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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 5:33 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 5:38 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 5:47 pm
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Jani was older than the lioness she had first met when she arrived, Mtima observed, but not by much .. and there was just something so similar about them. Something familiar about this lioness. She barely had time to think about it before she got a good look at Jani's eyes, and smiled.
"The name you may know is Mtima'safi," she answered, enjoying the awe she had inspired, "I am the guardian of Souls, and I've been watching over this pride for a long time."
The goddess felt conflicted, being so formal and self-important, but it kept her at a distance and she preferred it that way for now. Her memories were recovered and she had many lessons from her past lives to keep in mind, she didn't need to fear the mortal world but she didn't need to cozy up to it the way she had before either.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 5:50 pm
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The goddess of Souls. That fit with what Jani had heard. And Mtima'safi was...well, somewhat ordinary of a name. It didn't sound outlandish, it wasn't pretentiously long as compared to names beyond Jani's. Frankly, if not for the other's size, wings, and sense of presence, she could have been any lioness.
Not that Jani would have taken her for anyone else, but she supposed that was part of the point.
"It's an honor to meet you," the lioness said at last. She wasn't really certain what there was to say. Sure, Souls was important to the pride, but it was worship of Pestilence that most, including Jani, adhered to. But only a fool would fail to show a Goddess respect.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 6:10 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 6:23 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 6:35 pm
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Mtima was genuinely surprised by the abrupt question from the lioness, and a feeling of dreadful uncertainty filled her. Normally, before the gate was broken, she had a limited reach in summoning souls.. and once they went beyond the gate they were lost to her. Now that they could choose, could wander, could be reborn.. there was a good chance she had more power to manipulate them. The thought was horrifying to the goddess who had spent an eternity only guiding them to heaven but the hopeful lioness before her gave her pause.
"I can," she said, continuing gently, "But perhaps not in a way that is meaningful to you. What do you want to know?"
She may not be able to find who Jani wanted to talk to, if she could there was only an extremely small chance they would even know her still.. but she had the voices of many around her, if she wanted to listen. The butterflies resting in her hair began to flutter.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 6:43 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:00 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:09 pm
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It wasn't an immediate answer, it was the sort that should make a person stop and think. And...if she was to ask any question of the dead, yes, this was what Jani most wanted to know. The question then became...how much did the goddess need to know?
"He said he was my mother's brother," the lioness answered. "And though we didn't know why, he came to kill her." Jani was silent, remembering.
"He died instead."
Now her voice was cold, hard, as sharp as her claws. Blood had been spilled and by more than one. Some would bear scars for the rest of their lives.
"What more do you need to know?" The question was sharp now, and Jani's blue eyes were cold. She was usually more gentle, like her mom. But Mittere's influence was strong when it needed to be. When she needed to be.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:29 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:37 pm
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"He came as the rainy season shifted into the dry, three years ago," Jani answered. Her eyes were distant as she remembered. "He was late. Mother had died earlier that year, as the dry turned to rain." Better that she had died of the disease before they'd even had a clue about Facio.
Although...if she hadn't, maybe she would have told them about him.
But Mittere had never spoken about her life before the Kitwana'antara, so maybe not. Maybe not at all, even if she had lived.
Were Jani and her relatives at fault, for never asking about it? Mother had never brought the subject up, but they could have asked. Except, of course, that asking questions of Mittere rarely went well...which was why Jani could only ask this goddess in the end.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:41 pm
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