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 Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 1:18 pm
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 Kitwana sniffed as he walked, keeping to the far left of the group he was with. They were on the trail of some rather large prey that they had wounded a few hours earlier, leaving the beast bloody and limping. There would be enough meat to feed the large Viking party he had joined and more than enough bones for trinkets and decorations, proof of their victory.
Kitwana wasn't interested in a massive kill, though. He wanted something unique, something special. That was why he was off to the far edge of the group, barely within earshot of the rest of them. This wasn't unusual for him, as he tended to be a bit of a loner, looking out for himself and what he wanted rather than others. While a full belly would be nice, he had hoped this Viking would produce a nice memento of his time.
Unfortunately, he hadn't seen anything worth taking back yet. No interesting feathers, no shiny stones, no strange skulls, no Thralls or pelts to show off. Ugh...a rather unproductive trip.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 1:40 pm
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The scent of blood had tickled Wa Molo'o's nose, waking him from a nap. Growling irritably, the dark furred god cracked open an eye. While he was tempted to investigate the scent, he decided instead to simply go and find a different place to nap.
Heaving himself to his feet and stretching, the Drought god yawned hugely before flicking his wings to settle them against his back. Padding silently through the grasses, his ears swiveled slightly as he caught the sounds of someone walking nearby. Perhaps someone tracking the blood scent. Well, if that was the case, Wa could perhaps be of some help.
Clearing his throat, he spoke, voice a deep rumble.
"If you're tracking a blood scent, it was pretty strong further yonder," he offered, tail flicking in the direction he'd come from. "I'd venture to guess whatever was bleeding won't be moving too much further."
Whatever was bleeding wouldn't be moving period, if Wa's nose was any judge.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 2:22 pm
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Viking party? What on earth was a viking party? Wa's dark gold eyes glimmered with curiosity. He loved to see new places, new things. And a viking party was definitely new.
Then, he blinked when asked about his horns. Slowly, a deep, rumbling laugh made its way out of his chest and his eyes took on a decidedly amused glint.
"I suppose you could say they are a legacy of my father," he said with an odd little smile flickering over his face. His mother certainly didn't have horns, so it followed that his father was the one to pass that particular trait down to the son. Noting the other lion's darting eyes, Wa decided to have a bit of fun and twitched one of his wings just hard enough to put paid to any thought that the other might just be seeing things. Then, in a more conversational tone, he decided to indulge in his curiosity.
"So tell me. What is a viking party? That's not something I've heard of before."
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:07 pm
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Kitwana snapped his gaze back to the male as he laughed. He wasn't one that took joy in others laughing at him and, while the huge lion might not have been doing that, it's what it seemed like to Kitwana. The twitch of another wing made his claws slowly extend into the dirt.
He wasn't unaware of gods. He knew they existed, and there were a few the Stormborn praised liberally. He had never seen a god before, but he knew this must be one. Fantastic horns that glowed, twitching wing 'markings'...even though they were lying flat against his back, Kit could tell they had just a bit of dimension to them now that he looked harder.
The questions the god asked fell of deaf ears. Kitwana was now judging his options. He could either attack and be potentially killed or cursed, or come away with a trinket from the god. A patch of his shining mane, perhaps, or the necklace he wore around his neck. He had healthy respect for gods, though, and he wanted to be respected by them in turn, so the attack wouldn't be to kill. Just to exert his strength and prove himself worthy. Plus, wouldn't the token of a reluctant god be a fantastic addition to his collection?
Without warning he pounced. He was probably up to the god's shoulder in height, but Kitwana was a skilled fighter. He never backed down from a challenge and, therefore, had a lot of experience. He had the upper paw in terms of surprise, too. If he could land the first hit, come away with something in his jaws...
Twilight Jaws You can decide if he lands a hit/noms some mane/breaks the necklace/whathaveyou XD He can succeed or his 'token' can be a new scar somewhere, it's up to you~
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:35 pm
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As fast as the attack came, Wa Molo'o's ability to teleport was still faster. One moment he was there and the next he was behind the impudent lion, one hefty paw already striking out.
"Rude little thing, aren't you," he growled. "Do you really want me to curse you with a never-ending thirst? I'm the god of Drought. I could shrivel your insides to dust if I chose."
He was bluffing, he really didn't know whether he could or not, but it sounded good. And as annoyed as he was, he was sure he could make something terrible happen. He'd really rather not, but this little bug didn't need to know that. Was this other lion crazy? Wa supposed it was possible. Though he suspected it was closer to foolhardiness. Someone who just couldn't resist the idea of trying to take something from a god.
Deciding to test his theory, Wa sighed and managed to look bored.
"Given that you're mortal, I should in fairness warn you. Try to steal from me and I will curse you. And I can guarantee that you won't enjoy the results. Or course, I have been known to enjoy bargaining..."
Growling, he stood waiting, ready to attack if need be, claws out and digging at the earth under him. His horns seemed to flicker with heat and the baleful light within his golden eyes promised nothing good for the other lion if this continued.
SilverLutz Oh ho ho ho~ >] I've been wanting to play with the universal teleport power gods have for a while. What a lovely opportunity.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:50 pm
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One second he was there and the next, gone. Kitwana landed heavily on his front paws as his pounce ended with nothing but a bit of dust that had been kicked up in the god's sudden disappearance. He spun around and ducked, seeing the huge paw outstretched for him. As a Stormborn he didn't mind scars, but he did mind having his intestines spilled out onto the ground.
The god of drought? Great...of course he had to pick a god that didn't have a pleasant domain. Thankfully many of the Stormborn gods had to do with storms and the sea, so there was never a short supply of water, but an individual curse on him that would make him thirsty forever?
...well. There were worse things, he supposed. But still, not something he relished. He didn't back down from his stance, though, even as his mind raced. A bargain?
"And what is your end of the deal, god?" he asked, his tone of voice serious. "Not cursing me? Because that's not much of a deal. The pride I hail from takes pride in bringing things home from our journeys. Give me something to bring back and show my pride, and in turn I'll answer your questions."
That seemed fair, in his mind. He didn't usually bargain, but the worry of having his pride somehow cursed - or himself - with thirst weighed heavily on his decision to hold his paw.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:06 pm
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Snorting a little, Wa hid his very great relief behind a wall of very great irritation. So this was just a poor attempt at trophy grabbing. Well, at least this mortal wasn't crazy. Keeping a warning growl in his voice, Wa slowly straightened from his crouch and sat.
"Better. Still rude, but better. Now," he said as his tail moved to wrap around his paws. "You say that you require a trophy of sorts, correct? And in return, you will give me knowledge. Yes, I think we can come to some sort of arrangement."
With eyes half closed, but still closely watching the other lion, Wa was clearly thinking hard. And, after a moment, he gave a small satisfied nod and turned his eyes attention to the mortal.
"Yes, I think we can work something out. Now, since I prefer some civility whilst bargaining, what name would you prefer I use? I can't just call you lion or mortal while we haggle, after all. And while you're telling me that, you can tell me what sort of trophy you want."
The growl had faded and Wa seemed perfectly composed as he sat and waited for the other lion to answer.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:13 pm
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Kitwana held his ground as the god continued to grumble and stand aggressively, but as the huge lion began to settle down, so did he. He remained standing but his claws went back into his paws and he lifted his head, no longer lowered and ready to attack. He knew now that he'd have no chance, no surprise, nothing. He'd be beaten like a cub by the War Lord.
Once the terms were made, he knew he had to play along nicely to get what he wanted. He had no shame in seeking trophies in any way he could, and he could proudly display whatever he was going to get and say he had a battle of wits with a god. No one was around to attest to the statement so no one could say otherwise. Plus, he was sure there were more than one fish tale concerning how some trophies were acquired.
"I am Kitwana, and that will be what you call me," he said, still standing. "And any you are willing to give. I have no knowledge of gods other than being powerful and difficult to kill, so I wouldn't want to ask something of you that you couldn't replace." A tooth, a claw from his wing, or one of the horns on his head were probably out of the question. Regeneration probably wasn't something they could do. Perhaps the feather from his necklace was replaceable though, or his intended target, a clump of the fiery mane.
"Generally when we bring trophies from gods, it is the decorations they wear or feathers they lose from their wings," he offered. "But if your decorations are not replaceable, we may have to get creative."
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:25 pm
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In spite of his annoyance, Wa felt himself become amused again, though this time he was a little more careful to keep it to himself. Nodding slowly as he listened, he was already thinking about what he could safely part with.
"Very well, Kitwana. My name is Wa Molo'o. And yes, I believe I can give you a satisfactory trophy. Decorations are easy enough to come by and replace, so I see no problem with this. Tell me, will such a thing increase your status within your pride?"
He hadn't much in the way of decoration, but his necklace would be easy enough to repair. And though his wings had no feathers, he certainly had rather a lot of mane. Hair could grow back and feathers and teeth were easily harvested.
Moving quickly, he raised a claw to the necklace about his throat and with a bit of cross-eyed concentration managed to remove the feather and one of the teeth. Setting these down near his front paws, he considered the best way to remove a chunk of mane. Or... well. There was his tail tuft as well. And that was easier to reach.
"I believe, that I am going to need your assistance, Kitwana. If you would be so good as to hold my tail tip so I can cut away some of the tuft for you? After that, I believe you owe me some answers, no?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:43 pm
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Giving the long, silky fur at the tip of his tail a regretful look, Wa quickly sliced out with his claws, feeling them tear through the fur. Once he'd sheared (what he considered to be) a generous portion of fur away, he motioned with his paw for Kitwana to take the fur, feather and tooth.
"Well, I hope this satisfies you. Now, what is a viking party? I enjoy wandering, you see. And I've never heard such a phrase. While you're at it, tell me about your pride since I've never heard of one that collects trophies as a group."
Relaxing a bit, his perked his ears forward, clearly eager to hear whatever information that Kitwana would give.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:53 pm
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Kitwana released the tail once Wa was done and moved over to inspect his prizes. If only all gods were like this...he didn't mind talking and bargaining instead of fighting, but generally it was the quickest way to get things done.
"Ah. Yes. A viking party consists of Reavers and those who wish to become Reavers," he said, sitting down to pull his prizes into a tiny, neat pile. He'd need something to carry them in, but there were large leaves around to make a makeshift sack out of.
"And the purpose is to go out and find food, prizes, Thralls, treasure, whatever we can, and bring it back to our pride. A portion is given to the War Lord, our leader, and the rest belongs to those that found it. The more trophies you have, the more respect you can garner from other Reavers and Captains, since it proves that you've gone on many vikings and had successful confrontations. Or in our case, talks," he said with a little grin, looking up at Wa once his prizes were in order.
"We are the Stormborn. A very large pride of I've heard correctly. Very proud, very strong, steeped in tradition and so forth. You're not far from our borders and gods are welcome there, so long as they don't cause trouble." He wasn't sure the god of droughts would be praised as if the god of thunder showed up, but if he could keep drought or lack of storms from their lands, then he'd certainly get a bit of love.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 5:06 pm
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Listening intently, Wa found himself wanting to visit these Stormborn and see all of this for himself. It certainly sounded very interesting. And it would be something new, something different. Yes. A visit seemed in order.
Throwing his back as Kitwana grinned, Wa let out a rumbling bellow of laughter and reached out with a paw to give the other a hearty slap on the shoulder.
"Very good, very good. And I imagine trinkets from a god ups the amount of respect. Well, I can hardly fault you then. And since we've both come out of this a little richer, I suppose no real harm was done."
Still chuckling, Wa considered what he'd been told. A pride that welcomed well-behaved gods. He liked the sound of that.
"I should like to see your pride. Be a good fellow and point the direction for me, would you? Then, I can finish my nap and start out and you can get back to your viking party. I'm sure they'd appreciate your help with whatever was bleeding so very much."
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 5:17 pm
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The slap to his shoulder nearly toppled Kitwana over, and he was very, very glad he had decided not to continue attacking the god. He surely would have come out the very, very sore loser. Literally.
"Mm. Gods are considered revered and to earn a trophy from them proves that you've either impressed them or bested them," he agreed as he steadied himself. "Some are easier to subdue, I've heard. And others are more the type to talk." He raised a brow pointedly at Wa before smirking just a bit.
"It's to the southwest of here," he said, nodding in the direction they had come from. "We're not far. If you walk it's about half a day's slow pace, if you fly or...poof...I'd say hardly a blink of an eye."
At the mention of his Viking party he gave a little nod and began to search for a large enough leaf to carry his prizes in. "Yes, they'll have caught up with the beast by now I'm sure. We've a large enough party to have downed a young bull elephant," he added, pride in his voice. "Surely a bone from that will join your gifts."
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