"The fireigh are savages. They value ferocity above all else, often putting aside morality in favor of brutality" - The fire files by Gőt
Rika shuddered. The wave of rage had awoken her from her slumber and chilled her to her bones. She saw the burning foliage around her.
"So Farshalla finally has had her cub" she thought as she stretched.
But what was that rage i felt? Farshalla was too weak to produce anything like that and she was never that strong. Did Ratcha find her? The thought scared her. Despite her disapproval of of Farshalla's infidelity, she was still her dear friend. She was one of the few who stood in support of her when the Fireigh decided whether or not she would be killed for her crime, and when the decision was made she had helped her to escape to the caves. She could do no more for her friend.
She had helped to hide the pregnancy for as long as possible but, as she told Farshalla, they couldn't hide it forever; and she was right. Ratcha, the fiercest, most powerful of them all, who also happened to be Farshalla's mate, found out as Rika knew he would; and just as predicted his rage was uncontainable. He had found the poor unfortunate soul who was seduced by "the goddess", farshalla, and ripped him apart. His roar could be heard all throughout Guinda. Thankfully the elders were able to arrive in time to stop him from killing his disgraced mate, but in the end her fate was sealed.
Rika looked around the clearing where she slept with her mate. The big idiot was caught in a nightmare. No doubt induced by the rage wave from earlier. His legs twitched and his yowls sounded like a scared kitten as he rolled around on the mud and twigs. She scoffed at him. She was never particularly interested in taking a mate, however to be without one was socially unthinkable. So she picked this lug.
She hardly remembered his name. He may be stupid but he was incredibly strong. Physically the biggest of any fireigh and revered on the battlefield. She rolled her eyes and snuck out to the caves. It wouldn't take long to reach them. She used to play and explore in them as a cub. therefore she had naturally chosen a home near them. However, she walked slow. As if death had begun to creep into her paws, slowing them in its embrace. For she was afraid of what she would find there. She counted every branch on every tree that she passed. Their long leaves covering the forest like an umbrella, covering her world in darkness. Already those that had been burnt to ashes had regenerated as was the gift of the jungle. The light bugs were out, giving off their pale, feeble illumination, as if protesting the endless black they resided in.
"How pathetic" she thought as she let out an omnidirectional blast of flames from her flanks, incinerating the tiny creatures. She hated the weak, as was the way with her people. The futility of these puny creatures existence disgusted her.
It took about 20 minutes for her to reach her destination. The opening to the caves was pitch black; and carried an eerie sense of stillness. This was disturbing to most Fireigh, as their world was constantly in motion. As with any jungle, Guinda was never still, never quiet. From the birds that chirped and shrieked from the green canopy, to the guntharian elephants, with their murky yellow hides who trumpeted their presence proudly whenever they traveled, trampling the foliage under them. The various predators, the more numerous prey, everything existed in a state of motion and noise. But not this place. The closer you get to the entrance the quieter it gets. As if the jungle knows this place carries death.
Probably the most shocking aspect of this area was the trees and plant life, all dead for 50 feet around the entrance. That should be impossible due to the regenerative properties of the minerals in the soil. But nevertheless, it was the case. All in all, the atmosphere here was enough to send shivers down the spine of the fiercest fireigh. Yet this was exactly where she had led Farshalla to hide and even give birth. Concerned with the possibilities of what she might see, she hesitated. But it was not in her nature to procrastinate for long. So with a deep breath, she stepped into the darkness.