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 Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:16 am
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Ngaule's concern was growing. It seemed every lion within the stormborn pride was suffering from some unknown illness she did not understand. While some seemed to fare far better than others, the ones that fared poorly were most troubling. Even more troubling was that she could not find a cause for it.
Her search had carried her from the interior of the lands out, adults and cubs and everywhere in between. Insects, rocks, trees, anywhere that could have been hiding some pathogen or parasite. She was having no luck, and only finding more questions. It was becoming as frustrating as it was heartbreaking.
Tonight, her search had carried her to the border of the stormborn lands. By now she was concluding she was thinking about this completely wrong, but she had not given up on finding some clue. Hmmm....
Maybe there was someone out here she could speak to, two minds are better than one and all that.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:30 am
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When he moved his body creaked. Every bone peeked through his skin, with every step his thin ragged skin stretched achingly over his ribs. He had made the decision to walk the border at night. While during the day he would wander through the pride, an invisible lion amongst the hundreds, allowing the famine that exuded from his being to seep in to the very foundation of the pride.
Truthfully he had never been a vengeful god, but this pride, they had angered him. When the cool of night came a mist always rose from the damp stones of the prides lands and this whipped around his paws as he stalked along the border.
His stone dead eyes fell upon the goddess as she approached the border and he slowly stopped, his frame lowering in to a painful sit. He stretched his wings out before laying them flat against his back. The ragged maned god took a breath, a slow, bone rattling noise that echoed off every rock and tree, a sound that would normally indicate the last dying breath of a creature a true death rattle. |
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 4:43 pm
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What was that? The goddess paused in her steps, a flick of her ears, eyes narrowed, searching. She had heard something, where had it come from? There, a figure not far off, a lion? Had he been the source of the sound? No, it couldn't have been, could it? She shook her head, it didn't matter. What mattered was her search, and that there was another here, one who could maybe help her make sense of what was going on, or at least help her find another clue.
"Hello."
She gave him a friendly smile as she approached, hoping he would be willing to talk to her. She paused in her steps a short distance from him, her expression falling to one of concern. She had never seen a creature such as this one. He did not look well at all, nothing but bones. She half expected him to disintegrate into a skeleton at any moment. He she had not seen him move, she might have doubted he was even alive.
"Are you sick too?"
Oh dear, she certainly hoped the pride here would not end up like him.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 3:59 am
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The sickly looking god stopped moving completely, as he listened to the goddess speak. He could of course make an excuse, he could say ‘it is their turn’ which it may have been. Lands gained a famine or a plague or a natural disaster when they were over populated. It was the worlds way of balancing itself out.
He was not here thought of any such cause. He wa where because this pride had gained his ire and the only thing that he could do to teach them a lesson was to be here.
“This pride harbours murderers, killers and slave makers. I do not choose. I am Famine. That is what I am not who, what. This pride showed me what it was and now they will suffer their punishment.” He moved his massive wings beating downwards causing an unnatural updraft. He opened his mouth just a touch and blood pooled at the stitches that held it shut. He breathed a foul deathly, noise filled breath.
“I am Famine, I touch all equally. This pride, it will learn, it will remember and it will learn. Until that time I am here.” He paused for the briefest of moments, he made the conscious decision not to breath and settled his wings once again against his spine, a stillness settled over the sickly body, a stillness only ruffled by the natural breeze that whipped off from the sea. “You may do as you please, I will not stop you, but I will not move on.” |
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:12 pm
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Ngaule was generally a kind-hearted goddess, soft-spoken and gentle. It was a rare moment to see her roused to anger, now was one such moment. Her eyes narrowed, fixing him with a burning glare, her maw parting in a snarl. He was doing this on purpose?!
"So you will lower yourself to their level? And when you become a murderer too, will you be satisfied with yourself?"
She did not know if the words he spoke of the pride were true, if they were she might have sympathized with his motives. But it did not matter, there were children here, CHILDREN. Children who had done no wrong.
"If what you say is true, then what of the children here? Children who have done nothing to deserve your so called punishment. What of them? The slaves you claim they keep, you are punishing them too. And what of the other creatures who inhabit this land, or did you forget it is not only lions who dwell here, you arrogant jackass?"
She growled, an angry lash of her tail, it seemed she had most certainly inherited her mother's sense of justice. Always beware the quiet ones.
"They will trace the cause, they will find you, and they will come. And when they do, you may find that even gods are not invulnerable."
There was sadness in her voice as she spoke. It was not a threat, but a statement of caution. She wished no ill on the god of famine (though at that moment she may have entertained the thought of literally knocking some sense into him). He may find himself in s dangerous game, and she had learned long ago that mortals were often far stronger than gods gave them credit for.
She had already turned her back on him, silently wishing him safety and peace. And now her resolve was that much stronger, she would NOT allow the children of this land to suffer unjustly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 12:53 pm
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Jaddis watched as she turned her back on him. “You seem to be under the misconception that I can kill.” He breathed. “I am not death child, just famine.” He rose to his feet shaking out his fur. “I have lived, far longer than most little one, yet I have never killed a soul. I am not death.” He reiterated this as he started to move.
“You may tell them what you please child. Do you labour over the idea that because I am here other places are not suffering from a famine?’ His eyes flickered for a moment and he looked at the female sadly. She must be very young not to know that they existed because what they were existed, while he walked these lands other lands suffered from a famine, just because he wasn’t there didn’t mean that famine wasn’t rampant in other corners of the world.
“I have come here, and yes, I hear the cries of children. Yet, no one has died. I have asked for nothing of this pride. I have come and brought with me what I am for their cruelty. I have asked for nothing and while their priestesses and leaders contemplate sacrificing the very reason I am here, they have not approached, or pleaded for their children. Do you hear them little one? Do you hear them battling over that scrap of meat? Do you hear them sharing? The answer is no little one. Before you cast your sentence upon me, think, use your own mind to search for why I am here. This place it is over populated with cruel creatures that would fight and brawl each other while their children cry.”
The bone thin god sighed. “I feel them suffering, I hear them cry and I should be else where helping those who need it to find that scrap of meat to let their starving bellies stop rumbling.” He sighed heavily. “I am not death young one. Open your ears and listen to my words. They will come, they will bargain and yell and offer to killl one another in sacrifice. Then someone will arrive with a level head and ask for the pain to stop not for them, but for their pride and then, I will leave.” He breathed a slow, bone rattling breath “I will go back to this existence and perhaps this murderous place will learn and face its faults. Perhaps... Perhaps..” He whispers his voice fading slowly as he moved away his whole tattered frame seemingly about to fall to pieces as he moved, his breath slow and painful his movements achingly noisy. |
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:10 pm
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"You are truly arrogant if you believe you have never taken a life. Even if you do not strike them down yourself, death comes as a direct result of your actions. Death follows famine."
Her tone had lost its harshness, her voice now more matter-of-fact. Famine could not help who he was she supposed, she did not blame him for that. There was some truth in his words, harsh though it was, the balance of nature must ebb and flow.
"You are right, famine is part of nature, and nature must balance between plenty and famine. But you are not here for that balance now are you? You mean to pass judgement, to punish with your presence, and in doing so you yourself have upset that balance."
She shook her head, a heavy sigh. It was a pointless argument, she realized that, he would not listen. So be it.
"I am not so young and naive as you think I am. Be well, Jaddis of famine, I hope you will find peace."
Wings spread, Ngaule left him there. He would do as he would, she could not stop him. And she would do all she could to ensure the survival of all who dwelled here.
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