She was the most aggressive leopard of her litter, her clan admired her strength and power over her brothers and sisters... However it wasn't long before her mother noticed something was wrong... Her eldest daughter couldn't smell. Despite her mothers protest to keep her baby, the clan forced her to kill the cub. With great sadness, the mother hung her head as she held her yowling child by the nape of her neck. Once they were far enough away, the young female realized that she couldn't bring herself to kill her baby.
Despite leopards being feared in the plains, they weren't heartless... And this mother felt nothing but pain and sorrow. She nuzzled her cub, the baby pathetically attempting a roar before rubbing up against her mothers leg. The adult sighed before looking around, she knew that killing the kitten would be much easier on it but she couldn't... She quickly took the baby to a nearby dead tree and hiding it in the hollow stump.
"The savannah will guide you, my little one... Be safe, Nangi." She cooed before disappearing.
That was all the leopard remembered... She was a light cream color, almost white with sharp black spots, a white tail tip and black ears. She huffed softly, she didn't know how she had survived for as long as she did, but with her super sonic hearing she was able to detect and pinpoint an animal within a thirteen mile radius. Despite being unable to smell, she was a good huntress. Most of her life was spent in seclusion... Rarely seeing another one of her species, and generally when she did she either fought them away from her territory, or watched them from afar along with her slightly superior eye sight. Leopards spent most of their life alone.
She was rather feared because of her impossible ability, she had four territories for different times of the year, one for the herd migration, one for the dry season, the wet season, and mating season. However despite her being almost four years of age, she hadn't produced any whelps or her own. She hadn't encountered any males in her season but she didn't really mind.
Nangi was readying to depart for the herd migration, she had a few weeks before the prime opportunity for food would arise. However, before she begin padding away she heard paw prints from a few miles off. As she listened intently she paused and looked in the direction with her bright green eyes. They sounded familiar, like her own, and the only explanation was that it was another Leopard.
It was indeed another leopard, the most feared leopard in the savannah... Phango. He huffed as he paused in his movements as a scent crept up his flared nostrils. Another leopard? His instincts told him to hunt it down and slaughter it, however he smelled some more. This leopard was not of his kin and it was a female, curiosity struck him despite his inner thoughts telling him to walk away or fight with it.
Phango wasn't a fan of company, other leopards and other living beings in general. Yet, at the delightful smell of a female, he couldn't help himself. She wasn't in heat but still, the smell of a female was intoxicating to say the least and with his superior sense of smell, it was like a psychedelic drug. He followed the scent eagerly and blindly looked about, his left eye black from birth. His own childhood was not one of love or regret. His own clan shunned him for his disability, he loathed and resented his kind for that, since he had n real positive experiences with other leopards besides the few times he mated. However he wouldn't exactly call those experiences they were just biology taking its course.
As he zeroed on the female he raised his brows, she was staring straight at him, almost as if she had been expecting him. She was perched neatly upon a tree comfortably... And the way she looked at him made Phango feel uneasy.
Nangi watched expectantly as the male appeared from the tall grasses into the open. Normally she would have already struck at him, since he was now in her territory, but she was too lazy to plot a strike at him. As he spotted her, he stopped walking, and she couldn't help but notice his facial deformity... They had something in common, even if Nangi's disability wasn't visible she understood the inconvenience and impact it had on life. She no longer felt compelled to attack this stranger... Yet.
She chuffed softly ad stood up, carefully vaulting off the tree branch in front of the other as she observed his body language, and as she did so, she noticed his heckles rising and his body shifting into a defensive position. However after she landed, she slowly lowered her slender feminine frame.
"... Do you not speak?" She finally asked, Phango narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down.
"... I could have asked you the same thing." He replied as his tail flicked.
"Are you hostile?" She questioned; she hadn't realized who he was by his scent, he almost looked offended but it was replaced by an unreadable expression.
"One could say that..." He mused, smirking lightly.
Phango then realized that he indeed recognized her scent. He had trailed her before but she was a slippery character despite his awesome scent. She moved around a lot and the year before he had given up on his pursuit after her heat cycle had ended. He was shocked that she didn't seek him out, he knew he was close to her despite not being able to tell where exactly she was, surely he could have smelled him out.
"Should I attack you then?" Nangi asked, her expression almost condescending.
"I wouldn't recommend it... I know you, I tried seeking you out last year." Phango observed and made a semi-circle around her, he almost regretted not finding her now that she was in his sight, even though his vision was poor, he could tell she was attractive and would be a good bearer of offspring, her muscles were defined, her frame was slender, and there was something abut her that Phango wanted...
"Oh? I couldn't tell... You and I are alike, you see." Nangi chortlde, making a small crack at his blind eye, and as expected, he didn't take it well.
Phango snarled and quickly swiped in her direction, which she easily avoided.
"Whoa, there. Calm down, big guy... I'm being serious." She clarified. "... I cannot smell." She admitted, causing Phango's lips to uncurl themselves from his fangs, now it made sense.
"So that's what it is..." He murmured and allowed himself to calm, he had never met another leopard who shared his grievance with disability. "How are you... Alive?" He asked, deep vocals reverberating from his jaws as he spoke, Nangi could tell that he had calmed considerably with the change in tone.
"I can hear much better then you and other leopards... I heard you coming about fifteen minutes before you showed up." She explained. "If I couldn't, I wouldn't be alive, I assure you." She stated and nodded. "Where are my manners... I am Nangi." She introduced and blinked.
"... Phango." The male replied, and Nangi's head tilted.
"I have heard that name whispered along the savannah." She said.
"Oh?" Phango asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yes, though I assumed you knew that." She taunted and smirked, seeing past his act immediately, causing a small snort to emit from Phango's lips.
"I suppose so... I am feared among the plains." Phango said and smirked in satisfaction.
"As am I... I suppose we were destined to meet... Godly scent and godly sound combine to make an unstoppable force." Nangi stated in disinterest, she didn't kill for fun she killed to survive.
"I almost agree..." Phango said and wrapped his thick round tassel around his bulky muscled frame.
"Almost?" Nangi asked, now it was her turn to smirk as she stood and began sauntering towards her next destination. "If I didn't know better I would say you have a crush on me, Phango." She teased before pausing and looking behind her shoulders. "... Are you coming?" She asked.
Phango was distracted however by the femme's swaying hips, her feminine charm was already taking effect... However at her question he looked back to meet her gaze, raising a brow in confusion, leopards never travelled together...
"Coming?" He asked back.
"Yes... I have a prime spot by the migrating location if you are interested." She offered, not willing to admit she wanted him to join her.
"For now, I suppose." He sighed and stood back up, catching up with her easily before the two leopards began walking.
As nightfall approached, Nangi's ears swiveled around, detecting any potential threats. After a few moments, she nodded and relaxed, the two felines found a nice comfortable spot by a barrel fire and Nangi laid down without hesitation.
"We are safe, Phango... Let's rest, I am a rather light sleeper so we don't have to worry about being snuck up on." She sighed and yawned.
Phango hesitantly laid across from her, he didn't trust her yet and he was unsure of if he would ever trust her... He never trusted his own species, part of him wanted to get rid of her before she had a chance to hurt him, but for now he observed Nangi who was already fast asleep, she was exhausted. For now he had a chance to really look over her features without being given a dirty look... Not that he cared what she thought... She was very beautiful, easily the most beautiful leopard he had ever seen.
"Goodnight, Phango." The sudden comment almost made the other jump out of his skin in surprise, he thought she was asleep. "You are allowed to look at me you know..." She said and slowly opened her bright green eyes, meeting Phango's one yellow and one milky eye. "... I know it's hard for you to see it is kind of obvious... Is... That a birth defect?" She asked, carefully picking her head up and frowning as she saw the defensive look turn into an offended one. "... I am not trying to be rude, I'm trying to relate." She sighed and Phango frowned.
"Yes." He answered, looking away, towards the fire.
"... And how did your clan react?" She asked.
"... It doesn't matter... They got what they deserved." Phango scoffed, inadvertently answering Nangi's question.
"... My clan didn't take kindly to it either..." She sighed. "My mother wanted to keep me and teach me but... She didn't have a choice." Nangi stated.
"At least your mother cared for you." Phango muttered, his voice a bit softer then normal before he laid his head down onto his massive paws, however Nangi frowned at this and carefully crawled forward. "What're you doing?" Phango asked, frowning in confusion as he watched her.
"Trying to look non-threatening." Nangi replied with a small grin on her maw before she stopped once she was about a foot away from him.
Phango rolled his eyes, beginning to regret tagging along with Nangi, but he couldn't help but think this display was almost, almost, cute. He didn't understand why she was trying so hard to earn his trust... What was in it for her? Was she really plotting against him? Was she planning on killing him like he had the others..? For now, he couldn't decide on relaxing or succumbing to paranoia.
Nangi rested her smaller cranium against her forearms, her whip-chord swaying too and fro as she looked up at the other leopard. She hadn't played with another of her kind since she was just a cub and her instincts were trying to take over, but she knew he wasn't quite ready for that yet, unfortunately.
"... Relax, hm? We're partner now, for as long as you want... If you want to leave, I won't stop you... But the company is surprisingly welcome." She said and picked her head up, even though Phango was uncomfortable from the close proximity of the femme, he couldn't help but feel a bit... Calmed from her words.
Phango glared at Nangi but eventually he sighed and laid his head down, for now... He'd take the chance, but he wouldn't hesitate ripping her throat out if she decided to double cross him... But the company near him as he slept was, as Nangi said, surprisingly welcome. Nangi watched Phango relax and she too allowed her eyes to shut for some much needed rest.