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 Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:36 pm
"Kizi, Kizi are you alright?" The anxious genet scurried around the blue cub frantically, prodding her with her tiny paws and sniffing her. The lioness was alive, but certainly a little worse for wear. This had happened a few times already, but every time it was frightening to watch.
"Kizi!" She shouted, but the cub would not answer. She was unconscious on the ground before her, her body twitching occasionally and her eyelids fluttering. Sometimes she would begin to thrash about wildly, but for now she was still, completely unaware of how desperately Awena was trying to get her attention.
A bright white lion walked through the tall grass, his mane a brilliant sky blue and his legs covered in intricate swirls just like her's. He looked almost identical to her father except that his colors were light and pure rather than red, and he had a kinder, gentler look on his face. She had seen him before a couple times, and it was always the same. He simply walked, and she could never see anything but him and occasionally some grass. The rest of his surroundings were completely blurred, a mystery to the young lioness.
"Huh?" Kizi shook her head and shot an irritated look at Awena, who instantly backed off. "Shut it, I'm fine." She growled, her head throbbing as she snapped back to the here and now.
"It's him again..." She struggled to sit up, feeling a bit dizzy. "That white lion that looks like daddy. I keep seeing him, but I don't know who he is or what he's doing..." She sighed, looking around. This time she was able to see that he was in tall grass, not unlike that all around her.
"We're going to find him, Awena." She decided, standing up and heading off in a random direction. "I want to know who this guy is, and why he's in my visions." She growled, "I don't like having strangers inside my head."
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:33 am
It had been a long time since he'd seen his brother. It made Spenta weary and a bit on edge; not that he was frightened that his brother could appear at any time and throw Spen's life into chaos. Spenta worried for his brother, and he worried often. Angra was always getting into situations that could potentially harm him. It made Spen uneasy.
Spenta had also been thinking often of Oki. How was she doing? Did she survive childbirth? How many cubs were there, and were they safe? Were they monsters? These thoughts had started to consume Spen's mind and oftentimes he would sit and contemplate the myriad of answers that were available.
Today was one of those days. He rested in the shade of a squat baobab tree, one that was near the last place he'd seen his brother and Oki. Lost in the thoughts that wafted through his mind, Spenta dozed.
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:56 pm
Kizi walked briskly and with a purpose, looking around as best she could through the tall grass. She didn't see anything particularly interesting and was quickly becoming frustrated and irate at her lack of success. If there was one thing Kizi hated, it was not getting what she wanted, when she wanted it.
"This is stupid." She growled, "He's bright white, can't be too hard to spot..." She glanced up at the sun and made an angry face. It was very hot today. She sighed and started to head toward the nearest tree in hope of some shade.
She gasped as she approached the tree, the blindingly white lion suddenly right in front of her eyes. He was exactly like he had been in her vision, though instead of walking he appeared to be sleeping. How strange. Perhaps she was seeing the future again? Or maybe the past? It didn't matter, she had found him regardless, even if it had taken her a bit far from home.
She waited for a moment without saying anything, unsure of what to think. He was identical to her father in almost every way, and even shared a bit of her color. Could he be...?
"Hey, wake up." She shouted sharply, suddenly even more curious. "Who are you?" She demanded, abandoning her usual sweet-little-darling routine. "And what are you doing inside of my head?"
"Kizi, don't..." Awena whispered hurriedly, but it was too late, she was already shouting at the lion. The genet shrank back behind her companion, shaking slightly. If Angra was anything to go by, she didn't want to see this lion when he was angry.
'This girl is going to get me killed...' she thought to herself frantically, her tail twitching anxiously as she peered around Kizi's legs at the white lion. It was fairly obvious that he was related to Angra in some way, but she wasn't sure how. In any case, any relative of that red lion's was no friend of her's, in her eyes.
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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 9:40 am
Spenta was in the foggy midst of sleep and alertness. When he first heard the small shouting. He ignored it for a moment, blissfully unawares that what he would see when he opened his eyes would likely forever change his life.
The insistent voice drew closer and closer, accompanied by a smaller, softer voice. With an annoyed growl, bright crimson eyes open and he looked towards the voice. It would forever be ingrained on his memory.
Instantly he was taken back to his traumatic birth. He could never forget the sight of his mother as she strained to bring his brother into the world, her vibrant blue pelt contorting in pain and agony as she gave her life so that his brother could live. The same markings, the same colors...
He shook himself, eyes locked on the cub who stood so angrily before him. "I am.." His voice broke and he cleared it, rising to his feet and looking behind the cub before his attention turned back to her and the small genet she traveled with.
"I am Spenta." He paused, wondering if this was some sort of cruel dream. "I don't understand, what.. what do you mean by 'in your head'?" He didn't want to believe this was happening, so instead he only answered the bare minimum, almost wishing that this cub was NOT related to his brother... and a seer at that?
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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:47 am
"Spenta..." She tilted her head to one side, thinking. She wasn't sure if she had ever heard that name or not, but it sounded vaguely familiar. She flicked her tail as she continued to stare at him, wondering why he seemed so astonished to see her.
"I mean that you keep showing up in my visions." She sat down and glared up at him. "You just walk around, and I don't like having useless visions in my head so just cut it out." She said it as if he had some choice in whether he was in her visions or not. She knew that he didn't, but waking up from a vision was extremely uncomfortable and if she had to do it more often just to see this lion walking around... Well that was just useless.
"You look like my father." She said abruptly, deciding to get to the point right away. "Angra. You know him?" She continued to look Spenta's markings, particularly along his legs. They could be identical to Angra's though she couldn't be sure.
Awena flinched as Spenta looked at her, her tail twitching nervously until he looked away. At least so far this lion didn't seem to be aggressive. On the contrary, he seemed surprised.
"I'm Awena..." She offered softly, hoping that by being hospitable she would be more likely to remain unharmed. She jumped back as Kizi nearly sat on her, shooting a quick glare at her before moving to stand beside her. "You're... Well, you're not going to eat us, are you?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:02 am
Spenta just looked at the cub hopelessly, deciding to answer the genet first. "No, I am not going to eat you." He could go on about the cannibalistic tendencies of Angra, but decided against it. He gave his attention back to the cub, just staring at her unblinkingly for a long, long while.
"I know your father." Spenta knew that Angra likely held this cub in very high regard; she was also a seer, which merely made her that much more valuable to his brother.
"He is my younger brother. We are twins." He wasn't sure if he should go on about the cubs remarkable resemblance to their mother. For now, he kept his mouth shut about it, waiting to see how the cub responded to his revelation.
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:31 am
"Of course he's not going to eat us, Awena." She snapped, swatting at Awena with her paw. That genet was so scared of everything all the time... She was a bit of a bother sometimes.
"I knew it." Kizi flicked her tail from one side to the other as Spenta spoke. She knew that Spenta had to be related to Angra somehow, though she didn't know in what way. "So, uncle Spenta..." She began to twirl a long blade of grass between her paws idly, thinking. "Why doesn't daddy ever talk about you, hm?" She looked up at him with a sly grin.
"Are you a bad brother? I'll bet you are." She smirked, "I should go get daddy right now and tell him that you're here. Maybe that's why I've been seeing you in my visions. Unless you have something useful to tell me other than that you're my uncle." She offered, "I only ever get visions for a reason, you know. There's something important about you, and if I were you, I'd tell me why you're important to me." It almost sounded like a threat. Kizi was already coming up with ways to get Spenta in trouble with her father if he didn't give her what she wanted. She had a strong feeling that daddy didn't get along with Spenta, or else he would have introduced them. She doubted that Angra would have a problem giving his brother a beating if she said that Spenta had hurt her.
"Really?" Awena managed a small smile to Spenta. "Hey!" Awena jumped to the side to avoid Kizi's paw, darting up the tree and sitting on a branch so that Kizi could not longer reach her.
"Twins, huh?" She asked, more to herself than to anyone else. The idea fascinated her, "Well you do look an awful lot alike." She shrugged, letting her tail swing from side to side as she looked around the branches for a bird's nest or a trail of ants to snack on. No use going hungry just because they met some long-lost relative of Kizi's.
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:59 am
Spenta was saddened all the way to his soul at the spiteful words that came from his niece's mouth. She was more like his brother than he could have imagined, and it was so surreal to Spenta. This cub who looked so much like his mother... the one who'd given so much, had given her LIFE so that his brother could live.
It angered Spenta, and it was rare for him to feel this full of rage, and so suddenly. Bile rose in his throat as he moved to his feet, eyes red-hot with the fury that threatened to spill over. Were the Gods toying with him? Blessing Angra with a cub that bore such resemblance to their mother? Infesting her with a personality that seemed to be much like his brothers?
His chest ached as he bit back the roar that trembled on his lips. Claws sheathed and unsheathed as he struggled to regain some control over himself. Spen would not hurt the cub, no. He would never do such a thing; doing so would be like killing his own mother in some twisted way. Never.
His voice, when he spoke, was low and taut with barely contained rage. "Your father," he fumed, "is nothing but a cold-blooded monster, cub." He paused, moving closer rigidly. "Important to you?" He spat the words out, gaze blatantly locked on the smug cub. He longed to see that expression gone.
"Yes, I am important to you, little one." It was as if he'd been possessed by some inner demon, one that controlled him like a puppet. "I will be the one who kills your father. Have you seen this in your visions yet?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:16 am
Kizi smirked as she watched her uncle struggle to control himself. She looked down at his claws, an inkling of fear beginning to rise within her at the sight. Perhaps it had been unwise to anger this lion? No, she had to keep on her mask of calm. It wouldn't work if she broke down.
"I have a name." She snorted indignantly, "I am Kumbukizi. And my father is a great lion, dear uncle." She chimed, "Though I doubt you could see it." She giggled, "Why so angry, uncle Spenta? Not going to hurt this cute little face, are you?" She teased, "If you do... Well then who is the monster then, hm?"
His next words hit Kizi like a ton of bricks, a look of shock and terror crossing her young face for a moment as her blood ran cold in her veins. Tiny tears began to form in the corners of her eyes as he spoke.
"You're not going to hurt daddy." She tried to keep her voice steady, but no words had ever caused such emotion when she heard them. The very idea of losing her beloved father was enough to crack her normally unshakable appearance. "You can't. He'll kill you first." She spat, suddenly furious. How dare this lion think that he was any match for daddy?
"You're wrong, Spenta. You're the monster." This wasn't fun anymore, it wasn't a game. This lion intended to hurt her father, and she would have none of it. "You stay away from him! If you touch him, I'll... I'll..." Her eyes started to blur as she was unable to hold back her tears.
"I'll kill you myself if I have to!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:30 am
Spenta took no joy in the sight of Kizi so upset. It seemed as if she was blinded by the fact that her father was a ruthless monster, one who raped, killed and did as he pleased without a thought for the consequences. He'd not intended for this conversation to go so far, for him to reveal so much... but he'd already warned Angra during one of their other fights that HE, Spenta, would be the one to cause Angra to fall.
And it hurt, these words, though they were spouted from the lips of one so small, one who should carry with her a carefree innocence but instead was merely a puppet of her father's whims, one he likely would use to further his own nefarious ambitions. He wondered, briefly, if the cub knew of her striking resemblance to her grandmother. His heart ached as her last threatening words hung in the air between them.
"You do not know everything that your father is capable of." Spen could see that Kizi was determined to defend Angra, her loyalty for her father running deep. His voice was thick with emotion and carried with it a weary tone. "It is my destiny to bring an end to Angra's path of destruction. I can only hope that someday you will realize all the lives he has broken, including that of your mother."
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:40 am
"No!" She shouted, furious. Her tiny claws dug into the soft earth as she tried to decide if it would be worth it to try to cause this lion some pain before leaving. "You are the one who doesn't know what he can do! You think you can kill him? You're weak, he'll tear you to shreds before you even get one claw on him!" Her tail lashed behind her and she began to pace, her ears pinned back against her head. Her eyes were full of fire and anger as she stared up at this, this... Monster!
"My mother?" She spat, a small laugh coming out with the words. "That lioness is pathetic, she doesn't know or appreciate what daddy gave to her! She's lucky to have been chosen to have his children, and all she does is complain about it. She is nothing to me!" She growled, "And so are you. You're a terrible excuse for a brother, Angra should have killed you a long time ago, you're just lucky that he chose not to."
"Kizi!" Awena squeaked, suddenly afraid again. A few minutes ago, Spenta had been just fine, but the conversation had flared up very quickly. The small genet climbed up a few more branches just to be safe, before calling out again. "Kizi don't do anything stupid." She warned, "He's not worth it!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:05 am
Spenta shook his head sadly; it seemed to be all he could do. It was not his place to open this brainwashed cub's eyes to all the lives her father, his brother, had destroyed. Someday perhaps she would see, and if not, well... perhaps Kizi would be the end of Spenta. So be it.
"I will not be the one to tell you of your father's history, nor will I be the one who dies when the time comes. This story has been laid out before us, and we must fulfill our destinies. Guilt plagues your father and burdens him greatly." Irritated that she continued to stick up for Angra, Spenta growled softly. "Do you think I fear Angra? I do not. He is my brother and I have nothing but love for him."
That being said, he turned away from the cub. There was nothing more that he could say to her; the could sit here all day arguing about the questionable virtues of Angra, but Spenta would rather not. He knew Angra was nearby; it was highly unlikely that he'd let this precious cub stray too far from his side.
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:20 am
"You don't know anything about my daddy!" She sobbed, barely able to stand upright anymore, the pain of thinking of life without her father becoming overwhelming. "You don't kill those you love, Spenta. If you kill him, you're completely heartless." She snapped. Nobody spoke about her father that way and got away with it. She would see to it that Spenta paid dearly for anything he did as soon as she was old enough and strong enough to do it herself.
"Don't you turn your back on me, you coward." She growled, but in truth she too wanted nothing more than for this conversation to be over. This wasn't at all what she wanted to find when she found this lion, and she could barely stand to look at him anymore.
Without another word she collapsed onto the ground in tears, overwhelmed by the fear and anger she was feeling toward Spenta.
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:24 am
Spenta's heart was wrenching at the sight of his niece crumpled on the ground; it was all he could do to keep from going to her with the intent to console her. He knew it would be unwelcome. She wanted nothing to do with him.
He had no doubt he'd be in her visions to come; he only hoped that she would be able to see him performing good things in his life; helping others was important to Spenta. Family was important, but Spenta knew this would be a hopeless endeavor.
Without a parting word, Spen left the sobbing cub there near the baobab tree. They would see each other again, Spenta had no doubt in his mind.
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