It was barely mid-morning and already it was torturously hot in the outlands. Kovu was lounging over a boulder with his belly up, hoping to be cooled by a non-existent breeze. The patter of paws made him look around to see Vitani approaching, a plump, feathery mass trapped between her teeth. Birds were a rare catch around the outlands, given the lack of living trees to sustain them, but it wasn’t her unusual meal that tempted him. Tied to the birds leg was a glossy, square card he thought he recognized.
Rolling upright, he pounced. Caught off-guard, it was too easy to pin her and snatch the tattered bird from his adoptive sister. Kovu caught the square card between his teeth and leapt away before her angry growl of “Hey, that’s my prey!” was even finished. With a scoff and an upturned nose, Vitani turned away, none the wiser to the prize she had just lost. Once she was out of sight, Kovu examined the familiar invitation card eagerly. He had received one last year as well and had no intention of missing out on it this year. Sparing a moment’s thought as to whether the card had in fact been meant for his sister instead of him; he touched the incantation with a claw and steps through the portal that appeared.
….and he had no regrets. Stepping into a refreshing ocean breeze, his claws curling in the warm sand, Kovu took in a deep breath of the tropical paradise. Oh, he had missed this. All he could eat, no nagging training sessions, and the endless waves to cool off in. So absorbed in his revel of the moment, Kovu didn’t see the new portal that appeared beside him…
A few minutes before…
Shana sat by the open window in her room, turning the delivered card over and over in her hand, full of skepticism. “…and you’re sure this father sent this to me?” she directed the question at the falcon perched on her shoulder. Hayabusa’s only response was of ruffling of feathers around his neck, expressing his clear irritation at the repeated question. “Ok, ok. But I’ve never heard of the Draco Hotel.” As she traced a finger over the delicate designs on the card, a shimmering portal expanded in mid-air before her.
Alarmed, she jumped back, adrenaline racing and her bo staff at the ready. But seconds passed and nothing happened. The strange portal swirled in front of her, like thick, impenetrable smoke mixed with glistening lights. Despite its ominous appearance, it was mesmerizing. Shana stepped closer and, as a means of investigating, thrust the end of her staff through the portal.
A hard poke in the side made Kovu turn with a growl. A long- white stick was protruding from another portal next to him and had apparently prodded him in the side. As he watched, considering what to do, it moved to thrust forward again. Dodging out of the way this time, he grabbed the end of the pole in his jaws instead and gave a violent pull. A human girl covered in fur pelts fell out of the portal at the sticks other end, tumbling on to the sand along with her staff. Seeing the massive lion before her, she recovered almost instantly, leaping to her feet and standing on guard. “Stay back, beast!”
Kovu regarded her and her words with a barely raised brow. “First time here, I take it?” He asked. Her stunned expression was answer enough, or perhaps it was just shock at having a lion talk to her that left her blinking at him like that. With a jerk of his head toward the building nearby, he added, “Come on. You can check in over this way.” With a flick of his tail, Kovu led the way into the entrance area and stretched his paws up onto the receptionist’s desk, pulling himself into a standing position. “Hey, two for check-in,” His voice was still as thick as a growl though the words were clear.