Whiskers

The Real Predator

Dear god, he'd never run so far in his entire life. If there was ever such thing as a couch potato lion, he was it. He could feel Palace watching him as he paced just out of site in the underbrush around the small clearing in the swampy area they'd stopped in, but there was no way Jamie could move his body much for at least another five or ten minutes. His muscles were aching terribly and even twitched beneath his skin in several places. 

Why is it so hot and why do I have to have such a thick mane? This is torture. 

His lion panted hard, its pink tongue flicking out of his parted mouth, nearly tapping at the moss beneath his large head. A light drizzle pattered against his coat and hummed around them, bringing the already-unbearable humidity even higher. 

The quiet sound of the rain falling around him nearly made him miss the faint slosh of something slowly crawling out of the water several feet away. Turning his head against the dirt and moss it rested on, Jamie blinked open tired eyes and felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of an alligator swaying toward him with its awkward stomping walk. 

Palace? 

When he got no response besides the faint feeling of curiosity, Jamie forced himself to push his body upward, but his burning muscles were making it hard to stand completely straight. They nearly refused to hold up his weight several times as he shakily turned to face the encroaching reptile. 

It looked to be around nine foot in length, and had clearly not missed many meals with its belly dragging on the damp mud. Normally, he wouldn't be very worried about an alligator, no matter its size, but he was having trouble moving, and it had clearly seen that. 

They were generally ambush and opportunistic predators, dragging prey into the water to drown it, and usually didn't risk coming out onto land unless to bask, move to another area for food or saw an easy meal. 

Right. Easy, tired, slightly chubby lion right here. 

Tilting his stubby ears back, Jamie hissed a warning at the alligator, making the animal hesitate for a moment before snapping its jaws loud enough to make him jump. It followed the action with its own hiss.  

Palace? I could really use some help here. He thought to the wolf he still felt nearby. When he got no response, again, he let out a roar and began backing away from the large reptile. 

The alligator remained still for a few moments before deciding to follow him. Jamie roared again and charged it, making the alligator turn abruptly and edge closer to the water, but it seemed to know that it had the upper hand, even on land, because it didn't retreat and instead opened its jaws wide and hissed loudly. 

Realizing that he would have to get himself out of his current situation, Jamie glanced around without turning his head much and alerting the alligator that it didn't have his full attention. He noticed a large, seemingly easy to climb tree a few yards to his right and swished his tail in anticipation. 

Lions didn't normally climb trees, at least in such a rush, which would mean that he'd have a better shot if he shifted, but that did mean he'd have to risk the gator grabbing his human form before he could make it up high enough, but he didn't have any other options. 

Not sure why you aren't helping, Pal, but I'll show you that I can handle this on my own. He thought to Palace before darting to the right as fast as his tired paws could take him. The sound of the alligator running sloppily behind him spurred him on as he got to the tree and shifted mid-jump. Thankfully, his grip held when he grasped the thick branch he'd been reaching for, but it took several seconds to find the strength to start lifting his body upward.