Post by Yaro on Feb 16, 2007 14:56:05 GMT -5
Abidemi's Arrival at Pride Rock, and the discovery of his abilities by the Royal Pride of Pride Rock.
~~~
Characters:
Ahadi - King of the Pridelands
Uru - Queen of the Pridelands
Abidemi - Blinded Quasi-seer Cub
Bija - Adolescent Lioness (Spoofed)
~~~
Abidemi is being guided to Pride Rock by Bija. It has been a hard journey for the blinded cub, made all the more icky by ija's attitude for those 'like' Abidemi. He treads carefully, questing with his paws as Bija nudges him in the right direction.
Ahadi isn't around the Rock when they arrive, but one of the knights is on sentry duty and quickly makes his way to the two young lions. Adidemi is given a quick sniff and a pitying look by the guard, who then discusses something in low tones with Bija. The sentry disappears to the east and, after the sun has had time enough that it has shifted slightly to the west, returns with Ahadi. The king stands in front of the young one, frowning. "Child of Mwenyezi," he rumbles, his voice strong and most likely intimidating. "They have told me you are blind, so know that before you stands Ahadi, king of the Pridelands. You come bearing a message of some sort and seeking refuge from your native lands?
"
The wizened cub says nothing for a large amount of time. He feels almost distrusting. But he finally speaks, revealing his rapidly-grown attitude. "Refuge I seek, but not a message, save for a proing question, your highness." the juvenile says, aiming his damaged sockets to the king. "Do you distrust all those who come to your mercy?"
"Yes," he says, without hesitation. "My trust is to be earned as the lion earns his meal, not given freely as the gazelle eats his grass with no bloodshed. There was a time when it was not so and when it was easy to open my heart to outsiders with genuine-sounding intentions. Now is not one of those times." He frowns, peering at the strange cub.
Abidemi smiles, and bows to the king. "I understand. I am a walking representation of the strife that has befallen your kingdom in recent suns, your highness. Betrayal. Violence. Death. I may be blind. And I may be yet a cub to you, but I see things more clearly since my own brother took my eyes from me.
Abidemi smiles, and bows to the king. "I understand. I am a walking representation of the strife that has befallen your kingdom in recent suns, your highness. Betrayal. Violence. Death. I may be blind. And I may be yet a cub to you, but I see things more clearly since my own brother took my eyes from me. I am here for refuge, but I am hardly useless. I can tell that there has been many a creature you have thought you have known who has not been what they seem."
Ahadi is silent for a long time at this news. Could the child be a seer? He will have to have Rafiki spend some time with him, and assess these abilities he claims to have. His tail curls in thought, and the grass swishes against his leg as he paces slightly. "And you can prove this, child?"
Abidemi sniffs and turns his head one way. "You already have your proof. I only have my senses. I need nothing more. Your subjects have come to harm, because of the rogues who attacked this land. Blood Brothers they are called. I'll never forget them. They are among the last things I have seen. Judging by their lingering scent, at least one of them has ventured close to this rock. But they have all been gone from the Pridelands for many suns. I have no doubt of their imminent return. They appear to want something. When they return, I cannot tell you, but the inevitability stirs me, like an errant scent in the wind. As for the Mwenyezi..." he stops, and thinks on what Sarabi has said to him, warned him not to do, and realized that reporting truthfully that ug is up to no good would only stir up war, the opposite of his own goals. "...I dare not speak on that place."
Ahadi bares his teeth, knowing the child cannot see it. "You are mistaken if you believe that this will satisfy me forever. You will stay with us and be fed and sheltered, but if you are no more than a cripple with big words, then I will cast you out as dead weight. My pride must be fed, and I will not share my meat with the unwanted cast-offs of my enemy."
Abidemi stands and seems to grow taller, but it's really just an effect of his own seeming force. "Dead-weight? Though you mean no insult, your warning bears an edge of pain whih I will not rightly bear. You, your highness, have gained your throne due to blood shed by your ancestors. Your enemies are my enemies, those who are responsible for my curse. I did not do this to myself. Save your expectations for me to sate your hunger for knowledge of those you would sooner destroy. I personally prefer peace. I am hardly crippled. I have learned much of the blessings of your lands. I would be able to care for myself. But a lion needs a pride. And a pride needs its lions. I can only tell you what I learn, and I learn much. But leave prophesy to your seers!" He settles back down. Wow. Is this cub possessed or something. "I'm blind, but through my senses, I see beyond what lies my eyes would tell. A mistep there, a stutter there, and even catching the scent of a bead of sweat, and I could describe volumes about a creature. So I'll tell you what I know. There is deception behind the king of Mwenyezi. Surely, if you have a spirit guide, you must already know this. But I have witnessed his iniquity and I know how he thinks. If I am chosen by the Gods Above to be a seer, then a seer I will be, but for now, I report on what any creature could sense but regularly ignores. No insult to your pride, your highness."
"Then stay," says the king, "But I have matters to attend to this moment that I was drawn away from. I will speak with you futher when I am less burdened. You have the protection of the Pridelands now. Be at peace while you can." And with that said, Ahadi leaves Abidemi to the guard on duty and heads back off.
Abidemi nods to the king, and allows him to leave. He has no authority to encroach the king, though he seems to expect some degree of respect for some reason. He listens to the guard's movements and takes note about every single minutae. His breathing, his scent.
The sound of voices draws Uru to the base of the monolith. She arrives just in time to spot Ahadi leaving, and the guard standing watch over a cub she has never seen before. The queen cants her head slightly to one side as she glides down the path, curiosity in her face. The guard spots her and inclines his head respectfully as she approaches the cub. "Who are you?" she inquires of the youth.
Abidemi turns his eyesockets to Uru. He smiles and relaxes. "You must be the queen. I am Abidemi, son of Aso'Caed." he says. "Forgive me for saying this, but you are a gentler soul than your mate. Though I am grateful to him." He pads forward toward Uru carefully, feeling with his paws as he goes. "I am from the Mwenyezi."
Uru can't help but recoil a step and gasp softly when she notices the cub's eyes, or relatively lack thereof. Oh gods above, she thinks to herself. Her lips part, as though to say something, but she can only stare agape for a few moments, shocked to silence. Then, she finally manages to regain her composure, and utters, "Do I know you?" He speaks about her as though they've met, but she has no recollection of such a time.
Abidemi shakes his head. "I doubt it. You're queen here. You've no doubt been here for quite an extended time. But perhaps you knew my father... or my mother." he says. "Aso'Caed was my father, and my mother is Kutamani." The poor blind ub is unaware that his mother's been murdered. He notes Uru's apprehension at his eyes. "Don't feel sorry for my eyes, your highness. I've forgiven my brother."
How does he know she was staring at his eyes if he cannot see? This unnerves Uru further, moreso when Abidemi says that his own brother was responsible for such things. The queen feels a great sense of sadness. Could her homeland really have degraded itself so much since she left? Uru eases back onto her haunches, staring down at Abidemi with a mixture of pity and confusion. "I did not know your father or your mother, save by reputation. I was gone before their time. What are you doing here, Abidemi?"
Abidemi stops a moment to think. While he could explain the circumstances that brought him here, he feels he has a different purpose for actually *being* there. "I am uncertaain. My history is tellable. But... I do not know my own purpose. Your mate is incorrect. I was not sent off as a cripple to get me off their hands. In fact, my uncle, the new king, has attempted to keep me in a prison of rock. If he were to see me here, he would kill me, assuming he wasn't about to earlier. He threatened me and my brother with death if I were to escape, but finally, my best friend Sarabi convinced him to help me, and the lioness Maafa did this for her. Since, I have turned my back on that life. Mwenyezi is where I am *from.* It is not where I am."
"And where is this lioness now?" Uru questions further. "Why would your uncle imprison you?" It seems Mwenyezi really has declined further since her absence. She's almost grateful she got away, and yet she wishes there was some way for her to have stopped it.
Abidemi tilts his head downward. "She continued on. And I can't tell you why I was imprisoned. Just that I was trying to prevent a mistake." he says. "My efforts cost me my eyes, but I have gained a lot from that loss."
Mistake? What does he mean by that? "What mistake?" Uru inquires. What sort of mistake would drive an uncle to imprison his own nephew and threaten him with his life? She can't begin to imagine.
Abidemi shakes his head. "Don't make me say it... please." he says. "It was a choice I made, and I thought it was the right one. But I learned it was only going to cause death... destruction... war." He fights back tears. "A sin, my queen."
Uru doesn't press the matter further. It seems to be upsetting for the cub, and so she feels no need to force him to recall it. Instead she nods, troubled but knowing that her questions will have to wait. "What was it that King Ahadi told you?" she asks, changing the subject. She's certain that Ahadi has given Abidemi leave to stay. Otherwise, the guard would have taken him out to the savannah long ago.
Abidemi stops and sighs. "He told me that I etter be useful. That I could stay, but if I turn out to be... 'crippled' ... Then he'd take me out to the savannah." he says. "And I lost my temper."
"I see." Uru nods slowly once again, taking this in. "And do you believe you will be useful, Abidemi?" It's a valid question, after all. A pride needs to eat; it can't allow itself to be weakened by lions that can't pull their share of the load. She's loathe to even think about tossing Abidemi out into the world to fend for himself, but at the same time, it's something that could occur.
Abidemi turns his eyeless sockets to Uru. "I will prove useful. I am blind, but I can see more than most creatures care to. I'll use you for an example. Though you are kind, you are from Mwenyezi, just like me. You also escaped. Something you don't regret. However, also like me, you left those behind you wish you hadn't. Now, you face yourself with a bit of a problem, you are debating whether the cub who is now speaking to you is worth pounds of meat. But you are also wondering, after hearing what I have learned in the short time I have even spoken to you, if I am truly a cub under this exterior. I will tell you now, I am not a seer. But, I can still read creatures as if their secrets were made plain to me. What is hidden is not hard to learn if a creature focuses on the right signs. Finally, you are wondering about yourself. Whether you have truly gained the true insight into your own subjects, worrying about that one decision that would tip you over the line and mark you as what would be called a 'bad queen.'"
Total silence follows Abidemi's last words. Uru is unsure how to react. The insights are startling and, at the very least, unsettling. And so she can only remain still, shocked.
Abidemi yawns and walks to Uru and gives her a formal bump of his head as a nuzzle, remembering where she stands. "I am weary. The journey was long. I have spent my words. I believe you'll want to talk to me in the morning. This is a good thing. You have my gratitude, your highness." he says, and paws around, trying to find shelter, preferably the Pridal Cavern.
~~~
Characters:
Ahadi - King of the Pridelands
Uru - Queen of the Pridelands
Abidemi - Blinded Quasi-seer Cub
Bija - Adolescent Lioness (Spoofed)
~~~
Abidemi is being guided to Pride Rock by Bija. It has been a hard journey for the blinded cub, made all the more icky by ija's attitude for those 'like' Abidemi. He treads carefully, questing with his paws as Bija nudges him in the right direction.
Ahadi isn't around the Rock when they arrive, but one of the knights is on sentry duty and quickly makes his way to the two young lions. Adidemi is given a quick sniff and a pitying look by the guard, who then discusses something in low tones with Bija. The sentry disappears to the east and, after the sun has had time enough that it has shifted slightly to the west, returns with Ahadi. The king stands in front of the young one, frowning. "Child of Mwenyezi," he rumbles, his voice strong and most likely intimidating. "They have told me you are blind, so know that before you stands Ahadi, king of the Pridelands. You come bearing a message of some sort and seeking refuge from your native lands?
"
The wizened cub says nothing for a large amount of time. He feels almost distrusting. But he finally speaks, revealing his rapidly-grown attitude. "Refuge I seek, but not a message, save for a proing question, your highness." the juvenile says, aiming his damaged sockets to the king. "Do you distrust all those who come to your mercy?"
"Yes," he says, without hesitation. "My trust is to be earned as the lion earns his meal, not given freely as the gazelle eats his grass with no bloodshed. There was a time when it was not so and when it was easy to open my heart to outsiders with genuine-sounding intentions. Now is not one of those times." He frowns, peering at the strange cub.
Abidemi smiles, and bows to the king. "I understand. I am a walking representation of the strife that has befallen your kingdom in recent suns, your highness. Betrayal. Violence. Death. I may be blind. And I may be yet a cub to you, but I see things more clearly since my own brother took my eyes from me.
Abidemi smiles, and bows to the king. "I understand. I am a walking representation of the strife that has befallen your kingdom in recent suns, your highness. Betrayal. Violence. Death. I may be blind. And I may be yet a cub to you, but I see things more clearly since my own brother took my eyes from me. I am here for refuge, but I am hardly useless. I can tell that there has been many a creature you have thought you have known who has not been what they seem."
Ahadi is silent for a long time at this news. Could the child be a seer? He will have to have Rafiki spend some time with him, and assess these abilities he claims to have. His tail curls in thought, and the grass swishes against his leg as he paces slightly. "And you can prove this, child?"
Abidemi sniffs and turns his head one way. "You already have your proof. I only have my senses. I need nothing more. Your subjects have come to harm, because of the rogues who attacked this land. Blood Brothers they are called. I'll never forget them. They are among the last things I have seen. Judging by their lingering scent, at least one of them has ventured close to this rock. But they have all been gone from the Pridelands for many suns. I have no doubt of their imminent return. They appear to want something. When they return, I cannot tell you, but the inevitability stirs me, like an errant scent in the wind. As for the Mwenyezi..." he stops, and thinks on what Sarabi has said to him, warned him not to do, and realized that reporting truthfully that ug is up to no good would only stir up war, the opposite of his own goals. "...I dare not speak on that place."
Ahadi bares his teeth, knowing the child cannot see it. "You are mistaken if you believe that this will satisfy me forever. You will stay with us and be fed and sheltered, but if you are no more than a cripple with big words, then I will cast you out as dead weight. My pride must be fed, and I will not share my meat with the unwanted cast-offs of my enemy."
Abidemi stands and seems to grow taller, but it's really just an effect of his own seeming force. "Dead-weight? Though you mean no insult, your warning bears an edge of pain whih I will not rightly bear. You, your highness, have gained your throne due to blood shed by your ancestors. Your enemies are my enemies, those who are responsible for my curse. I did not do this to myself. Save your expectations for me to sate your hunger for knowledge of those you would sooner destroy. I personally prefer peace. I am hardly crippled. I have learned much of the blessings of your lands. I would be able to care for myself. But a lion needs a pride. And a pride needs its lions. I can only tell you what I learn, and I learn much. But leave prophesy to your seers!" He settles back down. Wow. Is this cub possessed or something. "I'm blind, but through my senses, I see beyond what lies my eyes would tell. A mistep there, a stutter there, and even catching the scent of a bead of sweat, and I could describe volumes about a creature. So I'll tell you what I know. There is deception behind the king of Mwenyezi. Surely, if you have a spirit guide, you must already know this. But I have witnessed his iniquity and I know how he thinks. If I am chosen by the Gods Above to be a seer, then a seer I will be, but for now, I report on what any creature could sense but regularly ignores. No insult to your pride, your highness."
"Then stay," says the king, "But I have matters to attend to this moment that I was drawn away from. I will speak with you futher when I am less burdened. You have the protection of the Pridelands now. Be at peace while you can." And with that said, Ahadi leaves Abidemi to the guard on duty and heads back off.
Abidemi nods to the king, and allows him to leave. He has no authority to encroach the king, though he seems to expect some degree of respect for some reason. He listens to the guard's movements and takes note about every single minutae. His breathing, his scent.
The sound of voices draws Uru to the base of the monolith. She arrives just in time to spot Ahadi leaving, and the guard standing watch over a cub she has never seen before. The queen cants her head slightly to one side as she glides down the path, curiosity in her face. The guard spots her and inclines his head respectfully as she approaches the cub. "Who are you?" she inquires of the youth.
Abidemi turns his eyesockets to Uru. He smiles and relaxes. "You must be the queen. I am Abidemi, son of Aso'Caed." he says. "Forgive me for saying this, but you are a gentler soul than your mate. Though I am grateful to him." He pads forward toward Uru carefully, feeling with his paws as he goes. "I am from the Mwenyezi."
Uru can't help but recoil a step and gasp softly when she notices the cub's eyes, or relatively lack thereof. Oh gods above, she thinks to herself. Her lips part, as though to say something, but she can only stare agape for a few moments, shocked to silence. Then, she finally manages to regain her composure, and utters, "Do I know you?" He speaks about her as though they've met, but she has no recollection of such a time.
Abidemi shakes his head. "I doubt it. You're queen here. You've no doubt been here for quite an extended time. But perhaps you knew my father... or my mother." he says. "Aso'Caed was my father, and my mother is Kutamani." The poor blind ub is unaware that his mother's been murdered. He notes Uru's apprehension at his eyes. "Don't feel sorry for my eyes, your highness. I've forgiven my brother."
How does he know she was staring at his eyes if he cannot see? This unnerves Uru further, moreso when Abidemi says that his own brother was responsible for such things. The queen feels a great sense of sadness. Could her homeland really have degraded itself so much since she left? Uru eases back onto her haunches, staring down at Abidemi with a mixture of pity and confusion. "I did not know your father or your mother, save by reputation. I was gone before their time. What are you doing here, Abidemi?"
Abidemi stops a moment to think. While he could explain the circumstances that brought him here, he feels he has a different purpose for actually *being* there. "I am uncertaain. My history is tellable. But... I do not know my own purpose. Your mate is incorrect. I was not sent off as a cripple to get me off their hands. In fact, my uncle, the new king, has attempted to keep me in a prison of rock. If he were to see me here, he would kill me, assuming he wasn't about to earlier. He threatened me and my brother with death if I were to escape, but finally, my best friend Sarabi convinced him to help me, and the lioness Maafa did this for her. Since, I have turned my back on that life. Mwenyezi is where I am *from.* It is not where I am."
"And where is this lioness now?" Uru questions further. "Why would your uncle imprison you?" It seems Mwenyezi really has declined further since her absence. She's almost grateful she got away, and yet she wishes there was some way for her to have stopped it.
Abidemi tilts his head downward. "She continued on. And I can't tell you why I was imprisoned. Just that I was trying to prevent a mistake." he says. "My efforts cost me my eyes, but I have gained a lot from that loss."
Mistake? What does he mean by that? "What mistake?" Uru inquires. What sort of mistake would drive an uncle to imprison his own nephew and threaten him with his life? She can't begin to imagine.
Abidemi shakes his head. "Don't make me say it... please." he says. "It was a choice I made, and I thought it was the right one. But I learned it was only going to cause death... destruction... war." He fights back tears. "A sin, my queen."
Uru doesn't press the matter further. It seems to be upsetting for the cub, and so she feels no need to force him to recall it. Instead she nods, troubled but knowing that her questions will have to wait. "What was it that King Ahadi told you?" she asks, changing the subject. She's certain that Ahadi has given Abidemi leave to stay. Otherwise, the guard would have taken him out to the savannah long ago.
Abidemi stops and sighs. "He told me that I etter be useful. That I could stay, but if I turn out to be... 'crippled' ... Then he'd take me out to the savannah." he says. "And I lost my temper."
"I see." Uru nods slowly once again, taking this in. "And do you believe you will be useful, Abidemi?" It's a valid question, after all. A pride needs to eat; it can't allow itself to be weakened by lions that can't pull their share of the load. She's loathe to even think about tossing Abidemi out into the world to fend for himself, but at the same time, it's something that could occur.
Abidemi turns his eyeless sockets to Uru. "I will prove useful. I am blind, but I can see more than most creatures care to. I'll use you for an example. Though you are kind, you are from Mwenyezi, just like me. You also escaped. Something you don't regret. However, also like me, you left those behind you wish you hadn't. Now, you face yourself with a bit of a problem, you are debating whether the cub who is now speaking to you is worth pounds of meat. But you are also wondering, after hearing what I have learned in the short time I have even spoken to you, if I am truly a cub under this exterior. I will tell you now, I am not a seer. But, I can still read creatures as if their secrets were made plain to me. What is hidden is not hard to learn if a creature focuses on the right signs. Finally, you are wondering about yourself. Whether you have truly gained the true insight into your own subjects, worrying about that one decision that would tip you over the line and mark you as what would be called a 'bad queen.'"
Total silence follows Abidemi's last words. Uru is unsure how to react. The insights are startling and, at the very least, unsettling. And so she can only remain still, shocked.
Abidemi yawns and walks to Uru and gives her a formal bump of his head as a nuzzle, remembering where she stands. "I am weary. The journey was long. I have spent my words. I believe you'll want to talk to me in the morning. This is a good thing. You have my gratitude, your highness." he says, and paws around, trying to find shelter, preferably the Pridal Cavern.