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 Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:59 pm
Powerful, confident paws moved steadily along the burning sands. The bite of the searing heat was all too familiar and went relatively ignored. Those paws were made for the sands of the desert, for generations they'd soaked the golden dunes with the blood of lesser beasts, to include other lions. In his mind, or at least half of it, even lions had quite a division between them. Blood was everything. To thin it, to dilute it with the blood of weaker, lesser lines was unacceptable. Spitting on the name of the goddess herself and on the graves of all the firekin lords that had come before even Makadari himself. He had been a powerful ruler, there'd been enough slaves to keep the pride well-fed, there'd been order. Slaves in their place, fire kin in theirs. None of this cross-breeding nonsense...
Kui had been deceived. His son, his heir, had to die knowing that his bloodline had become thinned with the impure blood of the pridelanders. Perhaps even worse...a rogue. Kui had so much promise. He knew the laws of their kind, knew how to be a true firekin king. There was little to be done about it... the damnable offspring of the deceptive lioness had already left their mark on the once proud, pure firekin. Mixed blood everywhere, there were even those that defended the slaves. It left a foul taste in the lion's mouth.
In the back of the now shared mind, Mwali had grown faint. He'd struggled for quite a while for control, but he'd always been the weaker of the two. It was unfortunate that it was his blood that would have to be the last resort in reviving a once proud lineage. He'd see in time, perhaps he'd even stop his futile pleas as he saw what good it did to his pride. His true pride...the one he had abandoned. The coward.
Mwali came to the crest of a large dune and paused, taking in a long, deep breath of the hot air. It filled his lungs, burning through his throat, and sent a wave of power through his body. It was home, that air was part of every firekin, even beyond death.
His green eyes moved over the landscape slowly. The dunes were always shifting in the wind, but the path to their territory never changed. They navigated by the stars but it wasn't uncommon to travel through the day. To the older, more experienced of firekin it was almost a homing sense that brought them back from long hunts into the desert.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:07 am
Azachamorel loped steadily along the borders, sharp eyes taking in everything around her, not missing a single detail. This same skill that made her the deadly-efficient huntress she was served equally well when it came to patrolling the edges of the desert, ever on the watch for some rogue filth who'd forgotten what it was to fear the Firekin, quite possibly never even been taught. The very thought disgusted her almost as much as the idea that some Firekin themselves had not been properly taught; ever did the blaspheming yellow juvenile burn in her memory.
Filth was easier to teach than youth, though. All it took was a savage beating, and then they would flee, and others would learn of it from them. Aza bore scars already from dealing out such a lesson, and she would willingly earn more. If filth awaited her today, then she would face it! There was no fear in her heart, especially not of weaklings.
But it was no dirt-pelted rogue who awaited her today. There, on the crest of a dune! Fur like fire. Had another of the Blood found their way home?
Her loping strides gave way to a dead run, paws finding there way skillfully where an outsider might sink and fall, wear themselves out in a matter of minutes; but she hunted these sands, and running was nothing. As she surged towards the figure, she called out, "You! Name yourself, and quickly!"
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:06 pm
The lioness was soon spotted. She had no intention of hiding herself, nor did she have any need to. The red fur, the savage eyes, confidant stride- she was among his blood. A firekin lioness, perhaps the most savage of huntresses that stood on four paws. Rogues would have had every reason to fear such a meeting. Even the lionesses, most especially the lionesses in fact, were trained to deal out punishment to those that trespassed. Death by the claw or worse, slavery. Such was the fate of any who tested these sands.
Any, that was, accept those who belonged.
He opened his mouth, though stopped himself. Makadari was dead, even the lesser ranks would know that. There'd be no credit to a mad lion who believed himself to be a corpse. Even the reality of the situation wouldn't hold up with the firekin. He himself might have, no would have, dismissed the notion of a spirit haven taken a mortal's body.
Instead he answered, "Mwali! Son to the fallen lord of these lands. Second prince to that line."
His voice was deep and powerful. While Mwali was in fact a mental weakling, every other aspect was just as true to his roots as anything. If only he'd embrace that, he could make a decent enough firekin. Perhaps one day he might even redeem himself from the shame of his life away from his pride.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:39 pm
Mwali! Brother of Kiu, which made him uncle to Kimeti. Though Azachamorel had only vague memories of Kiu and none at all of Mwali, she knew the name, the bloodline. She'd have been a poor excuse for a Firekin if not.
Her approach slowed to a powerful trot, and she smiled toothily at her returning pridemember. It was a kind of smile that, though it had an edge of danger and daring to it, was nonetheless genuine. "I am Azachamorel," she offered, "Daughter of Xamach and Fiametta."
"Welcome home."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:33 pm
The lion offered a short nod in response to her welcome though his expression remained just as hard and cold as one might have expected from one of his line. His eyes were intense, blazing with a quiet rage. "It has been too long." He answered with a slow nod, "Far too long... There are rumors that the firekin have become soft...weak..." His nose wrinkled in saying that, nearly spitting out the words in the form of a snarl, "It will not go unpunished..."
He glanced back over to her, flicking his tail behind him, "Tell me what you know of such talk."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:50 pm
Aza bared her own teeth at the news of rumors, both because there were rumors (was that why rogues had become so willing to take their chances at the borders?) and ebcause she knew that there was truth behind them. It was nothing short of disgusting, shameful.
"Not all," she began, finding it necessary to reinforce that there were those like her still left - perhaps many, even. "But some, as disgraceful as it is."
"Kimeti's own heir was banished some time ago, for speaking treason and lying with a slave." The huntress' expression twisted in disgust. "And I'm afraid even some of the youth have been tainted. I heard one speak such blasphemy as I have ever known."
"It is not so with all, however - most I have spoken with show promise, strength and pride. Still...it does not make up for the taint."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:32 pm
"Kimeti...", Mwali snarled, his teeth viably bearing as he growled out the name, "Then it is still a secret then..." He glanced past the lioness into the desert, "The taint over the pride very well may be larger than any care to acknowledge..."
Inside, Mwali's true mind pleaded with Makadari, struggling and fighting for control once more. He'd been told the lioness' secret shortly after Kui's death. The night he decided to flee from his own pride with a small handful of the slaves. A shameful act that had, no doubt, stained the firekin.
The inner struggle was only visible through a small flash in the lion's eyes, from a stern look to an almost desperate one, then back to the angry, almost disgusted glare. "Kimeti himself is only half firekin."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:44 pm
Azachamorel was startled - horrified! - as she never had been before at the revelation. The very King of the Blood was not pure?! It shook the huntress' very world. Perhaps it was no wonder his son had turned traitor.
"How do you know this?" she demanded. She would be a fool, after all, to believe everything everyone said.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:00 pm
He growled, stepping a bit closer to growl right into her ear, "I heard it from the lips of the very traitor who betrayed Kui... she was a pridelande lioness... a huntress. Hardly that."
Mwali's hold on his mind slowly fell back away again, he'd promised to die with that secret. "I do not think even Kimeti himself knows of this treachery... but it has weakened the bloodline. The few firekin I have encountered are smaller... weaker..." His maw curled back into a snarl a bit, "Impure..."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:28 pm
No! Being only half-Firekin was terrible enough, but for the other half to be Pridelander? The only thing worse would be Mistweaver blood! It disgusted her, angered her beyond belief that she had been deceived - that they had all been deceived! Even the half-bloods themselves.
Rage growled in her voice, trembled in her flexing claws. "Only that bloodline - some of us are pure still."
She was thankful, now, that she was mother to no cubs, despite the longing that had taken hold of her in the time she'd spent healing from her scrap with the rogue family. Finar-si forbid that she might have born impure cubs! And then learned the truth of them...it was nothing short of horrifying.
"This cannot remain a secret," she said, licking her lips. But would the pride survive it?
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:45 pm
"No." He agreed firmly, "Too long has this pride been led astray...however..." He wrinkled up his nose and glanced back towards the horizon line, just past his line of sight would be his old homeland. With his death and his son's crimes there'd be no welcome for him there. "Unfortunately, I do not believe they will acknowledge the fact as the truth. They're already obviously leading themselves in the dark, and quite content to do so."
He took a few steps forward, "Nor do I believe my return will be a welcome one. It will likely be seen as a challenge."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:03 pm
A challenge...he was right. What else could it look like, the current king's uncle returning out of the blue and claiming that his nephew wasn't truly Blood? He had only his words, no proof. Kimeti and his family looked nothing but Firekin, Kiu was dead, Kinja was gone.
Did Aza believe him? She wasn't completely sure. Oh, she was a traditionalist to the core, and it was one of pure royal line who now spoke to her, but...Kimeti had been a good king. There was nothing that might make someone suspect he wasn't all that he seemed. Perhaps, in him, Finar-si's blood had run strong enough to overpower the outside taint, but clearly hat had not been the case with his heir. And who was to say more weakness might not reveal itself with successive generations?
No. If Mwali's words were true, and there was infection in the pride, it would have to be cut out, for the sake of the future. But how to know if it was true, for certain?
"You're right," she said slowly, mulling over her thoughts before looking up sharply. "Have you come to challenge?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:19 pm
Mwali's ears slowly rolled back into the thick mane though that was the only response he gave for the moment. He could make a challenge, yes, he had no doubt that it would be a good fight. Especially against one that had flawed blood. A lack of discipline. However, in his case there was a complication.
"I left the pride." He said simply, again he almost sounded sick to be saying those words. -He- didn't leave the pride, Mwali did. He would never turn his back on the pride. Mwali had some reasoning behind it, but none of it was good. To find a mate? There were plenty of willing lionesses in the pride. To have his own life? He was a prince, he had a life and a good one. An obligation to the pride. No chance to rule? Well no one saw the illness coming...if Mwali had stayed and mated with who he was supposed to this entire mess could have been avoided.
He was loyal to Koho...Makadari could hear his son's protests from the back of his mind. Yes, loyalty... he was a fine one to speak of that. Perhaps this would teach him to defy his true purpose. "In returning I would be subject to the wrath of the entire pride, not just their tainted king. While I have no doubt that I could overcome such a flawed beast, I cannot fight an entire pride on my own. I am no fool."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:32 pm
"Many who left have returned and been accepted," she said after a moment, "Myself included." Aza was not ashamed, for though the sickness had driven her mad for a time, she had overcome it, and eventually found her way back home.
"But it's true, there's no telling what the pride would do. Perhaps your claim and challenge would be respected, but perhaps not. And unfortunately, the only way of finding out would be the hard way." That Mwali didn't intend to make an attempt at the throne went some way towardds making the secret he'd revealed more believable. What good would it do to undermine someone, after all, if you didn't intend to follow through?
"Why is it that you've returned, then?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:42 pm
He chuckled a bit, "Well if that's the case then perhaps there's less to worry about... the pride's grown a bit soft. No offense to lions like yourself and I of course, if we'd not left that illness would have put our lineage in the graves as well."
So there were old members of the pride? That was interesting enough. Even more interesting was that it seemed they were growing more lenient with their laws as well. "In my time, returning after having abandoned the pride would have meant my..." He caught himself quickly, "My father's judgment. Either way, if I were to claim what I have told you, how many do you think would believe it?" He quirked a brow, "Most importantly...how many would try to silence me for what I know? Afterall... Kimeti is among them. As are all his offspring and siblings."
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