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 Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:33 pm
 Well, this young cubling definately wasn't in Motomilia's original plans.
No indeed. Moto would much rather have no one in on her plans other than herself, and would have rather not brought anyone not of the Blood into Firekin territory, knowing that it would result in his or her enslavement.
But she had warned him, fair and square. And to be absolutely frank -- he might end up helping her, by giving her brother and King a new slave offering. She didn't seriously think he would drive her away -- Makadari might've, had he still been King. But her brother?
She didn't know him anymore, she realized. For being her siblings and kin... she didn't know any of them.
She drove her mind from these thoughts, though, and returned her attention upon Mpaji, the small yellow cub that walked along beside her. Saying nothing, she returned her turquoise eyes to the horizon. They were nearing the desert, she could tell already -- the air was dryer, the scent of scorching sands becoming apparent. And very faint was the stench of plague, and it made her shiver. The plague had passed, though; she'd still been around when her father and grandfather had fallen from it.
It was part of the reason the red-pelted young lioness had left, seeking shelter from the sickness in the unclaimed lands.
"We're nearly there."
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:45 pm
Why she still dwelt in the desert, Kwana couldn't be sure. Her brother's words had been clear. Exile was her only fate at this point. But...somehow, even after traveling to the very outskirts of the Firekin desert, she could not bear to take the final few steps into the bright, strange world beyond. It was there, hovering uncertainly between her past and future, that Kwana met the cheetah, Kimbio.
...He had chased her back into the desert, and followed her relentlessly since then.
Chased in the sense that he annoyed the freaking hell out of her. By the great goddess Finar-si, would he never shut up? The lioness paced stoicly forward, ear pinned back against her skull, tail lashing as she resisted the urge to simply tear the obnoxious cheetah to ribbons.
Kimbio, oblivious to her anger, trotted merrily along beside, keeping up a constant, one-sided chatter of conversation. That is, until another voice drifted across the sands from up ahead. A snarl from the lioness struck Kimnio into silence, and for a moment both simply paused in step: Kwana testing the air for hints as to the new arrival, Kimbio lagging warily behind her.
"My blood," the lioness finally murmured, looking briefly surprised, and still rather wary. She knew the scent, but she could not place the individual. It could be any of her kin. And, if it were all but two, the confrontation could prove nasty indeed. "Show yourself," she snapped, taking control of the situation.
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:14 pm
The young lioness halted a moment, testing the air with her nose, but the wind was against her and couldn't, from this distance, pick out an exact scent.
That voice, though, seemed somewhat familiar.
"Stay here," she ordered, suddenly almost violent. "If you want to live, that is."
Hoping against hope that Mpaji would remain as directed, she left him there, loping ahead, with the idea that speed (if not the death threat) might just discourage him from trying to follow.
She crossed a sand dune fairly quickly, and almost immediately came upon an almost exact mirror of herself.
"...Kwana?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:26 pm
"Motomilia," she breathed as the lioness crested the dune, eyes briefly widening in surprise. Kwana had not seen her sister since they were cubs, but it could be no other. Of all the chances...
After sending a blessing to the Goddess in thanks that it was not one of her brothers, Kwana, uncharacteristically, smiled. "It is good to see you again, Moto."
And then, in that split second, the good mood was gone. The lioness' eyes hardened into ice shards once more, smile fading to a grim frown. "You have finally decided to return to the pride, sister?"
A pause, as if expecting an answer, but she interrupted before one could be made. "A pity your timing was off. You had not the chance to bear witness to my exile."
Behind her, the cheetah sank down to sit on the sands, calmly and, surprisingly, quietly watching the proceedings.
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:50 pm
Motomilia's eyes flicked to the cheetah, but ignored the creature for now. Instead she gave her sister a warm smile in return. It had been a long time. "It is good to see you, as well, sister."
She took a breath to answer Kwana's question, but she was cut off. Her eyes widened in shock. "Exile?!
It hardly seemed possible. Not Kwana. "Kwana, in the name of Finar-si, what has happened to our pride?" Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her sadness, and yes, fear. One of her downfalls was that her face was a constant betrayal -- it always showed what she was thinking.
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:01 pm
"Quite...a bit," the lioness offered quietly. Sighing, she lifted her eyes to wander the dunes, a hint of sadness in permeating the icy blue and betraying her own sorrow at the pride's downfall.
"Our mother has gone, left. We know not to where, nor, after days of searching, were we able to find her. In her wake, Kimeti has ascended to the throne." Here she paused, eyes briefly hardening once more. "My throne. And I, in trying to reclaim it for myself, found myself under attack from Kavuasi as well."
She paused once more, shaking her head. "He and our sister returned on the day of our clash, and together he and Kimeti sent me away. I..pity that pride," she admitted quietly, sighing. "I pity Kimeti. But I have no desire to return to it if they do not want my help. The Firekin are fading, Moto... Our family will be their end."
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:06 pm
The younger sibling didn't know what to think. She'd simply assumed that because Kavuasi was gone, Kimeti, as the next-born male, would rise to be heir.
But she could also side with Kwana, as the first-born. She couldn't choose between her siblings! And to hear that Kinja was gone, as well... indeed, it seemed a very poor time to return to the Firekin.
"I'm sorry, Kwana," she said, sincerely. "What are you going to do?" And what do I do? her thoughts echoed. Could she return to a pride that was slowly falling into ruin?
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Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:49 pm
Mpaji glanced around worridly and extremely excited as well, to say the least. It was wonderful that they were almost there and Motomillia would show him everything about her birthplace, and tons of other adventerous things. He jumped up and down with excitment at this prospect, but then a harsh word came from Moto, she told him to stay put, and the glee vanished from his eyes.
He decided it best to say nothing, and to stay put, at least for now, but he kept track of where his 'guardian's' footprints had darted across the sand. He felt tired and scared to be left all alone as he was before, he had worked so hard in search of another lion and now it had left him, but she would be back he kept telling himself, she would be back to get him. How would he know when it was safe, what if she hurt them.
Eventually Mpaji's concern and curiousity got the best of him, as it near always did, and he stole across the sand, though he was very careful. His fur color matched its brown-golden surface, and he merged in quite nicely with these surroundings. So he slowly, but surely crept toward that dune, placing his feet carefully in Moto's footsteps, noting how much larger than his they were, and slipped his way up the duneside to the crest.
Needless to say he had sunk in extremely low, so low he almost came into a panick, but the conversationg of the two lionesses interested him, and he strained his ears forward to truly hear what they were saying instead of pieces parts. Perhaps Moto would notice him, send him a signal, maybe it was safe to come down? Mpaji didn't know quite yet.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:33 pm
((Sorry for the wait, y'all... e_e))
"I've no idea," the lioness replied honestly, shrugging. "I've been wandering the desert for days now, but I believe Kimeti is beginning to get suspicious. I will be leaving for good shortly, I suppose... Headed where, I do not know."
She could wander. Or, rather, she would wander. It wasn't as if she had any real destination. The desert had been her home as long as she could remember. Kwana knew next to nothing of the world beyond it. In fact, upon nearing the desert's edge, she had actually turned back in fear of the endless green spreading from its borders. Grass was terribly uncomfortable to walk on. She would rather take her chances in encountering one of her old pridemates.
As she began to continue, a passing breeze, so common over the dunes, sent an unfamiliar scent wafting past her nose. It smelled vaguely...like her sister, Kwana noted, as if it had been in her company. And yet... The lioness' eyes narrowed, icy gaze turning towards the scent. "Tell me, Moto, do you have a traveling partner?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:30 pm
((Not a problem, Moo-luff :3 Probably a good thing you didn't post over the weekend actually, as I spent it writing a paper... x__x)) Moto didn't have an answer for her sister, so for a moment she let the conversation pass into silence.
Then the breeze shifted, and Mpaji's scent came to her nostrils. She mentally groaned. Did the cub want to be turned to mincemeat? Her claws extended in frustration, making small indentions in the sand beneath her paws.
"Of a sort," she admitted. "I unintentionally picked him up near the Pridelands." She let a snarl grace her lips, snipping off the end of the last syllable. "If nothing else... I had thought that perhaps Kimeti would be pleased." It wasn't a lie, not really; it was simply that there was more to this train of thought. She had warned him, she repeated to herself.
"Mpaji." The word was louder and stronger, now; she didn't turn as she waited for the cub to grace the sisters with an appearance.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:54 pm
Mpaji flicked his ears forward, and then back again in horror. Moto sounded extremely angry. His muscles tesned, fear washing over him like a fast and furious voice, is blood turning to ice. He knew he should go forwards, but his stomach turned and he remained where he was. He didn't want to face whatever angry punishment Moto would give him, and what was more the icy stare that the other lioness gave him sent shivers down his spine.
Seeing he had no other choice he reluctantly forced his muscles to move, his eyes flicking away from the other lioness' hoping maybe she wouldn't notice him, though he already knew she had spotted him a long time ago. His feet dragged in the sand, kicking up dust, and it was suddenly apparent to him how small and fragile that he was. A slight wind caught the sand that he had sent into the air and prompty blew it back into his face causing him to stop and gag, choking on the sand as if it meant death. It stung his eyes, but not wanting to show weakness he broke inot a trot and was soon at Moto's side.
"I'm sorry lady Moto," he whispered, averting his eyes, and feeling like he had betrayed her in some way. He didn't know what to do and he sulked to the back of her, trying to complete shrink from existance, maybe the other lioness would ignore him and his apparent fault.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 8:32 pm
((My apologies for holding up the RP e_e))
"Ahh, a new pet," the lioness sneered. "Kimeti shall pleased indeed," she drawled, lip curling in disgust. That blasted excuse for a king--suck up with a new pet, and he'll allow a return without question. Especially for a sister... On that note, Kwana probably could have tried the same herself. But she wouldn't. Exile haunted her.
As a distraction, Kwana focused her attention on the cub as he approached, mood brightening somewhat at the youngster's behavior. Flashing a toothy grin, she nodded approvingly, glancing to her sister out of the corner of her eye. "I see you've got him well trained."
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Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 12:44 am
Motomilia hesitated a moment, surprised at the youngster's behaviour. Submission was not something he'd shown before, nor something Moto had taught him! But a glance at her sister's face showed a bitter, cruel lioness whose heart had turned to pure stone -- or who'd had no heart in the first place. She shivered inwardly, but outwardly maintained a look of cool indifference. No wonder Mpaji's attitude had changed in the blink of an eye. Moto wouldn't want that gaze turned on her.
A new wave of guilt invaded her mind but she ignored it. This is who the Motoujamii were, who she was by birth. And damn it all, she would be home again within the next seven-day, and have a place in the Blood next to her brother and sisters.
Whether Kwana spoke true or not, she would find out for herself.
It wasn't my doing. He came trained, she replied, with a leer down at the yellow cub.
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Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 4:23 pm
Mapji flicked his gaze towards Kwana for a mere second, trying to decipher something out of those cold indifferent eyes. Moto may not have scolded him, but this new lioness gave him the wrong kind of interest, a slave interest. Upendo'Mpaji wasn't the brightest cub in the world, he had never been taught much by others, but he knew what slaverly meant and he guessed that it would tie in quite nicely with pet. A glint of white caught his eye and he glanced up again, frozen, horrified by that malicious smile.
He couldn't take his gaze away from those teeth that could rip his soul away, yet he couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Moto simply corrected Kwana, little attention to the detail of what exactly he had done. Mpaji figured he should probably stray from that as well. He took a gulp of air and tried to remain brave, mustering up his confidence till at last he had some reason to speak.
"Kemeti won't like me," he spat out. "I only serve Moto. Lady Motomillia is strong and can survive without other lions. Kemeti is a coward! He hides and sits in darkness in his little kingdom. Lady Moto knows how to live alone, she is strong. Moto is true royalty, are you?" He kind of liked the finish to his short little speech. Whether or not the lioness answered him he rather did not care, but he could look into the eyes without dying of fright, which gave him some self-confidence. Mapji knew very well that he could be punished for such a ill-spoken and outspoken moment of defiance, and not by Moto, but by the lioness in front of him. He also knew that if they came across more than one of the tribe of the firekin that he would have to show his respect and keep quiet, playing the part of Moto's slave. He knew that he couldn't do that, and an opportunity to speak now he would have to take, for he might never be able to speak again. Motomillia had warned him, and he expected to heed that warning, but get as much out of the event as he could before he faced whatever future he had desperately flung before himself.
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Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 8:31 pm
"Oh did he?" The lioness lifted a brow, sparing her sister a cool glance before returning her attention to the youngster.
"An impudent little wretch!" she exclaimed following his outburst, though she seemed more amused than anything. Indeed, she chuckled softly, lowering her head to stare the cub in the eyes, teeth bared in a grin. "You've the right idea of my brother, little pet, but dare not make such assumptions towards me. Exile or not, I will not hesitate to deprive the King of his new toy." A lie, of course; even Kwana wouldn't attack an innocent cub. But intimidation was a key tool of the Firekin, and one the lioness frequently resorted to--especially in the face of a youngster.
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