[PRP] A Risky Move (Mkhai x Zjarri)

[Krysin]

MKHAI

The god was actually... nervous.

He had lessons from the goddess of Fidelity, and he had outright convinced himself that the lioness he had to absolutely sway to his side was the Warlord herself. In the structure of the pride, there were none better than Zjarri'fol, and Mkhai could not see himself continuing his plan without her. He would convince her, no matter what it took. She was his best chance at producing the strongest mortal offspring, and he would not allow the opportunity to slip through his claws.

All the pressure he felt now was pressure he put on himself. Fidelity had tried to instruct him how to talk to ladies and woo them, but Mkhai honestly was not the type of lion to be skilled in such an area. He needed to prove himself to the Warlord, and if he was more patient he could do just that by rising through the ranks.

His god-like egotism was the one thing that stood in his way from playing things out as a mortal should. He was a god, this pride worshipped his domain. That was all he truly needed to impress a lady, though some part of him doubted that Zjarri'fol would be. She was... different. A cut above the rest, and he felt like starting his plan with her was necessary to its success.

He was here, and all the sudden he had to shove away his insecure thoughts. It was the middle of the night, though that hardly meant Zjarri was unguarded. He hoped, instead, that it would eventually allow them some privacy.

What kind of fool he was, waltzing up to her den thinking that she'd immediately bed him because he was strong.

"Warlord, there is something I must discuss with you."

This was the worst tactic he had ever employed in his life.

Ctrl F Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

ZJARRI

The day was long and the night was threatening to be one in the same. Zjarri’fol had finally taken to her quarters and was intending to lay down, but her thoughts disrupted her in ways that she simply couldn’t ignore. So when the shadow of Mkhai engulfed her dens entrance she was pacing and ended her pace with her back to him. Her ears pressed against her head and she closed her eyes with a sigh. “Mkhai, you can call me Zjarri.” Had she been more inclined to participate she would have waved a paw at his formality, but instead exhaustion was enough to weigh that paw down.

“What would you like?” Her tone was disinterested. Given the hour of evening she was growing impatient, but held her tongue in favor of actually discovering what he had to ask. To interrupt a lioness in her den, alone? She had to wonder if he was trying to be smooth or something akin to that. “You aren’t planning something foolish are you?” Finally her mood was uplifted a tad as she imagined being over taken by the brute. Ha. Her mind played out the scene with her eventually getting away – his sheer size would do it’s damage, but she was nimble.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

MKHAI

It was in that moment Mkhai realized the true depth of how unprepared he was. He had moved forward with his plan far too quickly, and it was too late now to backtrack now that he had disturbed the Warlord herself. He lingered in the entrance of her den, unwilling to commit to moving forward when she had not invited him in. The god was a trespasser here, and for once he seemed to respect that.

"Very well, Zjarri." Truthfully, soft words would not be enough to sway this lioness. He doubted anything could sway her, but he had to try. She was the most worthy of his bloodline - he knew with her great things could be made possible. Realizing that nothing he could do now would make up for the grievous error he had made in coming here, he went full steam ahead into his plan.

"Perhaps I am," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, but made no move forward. "Now that we are alone I must admit I have lied to you." What he was doing, Mkhai wasn't sure would even work. If she did not respond well, he supposed he would have to kill her and that would be a shame. But, his identity was crucial to keep hidden so he could carry out his plan within the pride.

"My bloodline has grown thin here, if there was every any of it to begin with. I do not know how involved my past life was with the pride, if they ever were." He had jumped two steps ahead of his confession and skipped over the crucial bits. Now Mkhai stepped forward, allowing the mortal illusion to break just a bit. His size remained the same, but wings seemed to shift into form upon his back. Pristine white, tinted blue at the tips.

"Even if bloodlines from other gods have made it in, they've been weak and careless..." Disgraceful.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

ZJARRI

The silence prompted the slightest bit of worry from her, none of which she made known to the male who hadn’t made a move to get any closer, but was still blocking the entirety of the entrance. Finally he began to speak and she relaxed a bit, even dared to seat herself before the lingering giant. Her ears were forward, attentive and eyes focused on him. It was apparent that he wasn’t going to waste time on whatever the topic was.

Anger boiled beneath the surface as he went on. Lied? She should have seen that coming, how many were actually honest? Time would tell if his lie was large or not.

Past life?

Now she didn’t dare hide the mild concern/anger she was beginning to feel boil over. What was he spouting off about? Had she allowed some strange prophet into their midst and allowed him to speak freely to others? Zjarri’fol resisted the urge to shake her head as he spoke, not for what he had said, but for what she had allowed to happen. “And what would we have to gain from your…” Her voice broke off as the lions form began to evolve. Wings! The mortal gasped at the sudden presence of the godly figure. It was a small sound, petite as she suddenly felt in his shadow.

All things considered the lioness maintained her composure and her face became stern. These were her people, god or not, she would see what he wanted and if he had ill intentions she would do what she could to protect them. “What would you have me do?” She queried him, a brow raising slightly, it had occurred to her what he might be leading up too, but she wanted the god before her to put it to words.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

MKHAI

She was upset, but that was to be expected. The Warlord did not know the entirety of who and what he was, nor his intent. If she was not worried, he'd be concerned that her mind had grown dull. At least this way he had her full attention. For better or worse, her focus was on him alone for a few precious seconds. The illusion he cast around himself shattered completely. His form filled the den, perhaps explaining why he had felt so awkward in it before. His wings pushed against the walls, unable to fully stretch out despite how they yearned to. Even the bracers her wore upon his legs reappeared, as if they were a piece of him.

Then she bestowed upon him a rare treat, and for a moment he did not quite know how to react. Yes, he expected mortals to be shocked and awed by him. But the gasp was so soft that he almost missed hearing it. Her constitution was strong, so much so that he expected little to phase her. Amusement begged to tug upon his lips, but he swallowed the emotion as to avoid belittling a lioness who did not deserve it.

"Bear my cubs."

The words were spoken firmly - not a command, but clearly not a joke as well. He frowned down at her, green eyes waiting to evaluate her reaction. Mkhai no longer had to play at being a mortal and earning his way towards her. He was a god, she knew that now. "And keep my identity hidden. I am the God of Warriors, and for my identity to be publicized would mean that I'd be unable to function truly the way I desire to within the pride."

Was he going to explain why he wanted her to have his cubs? No. He thought it was obvious.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

ZJARRI

Her awe had passed, even as his illusion completely shattered and his entire being seemed to take up every inch of her space. If she hadn’t been stunned to near silence in the beginning she would have suggested leaving, but somehow she managed to have enough clarity to remind herself that this was meant to be a private conversation. If anyone saw the entrance to her den though... they’d wonder about the bird lion butt gracing their Warlord.

Facing him she saw his glory.

The lion came into his size easily and though new items decorated him it was like they had always been present. As though the items belonged, it was the same for his bird-like wings. Zjarri had a moment of wonder where she tried to picture him without these additions. And for a moment her focus was purely on his appearance, nearly forgetting that there was a conversation going on. “Come in.” She offered, but realized there wasn’t much den to offer. His request didn’t shock her – she felt sure that nothing could in this moment.

“Especially if you want this a secret. Know that I don’t see very many lions at this hour and truthfully the image others might be getting from the entrance. Have you seen yourself from behind?” If she was younger she’d have giggled at her notion, but instead she chose a small smile to honor her amusement. All of her musings aside she wondered about his decision, not so deep down she understood the choice, but why not another god? Zjarri hadn’t dealt with gods in her entire young life, but knew from those in the pride that they certainly did as they pleased. So she thought about what she might say and decided on a single word question to rebuttal against his.

“Now?”  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

MKHAI

It took him too long to realize just how obvious he was being. Curiously the god looked back over his shoulder, as if trying to determine how much of his shape was visible from the outside. At least there were not many others about, but it was better not to risk further exposure. At her invitation, he stepped completely into her den. However, he did not stop once safely within the confines of her home. Instead he carried himself until he was right in front of Zjarri. Mkhai had made his intent clear - he saw no reason now to keep his distance from her.

He sat down in front of her and pulled his wings in against his side. Not that it gave him much more room to work with, but it wasn't something Mkhai would complain about. After all, these dens weren't exactly made for gods. "I have not," he told her with a curious tilt of his head. Was his behind really all that massive? Well, he'd concern himself with that later. For now, he had a plan to carry out... and Zjarri would be that first step.

She asked him, and should have known the answer before he gave it. "Yes." There was no hesitation, no shyness, no shame. Mkhai was who he was, and what he offered to her now was a gift that only a fool would turn away. His cubs would be strong, so much stronger than any previous offspring she had. They could be a foundation to build upon for the pride.

"I am here, am I not?" If his previous answer was not satisfactory enough, he hoped this was. It should be her honor to have his keen interest, and he was almost certain he'd be offended if she rejected him. He was not used to losing - and he would not lose her. "The cubs will be strong, and I will train them to be stronger. That I will guarantee."  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

ZJARRI

Most males wouldn't have commited quite as much as he had. His overwhelming presence grew closer to her and with each paw step she could feel her heart thrum harder in her chest. He wasn't being foolish, this was a proposition. She wasn't foolish either, it was a good suggestion, a great one in fact! Zjarri hadn't seen this coming quite to blatantly as it had, but she was flattered nonetheless. The movement of his wings as they settled against his sides pulled her from her thoughts and she was thankful for it as she had nearly missed that he was speaking once again.

"A shame." She taunted him with what could be taken as a compliment, possibly. The smirk she wore previously had faded, but returned for this remark.

Hmph. A sound, which wasn't polite, suggested that she was considering his offer.

"You make a valid point." The lioness halted her considering and stared him dead in the eye. There wasn't any reason for her to hide that she was already a willing participant. He had her at 'God of Warriors'. The patron god himself had made his presence known to her, asked a favor of secrecy, and offered to help her provide the next generation of elites. In her mind this was nothing short of some strange miracle - one she certainly hadn't seen coming.

She made none of her excitement known, using all of her will to keep herself composed and non-challant about his offer.

"You swear they will? You also swear to remain and train them?" Her eyes narrowed slightly at the god. His word would be binding in her eyes and so she felt the need to get clarity. "I'll have no b*****d cubs running amuck the pride." A thought occurred to her that hadn't before.

"Actually. You cannot claim them, not as a mortal." She admitted casually. "Not if I am to proclaim them to be sons and daughters of the God of Warriors himself." Zjarri spoke slowly, the first sign of uncertainty she had throughout the whole interaction. "Unless you want that to remain a hidden fact as well?" Her tail slapped the ground in a quiet display of her uncertainty, but her pink stare never faltered.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

MKHAI

My bloodline would only do so much for them, after all. They would need proper training to ensure they use their strength to its full potential." He had seen it plenty of times before. Wasted potential was something that he could not stand. He would not tolerate it in his own future offspring. Besides, he had already intended to stay within the pride. He could father useless bastards with others, and perhaps less useless ones too. "I will remain to train them." At least the ones that held the most potential.

There was no guarantee, after all, that all of his children would be great. Even within his own family, he had one sibling that just seemed to be weaker than the rest.

He blinked down at her, and immediately realized the grievous lack of attention to detail. He cursed under his breath, unamused with the revelation. Mkhai had not thought to believe she'd want to claim them as children from a god. But, she was the Warlord, she could likely make such a story believable to the rest of the pride. "Their parentage when it concerns me is not so important. They need not know their father is a god, and so the rest of the pride will not know as well."

The god tried to be sensitive to Zjarri's own desires, though he found it difficult to put anyone ahead of himself. "If you wish to claim them as the children of the God of Warriors, I will instead claim to be a son of his - here to raise his cubs in his stead." He was not sure of the idea himself, after all he clearly had not thought this far ahead. All he had known was that he wanted cubs by her, and that desire alone was enough to fill his head with careless determination. "They may still know me as a father figure, and when my time is done here they can find out the truth."  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

ZJARRI

"You're right." Admitting defeat wasn't easy - even in a simple conversation that she had never anticipated having. Lineage wasn't truthfully important to her, a cub from a Thrall could pick up and be as great as any Reaver born cub. The same was true for a Warlords cub... they could be unsuccessful in life and thus fail. She was no stranger to this.

"If you're not worried about that sort of thing, nor am I." She finally admitted to him. The truth was out and made life that much more simple. "You'd make a believable mortal son to a god, but leaving this a secret until the cubs themselves are ready would likely be best for everyone." Besides, she would know who the father was - truly. Not another soul needed to know what the Warlord did and with who, even if others made it their business to know.

"Deal."

The idea was set in her mind and after her first litter this one was a breeze to choose. The first had been whimsical in fashion, delighted by the hearts desires. Having grown since then she knew this to be what it was, the most desirable option for both parties involved. Who else might he be left to choose from? The number of strong lionsses varied from rank to rank, but the Warlord made sense - at least to her. She peered at him now in silence for the next steps.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

MKHAI

When he finished his efforts within the pride, he had no issue with the Warlord stepping up to claim that her children were sired by a god. He had no fear over revealing himself, but at this moment it would create too much of a distraction. There was still work to do, and Zjarri'fol was only the first, bold step. Few other females would ever be able to compare to her - the leader of this pride of ruthless warriors.

"I would not leave them in the dark forever," he promised her. His cubs deserved to know their lineage. When the time was right, it would likely be empowering knowledge. Gifted away too soon could lead to overconfidence and foolishness. His children would need proper training first, and so keeping his identity hidden was beneficial to them all.

She had agreed to his offer, and Mkhai bowed his head and mimicked her words in his deep, gravelly voice. "Deal." Earlier she had asked him when, and he had not lied when he said 'now'. It was not entirely an impulsive decision, though perhaps the timing was... so. He rose back up onto his feet, not bothering to conceal his visage again. He would not have her forget all that he was. His wings brushed across the top of the den - a minor inconvenience, but it did not hinder his approach to her.

He stopped only when he was nothing more than a hair's width away, green eyes bearing down upon her form. "Deal." He repeated, words full of meaning and desire for the strength she could provide him. She would understand.