A valley between two mountains with forest and a river. A unique area that fluctuates between various gravity levels, allowing creatures to traverse between the ground and sky. Stars, clouds, and space dust, as well as beautiful trees and flowering plants can be found here
He found himself once more on the cusp of claimed territory, his frame partially hidden by the trees above. It was quite a chilly day, with occasional strong gusts of wind ruffling his fur. Once more, the lion found himself not making his presence known, instead wanting to see how long it would take a member of Verdantis to realize he was here. Though this time, he took to pacing back and forth. There weren't any comfortable piles of leaves around here, none warm enough to be worth laying in, so walking would keep his blood flow going and body warm. His wings were partially outstretched, head somewhat lowered and bright apricot orange eyes taking in his surroundings. And he would continue like this, waiting.
Lion. Not Verdantis. Urna lifted her head higher into the breeze. But not Duskorna, either. Apparently alone, probably male. Could be a bad idea.
Then again, it was her job. She chattered a warning to any other citizens nearby and then went looking for trouble.
Urna halted on a high rock, gazing down at the blue lion pacing back and forth just across the border. He was winged. Ordinarily, that would put her at a disadvantage, but this was Cloud Bend, where the rules were different. She turned slightly and leapt down from her perch one ledge at a time, calling out when her paws met packed earth. "Hail, wanderer. What brings you here?" Urna drew closer, her ears pricked for signs of ambush.
Ears would remain privy to the sound of an approaching individual. He would slow his pacing to a stop and turn to face her. Brows then crease with thought, and his head would tilt slightly when he noticed the tentacles adorning her head and back like a mane, "This is a new sight. Tentacles on hyenas," his head would right itself.
Clearing his throat, Matthias would introduce himself with a smile, "My name is Matthias Kingsley. I was transported to this place by a beam of light, and am now in need of a new home. I noticed this was claimed territory - could you tell me about the culture and rules of your group?"
He seemed peaceful enough, keeping to his side of the border, and Urna relaxed fractionally. "This is Verdantis." She planted her paws a body-length from the stranger and kept her tail high. "Home to Ohr's followers, and the keepers of the Will." Her mane undulated gently as she moved, like seagrass in water. "We hold that the key to ending Akrasia is through the teachings of the god of life and protection."
Wait, did he even know what Akrasia was? Or the Will? Or Ohr? Urna pressed on. "We nurture life and skill alike within the kingdom. There is no better place for herbalists or crafters to hone their skills." Enough with the sales pitch. "Is there anything more specific you'd like to know? Urna took a moment to mentally pat herself on the back for her incredible civility thus far. She could do this whole "being nice" thing after all.
He was quiet as he listened to the hyena explain Verdantis - are all the women around here so damn hot? - and noted with interest that she, too, mentioned this Will, as well as a god of life. It was all starting to make sense, all starting to come together. He would nod slowly as she speaks, eyes filled with thought, and when a question was given to him, he thought for a moment more before saying, "You say Ohr is the God of life and protection? Does he..." he tried to be careful about how he words it, "What does he do to... Have you seen him in action?" argh, what's an indirect way to say if I get on his good side will he resurrect me like Tsillah apparently does with her followers?
Shifting in his stance, the lion adds, "Sorry, I don't mean to sound disrespectful. Where I come from, the Gods very much keep to themselves. I'm just trying to gauge the differences here."
Urna cocked her head, trying to puzzle out what unspoken question the lion was getting at. A cool, creeping feeling began to congeal within her. "You've been to Duskorna." It was neither question nor accusation. "I don't know what they told you, but—" She made a scathing noise. "The gods fought directly, once. Not much survives from that time except tales of their destruction." Her red eyes flicked up to meet Matthias' gold. "I've never seen Ohr in action personally, no." She shook her neck out. "Probably some shit with, like, leaves and vines and branches. Trees getting up and fighting. A swarm of a million bees out of nowhere. Use your imagination."
"The gods here keep out of the way for our sakes. They don't intervene often." Urna wasn't sure if that had been a hope or a concern, but best to be honest about it anyways. "If I were choosing a home, I'd worry more about the people living in it, and what they do for the sake of their god."
Urna had planned to leave it there, had already half-turned to go, but in idly considering her own answer, a sudden wave of conviction struck her. "Violence is the easy answer," she blurted. "It feels good, feels decisive. But the wounds it leaves are slow to heal."
"I chose Ohr's path because nurturing is harder. We make things here. We look to the future." She'd seen Verdantis more fully than ever before, at the meeting. There had been children there: kits and cubs and pups who would grow up learning to cultivate and protect.
"Tsillah looks at mortals, sees those that are weak, and says, 'cut them out.' Ohr looks at those same mortals and says, 'can you make them strong?'" Can you be strong for her? The voice that rang in Urna's mind wasn't Ohr's.
"I've lived according to both." Why was she telling him this? What made it so important? She couldn't say, but being a shaman meant committing honestly to the feelings that moved you, and she let the words flow, cathartic and true. "And the part of my life that would have made Tsillah proud? Was the part that cost me everything." The final syllables came out in a bitter snarl.
Breathing hard, Urna straightened again and dipped her head in a dismissal to the traveler. "I wish you luck in your search," she said curtly, and turned to go.
'You've been to Duskorna.' Came the realization, and Matthias could only sit there in his silence, all the confirmation she needs. Thankfully, there is no aggression in the comment, and his question is answered.
'...use your imagination.' He can't help but chuckle, a half stifled one as he tries not to let it overshadow her words, so the smile that came with it dissipates as well.
Though the lion has more questions, he kept them reserved to hear what she had to say. As she spoke, he kept comparing and contrasting it to the words spoken by the winged wolf of Duskorna, and the teen that was with him. It painted a picture of what was going on, further affirming everything he had learned from others so far. These two groups were clearly at odds over their conflicting ideologies, each convicted over what they thought was right. And he could sense that even those who may necessarily believe in the Gods or the Will, that they could at least relate to the teachings founded by their respective deities.
Matthias did not stop her or say anything else as she left, though he lifted a paw for a moment as he considered doing so. Ultimately he let the hyena leave without a fuss, pondering over everything. It was refreshing to have words so direct, and she had already answered the most important questions anyway.
A few moments after she had turned to leave, Matthias would call out a simple, "Thank you," before spreading his wings to fly the other eway.
