Reema

Story

• Reema, or Reem as she was commonly called, was born in the far reaches of the forest called Ceylis. Her father was a 4-tailed Mage Fox and her mother a 2-tailed Mage Fox - both part of a small group of Water elemental hunters. Her childhood was spent traveling and learning the ways of Water from her family, eventually gaining two additional tails from her masteries. Peace was abundant in her life but excitement was rare. After her restless juvenile years had passed, she left her family in favor of adventure.
  
  Heading North from her homeland, she eventually ended up in Zyfria with a group of Mage Foxes who called themselves Rising Star. They were a friendly group, but shyness held her back for a bit. Little by little, Reem made friends with the pack and was welcomed into the group. Among them was a special Lightning Mage Fox named Kashi. They became very close and, eventually, Kashi asked Reem to be her mate. And for a while, they lived a happy life as mates.
  
  But things started to change when Kashi needed to leave for days or even weeks on Guardian patrols around the far reaches of the forest. Reem wasn't used to it. Though she had friends to keep her company, she struggled when Kashi was away. Her loneliness clouded her judgement. She ended up in the arms of a friend, Lutukor, when Kashi wasn't home. Though they agreed to keep it secret, the guilt overwhelmed Reem. She couldn't keep it inside and when Kashi returned, she admitted had been unfaithful. Kashi left her and word spread through the forest quickly. There was a flurry of blame and tension but Kashi eventually returned to calm the situation. After private words with Lute, Kashi forgave Reem and things settled down. Though Reem always felt tension around others. She rarely left the safety of Kashi's side and he wouldn't allow her to, nor would the others who constantly watched her. When he was away, Reem isolated herself. The waits for Kashi were long and lonely.
  
  There was a time when Kashi was gone much longer than he usually was. Reem was worried he had met his fate while protecting the forest. But Reem still waited. For weeks, she was only left to wonder what happened. But finally, Kashi came home. But when he returned, he wasn't himself. He acted completely different. Instead of the over-protective but loving mate that he used to be, he seemed to have two different personalities fighting for control. There were days when he was himself but then there were days when he was bitter and harsh. But Reem endured it, trying to repent for her mistakes.
  
  When Kashi suddenly announced he was leaving to travel, Reem knew she had to go with him. She didn't have any other choice. She felt there was no home left for her in the Rising Star pack.
  
  They traveled alone for a long time. Many months passed of just the two of them walking. Reem tried to be happy but she couldn't ignore Kashi's deteriorating mental health. He grew more and more angry, lashing out at her for anything and everything. One day he finally snapped. He attacked her viciously and without warning. If it wasn't for a passing rogue Mage Fox, she likely would have died. The stranger saved her and brought Kashi down, but Reem had to stop him. If anyone was going to kill Kashi, she didn't want it to be a stranger. It was Reem who delivered the final blow.
  
  The rogue, named Lhune, offered to escort her home despite the distance. Reem shyly accepted knowing that she probably wouldn't make it back on her own. Lhune was respectful to Reem and they quickly became friends. The journey back was long but peaceful. Reem had enough time to heal from her attack and come to terms with the loss of her mate.
  
  They eventually came to familiar territory. But in a twist, it was Lute who they first ran into. It didn't go well and there was a small confrontation. But after some time for everyone for calm down, Reem tried again with much better results. She eventually found that the group was plagued with problems and tensions in the forest were high. Still, this was where Reem considered home to be. She did her best to settle in. Lhune decided to stay with Reem, eventually revealing his feelings for her. A bit shocked but happy, Reem and Lhune became mates. And soon, they were expecting kits. It finally felt like Reem was finding true happiness.
  
  But the bigger problems in Zyfria stopped the peace. There was a sickness, a disease, spreading from the far North and when it reached Rising Star territory, Reem fell victim to it. Her personality began to change, little by little. She was aggressive toward Lhune; she refused to have him near. The changes were little but their effect was dramatic. Lhune disappeared from her life.
  
  With more and more residents falling ill, a small group headed North to try to find a cure. Reem decided to tag along since she was alone again and in need of a cure to save her kits. The traveling was hard on her, being as pregnant as she was. But she felt like she needed to do whatever she could to save her unborn children. But when they got to their destination in the far North, things went terribly wrong. In all that happened, Reem could not control her panic and ended up in the line of fire during a fight. The attack she was caught in was so strong, everyone assumed Reem dead. Barely clinging to life, she was left behind.
  
  Somehow, she found the strength to crawl out of the battlefield and seek refuge. Still sick, badly injured, and with her kits in mortal danger, it was hard for her to have hope. But she fought and she lived. Barely, but she managed. But for the badly injured Mage Fox, not everything was worth celebration. Her body couldn't stand to be pregnant anymore. She gave birth to stillborn kits. She nearly lost her mind with grief. She spent the weeks afterward wandering slowly back to Zyfia.
  
  But when she got to Zyfria, she found herself completely alone. The entire forest was empty. No Mage Foxes, no animals, nothing. She figured she had nothing left to lose and decided the best thing to do was return to the forests Ceylis. But her mind was wrecked from grief and sickness and she couldn't remember the way. Knowing many of the other Mage Foxes lived along the coast, Reem couldn't do anything but wander along the coastline of the land. It was a long way with little food and no one to help her tend to her horrible injuries. Many times, she didn't think she would make it. When she finally collapsed, it was just by luck that it was a Mage Fox settlement.
  
  Fate always played with Reem and this was no exception. She woke up to the sound of a familiar voice calling out to her. It was Lute. By pure chance, Reem had stumbled upon the safe haven where the residents of Zyfria had fled to to escape the spreading plague. Lute tended to her immediately and brought her to where everyone was living. But her mind was weak and her body barely surviving. Her memory of the journey North was almost nonexistent at this point. All she could remember from the time between leaving the forest with Kashi and being found on the beach was the birth -and death- of her kits.