She was beautiful but she wasn't her.
Kohrisu had spent his time trying to escape the demoness that had so easily captured him, the former healer fearing for his life realizing she kept him alive as a slave. Fearing she would find out he wasn't so strong, that he was quite weak. Fearing she'd grow tired and kill him. She slept days. Daytime, he fled, despite wounds inflicted by her daughter, the male injured and delirious.
She was beautiful but she wasn't Ri.
He could only watch in silence as the jet-black starred female tried to tend him as best as able.
And as she disappeared only to hunt. During thoe times he could swear he saw the bird, that terrifyingly loyal creature that never left her side. Usual she watched. Sometimes she cleaned the bones of the kills they didn't eat. And other times she wasn't there at all. And he had no sense of time passing. The healer in him was screaming he needed herbs, medicine for his festering injuries. He needed his herbs; or Shotonin. But he didn't know where he was. And he didn't know how to get home.
Nasa watched the clearly ill male for days, his injuries festering and sick as ever, if not growing worse, with a sense of helplessness. He couldn't move and at times her tried. She didn't know his name, but that he needed watching. Sometimes he whimpered, thinking he was seeing a bird, but she never saw anything, and simply nosed him in concern. The male was sick, and possibly? Dying.
She didn't want that. No soul deserved to die.
Nasa circled him for the hundreth time, watching him. He was awake again, looking at a plant on the ground, blue fevered eyes focused on it, paw trying to fumble.
Herb. He knew it could help him. It was best eaten, and the male's paw inched forward, slow before resting on it. He couldn't move another inch.
He couldn't pluck it. He looked to the star-studded female for help, feeling pathetic.
Nasa watched, blinking before nosing his paw aside. She didn't know why he wanted it, but she was taught well to heed the needs of the sick and possibly dying in respect. And she neatly plucked the plant, bringing it over to the blue male. He ate it slowly, delibrately. It had a bitter taste; normally it was placed with meat from a kill, but he was desperate. He needed the herb now. He was aware of the lioness watching and smiled thankfully, looking and indicated other herbs. He hadn't been watching, but he was in a field of medicine. Medicine he needed. Nasa obliged him, collecting each plant and returning it. Kohrisu nodded, too tired to move. Herbs for stomach pains. Herbs for pain. Herbs for illnesses. He curled around them, exerting what little strength he had to do so gratefully.
Herbs. He became a healer to try to save his grandmother; was she still alive? He didn't think so... His dreams of the past showed her death. It told him everything, but also her love for her family. Her ordeals. He had to be strong. He couldn't fail.
She crept back into his thoughts, the svelt black and red lioness, so petite, so deadly. He was asleep. She was a cub. Her father was a demon-king. Her mother..
Huh.
Was she reallt that unredeemable then? Unsalvageable?
She was small, still learning, learning from the demons around. She attacked, killed, tormented... And had so few friends. Even her cubs weren't love but business. And, well, he saw how well that went with Hera. But most... While unaware they were being used. She could be sweet when she wanted as she had with him, others unaware as he'd been.....
Nasa watched the male dream, reading his face as it twitched. Fear. Sorrow. Joy. Pain.... What was he dreaming. She sighed, laying down to wait, watching in silence. So sick. He was... So sick.
Kohrisu watched her finding him, the day they met. He'd been smitten.
She hadn't let him alone after their encounter. She'd kept him; at her side, in her den, always close. Always. He had... Been a decent slave, if nothing else, a speck of blue in the night. Innocently he'd given her his heart. He felt so stupid now, Then he was watching, again.
She handled him differently.
She never left him alone. He could easily have been an information source.
She wanted him there.
She wanted him at her side.
She wanted him. In her own dark, twisted way.
She wanted him at her side (And slightly behind).
He woke with a start.
Nasa pricked her ears, watching the male wake in a cold sweat and sighed. He was probably hungry, and she got up, moving to hunt. He caught her tail in a paw, the male looking and shaking his head.
No. Not now. Nasa blinked, sitting to watch him, frowning. Was he alright? Was he crazy?....Probably. Fever did that, but she stayed. Kohrisu nosed through his herbs, fishing out another, eating it. His eyes were clear, though. But he'd been sleeping. Would he die soon? Nasa watched the sickly male pull himself up and smiled. No, he was getting well. Sleep, whatever plant he was eating was good! Nasa smiled at him, the male shaking weakly. He needed to recover, but the fever was breaking. When he healed... He was going back. She was waiting for him. He'd want to be strong to handle her punishment. But... He did love her. Wasn't love about accepting flaws? And while Ithil was hiding... He knew she would return to Ri. He didn't mind.
He welcomed it.
Kohrisu looked to Nasa, smiling tiredly at her gratefully and she smiled back, confused. He had a different expression-- hope instead of hopelessness.
He saw something. A good dream... She smiled back in confusion as he chuckled. He had to leave soon. But this female was kind.....
Nasa looked at him, looking confused, and smiled. Well, this was confusing.
But somehow, she was glad that he was better.
Kohrisu turned, and looked back.
He would go to Ri soon.
-Fin-
