the cats whose ancestor's were tigers were powerful and wise. The felines used their gifts in order to help one another in times of hardship.

Harmony just couldn't last forever though, and the cats began to dispute over which, of their ancestors, were the most important and powerful. Jealousy began to eat away at them, and their quarrels got so out of paw that war broke loose, the fight that occurred is now known as The First Great Battle. The cats fought for days and many lives were lost, the Tiger tribe attempted to quell the chaos and stop the war because they had common sense and knew no good could come from bloodshed. The others were infuriated and believed that the cats of the Tiger tribe were haughty and felt as if they mattered more than anyone else.

The three other tribes drove the Tiger tribe out of Aarav, they haven't been seen or heard from since. Some say they fled to the mountains and are still living there today. Since that fateful day, the three tribes left in Aarav have continued to harm one another and wreak havoc on the once beautiful land. It is up to us to select courageous tribe cats to stop The Second Great Battle from occurring, or else it will end the four tribes as we know them."

The lion finished telling the legend like he had many times before, he opened his eyes and looked to the other creatures near him. A Leopard, a cheetah, and a tiger. The three of them appeared tired and drained as they stared down at the ground, the big cats all sat around a pool of stagnant, glassy water. "We know the story Mica," the female leopard broke the silence, "we were there, after all. And look where we've ended up. Isolated, alone, forgotten." The cheetah nodded his agreement and spoke up, "And it's all because we had no authority to stop the tribes from fighting, we can only do so much since we're dead."

   Mica's fur rose with annoyance, he was tired of hearing the same complaints over and over again. "Yes I know, but have any of you found suitable cats who we can use? Time is short and we need to act quickly." Mica asked desperately, but the cheetah, named Zigza, shook his head, staring down at his paws. "We've been searching for many seasons now Mica," he chirped, "not one of us has found any trace of good. The tribes are as selfish as ever, and it's only getting worse."

Mica sighed heavily, even he hadn't found kin suitable enough to save Aarav. He turned his gaze to the large tiger sitting farthest from the group. His orange fur was like that of fire as silver beams, from the shiny pool, danced across his pelt. "Scaava, do you have any idea where your brother is? It's been a very long time since anyone has seen him." Mica asked, the tiger lifted his head and gazed calmly at the lion with his piercing amber eyes, "Saeba and I haven't spoken since The First Great Battle, he abandoned me during the time I needed him most. Who knows where he is or if he is even searching for a suitable host at this point." The tiger narrowed his eyes in a cold glare, he went silent and appeared to be thinking.

"Well, it's about time you go after him and bring him back to us. We need the both of you if peace is ever going to be restored." Mica explained to Scaava and hoped the tiger would heed his command. "I know that, I just don't think I can face him. Not after what he's done, abandoning us the way he did." Scaava replied gruffly, Mica stood and walked over to the large tiger. "You must face him, this is for the good of all the tribes. We need Saeba if we want to save Aarav."

"Do you think he wants to return?" Jovetta asked, the leopard's expression was one of curiosity. The lion shrugged, "He doesn't have a choice now, all five of us must unite once again. We can no longer stand by and watch the tribes crumble." Mica then fixed his soft, brown eyes on five pendants lying on a nearby boulder. "It's time to get their attention."