[Closed] The Sea Token

[Moka]

[Moka]

OOC: I would suggest re-reading the topic and Mhindi's profile before posting to refresh your memories. It's been a week or two since I posted this RP.

Mhindi's stomach growled, which was enough to wake him from his light snooze. His pride was beside him on the rocks. It was clear they all had enough to eat. He was becoming weak from his fasting. It had been two days without food. Uzuri had told him it was three days the king had to fast for each animal that was killed and not taken by the sea. He only had to endure one more day of it.

The golden seashell around his neck sparkled in the evening sun as he got up and joined his pride on the rocks. It was a small pride, but they had gone through alot together and endured many hardships. The world was changing. It was clear the Coast Pride's traditional ways were slowly becoming extinct as more and more godless creatures roamed the lands taking what is wrongfully theirs. The pride consisted of Mhindi's sister, Janus. She was the youngest of them, being his littermate. There was Uzuri, the eldest, wisest, and most traditional of the pride, and three other lionesses. Mhindi was the only male. His father had been the king before him, but he disappeared just a few months ago, leaving the little seashell by the shore. To this day none of them know what had happened.

[NightyByeSparrow]

Next to her littermate, Janus stood tall on the rocks, trying her best to look confident. She was glancing around at the setting sun and the small waves going up and down, up and down. She had a small smile upon her face. She enjoyed the evenings along the Coast. Janus looked worriedly at Mhindi, wondering how hard he could cope with this fasting. Ehh, I know I couldn't. Her eyes opened up, and her small lion whiskers twiched curiously. He must be thinking a lot this evening. Should I ask him what...?

As Janus's eyes scanned the rocks and the other members of the Coast Pride, the lioness couldn't help but think of the odd group of lions, the Ridge Pride or whatever they called themselves. They had come and taken another kill a while ago, and she wondered when they would come back. Janus still didn't understand why they were coming here along the Coast, and if they wanted anything to do with her, Mhindi, and the Coast Pride.

[OOC: If I said something in this post that does't fit with the starting plotline, apologies. I'm just really tired, even though tiredness isn't a good excuse. XD ]

[KiarasMate]

Feeling the warm rays of the sun completing the task of drying out her light, dusty brown fur from the water that had previously saturated it, Uzuri made her way off of the smooth surfaced rock she had been sun bathing upon. Feeling the soft sand beneath her paw pads, the elder lioness of The Coast Pride whispered a quick thanks to Umi before she looked around at her fellow pride members. It appeared that most of them were still enjoying the mid day sun’s lulling effect as there was very little movement to be seen amongst the small group however, upon a closer inspection, Uzuri’s hazel eyes spotted the familiar shape of the young king, Mhindi, as the slight shimmering caused from the sun reflecting off of the small shell that hung around the young male’s neck was an obvious giveaway to who he was. Squinting her eyes a bit, as her vision had gottan a bit weaker with her passing of age, Uzuri watched her king with a thoughtful stare, taking in his facial expression which gave her a general idea of what was on his mind. Uzuri also made out the image of Janus, Mhindi’s sister, who seemed to be lost in thought by the looks of her. Silently making her way over towards where the two of them were positioned at, the soft sand completely muffling her approach, the wise old lioness lightly placed one of her caring fore paws upon Mhindi’s shoulder as she spoke in her usual voice, holding a gentleness to it that always seemed to portray the many years of experience and wisdom she had gathered over the many years she had been with The Coast Pride.

”You know your sacrifices for your pride are for the grater good Mhindi. There are many things in life that are tough to deal with but you know that Umi has a reason for everything, don’t you?”

Turning her attention to Janus, Uzuri continued to speak.

”Something on your mind Janus?”

Taking a seat along side her king, Uzuri gazed out past the distant horizon over the endless waters as she waited for either of them to reply to what she had said, all the wile, keeping a warm smile upon her muzzle as the peaceful afternoon had put her spirits in a pleasant mood.

[Moka]

Mhindi greeted his elder by standing out of respect. He was still uncomfortable being Uzuri's king. She had been a predominant member of the pride even back when his father was a cub, and it felt weird being addressed as her king. Still, he was glad that she understood the hardships of fasting.

He had, however, wondered why it had to be him that fasted. It didn't seem logical that the guardian of the pride had to be weakened from fasting. Of course, he never shared these feelings. And, like Uzuri had said: Umi has a reason for everything.

"Yes, thank you, Uzuri. I appreciate your kind words and wisdom." he said respectfully. He looked out at the waters of the sea, mimicing the elder lioness.

[KiarasMate]

Nodding to acknowledge Mhindi’s respectful bow, Uzuri stayed quiet for a moment as a gentle breeze lightly drifted by, ruffling up her dusty fur as she finally spoke again.

”They say that the wind is Umi’s breath and if you open your mind, she will speak to you. Tell me Mhindi, do you hear anything? They also say that she can also sense your thoughts as you breathe in her breath.”

Taking a deep breath herself, Uzuri let the chilly wind enter her senses as she allowed her eyes to close, waiting silently for her king to speak in response, unaware of the fact that he felt as though the fasting tradition didn’t make complete sense to him but knowing that Mhindi had been taught almost all of the Pride’s ancient ways by his parents and at her own paws, Uzuri held the young male in very high regards and entrusted herself, as well as her fellow pride members under his rule even despite his young age and lack of life experiences.

[Moka]

Mhindi closed his eyes and relaxed his tense muscles. A peace came over him that nulled the building hunger within him. He inhaled deeply as the cool, afternoon breeze from the sea blew through his mane. Sitting next to Uzuri and Janus had a surprisingly calming effect and he found it easy to clear his mind, which was normally difficult for him. With a clear mind, he calmly awaited a response from Umi. He exhaled slowly. Still nothing.

"I suppose I must gain Umi's favor and blessing before being bestowed with this gift." said the inexperienced king. "Has She ever spoken to you, Uzuri?"

[KiarasMate]

Thinking long and hard about what Mhindi had asked her, Uzuri stayed mute for a short while, as was her typical behavior. She had always taught Mhindi that a rushed answer was as good as a cheetah without its speed. Delving deep into her memories, Uzuri’s voice altered into a more thoughtful pitch as she nodded slowly and spoke.

”On a few occasions, yes Mhindi. It takes time though and not everyone is blessed with the ability to hear her words. If they were, we would have no troubles in life with rival prides as they would understand that we’re not sticking to traditional ways because we are worried about change. No, it is because the ancient ways of life have helped our bloodline thrive for many a generation and if something works, why change it, right?”

Pausing again, allowing her company to absorb what she had said, Uzuri turned to look at Mhindi, meeting his gaze as she continued.

”The first time I experienced a Divine Encounter with Umi, it was when our Pride was under siege by a vicious group of lions who were insistent on taking over our lands. They felt as though, everything that their eyes could see, should belong to them. Back when your father was king, he was very tolerant of others, much like you are Mhindi but tolerance can only go so far and there are some boundaries in life that should never be crossed. I was much younger then but even I knew that those lions were going to spell trouble for us. It was only from Umi’s guidance and your father’s exceptional leadership skills that pulled us through those tough times. Many fights broke out and lives were lost. These sands hold more history within each small grain than could ever be imagined.” Uzuri stated, lightly scooping up a small paw full of the warm sand and letting it fall freely between her paw toes before glancing back up at Mhindi and returning her stare back towards the endless sea.

[Moka]

"More history than could ever be learned. My father was very brave." Mhindi said. He thought a while about what she had said to him. He dug into the sand a little bit, feeling its course granules lightly scraping between his paws. It was true. This place had seen much history and the Coast Pride had a very proud heritage.

"I can't help but think … if the outsiders and non-believers are our descendants, why are they so persistent in destroying us? What have we done to them?" Mhindi asked, innocently. He turned away from the ocean and looked into Uzuri's eyes. "We've endured so much...but this time I don't think I'm the right lion for the job. I'm too young and inexperienced. How could I ever stand up against such enemies?"

[KiarasMate]

Having her attention torn away from the euphoric scene before her, hearing the considerable doubt that lingered in every word that the young king spoke, Uzuri turned to meet with Mhindi’s stare once again as she replied in a serious, yet encouraging voice.

”Listen to me Mhindi. You cannot pit the blame upon yourself for what the non believers do. Despite how much they question and loathe us, deep down, they covet what we have. Peace, stability and strong bonds between all of our members. This is all in part to two things. Umi and the leadership of our king. You might be young Mhindi but that doesn’t mean that you don’t possess what’s needed to pull your pride through whatever happens.” Moving in, lightly nuzzling under the young male’s chin to try and comfort him, the elder lioness resumed speaking. ”Just remember Mhindi that doubt can lead to deception and you must always have faith in yourself and in Umi. She will guide you just as long as you have faith. You might not know what the future holds but as sure as the waves return back to the sea, you will always have the support and love from all of us here, so you are never alone.”

Turning back towards the sea, Uzuri sighed as the thoughts of The Ridgelanders kept tugging at the back of her mind. It seemed that with each passing season, their encounters with the rivaling pride grew more and more frequent. It wouldn’t be long before the tension between the two factions would boil over and Mhindi’s leadership skills would be put to the ultimate test. Deep down, Uzuri knew that he had what it would take to pull them through but the grater question was, did he?