Zoma(Commission)

Commission #1 for Zoma

The cheetah's slim, athletic body allowed him to slink through the dense forest quite easily. Yet, he was still unnerved by the place. It was so surprisingly loud... He could hear the birds screaming bloody murder at each other, the wind clashing against the treetops, and the sound of wet, oozing earth under his feet as he walked. This place was not at all like the savanna.
He had barely known how long he'd been imprisoned here, so far away from home. Where was his family? Were they sent here, too? He'd been wandering around for days now, in hopes to reunite with his kin. However, this lead to no prevail.
Zoma growled under his breath, forcing himself to take a break. He was oh so hungry.. All Zoma wished was to be back home where his parents could hunt a gazelle for dinner. But..could he really hunt like his parents? As he was young, he'd never tried such a potentially dangerous act.
However, he was afraid that he'd be forced to catch something for survival in this situation. A rustling in the bushes behind him pulled Zoma out of his thoughts. With his great feline stealth, he was able to quietly look overhead the bushes.
And there he saw it; a great watering hole, just like the ones he had in the savanna. Herds of animals such as deer and rabbits cautiously gathered there for a refreshing drink. Zoma smirked to himself, realizing that a young deer was right by the bush, gnawing at the leaves. He only would have to make one swift movement and he'd have a meal.
As horrible as he felt, he reminded himself that his parents had to do this all the time for him. Zoma gulped, and quickly snatched up the animal, slaughtering it instantly with his sharp claws. His stomach groaned with delight, and he instantly dug into his first kill. A sense of pride came over him. He could hunt. He was growing up!
And so, wiping his mouth, he got up and made his way to the watering hole for a drink, ignoring the frightened animals instantly scurrying away. He lapped up the water, saddened to find out that it tasted different from the savanna's.
This water was sweeter somehow, and he didn't like it. With a sigh came the realization that he'd probably have to live like this for awhile.
Years had passed by of Zoma living in isolation. As hard as it was, the feline had learned to cope, and he had certainly toughened up, physically and mentally. He could now hunt with great precision, and had settled himself a little home.
It was a small cave he had found abandoned, with bright green mosses growing on it's rims. He had also memorized and explored his surroundings greatly. Of the spacious forest, it was as if he really did know every nook and cranny.
Life living alone in a big dark forest got quite.. boring, which took a toll on the feline. That is until one day, when he decided to venture a little farther than usual. Slinking around the trees, Zoma's ears perked up in curiosity of what was ahead.
He read a large sign in what appeared to be a small town. "Pawville..?" He read aloud. Zoma peered down next to the sign, where an anthro animal was repainting the sign. Zoma's dark amber eyes lit up.
An antho! Someone like him! He sprinted down the small hill, jumping on a trail leading into the town. The residents were surely alarmed seeing a tattered cat who hadn't been in civilization for years running at them, but they took him in, showing great hospitality.
It was all so chaotic, but Zoma enjoyed it. Some noise besides the rustling of leaves or the flow of water. This felt more like a family.
Zoma made plenty of friends the first few weeks of living in Pawville, and over time was even able to find his passion, which was teaching.
As hard as it was to start, he loved the kids, and they loved him. Surprisingly quickly, Zoma was accepted to teach at the local high school as a history and biology teacher. His life was now complete, the feline felt.
From being bound to isolation to finding a loving community and job, how could things get better for him? He was perfectly content. One day, Zoma decided to take a calming walk through the community park.
He enjoyed the comfortable warm air with the slight cool breeze. As he walked, the sound of laughter filled his ears as the children played in the flower fields. He even smiled to himself, being so happy.
Looking to his left, he could see a blue canine sitting on a bench, admiring the scenery of the park. The feline had seen him around, and thought he was pretty cool. Kind of cute, too. Zoma decided to go sit with him, sharing a warm smile.
"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" The other replied with a shake of the head. "My name's Zoma. You're Nathan, right?"
"Yeah, that's me." Nathan smiled back. "So, what were you doing?"
"Ah, just day dreaming. This place reminds me of a scene I read in a really good book."
"Oh, you like reading?"
"Yeah, but gaming is a lot better."
"Agreed. What's your favorite?"
"I like Minecraft. You?"
"Same. The Zelda series is also great."
"We should totally play together sometime."
And so they talked, bonding quickly over time. Eventually, Zoma was invited over to the other's house. They played tons of video games together, even though Nathan was far more invested.
They had some good laughs, but soon grew hungry. "I can teach you to cook if you want."
"You think I don't know how to cook?"
"I can teach you anyways." They shared a laugh.
It seemed as if the two were becoming good friends. Great friends, even. Nathan pulled out a cookbook. "Parmesan chicken..spaghetti..sirloin..how fancy do you wanna get, Zoma?" Zoma pointed to another option. "Pizza! Everyone likes pizza." Nathan agreed with a nod. "So first we need to make the dough.." Nathan started.
And so, the two made a lovely little pepperoni pizza. While making it, the two would joke around and hold each other's hips as the other decorated the pizza. They also had some good laughs feeding each other the food.
But eventually after they ate, Zoma had to go home. They shared a hug, and off he went. But that wasn't the last time they saw each other. No, they definitely kept in touch.
Only a few months after first making a pizza together, Zoma ended up in Nathan's bed cuddling with him at four in the morning.
Zoma and Nathan had fallen for each other, and weren't going to stop being together anytime soon. It was love. A true, passionate, gentle love the two had shared. Nathan made the feline feel all jittery inside, a bubbling happiness that couldn't be contained.
Zoma wanted to spend his life with this canine, so that's exactly what he did. Soon, the two were living together in Nathan's house.
Everyday Zoma could wake up next to his true love, go to his dream job, walk around the most welcoming little town he had ever even heard of, and return home to his love.
As fast as it had all happened, from being in desolate isolation to this, Zoma was finally complete with Nathan.
He no longer missed the savanna. Here where he was was a perfect home to him.