[PRP] Inquisitive Mind (Berihun/Shetani)

[Kieko]

"Carry in your heart a demon?" Beri asked, turning from the lioness in charge to this other. He didn't flinch from her closeness, paying attention instead to the way she moved - indeed, he hadn't noticed how lovely she appeared from afar. Were all demonesses like this one and their heir, no wonder he had heard stories.

Perhaps, though, this one could provide the answers he sought. "The demon comes from within you, then. An inner force?" It made sense. And it definitely lent a little more credence to his father's tales. "How do you know that such a thing lies within you?" Did demons pass down through generations? He had never heard of the old cat...speaking in tongues or anything. And yet...Berihun wouldn't be here if not for his words.



"Not one," Shetani answered cooly, golden eyes giving off a dangerous glint. "Two."

Despite the manner in which she addressed the question, there was a reverence to her tone. It was an accomplishment for young lions to exit their naming quest with their demon. It was even rarer to have found two.

Shetani paused briefly as she considered the curious stranger's words. "While I can speak of my own experiences, the one best suited to address your questions would be a Priestess." It did not mean, however, that the dark-pelted lioness would not provide her own insight. "We are believed to carry our demons with us from birth. Though, we come to truly know them with time." And great hardship. The unspoken sentiment could be gleaned by the severe nature of the demons as a whole.

Two! Surprise was likely evident in the golden lion's eyes. "You must be rather exemplary," he murmured, tongue flicking up over a fang in contemplation.

"I imagine it isn't the same for everyone, but I appreciate your insight." He paused to gather his thoughts. There were so many questions, after all, and what seemed like such limited time to ask. He still wasn't sure how long it would take for him to wear out his welcome here on demon lands. The look this lioness had given him as she stepped forward didn't do much to dissuade that line of thought.

"What is it like for you?" That was safe enough, surely. He might have smirked if not for the obvious seriousness in her tone. "How do your demons influence you, make themselves manifest?" Besides, something compelled the boy. He had to know.

It was evident by the deliberate pause that the compliment had some effect on the lioness. There were various comments sitting on the edge of her tongue in response, recollections of her upbringing that appeared too inappropriate to share with a stranger. She hadn't found her demons without great trial, though it was she who was fortunate to have their company.

With a slow dip of her head, she eventually responded, "I am fortunate to have earned their favor." Not every lion who was born with a demon survived to share their tale.

"It is-" She paused again, considering how best to explain it to one who did not share such an experience. "-A mutually beneficial relationship." It was an unfortunately sterile response for something so curious. Aware that it wouldn't quite satisfy the male's curiosity, she went on. "There can be something of a challenge in finding fulfillment between three beings. But their strengths are my own."

In talking about her demons, a sort of softness came over Shetani. It was like watching someone speak of a dear friend.

[This is a side conversation from here.]  

[Kieko]

The affection in her tone was not lost on him. It did its part, said more than the things Beri suspected she was holding back: that silence was weighted with them.

"My father," the lion began, hesitating only briefly to judge her reaction to the unusual segue, "told my brothers and I some very unusual bedtime stories. He spoke of whispers that came from one's very soul. Other names a lion might call themselves that were truer than the ones everyone else knew. A fire that burned in our hearts."

Berihun's tail lashed, but his eyes were cool as he watched the lioness. "He was constantly telling us to be aware of that burning desire. He seemed to think that it would lead us to...something." A shrug. "I am beginning to think, more now than when I first came this way, that he spoke of these demons. Is that possible? One who does not have your lineage in the pride carrying a demon inside?"

If Shetani found the transition strange, she gave no outward indication of such. Instead, she simply shifted her attention back to Berihun when he began to speak of his father and the curious stories that were shared. The demoness' golden eyes remained focused on the male, seeming to take in each word he shared with renewed interest. In particular, the mention of true names and a whisper from ones soul seemed to speak to her.

When Berihun commented that he might find something if he were only to follow it, Shetani's muzzle split into a slow smile. The initiation of pridal members was not her purview in particular and upon first inspection, the stranger showed considerable paleness to be of demonic bloodline... but deep at Shetani's core was the inkling that Berihun was not to be turned away without being tested.

There was something calling to her, perhaps the gentle nudge of Seraphim which initially prompted her to take a second look at the stranger.

"There is great truth in the tales your father shared with you," She commented, to alleviate any concern that she might find his train of thought unusual. "Our pride was not always as it is now, and many previous members were lost to us during a transition from one territory to the next. It is possible that your father, or his father, came from a lineage related to ours." It was one possibility, but not the only way that he could be one of them.

"There are certain traits that have been shown to be associated with our demons. Colorations, behaviors..." This was branching outside her area of expertise, but she did her best to explain. "In particular, those of note you may already be aware of - black, red, purple and... gold." Her eyes lingered on him for a moment in silence.  

[Kieko]

The lion's eyes widened with surprise, more obvious than before. He couldn't have helped it if he'd tried. Truth! There it was then, confirmed at last! The old lion had been hiding things from all of them, right from the outset. On one paw, it was vilifying to have proper affirmation. On the other, the beginnings of anger began to boil in Berihun's gullet. How dare he feed them on nothing but these hints and riddles? Would coming out and just saying these things hae been all that difficult?

"I don't know anything of my father beyond his time with my mother, and the desert." It was likely plain to see that Shetani had given the male a lot to think about. "He could have come from such a lineage. He certainly fits the colors you mention." And so did he - at least one of them; the gold apparent throughout his pelt was certainly not to be denied. Yet his father matched all but the purple. Add into that the fangs he had passed down to his sons, and Berihun could believe now more than ever that he had carried some sort of demon.

He closed his eyes. His tail lashed a second time, betraying the turmoil of his thoughts. "With the exception of your heiress there, it seems like it is better to be darker here." Eyes opened again, his pale golden tones seeking her darker shine. "Is that so? Those who are light - like that meek lioness seeking sanctum, like...myself," he bit out the word with distaste, "are traditionally considered not-demons. Sador." It seemed obvious, now that she mentioned the colors the demons considered sacrosanct.

Shetani sat in silence while Berihun considered the information that she had given him. She may not have been so generous to share such details with a complete stranger, but something told her that the golden male had been given those details as a cub for a reason. Perhaps his father had infact been one of theirs? And his old stories were meant as some kind of test for his young, to guide them back to the demonlands where they could reclaim what was rightfully theirs?

Without knowing the stranger's father or the situation they were brought up in, it was difficult to gauge whether Berihun's anger was misplaced. It was entirely possible that she would be out of line to comment further on the subject, but that same nagging part of her which pushed her toward him spoke up now at the back of her mind. "It may not seem like it right now, but if your father was one of us. If he was not clear in what he shared with you, it may have been as much for your own benefit as his own. What you're saying is true. The demons value colorations which are darker. We believe that through these ancient and respected colorations we have closer ties with our demons and where they're from. The farther from our roots, the more distant these connections become."

But times were changing and tradition was never so precise. Shetani suspected that her words might discourage the golden, striped male. The disgust in his voice as he spoke of coloration drew a faint smirk at the edge of her muzzle. Already, he was so proud. "But," She started with golden eyes watching him carefully. "There have been more than one sador to feel that deep and infernal spark within them. There have been pale colored lions who have demanded the opportunity. Finding your demon does not come without challenges, however, and failure is death." Her words carried with them a grave and serious tone.

"Under normal circumstances we would not risk loss of a sador or pale colored lions. They may be less than our demonic peers, but they remain valuable friends and allies. And our traditions are clear. But we can not deny the truth in the pale colored demons who remain among us. They are living proof that exceptions have been found."  

[Kieko]

His eyes narrowed, but there was nothing quite like suspicion in the gesture - only careful consideration. After a moment, Beri smirked. "Like you're reading my mind," he murmured, half to himself and half for the benefit of the lioness. They all used to say much the same about Father. Even their mother had to admit that it was as if he had some spooky precognition. Maybe it was a demon thing.

And just like that - solidified in that single moment of recognition - Berihun realized just now much it bothered him that he didn't know. He had spent what felt like a lifetime not knowing. Granted, the fanged lion was a fair bit larger and stronger than the little ball of fluff of back then, when he had been forced to swallow his father's mysteries without comment. Even then, however, they had eaten at him. How much would they continue to do so if he didn't try for a solution?

"If an exception is possible, then I will try." Conviction dragged the words into a growl. Her words had drawn the opposite of discouragement from him; it seemed instead that Shetani had led him to the peak of some great height. Berihun felt as if he stood there, poised over the rise, and the space of moments would find him looking down to find what lie below. Would he face scorn for breaking with tradition? Shame if no demon lie within him after all? Death at the end of whatever trial awaited him? Let it come. Anything was preferable to backing down now and spending the rest of his days not knowing.

Even without words, Shetani could feel that Berihun was on the edge of something. She felt honored to observe his rise to confidence as he came to his own conclusion of what needed to be done. That he was willing to risk everything - life and limb - to find out for himself said everything that Shetani needed to know. If he were willing, then she would put her own name on the line, she would vouch for him and demand a trial so that he could find out.

And without understanding why she felt for him such a deep investment, she knew that she would take advantage of her familial ties with the leadership of the pride. She knew that she would utilize the prestige which came with having two demons. She might risk her name and honor in the process, but something told her that he wouldn't be wrong. That his confirmation would cement something for her about the direction that their pride was headed.

For Shetani, Berihun was the start of something new. For the Aegnor'hini and for Shetani herself.

"Then I will ensure that you experience the trial."

Unspoken, the sentiment was still there - he would find his demon.