|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 8:27 am
 |
|
|
 |
How had everything gone so wrong?
For the first time in many, many years, Ashiki had found her steadfast composure cracking at the seams. It spiderwebbed along her spine and fractured her foundation so deeply that she no longer knew what was the hardest to recover from - her wounds or her shaken resolve. Each day brought its own challenges, its own misfortunes, and they added to the weight already stacked upon her shoulders until she certainly felt herself bowing beneath the pressure. Would she snap and crumble before she could right these wrongs? She knew she could not rest if she did not have faith that this pride, the pride of her ancestors, would continue on without her at the helm.
These were the thoughts that plagued her in her dreams though there was no peace to be found in the waking realm. They had lost so many to the grip of death and still others to something worse, not least of all her own heir. Grief pooled in her belly and had she the strength, she would have no doubt found tears welling in her eyes. It was unlike her to be so overcome with emotion but Kethiwe was so much more than her heir - he was her eldest son, her flesh and blood, this pride's undying hope. She could do nothing for him as she was except bid her vessels keep their third eyes peeled and curl herself tighter around his younger siblings as she bought them the time they needed to grow within her womb.
After the battle with the Stormborn, the days passed in a haze. She slept often and stayed awake only long enough to meet with Amachwane to advise him on his next steps as her acting reagent or to speak with Azisa about the matters of the pride's recovery. Her own health seemed to be improving, minimally, but Ashiki did not need to see the worry in her daughter's eyes to know that the childbirth would bring a challenge; she could already feel the way her strength had been sapped to support them. It was just as well, many scions were greater than one but it meant that her time was growing limited and there was still much yet to do and little energy with which to do it. In her waking, lonesome moments without a child or a sibling to fill her ear, she lay awake whispering to the ancestors and begging them for their guidance. Though she had always been a feisty lioness, her faith in those that came before her was unyielding.
In her darkest hour, they answered.
A loud crash awoke her, accompanied by a shrill scream and the bustle of lions just outside her den. It was enough that she lifted her head from where she was lying among a pile of furs to wait for someone to tell her what was happening beyond the mouth of her temporary home. There was only hushed whispers, a scuffle, and a loud, demanding voice that would not be swayed -
Katiti.
She would have known that voice anywhere and, as the female stepped into the shadows of her den, she did not doubt her eyes. It was her, if somewhat.. charged with an energy Ashiki had only felt a scarce few times before. With some effort, the Queen pushed herself up into a sitting position and did her best to pull her posture into a regal pose. The dusky red lioness had lost weight in her muscles while her belly swelled and the gash in her neck was angry and crusted over with scabs and herbs, but closed. Yet, her green eyes were not dampened by her weakness. They locked upon the familiar form of her undead soul with a certain amount of knowing and concern.
"So they have sent you back to me," she said softly, drawing a deep breath and releasing it steadily. The ruckus no doubt had been Katiti making a scene, something which wished she had thought better of but, in the end, who was she to question an ancestor? Talayeh was almost as hard to control but at least she had given the Queen invaluable information in the meetings they had shared over the years. Not least of all was her knowledge of an Ancestor's magic.
"Let go of this guise, it does not suit you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:24 am
|
|
|
|
Katiti'manina had been thrust back into life, though she was unsure whether she had ever stopped experiencing some form of living. The memory of the place she had been should have remained fresh, but her grasp on it was already slipping. Regardless of whether she was meant to remember or not she hated losing it. No time had been allotted for Kat's recovery from death. She had not allowed herself the reprieve, not when she clearly had so much to do.
She walked through the cavern leading to Ashiki's den, unable to ignore the way the other lions shied away from her. For now, she would not blame them for their actions. Her entrance into the pride had been unplanned and so unlike her. Raw emotion and energy had led her back to the thing she held most dear, her pride. She was not shamed to show how much she cared, but a little tact certainly would have helped the situation.
The red lioness entered Ashiki's den to see the Queen waiting for her. For a moment she was silent as she took in the Queen's condition with her discerning gaze. The attack had damaged her badly. That she had held onto life this long was a testament of her strength and fortitude. There would be more trials ahead, for the belly swollen with life could very well ask for death in return for its bounty. Age had rattled them both once upon a time, and Ashiki now showed her age. It was not good, and she felt her stomach sink with dread at the thought of losing her Queen.
Her fate was not set in stone, and there was nothing anyone could do for Ashiki now. She would have to simply move forward to meet it - it was too late to turn back now. "I do not know," Kat admitted, her gaze briefly shifting to a far cavern wall to hide her shame. She had once prided herself on being a fount of information. Returning to life had unsettled her natural balance. She was not herself anymore, and she did not yet know how to deal with that.
"The pride has not taken to that form well," Kat admitted, though both she and Ashiki knew it was her actions that had brought about such a volatile reaction rather than the form itself. With a sigh, she released the illusion to reveal her new form. It was so alike the body she had died in, perhaps because she had been resurrected in it as well. The gold bracelets and rubies she wore had never been a part of her collection previously, but they felt natural to her now. Her other treasures had been stolen from her. The only true difference were the monochromatic wings hanging over her back, studded with spherical rubies. She had always been a large lioness, but now she was unnaturally so.
Kat was different, but she was also herself.
"What has happened in my absence?" she requested, diverting the focus from herself and back to the pride. She was the Monarch's Soul still, and there were many things she could do to aid the pride she loved. She just needed to know where to begin.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:59 am
|
|
|
|
Ashiki did not answer the goddess for a long breath but her silence was not empty. The vibrant eyes set within her sunken face were alive with wonder and they danced along the subtle and not-so-subtle differences that marked Katiti for what she was. She knew that the female wanted to forget this had happened but Ashiki was focusing on how to make this acceptable to her people now that the chance to simply disguise herself had been taken by rash decisions.
At last, she sighed, and raised her eyes to the roof of her cavern. Beyond the stone she knew the ancestors were watching her with baited breaths, waiting to see what decision she might make. Was this one last chance to prove herself before they called her home? As much as her children and her pride wanted to have faith in her ability to rebound, Ashiki was still not so sure that her fate would be so forgiving.
"Mother, guide me," she whispered in a gentle prayer before her eyes closed and her head lowered back level. When they reopened, there was a focus that could not be denied her no matter how weak her body appeared.
"Khethiwe has been taken by the Stormborn," she stated, matter-of-fact. There was only a flutter to her eyelids that belied her feelings; she could not dwell on the ache of having her heir ripped from her or she knew she would not survive long enough to see her cubs to life. All she could do was half faith that he had not yet been killed and that, ultimately, he would return. "The vessels have not seen his death but I await word that they have seen anything else. Amachwane has taken his place as my voice in the interim. We have other concerns. Not least of all, now, is you."
She drew a deep breath and exhaled as steadily as her weakened lungs would allow her. It felt strange to be addressing a should-be ancestor in such a way but so long as Katiti deferred to her, Ashiki would not stop being her Queen.
"I will have Amachwane make an announcement to the pride concerning your.. presence. I have known for some time I may have to address such existence one day, luckily I have had time to think on what it means to us. As for you, well, we still need you."
Ashiki would never be done needing her Soul, not until she passed from this realm herself but now she could rest assured that Katiti might remain behind even if she could not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 6:22 am
|
|
|
|
The heir was gone, and the news brought a dark expression to Katiti'manina's face. She knew that this was her fault above all others, and she expected most of the pride to realize that as well. Word would get around that her daughter assaulted the Queen and joined the attackers on the Stormborn. If she had remained deceased, would the opinions of others really have mattered? Her death would have been appropriate. But, instead, she had clung to and chosen that glimmer of light that was life and would now have to face those consequences. She was back in the pride, her connection to Calypso suddenly mattered once again.
For once Kat held her tongue. She did not need to ask Ashiki if her daughter survived, a mother's instinct told her that she had. Calypso was a problem Kat would personally see to in the future, but in this moment Ashiki was right. Her pride needed her, no matter what sort of being she had become.
"I only hope that the Ancestors guide him back to us," Kat responded with a heavy heart. The Crown Prince had been perfectly groomed for his role as King, and while his brother was not lacking in potential, Kat had been fond of Khethiwe. If the Stormborn still had him, perhaps she could stretch her wings and find them. But what could one lone lioness do? How long had she been dead and how far could they have traveled in such a time?
The questions made her head throb, but it seemed she would have little time to ponder over them. There were other matters to attend to. "I see that perhaps I did not know you quite as well as I fancied I did," the words were a gentle musing, and she found some humor in the realization that Ashiki still had some secrets.
"I am here to serve, in whatever you may need. I am your Soul." Kat had built her life upon the Ukuhlwa'Izwe. She had been a member since her youth, and had served it until her death and rebirth. Her loyalty was unquestionable, despite the unwitting hand she had played into this tragedy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:55 pm
|
|
|
|
It was easier not to dwell and thus, as Kat's gentle humor greeted the Queen, she managed to find a smile that belied how unnerved she had been in the past week without her Soul at her side. The anxiety was still there and would not leave her, she knew, until the moment her son stepped foot back within the red sands of their home. For a moment, though, she could enjoy this brief moment with her oldest friend.
"Some things a Queen must keep to herself, especially when she does not quite understand them," though weak, she shrugged. "If you ever find that you need speak with your own kind, I would suggest that you ask your vessel, Ruka. The first night I saw whatever it is that you are was when her mother came to our lands."
Of course, knowing Talayeh probably would not help her terribly much. She was such a flighty thing. At least Katiti's existence had answered something for her in all her years of musing over the pale, winged lioness. Katiti knew herself, she retained her loyalty and her devotion; wherever Talayeh hailed from, whoever's ancestor she was, she seemed either to have forgotten or no longer cared.
After a long silence of musing, Ashiki let a deep sigh trickle past her mug. There was so much to do, so many things to address, and poor Amachwane had large footprints to fill without so much as a warning before it happened. As her eyes refocused on Katiti, they were solemn and heavy.
"Katiti, I must confess, I do not think I am going to survive this litter."
It was blunt, but honest, and if Katiti was willing to do whatever Ashiki needed (the Queen never doubted the words) then she must be prepared for this.
"The pride will need you now more than they ever have."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 11:15 am
|
|
|
|
"My own kind is here," she assured her Queen, though she knew that was not what Ashiki had meant. One day there would be questions that needed answers. Until then, her heart, mind, and body were of service to her pride. Death had not been able to pull her away from them. Any desire she had for the knowledge of her existence would fare little better than it. "But if there ever comes a day where I find the need to, I will speak with her." It would have been foolish to toss the knowledge aside carelessly. Katiti'manina knew what value information truly had.
The weight Ashiki's words carried were heavy enough that she could feel it crushing her heart. For a moment, she struggled to hide her grief over Ashiki's acknowledgement. Kat could not lie to herself, she had known from the moment her eyes had settled upon her Queen that Ashiki was unlikely to survive the litter. It was more difficult to hear it from Ashiki's lips.
There would be a time to grieve for her Queen, but it was not now, and so she swallowed the lump in her throat. She had never been a creature so easily taken by emotion, but much had happened in the past days. "I wish it were otherwise," she answered solemnly. The Soul released a breath she did not realize that she had been holding. Death lurked in waiting for her Queen, and the Ancestors had the desire to call her to them. There was much to do before that could be allowed to happen.
"I understand. Set me to task, and I will accomplish it. I will not fail you and your kin." It was a promise, rather than a boast. Her loyalty had always been to Ashiki, even moreso than the entirety of the pride at times. If Ashiki did not survive, the Ukuhlwa'Izwe would need Katiti'manina's help more than ever. "I will continue to serve until the Ancestors call me back to them."
She looked to her Queen, her body weak but her presence imposing. None would be able to live up to the legacy she had created, though in the future she supposed many would try. "I do not yet know what I am capable of, my Queen. This body is mine, but it is strange. I feel as if I have lost some things but replaced them with others. It will take me some time to figure out what I can or cannot do, but I am sure I will continue to be an asset."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:38 pm
|
|
|
|
"As do I," she whispered around a tight smile, "as do I."
In some regards, it wasn't fair. Ashiki had spent her whole life to be back at this point, to be enjoying her happily ever after with her consort and her cubs, in the lands of her mother's kin. She deserved to see them grow and flourish, she deserved to witness the greatness. Of course, she also knew that it was not her place to decide upon what she deserved - she had lived long enough to see her birthright restored to its former glory. Perhaps that had been the blessing.
"There is nothing to be done for the past, my old friend, but with you and this new gift I can ensure the future even if I do not live to see it but from the stars."
She drew a deep, steady breath and allowed herself to settle into her bones. There was a fire in her heart that still burned wildly and it would not do to extinguish it with worry and fear. Life grew in her womb and her passion still flared within her soul.
"The throne is Kethiwe's, Katiti. He is my heir, the one true king. Until the moment that the vessels see his death he will be assumed living and on his way home; I know that he would never abandon this pride while he had the means to return to it." Her eyes slid past her, to the mouth of her den, as if she feared eavesdropping guards might be listening. There were none that close and, besides it, she would not openly admit to distrusting a one of them. Her eyes pulled back to her Soul, this winged, glorious version of her oldest friend, and they were alive with a ferocity her weakened form did not suit.
"Anyone who stands in the way of that is a traitor. Amachwane is my voice until his brother returns and not a moment longer. If anyone betrays Kethiwe, even his own siblings, do not take pity upon them. You are my Clergy now and in death."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 8:10 am
|
|
|
|
The Soul was not certain that this new life was a gift, but she had never been a wasteful creature. She had already been born with the gift of sight, and had been adept at using it towards any cause her Queen set her to. The new life she had been given would not go to waste. She would protect her Queen's will long after Ashiki left the earth to take her place among the stars. There was no doubt among the pride that Katiti's loyalty to the Queen was deep and unbreakable.
The request that was made of her was not done out of a mother's love for her children, but rather a Queen's loyalty to her pride. It was perhaps one of the final actions Ashiki would make as regent, and while that thought broke her heart, iron will held it together. "I understand." Her head bowed in a respectful gesture before she raised her gaze back up to meet her Queen's. "I will make sure none try to wrest it from the Heir's grasp." His death had not yet been foreseen by any of the vessels, and that alone gave her hope that he still lived.
The throne had to be secured with tradition. This pride would not descend into treachery and chaos while Katiti'manina still lived on. Their past had experienced enough of it, and so she chose to look to a more prosperous future. Kethiwe would find his way home to rule the pride he had been groomed for - it was all any of them could wish for. "When it is your time, and you watch us from the stars, I promise this pride will be all you wished for it and more. I am here now... for a while it seems. I will uphold your will." While her body was her own, it was changed, and instinct told her that it would be a long while until death tried to claim her.
The time for self-doubt had long since passed. Katiti'manina was a confident lioness, assured in her abilities and her will. Ashiki was not wrong to task her with this, not just because Katiti'manina was a useful ally but because she was a close friend. There were no other lion she held in such high regards as her Queen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:10 pm
|
|
|
|
"I know that you will do all of that and more, Katiti. Thank you for always being a loyal Vizier and, more than that, a loyal friend. I am the first to admit that I have put my duty before my friendships but I appreciate that you have stood beside me in this life."
Her tone was too serious to allow her to break down into emotions and, besides that, she was not the sort of lioness that cried even at her lowest. She spared only the smallest hint of a smile as she dipped her head in a polite, respectful salute to the lioness who would now outlive her and every one of her scions.
"Tahka could not have asked for a better guardian for his bloodline and though I will regret not being able to meet you in the stars, I am thankful that he and our ancestors have sent you back to guide them while I can no longer be here."
What would it be like to look down and see them all? What would it be like to see her mother and grandfather? She often wondered and sometimes, especially of late, she even felt as if she were already close to them in her dreams. With a contented sigh, she lowered her head down atop her paws and offered Katiti one last, sleepy smile.
"I'm afraid that is all the energy I have for the day, my Soul. Please try not to spook them too terribly while I am asleep."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:13 pm
|
|
|
|
Ashiki did not need to speak such words, but Katiti'manina would not deny herself that praise. She had always known that Ashiki valued her support, and though duty came before friendship, they were that - friends. For the goddess, there had been few others that had touched her life so deeply. She was not always the easiest to get along with, and her own selfishness had chased away many from her life. But, if there was one being that she valued over herself, it was Ashiki. Selfishness and greed were cast aside to serve her Queen.
Even when Ashiki left the world for the stars, Katiti would remain to serve her vision. "I wish I could stand beside you in the other, but it will not be so. I'll carry your will until the day I can meet you there." It pained her, more than she ever thought it would, that she would be left behind here on this plane while Ashiki rose to the stars. Katiti had been cast away from that destiny. Had she been considered undeserving, or did she simply have unfinished business that needed to be tended to?
"I cannot make such a promise, my Queen," she jested, a small smirk appearing across her maw. The red goddess rose back onto her feet and left knowing perhaps that it was one of the last times she would see her dearest friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
