Nyota couldn't say for certain what had drawn him out of his den and down towards the volcano that day. The night had been a long one, and much of it had been spent relaxing at the mouth of his den and looking over the activities of the pride. It was hard for him to believe just how much it had grown since his cubhood days - he had a hard time keeping all the names and faces straight anymore, and he was certain his own age had nothing to do with it. He was technically in his prime, after all. Old enough to have the experience but still young enough to hold his own in a fight if he didn't come out on top.
The thought was enough to make him frown slightly as he recalled his past losses. Only in the tournaments had he ever faced defeat, and honorable or not he couldn't say he was entirely happy with the failure. He knew he would be good for the pride as Aran'shale, so it was with a heavy heart that he had seen three take the throne before him. But he was certain it was only a matter of time - he wasn't about to die just yet, no matter how much his granddaughter or half-brother enjoyed teasing him about creaking old bones.
He paused briefly at the thought, glancing towards the hot springs in the distance. The sun was only just beginning to brighten the horizon, so it was entirely possible Trialle would still be awake... And it had been some time since he had consulted the Ele'aina. It couldn't hurt to see if his half-brother had Seen anything that could be helpful to the pride. Even if he hadn't, it certainly didn't hurt to check in with his family.
It only took a few moments to make up his mind, and he was quick to alter his direction to take him into the jungle. He picked his way through the brush and towards the dens tucked within the safety of the foliage at a moderate pace, eyes scanning until at last he saw the rocky outcropping that marked the entrance to the priests' den site. This close to his goal, he ended up loping the last few lengths to the den, slowing his pace as he ducked into the private shelter that belonged to his half-brother.
The rocky cave was messier than the last time he'd visited - sleeping furs were askew and ritual herbs were scattered instead of stacked in neat piles. The change was enough to unsettle Nyota, and his ears pressed flat against his head as he cautiously stepped further into the den.
"Trialle?"
There was a bitten off curse from the far side of the den - out of character for the normally eloquent Ele'aina - before his half-brother emerged from the shadows.
Never had he seen Trialle in such a state. The other lion's eyes were dark and shadowed, although from lack of sleep or distress he could not tell, and his perfectly groomed mane was instead unkempt and ragged. He looked as though he hadn't seen the light of the moon in days, and his last decent meal had surely been long beyond that. It was enough to make Nyota's brow crease with worry, especially as he noticed the way his half-brother seemed to be favoring one of his front paws over the other. Had he injured himself somehow?
"Apologies, brother. You have not come at the best of times."
Nyota frowned, briefly debating whether or not he was welcome before replying at last.
"I can see that. Would you mind me asking just what all this is?"
Here Nyota lifted a paw to motion at the mess of Trialle's den, and his eyes narrowed at the brief length of time it took his half-brother to follow the motion. Once he finally had, the other lion's ears pressed back and he ducked his head, suddenly looking infinitely older and more world weary.
"The result of many nights of poor sleep and my own failed attempt to get clarification from the gods."
The statement caught Nyota completely off guard, and for an agonizingly long moment he was struck dumb. He had guessed at his half-brother's poor sleep by his appearance alone, but could the Ele'aina truly be having trouble communing with the gods? Despite his youth compared to the other priests of the pride, his Sight was the strongest and his skills were without parallel. In many ways Nyota was not surprised by this - he had been born a Seer without direct lineage to a god, which denoted a powerful tie to the divine that was perhaps stronger than even blood. The gods had chosen him.
"Clarification about what?"
Trialle's lip curled and his eyes sharpened. The change in him was so sudden that Nyota jerked back. His half-brother had slipped backwards - it was the demon inside him he was faced with.
"Visions, Tarenai. We See twilight in two shades. We See desperation and conflict. We See a great upheaval - change. And then all at once We See peace. There is no how or why. No sign of what We shall struggle against or whether this peace shall benefit Us. So We sought the gods, that they might tell Us what they meant. And they remained silent."
The demon before him snarled, hackles raised against a threat that didn't exist. And then just as quickly as he'd emerged, he retreated. Trialle's fur smoothed and he staggered for a moment, leaning against the wall of his den with a gasp. Nyota jolted forward to his half-brother's side, leaning over to steady him and trying to shake off what had just happened. He'd never spoken with Trialle's demon before, and it was unnerving to see such antipathy coming from the Ele'aina.
"Have you told the Aran'shale?"
Trialle shook his head, finally steadying himself and steppng away from his half-brother.
"I had hoped to wait until I could discover what these visions meant. But I fear none of us will know until the events unfold."
When he finally left, Nyota was stuck a sense of foreboding that he couldn't shake off. Even the dispersal of the Mwako'bi'Giza had not been met with such a reaction from Trialle. What could possibly be on the horizon for them?