|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 2:04 pm
 Things were getting mildly complicated, and while Muhali rather liked chaos sometimes, when it came to her pride, she much rather peace and quiet. She needed help, and during her stay within the pride, she couldn't help but notice the absence of a certain royal family; she she rather liked Shandor, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the previous royals.
She's gotten very little, to no information, and what little she'd been able to extrapolate from what little she'd gathered told her they'd gone off to the rogue lands in search of answers, once the blessing had left the land. No one seemed to know what happened to them, where they were, or why they weren't back, and Muhali figured it was time someone went out and searched for them.
Having the royals around would probably ease the tension in the pride, just a bit, "Either that, or it'll just create more chaos," the goddess sighed as she padded along the beach, "Let's hope for the former though," her eyes scanned the horizon, looking for both her daughter, and the lithe male she'd come to think of as her son in law, even if neither of them had realized that much yet. When her gaze finally landed on the small, pale backside of the god of Peace, Muhali quickened her pace. She rounded on him and lowered her face to give him a playful bump on the shoulder, however... her words died quickly in her throat when she saw him; he looked sad, depressed even, like he had the weight of the world on those small shoulders of his and he'd given up on trying to move, "Oh darling... oh honey... what's wrong?" her previous mission all but forgotten, the small goddess lay herself down against his stomach, her small form against his, her concealed wing covering his whole back in a way reminiscent of a mother hen, "What's eating you, honey? Are you okay? Did you and Maua have a little fight? If so, don't listen to her, sweetie... she's just got a bit of a temper on her, s'all, probably didn't mean a thing she said."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 5:16 pm
 The small god hadn't budged for nearly two days. He laid on his belly, his chin on his paws and his shoulders hunched up unhappily as he watched the tide roll in and out, bringing treasures from the depths and swallowing what hadn't been collected. It was quiet here, peaceful, and sometimes very lonely. He was a stranger to the lands, one they tolerated but kept a distance from. He was known as an odd traveler, always tired. He felt heavy, like his paws had been filled with water and his belly with rocks. The information he'd learned from his fellow deity had washed over him like an icy ocean wave, leaving him feeling small, cold, and hollow inside. He was small... because peace was fading. He was starving, wasting away and completely ignorant of it. Perhaps this was his final life? He would lay down and Maua would see him to his forever-sleep. The lion shivered, his eyes haunted as the larger, older goddess came to lay beside him. He huddled close to her, his head pressing against her shoulder. He was shaking, despite the sun on his back. "No... no it's not that." He said quietly, his voice hushed. "Muhali...m'am, I... I think I'm dying. Or going to start soon...."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 5:31 pm
"Oh darling... you're shaking," Muhali's brow knitted, her head lifting up in the air to take a look around them before she willed the illusion on her wings away; they draped around the smaller, pale god in as much of a hug as she could offer. The position, against some rocks, curved around them in a half moon, made it almost impossible for anyone to sneak up and see her, and she felt like the gesture was important enough to risk it anyhow.
Li wei looked shaken, scared to the bone even, depressed as if he'd been told the end of the world was coming up, "Honey..." she frowned as he spoke, her head lowering so she could lap her tongue at his features, brushing his mane away from his eyes, maternal instinct kicking in so readily it was almost frightening, "What, in Mkodi's name, has you thinking such a thing? That's downright stupid, that is. You're not dying, sweetie," her tongue had been lapping at him at intervals as she spoke, "Don't be ridiculous; who told you that?" she frowned, finally looking up, "Why, I otta smack the ever-loving s**t out of them for telling you such a thing! What's got you thinking like that, honey? You look perfectly healthy to me!"
A bit on the small end of the spectrum, yes, but perfectly healthy.
"Gods can't die, sweetie. We don't die unless we so chose to; the only way to die is for you to pass on your domain, and-" she stopped and looked down at him, "You're not considering that, are you?" she knew some gods did; Uka had, after all, "Does Maua know you're sad, and all alone here? Where is she, anyhow?" her head lifted to look around, and her wings, having accomplished their earlier mission, vanished from sight again, though they remain draped around Li's body in what Muhali could only hope was a comforting gesture, "Well, it doesn't matter where Maua is. You're gonna tell me all about this nonsense, and we're gonna work right on through it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:03 pm
"Oh no, no!" Li lifted his head but lowered his ears as his expression tightened. "I would never make someone else shoulder this. It's... it's so dangerous, so much work, and...and the mortals they...." He looked away from the lioness unhappily and collected his words careful. Muhali was Maua's mother. If mother and daughter were anything alike, if he worded anything wrong, someone would have their eyes ripped out and shoved down their throat for having hurt him in some way. The thought made the god's stomach roll. Heavens, he couldn't let that happen to anyone, no matter how vile they were. "I"m small. The smallest god I've ever seen, maybe the smallest anyone has seen." He started carefully. "When a mortal is small, it means they're not eating enough. They have little substance. Maybe.... I'm not getting enough substance and every time one of my missions costs me a life, I come back smaller." He looked to Muhali, his eyes now flooded with grief. "The mortals don't believe in me anymore. They kill, they fight, they bicker and wage wars! I blessed this place and I've never been so tired in my living memory. I feel like all the strength has been pulled right out of me. Maybe I made a mistake...maybe they're not peaceful. Or...this is as peaceful as mortals get anymore." He put a paw to his head. "I'm dying..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:51 pm
"Oh honey..." Muhali's eyes filled with grief, reflecting that of the smaller god's, and for a moment, she felt like nothing she could tell him would ever be enough, "You're partly right, partly wrong, sweetie, but let me address the easiest problem first, okay?" she nuzzled under his chin, her ears flat against her head as she rubbed herself there, a loving gesture; there was nothing teasing about this, nothing flirtatious. It was pure, unadulterated love that she felt for the smaller god, appreciation, admiration, even, mingled in her actions too, "When you blessed Kizingo'zaa, you didn't just bless the land, sweetie. You did so much more than that. In fact, it's a downright miracle you managed to do such a feat, and it has a lot less to do with you being weak than it does with you being young, inexperienced."
The lioness withdrew her head from under his chin and then looked him in the eye, "I am old, Li Wei. I am very, very old, honey," she whispered, "Even by our standards. I can't even remember the last time I rebirthed, it was so long ago. I was once a lot like you, actually, very much so. For entirely different reasons though," she admitted as she cast her gaze down to the ground, looking for all the world as if she were ashamed of herself, "I was sad, honey. Very sad, and very lonely too. I was tired of how my domain affected mortals; what it made them do, because I didn't quite think my domain had to be a curse; I wanted it to be a blessing, an escape, and... that's how this land, this pride was born, oh-so-long ago. I wanted to prove something to myself, and thus, I created a pride, and blessed the land, and all its inhabitants in an attempt to prove to myself, the world even, that my domain could be a good thing," she looked towards the sea, watching the water lap the sand, "That was very long long ago, and I was very strong. I was a very strong goddess, even back then. Not only did I bless the land, but I tied myself down to the blessing; I let it engulf me, too, tying it to my soul, as much as the land, and thus, doubling it's power."
Again she turned back to the smaller god, "Do you see what I'm getting at, honey? Not only did you lift the curse of a god that's been around for a very long time, but you lifted a curse she'd placed upon herself, too. When you blessed this land, sweetie, you blessed me, along with it, and that's a mighty powerful blessing you cast, let me tell you. Lifted my spell right off, cleared my mind entirely, and gave me peace of mind. Sweetie... that's more than I've ever had, so don't go thinking you're weak. You're mighty strong, to manage what you did, and if you're nobody's hero... you're my hero, and I thank you for what you did," she rubbed her head lovingly against him, like a mother would have it's child, or like family, like blood, even if they weren't really connected that way, and allowed him time so that her words could sink in before she tackled the other issue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 2:28 pm
Li listened, his eyes slowly glazing over. She had trapped herself in her own blessing? In her own...curse. She had wanted some kind of affirmation that her domain could be a good thing, that mortals had wanted her. He knew that feeling all too well. En Gedi loved him, and they honored him with keeping their peace, but it was such a small pride. Out here- things were so different. He'd run for his literal life more times than he cared to remember. The lions of the desert, the lions that bonded with birds, the list went on and on. As Muhali finished the young god's eyes were flooded with tears but he was smiling. It had been a death blow to the dam of emotions inside. "No one's ever said I was a hero." He said, his voice choked on a thick and growing lump in his throat. No one had called him mighty either. He had been small, pitiful, something of a joke. Just knowing that he'd helped one soul made it worth it. He tried to say more but ended up choking on his words. Instead, he buried his face in the lioness' shoulder, mindful of the horn that was there, and brought a paw around in an awkward hug.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 3:08 pm
As the small god attempted to hug her, Muhali once more brought her wings around him, allowing him to feel the feather light touches they created as she licked and groomed his forehead and mane, "You are, honey. You're a hero. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, because if they do... they're either lying, or stupid. Possibly both," she stopped grooming to meet his eye, "As mentioned, I've been around for a very long time, hon. I think I know a thing or two, so listen to me, alright? I know what I'm talking about," she gave his face another long lick, brushing the hair away from his eyes, mindful of the horn she knew remain concealed under illusions, "Now then. Now that that's outta the way... let me tackle your other issues, shall I?"
She moved slightly, to better accommodate his body against hers, allowing him to remain reclined against her chest so she could comfort him better should she require, "While it is true that gods take nourishment from the belief of mortals, our size isn't always exactly related to the amount of believers there are. Belief, honey... it's a tricky thing," she clicked her tongue over her fangs, "All mortals have some percentage of light, some percentage of darkness; where they tend towards is up to them, not us. What I'm getting at is that... they have as much possibility for good as they have for evil. Light and dark, honey, Peace and War, Sanity and Insanity, it's all... it's like they're two sides of a coin, don't you see? Evil and good; you can't have one without the other, because it's just not possible, sweetie. As long as there is War, there will also be belief in peace; there will be the hope for a better future. You can't die from that. You're not dying, sweetie, you're just weakened, for several reasons."
There was a pause, as the goddess let that sink in, and then continue, "You're not dying," she repeated, just to make certain, "You are, however, weak, but it's not due to what you think; it's because you die after very short spans of time. Each time you die, it takes power, energy, to bring you back; I believe you are using your own energy when you come back, and since you're not allowed to er... 'fill up' the reserves of energy during your lifespan, being killed much too early, every time you come back, you're slightly smaller. What I'm getting at is... it can be fixed. Peace is not a dying concept, nor is the belief in it. Nurture the seed of it; don't just bless prides, seek out the pull of the people that believe in you, even if they are within harsh lands, where peace does not reach them. Nurture that belief, and you will become stronger, because it's not our domain that makes us strong, Li Wei... it's the belief mortals have in it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 4:00 pm
The small god wiped at his eyes and forced a smile back to his face. He looked more like a cub than a full grown adult, curled up against a larger goddess' body with only half a mane draping over his neck and shoulders. He never lost the childlike expression or the softer, higher voice of a youth. He might never grow out of such things in this lifetime, but he carried them well enough. "Thank you. I needed to hear that. I've been so unsure. All the gods I've met...they seem so far away from mortals. Perhaps because it's safer." He shuddered. "I can't remember my past lives...just...birds, angry voices, claws, and eyes burning with hatred. This life has been dangerous as well. If not for Maua and Mut, I would have been killed already." He pulled his paws in close. "...I need to seek out believers. Maybe help them, show them...somewhere they can live in. Somewhere peaceful." He frowned. En Gedi might take them but...they were having their own problems, and not all prides were accepting of having to change so many of their ways to accommodate newcomers. "Maybe I could do that. Find the ones that want peace...but then what?" He leaned his head back. "I can't fight for their right to peace."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 4:26 pm
"Shhhh," her tongue lapped at his face again as he spoke, "Don't think about that, honey, it's not worth it. I don't... think you were meant to remember your past lives, so don't give it thought, and I'm glad I could help you, even if was just a small amount of help, in comparison to what you've done for me," she reclined herself back, and gave the smaller god a bit more space, lifting a paw to brush his bangs out of his eyes, "Good, there we go, that's a lovely smile, sweetie. More of that, okay? You look lovely when you smile, and I can see what Maua sees in you, even if she's too stubborn to admit it to herself right now. Giver 'er time, sweetie. She'll come 'round, you'll see."
Muhali's tongue clicked over her fangs, a sneer coming over her features as she shook her head, "Many gods seem to have forgotten our purpose; we are meant to be among mortals, Li Wei. We are nothing without them. They are the ones that hold the real power, because it is they that can make us... or destroy us, and so many of us often forget that," another sneer, "Some just refuse to see that, but don't despair. You're not in charge of them, honey, and it shouldn't matter. You do your job, like I do mine, even when times are rough," a pause, "Specially when times are rough; do what you're meant to do, because you're the only one that can do it - it's what you were made to do," she smiled at him and gave his cheek a small nuzzle, "I think you should go seek out Sammy," she told him, "He can probably help you far better than I can, 'cause well..." her eyes became sad, "My domain is what it is; his is ambiguous, both dark and light and mine... isn't, honey. No matter what I deluded myself into thinking."
After a moment's pause, she leaned over the god of Peace, and allowed her forehead to land softly on his, passing on mental images to him, illusions, "Seek out Sammy. He's Karma. Pretty hard to miss him, really, giant peacock that he is. Not sure where he is but... go find him. He'll be in the mortal world and while you're at it... think you could take Maua with you and do me a lil favor?" her forehead still rested against his head, and she passed him more images, visions of a white lioness, and a purple striped lion, the royals of her pride, "Could you keep an eye pealed for these two and their troupe? And if you find them... could you please escort them back here? I believe it's what I'll need to keep the peace you worked so hard to give my land."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 10:27 pm
Mortals made or broke the gods... it was a haunting thought but one that echoed what Rama had told him. It had to be true... he worked hard to reward mortals that respected his domain, that gave peace a place to rest. If they didn't pass, he often had to run for his life. Mortals that didn't receive his blessing rarely took the news well. It's part of why he was the shortest lived god... He held his smile though and gave a nod. His thoughts went back to his mortal mother, his mortal brothers, the pride that waited for him. That wondered after even his small, mortal form. It filled his chest with warmth and his blood with a gentle fire. The small god was silent as he listened, his head lowering as the lioness touched her forehead to the horn in-between his eyes. From a mortal, he would have hated the contact, fearful for his life. His horn was the source of his life, his power, and his energy. For a goddess though, she would understand. She would feel it. He closed his eyes and focused, absorbing the images. Once she was finished, the godling rose up to his feet and shook himself off. His mortal form fell away. Scales caught the sun and danced along his back, his mane flying through the wind like a banner, and his horn shining like a precious gem. "The god of Karma then. I'll do that." He looked over and flashed a wider smile. "....thank you, Muhali. I'll find those children of yours. I owe it to you. And....keep an eye on the lions here. They seem restless."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:38 am
Muhali could see that her words had, at the very least, shaken him somewhat, but all she could manage was a mild smile, "In a way... it's true honey. But don't let that get you down. Let me let you in on a lil secret gods guard ferociously," her smile turned tender as she leaned forward to whisper in the smaller male's ear, "Mortals seem to have forgotten their worth, their power and the influence they wage against us, for the most part," she leaned away then, but not before giving him a fast nuzzle, "Don't worry honey... things are always better after the storm, don't you think? You'll find your way. Maybe you were just not looking at things the way you should, or maybe you just need to do your job in a roundabout way, instead of the direct approach."
As the godling rose to his feet, so did Insanity herself, pausing just briefly to roll her shoulders and then stretch out on the sand to rid herself of the kinks accumulated in her bones and muscles, "Sammy'll help you, I'm sure. He's a bit pompous, and proper, but he's got a good heart 'bout him. He'll help," she watched as his disguise melted away, his scales shinning in the sun, and her smile grew, "Don't you worry 'bout a thing. I'll keep an eye," a small chuckle, "They're my children, honey... it's not out of character for them to be a bit restless, but they'll find their way, even if I have to headbutt them in that direction. I'm staying," she told him, and her gaze turned to the sea, "I won't be leaving them alone," and that said, she turned around and headed away from the God of Peace, taking just a moment to turn to look over her shoulder, "Make sure you take Maua with you, honey. Two pairs of eyes... well, all the better to look for others, don't cha think? Stay sharp, stay safe, sweetie, take care and come back soon. I'll miss you both."
That said, she jumped into the foliage and vanished into the jungle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
