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 Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:36 pm
And now he would test that.
He was covered in sand and had mostly stopped bleeding when he pulled the feather from his mane near his ear. With one paw on top of it to prevent it from flying away, he stared at it and wished for help .. and he waited. When nothing happened, he wished more desperately and tried to think of all the ways this might work. He had no idea what he was supposed to do, he hadn't been given any instruction, had he? He couldn't remember anything except a promise that he would come if he was needed, and he wasn't coming now.
Frustrated, he gave up- and he grabbed the feather with his teeth, chewing violently and ultimately swallowing it. Now his mind turned to how far he could drag himself before the desert really got the best of him.
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 5:23 am
It was always an odd sensation, being called from over a far distance.
Mortals didn't have such senses, but it was eerily close to that feeling one got when they were being watched without knowing it. Suddenly there was a presence, and he could choose to ignore it or investigate.
Miramar always chose the latter.
The desert was not a place he traveled often. Even to him, the heat of the sand was surprising as he materialized above a dune. His mother had once said they were from the sands. Peering about, Miri doubted he could ever live at length in such a place. Far too little life, far too few friends.
He started to follow the sense. He kept to his own form- both because he doubted hooves would translate well to sand, and because he wasn't about to tempt some poor soul for an easy dinner. It took several minutes for him to catch sight of the other lion out on the dunes. Once spotted, he quickened his pace.
He remembered this one. There was a promise to keep. "My friend, how strange to see you so far out here!"
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:09 pm
The feather was already eaten but still, when Miramar suddenly was there, calling out to him, Amali choked. Somehow it had worked, whatever he had done. He was grateful but, now that the god was here, he felt embarrassed. He could have held onto that favor forever, it wasn't so long ago that he won it and here he was, already in need of help. And it wasn't like he was completely incapacitated, either, he was just stranded in a strange environment that could kill him if he couldn't move quick enough. And that wasn't taking the locals into consideration.
He pushed himself up to a sitting position but couldn't force himself all the way up, he wouldn't be able to stay there and he knew that from his previous short journey from the site of his attack. Despite the pain, he shook some of the sand from his fur in an effort to look more presentable.. but he was too sandy and it was sticking wherever he had been bleeding. He would have been in much better shape outside of the desert.
"I think I made a mistake coming this far," he said weakly, smiling sheepishly at Miramar, "I wasn't sure if you'd really come."
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:09 pm
Ever placid, there was little indication on the god's face that might have indicated pity or annoyance at being summoned. He seemed calm and familiar. As though it were a casual meeting.
As Amali struggled, he raised his paw. "It is alright, do not strain yourself on my account," Miramar said affectionately. He crossed a bit closer to the sandy lion, his bright eyes sweeping over the injuries. "In fact, perhaps best if you settled down. You won't make it too far without rest."
A smile quirked across his face. "I always keep my promises. Or at least, I try quite intently," he chuckled. "Normally I would not resort to anything fancy, but I'm afraid the desert limits my tools somewhat."
As a god, Miramar was not the sort to marvel mortals. If and all possible, he liked to rely on good old fashion healing. He had heard there were healers in the desert...but such an art was not one he had ever learned in his mortal life. "What brought you out so far?"
Much like a doctor distracting a patient, as he questioned Amali might begin to feel some of the wounds begin to sting less.
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:02 pm
From the very beginning, Amali had suspected the divinity of the healer who promised to help him if he ever needed it. His sudden appearance when he was so desperately needed in the middle of the desert seemed proof enough and now Amali didn't want to miss anything- but he couldn't keep from getting distracted. He relaxed a bit but stayed sitting up despite himself and Miramar's suggestion and he didn't know what to make of the comments about limitations imposed by the desert except to nod his agreement.
The desert was a challenge all its own and he certainly had not been ready for it when he came here. He learned his lesson, though, and he wouldn't be coming back once he got out of here.
"I was curious about the Firekin and their desert," he said, feeling foolish, "I've been wandering for so long, trying to find my true name- it's what we do in the Swamps- but I never left the savanna. I've been running out of ideas for things that might help me get closer to going back home."
He didn't bother mentioning the visions of fire he'd had that had played a part in bringing him here. He'd taken them for dreams, evidence that the Firekin and the desert were on his mind after the adventure with the elephant. Now that he knew better, he had no idea why he'd been seeing fire.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:12 am
Miramar seemed to ponder his words, mulling them over in his mind. Like Amali, he had once spent time wondering about the firekin. But it had not been in search of his name. His eyes scanned over the wounds, focusing his attention on a few spots he felt were the most desperate.
"A name is an important thing. I've always admired your people's tradition," he rumbled. "I was never apart of a pride in my youth. No connections to anyone but my family, and even then we drifted. I think we could have benefited from a little soul searching."
Unfortunately, Miri suspected he was the only member of his family capable of such a thing. "The firekin are... a noble, but often misplaced group. Was there some knowledge you thought they might impart to you?"
He'd never known them to have much of life's secrets, but then... he did not like to assume anything either.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 5:25 pm
"I think I'm beyond benefiting from this," Amali grumbled when Miramar commented on the quest that had brought the swamp lion to the desert. He'd often wondered if he might stop caring and just go home with whatever name he wanted, whether or not he thought he earned it from his name quest. But he just couldn't give up.
Being asked outright if there was something he hoped to learn from the Firekin made him feel stupid. He didn't come here with a specific question for them, it was just because of crazy dreams he couldn't figure out and decided must be related to interest created by his recent adventure that included Firekin. That wasn't the answer he would tell people, though.
"You never know what you'll find out or what'll help," he said, not even sounding like he convinced himself. But now he was starting to shake from the effort of keeping himself sitting upright.
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