|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 4:48 am
 Okay, no more distractions. No more females to follow around, even if they were nice and helped him hunt. Even if they were very nice to him. He had to get home already, wherever home was. He missed his friends, the ability to ask a Scryer or Haruspex about confusing things, being close to the Spirits, being fed...
Blota just wanted to get back to the Mizimu'Tungika and settle down far from any adventure. Most likely not as a honoured sacrifice anymore, he had to admit to himself. He had left, not willingly, but he had still left the lands, and he had been on the road for far too long now. A Sacrifice should never leave, it was dangerous! He remembered incidents from when he was younger, a sacrifice who had done things she shouldn't. He couldn't remember the extent of her punishment, but he did remember that she was a follower the last time he saw her.
The small forested area he travelled through reminded him of the jungle bordering his home, but he wasn't sure if it was in any way connected to it. The sun was setting, but he kept going since it was in some ways easier to travel at night. He had just started to wonder if there might be anything worth hunting among the trees when a sudden noise scared every living thing away."Danger" a shrill voice called from a tree above, "Lionlionlionlion!"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 5:00 am
 Had she been capable of sticking her tongue out to taunt the large predator, Viverri would have. She felt very confident up in her tree, and if the big oaf decided to climb it she had at least five different excape routes that would take her higher in this tree or over to another tree, while a heavy lion would just fall if he tried to climb those same branches.
"Liiioooon," she called in a sing-song voice, just in case anyone had missed her previous call. She had already hunted tonight so she had no problem with scaring away any remaining prey in the area. Small animals had to stick together against the bigger ones. And the even smaller ones... Well... They were food and better off in her belly than eaten by someone larger.
"Too bright," she chirped, just to rub it in, "Too bright for food."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 5:29 am
Blota glared up at the small annoying creature, perched safely out of reach on a branch above. It was small enough to be food, but currently way out of his reach. And it had probably scared away any other prey worth hunting. He huffed, telling himself he hadn't been that hungry anyway... And to emphasize that he truly didn't care he sat down under the tree and started grooming himself.
"I'm supposed to be bright," he growled, "My spirit is bright, but how could a spiritless creature understand that?"
He didn't know why he was even trying to communicate with this creature. It didn't have a soul, and it didn't even seem very intelligent at all. Spiritless cheetahs and leopards could at least be of some use in a pride, but smaller animals like this and pests like dogs and hyenas were just a waste of space. He wondered why the Spirits wanted them to be around at all. Perhaps for lions to eat, or for some other mysterious reason, and there was no one he could ask about it. He truly was lost without guidance in the ways of the Spirits. A sigh escaped his lips, and he gave the brown animal another glare.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:00 am
Viverri cocked her head at the lions outburst. His talk about spirits made little sense to her, but his tone of voice told her that she had hit a nerve somehow. She was pretty sure the last part was said in order to insult her, but since she didn't understand the insult she was not going to worry too much about it. Larger predators talked so much rubbish it was impossible to keep track of what they said all the time. The lion had settled under her tree, grooming and glaring, and he made no attempt at hunting her or getting up. How fun, he was going to stick around for more taunting!
"No food for lion," she said again, hoping for some kind of fun reaction. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that this was a harmless cat, but she was full and could smell no males of her own kind so this was a good enough pastime as any. She could smell that the lion was annoyed, but not outright hostile yet. Fun, fun! Oh, she liked being on top of things, and this wanderer was not going to set up camp under her tree if she could help it.
"No food for lost lions in my trees," she said proudly, very pleased that she had defended the food and friends in her territory from the orange invader. To further show him that he was on her turf now she made a show of scent marking the trunk of the tree she was sitting in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:26 am
The strong musky scent wafting down to Blota's current resting place was a crude but effective way to say "Mine!". He stopped washing and moved to a spot not directly under the little devil in the tree. It would have been easier to just get out of there, but he wasn't going to let a snack sized creature win. Even if it decided to stink up all trees in the area.
"Ew! I'm not interested in your trees," he said, and his twitching tail showed exactly how annoyed he was, "I happen to have a home already, and you're lucky we're not there right now. One of the tree climbing followers would get you down in no time and a haruspex I know would have lots of fun reading your entrails."
Blota realised that he probably used too many big words for the animal in the tree so he mimed a claw ripping from throat to groin to show the gist of what he had said. Pretty good show if he could say so himself, and he imagined the bug-brain up in the tree looked at least a little worried. It was hard to see in the dark, however.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:44 am
Viverri almost thought the lion would flee, intimidated by her display, but he ended up just moving slightly. She toyed with the idea to go sit directly above him again just for fun, but she figured he might actually leave and then she would have to find something else to do. Short of a rutting male nearby she wouldn't leave this entertainment for anything.
He was talking again, but she was too busy chuckling over his annoyed tail wags to pay much attention to what he said. He said he wasn't interested in her territory, but then that's what she would have said too. You never knew. These were good trees and she wouldn't leave them willingly. And then he gestured being sliced open. Now why would he do that? Nasty way to die. Unless... Unless he was trying to warn her about that place for some outlandish reason. Lions didn't help genets; that was not the way of the world.
"Rip-rip," she asked, "Not going there, right? They rip-rip big lions too."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 3:14 am
Blota was getting increasingly frustrated with this conversation, or whatever it was. But it probably served him right for trying to talk to food. A mistake he wasn't likely to repeat. Talk to things with spirit - eat or ignore the rest, seemed to be a good rule to follow. Rip-rip? So it had managed to get the gist of his pantomime. But... What was she saying really? Blota went over the confusing statement several times in his head, trying to understand. Did it try to warn him from going somewhere?
"Wait... You know such a place?" he blurted, forgetting that he had decided he wasn't going to talk to food anymore, "Do you know a place where lions err... rip-rip other animals." It was a long shot, but if the soulless creature knew about the Mizimu it might be able to send him in the right direction. The Spirits worked in mysterious ways after all...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:33 pm
Viverri cocked her head and tried to listen to the big cat. He was agitated for some reason, and not like before. It was all very strange, and not as fun as taunting him had been. As far as she could understand he was asking about the Bad Place.
"Yes, rip-rip," she said hesitantly, "They rip-rip big and small. No one goes there."
If one wanted to stay alive and in one piece there was certain things that were good to know. Where to find good food and watering holes. Where larger predators hunted. Other places to avoid. The territories of prides and packs were usually best left alone, and then there were some that only the stupidest beasts went near. Like the Bad Place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:39 pm
Finally something! Trying to make sense of the stinky little beast made him want to chew off his own paw in frustration, but he might actually have a lead here. Possibly. It was a long shot, and he couldn't believe that he was even considering this option. But Blota was desperate to get home and wandering aimlessly wasn't really working out for him.
"Do you know where this place is," he asked, trying to sound non-threatening, "I need to know the direction. Um... So I can avoid it."
He sent a silent prayer to the Spirits in the area. Please help me Spirits, please use this soulless creature to show me the way. I know I'm not worthy, but please give me a chance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 7:15 am
This was very odd indeed. Viverri considered herself a helpful and generous creature, and she firmly believed that smaller animals needed to stick together and help each other aginst the bigger ones. Unless, of course, the small animal was much smaller than her and therefore considered food. Helping a large predator out had never occured to her, but she couldn't really find a reason not to answer. And perhaps... Perhaps there could be something in it for her.
"You owe me after," she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, "You no kill me! And no make other genets food. You promise, I tell."
Satisfied with her demands she sat back on her branch to observe the lion's reaction. Even one lion not eating her or her kind would be a very good thing indeed. She knew there was no way to make sure he kept his promise, but you never knew. Some creatures were very peculiar about promises, and kept them even if they had promised something stupid. If he promised and kept his word - good for her. And if he refused or lied she wouldn't really have lost anything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:34 am
The nerve of this creature! Blota wasn't sure if he should laugh, cry, or bite its head off when it started to bargain with him. Well, actually biting heads off was not going to happen unless he learned to fly, and he took a deep breath to avoid saying anything stupid that would ruin his chances. This was the answer from the spirits and Blota saw this for what it was - a test. Fair enough, you get nothing without a sacrifice, he should know that by now.
"Let me see if I understand you," he said slowly, "If I promise not to harm you, or any other genet, you will tell me where these lions live?"
The genet in the tree was now something more to him than just an animal. It was a soulless creature, but the Spirits were using it to communicate with him. If he had to avoid a certain kind of meat in order to get their help, so be it.
"If that's your terms," he said solemnly, "I promise to abide them."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:22 am
This was one peculiar lion indeed, Viverri mused. She had started out with insults and suddenly he had turned around and asked for her help. He was bright enough to understand her conditions at least, and even if his promise was a lie she had managed to get a lion to give her his time and his words. It was all very amusing to her, and she grinned toothily from her tree.
"Yes, yes," she chirped, "No harm me, no harm genets, no eat us!"
She started to move through the canopy, but slowly enough for a slow clumsy lion to follow on the ground. It would be easier for a stupid lion to understand if she just pointed out the direction of the Bad Place. She had never been there, and lions couldn't take the same route as small animals. Better to take him to the edge of the forest and then point. Easy enough, even for a lion.
"Follow," she called, "I show danger."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:33 am
Blota finally emerged from the undergrowth, twigs and vegetable matter sticking out of his mane. Breathe in, breathe out, endure this test. His recent religious experience was the only thing keeping him calm at this point. The Spirits weren't laughing at him, they were testing him to help him get stronger. The genet was at least sniggering at him, but it was a soulless creature and even if he couldn't eat it someone else might. The way she talked to lions it was very likely that she would get eaten sooner rather than later."Over that way is forest," the genet called and pointed with a tiny paw, "Can't see, but is there. Days away. After forest gets dangerous. Rip-rip."It wasn't a very good description, but Blota supposed it'd have to do. He had no clue what 'days away' would mean to a genet, but hopefully he'd find out. It was a start, and he intended to honour the Spirits helping him by finishing the journey too.
"Thank you," he said, meeting the eyes of the other creature, "If we meet again I will make sure you are not harmed, and from this day I will never again eat your kin."
At that moment he didn't make a promise to a simple genet, he made a promise to the Spirits.--fin--
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
