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 Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:55 pm
 The young lion had given over being actively angry at Nebo for even suggesting that he go to some diseased pride. It was just too exhausting to walk, hunt, find water AND be angry at some random rogue. It was annoying that the older lion had believed he should go there, just because his name apparently meant "diseased", which in and of itself was an insult. Luckily, that was a status that this quest was supposed to fix, though Nagua had yet to actually figure out how it worked. He knew he was supposed to find his true name by taking this journey out of the pride. He simply had no idea where you found a name. So far his strategy consisted of walking as far as he could each day and hoping it would leap out in front of him. But physical needs usually took preference and his attention perked up as he saw a spot of thicker and brighter green, which indicated the presence of water. The adolescent had been trying to ignore the way his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth for some time now, and he dashed straight for the promised drink.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:02 pm
 The sound of running caused the purple leopard to look up from where he was sunning himself. A young lion - young enough that he was only about Susurro's size - was dashing towards the small spring in as if he were dying for a drink. Except that, of course, the leopard knew he wasn't dying at all. Not yet... Huh. Well, that was interesting. Susurro hated running into other creatures because he could See their deaths. It was only rarely that he could see anything else about their lives, and only when it involved more death. Intrigued by his vision, the leopard got to his feet and padded over. "You might try to drink more often," he advised the younger male.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:06 pm
The water was delicious, exactly what he'd tried to avoid fantasizing about lest he make himself even thirstier. Nagua had just managed to satisfy his dry throat when he heard an unexpected voice. The boy squeaked and turned as fast as he could to face the stranger.
The stranger who was...not a lion.
Nagua knew intellectually about leopards and cheetahs and other sorts, but it was more of a "don't you ever dare have children with one if you ever want to return to the Jini-msemi" knowledge. He'd seen shapes and silhouettes on his journey thus far that hadn't quite fit a lion, but this was the first time he'd actually met a non-lion up close and personal.
He had absolutely no idea what to say to the creature, and stood there, staring.
"Uh...I guess," the boy managed to say at last.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:09 pm
You'd think he'd never seen a leopard before. Well, it wouldn't be the first time he'd met such an...unworldly lion. But it wouldn't be tactful to mention that to the kid. And he was just that, not even an adult. Susurro was no stranger to children, and had met several on a personal basis, but from the state of this lion's coat, paws and thirst, the leopard was certain he was traveling on his own.
"Aren't you a bit young to be out journeying by yourself?" he pushed, seeing as he wasn't getting much of an intelligent response out of the lion.
One had to make some kind of conversation first if one didn't want to be attacked outright for saying what one Saw.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:11 pm
That did it. The implication that he wasn't old enough to be out here on his own brought Nagua's attention to focus and ignore the fact that this was a cheetah or leopard and not at all a lion. The boy growled slightly under his breath.
"I am not!" he replied hotly. "I am on my name quest, a pilgrimage to find my true name so that I can go home!"
And he would find it and it would be so much better than his birth name and no one, not even this not-lion could stop him from finding it! Not that this male (he was certain of that much, at least) was trying to stop him. At least, not yet.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:14 pm
Ah...youth. They were so easily manipulated into giving information away. Susurro had heard that some prides did this, sent youngsters out when they were of a minimum age to survive on their own as rogues to discover their true selves. It was an interesting custom, and healthy for the pride as it helped to thin bloodlines so that its children needn't be paranoid about the possibility of being related to a future mate.
On the flip side, he was sure that many of those sent out never returned, whether because they died, settled elsewhere, or had even stranger events occur.
But there was something the leopard truly disagreed with when it came to name quests.
"Are you so eager to rid yourself of the name you carry now?" he inquired mildly.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:17 pm
"Of course!" the adolescent returned angrily. Who was this not-lion, who thought he had a right to know this stuff anyway? Nobody Nagua had ever met, or asked for an analysis of his life.
"Who wants a name that means "diseased" anyway? I have to find a better name than Nagua!" he insisted. He didn't want anyone to think that he - shudder - belonged in a pride filled with sick lions. He'd had some nightmares about it, after meeting Nebo. That he was trapped and all the sick lions were dragging him down into a dark hole, spreading their illnesses with every touch...
Ugh. Not for him, not at all.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:21 pm
Purple eyes blinked slowly at this revelation. The boy's very name! Idly the leopard wondered if the mother was herself a Seer, to See what he had Seen. Still, the lion seemed totally against the idea. This would have to be done delicately.
"It seems to me," Susurro continued slowly, "that you can't truly take a new name until you understand what you're giving up. They say a name is the truest description of a person...and so how can you become someone else when you don't truly know who Nagua is?"
His gaze was steady as he willed the boy to answer, and answer honestly.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:23 pm
Nagua's yellow eyes narrowed as he glared at the offending nonlion. The stranger was telling him to keep his name until he knew who he was? That was stupid, he already knew who he was! The point was to become someone else of course!
"I know who I am!" he snapped angrily. "Why should some not-lion like yourself care anyway?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:28 pm
Susurro sighed inwardly. This was, sadly, going about as he would ahe expected, given the lion's apparent age. Still, he had to try.
"For the record, I am a leopard and my name is Susurro," he informed the youngester. They might as well have that be clear. Not that it would make a difference in the way this meeting was going.
"And I'm simply trying to help a young lion better understand how he as an individual relates to the world around him, so that he doesn't die prematurely. No more and no less," the leopard explained calmly.
"If you don't want to hear anymore, then I'll leave you be." And not inform the boy of what he'd Seen. The boy, grown to adult, surrounded by death and yet not touched by it. His eventual death as well, but not until that green mane had turned to silver from age.
With that being said, Susurro turned and left, leaving Nagua in full possession of the spring. From what he'd Seen, the boy was already well on his way to his destiny.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:30 pm
Fine, so he was a leopard. So what? It wasn't like knowing the stranger's species and name made any real difference to Nagua. He hadn't asked for Susurro's advice and he didn't need it either! So there!
He was very glad when the leopard left though. The adolescent was tempted to stick his tongue out at the retreating purple back, but thought better of it. After all, the older male hadn't been that rude or mean to him.
"Who is Nagua...hmph," he muttered to himself. It was a stupid question posed by a stupid nonlion. Nothing to worry about.
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