It was a slow day, a hot day, a dreadful day for Durin. His belly was empty, the sun was high in the sky and his favorite lioness had left his company. He was in the worst of moods at this point and it was only going to get worse as time passed and the loss of Kujali sunk in. How could he have let her go with that...that stranger! A roar of frustration rung out of his throat, startling the lionesses around him who all in turn, took their leave from his company as it was obvious that he wanted to be alone at this point.
It was effortless for her to glide through the skies of Africa, looking down on the mortals beneath her. A sneer showed it's ugly face on her beautiful one. How were they so happy despite their short and seemingly pitiful lives? That was something she could not understand. The sting of the lost of her to-be mate was still fresh and was still something she wished to rid herself of as it made her feel too...well, mortal. She had entire normal lifetimes to find her mate and perhaps he had just not been the one for her. Feathered wings carried her further on, passed great herds of zebra and wildebeest before finally carrying to the ground for a drink. It was not as if she truly needed to drink as the regular inhabitants of Africa did, she just enjoyed the feeling of the liquid in her throat, that was all.
Her arrival did not go unnoticed it seemed as Durin had spotted her arriving from the skies ti drink from his watering hole that he and his small pride usually drank from. The grey-bodied lioness was something he had never seen before. She was large, larger then him even and he could stand to rival a Firekin. Not only that, she had wings of a bird sprouting from her back and horns on her head as waterbucks do. Was she a sort of demon that his mother had told him about or was she something different?
Durin stood his ground but moved himself in such a manner as to try to creep up upon what he did not know was a goddess. Such actions did not go unrecognized on his part either as Xiu Xiu raised her head to speak but did not look at him.
"I know you are there, mortal."
He froze at her statement, unsure if she was speaking to him or someone else. It was slightly confusing though on why she had referred to her target as mortal though. Was she something higher then he or anyone he knew was? Kujali had spoken of the gods that were supposedly roaming the African plains but he had always dismissed it was den tales.
"I am speaking to you, brave mortal, who wishes to approach me whilst I am drinking and without offerings."
She was indeed speaking to Durin as she rose her head once more, but this time turned to look at him with her wolf eyes. Xiu Xiu's eyes caught his, the two staring at one another for what seemed like a minute at least. "Tell me, what makes you so brave when faced with something such as I?"
"Brave? You are a lioness and I am a lion, a male. I am above you."
Something of a laugh came from her mouth and it confused him. Never had he experienced something quite like her. "Tell me then, o great lion, why do you not soar the skies and perch in the heavens as I do if you are so above me?"
Her questions caught him off-guard and left him standing there, looking like an idiot as his brain searched itself for an answer to give her. Minutes passed and her stern look turned to a grin, that grin turned to a smirk and the smirk turned into laughter. "No answer? That's a good man, learning your place among the fleeting lives, for I am a goddess. I control the elements of sorcery, witchcraft, for I am black magic incarnate. And you? You are a mere mortal, nothing before me. Your life is as fleeting as the herds stay in one place."
It was hard to take all of this in. Was she truly one of the gods that Kujali had spoken of before to the other lionesses and to him? And what was this black magic that she spoke of? Was it demon worship? Durin had never heard of such things before and perhaps it was best left that way. If he invoked her wrath somehow and she was who she claimed to be, she could very well end his life as well as his lionesses and cubs' lives too. Before he could reply though, she spoke again.
"You may refer to me as your matron as I think I will stay here now. You silence and awestruck look amuses me." Xiu Xiu's gaze turned to her surroundings, a small smile present on her face. Her wolf eyes moved to focus on Durin again and once more, they froze, staring at eachother. "You don't mind do you?"
Of course he did! But there was no way he could deny her. It was obvious she did hold some kind of power over him, even if it wasn't godly. Her wings and horns were enough to show him that now. He shook his head.
"Good, then I shall find a proper home for myself within the surrounding of this watering hole. I shall then return at dusk to collect my offering of meat and a skull for the day." With that said the goddess turned, her wings stretching outward as she made herself ready to fly once more in search of a cave to call home for now. The day?! Durin's eyes widened as his mind tried to comprehend that. Was she saying that she would require an offering every day?!
"Every...day?" His voice was softer then he remembered it being and that slightly scared him.
"Yes," Xiu Xiu snapped, her brow furrowing as she looked back at him. "Do you expect me to hunt for myself when that is what you mortals are for? Hah, you think yourself too highly that I would do such a mundane task myself." With that, she turned her head away form Durin, flapped her wings, ran, jumped and began to fly as many gods did. All this while leaving poor Durin standing on the ground, confused at what he was to do while his lionesses returned to surround him, questioning who she was.
A bit of laughter could be heard as Xiu Xiu soared away.
[Word count: 1127]
