It didn't take long for him to navigate back to the watering hole from the week prior. Of course, the landscape had changed a bit between seasons. The dry season often had the watering holes much easier to find than during the wet season where patches of water would collect in any trench or hole. After a few hours, he spotted a cluster of tell-tale rocks. Some of his favorite lounging stones, arranged just so.
Smiling, he took a deep breath and began his decent. Tipping his right wing downwards and leaning just slightly into it, he began a slow, easy spiral downwards. As the land rushed up, he leveled his wings, flared his feathers, and beat downward, slowing his fall enough for his paws to stretch and catch the surface of the rock. A textbook landing. Perfect as always.
"Having a better day today?" came a pleasant female voice from somewhere near the rocks. Aminah had noticing the god in his landing and wandering from her cave towards that direction. "You look much more your usual self."
Rama took a deep breath and reached up his paw to brush the mane from his eyes. A graceful, practiced movement he was certain would melt a heart or two.
"Of course. I have found yet another follower to admire me... pledging their loyalty to me, only me. A lovely day indeed." He glanced over and quirked his lips. "And yourself?"
She smiled, "well that's good. Soon enough you'll have a whole following." the lioness told him, walking over to climb up on the rocks. "I am having an all right day. Just got back from a bit of hunting."
"Ah hunting... so sad that the mortals must dirty their paws in blood and dirt...so disgusting." he shuddered. Of course, looking for followers was his equivilant of hunting. Praise and worship was the food of the gods, and Rama was almost always starving for it. Not that egotism was in short supply, but he could never have enough of it.
"How has your search for a home gone?"
"Actually I found something some hyenas had left behind and just got a bite to eat off of that." she said with a shrug. "And I've yet to find one. I have a den still but no real home pride or any of that."
She was eating...leftovers?! With hyena slobber and...decay...
He shuddered, the fur rising up off his back a bit. What a disgusting thought...the mortals had it hard. Of course, that's what they got for being lesser beings. Not everyone could live in the sunlight.
"I see... well don't stop looking, you should find someone to at least bring you fresh kill. Slobber and flea free."
"I don't intend to stop looking." Aminah laughed, stretching out near him. "Anyway, what have you been up to, oh mighty one?" she asked with a huge yawn.
Mighty one. About time she realized it. He threw his chest out and lifted his chin. "Oh... just stretching my wings really. I figured I should stop by... see if you've found someone to keep you company yet."
"Nope. Just seen a few people now and then, but no one offering in particular. How about you, hm?"
"You cannot tie me down! What an injustice to the world... I am a free spirit, I fly wherever I please, gracing the mortals with my presense. It would be cruel, not only to me but to them to keep me settled. At least I visit."
He stepped a little closer and shrugged. "Perhaps... I was paying a visit to my favorite female follower? I've yet to blossom as a god fully but...perhaps I can offer another blessing?"
"Hey hey, I didn't imply you had to STAY." she pointed out, lounging a bit, but smiled a little at his comment, an indulgent smile that showed intrigue and amusement. "Oh, and what might that be, hm?"
"Well...", He shrugged and pulled his wings in close. "I have much to learn about being a god... my family is quite large you see...and I have my eyes on a particular pride that... values a large family. NOw, I'm not doubting my ability to father many but I am a perfectionist- I'd like to make sure that I carry my father's strong lineage."
"Aha. And you're interested in testing this out, hm?" she inquired lightly, still reclined but getting a better inkling of what he meant.
Were females always this oblivious? He fought to mask his dull, almost disappointed expression behind one of his more easygoing smiles. He laid himself down and leaned his cheek against the back of his paw. "Alright, I'll be frank. Would you like to be a mother? If it suits you perhaps I could set you up with someone to care for you- motherhood, afterall, is a blessing itself. I hear anyway. With my genes no doubt, but.."He shrugged, "That would be your decision."
She snorted, shaking her head at him, "Yes, actually I am." she told the younger male, flickng her tail against him a little, "And you need to learn when I am teasing you, young god, hm?"
He made a 'psh' sound under his breath and shifted his paws under him. Teasing. He knew she was teasing. He was just playing along. At least, that's what he'd tell himself. He'd not be caught dead being thought of as dense. Never.
"So you'd like to bear my cubs... interesting. I half expected a slap to the face."
"Nah, if it were someone else, maybe, but I'm used to your ways by this point, Rama." she replied, picking at one of her claws idly. "However, you will have to tell me just how much commitment you intend to put into the raising of your cubs. Do you purely want to see if you're capable of fathering a good solid line and leave their education and raising to me, or do you want more of a part in that?"
He waved a paw through the air. "I will be honest, I have no intention on spending a lot of time looking after mortal-born. There is some talk that those born between a mortal and one such as myself bear...abilities. Strange ones. Quite frankly I'm not sure how I would deal with that." He shuddered. They were known best as seers- different prides gave them other names, but it never changed what they were.
"I can...stop by on occassion I suppose."
"Mm so you really don't want any part of their raising apart from occasional visits. All right. Would any of your family?"
"No. Honestly no. My brother... he is a flake as you say. I never see him anymore. My sister is too busy with her own life- out with some male. I hope she's thought long and hard about her own gene pool. As for my older siblings..." He snorted. "Not likely....perhaps..."
He tipped his head to the side and tapped his chin with a claw. "Perhaps... I have a friend. He is a little young, just a few months younger than I- he will be needing a girl soon."
"Mhm. And your parents will want no part of their grandcubs' lives?"
Aminah nodded a bit when he came to talk of this friend. "Oh? Any particular reason?"
"Perhaps not the mortal grandcubs... you see we are not very trusting of... half gods. As I mentioned, they carry an ability that we do not posess. The nature of this ability is...very mysterious to us. It's one of those 'don't know, don't want to know' kind of things."
Concerning his friend he shrugged again. "Well he lives nearby. He is from a royal line, very good genes there. Their worth is based on the size of their family, their females, and the strength of their line. If you come in with your offspring, you show that you are not only fertile- but have good taste."
"Aha" Aminah agreed. She knew nothing of seers so that really didn't help her much, but if they didn't want to see their grandcubs that was all right with her. The lioness just didn't want any surprises."
"Well, that makes sense then." she agreed. Fertility was important in a pride where families were ranked. And she had wanted to have a large family. "All right then, are those all the terms we need to discuss?"
"You make this sound like a business proposal." He laughed, amused at the lioness' formality with such a simple affair. Afterall, for most it was a spontanious thing. He was simply curious to see just how well his father's genetics had carried into him. A large litter was surely a good sign, not to mention a boost to his own ego. Always welcome. And it kept him tied, somewhat, to the female.
"Well it is a long term proposal, business or not." she laughed, nodding. "You may be free afterwards but I'll have cubs to care for and raise. I need to know what all I'll be getting into."
"Well you will have a family, I can make the arrangements with my friend, though it may require a little waiting on your part. As I said, he goes on a rite of passage when he grows a little more into his mane. He will be young, but not too far behind you I imagine."
"A family is still a large responsability, help or not." Aminah pointed out but stretched a bit and smiled. "But yes, I believe things will work out nicely. I agree."
After a moment, the female smirked, "Do you even know how?" she teased him.
"Do I-" He huffed, indignant. Did he know how?! What kind of question was that?! Everyone his age knew how, call it instinct or having the ability to figure things out, it wasn't exactly hunting tactics. "Of course I know how!"
"Good." she said, standing and stretching, turning to walk towards her cave, "I wouldn't want to have to show you how it's done."
