Sphinx - normaly
Kasai - Bold

It had been a long two weeks of travel. Aldan had been stupid in his haste to leave, he didn’t grab Ayanga or Runa to travel with him. That meant grueling headaches he endured during the day, and even more vivid, horrific dreams at night. He didn’t know how many times he had woken up either screaming, or gasping for breath on those nights. He had excused himself away from the small band multiple times, letting them sleep while the visions plagued his mind.

He found solace in the pendant on his neck. He’d clutch it as he come down from the adrenaline high, taking slow, calming breaths until his heartbeat returned to normal. This was a consistent action until the lion had crossed the borders of the Pridelands territory.

The lingering headache pulsated, causing him to wince. How much longer could he take of this? The male sighed, dropping to the ground under a lone tree. Just a small break…To soothe his achy head and mind.

He was stupid to think he could do this. He should be back home with Yorshka.

On any other day fate would have been a cruel mistress, but on this day... the stars seem to align for Aldan. Someone above must have felt the male's anguish and found pity on his soul. Before him stood the blue eyed Goddess of Purity, with long wavy golden hair and a star pendant resting tightly around her pale neck. Without even introducing herself the male would be able to see the relationship between her and the lioness he left back home.

"Are you alright?" The female questioned with a perplexed look upon her white masked face, markings he would be to recolonize in his sleep. "Can I do anything to help you?" Her voice was sweet and soft.. "If you are injured I can find you a healer?" The more she spoke the more the lioness would remind him of the female he loved, they shared similar markings and colors, and... this was her mother, Zimran.

It had to be. The Goddess smiled down at him before turning to face the opposite direction. She had left Nara back at her den to rest... she wouldn't be able to be gone for too long.

The headache that started to elevate was quick to dissipate as a shadow overtook him. Aldan's dark eyes blinked as he glanced at the newcomer. At first, he thought he was seeing his love. The pale pelt, those bright eyes, the soft spoken voice. "Yorshka?" Aldan found himself whispering, before his vision seemed to collect itself, showing the goddess rather than her daughter.

Wait. Could it be?

"Are you...Zimran?" Aldan asked hopefully, rising to his feet as he turned his full gaze to the other. "I'm...okay now. Please," his eyes were hopeful. "Are you the Goddess of Purity?" The pendant Yorshka had given him, his good luck protection charm, lay against the darkened orange-red mane that had long since grown. Zimran held a similiar pendant.

This had to be her! "Thank the gods," Aldan murmured excitedly.

Mmm?" The Goddess blinked in confusion as her pale eyes narrowed to fine slits. "Yes? May I help you?" He knew her so... this meant she must have known him as well. Oddly though his face was a strangers face. "How do you-" before Zimran could finish her question her sight was taken by the trinket he wore around his neck. Wide eyes shut tightly as her voice rose with anxiety. "Where did you get that from?" As the female questioned him she lifted a paw to point at the necklace.

"That belongs to my daughter, Yorshka, why do you have it?" Zimran spoke as if Koy had never mentioned the boy to her before, this conversation wasn't going to be easy. "Have you seen her? I have been looking for her for months... I was starting to think she..." she paused again as her blue eyes began to water and swell. One of her lost children came home... but, what if Yorshka never did? Was she dead?


"Please, tell me."

"I've...I've been wanting to find you for a while." Aldan began. "I don't have much time when I am away from my pride, and last time I tried finding you it was unsuccessful." He explained. Aldan noticed her eyes shift to her necklace, and the reaction it seemed to cause.

"Oh...It was a gift," the reaver explained. "I know Yorshka," Er---he hoped she wouldn't be getting the wrong impression of him. However, her reaction seemed to mirror that of the chocolate female he had met last time.

"I mean, Yorshka gave it to me....As a good luck charm...I...I met another lioness last time I was here. She said she knew you. I asked her to relay the message your daughter was safe." Did the lioness fail to do that? "Yorshka is safe... She is back in my...our pride." Why was he getting a lump in his throat.

"I promise she is well." Aldan reassured. "I wouldn't be here if she wasn't." The demigod stated.

The waves of information he gave the lioness left the Goddess feeling confused and sick to her stomach because of it. "Wait." Zimran paused and gave him a puzzled look. "What are you saying? Who did you speak to? No one has told me anything about my Yorshka in months." As she spoke her tone shifted from confused to upset in an instant. "This is all too confusing, how do you know her?" Her voice hushed under a soft cry. "Are you a friend? Why would she give you her necklace... it was a gift from me."

For a moment she could say nothing but stare at the red haired male with teary eyes. It would never have dawned her on that he was her daughter's lover, Yorshka had never brought a male home before.

"Please tell me everything. How you know her, where she is, if she is alright." Zimran sat down as the weight of the world came crashing down on her. "Please?"

In the distance Airion stood outside of the den his mother shared with her friend Koy. Inside slept his rebithed sister, Nara. He had come to visit her at his mother's request, so why was she outside with some random male? His blue eyes narrowed as he slowly started to make his way to the pair.

"I never caught her name. She...She was a brown lioness." What other information did she give Aldan? He found himself not remembering. "She has a wicked left hook though." His eyes crossed as he focused on a scar across the bridge of his nose. "Courtesy of her," Aldan explained, shaking his head.

"She gave it to me the first mission I had to leave her. We have grown...we have grown rather close." He couldn't just come out and tell Yorshka's mother they were sleeping together. How awkward would that be? Especially after how the two had really become together. "So...I guess you could say I am a friend. We have exchanged gifts...she has a feather from my mother," the reaver said, alluding to his own divine blood.

"It's...It's a rather long story. I don't think I have as much time to tell it from start to finish for you to get all your questions answered. But...I can tell you she is alright. She lives with me, in my pride." He was trying to be vague. He didn't want the goddess following him. More so, he didn't want her to persuade her daughter to return home. "I wanted to find you because...I wanted you to know she was okay. I didn't mean for this to happen as it did..." Aldan sighed. "I think if I brought back the news to her that you knew she was okay, she would feel better." How he sounded made it sound like the lioness was completely unhappy, which Aldan didn't think was true.

With every word the male spoke the Goddess found herself diving deeper into despair. How could he look her in the face and say all of this so clearly? "So, wait." The Goddess paused for a long moment while she did her best to regain herself. "She lives with you? So she is alive and well?" At first it was hard to trust, he was a stranger after all, yet... the token he wore around his neck could not be mistaken, it was Yorshka. He did know her.

"Close?... Are you her mate?" He didn't seem like just a friend, not with the way he was struggling to look her in the eye. What was he hiding? "Why can't she come here and say that for herself? Why do you have to be a messenger?" Zimran's eyes narrowed as tears ran down her pale cheeks. "I don't understand..."

"Who the hell are you?" Airion roared as he approached his mother and the strange male. "Why are you crying, mother?" He was massive compared to Zimran and taller than Aldan even. This alone made him seem intimidating and unapproachable. "This male says he knows Yorshka." As her son came to her side the Goddess feel into his mane and cried. "He says she is alive."

"What? How do you know my sister?" The God hissed as his tail flicked back in anger. "Where is she?"

"She is." The male had no reason to lie to her. "She is staying with her niece right now while I'm gone. We always think it's best she isn't alone when I am away." He still couldn't trust Kristanf not coming around to toy with Yorshka. Not after what they had seen him in tormenting the poor darker female the day before he had left.

"Erm..." he felt his cheeks heat up at the comment. "I don't think we have classified ourselves as that yet...I...actually would want to get your blessing before I asked her...which is why I wanted to find you so badly." Maybe if the two were mates the awkward conversation regarding cubs would be better. "She...she isn't allowed to travel...not in her current rank. Until she ranks up she will remain in the pride and not be allowed to leave." That was hard to say to the goddess.

Aldan's ears pinned back as another god approached. His eyes widened as he found himself taking a few steps back. He was an intimidating creature. Very few sized up Aldan these days.

"I am hers. She is mine." Aldan found himself repeating to the male god. "She is home."

"She isn't allowed to travel? Why?" Zimran found herself peering at Aldan with wide eyes. "This isn't right, if you care about her like you say you do... why wouldn't she be able to come visit me as well?" It was difficult for the grieving mother to understand and process what this strange lion was telling her, the Goddess wanted to be able to believe his care was honest but her faith was starting to feel thin and brittle. "...Is she with cubs? Is that why she can't come here...?" The thought of her daughter in such a state made Zimran quake in fear.

"Her niece?" Airi frowned as he wrapped a large paw around his mother, it was all he could do to try and ease her into comfort. "Nyati?" His deep blue eyes tightened as a frown crossed his maw. "What is my daughter doing in the Stormborn?" The God knew of the pride and his youngest daughter had gone missing after a fight the two had months before Yorshka's disappearance. Was this where she had run off to? "Yours? She is yours?" Airion huffed as he moved away from his mother, pushing her behind him as his yellow paws brought him right up to Aldan, his large frame loomed over the seer as he spoke with a firm tone.

"My sister is not yours and you will bring her back home if you know what's good for you." It was a threat, loud and clear. Airion would mend his mother's sorrow and bring his sister home no matter the cost.

"Tell me everything. Now." It was becoming clear, Aldan would not get the blessing he came looking for, not today. Zimran could hardly look him in the eye.

Oh...oh this wasn't going well at all.

Aldan's ears pinned close to his skull, hiding in his mane as Zimran spoke. "Oh...no no..." Gah, the cub talk again. "She isn't with cubs...." Oh by the gods, he probably should stop. It was obvious this meeting wasn't going how well he wanted. Bringing this meeting up to Yorshka would not be good.

Right...Ny was the daughter of the god, Airion. This must be Airion... Aldan gulped as he took a few steps back. "Y...yes." He stammered. Yorshka was his. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"No." Aldan said quietly, his eyes narrowing. "She will not be returning here. Her home is now my pride." He countered. "My pride is full of divine just like you. Larger, and more war like." He found himself saying.

"This was a mistake." He muttered, turning his back on both gods. "You now know Yorshka is fine. She will not be returning here. If she tries to leave the pride, she will be killed." He warned. "So it is best as you realize that, and just let it be."

The male trotted off, occasionally flicking his gaze over his shoulder to make sure the two deities remained where they were. Once out of sight, he let out a sigh in frustration.

s**t. he thought to himself, kicking the ground. "God damnit." He growled.

What was he suppose to tell Yorshka now?