[back logged]
Persikka had set off early in the day, wanting to make the most of the cool mornings as he continued his travels towards the Pridelands. The peach male was unsure how close he was to his destination, though he had thus far had no problems asking for directions. Birds, other lions, anyone who might even have an idea on the direction the pride lay. So far he believed himself to be going in the correct direction, though he couldn’t help but feel that he may have gotten off track a little through the night. Persikka had left some sticks pointing in the direction he had been told to go, however at some point during his sleep they had been knocked away.
The day wore on as walked, and with each step Persikka started to wonder if perhaps he had gone the wrong way. Navigation was certainly not his strong suit by any means, and the male lion was starting to suspect he really had been going the wrong way. If nothing else perhaps he could manage to find someone to give him directions, and if he was lucky then he had not gone too far off course.
The god lay in the shade of a tree, eyes half-lidded as he stared out over the horizons. The tiny voices of the plants growing from vines around his body were silent in the cool shade, something Nepenthes was glad for. He did not mind their company, but he himself was tired of this hot sun out in the savannahs, and it gave him time to think. Quiet in his own mind. He stretched his legs out before slowly sliding them back towards his body, claws extending to leave long grooves in the dirt. In the distance he spotted a form moving in his direction. It was still some distance away, but he could tell already that this beast would soon be close enough to spot him, if it had not already.
“Excuse me!” Persikka called out towards a passing avian. The bird continued on, perhaps having not heard him, and Persikka sighed. Blue eyes scanned the sky for signs of other birds, however those he saw were either too far away, or too high to likely hear him. There also didn’t appear to be anyone else on the ground he could ask for directions. Another sigh almost escaped the lion before he noticed that there was someone else. Ahead, some distance, there lay someone beneath a tree. Even from this distance the form appeared to be quite large, and Persikka could not help but assume it a lion because of this. His pace quickened as he made his way towards the lion beneath the tree, hoping that whoever it was knew where the lands he was searching for were.
However as he came closer he noticed something off about this lion. Horns sprouted from his head, and he was covered in vines. Aside from that he seemed to have some sort of plant-like spines growing from his back. Persikka hesitated for a moment, pace slowing until he came to a stop.
Sure enough the male had seen him and was now making his way quicker towards the lounging god. He waited silently for the mortal to come closer, his jagged grin spreading in amusement as the mortal slowed and then stopped upon really seeing the god. Nepenthes made no effort to hide his true form, and had yet to feel any reason to even try.
Persikka stood in silence, staring at the strange lion, until finally he shifted his gaze. “Oh, sorry.” He quickly spat out, feeling quite foolish at staring for so long. “Sorry to bother you.” He continued, looking slowly back at the horned lion. “I am looking for the lands of a pride known as the Pridelands. Am I going the correct way?”
The pale mortal stood there silently for a time, just staring at Nepenthes, and Nep just stared back. Silently the two gazed back at each other until the other male looked away and finally spoke once again. The god continued to lay there silently, just staring until finally he felt like replying. “I don’t know this place.” Nep spoke, the words dragging out lazily. It was probably true anyways. Nepenthes did not quite care about the names of lands these mortals claimed as theirs. It was possible he had been there and not know, and equally possible he had never stepped foot within the pride.
Persikka was disappointed with the reply, but also felt somewhat relieved that he no longer had any need to be in the vicinity of this creature. Of all the odd things about this lion’s appearance the long, jagged mouth made him uncomfortable, as well as the heavy silence that hung over them. He shifted uncomfortably before nodding. “Well, thank you anyways.” He said, a bit quickly, before backing up away from the strange lion. If he was lucky he could find someone else soon, if not, then at least he would be somewhere else. Persikka nodded again, not sure why, before making his way around the large lion under the tree. He forced himself to keep a steady pace, not wanting to seem rude or anything, but a quick glance backwards made the uncomfortable feeling continue. He was being stared at.
Further amusement came as the male shifted, looking quite uncomfortable in his presence. This only made the jagged grin spread back a bit further. Finally the male seemed to have enough. He excused himself and backed away before making his way around the two, clearly giving the god a wide berth. Golden eyes continued to stare after the lion as he walked away. Nepenthes’ interest quickly waned though, and he turned away, eyes staring lazily out to the horizons.
Persikka glanced back once again as he was further away, a bit relieved to see that he was no longer being stared at. The large male had turned his attention away and was now staring in the opposite direction. He didn’t know why he got such an odd feeling from the creature, but he was relieved to be getting some distance between the two of them.
[Word Count: 1035 ]
