[PRP] Kindness from a Demon (Mozhgan x Balia)

[Mogami]

Mozhgan shook her head as she took quick silent steps, eyes blinking rapidly. She’d just experienced the strangest dream - if “dream” was the appropriate word to describe the event that had just left that lingering feeling of dizziness. She was so sure she’d been awake before it started and it was more vivid that any kind of dream or nightmare she’d experienced before. A hallucination, perhaps? She was far too young to properly grasp the concept but she was aware hallucinations were not a good thing but something bad that happened to crazy lions sometimes. And she wasn’t crazy… right?

As if she needed anything else to upset her mother when all it took was the sight of the cub to reveal her obvious disappointment. The source of her mother’s displeasure was Mozi’s color apparently not that it made any sense as mother treated one of her siblings the exact same way – and they looked nothing alike!

The young slave lifted her head and slowed down as she regained her sight. Now, where was she…?  

[hibi-tea]

Mozhgan had managed to wander herself into Balia'azima's path. It wasn't the little slave's fault, but Balia had decided maybe it was. Whatever the case may have been, Balia had watched the little cub stagger about as if something had made her blind temporarily and quirked a head at it. She had heard of events such as these, perhaps the child was a Seer? Like the priests and priestesses in the pride had been.

"Slave!" She said, hoping to startle the cub into awareness. It was obvious the little Na'artu was unaware of the fact that as a slave, if anyone had wanted to say... take a chunk out of her, they could rightly do so, meaning wandering around on her own was probably not the smartest idea in the world.

This was the first time in her life she had ever decided to do anything nice for anyone, but if she walked with the cub it was possible she would be insinuated as the cub's master, giving the silly pale thing some form of protection for now.  

[Mogami]

Mozi froze on the spot, suddenly aware that she wasn’t alone. One of her paws remained comically in the air, her ears dropped instinctively and even though her head took a very long time to turn, the crimson eyes darted towards the source of the sound that had so quickly brought her to a halt. She could tell the voice belonged to a young female but she really hoped that it wasn’t a dark lioness… right. Of course it was.

This meant trouble. Darn it, she was usually so good at keeping hidden! Zadok always said bad things happened to slaves when they walked around the pride without anything to do and that’s exactly what she did! Stupid, stupid dream. Wait, she should probably answer.

“Y-yes sir, I mean ma’am…?” She wasn’t quite sure how to address the dark female as no one had ever bothered to teach her but Mozhgan could read the authority in on the demon girl’s voice and she definitely didn’t want to be rude.  

[hibi-tea]

Balia looked around quickly to make sure no other demon was about to see her interact with the little pale lioness and as she was sure the two was alone she quickly stalked her way over, a hiss in her voice as she spoke to Mozhgan, "What do you think you're doing walking around alone, cub? Have you not been told you are a slave?"

Looking up once more, Balia forced the cub to stand closely next to her shoving her along harshly. She did not do so to be mean, but she knew that if they did not find a safer location than out in the open, that there was a very big likelihood that the little cub would be noticed and that someone may decide they wanted to use her as target practice, which was common place.

"Walking alone makes you vulnerable," Balia hissed. Even demon cubs on occasion were shoved by their elder counterparts, simply because they could be, so for a slave it was even more dangerous, "Especially being a slave. They could hurt you if they wished."  

[Mogami]

Mozhgan flinched at the young demon’s hiss and braced herself for the worst but, oddly enough, things did not go as bad as she’d expected. She was quite aware of her low status within the pride so after taking a moment to admire the other’s electric gaze, Mozi kept her eyes on the ground, still expecting a scratch or a bite to come at any moment.

“I…” the young cub started timidly before a particularly strong shove knocked a bit of air out of her lungs. The older girl was pushing her along rather roughly so she tried to follow Balia along willingly. Especially a slave, implied that even “normal” cubs could easily get picked on by the dark demons and that was a most unexpected as well as frightening thought. This was such a cruel world. They could hurt you if they wished, though scary were words that eased the young pale girl's heart for it seemed that Balia didn’t intend to hurt her. They ≠ me. Or maybe she was just playing mind games. She could look nice on the outside while plotting terrible terrible things in her mind.

Mozi didn’t want to lie. She also didn’t want to tell the truth, show the demon her little craziness and be culled on the spot. “I was dizzy. I didn’t realize I’d been walking.”

“Where are we going?” Mozi asked lifting her eyes to Balia apprehensively and her tone betrayed the young cub’s fears.  

[hibi-tea]

Mogami

"How could you not realize you were walking?" Balia asked, rolling her eyes for a moment at the cubs ludicrous statement. I mean, she had heard more ridiculous things come out of other people's mouths before, but the notion that one didn't even know they were moving was a little more unique than the other stupid things she had ever been told.

"We are going back to the dens, where the other Na'artu are. If you're out here by yourself, someone will hurt you worse than if you're with the others. No one might be able to keep you from harm, either. It would be much easier if someone claimed you as their Na'artu, than only they'd be able to hurt you," Balia said, leading off the little cub back towards where the dens were located.

She had seen how some of the lone slaves had been treated, even hearing of one being slaughtered because it looked at a pride member wrong. She did not want that on any Na'artu. Call it what you will, softness, weakness, emotion, but Balia was not one who liked seeing the abuse. Her father did not harm their Na'artu, Koin. In fact, Koin even seemed to care deeply for her father and his children.

"If you were lucky, you'd get a master like my father. He does not harm our Na'artu, Koin," She said quietly, making sure that whichever way they managed to head, they would not meet any demons who were a little more favored towards heavy violence.  

[Mogami]

The demon girl was saying a lot of things at once and Mozhgan tried to take in every single word, letting out small sounds of acknowledgement every time Balia finished a sentence.

Being claimed? Hadn’t her brother Zadok been just that? And he hated the girl who had tried to lay a claim on him, didn’t he… she should ask Zadok about it, ask him if he truly was a “claimed Na’artu” now. That would probably mean he wouldn’t be able to protect for her much longer. But how did a slave go about looking for a kind master? Someone like… Balia, the demon currently leading the little slave cub to safety while teaching her important things about the pride. She tried her best to keep up with the older girl’s pace.

“Are there… many like your father?” the idea shouldn’t come as much as a surprise as it did. Her own demon brother only hurt her when she forgot her place and her mother mostly just ignored her so the notion of a demon who didn’t go out of his way to injure and torture a Na’artu shouldn’t feel quite so alien to her. And yet, it did.  

[hibi-tea]

"No." Balia answered quickly. She wished she could have answered differently, if only so it would brighten the little slave's spirits, but the reality of it was that there weren't many like her father. Her father had scene many things in his life time, and according to the grape vine it changed him greatly from what he had been to what he is now.

"Many will see you as just a slave, not worthy of any kindness or respect. They may not be outright cruel or mean to you, but they will not be nice either, and may not care what does happen to you," She said quietly.

When Balia heard the steps of other demons, she quickly ushered Mozghan into a dense grouping of brush and hid with her, watching as two large, dark and scarred demon's walked by. She leaned towards the little slave as the two large adult demon's stopped for a moment, having some sort of exchange, and whispered to her, "Beware of the greatly scarred ones. They take pride in those marks, and pleasure in the process of getting them. You would not want to be claimed by them."  

[Mogami]

It took Mozi a great amount of effort not to whine as she was ushered into hiding, her first instinctive reaction was thinking that the demon girl was finally showing her true colors after that ominous “No” and getting ready to do something mean. It quickly became obvious she’d been mistaken.

As the imposing figures moved past them, every inch of the little cub was trembling like a grass blade in the wind and even though the olive cub remained quite expressionless, the wide eyes and light shiver made it clear she was feeling very much afraid.

“I will try not to get in their way.” She looked up in awe of the older girl. She was teaching her so much! Almost immediately she added two words quietly. ”Thank you.”

For a moment, Mozi wondered what it would be like if she was claimed by this strange demon but she would never voice that idea. After all, if Balia wanted her as a personal Na’artue, she would’ve said it already. So it was obvious Balia didn't want a personal slave - or didn't want her specifically...

“Are you really taking me back to the dens?” she dared to ask quietly, unsure if she was willing to put that much faith on the dark demon but with a hint of hope to her tone.  

[hibi-tea]

"Would you rather me just drop you off here and let you find your own way back?" Balia retorted, a bit of resentment in her tone as she spoke. She was trying to do something nice and the girl was second-guessing her motives? How rude. Balia almost told the little slave that maybe she was rethinking the idea of taking her home and would instead just drag her off and drop her off alone in the Rogue Lands, but she refrained. A child so dim and suspicious would believe her mean spirited joke.

"I am taking you back to the dens, like I said. I may be a demon, but I'm not liar," Balia said, lying in the process. She was indeed a liar. Half her skills involved lies and deception, and she was awfully proud of them; however, she did not lie about this. The little olive colored cub, with her pretty markings and eyes, she didn't want anything to happen to her and would escort her, like she said she would.

Once the large demons had passed, Balia left the brush in which they had been hiding in. If it was just her, she wouldn't have hidden at all. She could hold her own to an adult if she needed to, having did it once before as a mere cub, but with this slave cub on board? It would end badly for them both if she attempted to protect her, even if she claimed the slave was hers.

Looking around quickly, Balia motioned for Mozghan to come back out from the brush and spoke, "Let's get going. we're half-way to the dens already."  

[Mogami]

It was a good thing that Balia didn’t make the joke aloud for the cub would most certainly have believed her. Mozhgan did catch the resentment in the demon girl’s words and she looked mortified for what her question had implied – even if she couldn’t help doubting every demon’s intentions, Balia hadn’t done anything to deserve her distrust... yet.

“I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to call you that!” obviously she didn’t but there was that whole language barrier between demons and slaves she had to consider. The word “game” spoken by a demon cub held a total different meaning from what Mozi considered “play” or “fun”. Likewise when Balia said she was taking the cub to the dens, nothing in her words said she planned on taking the little Na’artue there “unharmed” or – gulp – “alive”. Still, actions did speak louder than words and Mozi couldn’t hide her relief when the demons Balia had hidden her from disappeared from view.

“I am Mozghan, daughter of Rhaen. At you service, always.” She said seriously, a hint of gratefulness in her tone as she quickly followed after Balia.  

[hibi-tea]

"...Your apology is accepted," Balia said, trying to disguise the sympathy in her voice for the little olive furball. She was sickeningly sweet and scared, which only furthered Balia's opinion on how adorable she was. These traits were considered weaknesses in the pride, but she couldn't help it. She was cute, and Balia didn't want anything happening to her.

"I am Balia'azima," She said with a slight murmur as she looked ahead. The dens were coming into view, so soon she'd have to stop escorting the cub to them. If she was caught doing so, she herself would be punished. She needed to make it seem as if she was 'playing' with the little slave cub while ushering her to her den. She stopped mid-step and sat, looking to Mozghan.

"We're almost at the dens, Mozghan. I can't be seen escorting you there as if I were protecting you. We'd both be punished for that. Do you know which den is yours by heart?" Balia asked.

If she could get the little slave to make a dash for it and scream as if she was being chased, than Balia could run after her and make it look like she was being chased when really she was looking out for her. While Mozghan was seemingly unclaimed, no one would suspect Balia of protecting her if she attacked anyone who tried to join in on her game. After all, she wasn't known for sharing anyway.  

[Mogami]

Mozhgan smiled, infinitely relieved that the older girl didn’t seem to take offense and even bothered to introduce herself. She looked at the den area with caution searching for any dark shapes that might indicate danger. There were a few female adults who seemed far more interested in their own affairs than in the occasional pale cub that sneaked past them and Mozi recognized one smaller shape that she didn’t find quite as frightening.

“Yes it’s that one, I can see my brother Kuen at the entrance.” If her dark sibling was there, Rhaen was most likely also in the den which wasn’t an entirely reassuring prospect. Still, her mother didn’t hurt her and while her judgmental eyes brought a different kind of pain to her two pale cubs, hopefully the den would still be a safe place for the little slaves for a little while longer. She wished Zadok, her slave brother, was inside as well but she seriously doubted it. While Mozi was quick to submit to Kuen’s wishes and managed to avoid pain for the most part, her demon brother was a little harder on Zadok and the little slave tried to avoid the den as much as possible.

She found herself suddenly wishing to stay with the demon girl for a bit longer but Mozi was also afraid of getting into trouble – or worse, getting Balia into trouble! – so the cub just sighed, resigning herself for what was to come while feeling bad for ever doubting the electric-eyed demon. “Thank you for bringing me here.” She spoke softly and quietly, looking up to the demon girl with fierce gratitude and admiration.  

[hibi-tea]

"Hnn." Balia replied to Mozhgan and her words of thanks.

It was an unfamiliar feeling to be thanked for anything, but she liked it all the same. It gave her a pleasant warm feeling, and made her want to smile, but she hid the smile away. She would enjoy this smile on her own when no one was watching her.

"Than go to it, and be quick." Balia said plainly, seating herself where she had been standing to watch quietly. She wanted to make sure the cub managed to get back to the den in one piece, even if for some unforeseen reason she managed to get a few scrapes or bruises. As long as she was alive and had all her limbs, than Balia would feel.... better, she supposed.  

[Mogami]

Mozi obeyed at once, sprinting towards the relative safety of her den, hoping her brother was in a good mood. But after a few steps, the cub stopped, looked back at the slightly older girl and smiled brightly, finally convinced that Balia truly didn’t have dark ulterior motive for escorting her all the way back to her den.

“Thank you.” She said again, not too loud as if to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the odd pair before turning around and running off again to join the dark shape at the entrance of her den.

- Fin -