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 Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:35 pm
It was hardly something the dark lion really looked forward to, but coming clean was something that needed to be done. For his own sake, maybe, but if he walked down that road he'd end up not talking. Sjari had spent enough time thinking about talking to someone to know that at this point, the best solution was to just go ahead and do it. Thinking was done with.
As for who he would talk to... perhaps the dark male was being a bit cowardly. He probably should have sought out Nawvlee, however, he seemed to settle on speaking to one of the firekin. After all, now the Nergui were threatening their lands, and it was the regents who said there should be no secrets. He probably deserved criticism for not immediately coming out, and waiting a couple weeks before actually looking for Kidondo.
But now he was here. He knew Kidondo had headed for the oasis, where there was only very little water left. Sjari's intent was perhaps to catch the regent on his way back, because ideally he wouldn't be with anyone. Sjari simply imagined it was best that way, the sort of information he had should hardly spread out through the pride.
So, he found a nice, tall dune and waited to see the regent coming across the sands.
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:08 am
Kidondo had indeed headed to the oasis, mainly to check that the guards stationed there hadn't had any trouble from any desperate members of the pride. Thankfully, there had been none, and with Azar'bijan in charge, he was confident that there wouldn't be any - for the time-being, at least. The trips to the oasis were always depressing and it was hard not to take note of how the levels continued to drop, the water looking brown from where it reflected the deep sides of the oasis and not the sky above.
A lonely bird wheeled overhead, casting a shadow across his face as he trudged back to check on the guard patrol who were due back shortly before the sun would begin its descent in the sky--
--The cloudless sky.
And then he was not alone.
He looked up to see the dark shape of a lion and, with the sun in his eyes, it took him a moment to identify him. Sjari. Hongshan turned Firekin. He didn't know much about this one, however - although that was hardly surprising considering he had been so quiet.
Ascending the dune at a slow but unhindered pace, he lifted his voice to greet the other. "Greetings, Sjari. Is everything well?" He almost dreaded asking that question nowadays.
The answer was normally 'no'.
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:37 pm
He was usually very good at looking stoic, but perhaps the prospect of opening up made Sjari more expressive. He perked his ears and blinked as Kidondo just happened to come in his direction. At first he even failed to realize it was probably best to come down from the dune to meet the regent, and then the firekin was coming up himself. He wondered, briefly, if that had been impolite of him.
"G...reetings." It felt weird to talk again, especially in a different language. He spoke the common tongue well enough, but it still felt strange. "Things are fine." It was said more out of politeness, because there was a lot of inner turmoil going on. Perhaps it was true as far as exterior circumstances went, he wasn't going to complain about the lack of water, and his injuries had healed.
"I need to talk to you."
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:09 am
Impolite or not, Kidondo certainly didn't mind. He'd been going in that direction in any case which meant, sooner or later, he'd need to move up the dune to continue onwards.
His ears turned forwards as the other spoke. "I am glad to hear it." He replied, then, though he wasn't sure how truthful the response was. How many times had he pressed on, pretending everything was okay, when he had felt broken inside. It was one of the burdens of leadership, to cast out worry and fear and charge on as if there was nothing wrong. But with the lack of rain, the death of a grandson and the lack of knowledge around their enemy, he had been cursed with moments where he had let his temper get the better of him.
He had vowed that it would not happen again.
"Now is as good a time as any. You are always welcome to speak. The Firekin are not giving you and your people any trouble, I hope?" He knew some of the Firekin had not been so keen on the decision for them to stay, but he had hoped that they would be in the minority - meaning the Hongshan would be left alone and - in time - accepted just as any worthy outsider was.
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:49 am
"No, the Firekin have been..." He wouldn't quite call them kind or welcoming, but Sjari was usually left alone enough. The only one of the desert lions who had bothered much with him had been Badieh, and she had been good to him. "Have not given me trouble. This is about before."
Not wanting to waste much more time, he went on. "What have you learned from Nawvlee and the others, about the Nergui? And when they first attacked us?" Sjari merely didn't want to repeat things the Regent already knew, to waste less time. He wanted to get this over with, maybe provide the firekin with some useful information, offer help in any way he could, and simply hope for the absolution he thought he needed.
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:31 pm
Kidondo's interest had been gained, that much was for certain. The question was telling. Suggestive. Did this lion know something more? If so, why had it taken him so long to speak up? Had he not been around when Nawvlee had gone to question them on their knowledge? Thankfully the regent was not a lion who jumped to conclusions. Instead he replied, slow and careful. "Very little. We know that they speak in a dialect of their own. A made-up language that does not permit easy communication. We know nothing of their numbers, their motives or their leader. Only that they seek and destroy prides. Whether they target specific groups or whether they simply march across the lands and destroy whatever lies in their path, we have no idea."
They knew so very little about them and with the communication difficulties there was no easy diplomatic solution either - not that Kidondo was about to give them that opportunity.
He paused then, eyeing the dark male with a slightly narrow-eyed gaze. "Do you mean to tell me that you have more information regarding the Nergui?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:04 pm
"I... know quite a bit about a Nergui." He sighed, because it felt so strange to say it like that. "I have... had, a twin brother." They were hardly brothers now, in Sjari's mind. Yet, once, they had been close. "Everyone believes he is dead, but he is not. Svarr betrayed us to the Nergui, they didn't attack out of the blue." He hesitated a bit, and let that sink in. "I saw him, when we were captive. He would send for me. He wanted me to join them, too."
Honestly, Sjari felt he didn't really have that much information to offer. But perhaps just knowing more about how the Nergui functioned could be useful, in some way. He had some more to say, but decided he'd give Kidondo the opportunity to speak again, so any questions could be answered immediately.
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:21 pm
Kidondo kept his expression very still, his eyes still slightly narrowed, his ears swivelled forwards. For a moment it seemed her had frozen, his breath ceasing and his tail pausing mid-sweep. This had been--unexpected.
In his mind he did a quick synopsis of the information. If Sjari had kept this information secret, that meant the others did not know. So, why would Sjari not share this? Was he simply ashamed of his brother's part in the pride? Afraid the others might turn on him for the mistakes of a blood-kin? Or was there something else? From his words, Sjari clearly had not approved of what his twin had done.
"I take it you had a good reason for not sharing this information with Nawvlee, before?"
Either way, that tiny collection of words from Sjari said so much about the Nergui. So much more that it was quite ridiculous. They accepted outsiders into their ranks, for one. He had thought that they might just kill or enslave outsiders.
So many questions sprang to mind. "Any information you have, no matter how small it seems, may be crucial to understanding these lions. Knowledge is key to victory, Sjari. I will listen to what you have to say." Could he trust this Sjari? A lion who had kept secrets from his own? Was the mere fact that he was standing here now enough to prove his innocence? "I may have many questions."
"Perhaps it is best you start from the beginning; when you were back in the Hongshan. Were you aware that your twin was meeting with these strangers? Do you have any idea how long he met with them before they attacked?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:57 am
Yes, indeed,he had taken long. "I am... no, I do not." Because in the end, was shame, fear and shock really a good enough reason not to speak out?
"The beginning... No, I was not aware. I do not know when Svarr began to meet Nergui. Nothing seemed strange." They had been close, but especially once they had reached adultoohd, the brothers gave each other more space. It was normal. "When the Nergui attacked, I looked, but I couldn't find him. Only saw him again after, when they had caught the rest of us. Sent Nergui to take me to him. He told me... what he'd done." Sadly, perhaps the most informative encounter with Svarr was lost to him, simply because he had been too dumbstruck to really pay attention.
"And he wanted me to join them, too. I say no, they beat me, sent me back. They did that a few times." He had been struck in the eye once, and thought Sjari was not left blinded, his vision in that eye was now blurry. Svarr had not seemed to like that.
"The last time he was different." And this was what worried Sjari the most. "He said he wanted me to be in an experiment..." He trailed off there, and looked down.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:15 am
He was honest, at least. Kidondo could respect that. In his position, would he have done anything different? He'd not had a particularly strong relationship with any of his siblings and most were no longer within the lands. But he knew how close Ea and Fia were and knew how it would affect them if their counterpart had turned against everything they believed in. They may have acted differently, but it had to hurt.
"It is a curious thing. From what you say - and what I know of the Nergui - I would surmise that they would have been using your brother to get to the Hongshan. But yet, if they were using him, would they not have disposed of him when they accomplished their plan? The very fact that he is still with them is...yes, a curious thing." His eyes closed as he gathered his thoughts and then he returned them to Sjari. "Were you and your brother born in the Hongshan or did you join them at a later stage? Could it be that you have some other relatives or long-lost friends within the Nergui who he might feel loyal to? Or did he simply know that the Hongshan had no chance and decided to side with those who would secure victory to save himself?" No, no, that last one didn't sound right. Would he not have tried to save his brother before the attack if that had been the case? Or maybe Sjari had survived only because his brother had asked that he be spared?
So many questions.
"You have great strength, Sjari. A lesser lion may have given in and accepted that fate." He paused. "When you say an experiment did he give any hint as to what it might be? From Nawvlee I understand that the Nergui had the slaves doing many strange and meaningless tasks. Perhaps they did, in fact, have a reason beyond our comprehension."
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:41 am
He did not know what the Nergui intended for his brother, and now Sjari wondered if even Svarr knew. "I don't know. they seemed to treat him well." They did, after all, do what he said when he sent for Sjari. "Maybe rewarding him." The idea disgusted him, being rewarded for betraying their home, their pride.
"We were born in the Hongshan. No other siblings. Svarr liked to scout, when we weren't training." He wished he could offer more about how exactly Svarr began to deal with the Nergui, but he simply did not know. "I think they were looking for something. I always refused him, so Svarr didn't tell me much."
As for the experiment. "He told me what the experiment was. He was going to set me free." Sjari felt like words were getting harder to say, if only because he knew just what they would sound like. "So I could find the other Hongshan. And 'their new allies'. I refused, but... the group, we escaped the next day. With Miah." He hadn't even known about the escape plan right up until it happened, and Sjari ended up just swept into it.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:36 am
"Then if that is the case, you've already given us some valuable information. Contrary to common belief, the Nergui are willing to accept outsiders as members. Why they are accepted, however, is something I am not certain of. Perhaps they look for talent in a way that we look for strength." He pondered on that a moment. If that was a case then these lions were not only mindless brutes. They were clever. They had strategy.
At Sjari's information on the experiment, Kidondo's ears flicked back, his muzzle wrinkling with a barely contained snarl. "Set you free?" He repeated the words needlessly but the weight of them were heavy indeed.
"Sjari...you understand what might happen if any other Firekin catches wind of this information?" They would call for death or - at best - a swift exile. But Kidondo did not want that. Maybe it was against his better judgement, but he saw the Hongshan as an incredible asset to the pride. All of them strong, brave and intelligent. "Your escape has been met with scepticism. Perhaps it succeeded only on your brother's word. And if this was all part of the plan - you coming here - then it is a plan with at least one other stage."
He fell silent, then, thinking on this new information with a sinking heart. He'd suspected a trap but...he had hoped that it had not been.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:57 am
Though he wasn't so convinced he was being helpful, if Kidondo saw some use for his information, at least Sjari had done something. He'd always thought of Svarr as the cleverest between the two of them, despite always having refused to say it out loud. "They treated some lions differently. Perhaps Nawvlee or the others mentioned it. Ones with strange markings, like wings, and bones. And pale eyes." Like his own. Sjari was bullied on for different reasons, however.
Kidondo's reaction was not entirely unexpected, and he didn't flinch, but Sjari found he could not look the other lion in the eyes. "...Yes, I do." and the other Hongshan, as well. Not only was he the brother of a traitor, he might be a traitor, even if it had never been his intent. "I will accept any consequences." Perhaps he deserved it. "But, if there is anything I could do..." He trailed off, and let that hang in the air. Perhaps Sjari could be of use somehow, like try to gain more information from his brother, somehow, but he had begun to lose faith that he was capable of good at this point. And he never really wanted to see Svarr again.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 9:32 am
"They sound to me like a rather superstitious bunch." Kidondo added, thinking of a certain cobra living within the lands who similarly spouted nonsense about markings and colours. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised to learn that prides of lions took on similar ideas. Every race had some superstition or another, even if it went unsaid.
"Then your brother must have had something to offer them. Something that he continues to offer to be useful. Or maybe his aid in taking over the Hongshan won him his acceptance. Either way, he has clearly chosen his allegiance. I cannot begin to understand how that must be for you - and to harbour the knowledge in secret for so long."
He paused, drawing in breath. The decision he made now could very well impact on the future of the pride. Sjari could have been telling him this in order to manipulate him. In order to deceive and carry out further crimes in the name of the Nergui. But Kidondo had always trusted his instincts and this time his instincts were telling him that Sjari was a victim, not a perpetrator. There was absolutely no reason for Sjari to have said anything if the plan was succeeding. No reason at all. But could he place value in one lion's life over those of everyone else living here? Was it worth the risk...?
"Sjari." He spoke at last, feeling for the right words. "You must not speak a word of this to anyone. Not Firekin. Not Hongshan. If this knowledge becomes public, a number of my people will demand action and I do not know if I will be able to refuse them a second time; not with the supporting evidence." He could already picture the scenario in his head. "I will share this knowledge only with Regent No." He paused to let that sink in. That, yes, Sjari was not about to be paraded down to a swift execution or interrogation. He felt that the lion had suffered enough already. "I understand how difficult it must have been for you to come and speak with me about this. If we have need of your aid I will not hesitate to ask. And, if you remember anything else in the meantime, I am always available to meet with you."
He watched the dark lion for a moment. "I hope I will not come to regret my decision, Sjari. Your people have suffered enough and we are stronger if we work together. We can afford no more rifts, not with the bigger threat of the Nergui."
Perhaps this had been the Nergui plan all along.
Use fear and uncertainty to split their strength. To weaken them so much that they would be able to sweep in and win a victory where they would have otherwise failed.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 9:54 am
He remained silent when Kidondo spoke about his brother, because even Sjari didn't completely understand what it was to him. How he felt, what he thought, it was all just a muddled up mess. All he really knew was that what Svarr had done was wrong, in so many ways.
He was somewhat surprised by Kidondo's choice, as in his place, Sjari might have been much more doubtful, and harsh. At the same time, he wondered if he was disappointed for not being punished. "I understand. I'll tell no one." He said, despite another promise he'd made before. Badieh... he would have to figure what he'd do about that, but Kidondo was right. Sjari didn't care much for preserving himself, but if he were incriminated, that would doubtlessly generate more animosity between the firekin and the Hongshan.
Sjari also hoped Kidondo would not regret his decision. But, afraid that saying so might give a wrong idea, he only nodded. "Yes. Thank you, for listening." Perhaps he should be thanking Kidondo for effectively sparing his life, but he was yet to feel much lighter. But... perhaps now he would be able to move on, stop being weak.
"Should I go?" Kidondo must have to think, and find his mate, and perhaps change his mind.
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