To some lions, the desert was a barren wasteland, even less habitable than the rouge lands. To Tem, though, it was home. A safe place where he had grown up with his brothers and sisters and parents, a place full of strong lions that wouldn't back down from a fight, a place he couldn't imagine leaving. And yet, here he was, surrounded by tall, dry grass and a few trees.
He had been told just a few weeks ago that he'd be forced to leave one he was old enough because of his blue coloration. At first he had thought it was a joke, but after his father had to tell him again after his mother had gone off to cry, he finally believed. First he was scared. How was he going to survive? How was he going to find a new home? He didn't want a new home, he wanted to stay here! Then he was angry. Why? Why couldn't he stay? Just because he had some blue on him? He had red and black and white, too! None of his siblings had blue. Why did he have to have blue?
During the weeks that followed, his uncle had taken it upon himself to help him gain a few skills he'd need out in the rouge lands, as well as some tips from his father as to prides that were welcoming and safe. By the time the day came for him to leave, he actually felt prepared. He kept a brave face for his mother and siblings with the promise of returning to visit once he was older, but once he was alone and as far from the desert as he could get with a day's journey, he curled up in a ball to cry.
He hated being alone. He had a huge family and always had someone there to play with or sleep on or talk to. Now all he had was the wind and the occasional bird flying by. He was scared, he was hungry, he was thirsty, and he wanted to go home. But where was home? Nowhere, for now.
It wasn't very often Daima got a summons from anyone he'd left one of his tokens with, even less often that the summon came from one of his daughters. But when Iirte summoned him, he was inclined to listen. She was his oldest in this life, and she wouldn't call for him unless absolutely necessary. The Firekin didn't exactly take kindly to Gods, after all. So he'd come to her, and he'd listened to her troubles.
The full story had taken some time, of course. It had been quite some time since he'd last spoken to Iirte, so some catching up had been in order. He'd become a grandfather through her, and then a great-grandfather through one of her daughters. And it was one of his great-grandsons that the issue had come up with. He was out in the rogue lands, ejected from his home for the simple crime of having blue on his pelt, and likely feeling more alone than ever. It worried his poor daughter, and with good reason.
So he'd soothed her, promising to find her grandson as soon as he could. It wasn't as easy as finding her - he had no token for Daima to search for, so he had to rely only on his senses. And that had taken time. While he knew his great-grandson's appearance by description, he still had to scour the surrounding rogue lands. But at last he spotted the boy - black with fiery blue wings on his back, just as Iirte had described.
He angled his descent downwards, landing in the dirt in front of the young lion with a small scuff, wings flaring to keep himself from skidding forward. "Cuauhtemoc!"
Tem had started to doze, his hunger and sadness making him sleepy enough to catch a few winks in what was probably not a very good spot for a nap. He didn't hear nor see the approaching god and therefore was very startled when there was a sudden rush of wind and a booming voice.
He woke instantly, flattening himself as much as he could, his claws digging into the dirt. Green eyes stared up at the lion that towered over him, larger than either of his parents or any lion he'd seen before. His pupils dilated as he realized the lion before him had wings that were on fire, although no heat came from them as far as he could tell.
Stunned into silence, he could only stare at the huge, strange lion, and very belatedly wondered how he had known his name. His full name, at that. Finally something in him compelled him to speak, his voice squeaky and quiet.
"Y-yes? Please don't eat me," he added meekly, trying to shrink away from the massive male.
On another day, Daima might have realized how he'd come across more quickly. But it took him a moment to realize he'd likely just scared the wits out of the poor boy, and he offered him an apologetic smile as he settled his wings against his side. He remained where he was for the moment, keeping a respectful distance from the now frightened young lion.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you. Your grandmother was worried about how you were doing, and sent me to find you," he said softly, his voice a soothing rumble. Hopefully he could still salvage his relationship with his great-grandson after starting off on the wrong paw.
Tem's heart was pounding in his chest, his fight or flight response frozen in place. A strange aura was radiating off the other lion, making him want to run run run run RUN RUN RUN-
But then he heard the word grandmother and instantly that desire was gone. He lifted his head hesitantly, still staring at the huge male. "My grandmother?" he asked, his voice a little shaky but no longer squeaky. "Does that mean I can go back? And...and who are you?" he added. There was something strangely familiar about the other lion, and if he had to be honest those wings looked terribly familiar, too.
There was a long moment of pity at Tem's questions, the desire to go back to his family so clearly visible on his young face that Daima almost didn't have the heart to break the news. He sighed softly, stepping closer to his grandson and sitting at his side, lifting a wing to curl it around the boy's flank. It certainly didn't seem fair that he was the only one of his siblings to be made to leave, but the sad truth of life was that it wasn't always fair.
"I'm afraid not. While I'm sure they'd let you visit occasionally, I don't think you could go back to stay," he answered, gently pulling the young lion closer to his side with his wing. His gaze was sympathetic when he turned it to him, and after a moment he licked a paw to brace the youth's head as he leaned down to give the top of it a quick groom. "As for me? I'm your grandfather. Well... Your great-grandfather, but who's really counting the generations?"
Tem's desire to flee returned for a moment as the huge lion moved to sit beside him, and for a moment he was afraid of catching fire as the huge wing wrapped around him. The flames licked at his fur but didn't burn him, nor did they catch his fur on fire. He watched for a moment as the edge of the wing made little tongues of flame roll down his legs, disappearing into the dust.
The lion spoke again, bringing his attention back up. He held still as a huge paw groomed his mane, surprisingly gentle for its size. The confirmation of not being able to return sunk his spirits all over again, but his surprise returned to fill it as he was told just who the huge male was.
"My grandfather?" he repeated. His grandmother's father, then. That's when he started to notice the resemblance in some of his relatives. The stripes on his legs, the dots above his eyes, the wings themselves...he had seen them every day on the back of his brother, just in a two dimensional way.
"Oh..." He glanced at his own side where he could see his own wing markings, identical to his brother in every way except in color. His brother was his twin, but where Tem was blue, he was red.
"...why do you have wings?" he asked, looking up at him with a confused expression. He'd never been told about gods, and for good reason. His mother's side of the family had a few god relations, and his father was the son of a goddess. They weren't spoken of and Tem didn't know he was related to quite a few of the huge creatures, nor had he been raised with anti-god feelings.
Daima took a long moment to allow Tem to settle before he set his paw back down, glancing towards the stars with a thoughtful look. His daughter hadn't exactly tasked him to look after the boy, but now that he'd met him... He certainly couldn't deny that there was a certain amount of paternal instinct, even if he was further down in the generations. He didn't know if Tem would want to live the nomadic lifestyle he did, but there were places he could take the boy where he would be well cared for...
His ears shifted, and it took him a moment to register the question posed to him. When he finally had, he glanced back towards Tem, a grin cracking across his muzzle. "Well, that's because I'm a God. The God of Determination, in fact. Where do you think your grandmother got all of her spirit from?"
He paused a moment, shifting his folded wing slightly and turning his gaze towards the horizon. "If you'd like, I could take you to meet my brother and my father as well. They're both Gods like myself, and happily settled into prides of their own. Prides that would welcome you with open paws if you wanted to stay and be among family, however extended it might be."
Tem blinked in surprise at the answer he received. A god? He was quiet for a while as Daima spoke, the prospect of extended family exciting him a bit. He definitely didn't want to live out here all on his own, but he had no idea where to go or what prides to seek out. His father had told him what ones to stay away from, but beyond that? Nothing.
"Um. I wouldn't mind going to see the prides," he said quietly, looking up at his great-grandfather, still a bit hesitant. "And meeting some of my family. Extended family," he added. Not quite as good as having his aunts and uncles and siblings and parents and grandparents, but it was something.
"Are they very far?" he added. "I...I know I can't go home. To stay. But I'd like to be able to come visit and...and I don't want to be too far away for that."
"They are a ways away, but I'll tell you what. If you decide you want to stay in either one of them, I'll give a token of mine. And any time you want to visit your family, all you have to do is use that token to summon me, and I'll take you to the borders of your old home. Sound fair?" It certainly wasn't an offer Daima would make lightly, but the boy was family. And even if he grew too big to carry, he could at least make the journey with him so it wasn't so lonely.
The offer made Tem brighten just a bit, and he hesitantly leaned against the huge leg that was beside him.
"Okay," he said quietly, glancing back in the direction of the Firekin for a moment. "Um. Thank you," he added, looking up at Daima again. Even though his eyes looked like glowing suns, he smiled just a bit. "That...that'll be good."
He could go home easily with the huge god to help him get there, he was sure. So he stood and, with some help, climbed up on Daima's back. He settled between his wings, trying not to get in their way, and held on as carefully as he could as they lifted off into the air. He glanced behind him once more, watching the sands of his old home disappear over the horizon. Wherever they were going, he hoped his family was nice.