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 Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:02 pm
Still, he couldn’t do much now. Zebadie was rather large now which meant he couldn’t play with her and Palahala had warned him not to call her fat – which she was. Deciding to wander off on his own, which was his habit, he went off to leave the herd and travel for a time. He had only recently managed to find a pair of sticks and a abandoned piece of fabric and had manufactured his own horns. He wanted to fit the part for his newest siblings and also to be like Palahala. It was unfair he didn’t have horns, but he made due.
Proud of himself, he wanted the grass, looking to see if he could practice jumping on his own. He was getting rather good at it though he could never spring up as much as the other klipspringers.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:34 pm
He wasn't making much effort to conceal himself as he walked along, he knew he wasn't close enough to need to hide himself yet. There wasn't much of anything in the immediate vicinity that he could see, besides. Which was good, he wouldn't be distracted from his game. He had no idea there was another god nearby.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:43 pm
Khuluma wasn’t very good at sensing gods either. It had been one of those traits that he either didn’t have or he didn’t practice enough to be good at. Already distracted, he did as he was instructed by his mentors, Zebadie and Palahala, spacing his legs and then pushing off to get the height needed for the jumps that would lead him to soar as beautifully and high as if he never needed wings at all (though it did help to coast long distances).
Adjusting his headband, he wiggled his behind in the air and pushed off, sailing up and then landing down before landing and springing back up. Like a pebble jumping on the water’s surface, he bounded several times before he slowed down. It was still hard to get the impact he needed, lion legs (even a god’s legs) being no way similar to a klipspringers. Well, aside from Palahala, and while Khuluma could make some horns for himself, he could not make a new pair of legs.
Again, he leaped in the air, flapping his wings, before he proceeding in the bounce he was aiming for. The grass was high and he was glad for the coverage and the soft landing, as he dove up above the grass that tickled his stomach, and then down into the deep grass like a fish leaping in and out of the water. He started to laugh, something the cub, while chipper, hardly did. The tall grass tickled and the whip of air against his face was energizing. Higher, higher, he bounced about, cupping his legs in and then out like he saw the other prey beast do before. Unfortunately for him, the prey beast did not warn him that he should look where he leap, and while he was landing, he looked down in time to see a tan shape moving in the depths of the grass. Flapping his wings hard, he tried to keep himself form falling, but momentum and bad timing resulting in him landing on the older creature’s back.
Sprawled, he suddenly felt dizzy and lights danced about his eyes.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 1:16 pm
Uhaijizi was not aware of the other god's presence immediately, but after the first leap he knew he was not alone. He didn't get a good enough look in the direction of the disturbance to know what it was but he was able to track where it was going. Curious, he walked closer-- and made the mistake of stopping when he head the rustling again. He was surprised by what he saw leaping out, and instead of moving out of the way he braced himself for when the smaller god landed on him.
His wings struggled beneath the weight of the smaller god, then he sat down so Khuluma would slide onto the ground. It was gentler than he could have been about a random god landing on his back.
"You should watch where you're going," he commented, eying the 'horns' on his head and wondering about the bouncing around. He was used to seeing prey do such things, and Palahala.. but was it more common than he thought? And those sticks..
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 1:47 pm
Khuluma flopped off the god’s back onto his own, eyes rolling in his head as his wings sprawled out. Paws curled in, he waited for the world to stop spinning before he shook his head. A voice! He hit someone, and looking up at the sky between the high grass, he noticed something moving. Wings?
Turning his head, he looked over to see a long, tan back with a tuff of fur. On the back were a pair of large, fluffy gray wings. God! It was another God! Turning on his side, he scrambled to his feet before shaking himself off and arranging his hair, and his headband, before looking up. “I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there and - I’m not very good at jumping yet. I’m still practicing, and hadn’t noticed anyone in the grass.” He was touching his horns, letting his paws move up the branches to see if they were okay. Good. No broken horns. Dropping his paws, he moved about. It was VERY improper to talk to someone’s back. As he moved, he let his eyes move around the god. He looked golden tan, and as he moved, he saw a rather scary skull tied to his neck. Why would ANYONE wear that?! Continuing, he let his eyes trail up to a young face, no horns, with sharp teeth.
“I’m sorry.” He repeated again, now that he was before the god, looking up at him with wide eyes. He was always taken in by every god or goddess he met. Each one was a new opportunity at friendship, at new discussions, and maybe, in the back of his mind, a connection to family. “Is there anything I can do for you? You’re not hurt, are you?” The god didn’t seem to be, as he stood firm and with a sense of inner strength as he sat there, appearing unfazed by all of this. “Oh, I’m Khuluma, God of Rhetoric. Normally I didn't mean to land on you.” His little cub face showed only concern and a little bit of embarrassment.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 1:57 pm
Once the cub was off of him, he got back to his feet and stood up again. He smiled toothily at the little god before him as he apologized and asked if he was OK. He shrugged, not concerned with how he had been jumped on-- he was used to rough games, he'd even always been the one to initiate them.
"I'm fine," he assured the younger god, making a face at the introduction, "Rhetoric? What exactly is that?" Uhai overlooked a return introduction for the moment as he hoped to get an answer to what exactly it was that this little one was. Perhaps there was some reason that he was wearing fake horns and bouncing around.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 2:17 pm
Khuluma had to shuffle to flatten the grass back so he could sit, pushing on it with his paws to spray out the long grass before he made a small patch to sit on, looking up at the other god. It wasn’t the first time someone was confused as to what his domain was. If you didn’t practice, you hardly knew what it was. “Rhetoric is when you talk before many people clearly and well. It’s when you want to say something and telling everyone what you think in a way that you hope will make them agree. You have to be clear, convincing, and strong in your speach. That’s what it’s all about!” Even the cub knew, at this young age, what Rhretoric was. It was ingrained in him to know what it was, but as to what his purpose was, he still did not know. Right now, he was learning still what it meant to be a god and was figuring out what it also meant to be a god of Rhetoric. It was hard for him to think so far off, but he knew it was something he was told to think about.
Wondering if the other god was shy, he decided to ask."What’s your name?
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 7:00 pm
Uhai stared at the younger god blankly when he described what he was, what rhetoric was. It didn't sound like something that very obviously and clearly needed a god, but then he wasn't in charge of that kind of thing so he didn't need to know how everything fit together. It was certainly very interesting, though!
"That's very interesting," he offered in a friendly tone, deciding it was worth saying. His grin returned when he was asked his name, his head lifted and he tossed his small mane a bit, "I'm Uhaijizi, god of predators." It was evident in the way he spoke that he was quite proud of himself.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:12 pm
Khuluma eyes grew wide, and a wide smile grew on his face. He had to step back and look Uhaijizi over up and down once more with a few, more though gaze. The colors didn’t even match. Palahala was a dark brown and his brother looked nothing like him. He didn’t even have horns!
“You’re --- You’re Palahala’s brother?! I – I can’t believe I’m meeting you! You look nothing like him! Your fur is lighter and your paws! They aren’t hooves at all. You don’t even have horns. Why, your wings are even the same! I thought you’d look just like him!” Khuluma could hardly contain his excitement. He had yet to meet anyone related to another god, and especially not a sibling to Palahala. It was just amazing, and all his thoughts of siblings were changed by seeing Uhaijizi. Khuluma could have met his brother or sister and not even know it if they looked this far apart from each other!
I know your brother. I talk to him ALL the time. I’m part of his herd! ” He said with a puff of pride similar to how Uhaijizi did when announcing his own domain. “It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:46 pm
"Well, I like to think of him as my brother," Uhai responded when very suddenly the younger god indicated that he knew of him through his brother, though part of him doubted his word play would matter. He raised a brow and looked to each part of his body as Khuluma commented on how different it was compared to Palahala: his fur, his feet, his lack of horns and his wings. The idea of looking just like Pala was laughable to Uhai, but he knew the differences between him and Pala were designed specially for them, each because of the other. Unlike the confusing topic of rhetoric, this was something he came to understand easily through his time spent playing and practicing.
He was ready to speak up when suddenly Khuluma said he was part of Pala's herd.
"You're what?" he asked, his eyes going to the sticks on Khuluma's head as he realized this had to be their explanation, "He actually convinced a lion to join his ridiculous herd?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:56 pm
The tone of voice and the use of “ridiculous” made Khuluma step back. It seemed that Predators wasn’t for him being with Prey, but he had to wonder why. They were brothers after all, and he felt that that meant that he would at least support his brother having more friends, more family, to help protect him. No brother would ever want the other to die, right? Safety and security, that’s what a herd was all about.
When Uhaijizi looked at his horned, Marius also looked up, and suddenly felt he shouldn’t have worn them at all. Was it bad he had them? Frowning, he looked back at Uhaijizi with a look of caution and confusion. “It’s not ridiculous. The herd protects each other and it’s a big family that looks out for one another. Palahala took me in and is teaching me lots of things I don’t know about yet. I’ve learned that the herd moves, travels to greener grass because the world cannot always keep the world green, and you must be brave to lead a herd. I don’t find that ridiculous at all. Your brother is very nice to me, and I’m going to be playing with some new klipspringers soon!” Khuluma didn’t have any friends outside of the herds aside from other gods, but he hadn’t seen any of the other gods and goddesses he knew, so Uhaijzi was the first one he told. He was very excited to tell someone, since he wanted to shout it to the world.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:23 pm
He'd struck a nerve, he could see it. Or perhaps full, immediate explanations were just part of being the god of rhetoric. Either way, Uhai managed to be respectful enough to let Khuluma finish his little speech without interruption. Uhaijizi did not like Palahala's herd, but he never did anything about that. It just seemed so impossible that a lion, a predator, had been convinced by it.
"It's brave to lead a herd when you're an actual herd," he responded, almost lost for words and jumping on one ridiculous comment, "When you're not hiding from life and death behind an idiot."
Now Uhai sat down, staring at Khuluma with a serious, almost puzzled expression.
"You're a predator," he said simply, trying to find a way to explain it that made sense. He knew gods didn't need to eat the same way mortals did, but surely it had to give some insight into why things were the way they were, "Friends are one thing but a part of the herd?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:39 pm
Khuluma sat, placing his paws against his chest as he played with his hair nervously, stroking it with his paws as he looked up at Uhai. He was using a tone that made it sound as if he had done something bad, and he suddenly felt as if he should be ashamed or was about to get in trouble. He didn’t see what was wrong with being with Palahala. The god was nice to him, kept him warm at night, and made him feel very welcomed. It was more than Khuluma had had, and he liked being part of a group. He could leave whenever he felt, as he often did, but he could always come back and know that there was a soft spot against the god’s side where he could sleep for the night.
“Predator? But…I don’t eat. Palahala said so, and he’s not an idiot at all. He’s very smart, treats me very kindly, and even holds me across rivers when they’re too deep. Of course Palahala would be my friend, and the herd too. Why…why wouldn’t I want to be part of the herd? ” He didn’t find company very silly at all. Palahala made him warm inside, and he could always pretend that the herd was his family. They all tolerated him now, and were no longer afraid of him. He liked being able to sit in the field as all the klipspringers grazed and just nap in the sun while they moved about, skipping about and sleeping in clusters. They never slept against him, but at least were a little ways off to feel a bit close.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:00 pm
OK, Khuluma had him there. Technically eating was an important part of being a predator, but he was still a lion. He had sharp teeth, sharp claws and sharp eyes. He likely had good hearing and sense of smell. He had plenty of hair and didn't have to be terribly worried about the fact he was a rather bright color.
"Pala is nice enough but," he said, shaking his head, feeling the pressure of needing to speak well before the god of rhetoric, "You're a lion. You have sharp teeth and claws, if you did choose to eat you wouldn't find anything your friends eat very appealing or very easy." Uhai paused in his explanation, wondering if it was worth arguing with a cub about any of this. Were his reasons too complex for someone so young and so far from the subject?
"Predators need prey to survive, and as much as Palahala likes to ignore it, prey need predators too," he said, deciding to go for the facts and explanations only as they were needed.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:12 pm
He paused in nervously combing his hair to look at his paws, flexing them and pulling out the tiny claws that he used to comb with. He had had times where he was anxious to use them, flexing them into the dirt or soft grass, and sometimes reaching up to chew on Palahala’s ear. He always felt anxious to play, but the other klipspringers did not play as he did. They jumped and butted heads. He tried, but he didn’t have horns, and his head usually stung afterwards that he left them alone. Palahala was the only one he could play with, and even then he didn’t rough around with him. He didn’t think his friend would like it. He was for not harming others, and he didn’t want to disappointed the Prey god.
“ I tried to eat grass once, but it tasted bad. But..I think it was because I wasn’t suppose to eat. I did meet a Goddess of Femininity, who liked to hunt. She said is was the most thrilling thing in the world, but I don’t think killing anything would be right.” Khuluma didn’t think that seeing anyone from his herd dead would be something he would be for. Mortals were so fragile and easy to disappear. Eaten, hurt, or suffering from old age. He’d seen this all in the herd. Some of them wandered off and he never saw them again.
At the part of Prey needing Predators, he looked up. “They need them? How do Predators need Prey? I thought that if a animal killed them all, they would be gone for good. How does that help?!” He looked confused, but he still continued to flex his small claws in and out.
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