Zusa had returned to her favorite water hole so that she could take a dip in the clean, crisp water. Well, that wasn’t the only reason, really. She’d hoped to see Zurvan again. He was such a polite lion, unlike the unsavory fellow she’d met while out hunting ostrich eggs, and she needed someone to talk to about the things that strange lion had brought up. Serious things, like life and decisions… the conversation she’d had with the lion had continued to pop up in her mind even now, and it bothered Zusa that she couldn’t stop thinking about that stupid conversation with that stupid lion.
Huffing to herself, she crept along the waters edge in order to get closer to her favorite point of entry. She paused warily as she heard a splash of water. “Please say it isn’t crocodiles. Please say it isn’t crocodiles,” she chanted to herself. The pool would be unsafe if inhabited by the damned reptiles, and she was far too in love with the little oasis to let that come to pass.
Peering in through a break in the foliage, Zusa was surprised to see a white and blue lion swimming in the water. He even looked to be enjoying himself. It was strange, and as she broke through the leafy underbrush to make her presence known she couldn’t help but look utterly shocked by the goings on. He looked… familiar, in some twisted way. The same face and tail markings as Zurvan. Familiar and yet different. She paid it no mind, too shocked by the sight of a swimming lion to think about it too deeply.
Spen had found the oasis by chance. He’d always loved the water, though he wouldn’t say he was drawn to it by some unknown force. He merely enjoyed feeling weightless, held adrift by his body’s own buoyancy. Spenta loved floating on his back, or his belly, and when he’d come across this lovely reptile-free pool, he couldn’t resist. He splashed his tail, then was shocked by the sight he’d seemed to produce out of thin air.
A leopardess watched him, a comically shocked expression on her face. Spenta was instantly alert, unsure of her intentions. He would wait until she spoke first before speaking himself. He was always wary about strangers; he never knew when one of his brothers flunkies would find the time appropriate to cause Spenta grief.
“You’re swimming,” the leopardess commented idly, green eyes wide. It was an obvious statement, stupid in its simplicity but it made Spenta laugh. “Yes, I am.” He cocked his head towards her, red eyes warm. “Do you swim?”
Zusa didn’t deign a response necessary. Instead, she merely shot forward into a smooth dive, her body causing almost zero splash on the mirror-like surface of the pool. Spenta laughed again, charmed by the spontaneous nature of the leopardess. He was still grinning when she emerged behind him, eyes full of laughter. He was obviously amused by her antics.
“I guess I do,” she giggled at him, blinking in innocence. “Imagine that.”
Spenta laughed aloud again. “I wasn’t expecting you to jump in,” he remarked, finding the entire situation amusing. “Have you never seen a swimming lion before?” She probably hadn’t. Lions weren’t known of their fondness for water. A few prides existed that based their beliefs and traditions off of water, but overall lions didn’t tend to find themselves swimming.
She shook her head. “No, I’ve never met one before you.” She was instantly intrigued by him. An oddity, this lion that swam. She wanted to know more about him, but didn’t want to frighten him off with a barrage of questions. Instead, she swam loops around him, and even went so far as to playfully bat his nose with her sopping-wet tail. “It’s very strange, though. I met a lion here recently that looked very much like you, just darker. He didn’t want to swim.”
Spenta instantly went on alert. Angra had been here? “Was he red? Blue eyed, and mean?” Zusa shook her head. “No. He was dark, with a dark mane and the strangest wing marking across his back. Bright eyes, and no swirls on his legs.”
That seemed to put Spenta at ease. “Ahh. I do have a twin,” he continued, “and should you ever meet a lion like the one I described, I would beg of you to run the other way and never look back. He is bad news… I realize now I don’t know your name.” He grinned sheepishly at her, trying to lighten the mood once more.
“Zusa,” she chuckled, blowing bubbles in the water with her nose. “And you are?”
“Spenta, Spen. Call me Spen.” He wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt so foolish around her, sheepish and like an adolescent male. She was a lovely female, and charming, funny and spontaneous. He wasn’t used to such a combination.
“Alright, Spenta Spen. I’ll call you Spen.” Zusa was amused by this lion that swam in the water like he was born there. “Do you have family, aside from your brother?” Spenta shook his head in the negative. “You?” he asked, curious about this leopardess.
Zusa shook her head. “No. I was orphaned when I was young. My mother is a jackal that raised me after the death of my own mother.” She shrugged.
“I was orphaned as well. My mother died giving birth to my twin.” He didn’t like the negative turn the conversation had taken, so instead he changed the topic. “And where did you learn to swim? Surely a little jackal couldn’t teach you?”
Zusa laughed. “I taught myself,” she said matter-of-factly. “Imagine that, beauty and brains, I have them both!” Spenta chuckled, amused at the entire meeting so far. He was a sucker for a pretty girl, and Zusa was certainly that. She was also funny, and her personality charmed him. He was a lost cause.
“I certainly don’t want to come off as …not being a gentleman,” Spenta continued, “But would you enjoy spending the evening with me?” His meaning wasn’t crystal clear, but Zusa sensed what he implied. Her response was a quick laugh and the offerings of a splash-war. She would spend the evening with him and allow the night to take her where it would.
