The tunnels had been quiet as of late; far more quiet than Leli’ubati, God of Bats, liked it to be. The Mtango’bui were a pride that thrived on life and the tales that the living brought with them. It was sad to think that there had been so little of it as of late; sad to think that his mentor, the lion he had come to view in an almost fatherly aspect, had fallen into that same silence while waiting for the return of two of their own. Mpatis and Usiku had gone on a grand adventure… And neither of them had returned yet.
It was on the rising of the third full moon that Bati struck out; leaving the caves that had been his home since his accidental arrival, determined to either find the leopards or bring back stories of his own.
Arifu’s daughter had been watching with care, head tilted with interest as well as a small bit of concern. She had grown up alongside Bati; had considered him her friend just as much as a brother more often than not. To see him leaving… No, sneaking off was a bit more than she could bare; a bit more than she was willing to let him get away with, never mind the quiet.
She let out a low, soft growl as she stalked after him, waiting until he was on one of the paths just beneath her before pouncing down, landing solidly on his massive, brown form. “And where do you think you’re going?” The lioness huffed, the playfulness that was usually carried by her voice in situations such as this lost for the moment.
“Gah!” His wings spread out on either side of him for a moment and then he was gone from beneath her, appearing slightly flustered and just a bit indignant several feet away as he shook himself off. “What was that for? Isn’t a lion allowed to walk around here?” His nose wrinkled, bat-like wings twittering before folding back down against his sides as that indignant aura faded into one just a bit… Sheepish?
Had he really been planning on sneaking off without telling anyone? Never mind that, as a god, he could have found his way back at any time; returned before they had even noticed him missing. “I… Was going out to find a story, if you must know. Everyone seems to have one, yet they’ve all be told and now the caves are quiet. I wanted to bring them back. I… I miss the sound.” He murmured softly.
“I know what you mean.” She murmured softly as her shoulders slumped, ears falling flat. The caves and caverns, pitfalls and paths had all been so silent lately, as though waiting for something that just wouldn’t come to them. It was as though the cool weather of the mountains that they now lived in had brought about a need to sleep; a pull to be forgotten.
“Many have wandered off. Few have returned. You… You’ll come back, won’t you, Bati?” Once more she was a child; a lion cub instead of a fully grown lioness. It reminded her of the time that they had been playing along with some of the other cubs and she had gotten lost. Bati had been able to find his way in the darkness even where she had not and when her paw had gotten stuck he had gone for help. He had sworn that he would return, and he had… So she would make him swear again.
“… What kind of question is that?” The God’s brow furrowed as he took the steps to close the distance between them, butting his head lightly against that of the lioness, managing to stay mindful of his horns. “I wouldn’t leave here if I didn’t plan to come back. That’s just… Silly. You of all lions should remember how upset I was when I couldn’t find my way back home.” Not nearly as upset as he should have been, all things considered, but still. “This place is my home; you and your family are my family. So, yes. Yes, I will come home and I will have some of the most amazing stories to tell.” He flashed her a broad grin at that.
The lioness let her head rest against his for a moment, eyes closed as she listened to the words that he had to say. It was reassuring to hear them; comforting to know that the family, once vast and thriving in a network of tunnels beneath the great savannah, would not be dwindling further inside. She let that thought sink in for a good, long moment before stepping back, swatting her paw heavily at his nose.
“Don’t be a brother about it, alright? Don’t be sappy or anything like that. Just… Just come back. With great stories. That’s it.” She huffed, her own nose wrinkling as she stepped back away from him. “And don’t be gone for too long either. Things get boring around here and then before you know it everything’s changing and you won’t know what sort of home you’ll have to come back to.”
He laughed at her dramatics; a full, hearty laughter that made his pale, golden eyes dance in the light of the full moon. “If it’s so boring then I will not have to worry about anything, Uziwa'machwa. I will return home and all will be just as it was before... You will see. Better yet, I will have many more stories to tell; great, exciting, wondrous stories of things that you have only dreamed of. Do not worry about me, little sister."
Wa'wa snorted softly again, nose wrinkling as she shook her head at him. "Bah. Who said that I was worried about you, Leli'ubati. I am worried about myself. Leaving me here alone with my brothers when they are such pains." With a twitch of her tail the lioness touched by sunset and oceanic blues turned, tossing her head haughtily so that she could leave things where they were without getting any sappier with her adopted sibling.
"Find a good lion for me while you are out and about?" Her brow lofted slightly. "Or at least a story of one... So I know what to keep my eyes out for should I ever go on a great adventure."
He stared at her back for a moment... And then Bati was laughing again, shaking his head once more before turning the action into a solid nod. "We have a deal. Until I return, Uziwa. Until I return."
(Word Count: 111 cool
