The God of Chivalry had not expected the lands to be so different. His last visit to this pride had been during a time of strain and conflict. His hope had been to return to a much calmer, much more peaceful place. In part, it seemed just that. But looking closer, he saw the terrible strain between the two sides of the pride. Why were they not united?
His plans had faltered somewhere. Perhaps his untimely escape had only added to the turmoil he had helped create, rather than what he had hoped in his plans. His son, Uther, did not follow the path the King before him had set. Or rather, followed it too well.
Things had become too complicated in his efforts to teach a lesson that now was clearly well missed. He would have to set everything right. But first, he needed to get home. He’d decided to walk there, so he might see the world as it was now, expecting not too much to have changed in the years of his watching from above. He felt he was still familiar enough with things to make it just fine. They were, after all, set in a circle. Things shifted, but the basics remained.
A hyena padded her way across the savanna, a few seconds after the God of Chivalry landed. He looked at her in surprise and she blinked at him. He had no great wings to give him away, but the face that he had just been in the air for more than a jump was reason enough to worry about him. That, and he was a large lion with, what she decided was, a hungry look about him.
But he’d crossed the wrong hyena if he thought he could bully her into something.
“You’ll have to find your fun somewhere else, pops,” she said gruffly, shaking her head. Her fur was a bit patchy, and he saw in her green coloring some marks of age. She was not young, and did not really go in for the whims of the young these days. She knew that lions liked to mess with hyena if they could get away with it. But with her, they couldn’t get away with it. She didn’t snarl or snap, she just gave him a withering, knowing glare that would have put any youth in its place.
He stared at her for a moment, amused by her tenacity.
“I’ve no intention of messing with you, my dear.” Talfrid said with a chuckle. He stood regally, and seemed to ooze stature and control. He had a handsome face, for a lion, and a wild mane that seemed to get in his eyes. There was nothing rugged or out of place on him. Everything was smooth and controlled, save that mane, and he wore a cape and robes of some kind. She had never seen a lion wearing so much cloth before. It moved as he made to sit down and she stole a glance at a dragon emblazoned on his flank. It spat fire, which wrapped around his forearm.
It made her shudder and she almost regretted her rude attitude toward him. But almost didn’t count.
“Well, that’s good for you. I’d’ve had to teach you a thing or two if that was the case. I might look it, but I’ve a knack for snapping ears and tails, and you’d regret crossing me for years to come. But I see my threats are wasted on you, eh? You seem like a good enough boy, if you keep your paws and teeth to yourself.”
“If you do the same, I can promise no harm or mischief will come to you,” he offered her a smile and a nod of his head, and she took him for his word. She watched him for a long moment and they both knew what was on her mind. She wanted to ask him what he was. He was clearly not a normal lion. He had an air of power about him and it was not like anything she had ever felt before. Not oppressive or scary, but present. Very present. She swallowed and felt cowed, though he was being as polite as could be.
She lowered her head just a bit and he shook his in return.
“My name is Talfrid. You may know me as that, and nothing else. I am here as a lion, a father, and nothing more. Perhaps you may assist me. I am searching for the lands known as Tokakinji. Things look… different to how I remember them, and from how I have been seeing them as late.” From above, mostly, but once on the ground it was difficult to find his way. And now he knew that flying up into the air every now and then would just get him caught.
And some creatures would not be so calm in his presence as this hyena.
“I’m afraid I don’t know the place,” she said, sitting up a bit and wrinkling her nose. She wasn’t sure, anyway, and she was not going to give him bad directions and send him off in some random direction. Though it seemed like a good idea just to pretend she was useful. Unless he could come find her and knew she lied? No, no, it was better to just be truthful and not get in over her head.
She smiled at last and he wondered if she was teasing him. She had that look about her, and he imagined she had a lot of fun usually, teasing other creatures. She was older, wise, and she was intelligent. He liked her, and nodded his head. He appreciated her honesty, at least.
“Well, I will keep heading this way, and see what I may find. Thank you for your time. It was nice meeting you, and if I may serve you and we cross paths again…”
She nodded, though she did not know what he was offering, really. What good could a hyena have of a lion? Even whatever kind this guy was. She’d never heard of the Gods before. But she smiled at him and he chuckled, seemingly amused, and then he began to pad off. She watched him go and shook her head. That was strange and brief, but something she would have to ponder over later. She watched him as he walked, hoping he’d do something else strange. But he just walked until he was out of sight, not glancing back after he had said good bye and bowed his head at her.
(Word Count: 1,097 in Word)
