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 Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:06 am
The trek to the lands he currently had arrived in was long. He had left the pride he was born in to gain knowledge of the world, to gain knowledge of different plants and herbs so he could one day be like his father, the poza of the Kusini'Mwezi lands. However, the healer of the southern lands was his father's job, he had no intention of taking his place. Instead, he would rather start anew, helping rogues, and perhaps be established in a pride. Whether or not that would work, Koki would find out soon. He had heard rumors about these pride lands, and decided to check it out.
Walking past what he thought was a boarder, the male adolescent sat down, and waited. He was not one to go off gallivanting into lands he had no idea who or what lived on the inside. So he waited, the bright silver moon reflected off his golden eyes acquired from his mother as he watched the stars twinkle and flicker in the sky above.
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 3:32 pm
Often Unyezi wandered around the pride lands by himself, patrolling much like a guard would. Tonight, though, someone had mentioned the presence of a rogue and he had gone out to investigate himself. They were not a paranoid group, but an unmoving visitor deserved some attention. Once he spotted someone unfamiliar in the dim moonlight, the king stood tall and approached confidently. He aimed for confidence, not menacing.
"Hello there," he called out.
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:23 pm
At the voice, Koki's ears flickered back and forth, finally having his eyes settle on the lion standing in the near distance. He stood, flecks of dirt falling from his body. His mother and father had both explained to him if he were to ever wander in another's land, bow your head to whomever you meet. After all, you never knew if that was the king or queen you were happened to be graced with their prescence. And the charcoal adolescence did just that. He bowed his head, lowering it past his shoulders, before raising back up, his golden eyes focusing once again on the pridemember.
"Good evening, sir." He greeted. "Please do not take me as a threat, I am just a mere traveling healer looking to establish myself in a pride." He explained shortly, watching the other. Koki thought if he hadn't explained his situation, the other might turn him away, or perhaps something else. After all, he knew stories of his Uncle in the lands known as the firekin. These lands did not seem like those at all.
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:27 pm
"Well, you have found the lands of the Mwezi'Johari," Unyezi said, wondering at the youth's explanation of what he was doing and taking a guess that perhaps he knew he had found some pride and was interested in at least checking them out, "I am Unyezi and I am the king here." He walked closer, maintaining a level of formality by staying on his feet.
"Who are you?" he asked, "What kind of healing do you do?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:46 pm
A king... the king! See, his formalities had gotten a hold of him! Although his grandfather was the kind of the pride he was birthed in, he had never actually met another. This was his chance to see how other's ran their lands.
"My name is Koki, sir." He didn't know if he should address the king as sir, lord, or what not, so Sir had stuck. "My mother is Ayo, and my father is Kenai, the Poza of th Kusini'Mwezi lands." He noted that both the pridelands had Mwezi in the terms, but then the charcoal male mentally kicked himself for using the Kusini term of healer rather than just calling it the regular name. "Poza is the healer of the Kusini lands," Koki clarified.
When the king asked him what kind of healing he did, the lion had responded, "I know the main plants that keep away infection when placed on a wound, as well as how to use the large grasses, as well as the sea grass that grows in water to keep a wound secure," He told the male. He knew a little more, but that was when Koki had said, "I am young, but I feel my knowledge will grow as I grow older. My father has taught me the knowledge he knew from the Kusini lands, but I know there are much more out there that there is to learn. I've have learned a lot more from being away from my father's ways already, just by traveling towards these lands."
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:05 pm
"Koki, it's a pleasure to meet you," he greeted him, listening as he mentioned his parents and his father's position in the pride. He nodded at the explanation of the special title of the healer in his pride. The Mwezi'Johari relied on herbs for certain things, most importantly for rogue initiated. Unyezi himself had some knowledge, however limited, on the usefulness of certain plants- though only as was necessary to the pride. Things like this could have helped in the past.
"Our pride has an herbalist of sorts," he explained thoughtfully, "Though her knowledge focuses more on the plants required by our traditions, and she is not the most social of lionesses so I don't imagine she would be of much use to learn from."
Judging by his behavior, though, he realized he was near a pride and was at least interested in checking it out.
"What brought you here specifically?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 6:35 am
When the male spoke of a herbalist in the pride, Koki's ears perked forward; however, when he heard she wasn't the most social of lions, they began to droop slightly. So much from learning from her, but he was more of a trial and error kind of guy, usually testing the different grasses on himself. Sometimes though, that got him in trouble, as it would be more harm on himself then good, but the charcoal adolescent figured it was better than trying on another lion, and he had thought that someone was crazy like him in the beginning to figure out what was good and bad by testing on themself, right?
What brought him here? He thought for a moment, but really the explanation was the same as when he left. "I heard of talk within my old pride of different prides out there, sir." He watched the male, still on his feet. "When I left, I had the intention of just wandering around, but as I got more north, I heard of talk about this pride, sir. My father is the healer in our pride, and I would like to try my talents somewhere else. I think it was the name that caught me, and reminded me of home, most of all..." The Southern Moon Pride and the Precious Moon (don't know exactly what Mwezi'Johari means, improvising here D: ) Pride. "That is what brought me to these lands."
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:48 am
(x3 Close enough! <3 And I put Unyezi in my signature so you'd know what he's talking about when he mentions his necklace. And because he needs sigtime :3)
Unyezi looked surprised to hear they were becoming known to the world around them, though he knew they'd been settled for some time now and they did have at least one lion out there looking for old members. He should not have been surprised, but he was rather pleased. He felt bad when he saw the quick changes in Koki's expression at the mention of how anti-social Shira could be, but there was no other way to put it. She was very good at her job, but she was irked enough over training his daughter.
"Kusini'mwezi," he repeated thoughtfully, smiling when he mentioned the name, "Well, if you would like to join there is a lot you need to know. For one interested in plants, you should be warned that there is an herb here that can be dangerous. On my necklace here are the leaves of this plant, our Shaman knows how to use it properly. Too much can be dangerous and it's not used on anyone younger than you, I'd say. It is used to initiate rogues, on the night of the full moon they are put to sleep using this plant. The dose given can wear off in a night, or in about fourteen. The phase of the moon when they awake determines the class in which they reside."
He took a moment's pause to let this much of it sink in before continuing.
"Our pride is watched by the Great Lion, his eye is known to most as the moon," he went on, "He is most watchful on the nights the moon is large and bright, this is when we are most safe and happy and when high class cubs are born. The nights where he is not watchful are unlucky, and those born at these times have little favor with Him."
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 4:44 pm
The charcoal adolescence gazed at the necklace for quite some time. He observed it, noting every crevice he could, the texture, the color, everything. At King Unyezi's explanation, the male glanced up, clearly with a look of awe in his eyes. So, that herb was dangerous. He shifted his weight on his paws, just wanting to try the herb to see what it was like, he hadn't come across one that seemed so...powerful. Perhaps this was a unique plant located only in the Mwezi'Johari lands. But if this was teh case, then it must've held other different species.
So, if Koki was to try this plant, he would need to make sure he woken up at a certain time in the moon's cycle. That was near impossible, but still, this was like a chance of a lifetime.
"Being a healer," Koki's golden eyes settled on the King once more, "I have a sense of trying new things when it comes to plants." He stopped for a moment, thinking, before he continued to speak. "I would like to join your pride if you permit me into it, and I full understand the consequences when it comes to the said plant that hangs about your neck." The charcoal male nodded, prepared to do whatever was necessary.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:59 pm
Unyezi watched the youth's reaction to the necklace and the plant on it carefully, noting how he seemed anxious about it- but not in a bad way, really. So long as curious was not considered bad, though. The king supposed a second warning about the plant might be needed, or perhaps he could talk Shira into giving the boy a lesson about it before administering it if he really did want to join.
"So long as you are careful about this plant," he said, "And, of course, we cannot waste it. It died out in our previous home, we traveled far and lost a couple members along the way and we hope not to repeat that adventure soon."
He looked the lion up and down and continued, "You would be welcome to join, Koki. You must accept that you may end up a slave, and if you do you will not be permitted to leave. So long as you can learn, understand and accept our traditions, you will be welcome. Come with me, I'll explain as we walk back to the central lands."
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:05 pm
As the King mentioned about the not wasting the plant, Koki agreed. If they land was barren of this particular plant, the chances of finding it if it was such a rarity would be slim to none. The charcoal adolescent nodded fully, understanding what the King said about it, and the hardships they had come by in traveling to look for the new land.
When Unyezi mentioned about the possibility of Koki becoming a slave, his ears flickered slightly, as if comtemplating. He grew up in a royal family. His grandma and grandpa on his Father's side were the previous monarchs of the Kusini'Mwezi lands, leaving his blood to still flow with the original queen's blood. The becoming a slave would be a totally different lifestyle for the healer. Koki licked his lip a little, nodding. "Whatever the plant affects has for me is destined to me my fate, King Unyezi, sir." He nodded, walking towards the male, whom said to follow.
"Though, sir, I do have a question...You said you left your old lands...how long ago was that?" Growing minds wanted to know. And if he were going to be apart of the pride, he best know a little history about it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:04 pm
Unyezi did not know of Koki's family, and had he known it might not have made a great difference. He was not even sure his family had always been the royal family in the Mwezi'Johari. If the king and queen were unable to produce high-class offspring to take the throne, or something happened to all high-class princes and princesses then a high class member from the pride was chosen. If this was unknown, if they had no way to continue the monarch except for the king and queen producing a suitable heir.. well, then, he might have thought his family was it all the way back.
"I would have been a bit older than you, a bit fuzzier perhaps, when I took over for my father," he said thoughtfully, "It was shortly after that that we had to leave our old lands to find the plant. We've been settled here for a while now, and hopefully here is where we'll stay."
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:00 pm
The charcoal adolescent nodded as the male spoke. That must’ve been hard, to up and leave one’s old lands to find one which almost mimics the exact place. Koki couldn’t imagine the Kusini pride searching for a new place to reside. How many other areas in Africa had been so keen in a location, where each border was an actual natural landmark that would confuse the troublemakers, test the strengths of the strongest lions, as well as finding hidden endurance. Those not known to the land could easily get lost traveling through the northern borders.
“It’s a good thing you found this land then. Pretty lucky, actually,” the male nodded. “As long as watchful eyes are keen on the plant, then your land will flourish greatly,” Koki said quietly, his mind wandering back to the plant around the King's neck.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:07 pm
"I don't believe luck is fully at fault," he responded easily and honestly, glancing up at the sky briefly, "The night we found our home was a full moon. The Great Lion guided us, as he always has. We are hopeful that the plant will not die out here as it did in our previous home, the shaman is watchful of it and would not hesitate to warn us if she felt it were in danger of disappearing here as well."
He smiled and continued on the way.
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:49 pm
Koki had listened to what the King had said, and nodded understanding every word. As long as this plant was in abundance, and no one messed around with it like trial experiments, then they /should/ be safe with it. But then again, if other's from outside of the pride found the secrets of a plant with this ability, then there was always the possibility of an attack to get it. However, the charcoal lion felt as if nothing like this would happen. Especially with what looked to be a well flourished pride.
"Can you plant more?" When he spoke of you, he obvious meant the pride. "Like...a secret stash where only You," the King, "and the Shaman know about?" Koki liked to offer ideas on how to help, and of course, it was always just a suggestion.
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