He needed to find her.
This wasn't a case of 'bumping' into an individual, there was something much more complex to it than that. It went deeper than obssession and deeper than desire, it was pure and unadultered need. She was the key to his survival, the only individual who could possibly preserve his sanity and yet he had done the unthinkable and chase her away. Benevolent as she was, the lioness had forced him to endure her presence and instead she had slipped off into the night with her tail between her legs. He had assumed, due to her own optimism and warm nature that she would presevere and she would return... but he had been so very wrong.
She hadn't come back.
She'd taken his words to heart and had vanished into thin air, leaving scarcely a trace behind. In her wake she had refrained from leaving any sort of signs, there were no out of place plants and signs of unusual harvests... There was nothing. The world had gone silent in a very literal sense for the male and he was not receptive to the news in the slightest. This was why he often avoided others, this was why he fought so hard to remain isolated from them, or at least this was it in part. Each time he grew close to another, each time he developed an attachment to them, they would be taken from him.
What had he done?
This was perhaps one of his most ridiculous and regrettable decisions ever and in all his years, he had made a number that were completely horrifying. However, unlike the rest, this one had consequences he simply couldn't live with - the night terrors had come back and with them, their relentless assault on his mind and pursuit of his soul. While they had been dispelled and cast to the wayside in the embrace of his divinity he had found peace and what he thought was eternal solace. If only he had been more trusting and in doing so, considerate towards her needs... he had attempted to bind her to him, bribe her into remaining by his side and it was only when she'd refused that he had snapped. Oh he knew it wasn't her fault, he even understood her position now that he'd calmed down, but that didn't make things any better now.
Having lost his beloved lioness, he had searched around his immediate vicinity for at least a week and failing to find trace of her, he had taken the plunge and slipped into the world of the unknown. Casting aside the protective embrace of the night, he had crept out into the daylight so that he might encounter more of the 'living' and as such, could pick their minds for clues. So far, every preybeast, canine and feline that he had happened to encounter had only been vague in their information but each seemed to have little tidbits that could be pieced together to provide him with a general direction to head in.
It should have come at no surprise to him that this direction often caused him to meander and he rarely stayed in one place for long. Nose to the ground, eyes to the horizon and ears aloft, he tracked his lost lioness with each waking moment. Weeks later he would arrive in locations that she had resided in and each time, he would recover a tiny piece of the trail. Fortunately and with great relief to the gaunt lion, he appeared to be making ground and eventually he found himself in the lands of the Bahari'mtoto - it was a location he had never seen before, but based on some of the information he had received, this place seemed to guarantee a level of success. Thus, he gathered his wits and composure, and tentatively took a step forward across the border...
"I'm usually not one for stereotypes, but based on your current form you are probably not going to be one of the most welcome individuals in these lands," A voice broke through, just off to his right and the white lion swung his head around abruptly. Ears flattening against the top of his skull, it was clear that he didn't appreciate the lack of warning - highly skiddish, Spectre was not one for surprises.
"And what form would that be?" Spectre enquired stiffly, his jaw tightened as he reined in the desire to bolt or leap to conclusions. Now was not the time to panic, now was not the time to react poorly, if he did that then he risked losing everything forever and he just couldn't let that happen.
"Gaunt, starving and with hungry eyes," Xenon stepped forward and circled round to the front so that the white lion could see him clearly. He meant no harm of course, but he did have to discern the lion's reasons for being here. The gaunt were often violent, greedy and hostile, three traits that were not appreciated in the region.
"I have no desire to pilfer your food -"
"Even though you need it," Xenon observed and shook his head. "I don't think anyone would fault you if you wished to go fishing," he added and canted his head to the side. "If that's isn't the case then I would have to say that passing through isn't currently an option here. The Tsunami ruined many of the trails, it would be safer to take the roguelands..." The splotchy lion advised and pursed his lips, however, much to his surprise, Spectre didn't appear to have any intention of leaving. "Or am I missing something?"
"Do you see many enter and leave these lands?" Spectre asked, his lips pursing into a thin, but thoughtful line.
"I see my fair share," the other male conceded cautiously.
"I'm looking for someone," the confession came at last and the tension that had been building up within the white lion's form rapidly deflated and he seemed more world weary than threatening at this point. "All signs... all the signs point to here, it's important that I find her," he continued, lifting his blue gaze to fix on Xenon's, it was the first time in many years that he had possessed the conviction to meet anyone's gaze.
"Is she a pride member, a wandering rogue or...?"
"She..." Spectre froze, considered the lion's query and the possibility that his remarks wouldn't be well received. He was already under suspicion and to spout phrases that could be regarded as utter nonsense could spell disaster, however, spouting those words was possibly the only way to get the information he sought. "She's a white lioness, a very young one," he began slowly and closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath as he recalled every little detail about the petite deity. "Covered in jewels, very colourful jewels with fruit...and she has the greenest eyes," he explained.
"Fairly big wings on her back too?" Xenon hazarded a guess, his lips parting slightly as he recalled the occasional encounter he'd had with the deity that had taken a bit of a liking for the beach. "Likes furry, brown fruit things?" he added.
"They're coconuts," Spectre corrected him without hesitation before pausing, his lips parting in astonishment. "You mean you've seen her?" he pressed, stepping forward slightly to close the gap between himself and Xenon. "Where is she? I need to find her, it's important!" he urged and shook his head, lifting a paw as if to plead. When it came to dignity, Spectre had lost his many years ago and it was unlikely it would come back any time soon.
"While I know of her, I can't say she has been here in quite some time," the lion replied gravely and pursed his lips. "But that isn't to say that she hasn't passed through or hasn't slipped in without being noticed?" Xenon pressed and motioned to the shores behind him. "My only recollection of her is that she appreciates the view nearby - so long as you cause no harm to anyone I see no reason why you can't take a look for yourself... Perhaps she is there?"
"You - you wouldn't mind?" Spectre's voice was strangled, both through gratitude and apprehension. What would he do if she wasn't there, she couldn't just leave him when he needed her there. He didn't mind waiting for her to wander back to him again, he just needed to know she would!
"No, I wouldn't," Xenon murmured reassuringly and nodded behind him. "Go - and while you're at it, I suggest you have something to eat." He added with a wry smile. "The gods know you need it."
Spectre required no further prompting at this and with a nod, bounded off in the suggested direction...
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