Nuru was skeptical. He didn’t believe what the hyena in front of him was saying. Eua had a daughter? And a son? But she looked so young! “That’s ridiculous. “ He said with his head held high and a quick march in his step. “Just silly, silly, silly.” He walked beyond the girl in front of him.
Vellamo narrowed her eyes in an unimpressed state. She had marched all this way and the stupid boy- Nuru Moyo, didn’t believe her?! Rubbish he called her story, the nerve!
“I’ll have you know that I am not a liar.” She growled, her lips curving back to reveal her canines and ears folded into the mess that was her green mane. “What I tell you is the truth, mortal.” She made she to give a certain distaste at the last word. She still couldn’t believe her mom had disgraced herself again by being with yet another mortal. And by what Vel had heard, her mother was going to start getting fat with halfings over half a mile away from this forsaken boneyard the fool called home. “I am Euanthe’s first daughter Vellamo, oracle of the sea.” She stood tall and proud, but allowed her course fur the savor the wind as it flowed on through it. “My brother is Euanthe’s first son, Kaveh, monster of the sea.”
Nuru laughed and made Vella flinch. “What’s wrong with you, I’m being 100% serious here!” Why, why didn’t he understand her? Didn’t he know this was serious! If the Hadithi found out that her mom was with a mortal not once, but twice! Oh- she didn’t want to think about it. Granted there was no cultural taboo from preventing her being with a mortal multiple times, but to Vellamo it was degrading. Embarrassing and an unforgivable sin. Maybe it was all in her head, but Vel wanted only the best for her mother. This, this idiot had to obey. Listen and bend to the whim of her superiority.
“Now, come to our pride. Join our ranks as a Kaless and work your way to a Kukoa. Or Ghadhabu or anything you like!”
“Pff. No thanks lady I’m happy here.” Nuru began to walk away, making his company furious. She growled again, low this time.
“Listen you!” She hurried to run in front of him, stop Nuru in his tracks. “This is an important matter going on and I won’t tolerate you running away from it. Join our pride, now!” She barked viciously at him.
Nuru didn’t get it. He just kept walking, even going around her so that it was possible. As far as he was concerned him and Euanthe had experienced a fun time together. But in the end, he was too attached to his home and she was too attached to hers. They had ended it once they knew the relationship wasn’t going to work out and now Nuru had been fighting to put his life back together after the sting of rejection. Or rather, the hurt of longing for something he couldn’t have. Eua had been the first. The first he loved, the first he understood fully. The first that he had no embarrassment, no matter how brief about acting stupid around. But clearly she felt differently. “Leave me alone now, I have work to do.” He said in a cheery voice. As if he was just brushing her off lightly and asking her to return later when he wasn’t busy.
Well! He certainly knew how to piss Vellamo off now didn’t he? That Nuru character… She had to resist the shiver of vengeance desired and held back when her primal instincts shuddered for her to tear open his throat. Instead she paused, sighed in frustration and then noticed he was walking away. Grr. “Come on!” Vellamo groaned. “Would it kill you to do this?” She was begging, to a mortal. It made her feel gross and disgusting. “You only need to convince them you’re a monster. Then, you can leave! Go away and drown for all I care at that point, but I will not allow them to think less of you currently!”
“That’s nice of you.” Nuru stopped and turned around. This girl was being trouble, Nuru was told to ask troubling girls to leave as nicely as possible. He wasn’t quite sure what to do beyond that. So he decided to continue being nice. That’d get her to listen if he was adamant enough wouldn’t it? “But I’m not interested in making them… Whoever they are, think better of me.” He gave her a huge, smirking grin. “I’m fine with how I’m thought as, and I already have a pack so I’m not going to join yours.” It troubled him that she called it a pride. The only pride he knew of was the pridelands themselves. And he knew for a fact they weren’t particularly fond of hyenas. What made this girls pride any different? Maybe being a Kukoa was a bad thing. But clearly a Kaless was worse. And working up his rank? Yuck, seemed like too much work. He’d rather stay a graveyard hunter then do all that.
“Goodbye.” He rushed now, walking speedily and becoming increasingly aware of the growling female behind him.
That-! He-! RARGH! “GET BACK HERE!” She demanded. When he did not she sped forward. Tailing him easily. “I will not leave until you are coming with me! I will not, you understand?!”
Nuru whined, but he walked quickly and knew where he was going, soon they’d be… He stopped. Suddenly, so suddenly that Vellamo nearly rammed into him. What was he doing now, that-
“Over this ridge there are a bunch of guards.” He informed her. What? What did guards have to do with anything. “They may not like me but they’ll protect me. From you.” He added. “So please leave before I call for help.”
Vellamo reversed. Grrr. Clever idiot he was. Forcing her to retire her tyrant-like yelling as he was. “Calling for help is cowardice. Perhaps you are not worthy of joining our pride after all.” She hoped he would somehow consider this and come running to her and begging to become a Kaless. Maybe not today… But tomorrow, or the next day before her, Kaveh and Euanthe made the trek back to Hanma’s volcano…
As Vellamo disappeared over the ridge the black spotted Hyena grinned. Mama always told him fear worked best; he was just surprised to see it in action. Turning his head back he sauntered off, skipping and humming as he went. He had lots of work to do. Mouths to feed, birds to catch… And none of it was going to get itself done unless Nuru was there to help it.
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