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 Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 3:50 am
 Prosperity was finding its way in the Dhati as new faces alighted almost every other day--from all-too-eager old sacrifrices of the Mizimi, to new rogues, and... to the captured "prisoners", so to speak.
The dark lioness discovered that the King had been issuing orders for the Dhati to capture others to join in the case--what had surprised her was that some of those captures came from the Mizimu itself. It was surely nothing she herself advised or even hinted to the King. She now had to be optimistic that carrying out the captures was not going to be very damaging to the Dhati. While the lioness knew that power improved when numbers were stronger, it was weakened when some of those numbers were being forced to follow another. She could only hope that those who were ensnared into the Dhati through this means were not treated entirely like slaves.
But then again, since when did this matured female give a care for others who were of no importance?
She walked along the borders of the Dhati encampment again, on her usual round of thought. A dry afternoon was slowly but surely turning into evening, and the pale blue skies started vanishing for the entrance of the reds that introduced themselves at this particular time of day. Would the Queen seek her out tonight, again? She yawned, kicking an unusually large pebble in her way, and chuckled to herself. The Queen would only make herself look more desperate for companionship and someone to feed off of--to reassure her of her stance, if she had to summon the black lioness again. It was times like these that made her feel sure about herself, and her destiny...
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 4:05 am
Evening was approaching and Alizeti welcomed it with open arms after another long day of, well, nothing. It was all she could do to sit on the edges of the encampment (for if she ventured further one of the guards would escort her back) and meditate in an attempt to improve the quality of her spirit. Who knew, perhaps she was destined to be a Sacrifice and this was just a detour, already etched into her destiny. If she were to die in the rebellion, surely her sacrifice would aid the brave members of the Mizimu'Tungika as they protected their and her own homeland.
Eyes closed, a smile crept over her face at the thought of aiding her dear brother- she missed him so. And worse yet, her heart was still wrenched with questions concerning him; was it he, Majaliwa, her own brother who had told the Dhati of her whereabouts? Did he do it to protect her? The lioness could think of no other reason that he would resign her to this fate.
Liz's eyes snapped open as the gentle patter of nearby paws entered her ears.
'How strange, for anyone to be out near the borders at this time.'
Unless it was a guard of course, she reasoned. But no, these paw steps were different. They were not harsh and clumsy, but skillful and soft. A chuckle sounded nearby, even closer than the lioness had anticipated, but she said nothing and did not move from her perch.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 4:33 am
It would have been only too soon that something would destroy the dark lioness's concentration on her solo stroll. This was the exact reason why she stayed near the Dhati's territorial edges, combined with her distaste in socialization. She was very aware of the fact that scarcely anyone from the Dhati had regularly seen her, even though she had been a part of the group since near the beginning. There was not much she could offer to others except scolding if some were not on duty, or advice on how to improve one's work. It was easy to not have to associate herself with others, as her primary concern and attention towards the rebels was informing when she had Seen.
The golden pelt color immediately drew the black female's attention, and she stopped in her steps to watch the other. She was just sitting there idly, staring off as if she was lost and oblivious to all the workings around her.
"Warrior or hunter?" she called out forcefully, "You'd be best not standing around here like that."
And then she moved closer towards the other lioness, a firm look in her eyes. Then she realized something familiar about the other--she had seen her before, surely--but not just around the Dhati; she was new to the Dhati, that was for sure. But where..?
Her memory of the Mizimu clicked in--it seemed so long ago--and she recalled that this lioness had a sister and brother as well. She had not been one to linger around those less than royalty, but she had a good memory for those who proved themselves worthy of some sort of attention within the pride, and the trio of siblings had been one group that consistently proved their loyalty and skill while growing up in the Mizimu.
"You are a sacrifice from the Mizimu? I don't seem to recall your name. And there are two others like you." She didn't need her Sight to tell her that.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 4:58 am
Words failed the pampered lioness as she looked upon the figure of the older lioness- dark and foreboding, with the bones of animals draped over her- a true member of the Dhati. Alizeti recognized her too, from the Mizimu'Tungika, though her memory was unfortunately fuzzy. She could only gather that the dark lioness was special in some way- whether royalty, skill, or rank. Somehow, she could tell, this lioness was different.
Liz found herself strangely intimidated and taken aback by the opposite's stern voice. She knew well that all of the members of the Dhati had jobs, whether it was to train or to hunt, but as she was not truly a member she wasn't expected to aid in these ways- at least, not yet. Soon enough, she knew, something was bound to happen. Something had to happen.
However, at the mention of "two others" Liz felt her ears perk up. Standing, she looked adamantly at Malaika across from her, though her attempt at any kind of stoutness was defeated with the excited wriggling of her tail.
"I am, my name is Alizeti- you know of my brother and sister?"
Maybe... maybe this lioness knew something about her abduction- about Majaliwa! Hope fluttered in her chest, she was desperate to know if this was her brother's doing and this lioness, daunting as she was, could be the link Liz had been searching for.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:42 pm
The dark lioness had to sigh inwardly as the other female remained obnoxiously silent and dumb to her prior words and warning. Obviously, she had either been fed too much poison by the Mizimu to get used to the harsher reality of the Dhati, or she was simply confused by her place between the two groups, and wasn't sure of what to stand by, or do.
She finally got a response after, she assumed, mentioning the other's siblings, though it wasn't a reaction she expected. Alizeti was only proving herself to be more worthless and bothersome as a player in this conflict, and it was soon going to be only a matter of a few more words before the dark lioness was angered. But she didn't need any blood on her paws--at least, not yet.
"Alizeti sounds more familiar. And it was also... Majaliwa and Samehe? If I remember correctly, you were all from a good family, and royalty had nothing less than compliments to give when discussing you three. Tell me, what is one of the three doing out here, with the Dhati?"
Surely she had not slipped by the guards and gotten into the Dhati's region so easily; so she was either a new member or a capture from a recent recruit run. But neither made sense, remembering the honor that was usually associated with them in the Mizimu. Perhaps there were more anomalies that existed in the Dhati that she should take the time to focus on Seeing...
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:20 pm
It was easy enough for Alizeti to see that the lioness had no patience for what she assumed was her own ignorance- or, maybe she was just short with everyone; both were entirely plausible assumptions. However, Liz's ignorance was a hindrance on herself as well.
Again the dark lioness spoke, and the Sacrifice couldn't help but wince at the harshness she was not yet accustomed to. What little sense of urgency and stoutness she may have had prior to Malaika's reply was gone now since she had to focus to be able to hold such an air. She was now far too immersed in the lioness' words to pay attention to her stature. Not to mention that the opportunity to converse was something Liz hadn't had in days.
The mention of her siblings' names immediately lifted her mood which was obviously by her physical reaction. Ears perked up and eyes wide, she nodded vigorously to the ominous lioness, then spoke.
"Yes! That's them- my sister is here as well, though we- well, we haven't spoken much of late," she shrugged regrettably. "She's been busy I think..."
For Malaika's question, Liz furrowed her brows and glanced toward the ground in thought.
"I- well I'm not exactly sure why I'm here. To be honest I was hoping you might be able to tell me, but," she shook her head, "that was silly, how could you know?"
A sigh of disappointment left her lungs.
"I was taken from the border- 'for my protection'," she snorted. "It-" she stopped herself before expressing her concerns about her brother and the possibility that her containment was his doing. This lioness would not want to hear of her trivial thoughts anyway- after all, weren't they technically enemies?
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:32 pm
Noticing Alizeti's discomfort, the dark lioness supposed she could have snapped less and offered more patience, but it truly was a test for her. With every moment of passing with every unanswered question, she could feel time itself waste away, which did not suit the lioness at all.
It was amusing to see such a positive response out of the other, at least, and then surprising that she was actually more lost than she made herself out to be. It was more than a little surprising, actually, that the black female's eyes trailed off into the distance and she lost herself to the present to think.
There were two sisters without their brother, one of which is unsure of their position, and all of which were supposedly honored followers of the Mizimu. Either she was missing a player's hand here, or someone was beginning to do things that they should not... and if that thought process was correct, she had an inkling of who it was. But she couldn't be too sure, until she checked with her visions.
At Alizneti's puzzlement, the dark lioness offered, "I should know. But I don't, but that is something we both should find out one day. Why the Dhati were sent to capture those who would strongly oppose us, I do not know why, nor do I think it is a smart idea. We cannot have dissent amongst the dissenters. But I suppose now that you're here... You should make some use of yourself, hmm?"
She snorted herself at the predicament--the sacrifices were already protected highly in the Mizimu. If the Dhati were trying to convince her that she would be more protected here, she would find that they were sorely wrong. Unless the reasoning was to protect her from the beliefs that made her accept fate as a sacrificial offering, Alizneti was surely throwing herself in danger by joining the rebels.
"It?" she questioned, hoping that Alizneti had more light to shed on the situation than was already questioned, "Was there something you were thinking of? If you tell me, I can help you, if I am given a direction or specifics. You see, I have the ability to See what others cannot."
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:50 am
Though still not terribly comfortable around the bone-laden lioness, Alizeti began to feel more at ease talking and listening to her. Though hope had begun to accumulate within, her heart sank at the mention of making herself useful- not that she was lazy. Despite being a pampered Sacrifice, Alizeti was very willing to pull her own weight, but aiding the Dhati conflicted with her so much that she hadn't been able to grasp the resolve to do much at all in terms of usefulness.
Sitting back on her haunches the sandy lioness shifted her gaze to her paws.
"I know, you're right. It's just difficult- oh, but I don't expect you to feel sympathetic or anything," she chuckled. "Certainly not, this is just very strange for me. But- as long as I'm not hurting the Mizimu'Tungika in any way, I don't see why I couldn't learn some useful skill while I'm here..."
The lioness exhaled- as minuscule as it was, deciding to participate lifted a great deal of stress from her mind. It was not as if helping others was any harm to her pride- well, not directly anyway.
Upon learning that she was a Seer a wave of joy washed over her- ironically, this lioness was like a light in the dark in this confusing time. Since Malaika had insisted herself and was even offering to help, Liz felt confident in expressing her concerns to her.
"Well, you see... you know of my brother, who is still within the ranks of the Mizimu'Tungika. The day I was brought here, I had told him where I was going to be- only he knew. Since my capture, I can't help but feel doubt that this was coincidence. He is very devout to our pride and our family, so I can't imagine he would do something like that, unless... Unless he didn't want to see me di- I-I mean, be sacrificed."
She shook her head, brows furrowed in concentration.
"But that just doesn't make sense- you know that among our- my pride, being a Sacrifice is an honor. It's a good thing, so why would he...?"
Again she shook her bowed head, eyes shut tight with conflict.
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:52 am
An immediate shake of the head indicted that the dark lioness had not felt any grain of sadness for Alizeti's predicament at all. Growing up while learning of the cold realities that haunted her life made it very easy for the female to offer little compassion for anything. Even when her own mother had been slain, there was little remorse if any. It was sad to see, though, that the sacrifices were being treated less like normal lions and more like meat you would fatten and spoil until they were tender enough for the killing. Even royal sacrifices, she believed, were more aware of what cruelty the world could induce.
Upon hearing Alizeti's theory, the black Seer contemplated mindfully and shrugged off most of the tale--she had thought it'd be something better and more revealing. It had simply been a paranoia-filled speculative view, and she wasn't about to put her all in a senseless case. Though it couldn't hurt to be mindful of the remaining brother in the Mizimu...
She waved her paw at Alizeti, the dangling bracelet of fangs clacking sharply against each other at the sudden movement, and said, "If your brother had been consulting with the Dhati, I would have surely seen him. Unless there were more sinister forces in play, I do not think he knows you are here."
An eye raised with a slight curl of a smile at the other lioness's slip. Ah, so was one of the revered sacrifices beginning to show false belief in what had been true to her once? Perhaps it would be good to have someone like Alizeti on their side--someone who had once showed no signs of turning against their own to suddenly progress beyond blindly following.
"Yes," the dark lioness said flatly, "It is some type of honor. It is a fascinating thing, what the Mizimu feels the need to crop out of their ranks... Anyways, if you want to learn something useful, it's going to be difficult doing it out here, where no one's around."
She paused, giving the golden sacrifice a dirty look, "I hope I don't have to escort you back into the heart of the Dhati. I have better things to tend to than nursing a lost cub. Go and attach yourself to a hunter and learn their ways, or you could also feasibly make a good sparring er, partner for a warrior."
She was back to impatiently instructing again, growing weary that Alizeti had no further important information that would have been useful to have.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:46 am
Alizeti watched mindfully as the dark lioness waved a paw, and scowled at the bones that seemed to cackle as they bumped together- it would have been strangely compelling if she didn't loathe them so. She was beginning to sense that her first impression of Malaika was more accurate than the glorified version she'd created out of the hope that she could help; this lioness' insides matched her outsides. The tone of her voice and her body language spoke to Liz and it expressed complete disinterest- which was fine as she didn't expect anyone here to particularly relate to her or pity her or even associate with her, but it certainly didn't make her feel inclined to learn to be useful.
Malaika's final statement only increased the Sacrifice's growing irritation, but she forced a smile, as terribly fake and obviously annoyed as it was, and replied with a strained air of calmness.
"No, thank you. I can make my own way back to your encampment. I appreciate the offer though."
Maybe this lioness was trying to make her feel uncertain about the practice of sacrificing, perhaps this was part of an effort to have her support the Dhati.
Either way, Liz wasn't sure whether to be relieved or more confused that it was most likely not her brother that had sent her to the Dhati. If he hadn't, and they had just abducted her because she was a Sacrifice roaming the border, what was the point? The motive? Why could she not leave if a dissenter created animosity within their ranks? Were they afraid that she would tell the Mizimu'Tungika of the Dhati's existence and location?
With thoughts buzzing in her head, the lioness stood and gave Malaika a small bow out of respect before beginning to make her way back toward the Dhati's main grounds.
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