{PRP}A Lesson of History{Maji x Vorpolkel'Reym}

[magnadearel]

Thalion

For awhile now he'd been wondering on some things. His tail twitched at the thought of schooling he was heading for currently. Somehow his questions had gotten around and he had received word that someone who knew the history was willing to talk to him. At first he'd been surprised. Now he was grateful. It would really be of use to him to learn all he could about the pride.

Vorpol headed out at the appropriate time to meet his tutor. His tail wagging behind him. When he got there, he stopped and looked around. He wasn't exactly sure who he was meeting. All he had was a name. Maji. He really needed to spend more time with his pride members than out.  

[Thalion]

There were some days when he felt whole years younger. Waking in the cave of his cubhood, breathing in the morning air kissed by the valley's mist, and walking through the cool, damp halls of his ancestors made those feelings all the more real. It had helped that the god of youth had granted him relief from the burden of his age, giving him the energy and flexibility of youth once more. Even with a den full of now motherless cubs, he was able to find rather peaceful rest at night and wake feeling refreshed and renewed. It was almost as if the past years of wondering had faded away entirely. The years of living as a b*****d prince, an exile from his own throne, a vagabond, and an elder with no place were all part of a fading nightmare.

This was where he belonged. His homeland. He was no longer the prince of these lands but he carried himself with an air of royalty. His paws knew the stones and caves better than any, and many suspected there were secrets within the caves that he had not yet shared with his pride mates. There was a sparkle in his eye again and an easiness in his expression that had been thought to have been long lost.

With the cubs being a little older now, he was able to return to his duties around the pride in educating the members of the history within their homeland. There were plenty who knew it well enough, and then there were those from the Neled and the world outside. It might have seemed tiring to repeat one's self time and again but there were always new questions. He found that with every newcomer he shared the history of the pride with came a story from the outside. There were thieves, there were children of long lost pride members, and there were fallen royals such as himself. Each thread was its own color and hue, but together they wove quite the tapestry of a pride.

He was pleased to see his newest pupil waiting patiently for him by the small pool they had arranged to be their rendezvous spot. The elder observed for a time in silence. The youth was eager, his tail wagging like a canine's and his eyes curious. That was good. Hopefully this one wouldn't find him to be a bore.

Maji announced himself with a soft cough. Once he had the youngster's attention he padded down from the mouth of the cave to the soft grass brushing the rim of the pool. "Good morning. Vorpolkel was it?"

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Thalion

Vorpol turned eagerly at the sound of a cough. Who else was out here and would come talk to him? It had to be his tutor! He liked the regal pose of this lion right away. There was knowledge and patience there. Or at least he liked to think there was. He bobbed his head affirmative at his name.

"You must be my teacher, Maji then. It's a pleasure to meet you. Would you care to sit by the water?" He politely waved his paw toward the edge of the pool. It really was a nice place to sit and have a conversation. Vorpol waited until the other male had chosen his spot and made himself comfortable. "Where do we start?" He looked at him with curiosity and eagerness in his eyes.  

[Thalion]

The elder settled himself down against the cool waters and took a short look around. For a first lesson, this wasn't the worst of places. he would have liked to stroll through the caves and point out the various writings and pictographs left behind by his forefathers but that was, perhaps, best saved for another time. He was uncertain as to whether or not this newcomer would want an extended lesson or just the basics of the pride. It was...complicated to say the least.

"My introduction precedes me then, that's good." He smiled and looked out into the distance. "We start where all stories do- at the beginning."

The lion closed his eyes and took a short breath. "To the Pridelands we were known as mystics. They believed us to possess magical abilities. Some outright feared us while others would come to the border to see for themselves these mystical lions. Rumors always protected us best. The mists were said to be filled with the ghosts of those that had died within them. Some even began to whisper that the mist was the door into the underworld and our pride were the keepers of this gate. For many generations, these rumors served us well. We never had to raise a paw in violence or even show ourselves through the veil of our mists. We lived peacefully, happily, and the other prides soon decided it was best to avoid our borders entirely."

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Thalion

He nodded with a smile. The beginning was the best. Made fewer questions that way. Vorpol settled in for a good story. He wasn't going to just listen. Oh no. But he did want to try to enjoy it. He hoped it was a good story. So far it was sounding alright. They weren't violent and preferred peace to war.

However, something told him this wasn't going to last. He wondered briefly why they were viewed as mystics in the first place. Vorpol tried not to tense up as he waited for the blow to fall. There wouldn't be much to tell if this was the whole of the story, and he doubted there'd be much reason for story tellers. He watched the lion for clues.  

[Thalion]

"The mists protect us from many things. They always have and they always will. The darkness of night combined with the mists themselves makes us move like ghosts. However, there are some threats that were indifferent to the cloaks we wore and the rumors we reinforced." The lion's eyes grew grave. "A lioness came into the lands. Young, and horribly lost. The king took pity on her and brought her into his lands, allowing her to rest her paws. The two became close and while the king already had a queen, he lost himself to a night of passion."

Maji smiled a little awkwardly. "My parents." He continued and the smile fell away. "The lioness, my mother Katibu, carried in her a horrible illness. I hear tell these days of a whole pride that carries an illness akin to what she had. I figure now she might have passed through their territory on her way here and did not show signs of illness until she began carrying a litter in her belly. Soon the pride contracted it and one by one they fell. Those that were able to withstand the illness were soon met by another threat- the firekin."

He raised a paw. "This is why we know to be leery of any with a crimson pelt. We worship the water and the moon, they worship the sun and fire itself. These lions came from the desert, larger than any mortals the pride had seen. They had heard tell of the mystics of the mist and saw it as an opportunity to make an example of us to the other prides at the time. They pressed our border, penetrated the fog, and found a very weak pride. Those that hadn't fallen weak or to the grave from the illness were few and far between. Many were killed. Some, like my newly born half-sister, were kidnapped and taken as slaves. Those they spared were standing at the mouth of death's den."

He paused and took a slow breath. "The firekin are the mortal enemy of our pride. They are as day is to night. We are small in stature and we seek wisdom and spirituality. They seek only power and influence. I know little of their situation these days but change does not come easily, and we remember our history so we are not doomed to repeat it."

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Thalion

Vorpol blinked. It was an interesting twist. Such things happened he knew, but to actually see and be listening to a son of such an event put it into new light. Weren't such things only in tales long past? The male figured that eventually it would be history.

His ears went back at the mention of illness. Illness was never a good thing. He felt bad that this lion knew his mother had brought it. It must be a hard thing to bare. Vorpol nodded sympathetically. He listened intently as Maji described the firekin. They sounded like monsters to him; worshiping fire and so large. Could that be true, or simply "history" making an enemy seem larger than life.

Some say there was a grain of truth in every tall tale. Vorpol knew he'd use caution when dealing with a crimson pelt. He sat thinking a moment before tentatively venturing a question. "What of your half-sister? Is there any chance they picked up the illness and carried it back home with them?"  

[Thalion]

"Oh no, she was healthy when she was taken. And she survived for many years." Maji frowned and ground at the earth under him with his claws. The expression in his eyes was complicated, conflicted at best and tormented at worst.

"I awoke in the caves there-" He nodded towards the hall of the Magi, "A god had watched after me, but he remained well out of sight. I never saw him, but some nights I would feel something against my small body, keeping me warm. In the morning, I would sometimes find a fish or two to eat. This god also gifted me with the ability to read and write the language of my kin. I was a b*****d son of a king, offspring of the death of the Mistweavers, but this god saw me as a vessel in which to preserve the culture of his pride within. So I grew up here, quite alone, for a very long time. In fact-" He smirked a bit. "My best friends were preybeasts. It wasn't until my mane began to grow that I saw another lion. Several trickled in, each very young. Eventually we formed a small pride. It was an unspoken position, but I sort of led them. I made most of the decisions and spent my days teaching my friends about the pride."

He sighed and looked across the water. "But that changed when Masika returned. We were very small, perhaps no bigger than two dozen lions. No- about a dozen." He frowned. "Two of us turned when she arrived, and reinforced her when she laid claim to the pride. She had been gone all her life and had returned as a young adult. She was ignorant of the pride in which she was born. She believed that females were the rightful rulers of the pride, that there were caves in which only females should be permitted. This was not true. We were always equals- males and females. The storm king would never have mandated any differently."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "...myself...and those loyal to me were taken from our positions and Masika took the throne. Her supporters reinforced this and kept us from re-claiming our lands. Rather than risk a blood bath, we left. Many scattered to the winds. Only Kisulisuli and my adopted son Obi remained with me. It was years and I had become an older lion when I heard of the fate of the Mistweavers-'

He looked back to the youngster. "You see, Masika was proud. She closed the borders and kept newcomers from entering. She changed the very foundations of the pride to suit her vision of how things should be. There were a few litters born, but not many. Soon they began to leave...and she was alone. One day, I hear, she simply vanished."

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Thalion

Ah that was too bad. It would have been easier if the enemy had gotten sick too. But there was something else too. He saw the expression, but didn't want to dig up too many bad memories. Then again. That was the point wasn't it?

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to Maji, but how do you know about what happened to her?" He felt awkward for asking, but felt he had to. The young male listened attentively as his teach described his early life. A god he never saw? Interesting. Vorpol wondered who this god might have been.

It was a terrible end for the pride. To simple fade away into nothing. Vorpol tilted his head slowly. "But they are not quite gone are they? Something from them remains in us doesn't it?" Not the same as the old, but hints of it could still be seen within them. Or at least, he hoped.  

[Thalion]

Maji chuckled. His pupil was listening, and had a decent ear for detail. He had left that part out, but it was quite intentional. It was no secret, really, but the new ways were to keep outsiders and strangers outside of the misty veil and far from the pride. Inviting outsiders was to invite trouble, to risk the security of the pride once more. In the early stage of rebuilding it was essential that they remained hidden- at least for a few generations.

"I had eyes on the border." He said quietly. "When I was nearly into my adult mane I met a cheetah and a small troupe of beasts that followed him on the border. His name was Taban. He claimed he wanted to help us and back then we needed the assistance. You see- prior to Masika there were always rogues coming and going. We tried to keep the borders open, you can never tell who is a friend- or a foe..."

His eyes darkened. "Many came. Some stayed, others worked from the outside. You see, some of our color restrictions make... no sense at face value. Pink? It sounds silly." He shook his head. "Until you consider a male named Nyekendu. He was a monster... a bloodthirsty beast that took lions and any beasts as slaves. He haunted our border for a time and worked with two lionesses in an attempt to infiltrate our pride. One carried his cubs and incubated them here, but Taban caught them meeting by moonlight and reported to us. We threw both lionesses out when this was discovered. From that time on, our borders were closed. Just to be safe- Taban followed the lion, posing as a follower, to his hideout. Once the location was made known, he kind of vanished."

Maji shrugged. "Even after I left, Taban remained. He proved to be a friend to us, he and his group. They even took me in for a time, and taught me the lay of the land. They were a nomadic group, but one that did not stand for injustice. I expect we've not seen the last of them."

The last question earned a smile and a short nod. "Of course- look around. The writings on the stones chronicle stories of those long gone. The rocks here speak. They whisper. To the wise, whole histories are there for us to see. When we learn the past, a part of that stays with us. It makes us wiser."

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Thalion

Vorpol was glad this lion answered his questions instead of brushing them off. Having a friend was indeed a great asset. The male lightly drummed his paw pads on the ground as he thought.

"Are our borders closed right now Maji? You've made a good point for having friends outside the pride." Having this Taban had proven to be the pride's saving grace and then some. "How are we to find another 'Taban' if we don't allow anyone close? A pride can't survive if it closes itself off forever. So how do you determine who's good and who isn't? How far does one go to get rid of the bad?"

Boy he was full of questions today. His eyes glanced around at the rocks. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wanted to hear the whispers too in a way. What might he learn if he listened? Vorpol grinned to himself. That was exactly what he was doing laying here listening to Maji. The older lion was the whispers!  

[Thalion]

Maji chuckled and tipped a paw, conceding the point. "A valid question, young one, but it's not one easily answered. Not even the minor gods can see the hearts of the mortals they serve. Sometimes the darkest of hearts rests within the fairest of forms." He raised a claw. "A lioness at the border, wishing only refuge could be harboring an illness that could destroy the pride, or carrying cubs from an enemy, intending on infiltrating the pride with his seed and eventually fester the collective as an illness would. Both have happened in this place." He sighed and shook his head.

"It seems that for every ally we have... three more enemies hide in their shadow. It is difficult to not be able to trust. We all want to, deep down, but we must protect each other."

He glanced over. "Right now our borders are closed, yes. There are many little ones running about. Every hair on their head is precious and essential for the rebuilding of our pride and our ways. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I have no good answer to that inquiry."

magnadearel

I'm so sorry I'm late in tagging this! ;A;