The three gods had been sitting together for some time, letting the day pass as they chatted. They got to know each other slowly, though some did more talking than others. Jeng fancied herself a bit of a reporter, in a way, and did her best to keep the conversation moving by asking many questions, and listening to the answers she was given with delight. She, of course, answered their questions in turn, though she was less interested in doing that than she was learning more and more about them.
Talfrid, for his part, did not mind sharing. He was a knight, and stories of their adventures and deeds were meant to be shared. It was a point of pride, and a way for everyone to know the good things they could expect if they met any such lion.
Vikali was a bit harder to read, but he answered what he felt like, slowly. Jeng learned that he was from an ice pride, and his half sister, a mortal, was the queen there. He dedicated himself to making sure her rule continued, and that their family endured. He was true to his domain, as he wanted things to last as long as they could, and believed in the strength of those that endured. He was a good guy, under his gruff attitude, and Jeng liked him a lot. She was sitting close to Talfrid, though, as he seemed more comfortable with closeness.
And Jeng was all about closeness and comfort, and just being friends with everyone she met. How else would she learn from them, if she did not give them someone they could trust and believe in? She was an honest lioness, and just liked being a good ear for anyone that wanted it.
Talfrid had told them both the story of his pride, and the current situation it was in. It did not sound very nice, to be honest, and Jeng was sad that he had so much trouble to deal with when he was such a nice guy. The Goddess he talked about, the one of Villainy, did not sound like someone Jeng wanted to meet. But then again… she probably had some really great tales. Those were the ones Jeng was not as excited about though, as she knew they would include innocent lions being hurt.
And while that was part of life, and needed to be retold, it was not something Jeng delighted in doing. It was the sadder part of her domain.
“What about you, Jeng?” Talfrid was asking, as he chewed lazily on the hind of a zebra they had caught. Two zebra, between the three massive lions, served as a good enough dinner for the Gods. They were content and resting comfortably in the soft grass of the clearing, green and not in one of the hottest parts of the savannah. It was nice to get out of the sun, sometimes, though Jeng loved flying high in the warm, clear skies of the rogue lands.
“I don’t belong to a pride, but I’ve heard about a couple I want to check out. Ones that are all about stories or performing, and stuff like that. But from the sounds of all the troubles you guys have in your prides, I’m not sure if I want to join up with one. It doesn’t sound all the fun, and honestly, I just want to live somewhere that would be full of stories, and I would always be able to keep learning about others. Being tied down to one spot might not actually be all that good for me.”
“That might be true,” Vikali said reasonably, though he was not trying to disparage or discourage her in any way. He was just a very thoughtful lion, and when he was reasoning something out loud, he did not really think about feelings attached to what he said. Not that he was good at that, even when he was aware of what he was saying. Feelings were very difficult for him to understand, though the more time he spent with mortals, the more he understood the way they worked, and the bonds they formed. Seeing his sister fall in love with that useless male, after all, had shown him that some things were just… beyond reasoning. Gut instinct, he supposed, was what they said. “You do not seem like the sort that would be happy seeing the same things every day. Where I delight in the constant, you seem very… inconsistent. Not in a bad way, I mean.”
Jeng chuckled at him, and oddly believed him when he said he was not trying to be mean. He was just a young God, she had also noticed, like Talfrid had, and he was not too used to interacting with others. Talfrid nodded his head along with Vikali’s thoughts, though, looking at her and offering a reassuring smile.
“I think if you were to find a pride that would accommodate your need to travel, to learn, then you could be a very good patron from mortals to look up to. I think there are many prides out there that will look up to you, and revere what you stand for. Stories are important to lions and other creatures, as that is how we can pass our history and experiences on to each other. Or simply just make a cub feel better when it can’t sleep.” He smiled warmly, and she chuckled, nodding her head. Talfrid seemed to be able to find the nicest thing to say, so he could put anyone he was talking to at ease. That was a useful skill to have, she imagined.
She tried, but a lot of the time she was just too excited or wrapped up in her interest in a story.
“Well, let me ask you two this, then,” she said, rolling onto her back and looking up at the sky. She smiled at the slowly rolling clouds that were turning from orange to red as the sun shifted lower across the horizon. “Do you like your prides? If you had a choice, would you leave, or do you think you are where you belong?”
“I think I have found my home,” Talfrid said, with a sagely nod. “The Tokakinji is where I am meant to be, and my family is the ruling blood there. Not only that, I have built many friendships and I feel very responsible for many of those living there. My own cubs included. I want to remain there, to make sure the war does not consume them, and to help them find peace, if I can. But I must only do what I can as a God. I cannot solve all their problems for them, and unfortunately, I will have to watch them fight with themselves before that peace can be attained. Even still, I will not abandon my home, my family. These lions believe in me, and I will not let them down. I do not think I could chose a better home for myself, anyway.”
She nodded at his answer, finding it suitably romantic for him. He was the perfect knight character, and certainly seemed to live up to his domain. But that was to be expected, really. That was why they were the gods of certain things. She looked over at Vikali expectantly for his answer, and he regarded her for a moment before he shrugged.
“If my family asked me to protect some other place, I would do so. But the Frozen Isle is a good home for the mortals that live there, and my half sister deserves the protection I offer her from a distance. I do not feel inclined to find another home, or another pride to invest myself in. One is more than enough trouble, I think, and mortals can get to be a little… tiring… if I were to meet too many more, I might lose my patience for them.” He looked at her as she frowned at him, but she supposed his answer was valid, and fitting for him. He was a very serious guy, and seemed to always look at the business side of things. He had a job to do, and that was why he remained in his pride.
Still, Jeng imagined it would take a lot more than he implied to take him away from his home. He tried to sound distanced from it, but she felt the connection in his tone. His loyalty to his family. No, he wasn’t going to go anywhere, either. So maybe belonging to a pride, or attaching herself to one, would be a good thing for her to do… it seemed to offer them both a deep sense of connection and duty, and gave them more to do than just wander around. It was very interesting to see, and she had never really considered it before.
There was that one pride she heard about… the one with the forest, and the purple rulers…
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