The Divide

Think of all the animals you've ever heard about
like rhinoc'ruses and tigers cats and mink
There are lots of funny animals in all this world
But have you ever seen a panther that is pink?
By: "Kevin McCorry"

BANG! CRASH! SMASH! POW!

The pride of Panthers leapt upon all that were in their way. Sinking their salvos into the flesh of any that dared to stray too close to the Pridelands. The pride had migrated from the north with other clans, composed of strange and bizarre creatures to which the young panther cubs had taken a liking. The new pridelands, to which this rabble of creatures would now call its home, laid in the lands where the leaves of the trees were more likely to be of orange or pink.
Not that this mattered to the Panthers. They desired meat, and while the occassional Akuma (odd blue coloured things) had kept the pride going thus far they were no longer adequate. Besides, they were starting to take offense as the Akuma were supposed to be "friends". As amusing their objections were when a hungry panther finally could hold back no more, such incidents were now strictly forbidden.

The panthers, of course, were among the first to arrive at the new pridelands. Perhaps the promise of food sped them there. Having not feasted since the last Akuma "disappeared" the pride was restless and hungrey and soon started its patrol around the edge of the rabble's area. It was not long before many other bizarre, yet tasty, creatures were spotted. Most notable and numberous of these were the Blood Stars, Second Foundations and the succulant, purple and fruity looking Blataads found grazing around a hex of water. The area had to be "secured" according to the more intelligent creatures belonging to the rabble. Panthers care not for such "tactics" as these, but was merely grateful that its allies would not interfer with the prides hunting.

The first few kills were easy. So easy in fact as to warrent a certain pickiness amongst the more efficient killers within the pride. Enitre corpses were left to rot, while new, more appeasing prey was sought out. The panthers were indiscriminate. Any creature who whom it was not forbidden to eat were eaten. In fact, even some of the forbidden clans were eaten too! However, with increasing aggression, the prey fought back and it was not long before the hunters became the hunted and panthers dies at the hands of those they were trying to eat. Not to be discouraged, the panthers upped their game. The smartes amongst them gathered into larger groups and they attacked even more viciously than before. They attacked gradually larger and more powerful prey until eventually, for a while, this too was gone.

As the panthers spread further afield until they came into stiff resistence in the lands to the west of the pridelands. Panthers were attacked visciously as their prey stubbornly refused to be eaten. Soon the hunt for not for food, but for vengeance to fallen comrades, but still mostly for food. With all this activity, however, it was not long before the panthers became frenzied and started to kill in a frenzied manner. More and more panthers were drawn to the fight. The fight esculated into battle and the battle into war. The Blood Stars, Blaatands and Second Foundations brought more of their herbivores to the fray and the fighting intensified and yet the panthers marched on.

Despite the death, the blood and the confusion an "Alpha" made it furthest into the fray and shortly before he was set upon by fifty herbivores, maybe even 100(!) he saw what it was they were trying to protect and roared back to the others before his skull was smashed by their trampling hoofs.
"Fight on, my brothers! Fight on, for ahead is the heartland of the herbivores!" he cried. "Win this day and we shall forever be fat and full with food. Win the Divide and you win your path to gluttonous reward!"

And so it was... the panthers regrouped and made their preparations, on the Divide, between the pridelands, and the herbivore heart - to make their attack.