[PRP] A Present (Drogon & Rapha)

[wooga Paes]

It couldn't be said Drogon disliked all of the attention. After returning from his encounter with the Kulukadok, he had let only a few know, and somehow news had spread. Perhaps it really had been his intention to let others hear, so he could enjoy even a little temporary celebrity. Some fame couldn't hurt his reputation, even if he had ultimately failed to eliminate the parasite. Already he had gotten closer than most.

Needless to say his favorite looks were those of awe, while the glares were less welcome. As well as insolent questions and prying from those he disliked. But Drogon was a strong, confident young lion and didn't worry much about them, for he only cared about the opinions of a select few that actually mattered. One of those was his mother, and he already knew he had her favor.

After managing to rid himself of an irritating enquirer, the dark male found himself a nice spot to lie with his prizes beneath one large paw. He waited, though he wasn't so sure for what.  

[Kaelyndra]

One could only get rid of enquirers for so long. The inquirers jabbered among themselves, squabbled over what had really happened.

Rapha tended to have eyes and ears open throughout the pride. Simply because she was not present did not mean she had not been there. There were many rushing to serve the Xakaav, and those many had their own affiliations and alignments. Legends of killing Kulukadok, harming kulukadok spread like madness between lions.

However, most would be disappointed to find that the Visionaries did not care of such conquests. They were not naive fools picked at random from the struggling ranks.

"I hear you have feathers too large to be from a bird." Rapha had found herself a dark male, lying atop important information. It was not often she sought to pursue those she desired to speak with, but a matter of kulukadok was a matter of utmost importance.  

[wooga Paes]

Kaelyndra

Though he probably should have expected this, it was a bit unnerving to find the Visionary coming his way like that. At least he was feeling good about himself today, it made it easier to seem confident.

But confidence didn't mean he could forgo his manners when it came to Rapha Oma. Drogon cast his eyes downwards, and sat up so that he could properly bow his head. "Rapha Oma," He greeted her, and might have tried to say hello or something but he shouldn't stall.

"I do." It was hard to keep a bit of smugness out of his voice when he spoke. "And more." Because there was no teasing the Visionary, he quickly lifted up his paw to reveal them. Two long gray feathers with strange white markings, one of them dirty with a faint stain of blood, and a necklace.

In all honesty some really large eagles might have feathers this size, as the kulukadok had been small. But still much larger than most birds. Besides, the necklace wouldn't fit well on an eagle, and the thread also smelled faintly of the same blood.

He didn't say anything, to let her decide how to approach this.  

[Kaelyndra]

Inwardly, Rapha breathed a sigh of satisfaction. So many of the new recruits needed reminding, shaming. Many had to be made examples of, and so their throats were no longer attached to the bottom of their jaws.

A lion like Drogon, he new his place, and how best to get higher in it. There were those in the Nergui that should be challenged, and a Visionary was not one of those. They were not warlords; they did not hold wavering positions that could be knocked down by word of mouth or a single, hard-one fight.

They were gifted in ways Drogon could perhaps never dream, but they were also dedicated, and Rapha presumed Drogon understood that dedication and was ready to serve it.

The quickness with which he produced his findings certainly put strength in his intelligence. He was not looking for his fame, or, at least, he was not blinded by it.

"Hmmmm." Rapha's voice was a pur as she tipped her head down to see it. The feathers were not as big as she might have imagine, and the necklace could have come from any lion.

Still, Drogon did not appear to be injured, and the scent was no blood she knew. He could still be lying. Yet, Tra Ord Omak would show her the path here.

"These are from a kulukadok?" she asked him. If he should lie to her, the great earthly power around them would show her what had really happened. If he had not, then either Tra Ord Omak remained silent for another purpose, or the young lion told the truth.

wooga Paes

 

[wooga Paes]

"Yes, they are." He still sounded rather pleased with himself. Because Drogon did have the proper amount of fear in him, he would not dream of lying to the Visionary.

"A young one. It looked like a cub." He raised a paw to indicate the proper height, a juvenile. His voice sounded a little less enthused then, because it was a reminder that so small a prey had eluded him. "It had wings, I saw it on a tree when I was hunting." He had ended up without a meal thanks to the distraction, and idly Drogon thought he was feeling a little hungry.

"I tried to trick it into following me. When that didn't work I tried to catch it, to bring back or kill it myself, but it got away using its stolen powers." Drogon said. He wrinkled his nose, sourly remembering the incident. "I got the necklace, and the feathers fell off in the struggle."

Kaelyndra

 

[Kaelyndra]

Rapha did not bother trying to hide her surprise - there was no need to. Both of her eyebrows rose as Drogon spoke.

"They have cubs," she repeated. Of course they did. It further proved their false-nature. Perhaps, at one time, it was a mortal who dared steal the power from Tra Ord Omak. Their revered Graos Oma set them upon the correct path, and they would restore that which was taken.

That they could pass this power to offspring was unnerving, but also advantageous. This knowledge could be used against them, and all offspring was easier to kill than its adult counterpart.

"You did well," Rapha told him, feeling no remorse in stroking his ego a bit. He deserved the praise--and perhaps it would make him try harder the next time. Gods could be terrifying, the power of Tra Ord Omak was great, and even a small fraction of that would be formidable. But to restore the proper way to the earth, they had to conquer fear, and then wield it. "How badly did you injure it?"

Perhaps it had not gone far. Rapha closed her eyes, willing a vision to come, tell her more, but none came. When she opened them again, she shifted a feather with one of her paws and examined it more carefully. It truly could have belonged to an eagle, it was so ordinary.

"Were you able to determine what kind of power it was?"

wooga Paes

 

[wooga Paes]

At the praise he couldn't help but sit a little straighter and look pleased. Drogon was learning to mask his emotions to better serve the Shadow Guard, but at this point he still wasn't the most difficult lion to read.

"I hit it, cut it on the back of it's head. It was probably rather bruised and beaten when it escaped. I surprised it." But wounds on the head bled quite a bit, which explained the blood on the necklace thread. Some had gotten on the feathers, but they didn't soak up well and so only one really showed it. Drogon couldn't know for sure if he had managed to make really lasting damage, but he liked to think at least it would be very sore for a while.

When she asked about the power, Drogon furrowed his brows as he remembered. It had been a rather confusing moment. Him trying to get a hold of the thing, to push it down, it's scruff between his jaws. "I... it was very fast. It turned into a bird. A very small one. By the time I realized what was going on it had escaped." If he had been quicker he might have been able to swiftly kill the bird, but he had not been prepared for his prey to suddenly become several times smaller. It slipped out of his grasp.

Kaelyndra

 

[Kaelyndra]

The young Drogon could not know how valuable the information he brought was.

A bird. Rapha swam the picture around in the facets of her mind. Where did the rest of the god go, when it became a bird? Surely, it could not compress itself to such a size? Perhaps it could. Stolen power could do unimaginable things.

"How old are you, Drogon?"

wooga Paes

 

[wooga Paes]

It was evident on his face that the question caught him by surprise. He raised his brows and hesitated a moment before answering. "Two winters.*"

He wasn't sure why she might ask that, it seemed out of place to him after all this talk about kulukadok. But certainly she had a point to make, and it simply wasn't Drogon's place to argue. Or even ask why, much as he may want to.

Kaelyndra

To excuse him having a mane, rofl. xD SoA age so fast!

 

[Kaelyndra]

It was a formal question, really; she'd seen him as a cub, and had a general idea of his age. As she had presumed, he was still very young.

Many had risen their ways to rank as youth before, whether by dumb luck or that their leaders had gotten too old to keep up. Being placed there, however, would get him ripped to shreds. For now, he was invaluable.

"You are not to accept, or attempt, taking a leading roll for another winter, Drogon. Is that understood?" That would be old enough for his mind to have matured, and his mind to understand the most important things.

Then, as if to ease the wounds she had no doubt caused him--she may as well have castrated him in front of the other males--she added, "Should another manner of kulukadok arise, you will travel and assist the group that goes. If a group is acting on their own," as they often did in the Nergui, as Drogon himself had done in a way, "You will invite yourself to join them, and report what they've found directly to me."

The Visionary set her eyes hard on Drogon's dipped forehead. "Can you do all this, Drogon?"

wooga Paes

(( Yes they do! ))

 

[wooga Paes]

It would probably be easy to see his reaction. The flick of his tail, lowering of his ears, tense shoulders, and Drogon barely managed to suppress the beginnings of a protest before he managed to force himself to stop before he really began. Flustered as he was, at least he managed to keep his cool. Mostly.

He was a confident young lion and probably wouldn't understand her reasons should she have explained them to him, especially when he had just been so pleased. "I understand." Drogon hoped no one close enough to see him be treated like a child.

"Yes, I can." Of course he didn't sound ecstatic, but he wouldn't disagree. He had indeed learned you couldn't get anywhere around here by slighting a Visionary. Besides, at least it sounded a bit more like she was giving him a job to do, as opposed to simply forbidding him.

"What..." He hesitated briefly, because honestly Drogon didn't deal much with the Rapha Oma directly and didn't know if it was his place to ask her any questions. But it wasn't even a big deal. "Will be done with these?" He finished, and indicated with a nod the items still on the floor. Rarec, he figured they counted as such, at least the necklace.

Kaelyndra

 

[Kaelyndra]

"Good."

That matter had been settled, and without so much as a hitch between them. Rapha was prepared to dismiss him, when his question met her ears.

There was a long pause as she glanced from him to the items and studied them. The Xakaav seemed to expect absolute silence as she took her time inspecting. Her own mind was debating the best course of action, for the items were indeed rarec.

They were invaluable, and should not be lost. However, it would have been cruel to deny this young male so much. He had rightfully earned a place of respect for his actions. "The necklace and one of the feathers will come with me. They must be kept safe; the other Xakaav will wish to see it."

A bob of her head towards the other feather. "That, you may keep as your own. Wear it with pride, and let others be witness to your judgement. When the Xakaav no longer want them, all the rarec shall be yours again." Rapha's voice came to a stop, then.

"You will give me both your ears now, for this is important." The Visionary waited until both of his ears were trained in her direction, and his nose seemed to linger towards her feet. "If this kulukadok should die, both things must be destroyed. No trace of the kulukadok remains to draw from the Old One's power."

wooga Paes

 

[wooga Paes]

Well, it couldn't be said he wasn't pleased he'd be able to keep a memento for himself, a piece of a god. Maybe even all of them, if the Xakaav so decided. But he didn't smile, still a little unnerved by her previous words.

"It will be done." He nodded, he would not regret destroying the items if they managed to eliminate the kulukadok once and for all. But for the time being, it was just good he'd have something to show for his work. "Thank you." He said, to be polite. One of the Xakaav had given him her time, so he supposed he should be grateful for that.

Drogon now felt quite ready to be released, as everything seemed to have been addressed. He wanted to show off a bit, perhaps to a few cubs, to properly build up his ego again. It shouldn't take long.

Kaelyndra

 

[Kaelyndra]

Drogon was correct: it did not take long.

The Xakaav bowed her head in acknowledgement of the thank you. A moment of silence passed as she waited to see if the young Drogon had another question. None came, and so Rapha left him.

She did not excuse him directly, but the flick of her tail as she exited his presence would speak loudly enough that he was excused. Perhaps the other Nergui would learn from his daring and ambition. Rapha was certain only that they would learn how to brag in a similar manner.

wooga Paes