Curiosity had finally got the better of Nohealani. Time has come, and her mother had shown her the way, though she had never actually went to the world so foreign to her. Her father had tried to forbid it, but that was what gave it the appeal to her. What was so bad down there that he wanted her to avoid? Her mother had spoken of wonderful things, and had quite the opposite mind about the land that she was now venturing.
She had been afraid before, but now courage had come to her.She was old enough, she was wise enough... at least she thought so. She was careful enough not to let the mortals that she might run into trick her. Like she was told they might. She was too proud to hide herself of what she was. Her wings large and very visible. They were her pride and joy, along with her accessories that made her look quite elegant.
She eased down and landed softly, though it took her a couple of hovering over the ground a couple minutes before actually setting down. If she didn't land, it really didn't count, she told herself in her head over and over. The ground felt so strange upon her paws, yet nothing too different than her own land. Though it was cold to the touch. She moved, letting her wings gently flutter at their will. Her eyes curious as ever as she looked from one place to another. She looked much like a deer coming into a clearing that might not be as safe as it seemed.
No words she spoke, though a sound....A cry in the distance, along with a horrifying laugh. She paused for a moment, though the sound was haunting, yet the cry was a cry of help. She couldn't just let something happen the first moment she landed. She moved towards the sound quickly to discover what was amiss. A dead bird lay upon the ground, and a lion was trying to get into a nest above.
"WHAT are you doing?!" She said louder than she intended. The lion turned towards her and froze, perhaps it was her wings, or her beauty, she wasn't sure. Before she new it, she looked to where the nest was, the dead bird, then back to where the lion had been... Where did he go? Not that it mattered. The crying for help was a baby, a baby bird that once had a mother. Something inside of her was saddened by this. She nudged the dead bird to see if it was in fact dead.
With no words, she hovered towards the nest. Her eyes made clear that her thoughts were correct. "It's okay, little one." She spoke softly, "I won't hurt you" She said. "I am Nohealani, Goddess of Elegance." She spoke proud of her domain. She had watched birds from the heavens, and she had been at awe with them. How elegant they flew, how graceful they were. "What is your name?"
Frightened, and shaking the young bird had no clue what was happening. Though she sensed the death of her mother, and heard everything else, she had been saved by this huge lion with wings. Her mother had warned her not to trust lions or any cats, though there was something quite inviting about this lioness. There was something heavenly about her. "I'm Eruanna" She spoke with a squeak.
"What's going to happen to me?" She asked. She wasn't even old enough to fly yet, how was she to survive on her own?
Nohealani smiled. "Shh, I will take care of you." If anything, she could get a good taste of mortal life starting with this life. She would care and teach her things that would help, she could even teach the little bird how to fly. Oh, how this was going to be so grand. Of course, her father would not approve of any of this. This mire life was far much shorter than her own, yet something deep down couldn't help but to want to help.
She couldn't explain it. Half of her wanted to be repulsed by the fact that this was a dirty mortal, but there was nothing dirty about a bird in the eyes of Nohealani. They were almost as elegant as she. Swiftly flying through the sky as if it were there just for them. "I shall take care of you" She spoke again. Sadly, that meant she couldn't venture back to the heavens until this little one could fend for herself for the duration that she need while Nohealani was home.
It saddened her, but it gave her courage. New found courage. Something new was going to happen, and she wasn't about to stop it from happening. She was going to embrace it and take what she could from it. What harm could it do? She was saving a life, was she not? She was being a humble and just goddess! She would teach those she could the way of being elegant and clean, change the dirty world her father thought it was. Or at least try.
Of course, she knew that it wouldn't work. They were below them, after all, but at least this would give her something to try out, to see what it was like to be in this strange land, this land that was quite interesting. She smiled and took a breath. "First, we'll teach you to fly." She spoke. It was the most important thing she could thing of. She could imagine her and Eruanna flying through the air already, swirling around, and having much fun.
"Come, let's get away from here"
Eruanna wasn't hesitant with anything. Her trust was full and complete. She did owe this one her life, even if she didn't quite understand what that meant, she just knew what her mother would say. She smiled and nodded at the huge floating beast.
"I didn't know lions could fly" She spoke with a chirp. Perhaps it came out more rude than she intended, but that wasn't something she was going to know just yet.
Nohealani picked the bird up gently with her paws, and started to fly up high in the sky. "One day we'll do this together, you and I" She said with a glee to her voice. The moment was almost perfect. If only her mother could see her now!
Finished