[PRP] Surviving the Storm (Ciro/Zjarri/Nga)

[KasaiLoki]

Ciro approached the WarLord's den, giving the guards at the entrance a look. "She is expecting me." The Captain grunted, rolling his eyes at the looks the guards gave him. "Time is of the essence, so if you two would be so kind," he growled warningly, before taking a step into the den. "Warlord Zjarri," he greeted.

"She has arranged to meet near the edge of the pride, by the cliffs. Would you care to accompany me to her?" Ciro did not state a name, nor the domain of the goddess. That was up for Ngaule to decide if she wished to offer to the chieftain. Ciro was just glad the goddess had accepted his word, and chose to meet under the stipulations of it just being the warlord.

"I don't know how long she is willing to wait, so we might want to make haste." Ciro said quietly, turning to exit the den.

He gave a smirk to the patrol out front. "Don't worry boys, I'll take good care of her." Was his remark with an eye roll, glancing towards the blue lioness to see if she was following.  

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The day or so between their meeting had been uneventful. At most there had been rumors fluttering about the pride about a grand viking preparing to set out. One that had more than just treasure on their minds. Zjarri paid no mind to it, their bands went out all the time and ended up doing more than intended... if she stopped to question each one it would be the only thing she got done.

As it was.. she grew more weary with the tasks set before her.

The silence she had for the time being was peaceful. Her pangs for hunger left her grumpy. Voices outside disturbed her most recent grumbling about this or that, but the voice she heard wasn't a surprise. The lions posted at her entrance did well to try and persuade the lion to leave her be, but Ciro was always persistent, she was also expecting him.

"She." Zjarri'fol let the gender slip off her tongue as though she were testing it. "Sounds like the perfect place. Most folks stay near their dens or the food." She had witnessed a few lions gazing at the food with longing similar to lions in lust. Especially if that lust couldn't be sated, which was the particular circumstance they found themselves in now.

"We shouldn't keep her waiting then." The lioness heaved herself up from the floor and stretched slightly. Her joints ached a little more today than they had the previous day and a loud crack eased that pain. She sighed, pleased with the feeling and headed towards, and out of the dens entrance with the Captain. She gave him a side long glance when he spoke the lions at her entrance.

"Ha, we both know the truth. I'll be taking care of him." She smirked and her guards snickered slightly. The lioness was tired now, but she wasn't the Warlord for nothing.  

[KasaiLoki]

Amon Larethian

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"Oh very funny." Ciro huffed at the Warlord's comment to her guards, shaking his head as he followed the worn path, before taking a right towards one that appeared less traveled.

"The famine is most near the central of the den, but...I would still prefer not to have wandering eyes." He told the lioness, in case she had any questions on why they were meeting so far out. It didn't take too much longer for the male to reach their destination. There, near the cliff, he spotted the dark lioness, hiding her 'magical' extremities Ciro had started to call them. He didn't know how she did it, but gods were a funny creature.

"There she is." He said to Zjarri'fol quietly, before moving ahead of the warlord to greet the other in disguise.

"Thank you for being here," He said quietly. "I know you didn't want your identity revealed to many. You have my word that the warlord will not speak of your presence to the pride." At least, he hoped she wouldn't.  

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Her words earned her a 'har har' look from her companion that accented the hufff beautifully. Zjarri could only laugh at his reaction.

Zjarri followed him without question, nor hesitation. Now they were at the mercy of the 'shy' goddess. She wouldn't tempt fate by questioning the choices of one of her Captains in this instance. "Don't fret." She encouraged him along with a small glance beyond his shoulder. Meetings with gods, at least from her experience, were always timed well or at least hidden. Though she recalled a certain god that could barely fit his enlarged bottom through her den entrance. If the situation hadn't been such a serious one she would have laughed at the memory.

But she couldn't. Before she knew it they were upon the cliffs, familiar territory - no matter how far he had taken her. These edges had coaxed and tempted many the young cub that she had seen. One of them being herself. She hung her eager head over it to see the depth of the plunge, her braid swinging wildly against the breeze that splashed wave upon wave against the stone wall. It's power was admirable. She sought to be those waves, but had on multiply ocassions wondered if she was instead a puddle.

"She appears as a mortal." The mortal guise was of no surprise to Zjarri. She recalled the first time she had met a god, the god in her life, and he too had sought to keep himself hidden. She wouldn't blame the deity if she remained in that form for most or all of their conversation. Of course, the whole issue of trust would be swept aside at a glimpse of her true form.

"Welcome to the Myrsky Syntynyt."

Zjarri'fol composed her tone and stride as the political figure she was. The welcome was passed due, by who knew how many moons, but she would make it nonethless. "You have nothing to worry about." She chose her words wisely, though she wanted to say 'fear' she had a feeling that keeping her identity hidden had nothing to do with fear. Not on this ocassion. "I have to keep many secrets, and so long as they do not hurt my home then we have nothing to gain from sharing yours." The lioness seated herself so that a small distance remained between them.

"Rumor has it you may be able to offer some insight to our current situation." She raised a paw and swept her braid from her face and let it rest of her shoulder, which she rolled absentmindedly. The action caused a small pop and she sighed lightly.  

[KasaiLoki]

Amon Larethian

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Ciro didn't blame Ngaule for appearing mortal. He would probably do the same if he was in her spot.

The Stormborn captain nodded towards the deity, before taking a step back to allow the Warlord to speak. He remained off to the side, an ear flickering as Zjarri spoke. No introduction? He couldn't help but smirk as the dark chieftain got straight to business. His golden eyes flickered towards Ngaule to see if she had noticed. It seemed she hadn't.

Good.

Gods could be funny creatures. If you were to disrespect one, surely they had ways to make sure you didn't do it again. Ciro's thoughts drifted to all the 'mortals' he had spoken with, and if any now were deities in disguised. Had he disrespected them?

Ciro had never seen a god transform before his eyes. The ease of it just amazed him. He stared at Ngaule for a moment, mouth agape before regaining his composure. There was always a first for everything, wasn't there? Ciro just seemed to be experiencing those firsts a lot more lately.

"Do you know where this Famine is?" Ciro asked quietly to Ngaule.  

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The thanks made Zjarri'fol grin lightly, but her face dropped slightly as she watched the lioness change before her very eyes. This was much more majestic than that of Mkhai. Zjarri let her eyes widen ever so slightly as wings seemed to appear as though by some strange magic. The horns were new. She let her gaze drift from one bit to another before finally settling on the horns that their company now donned.

"Ngaule, Goddess of Survival. It is a pleasure, I'm Zjarri'fol - Warlord of the Myrsky Syntynyt." She didn't stumble, nor hesitate, thus revealing signs that this wasn't her first rodeo, but much like Ngaule her own experiences left her with secrets to keep. This would be no different. A small smile of enjoyment replaced her previous composure as she watched the look on Ciro's face. He had known the goddess simply as a goddess - or so it would seem. She imagined her own look mirrored that when Mkhai made his debut.

It was nearly immediately after that things turned to business. Ciro opened the flood gates and Zjarri wasnt prepared to just stop there. Plenty was at stake.

"Is Famine a deity?" She pressed the goddess with an undertone of fierceness befitting the Warlord she was, and that of the mother she was becoming for a second time. As a whole she remained composed, but firm. "Do you think that s/he is reasonable enough to be spoken too?" If she had to use her situation to work her way through this.. she would.

"Anything you can tell me will be helpful. I'm so grateful you're here."  

[KasaiLoki]

Amon Larethian

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It may not have been the first time he saw her as a goddess, but it was the first time seeing her or any deity grow wings and antlers.

Ciro gave a knowing glance towards Zjarri. He had told her previously he figured the gods would hang out on the border. It only proved his point when Ngaule reiterated it. He frowned at the other's description.

"He may not be Death, but he has brought many to feel they need to die in order to rid themselves of this unnatural famine." The Captain found himself growling quietly. One of those was his own daughter, that he owed Ngaule for helping.

The frown remained when Nga suggested the god may listen to the WarLord. It was a shot? But, if one of the pride caused him to come, and a god could not persuade him to leave, could Zjarri really persuade the other?

"She can," he murmured to his Warlord, nodding. "She helped Haruhi." It was all he said on that matter.

"If you meet with this Famine god, perhaps you can find the individuals that brought him here. Surely something had to happen on a raid to make him believe punishment was needed?"  

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Something had certainly happened to bring out the famine. She didn't have to wrack her brain, nor did she have to fumble about with words. Her frustrations were growing, and had been bubbling over more recently. Zjarri'fol was finally close to a plan, close to discovering just how to bring about salvation for their pride.

Home might become comfortable again, that was the hope.

"I can't disagree with you there Ciro." There was no way she could. Many had been swayed towards death. She herself had heard the cries of her people and though she could do nothing to help them, she did what she could and would continue to do what she could. If that meant greater sacrifice.. well she would have to wait and see what happened.

Ngaule confirmed for her, something that Ciro had already said, the God would be at the border and hopefully available for confrontation. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of doing this on her own, but she hid that as best she could. A fool wouldn't be nervous to plan a meeting with a God.

"I'll see what I can do to find the source. If he's vengeful, then perhaps the sacrifice should be made." She was unsure of what type this God might be. Most weren't so involved in the day to day of mortals, so this was a whole entire beats of it's own. Finally she turned to Ngaule. "Thank you for the support you've provided our home." A gurgle of her stomach thwarted her moment, stealing from her the small bow she wanted to give the goddess.

"Should I go through Ciro again if I need to get in touch? Or will you be around?" Her eyes didn't lift from the goddess until she mentioned Ciro's name, to which she respectively looked towards him before turning back to the goddess.  

[KasaiLoki]

Amon Larethian

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Sacrifice? Ciro quirked an eyebrow at the comment. What sort of sacrifice would be needed? Hadn't their pride suffered enough at the paws of the unnatural famine.

The Captain watched the exchange before the two females, opting to take a step back from the two. His job really was done here, there was no need for him to stick around. He paused when Zjarri brought up the next question. He...really didn't know how to get in touch with Ngaule. He had only manage to stumble across her by chance. He glanced towards Ngaule, who was looking at the feather around his neck. Right the 'magic' feather. He had yet to use the trinket, and still didn't believe it actually would work.

"I plan on staying in the pride to help Njia watch over the kids until the brunt of this famine is gone." Ciro advised Zjarri. "So if you can't find Ngaule here just seek me out and I will assist." He explained.

He gave a small bow of his head to both the War Lord and the goddess. "If you ladies would excuse me," He said quietly. He was not needed anymore.  

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"It's good to hear that his actions may not be malicious."

But I cannot assume he won't demand a sacrifice. She finished that last bit silently, to herself. Zjarri'fol had no intentions of unleashing the burden of what she had learned onto anyone else. She alone was responnsible to shoulder that boulder and though it grew overwhelming at times, it was what it was. "That's my hope as well. Listening to reason would be ideal, but if he wouldn't listen to other gods.." The conversation was ceasing to produce any new information and in her exhaustion she grew blunt.

"I appreciate your offers to help us in anyway that you can. For now, I'll take my leave, Ciro we will keep in touch." Zjarri stood, and sighed softly as her paws ached. Her whole body was beginning to ache - it would only get more tough from here if she didn't manage to get things under control. She enjoyed the company Ngaule. "It'd be nice to see you on terms that weren't like these." Sure a damned pride brought folks together that likely wouldn't haven't met, but the way Ngaule interacted with Ciro.. was right up Zjarri's alley.

"Until we meet again though.."

The blue lioness stepped from the pair and decidedly headed towards the swampy parts of the pride. She had some thinking to do and rathered do it away from the prying eyes of too curious cubs or pride members alike. Both of which she had plenty, plus the roiling bunch she knew to be carrying herself.