Post by Shomoro on Feb 27, 2007 4:45:28 GMT -5
Involved: Kiet, Mizuka, Khamisa, Atreyu, Kisehemu
Kivuli - Mountain Cavern
While the heart of the Kivuli lands is in the middle of the valley, the heart of the Kivuli Pride is inside this cavern. And a large cavern it is - not huge, but large - big enough to give shelter to a healthy-sized pride of lions. The floor is of stone. The same, silvery-grey stone that can be found anywhere in the lands. The walls and the ceiling match it, bare and almost slippery. A few, tiny ledges and loose rocks can be found near the corners, though, but otherwise it's a beautiful cave. Lion fur, as well as the bones and remains of old carcasses and other things can be seen littered upon the ground, and the scent of lions is very strong here.
The cave mouth is large, allowing a great deal of light to enter the cave. It's especially beautiful in the evening, when one can see te red light of the sunset on the western horizon, casting its glow into the cavern and across the cliff. However, at night, the cavern tends to be cold, as the night chill easily finds its way through the large entrance. In the back of the cave, there is an opening to another, smaller cave.
Mizuka has been feeling tense for the past few moons, but the last month or so has been worst of all. With Kiet's illness progressing, it hasn't been enough to worry about the fact that his father could well be dying, and his coronation's been pushed forward; with the King ill, there's one less person to handle the patrols, and while he certainly has the assistance of the knights and his brother, they're still feeling the effects. At least Mbaamwezi seems to have shut up for now; he hasn't heard of, nor experienced, any trouble on the borders lately. Still, he's had to be out much more often than he likes--if it were up to him, he'd be sitting right there with Khamisa by their father's side. ...And it doesn't help that it's bloody /raining/. As he strides up the cliff trail and into the cavern, the heir is already soaked, his mane and fur spiked from all the excess moisture. With him is a rather soggy-looking Kisehemu, and when they stop more or less in unison to shake off--mostly succeeding in just flinging water at one another--the younger lion makes a low, irritated sound, which Kise returns with one that's vaguely questioning, his ears set back. Neither of them, it seems, is in a terribly good mood, and with everything that's been happening lately it's no wonder.
Khamisa has kept close to Kiet. She is aware that her father probably doesn't even realize she's there - although she hopes that some part of him, somewhere beneath his raging fever, is in fact aware that his family is near him often, worried about him - but she figures that someone should be around... just in case. The young lioness is curled up near the white lion, the King's breathing raspy and shallow and the princess dozing lightly. However, Khamisa stirs at the sound of the two males entering the cavern, blinking sleepily in their direction as they shake the water from their coats. "Mizuka?" Khamisa stirs, pushing herself to her paws and givign herself a quick shake to wake herself up. Mizuka and Kisehemu may be short of temper, but Khamisa is short on sleep; it's hard work caring for the ill, even with help. Blue eyes slip from heir to knight, then back again, ears held back slightly hesitant. Males in bad moods are never wonderful things to deal with. "Everything's OK out there, right?" She asks finally. She figures as such - hopefully they would be acting a bit more urgently if that were the case - but a greeting of 'hey, guys, great day, huh? I hope you both are well?' just doesn't seem very fitting, all things considered.
And neither, from the looks of it, are patrols in the rain--although when he sees Khamisa, Mizuka's annoyed expression smoothes out a bit, softening. Which turns into a frown, inevitably, as his gaze drifts to Kiet's prone form. Kisehemu's, as well; the knight doesn't say anything immediately following their monosyllabic exchange, instead giving himself another little shake, his mane--both their manes, really--in damp disarray. "Everything's all right. There haven't been any disturbances." He hesitates, wanting to ask but not wanting to know the answer, from the looks of it. "...Nothing's changed here?" he adds more quietly, his ears flat.
Atreyu has connected.
Ah, good. It seems things outside of Kivuli are calming down, allowing the local lions to get back to their lives as normal. If only things /inside/ Kivuli itself would allow the same. Khamisa pads over to greet both males - Kisehemu with a polite nose touch, Mizuka with a gentle nuzzle, ignoring the damp fur - before she glances back to Kiet. The lioness is silent a long moment, allowing Mizuka's question to hang in the air before she answers. "No..." She pauses again, frowning. "The healer came." A quick glance to Kisehemu, then her gaze lingers on her brother. "It's not good, Mizuka." Khamisa sighs heavily, sorrow clouding her features. In the background, the white lion coughs heavily, lungs struggling for breath as the fluid within them stirs, the sound echoing in the cavern. The princess spares her father a quick glance to ensure that he settles down, only continuing once she's sure. "She says that she can mix up something to give him. It will make him cough more for the moment, but will eventually ease his breathing. But.. there's a chance that all it will do is help ease his passing." Another pause, the girl lifting her gaze to meer Mizuka's eyes. "I told her to go ahead and give it to him. She's out gathering what she needs now."
Mizuka isn't usually very tactile, but when Khamisa nuzzles him he seems more than happy to return it, rubbing his nose against her cheek; he finds the scent of his family reassuring, when everything else seems so stressful and uncertain. His frown comes back, though, when the lioness doesn't answer right away--he's not expecting the news to be very promising, and, indeed, it's not when it comes. The only good part is Tumbuiza's return...and it looks like even she might not be able to help at this point. He certainly doesn't like to think that Kiet could die, but the possibility is something that he's had to deal with--that they've all had to deal with, really--since the male's condition worsened. His eyes shut for a moment, and quite tightly, but while there's definitely stress sliding under his voice when he replies, he at least does a fair job of keeping it even. "If it at least makes it easier on him..." he begins, and then stops. Another nuzzle, exceedingly light, is offered to Khamisa before he approaches their father, his head held low. Kisehemu lingers behind, out of respect to the royal family, but the knight's lips are thin; he may not be related to them, but he doesn't have to be for the situation to affect him. Kiet's their ruler, after all, and well-respected; this affects the entire pride.
As if to complete the little gathering, through the cavern entrance arrives Atreyu. He'd been partially hoping to meet that little Nur creature along the way to the pridal cavern, he'd never been so attached to a meerkit, but daNgit she was Cute! And she clung to him! And it was cute! XD And ATtie was a sucker for cute. ... Anyu... *Sigh* The kivulian prince shakes his head to snap himself out of his daydreaming and pauses at the entrance to peer hesitantly to his sister and his brother. Atreyu was never good with moments like this.. ever. He'd just recently shown the world he could be serious and take the world by the horns.. but this? He wasn't ready for it. He said once when he was little that he wanted to take Kivuli out of his veins and leave it behind after the death of his sister that he blammed on hiself. His nicked ear twitches at the memory and ATreyu swallow, but... he wasn't serious.. and his father was the one who talked him out of such nonsence.. his father. Atreyu's feet shuffle uncertainly before the pale prince finally enters the cavern. He doesn't say anything, he simply looks at no one but his father, ears flat and face stoic.
Khamisa leans lightly into the second nuzzle, tears shining in the lioness' eyes as she watches the heir move over to their father. The time of Kiet's illness has been rough on Khamisa. With even their mother and grandfather unavailable - momentarily lost to the sleeping sickness - she is trying to fill the role as the supporter of her brothers. They, obviously, have to deal with patrols and keeping the pride together and such along with worrying about Kiet. Khamisa herself, unable to hunt or guard, has found herself feeling rather useless. So she took upon herself care of the King and trying to be positive and supportive to Mizuka and Atreyu, as well as present a calm, steady front to the rest of the pride when possible, when needed. But watching Mizuka move off with his head held low nearly breaks her heart. This is a tough time not only for the three royal siblings.. but for the rest of the pride. And Khamisa can only hope that they'll be able to pull out of it alright. The princess shuffles a few steps closer to Kisehemu, not wanting to disturb Mizuka as he approaches their father, giving the knight a brief glance before the arrival of Atreyu catches her attention. She gives him a long, sad look, but eventually her gaze follows his.. returning to the form of the white lion, right as the King erupts into a fit of horrid coughing. It's a nasty sound, the fluid in his lungs rattling every breath. Once the coughing dies, Kiet stirs, blinking brown eyes several times before his world swims into focus. His eyes hold a hint of brightness that they have been lacking for the better part of a moon, and eventually they focus on his eldest son. "...Mizuka?"
His eyes had been on Kiet, and on Mizuka as well--but when something moves in the periphery of his vision, Kisehemu's gaze shifts over that way. The look he offers Khamisa in return is rather grave, and his mouth opens partway to say something. By that time, though, the princess' attention is already on Atreyu, and he subsides again, eyes flicking back to Kiet. Mizuka, for his part, is barely even aware that his brother's here now; like Atreyu, his gaze is only for the white lion. He actually flinches when Kiet coughs, pausing mid-step with his paw in the air; to see his father like this, /any/ of his family members like this--it /hurts/, because bad enough that they should have to deal with this, but they have to deal with it on their own as well. He's not prepared for anything to happen to his immediate family; what happened to Ronan was bad enough, and the Barbary was his great-uncle, not his father or his mother or one of his siblings. However, when Kiet's eyes open, the heir's ears crane forward at once, and his tail gives a short but very hard lash, the movement quite uncharacteristic. Then he's easing forward again, almost cautious--he's bizarrely afraid that a sudden movement will send the older male back into whatever delirious state he's been in for the past few weeks. Still, when he speaks, his voice holds a thread of eagerness, of hopefulness--maybe this clarity is a good sign. "I'm here, father. We all are."
Atreyu graces his baby sister and brother with a glance, Kise' given a once over as well before the prince moves fowards. His face goes slack and he brushes his side reasuringly beside Khammy's. He didn't have a good feeling about this night... Atreyu wanders slowly but steadily over to settle himself beside his brother, but slightly behind, and lower his face to his fathers body. Ears droop and Atreyu's eyes widen in a look of pure childish insecurity and despair. He doesn't care if he gets sick, he has have the mind to cuddle beside his father and sob uncontroleabley into his mane, begging him to quit and telling him that he'll be a better son and prince for him. But the pale prince only flinches now and then, shoulders over come with small tremors, his legs stiff and tence.
There has just been too much death in Kivuli in recent months. Ronan and Kieleaji. Alai, their other brother. Surely that's enough? Surely the Great Kings have some mercy for the Kivuli? They've always been a kind, caring pride. Khamisa shifts her weight slightly, to press her side to Atreyu's as he moves by her. She lingers back for a moment, even after the sound of Kiet's voice - speaking, for the first time in she forgets how long, a name that is not that of their dead white sibling - reaches her ears. Another brief glance is spared to Kisehemu and then she follows suit, moving from her position back over to her father, joining her brothers at the King's side. Kiet blinks, his gaze shifting from Mizuka to each of the others - Atreyu, Khamisa.. Kisehemu - and a small smile breaks across his pale muzzle. "So you are." A trace of emotion flickers across the King's face, just what that emotion is difficult to capture, but it is gone quickly as he focuses on those present. He will not ask about his mate. Something tells him that his own time is short. He would rather not learn that Saibh may be dead already, not wishing to die with a broken heart himself. He will know of her fate soon enough, knows that she will meet him when the time comes.. or that he will wait for her, for as long as it takes for her to join him. For now.. he will focus on the gathered Kivulians. "I am sorry," He wheezes, looking to his sons and Kisehemu. "I.. should have moved out of the cavern.. a long time ago. I never would have wished.. that you would have to remove me from here after..." A sad duty to leave to one's sons and close allies, to remove his body from the family home. But Kiet is much too weak to move himself now.
Atreyu has disconnected.
He's aware of his siblings nearby--Atreyu's tension and upset, in particular, is nearly palpable--but aside from a brief look over his shoulder at them Mizuka's attention remains entirely on their father; this is the first time that Kiet's been lucid in quite awhile, and he clings to the stubborn hope that it's a good omen, a sign that, perhaps, he's beginning to recover, and not a dying male's last moments of clarity. So when the white lion speaks, a flinch passes over the heir's face and quickly disappears again, lost when he shakes his head, lowering it to nudge Kiet's forehead. "Tumbuiza has returned, father. She's out gathering things that may be able to help you." Mizuka's voice is rather strained. "You need only hang on, and you'll be able to leave and enter the cavern as often as you wish." There's no guarantee of that, of course, and it seems a strange thing to reassure him of, but somehow the thought of Kiet not being able to get up and walk out of the cavern, or get up and walk /anywhere/--the thought of that terrible /stillness/--is more final than thinking he's going to die. It solidifies the idea in Mizuka's mind, and that terrifies him.
Khamisa's ears pan back against her skull as her father speaks - he's speaking! and like Mizuka, she clings to the hope that this is a good sign, even as something deep inside her whispers warnings to her, reminding her that those who get their hopes too high find the resulting fall to be a lot harsher than it should have been - for she had never once thought of such a thing. That her brothers might have to remove the body from the cavern, that her father might never get up again. Of course she has considered Kiet's death, but just the mention of having to remove Kiet's body makes it seem so.. final. It's an end that Khamisa just cannot comprehend, as much as she's thought about it lately. Kiet has /always/ been there. /Always/. Tongue washing out over her muzzle momentarily, the princess finds herself nodding along with her brother's words. "Yes, father, Tumbuiza is out right now getting things to make something for you. She says it will help." Either help remove the fluid from his lungs or help ease his passing.. but she doesn't specify that. Clearly, all Kiet needs to do is hope and believe, as they are. But the King only gives them a small, sad smile. "I don't think," He tells them gently. "That even our dear healer can help now." Kiet wishes he were well. Who ever really wants to die, after all? He would like more time with his children. He would like to be here as they take over the pride. He would like to see his grandcubs. He would like to grow old beside Saibh, perhaps venture back out of the lands now and again to relive their rogue days. They were so eager, way back when, to take over Kivuli and have cubs so that those cubs could grow up and take over the pride, leaving them free to go back to their wandering lifestyle. 'I'm sorry Saibh, my love,' The lion thinks to himself, his gaze sweeping over his children. 'It doesn't look like we'll get to wander together again for a bit.' Kiet's mouth parts to speak, but he coughs instead. And, for the first time, his features look pained at the action. It takes him a few moments to recover, to catch his breath. "You.. will be a great King, Mizuka.."
His own ears had, until now, been perked forward, holding on stubbornly to the hope that Kiet could still get better at this point, but when the ailing King speaks they fall back again, flat against his mane. "That's nonsense, father," Mizuka whispers hoarsely. "Of course she can help you." The words lack conviction now, though, and his narrow shoulders slump as though some heavy weight's just been rested upon them--the realisation that Kiet /is/ going to die after all, perhaps, because if the lion is so certain that he won't make it, then what's to prevent him from just giving in and slipping away? He's silent for awhile, his sides heaving as he takes in a couple of deep breaths; they keep wanting to become gaspy, and he fights it, although takes what seems like a long time before he has his voice under enough control to speak again. He badly wants to protest the statement that he'll make a good King, wants to point out that there's /so/ much Kiet hasn't taught him, and that if his father is dead he'll have no one to turn to, with both Saibh and his grandfather unavailable; for several minutes he wants to cuddle up and sob into Kiet's mane just as much as Atreyu does. But the urge passes, with a monumental effort, because how fair is it for Mizuka to spend what might well be their last moments together as a family clinging to his leg and begging him not to go? The heir's head droops...and he manages, raspily, "Yeah." That single word is so out of character for him that it betrays all of the upset he won't allow to show through in his body language, and he does give into the urge to move, to lie down beside Kiet and press close and tuck his chin over the white lion's head--permitting himself to snuggle up, at least, even though he won't let himself cling, even though touching, bizarrely, makes him feel even more miserable, makes him miss it already. "You've trained me, father. I won't disappoint you." He can barely manage the words, but he forces them out anyway, wanting, at least, to make these last few moments at least somewhat positive for Kiet, if none of the rest of them. Better he should go feeling good about what he's leaving behind, instead of regretting not being able to do more.
Kivuli - Mountain Cavern
While the heart of the Kivuli lands is in the middle of the valley, the heart of the Kivuli Pride is inside this cavern. And a large cavern it is - not huge, but large - big enough to give shelter to a healthy-sized pride of lions. The floor is of stone. The same, silvery-grey stone that can be found anywhere in the lands. The walls and the ceiling match it, bare and almost slippery. A few, tiny ledges and loose rocks can be found near the corners, though, but otherwise it's a beautiful cave. Lion fur, as well as the bones and remains of old carcasses and other things can be seen littered upon the ground, and the scent of lions is very strong here.
The cave mouth is large, allowing a great deal of light to enter the cave. It's especially beautiful in the evening, when one can see te red light of the sunset on the western horizon, casting its glow into the cavern and across the cliff. However, at night, the cavern tends to be cold, as the night chill easily finds its way through the large entrance. In the back of the cave, there is an opening to another, smaller cave.
Mizuka has been feeling tense for the past few moons, but the last month or so has been worst of all. With Kiet's illness progressing, it hasn't been enough to worry about the fact that his father could well be dying, and his coronation's been pushed forward; with the King ill, there's one less person to handle the patrols, and while he certainly has the assistance of the knights and his brother, they're still feeling the effects. At least Mbaamwezi seems to have shut up for now; he hasn't heard of, nor experienced, any trouble on the borders lately. Still, he's had to be out much more often than he likes--if it were up to him, he'd be sitting right there with Khamisa by their father's side. ...And it doesn't help that it's bloody /raining/. As he strides up the cliff trail and into the cavern, the heir is already soaked, his mane and fur spiked from all the excess moisture. With him is a rather soggy-looking Kisehemu, and when they stop more or less in unison to shake off--mostly succeeding in just flinging water at one another--the younger lion makes a low, irritated sound, which Kise returns with one that's vaguely questioning, his ears set back. Neither of them, it seems, is in a terribly good mood, and with everything that's been happening lately it's no wonder.
Khamisa has kept close to Kiet. She is aware that her father probably doesn't even realize she's there - although she hopes that some part of him, somewhere beneath his raging fever, is in fact aware that his family is near him often, worried about him - but she figures that someone should be around... just in case. The young lioness is curled up near the white lion, the King's breathing raspy and shallow and the princess dozing lightly. However, Khamisa stirs at the sound of the two males entering the cavern, blinking sleepily in their direction as they shake the water from their coats. "Mizuka?" Khamisa stirs, pushing herself to her paws and givign herself a quick shake to wake herself up. Mizuka and Kisehemu may be short of temper, but Khamisa is short on sleep; it's hard work caring for the ill, even with help. Blue eyes slip from heir to knight, then back again, ears held back slightly hesitant. Males in bad moods are never wonderful things to deal with. "Everything's OK out there, right?" She asks finally. She figures as such - hopefully they would be acting a bit more urgently if that were the case - but a greeting of 'hey, guys, great day, huh? I hope you both are well?' just doesn't seem very fitting, all things considered.
And neither, from the looks of it, are patrols in the rain--although when he sees Khamisa, Mizuka's annoyed expression smoothes out a bit, softening. Which turns into a frown, inevitably, as his gaze drifts to Kiet's prone form. Kisehemu's, as well; the knight doesn't say anything immediately following their monosyllabic exchange, instead giving himself another little shake, his mane--both their manes, really--in damp disarray. "Everything's all right. There haven't been any disturbances." He hesitates, wanting to ask but not wanting to know the answer, from the looks of it. "...Nothing's changed here?" he adds more quietly, his ears flat.
Atreyu has connected.
Ah, good. It seems things outside of Kivuli are calming down, allowing the local lions to get back to their lives as normal. If only things /inside/ Kivuli itself would allow the same. Khamisa pads over to greet both males - Kisehemu with a polite nose touch, Mizuka with a gentle nuzzle, ignoring the damp fur - before she glances back to Kiet. The lioness is silent a long moment, allowing Mizuka's question to hang in the air before she answers. "No..." She pauses again, frowning. "The healer came." A quick glance to Kisehemu, then her gaze lingers on her brother. "It's not good, Mizuka." Khamisa sighs heavily, sorrow clouding her features. In the background, the white lion coughs heavily, lungs struggling for breath as the fluid within them stirs, the sound echoing in the cavern. The princess spares her father a quick glance to ensure that he settles down, only continuing once she's sure. "She says that she can mix up something to give him. It will make him cough more for the moment, but will eventually ease his breathing. But.. there's a chance that all it will do is help ease his passing." Another pause, the girl lifting her gaze to meer Mizuka's eyes. "I told her to go ahead and give it to him. She's out gathering what she needs now."
Mizuka isn't usually very tactile, but when Khamisa nuzzles him he seems more than happy to return it, rubbing his nose against her cheek; he finds the scent of his family reassuring, when everything else seems so stressful and uncertain. His frown comes back, though, when the lioness doesn't answer right away--he's not expecting the news to be very promising, and, indeed, it's not when it comes. The only good part is Tumbuiza's return...and it looks like even she might not be able to help at this point. He certainly doesn't like to think that Kiet could die, but the possibility is something that he's had to deal with--that they've all had to deal with, really--since the male's condition worsened. His eyes shut for a moment, and quite tightly, but while there's definitely stress sliding under his voice when he replies, he at least does a fair job of keeping it even. "If it at least makes it easier on him..." he begins, and then stops. Another nuzzle, exceedingly light, is offered to Khamisa before he approaches their father, his head held low. Kisehemu lingers behind, out of respect to the royal family, but the knight's lips are thin; he may not be related to them, but he doesn't have to be for the situation to affect him. Kiet's their ruler, after all, and well-respected; this affects the entire pride.
As if to complete the little gathering, through the cavern entrance arrives Atreyu. He'd been partially hoping to meet that little Nur creature along the way to the pridal cavern, he'd never been so attached to a meerkit, but daNgit she was Cute! And she clung to him! And it was cute! XD And ATtie was a sucker for cute. ... Anyu... *Sigh* The kivulian prince shakes his head to snap himself out of his daydreaming and pauses at the entrance to peer hesitantly to his sister and his brother. Atreyu was never good with moments like this.. ever. He'd just recently shown the world he could be serious and take the world by the horns.. but this? He wasn't ready for it. He said once when he was little that he wanted to take Kivuli out of his veins and leave it behind after the death of his sister that he blammed on hiself. His nicked ear twitches at the memory and ATreyu swallow, but... he wasn't serious.. and his father was the one who talked him out of such nonsence.. his father. Atreyu's feet shuffle uncertainly before the pale prince finally enters the cavern. He doesn't say anything, he simply looks at no one but his father, ears flat and face stoic.
Khamisa leans lightly into the second nuzzle, tears shining in the lioness' eyes as she watches the heir move over to their father. The time of Kiet's illness has been rough on Khamisa. With even their mother and grandfather unavailable - momentarily lost to the sleeping sickness - she is trying to fill the role as the supporter of her brothers. They, obviously, have to deal with patrols and keeping the pride together and such along with worrying about Kiet. Khamisa herself, unable to hunt or guard, has found herself feeling rather useless. So she took upon herself care of the King and trying to be positive and supportive to Mizuka and Atreyu, as well as present a calm, steady front to the rest of the pride when possible, when needed. But watching Mizuka move off with his head held low nearly breaks her heart. This is a tough time not only for the three royal siblings.. but for the rest of the pride. And Khamisa can only hope that they'll be able to pull out of it alright. The princess shuffles a few steps closer to Kisehemu, not wanting to disturb Mizuka as he approaches their father, giving the knight a brief glance before the arrival of Atreyu catches her attention. She gives him a long, sad look, but eventually her gaze follows his.. returning to the form of the white lion, right as the King erupts into a fit of horrid coughing. It's a nasty sound, the fluid in his lungs rattling every breath. Once the coughing dies, Kiet stirs, blinking brown eyes several times before his world swims into focus. His eyes hold a hint of brightness that they have been lacking for the better part of a moon, and eventually they focus on his eldest son. "...Mizuka?"
His eyes had been on Kiet, and on Mizuka as well--but when something moves in the periphery of his vision, Kisehemu's gaze shifts over that way. The look he offers Khamisa in return is rather grave, and his mouth opens partway to say something. By that time, though, the princess' attention is already on Atreyu, and he subsides again, eyes flicking back to Kiet. Mizuka, for his part, is barely even aware that his brother's here now; like Atreyu, his gaze is only for the white lion. He actually flinches when Kiet coughs, pausing mid-step with his paw in the air; to see his father like this, /any/ of his family members like this--it /hurts/, because bad enough that they should have to deal with this, but they have to deal with it on their own as well. He's not prepared for anything to happen to his immediate family; what happened to Ronan was bad enough, and the Barbary was his great-uncle, not his father or his mother or one of his siblings. However, when Kiet's eyes open, the heir's ears crane forward at once, and his tail gives a short but very hard lash, the movement quite uncharacteristic. Then he's easing forward again, almost cautious--he's bizarrely afraid that a sudden movement will send the older male back into whatever delirious state he's been in for the past few weeks. Still, when he speaks, his voice holds a thread of eagerness, of hopefulness--maybe this clarity is a good sign. "I'm here, father. We all are."
Atreyu graces his baby sister and brother with a glance, Kise' given a once over as well before the prince moves fowards. His face goes slack and he brushes his side reasuringly beside Khammy's. He didn't have a good feeling about this night... Atreyu wanders slowly but steadily over to settle himself beside his brother, but slightly behind, and lower his face to his fathers body. Ears droop and Atreyu's eyes widen in a look of pure childish insecurity and despair. He doesn't care if he gets sick, he has have the mind to cuddle beside his father and sob uncontroleabley into his mane, begging him to quit and telling him that he'll be a better son and prince for him. But the pale prince only flinches now and then, shoulders over come with small tremors, his legs stiff and tence.
There has just been too much death in Kivuli in recent months. Ronan and Kieleaji. Alai, their other brother. Surely that's enough? Surely the Great Kings have some mercy for the Kivuli? They've always been a kind, caring pride. Khamisa shifts her weight slightly, to press her side to Atreyu's as he moves by her. She lingers back for a moment, even after the sound of Kiet's voice - speaking, for the first time in she forgets how long, a name that is not that of their dead white sibling - reaches her ears. Another brief glance is spared to Kisehemu and then she follows suit, moving from her position back over to her father, joining her brothers at the King's side. Kiet blinks, his gaze shifting from Mizuka to each of the others - Atreyu, Khamisa.. Kisehemu - and a small smile breaks across his pale muzzle. "So you are." A trace of emotion flickers across the King's face, just what that emotion is difficult to capture, but it is gone quickly as he focuses on those present. He will not ask about his mate. Something tells him that his own time is short. He would rather not learn that Saibh may be dead already, not wishing to die with a broken heart himself. He will know of her fate soon enough, knows that she will meet him when the time comes.. or that he will wait for her, for as long as it takes for her to join him. For now.. he will focus on the gathered Kivulians. "I am sorry," He wheezes, looking to his sons and Kisehemu. "I.. should have moved out of the cavern.. a long time ago. I never would have wished.. that you would have to remove me from here after..." A sad duty to leave to one's sons and close allies, to remove his body from the family home. But Kiet is much too weak to move himself now.
Atreyu has disconnected.
He's aware of his siblings nearby--Atreyu's tension and upset, in particular, is nearly palpable--but aside from a brief look over his shoulder at them Mizuka's attention remains entirely on their father; this is the first time that Kiet's been lucid in quite awhile, and he clings to the stubborn hope that it's a good omen, a sign that, perhaps, he's beginning to recover, and not a dying male's last moments of clarity. So when the white lion speaks, a flinch passes over the heir's face and quickly disappears again, lost when he shakes his head, lowering it to nudge Kiet's forehead. "Tumbuiza has returned, father. She's out gathering things that may be able to help you." Mizuka's voice is rather strained. "You need only hang on, and you'll be able to leave and enter the cavern as often as you wish." There's no guarantee of that, of course, and it seems a strange thing to reassure him of, but somehow the thought of Kiet not being able to get up and walk out of the cavern, or get up and walk /anywhere/--the thought of that terrible /stillness/--is more final than thinking he's going to die. It solidifies the idea in Mizuka's mind, and that terrifies him.
Khamisa's ears pan back against her skull as her father speaks - he's speaking! and like Mizuka, she clings to the hope that this is a good sign, even as something deep inside her whispers warnings to her, reminding her that those who get their hopes too high find the resulting fall to be a lot harsher than it should have been - for she had never once thought of such a thing. That her brothers might have to remove the body from the cavern, that her father might never get up again. Of course she has considered Kiet's death, but just the mention of having to remove Kiet's body makes it seem so.. final. It's an end that Khamisa just cannot comprehend, as much as she's thought about it lately. Kiet has /always/ been there. /Always/. Tongue washing out over her muzzle momentarily, the princess finds herself nodding along with her brother's words. "Yes, father, Tumbuiza is out right now getting things to make something for you. She says it will help." Either help remove the fluid from his lungs or help ease his passing.. but she doesn't specify that. Clearly, all Kiet needs to do is hope and believe, as they are. But the King only gives them a small, sad smile. "I don't think," He tells them gently. "That even our dear healer can help now." Kiet wishes he were well. Who ever really wants to die, after all? He would like more time with his children. He would like to be here as they take over the pride. He would like to see his grandcubs. He would like to grow old beside Saibh, perhaps venture back out of the lands now and again to relive their rogue days. They were so eager, way back when, to take over Kivuli and have cubs so that those cubs could grow up and take over the pride, leaving them free to go back to their wandering lifestyle. 'I'm sorry Saibh, my love,' The lion thinks to himself, his gaze sweeping over his children. 'It doesn't look like we'll get to wander together again for a bit.' Kiet's mouth parts to speak, but he coughs instead. And, for the first time, his features look pained at the action. It takes him a few moments to recover, to catch his breath. "You.. will be a great King, Mizuka.."
His own ears had, until now, been perked forward, holding on stubbornly to the hope that Kiet could still get better at this point, but when the ailing King speaks they fall back again, flat against his mane. "That's nonsense, father," Mizuka whispers hoarsely. "Of course she can help you." The words lack conviction now, though, and his narrow shoulders slump as though some heavy weight's just been rested upon them--the realisation that Kiet /is/ going to die after all, perhaps, because if the lion is so certain that he won't make it, then what's to prevent him from just giving in and slipping away? He's silent for awhile, his sides heaving as he takes in a couple of deep breaths; they keep wanting to become gaspy, and he fights it, although takes what seems like a long time before he has his voice under enough control to speak again. He badly wants to protest the statement that he'll make a good King, wants to point out that there's /so/ much Kiet hasn't taught him, and that if his father is dead he'll have no one to turn to, with both Saibh and his grandfather unavailable; for several minutes he wants to cuddle up and sob into Kiet's mane just as much as Atreyu does. But the urge passes, with a monumental effort, because how fair is it for Mizuka to spend what might well be their last moments together as a family clinging to his leg and begging him not to go? The heir's head droops...and he manages, raspily, "Yeah." That single word is so out of character for him that it betrays all of the upset he won't allow to show through in his body language, and he does give into the urge to move, to lie down beside Kiet and press close and tuck his chin over the white lion's head--permitting himself to snuggle up, at least, even though he won't let himself cling, even though touching, bizarrely, makes him feel even more miserable, makes him miss it already. "You've trained me, father. I won't disappoint you." He can barely manage the words, but he forces them out anyway, wanting, at least, to make these last few moments at least somewhat positive for Kiet, if none of the rest of them. Better he should go feeling good about what he's leaving behind, instead of regretting not being able to do more.
