He had one more stop before leaving the Chokwe pridelands for good, feeling that it was in his bones to just visit one more lion before venturing further in his soul-searching adventure, his body feeling heavier with every day. Was it always like this? So tiring and harder with everyday, his paws sometimes feeling like they had lead in them. But he continued on, with every day that passed, hoping to find something that filled the void that the old Virtue god only noticed had been starting to grow when he had lost his father. He never knew how much one mortal's soul-print could have had on his immortal soul.
Returning to the little fishing hole once again, his mismatched eyes fell on the lion in question . . . partnered with another feline - a youth, with pure white fur marked with pinks and blacks - one that he never recalled from his now long history. It was she he noticed first, her gaze almost uncertain of the location it was searching in, before her ears swivelled forward with the movements of his paws on the ground, every step swishing the jewelry that just about sang his arrival.
"Welcome, stranger. What brings you here?" The youth asked, her eyes still targetting somewhere Jamala couldn't pinpoint, the dead glance making him a little unnerved - he hadn't met many blind creatures in his life, and seeing the youth's glare made him a little saddened for her - what was it like to not see the beauty around you? After a moment, the great warrior he had seen snapped from his reveer of the area, dark eyes training on the old god.
"No worries, Leknaat, he's here for me," he started, before bowing his head to the heavenly creature, eyes as stern as it would be if he had been watching a child. "To what do we owe this arrival, again, dear Jamala? It has been years, has it not?" He finished his introduction, a familiar face for the old god to smile too, even if it felt foreign to him.
"I highly doubt "Coming to see the sights" would deem a good enough excuse," he started, his body sagging softly in to a comfortable sitting position, his wings curling up against his back. A soft chortle emitted from his mouth, before being interjected by the strange lass again, "You've come on more serious terms, then?" She murmured, tilting her head in an almost knowing way, eyes lidding over the gaze softly, as if questioning. "Indeed." He only stammered out, starting to wonder if there was anything that got past her.
After a few moments of silence, the old brute shifted again, dark eyes watching over the god once more, before shifting a little. "Whatever you like, old friend, you can tell Leknaat and myself. She's very personable, even if she doesn't look that way, and will keep a secret from the others if you wish." Tir came out with, his eyes skirting to the youth once again, in a way that Jamala knew that this young lady was almost a godsent to the newly revived pride. A confidant of some sort? It made him question, deep down, but the right words could not come to him. "Please don't hesitate."
Taking a deep breath in, the old god could only break a soft smile to the general, before looking away. "As you may know, I've been watching your little troupe since you were young - back when Gremio had just come to you as a Guardian, a refuge of a sort. . ." he started, feeling that he had to get it out, at least. It felt good to just talk again, even for a little while. "I may not return after this little . . . meeting, I have a lot on my mind, and I feel that seclusion may be the best for this old god. But don't tell Gremio, I've been something a kin to a savior to him. . . I don't want it hanging over my soul that he knew I left this world in such pallor." He spilt, looking at his dark paws. "It is my last wish from you, as a friend, Tir. Keep him happy, keep him safe."
After his statement, silence hung over the small clearing like a blanket, muffling all, even the natural sounds that the birds and waters around them felt hushed to the old god, long enough for him to look up again, seeing the naked worry splayed on the General's face - long enough for the God to catch it, but gone an instant further, trying to cover up the show of emotion. He was trained well, and even in his prime, Tir was the master of his emotions, and Jamala had almost cherished it.
After a moment further, the red General lifted his body and crossed the small path that seperated himself from the God, coming right up to him, and leaning his head against the dark fur that ringed around the god's face, taking in the mane that he had always known Jamala for, a proud mane, one filled with heavenly scents that brought him to his rough youth. Seeing the God like this now nearly ripped Tir apart, but he kept in it tow.
When he felt it had been long enough - or as enough as his heart could handle, the General fell back, dark eyes soaking in the god's visage once more before cementing his emotions again, eyes hardening. "Old friend, you have my word as a lord, as a General, and as a friend." He murmured, his voice as hard as diamond, never wavering. "You are always welcome here, to my home, no matter how you look or what you're going through. Promise me you will not be a stranger, at least." He murmured, watching the god for any loss of faith.
It took a moment before the old God could answer, his content in the reply from the General silencing him with emotion, before he nodded his head. "As a Friend, as a God of the Virtues, I promise." he came out with, before the General took a few steps further, content with the answer, only stopping once and looking back.
"I am going back to your father, Leknaat, to talk to him about a few things. Please watch over Jamala until he feels ready to leave."He called, almost in a regal manor before slipping out of the small valley, his body burning a memory in the old god's mind, a smile never wavering from the black lion's face. Tir was not one for serious emotion, he realized, but every movement that the General had made sang stories to the God, making him feel fulfilled in that final confrontation.
"You are worried that you will pale in your promise, is it?" Rang out behind him, nearly scaring new life into the old God, his eyes snapping back to the youth he had nearly forgotten was there. She had been so quiet, so observant, that he almost forgot that she had been there to begin with, and clearing his throat, he allowed her to continue, the pose in her body made it aware she wished to talk. "You almost seem saddened by this arrival, not happy. What ails you?"
"Many things, child, many things." He could only stammer out at first, relaxing after a moment of silence, his eyes looking down at the water, the old god's image reflecting back to him, between the small trickling lines of water breaking the face peering back to him. "Somedays I am not sure how strong my word is anymore. My soul has seen enough things, and I start to tire of meeting new lives on this world. Mortality is tiring." He found himself rambling, before laughing slightly bitterly, shrugging, bumping his big wings up and down momentarily.
"I don't see how that harms your image, Sir." she only retorted with, her dead glance almost staring completely at him, a feeling overcoming him, like when his children themselves had their moments. She must have been touched by immortality, for being so intuitive. Or maybe she just studied too much. "You are wise, as you are flattering, my little one."
A warm smile broke the stone visage that the half-breed had been holding up, her eyes warming up, even if they were lost to the world. "I only try to speak the truth, for they are always the most well deserved, if not received." she retorted, her tail shifting slightly beside her, a movemnt of genetic habit. "I think I understand how you feel though, a sense of justice and loyalty for those who have only reciprocated. Do you worry they will be lonely when you're gone?" She murmured, curiousity littering every sentance, which made the old God chuckle. Her spark of life was strong, and made him feel warm again - like he did when Ekevu was still around. A sweet child.
"Your clairvoyance is spot on, Leknaat." He murmured again, before shrugging, knowing she could not see it, but the sounds should be there. "But, I do worry, that when I am gone, those who have an imprint of my mortality would be saddened by my loss. I never knew the feeling, having been secluded . . . or well I assume secluded, my soul is still new." he rambled a bit, before giving off an ages old sigh. "Being ethereal is more of a hassle than it looks." It was a sad stab at a joke, but awarded him with a slightly airy chortle by the child, her view glazing over again and losing it's original position, as if she was seeing something further.
"I can only assume, sir. I am supposed to be an ethereal totem for those of this pride myself, but even I worry that I will not be what I'm being chalked up to be. . . I'm happy to know that even the gods have things that make them quiver with worry." To her, it made them more real - tangible and in reach.
"Every one of us do." He only stated, before shaking his head. "We are only put on a pedestal because we are a way-stone for mortals to follow, and reverance that some of us are uncomfortable with, at times. Even dreaded to have." It was nice to have someone to talk to, on such deep emotions, but he wouldn't tell her quite yet, she would grow in to this, he decided.
Silence fell over them again, as he watched the youth hum and haw about the ideas, her eyes never wavering from it's dead stare, as if she was looking inwards for her answers, milky-blue irises watching everything, but nothing at all. "I think I'm comfortable with that." she finally said, her head nodding with a small affirmation, before tilting her head again, shuffling her paws. "Yeah, I think you're right. I guess we all have a void to fill, though, just the right shape for all of us, but sometimes we fall through the cracks. I don't know, it's a lot to think about.
She was right, ultimately, and all this talking made him feel a little tired, if not content for the first time in a while. Lifting himself high and as proud as he had been for a short while, (even if she could not see it), he looked down to the youth and wandered next to her, doing the same cherishing movement that Tir had done to him, breathing in her scent - full of flowers, and an older aura. A smile played on his maw as he talked to her again. "I hope every question you have is answered in your walk of life." He murmured, before leaning back. "I think I have a lot to think about, also. I will take my leave Leknaat, so you can rest up."
Of course, it saddened her, but deep down the youth knew that this conversation would end, her eyes almost focusing on him again, before a sad smile fell on the pale face of the half-breed.
"I will keep them all safe for you, it will be our little promise." she murmured to him, a soft sound, almost as quiet as the wind, before she turned her head. "Be well, wherever your wings take you." Was all she could get in, before the beating sound, and rushing winds of his wings filled her remaining senses, and then there was nothing.
Just silence, and she was okay with that. They would never say goodbye, and she was okay with that also, knowing that a promise was always kept, one way or another.
