Saidia had just managed to return to his normal schedule, after all the strange interruptions and visitors had thrown it all off for so long. It took him a few days just to put his life back into its normal order, but he was glad to return to his routine. It was just safer to remain in what he knew, and he did not want to deviate from it any more. If he could just stay on his own…
Life was so much easier when he was on his own, and there were no other creatures making things unpredictable. Unfortunately, that seemed to be an impossible dream these days, as even now he saw something strange making its way toward him. A large lioness with mighty, bat like wings on her back, though they were drooping toward the ground. She looked pained and tired, and he could see injuries on her.
He watched her for a long moment, torn between going to see if she was alright, and continuing his hunt. Why always during his hunt? He only had until the sun reached a certain point in the sky before he had to stop trying to catch food for the day and go back home, but he was really hungry and definitely wanted to complete the task before giving up.
But he was also, basically, a good guy. Whatever this female was, she needed help. He might not have been able to offer her any, but he at least had to try.
Sighing, he moved toward her, slowly, in case she was hostile or just in pain.
“Are you alright, miss?” He asked stiffly, looking her over again. She was the strangest lion he had ever seen, to say the least. But that did not make her undeserving of concern, even if he had no idea what he was walking into.
Afriti looked up at the male, looking him over. He seemed quiet and pathetic, harmless enough for her tastes and not interested in attacking her out right, at least. He had a handsome pelt and she liked his look, so she was not immediately hostile to him. She was so tired, she could hardly bring herself to care about him being there at all, and she really just wanted to walk by him without saying a single word. Mortals were so strange. Some of them were cruel, like her, and caused trouble for the sake of it, while others could not stop themselves from trying to fix every wrong. She imagined this one was more of the latter than the former, which was fine for her at the moment. She was too tired to start another fight, so soon. It had been a very rough few days, all told.
She just needed a break.
“I am fine, mortal,” she grumpled despondently, walking slowly by him without stopping or looking up at him again, “leave me be.”
Saidia considered her order, but the blood on her back was enough to make him follow after her, despite every instinct telling him to just leave and get back to his routine. Why was he so prone to deviating from the normal now? It was like now that he had a few tastes of it, not doing the usual thing WAS becoming the usual thing. That made his brain hurt just to try to think about, so he shook the thought from his mind and focused on padding after the female… whatever she was. He was calm enough not to ask her directly, though, thinking he either should know what she was or she would tell him.
If not, he would just have to settle for never knowing.
“You look bloody and tired. I have a den not far from here, near some water. You can rest and I can tend to your injuries, if you need.”
Afriti paused, looking at the mortal skeptically.
“Why would you want to do that? Help me, I mean. Do I not scare you, with this visage of mine? Or are you so dumb, you thought not to notice? I know mortals have a limited capacity for knowledge, but even you should be able to see that I am more than what you know. I am a Goddess, and not just any. I am Afriti, Goddess of Villainy. Not one, I think, you should be inviting into your home, out of pity.”
She growled at him and shook her head, turning her back to him and walking away. She expected him to leap on her and try to hurt her, as so many others had done since she came out this far into the rogue lands. What a miserable place this was! She was beginning to hate it out here, and wanted to go back home to her pride, which she was trying to take over, anyway. She thought to come out here to recruit some new members, but that had failed and she was left injured and limping her way back home. She could only fly short distances, and needed more strength before she would make it back home.
“But you’re hurt, Afriti,” Saidia said evenly, keeping to his point. He was not one to deviate, and since he could not stick to his routine he would at least stick to the thing that had distracted him from it. If he could not offer her any help, he would have wasted his hunting hours for nothing at all, and that would just leave him hungry and feeling useless.
He had to accomplish something today.
Afriti stopped again, looking at the stubborn male and sighing, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, alright. Show me to your den, then, and help me. I will remember the debt, though I cannot say if I will return this way to repay you. You have caught me on an amiable day, mortal, and for that you should be thankful.”
Saidia nodded his head obediently and moved to take the lead, walking slowly to show her to his den, so he could do as he said and help her tend to her injuries. He was going to have to reschedule his whole day now, but in the presence of a God… that did not seem like so big a deal.
Word Count: 1,046 in Google Docs
