Moto had left things in Enzi and Kaimel's paws for a few days...partly so her Chache'mwezi could get a feel for doing things without her help, and partly so she could make a journey she'd been meaning to make. Normally, she would have sent Mai. But Mai's cubs were reaching adolescence...and she wanted Mai to be around for that crucial time just before they could become Tarajali. Especially if any of Mai's cubs were fit to be among her Dunzi.
Moto had made the catious journey between the Antianeira lands and the lands of the vampires to see what it was that laid beyond. She'd seen the eerie, forested place in the distance before...and with the changes happening in the Aikanaro'hini, she needed to know if there were more places her people could find aid from, or run to. As much as she hated the latter idea, she knew there was a possibility of them being overpowered. And having somewhere to run to was always a good thing to have, whether one used it or not.
And so far...she was unsure of whether or not this place was a good one to run to. It was...odd. It wasn't quite as eerie up close as it was from afar. But there was something about it. She sat at the edge of the water, thinking.
Like a ghost he'd once been named for, Mle'tonoka krept through the trees. He'd spent so long listening to the sounds of the swamp, to the lions that lived there, that he knew the sound of someone who'd never been there before. He'd come here, so long ago, because it was a haven of sorts. It had all the water he'd loved swimming in as a cub, and thensome. Drought seemed a thing unheard of here. Sure, the trip had been painfully long - He'd run from his fair share of lions. But his journey had long ago ended.
With soft steps that made little noise, muffled by the dampness of everything, the white lion carefully climbed his way up a half-fallen tree. Orange eyes took in the lioness he found, unlike any he'd yet seen in the Jini lands. She almost looked... Firekin...
Moto shook her head, letting old memories disperse. She had always liked the water growing up. It had provided a safe haven for her from Hakuna'jina. She smiled slightly and stretched. Well...only one way to find out what sort of place this was. She needed to see if there were creatures here already.
She'd scented border markings...but with the way the area was, she couldn't tell if they were old or new. She was going to pad around the water's edge a little longer, to see what she found...But she felt eyes on her. She stopped her steps and looked about with orange-amber eyes. And blinked when she saw something white. Odd. In the half-light of this place, she would have thought him a ghost. 'Him', because females didn't have a mane. Or perhaps he was a ghost...Gods existed, after all. Why wouldn't ghosts? She sat again and called out.
"So...have I walked into the graveyard of a dead pride, or a place full of the living?"
The white lion couldn't help but smile. She was sharp - Very sharp! She knew he wasn't a ghost but a living lion. Should he...? The lion decided that he should. With practiced grace, he jumped down from the tree, padding over. "The living live here... And so do the spirits." They weren't called Spirit Talkers for nothing, after all. "And what might bring someone who looks like they belong in a desert to a place full of water...?" It was a curious thing to him, but a lot of things were.
As he got closer, Mle took note of the unusual-looking markings on the lioness. He'd never seen markings quite like that before, not even amid all the rogues that had joined the Jini.
Ah...she'd heard of places that believed in spirits. She wasn't one to argue that, since she believed in them herself, in a way. But it was likely her belief was different from his. "I have not been near the desert since I was barely an adolescent." She chuckled. "And I was never too fond of it anyways. It holds too many bad memories." It was...odd, seeing a grown lion that was smaller than her again. She'd grown so used to the size that tended to find itself within her pride.
"I'm from a pride a couple of days' travel from here. I thought...I might see what sort of place this was. If we could find allies or a place to run to here."
That was a long way for a lion to travel... Sitting down, the pale lion tilted his head. "If you seek allies, you may want to speak to Narindima'moyo, our current king. I am but a humble hunter for the pride." It wasn't too much of a rank, but it was a rank he enjoyed. It gave him a sort of freedom... "Why are you seeking allies, if I may ask? What pride do you come from that needs them...?" It was good to have allies, but he was still curious. What situation demanded it, that would put a lion in a position that they needed to find help?
Yes...it would make sense to speak with the king. She would have to see if this hunter would take her to him, after hearing the 'why'. If he didn't...well, she wouldn't hold it against him. If this was a peaceful place, the last thing she wanted was to destroy it.
"I come from the Mwako'bi'Giza. I am the...spiritual and non-combatant leader for it, the Mwezi. We started because there are those lions in this world who call themselves demons, and many of them seek to destroy and harm instead of live in harmony with others. My pride works to keep their largest concentration, a pride called the Aikanaro'hini, in one place...and to hunt down those outside of that pride." She sighed. "We try to get those who are not beyond the point of no return to see that they can live WITH others, instead of as their masters...Recently, something has happened within the Aikanaro'hini, and we have decided to be safe, rather than sorry. Our numbers are still less than theirs, and...well, we fear we may end up running, if they choose to come at us full force."
Mle listened to her words, nodding. "That sounds like a wise plan, on your part... Lions that enslave, that destroy, are not lions that should be out in the world. The swamps are safe, indeed, and a lion who knows not how to live here is a fool to come in here alone, or even in force, without having somebody to guide them through the channels and islands. It's a maze in here, and it keeps us safe." Rising to his paws, Mle looked towards the pridelands' center. "We are protected, too, by our Goddess, Mama Bwawa. Nobody would get past her to the pride."
Well...she hadn't been quite expecting that. Moto smiled slightly. "It does sound like a safe place." She looked around. "And there's a sort of...feel to it. It's not quite eerie, but it could be enough to make intruders think twice." She nodded. "If I weren't...well, me, I likely would have turned back." She chuckled. "It is nice to know there are some gods who do hold a vested interest in the well-being of mortals." Because so few seemed to really care...
"For all the fears I had as a cub, I set my paws down here... And never looked back." It was the best choice he'd made in his life, as far as homes went. "Does your pride not have any gods looking over it? Then you might be safe from the demons..."
Moto sighed, a bit sad. "We...have no god who watches over us. There are few gods who would, it seems. But we do give homage to two gods, Hunt and Karma, and we have the half-mortal children of a few gods among our number." She chuckled. "We even have a daughter of the God of Demons among us, who saw the Light long ago. She's one of the best healers in the pride."
"Why not seek out more gods? There may be others that might help you..." Mle thought on it, considering what gods he knew of. Not comparatively many, really. "A god of... Demon hunters, or... Angels. Saviors... Um..." He sighed, running out of things that there could be gods of. "Or seek to build your numbers... Find others willing to join your cause, go to every pride seeking help. There may even be those here the swamps willing to help fight the demons with you. There's untold numbers of adolescents going on their naming quests, this might help them find their true name."
"I...shall keep my eye out for gods that would be willing to aid us." She would need to mention this to Mai later. The lioness nodded. "I'll be able to do things like this more often soon enough. And...now that there aren't quite so many cubs in our numbers, we feel more confident sending others out to seek those who would join our cause, even in some small way." And on Midsummer, the hunts for those demons outside the Aikanaro'hini would begin. "I shall certainly speak with your king than, if he should choose to see me."
The white lion nodded, starting for the pride's center. "It's not easy to reach the pride, as I mentioned... Lions who've never been here don't know the way... It's easy to get lost, or stuck in a mud pit or quick sand bog." As if to prove his point, Mle tested a patch of ground with a paw. When it sank slightly, he withdrew it and jumped over. A glance back, and he then slipped into the waters of the swamp. "Please try not to get stuck, I'm afraid my puny stature makes it hard to pull others out..."
Moto slipped into the water behind him slight smile on her face. "I think I can follow well enough." She paddled around a bit, making sure she was still as good as she'd once been. Ah...good. She wasn't exactly graceful, but could certainly keep afloat with no trouble. "I loved swimming, when I was growing up. The water was a safe haven for me."
Paddling around as well, Mle smiled broadly. "Then we are of like minds, I love the water! In the home I lived in before here, until the pools of water dried up too much, I always swam. Here... I'm content and happy..." Swimming to one of many islands, he pulled himself out. "The pride's this way!" He stopped, then looked back. "Actually, I've forgotten my manners... I'm Mle'tonoka! I don't think I caught your name..."
Moto chuckled as she followed. "It is good to be content." She had been once, before her sister had found her again. She missed those days, when it had simply been her, Serithi, and the cubs. "Ah! I seem to have forgotten to give it, indeed." She pulled herself onto the island as well. "Moto'nyota. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mle'tonoka."
