WC: 897
There was a voice in the distance,
It made him feel, longing.
There was a time when his siblings were altogether with his mother. They lived happily singing and dancing to their mother's beats. Now, they had all since grown up and moved out of the den, except one. Kei. The eldest of the litter had stayed back to help their mother. Without a proper father for them, they looked to the family friend. Tsukouru. The black and white lion that spoke to them stories of the greatest adventures one could ever see. He, was happy that Kei stayed behind to care for his mother. The only that didn't.... was his mother.
"Kei!" She called in to his part of the den. Walking the tunnel towards him.
He was more than asleep. He was apart of the dead for the moment. Dreaming....
There was black fur, he could smell her scent.
A lioness he had spoken to for many of nights now.
In the beginning, when he was just an adolescent, he would see glimpses and shadows of her but never a distinct markings. Nothing to give her away, the mystery behind this lioness of his dreams had begun to hunt him with no resolution.
But tonight, he was finally able to see a marking that would finally identify her. Her back.
Decorated with the marking of beautiful blue flames....
It was as if he had known her his whole life, he whispered secrets to her. His failed attempts at courting or his missed notes in his classes. Even the females that had tried to court him. This lioness was the only one he could tell about his undying secret though, that he was a seer. Even if she did not answer he felt at ease with her.
Sometimes they would stay in silence, other times she would speak in her incoherent languages and he would simply listen to her. Endlessly in a routine where he was so close, but yet so far. Was she real? He wondered that at times, but after so many years and no one ever fitting her voice or the way she felt, the truth was having accepted her to be a myth.
But tonight, he felt her almost pass through the cloudy threshold, and as soon as he saw her paw, he stood up and ran towards her- but he was yanked in to reality.
His breathing hastened and he was in near shock when he mother grabbed as his chest and brought him to life.
"Son."
"Mother-" He said with loss of breath.
"I told you- you need to get out and I hadn't seen you all day."
"I was practicing-"
"You weren't, you were sleeping. You have to get over this lioness. She will kill you in your sleep if you continue like this."
"It's -"
"It is. Now get out, and seek the stars and ocean for guidance. Let them heal you- and also- give you someplace to be then in this den. I am telling you, if I catch you sleeping here one more time-"
"You will miss me."
"Yes I will- No wait. Don't you sweet talk me boy."
Kei looked near saddened by her words as he lifted himself up.
"Son...." She put a paw against his back.
"I know these visions have been... getting to you, but you won't find her in these walls. You have to look beyond, and even if that means ...leaving the pride for a little while. See the world?" She pet his back endearingly. "I just worry about you.."
"I understand. I will find my way under the night sky tonight." Nudging his mother softly.
She took his paw.
"How was she..?"
"She was ok I think. I felt overwhelmed with her presence... I felt like I could almost touch her."
"I see."
He looked to his mother with saddened eyes. "She crossed over..."
"Crossed over?! Like.. death? Oh my- babe- I am-"
"No.. I meant the threshold.. Aftertime I saw her, it was always in a haze- and slowly the clouds have been dissipating in some places.. And now, I was able to glimpse at something.. maybe a marking or something? But all I know.. is that I could see a paw- come from the shadows.. What can I say. I was excited to see the only friend I've ever known..."
"Do you know what that means, son? Maybe is that she is close by or?"
"Not sure what it means... all I know is that I won't give up on her. So if I do leave, you'll know where I went."
Israfel was stricken, not knowing exactly what to say. She didn't understand what visions were like, all she knew how to do was try and be understanding.
"Maybe after the wedding. You know, I already put you and your sister in for a part of the entertainment piece for it. You wouldn't want to miss that, would you?"
He sighed and shook his head.
"Your sister has been practicing her highs. So I thought, why not have a duet with you. One last song for our people before you leave us. Also so I can pack you something nice." Giving him a wide, motherly smile.
He took his huge paws and pulled her in to a hug.
"I love you mother."
"I love you too, son."
There was a voice in the distance,
It made him feel, longing.
There was a time when his siblings were altogether with his mother. They lived happily singing and dancing to their mother's beats. Now, they had all since grown up and moved out of the den, except one. Kei. The eldest of the litter had stayed back to help their mother. Without a proper father for them, they looked to the family friend. Tsukouru. The black and white lion that spoke to them stories of the greatest adventures one could ever see. He, was happy that Kei stayed behind to care for his mother. The only that didn't.... was his mother.
"Kei!" She called in to his part of the den. Walking the tunnel towards him.
He was more than asleep. He was apart of the dead for the moment. Dreaming....
There was black fur, he could smell her scent.
A lioness he had spoken to for many of nights now.
In the beginning, when he was just an adolescent, he would see glimpses and shadows of her but never a distinct markings. Nothing to give her away, the mystery behind this lioness of his dreams had begun to hunt him with no resolution.
But tonight, he was finally able to see a marking that would finally identify her. Her back.
Decorated with the marking of beautiful blue flames....
It was as if he had known her his whole life, he whispered secrets to her. His failed attempts at courting or his missed notes in his classes. Even the females that had tried to court him. This lioness was the only one he could tell about his undying secret though, that he was a seer. Even if she did not answer he felt at ease with her.
Sometimes they would stay in silence, other times she would speak in her incoherent languages and he would simply listen to her. Endlessly in a routine where he was so close, but yet so far. Was she real? He wondered that at times, but after so many years and no one ever fitting her voice or the way she felt, the truth was having accepted her to be a myth.
But tonight, he felt her almost pass through the cloudy threshold, and as soon as he saw her paw, he stood up and ran towards her- but he was yanked in to reality.
His breathing hastened and he was in near shock when he mother grabbed as his chest and brought him to life.
"Son."
"Mother-" He said with loss of breath.
"I told you- you need to get out and I hadn't seen you all day."
"I was practicing-"
"You weren't, you were sleeping. You have to get over this lioness. She will kill you in your sleep if you continue like this."
"It's -"
"It is. Now get out, and seek the stars and ocean for guidance. Let them heal you- and also- give you someplace to be then in this den. I am telling you, if I catch you sleeping here one more time-"
"You will miss me."
"Yes I will- No wait. Don't you sweet talk me boy."
Kei looked near saddened by her words as he lifted himself up.
"Son...." She put a paw against his back.
"I know these visions have been... getting to you, but you won't find her in these walls. You have to look beyond, and even if that means ...leaving the pride for a little while. See the world?" She pet his back endearingly. "I just worry about you.."
"I understand. I will find my way under the night sky tonight." Nudging his mother softly.
She took his paw.
"How was she..?"
"She was ok I think. I felt overwhelmed with her presence... I felt like I could almost touch her."
"I see."
He looked to his mother with saddened eyes. "She crossed over..."
"Crossed over?! Like.. death? Oh my- babe- I am-"
"No.. I meant the threshold.. Aftertime I saw her, it was always in a haze- and slowly the clouds have been dissipating in some places.. And now, I was able to glimpse at something.. maybe a marking or something? But all I know.. is that I could see a paw- come from the shadows.. What can I say. I was excited to see the only friend I've ever known..."
"Do you know what that means, son? Maybe is that she is close by or?"
"Not sure what it means... all I know is that I won't give up on her. So if I do leave, you'll know where I went."
Israfel was stricken, not knowing exactly what to say. She didn't understand what visions were like, all she knew how to do was try and be understanding.
"Maybe after the wedding. You know, I already put you and your sister in for a part of the entertainment piece for it. You wouldn't want to miss that, would you?"
He sighed and shook his head.
"Your sister has been practicing her highs. So I thought, why not have a duet with you. One last song for our people before you leave us. Also so I can pack you something nice." Giving him a wide, motherly smile.
He took his huge paws and pulled her in to a hug.
"I love you mother."
"I love you too, son."
