Hundreds of years ago, when the first generation of lions laid claim to the whole of Africa, a young and beautiful girl, who was called Abha, gave birth to twins. They were fraternal; one boy and one girl, and opposite in both appearance and personality. Their differences were apparent from day one, and the children did not get along. Abha, who would never fully recover from her difficult labor, did everything that she could to raise them properly. She sensed that her time left on earth was limited, and she desperately wanted her children to care for one another; so that they would not be alone when she could no longer look after and protect them. It was important to her that her children learned how to survive together as partners, but a sudden illness stole the last remnants of her soul and whisked them off to the afterlife before she got a chance to see her dreams fulfilled.
At first, it looked like the death of their mother might have finally bound the children together. The female was called
Atmaja and colored like
fire. She was inclined to
wild and
impassioned behavior with an
unpredictable and seemingly
unrivaled temper. The male, who was called
Tama, was colored like the
sea. He was inclined to be
calm and
diplomatic;
intelligent, with an
unshakable sense of right and wrong. The twins were lost without their mother in a world that they new very little of. All they had was each other and, despite their differences, they clung to one another, because it was all that they knew how to do.
However, it was not long before new faces travelled to the lands of their birth. With them, these foreign faces brought new ideas and new feelings. The children were fully grown by now, and dangerously susceptible to the unfamiliar emotions that these strangers roused. They both delighted in the newcomers, but for entirely different reasons. Tama, who worshipped the
Goddess of Justice, was overjoyed when he met a couple of lions, close to his age, who shared his intellect and love for all things logical in the wold. Atmaja, who worshipped the
God of Chaos, revelled in new opportunity to play games and wreak havoc with lions of alike dispositions. Over time, the twins went their separate ways; as they were drawn, understandably, to those who held interests similar to their own. But, the mutual memory of Abha, their mother, whom they’d both loved with all their hearts, tied them to the lands of their birth. They refused to leave the lush and tropical valley that they’d called home for so long, and there started families of their own.
Years came and went. New generations were born, while older ones turned to dust. Still, the distant grandsons and granddaughters of Tama and Atmaja did not get along. Every lion was distinctly proud of their roots, and members of the opposing colonies openly despised one another. For decades upon decades, there was war. Countless lions died, in honor of their ancient relatives, and there was never any retribution from the slaughter. Never any rest.
One day an old seer in the House of Tama
foretold the coming of a savior, sent by a then unnamed god, to rescue the warring colonies from each other. Nobody knew when or how, but the lions in the House of Tama felt certain that their beloved Goddess (Justice) had finally given them a sign. With her help, the defeat of their ancient rivals was inevitable. They would be invincible. The lions of the sea and Justice saw wisdom in keeping this information private, as there was no way of knowing how the House of Atmaja would react. Until the prophecy was realized, there was no reason for anymore bloodshed. The lions of the House of Tama resolved to reinstate harmony.
Decades passed, and there was still no hint nor hair of the mysterious hero of legend. Mothers and fathers of the House of Tama whispered the old myth into the ears of their children, who passed it on to their children. The Children of Tama maintained their faith, but they could no longer avoid war. The lions of Chaos raged like fire at their borders and grew more vicious everyday. Their numbers dwindled precariously and so, the lions of the House of Tama were forced to fight back; competing forever for food and for land and for life.
Predictably, war calls for liaisons between forces. One afternoon (some say the sun was shining, others say that the clouds blotted out the sky) a fiery youth, who was named
Balavan, from the House of Atmaja spotted an older lady with an impressive kill. There was no doubt about where she’d come from. The blue tint to her otherwise white fur gave it away. He yearned desperately to satisfy both his hunger and his lust for battle, so he confronted her and demanded that she give up her meal or
else.
The lady bristled and stuck her nose in the air. He was larger than her, but she had far too much pride to let him, a lowly Child of Atmaja, order her around.
Their fight was impressive. Balavan was young and strong and passionate, while she was experienced and fast and determined. They were neck and neck the entire way; matched blow for mortal blow. In the end, reeling from pain and the loss of blood, the pair of them succumbed to exhaustion and slept. While they slumbered, the
God of Balance finally paid a long overdue visit, and murmured hope into their ears. When they woke, lion of fire and the lioness of the sea no longer regarded each other through narrowed, suspicious eyes. Alone, like they were, the rivalry between their colonies suddenly seemed less prominent.
Balavan blinked and told her his name.
“I am
Elina,” the lady blinked too. Then, they smiled, almost shyly, at one another and agreed to meet there again the next day.
It wasn’t something that they’d intended to happen. It went against everything they’d been taught, and everything that they knew. Yet, despite all of that, Elina and Balavan couldn’t help falling in love. They managed to keep their affair secret for many months but, when Elina conceived and gave birth to a son the color of fire, there were many questions asked. She did not deny the accusations of her colony and professed her feelings for Balavan before all. She was proud of everything that he was and determined to love him, no matter what it cost her.
Now, usually, the separate Houses did not share information. However, this situation was unlike anything they’d ever dealt with before. The Children of Tama sent one of their bravest, brightest warriors across the border in the middle of the valley to discuss the matter with the Atmaja.
It had been easier for Balavan to keep his affair with Elina a secret. When the Tama warrior arrived, however, the Atmaja were horrified by what he had to report. As far as they were concerned, Balavan was a traitor. He was sent into exile.
Except for the House of Tama, Balavan had nowhere but the strange world to go to, and Elina beseeched her people to let him stay with them. The Children of Tama were not of a cruel nature, and they sensed that there was good in Balavan. They allowed him to live with them, and Elina was free to raise her son, whom she’d named
Mahabala, as she saw fit.
Mahabala grew into the largest, bravest lion both the Tama and the Atmaja had ever seen. He was strong and he was fast. He was capable of dealing out some of the harshest punishments. Yet, he always exercised patience. With time, the Children of Chaos and the Children of Justice forgot the circumstances of Mahabala’s taboo conception. He was a lion that stood for everything both houses revered. He was a lion everyone could like and respect, because he embodied everything that both prides stood for.
Mahabala was
balance.
With the help of his mother and his father, Mahabala managed to unite the dual Houses, who had fought and bled for too long. They were all sick of death and welcomed the
peace that Mahalaba’s leadership promised them. With him at the head and the heart of both their colonies, the lions of the great valley became known as Ashnai’le, the united, and Mahalaba was gifted the title of
‘Shatkona,’
King of Balance.
At long last, the old seer's prophecy had been fulfilled.
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