Talfrid was feeling very light on his feet, and for a moment he forgot all the troubles that had been weighing down on him. Ever since running into Eir, and spending time with her, he had felt like his world was suddenly shining in a different light. He always had something to believe in, and there were plenty of moments of happiness and love in his life, but this felt new and different. Maybe it would not last as eternally as he would, but for now it was really all he could think about. Her beautiful white fur, her soft little voice and even more gentle nature… everything about her was clean and beautiful and simple. He could not help but be infatuated, and was looking forward to meeting her again, if such a thing was in the cards for him. Fate brought them together, and he hoped it would be so kind as to do so again.
It seemed that, at least today, fate had a different idea, and a different meeting planned for him. He padded along the savannah, not bothering to fly since he seemed to have better luck in his life if he was on foot, he was surprised to see another large God walking not too far away from him. This was another male, icy blue in color, with dark wings and a serious expression. The other male noticed Talfrid almost at the same time, and nodded his head respectfully toward the other God. Good, the God of Chivalry thought. That at least meant he was not openly hostile. It was a small, quiet invitation for Talfrid to come over, which he did. The blue God did not move, sitting down and waiting for the other to approach.
“Good evening,” Vikali said, his voice low and rumbling, and certainly not hurried. He was a very serious God, Chivalry could see that immediately. Bowing graciously, Talfrid paused a moment before lifting his head and replying to the greeting.
“Good evening, my fellow God. I am Talfrid, of Chivalry.”
“Vikali, of Durability.”
“And I’m Stories! I mean, Jeng, but my domain is Stories! Look at you guys! Two Gods in one spot, how fascinating! But you don’t know each other, do you? So no story there. This is where it starts, I suppose.” A third God, or rather a Goddess, padded toward them, spreading her wings wide to show her surprise as she fluttered closer to them. She had bright eyes and dark fur, her face slightly obscured by the hood she wore. Her outward appearance suggested she would rather hide away than be seen, but the way she approached them so quickly, and with such a friendly look on her face, said otherwise.
Talfrid looked around at the strange meeting of three Gods in the rogue lands, and smiled in wonder. One could never predict the way things were going to go out here, that was for sure, even a God who felt he was familiar with the day to day life of the mortal coil.
“Hello there, Jeng. Goddess of Stories, you said? It is my pleasure to meet you, and you as well, Vikali. I wonder what brings us all out here, if it is not too bold of me to ask? I am, of course, more than willing to share my story. Ah. Which is not that interesting,” he looked at Jeng apologetically, as her ears perked up immediately at the mention of her domain. It was more a slip of his tongue than anything else. “I was looking for another Goddess, someone who holds a great threat to my pride, but she has gotten well away from me, I fear. I will admit, I was… distracted… by the things these rogue lands hide, and have to offer.”
Vikali listened, trying to read between the words the Chivalry God was saying. It seemed like he was suffering the same kind of distraction that Vikali himself had encountered, though perhaps not on the same terms. He had met a female god, of Gravity, and they entered an agreement to try and extend their immortal family lines together, to create something ever enduring. It was more business than fun, but Vikali had to admit, he was glad he met that Goddess, and would look forward to seeing her again when the time arose. If she wanted to see him again, of course.
For her part, even Jeng was distracted in much the same way, though she had not come out into the rogue lands with any sort of purpose. She loved to wander around and hear the stories of the mortals, so encounters like this were just bonuses for her. It gave her more to learn and listen to, and to store away in her memory for a story to retell later.
“You were hunting another God? That sounds fascinating!” Jeng said, and Chivalry laughed, nodding regally. He had a very Kingly air about him, she decided, and she liked that. Her eyes shifted to the much more stoic God beside them, and she tilted her head at him in wonder. “And you, Vikali? Mister blue? You seem like you are thinking about something very serious.”
“I was in the rogue lands to find mortals to carry my line, and bear my blood into the mortal realm. So that might line might endure,” he said, though he left out the part about finding a female goddess that he had struck a similar deal with. And he was no longer seeking those mortals, at least not for a time, as he had been thoroughly sidetracked by the Goddess of Gravity. It seemed to be a common theme for the three of them, each one encountering someone that stole their attention away.
If the light hearted and easy going Jeng had managed to meet someone she was more fascinated by than usual. Sure, she liked to follow lions around and learn their stories, but the God of Games held a much different draw for her than she was used to. It was fun! Scary, in a slight way, if only because it was so unfamiliar to her. She was excited, in any case, to see where this particular story lead her.
Talfrid shook his head, noting the air that had settled over them. All of them thinking about something else, he supposed.
“Well, now that the three of us have crossed paths, what would you two say to finding some dinner and speaking to each other for a bit longer? It is rare for me to run into other Gods, at least friendly ones, and I should like to learn more about you two, if you do not mind sharing.”
“That’s what I was going to ask!” Jeng said excitedly, nodding her head a few too many times, “I would love to listen to more of your story, about your Goddess enemy and all that! And you, Vikali, I would like to learn more about where you’re from and what you’re doing. You make it sound like you’re not out in the rogue lands very much, right? And you can hear about me! If you want. It’s not that interesting.” She laughed, thinking her story was the most boring of all, since she focused so much on everyone elses. But she could tell them some great stories about some of the lions and other creatures she had met so far, so maybe that would be a fair trade.
“I suppose some company is acceptable. I do not speak to too many immortals like myself. In my pride, I am the only one, and I hide my appearance from them so they do not treat me differently. Immortals are more the kind of company I would like to keep. Come, I saw a nice clearing not too far from here, if you would like to walk a short distance with me.”
“Walking it is,” Jeng chuckled, moving to fall into step beside him. He looked confused by her closeness, clearly not a very friendly, or at least out going, lion, but he did not move away from her save a slight lean. He walked along stiffly, and Talfrid noted that he seemed to be a much younger god than he and Jeng were. It was interesting to note, as Vikali was clearly acting as though he were timeless already. He wondered how long the God of Durability had been around.
The beginning of his existence, but one that promised to remain, in one form or another, for some time. Curious, but not something Talfrid or Jeng would ask about just yet. Instead, they just followed him back toward the clearing he had walked by, though Talfrid had been journeying toward it, anyway. He did not know it was there, of course, but his path would have taken him into it eventually. Now he had two companions to share the space and the time with.
The rogue lands were really giving him a lot to focus on these days.
Word Count: 1,510 in Word
