Miira paced at the mouth of the cave, away from the dens. Where they coming? She hoped so. The seer had been troubled by a vision, even with Haki's comforts, a dark, horrible vision that chilled her to the bone. Something was coming. Something horrible. And they had to prepare to stop, or ease it.
Nullpunkt's claws grasped rocks as she pulled herself up to the place Miira specified, sleek muscles flexing. The lioness pulled herself onto the ledge, and stretched, looking around. She always found her cousin to be a bit squirrelly, but when she worried.... Well, she had damn good reasoning, usually. Reaching topside, Nullpunkt yawned, stretching out, and looked about. Only a few moments found the lioness' uncle leaping up, the well toned dark male looking about, one of his many cubs on his tail. Shushara released, marvelling at her elders, and sat, beaming happily. Shupavu grunted, sitting.
"Alright, pip-squeak;" Shupavu grunted. "What the ******** is going on?"
Miira regarded Shupavu. Yeah, her uncle had all the tact of a maggot all right. Beautiful. Nullpunkt spoke then, the lioness adjusting her paws.
"Miira... C'mon. What's eating you? Besides possible moodswings from being knocked up."
Miira rolled her eyes again, and sighed.
"I had a vision. For the pride. About Grandma." Miira said, bluntly. "We're going to lose her."
Shupavu's eyebrow went up, leg wrapping around Shushara a moment, the cub looking up momentarily to her father, before snuggling into him.
"Mother's perfectly healthy, though..."
"Not like that." Miira sighed, rising. The added weight of her unborn cubs made it slightly difficult, and she wished for Haki's presence momentarily. The adolescent approached her family, and stood straight.
"I've had a vision, several nights now. A black lioness will come, and attack us. Grandma will charge to fight her... But she will lose and win. The lioness will depart us.... But..... Grandma will not be coming home."
Miira sighed, looking to her cousins and uncle.
"If we don't find a successor to the Commandership, we're in real trouble. We won't have someone to maintain our allies. We need to find someone to help the heirs, too."
Nullpunkt frowned, eying Miira as she stretched a bit, approaching.
"That's it then? We're just letting Grandma go? What about Mom? Aunt Kohpi? Uncle Vas? They could easily take over." Nullpunkt snorted, narrowing her eyes. "They know the laws. They know the maitenence of the pride. So does Uncle Shupavu."
Shupavu's eyebrow raised at his mention, and grunted.
"Me? No way. I've got 8 kids to raise, and the pride I grew up in was lead by brute force, not brains. Someone else'll need to do it."
Nullpunkt rolled her eyes, opening her maw to retort, when Miira spoke again.
"They can't. Mama has the cubs, and with Uncle Mkorogo away, she can't take on the duty. And Aunt Kabichi can't either-- she's not in the shape. And do you really want Uncle Vaskezu in charge?"
There was a momentary quiet, before three of the four present shuddered at the image of the great red lion passing about orders. It was a unified "Yeah, no." at the thought, and Nullpunkt sighed, defeated.
"Then who? The others are either too young or set in their jobs." Nullpunkt shook her head. "We are so screwed...."
Miira chuckled.
"Not quite. Grandma could always find a male for siring the proper heirs with a bit of coaxing. But what we need is a mentor.... And a male." Miira frowned.
Shupavu grunted.
"Great. So we need a ******** and some pompous a**." The male growled. "How will we know when we've a good man for Ma? Or a decent mentor who won't kill us all?"
Shupavu mentally cursed his father, wondering why he'd left his mother to begin with.
There was a sudden whirring of wings, blue and starred, whirling around theparty. Shushara reached, catching one, as the source landed, a large grey and blue lion with golden eyes and facial markings landed, wings curling into his body as he sat. Something about the lion seemed majestic, elegant. But his necklace and wings gave him away.
"A god...." Miira gasped quietly. Nullpunkt seemed leery as well as Shupavu, the three older lions minding the newcomer with fear and suspicion.
Shushara, however, squealed, bounding towards him. The massive god blinked at the bountiful energy of the lioness cub, and beamed, allowing her to dance at his feet, and rub into his paws.
"Hello, small one...." The god rumbled affectionately. The three older lions exchanged looks before Nullpunkt approached.
"....Who are you?" She asked. The god straightened again, one paw playing with Shushara.
"I am the god whom has watched the Great Kings since the first leader arose. I am Primitus, the God of Leadership." He rumbled. Then he pawed Nullpunkt and Miira.
"Also commonly referred to as "Great Grandpa" to you young ones, in my previous life."
Both blinked, stepping back some. Shupavu eyed him, moving between the two females and the god, trying to pull Shushara away.
"What do you want, old man?" Shupavu hissed. Primitus blinked. Old? His body was just an adolescent. He was not old.
"To offer my assistance." He lay down. "Perhaps I can... Nudge your leader to follow the path she needs to ensure your pride survives. I can be quite convincing."
"How?" Shupavu growled.
"Simple." Primitus' gaze turned to Shupavu. "Your blood, all of you, is directed down from my followers, my chosen pride. For two of you, from my first mortal mate. And my son."
The lion-god stepped, moving forward and looking to the three, Shushara dancing after gaily.
"But first, Mioyo need find a mate of proper breeding, and I-- I shall assist as I can from there with the children. When they are born, mark them with the same white stone your mother now wears-- the stone of the moon."
The god then turned, his wings vanishing, body seeming to shift into a mortal form. A gasp, and the illusion was complete, a golden eyed blue-grey male before them. Primitus beamed.
"I shall need to send word to my mate... For now, allow me to simply observe."
Before they could contest it, the male leapt for the dens.
All three older lions were silent, even as Shushara bound after the newfound playmate, several minutes, before one spoke.
"......We're getting help from a god?" Nullpunkt blinked. Miira was equally stunned.
"We're DESCENDED from a god?"
Shupavu grunted.
"We'd better get back, before the creeper scares half the pride."
Both females nodded, and the trio leapt after Primitus.
Whatever was to come, things were a whole lot more interesting now... And they could only wonder what was to come.
~Fin~
