Name: Askari ("soldier": Swahili)

Gender: Male

Breed: African Lion

Age: 2 1/2 Years/Depends on Use

Mother: Lead Huntress Kamili

Father: General Lengo

Sibling(s): Sukuma, Uhuru

Half-Sibling(s): None

Adopted Sibling(s): None

Crush(es): Dahlia (former), Alba

Crusher(s): Dahlia (former), Alba

Mate(s): Kusaidia (former), Alba

Cub(s): Nyimak (adopted)

Personality: Askari is a very reserved individual. He tends to be very cold around those he doesn't know, and isn't too friendly with them. He'll be polite, but not overly friendly, and won't actively seek them out on his own. He finds it hard to connect with others due to his past, and it takes a long while for him to grow closer with others. Someone would have to be very persistent in order to even befriend him first unless he sees something special in them that makes him want to grow closer to them. He's not shy in any sense though: he's actually quite confident and even slightly outspoken, though he prefers to follow orders since he's used to it, and shows respect to those around him. If someone has managed to grow close to him however, he's actually a very caring and devoted friend, and will stick by his friends no matter what. He shows them a level of kindness that's very rare for anyone else except someone such as a cub or elderly lion who he knows can't take care of themselves. Though he isn't much for strangers, if they're in trouble, he's be willing to help them. Despite his very cold, and unfriendly first interaction, overtime he shows that he's actually a very caring and loving individual who will stick by his friends no matter what.

Likes: Being Alone, Dahlia, His Close Friends, Alba

Dislikes: War, Kiburi Kubwa (their rival pride), Kusaidia, Forced Marriage

Pride: None

Past Pride(s): Kiburi Kikosi

Rank: Rogue

Past Rank(s): Cub, Private, Corporal

Leaders: King Kufyeka (Former), None (Current)

Heir(s)/Prince(s)/Princess(es): General Lengo (former), None

Askari's birth pride was kick started by a group of lionesses who were originally from the Outlands. Tired of Zira's thirst for revenge and Simba's anger, they stole away in the night, and set off as rogues. After a while, they settled down in a far away pride that was looking for new members after a sickness had swept their pride. The lionesses were happy to be in their own place, and lived a nice life. However, after two generations, there was more and more tension between themselves and a neighboring pride. Slowly, their prides had to fight more and more often, until Askari's pride, Kiburi Kikosi, became a self running army, lead by their General and King. Several generations after the Outlander lionesses first arrived, Askari was born alongside his siblings to his mother, the Lead Huntress, and his father, the General of the army. Due to his parentage, he and his siblings were given high expectations to succeed. As a small cub, he was looked after by the lionesses while his mother went on with her duties, and was told stories of Zira and Simba, and the legendary battle between Scar and Simba for the throne.

When Askari reached 6 months old, he along with his siblings were chosen to be in a specific part of the pride. Due to their stocky builds, Askari and his sister, Sukuma, were chosen to be part of the army, and given the titles of Private, while his brother, Uhuru, was chosen to be a hunter due to his slim body. It was in the army that Askari found himself not too fond of his pridemates, and where he began spending more time around his father. During his cubhood, his parents had been too busy with their duties to spend time with them, so he and his siblings were rather detached from them. While his sister quickly made friends, he often kept to himself, and slowly became friendly with two other males in training named Issa and Mapinduzi. He was slowly trained and groomed to fight in battles, and often was part of the border skirmishes between the prides, where he received his nicked ears and scars.

Often when he was injured, he was sent to the healer, where he met Dahlia, the healer in training. He was quickly enamored by the fun loving girl, and over time purposely tried to get injured in order to have an excuse to see her, leading to all his scars. Though she saw right through this facade, she played along, and the two became quick friends. As he became a teenager, he began to have feelings for her, though he knew it was forbidden, since healers were to never have mates, and the King picked everyone's mates for them. He'd proposed to Dahlia that they run away together, but she refused, as she felt a duty to her pride and family. Though heartbroken, he accepted her choice, but chose to continue seeing her. When he was nearing two years of age, he was given the name of corporal alongside his friends, and given a more serious role in the pride, meaning he saw Dahlia less and less.

When he reached two years of age, the King held a large mateship ceremony. Askari knew this day would come, and was heartbroken that he would have to officially leave Dahlia behind, but knew he could never change it or show his discomfort. The King announced that his mate would be Kusaidia, one of the most skilled huntresses, and the one most likely to take over for Askari's mother, Kamili. He wasn't fond of her, and neither was she of him, but because they both possessed important skills, the King saw it right. However, he hardly had time to spend with her, as she was always busy, and he was as well. His meetings with Dahlia had ceased to nothing by this point, and he had grown increasingly bitter and annoyed, as well as stressed as fights between the prides broke out more and more frequently. He later found out his brother Uhuru was purposely killed along with some other hunters, and this was the final straw.

It escalated into an all out war, much bigger than anything they had had before. Askari was on the front lines with the others, and was quick to fight. During the fight, he suffered very bad injuries that were sure to leave scars, and watched his pridemates fall before his eyes. Before he knew what happened, a retreat was called, and since it had been storming during the battle, he lost his sense of direction, and fled, becoming lost. He traveled for days, further becoming disconnected from his home. He traveled for several months, wondering if his pride or family was alive, and if he'd ever see them again. Eventually, after months of wandering, he happened upon a fruitful land. Though he was starving, he knew it was inhabited, and not wanting to upset the pride, stayed along the border until he met one of the lionesses of the pride-Alba.

Theme Song: Deae Lunae by Makkon

Relation To TLK: Descended from Outlanders, has heard stories of Zira, Scar, and Simba, wandered into the Pridelands.

Head Base (c) soufroma
Body Base (c) rascal4488