A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GOD
Location: The desert continent of Serrian. Time: early morning, just before sunrise, the wind is cool as it blows off the distant ocean. The soft pinks, blues and oranges of the desert pre-dawn draw the attention of the traveler's eye as they seek places to pitch camp for the day, as the hot sun saps any normal fur, mage or not, of their vital energy. It is near an oasis this scene takes place, the sky just beginning to brighten and the closest tent is tattered and whipping uselessly in wind, the result of an attack of some kind by desert raiders most likely. A dark furred form, young, and very still lays unconscious several feet from the cool clear water, and all around, tracks of camels and other beasts of burden litter the ground along with the remains of the single fur's camp.
Anubis soars high above the glistening desert dunes on large feathy wings. The gentle updrafts from the cool breezes keep him aloft as his midnight black form is silhouetted against the soft purples, roses, and oranges of the dawning light. Like other desert dwellers, the jackal has come to rest from the sun's wrenching heat not far off. The jackal circles the lush desert oasis, and lands beside the cool pool of water. He kneels at the waters edge and closes his eyes. He washes off his hands and face in a very ceremonius manner. The jackal looks almost angelic with his dark ebony fur glistening with sparkling droples enhanced by the dawning light. The jackal cups some water into his paw, and drinks his fill. He looks around the oasis.. his huge ears honing in on the sound of tatterd cloth billowing in the cool morning air.
Fursa lays very still, and very quiet, probably left for dead from the ones that raided her small simple camp. Her dark furred form is mostly hidden by the remains her tent, just her gentle paws and a bit of her hair visible from the water's edge.
Anubis stands to his feet slowly, and flicks his wings faintly as he senses another, yet very faint presence in the oasis here with him. His movements are slow and calculated as he prowls, almost feline in nature around the water's edge. He moves silently across the sands, and slowly approaches the feline. Several meters away he seen the horrors of what has truely transpired. The jackal frowns and approaches Fursa. He kneels by her side and gently places his fingers on her neck to check for a pulse..
Fursa's pulse is very faint and fluttering. The young girl, just barely old enough to experience life was beaten down by vicious raiders. Cuts still bleed, though the flow of blood has since slowed to a trickle, from her arms, face, and one serious one across her the side she's laying on. Her claws are still partially extended and each have dried blood on them, showing she did try to defend herself before she fell. Her condition is very serious right now as her pulse slows and her battle to live nears its end.
Anubis checks the fleeting pulse of little Fursa and looks saddened by the reality.. one so young struck down before she ever truely had the chance to begin. The winged jackal flicks his ears gently and stands slowly. It is his job to sense the mortally wounded, and sadly this young one has little time left. He can do little except make her comfortable for what little time remains. He lightly repositions her mangled form by laying her flat, head elevated slightly, and paws crossed over he chest. The winged jackal walks over to the pool's edge and takes a coconut. He breaks it in half, and brings the two halfs fulled with the cooled waters of the oasis. He sits beside the young feline and rips off a small segment of his billowing loincloth. He dips the cloth in the water and begins to clean her wounds to help ease her discomfort.
She looks so peaceful, laying there on the sands by the oasis. As the cool water touches Fursa's wounds, a soft whimper escapes her, but she doesn't regain consciousness. There's still enough fight left in her to try and keep going despite her wounds. And with the sun beginning to peek above the horizon, she whimpers again, somehow sensing her own end being near but not wanting it so soon.
Anubis flicks his ears gently at the sound of her soft whimpers. He is impressed by this one's spirit.. after all she has been through the firey spirit of courage still beats within her weak heart.. wanting to fight on. He manages to clean most of the worst wounds from her neck, arms, and legs. It takes him a while, but he too manages to clean her paws and gently set her talons in their sheaths. He dips the cloth again in the cool waters inside the coconut bowl, and starts to tend her face. He lightly strains the cloth over her forhead.. dripping the cool clean waters on her heated brow. He then begins to tenderly give her a gentle facebath. The sensation is quite refreshing to the little feline as the soft breezes ruffle through the area. As a few other soft wimpers escape her lips, the jackal continues the refreshing facewash..working around her whiskers, "Be at rest little one.." he whispercomments in that soothing tone of his, "..the battle is over.."
Fursa continues to whimper as she protests her own demise. The soothing words only serve to keep her fighting, she doesn't want to die. Not yet, not until she's experienced the world. The light of her soul burns brightly to those that can see it as it calls out for help. Her fluttering heart beats stronger, only for a while and a simple word escapes her lips, barely whispered above the winds and almost taken away by them, "..... no ...."
Anubis has seen others protest as Fursa. He has realized by now that is to be expected. Many a time have young warriors held steadfast to the heat of battle, even as the fire of their life slowly dims like a dying candle. He gently steadies her as she fights the inevitble. He tries hard to make her at peace during this.. her final evolution. He senses the pain in her heart, but he can not do much of it while he heart still beats in her breast. He can only tend to her body and help make her as comfortable as possible. In order to achieve his goal, the jackal closes his eyes and mumbles to the heavens. He sends a summon to the crocodile god Sobek - god of swift action and violence. After sending a summon he goes back to gently facewashing her, all in the hopes the other god will appear, and connect with her plight, and then bring her the peace she so rightly deserves.
As the jackal continues to fuss over the young, battered feline, a thunderclap echos on high. A beam of light strikes the cool waters of the oasis. A swirling pylon of water raises into the air, and hovers for a moment there. The light fades, and the water fall back into the oasis. Standing there on the surface of the water is a morphic alligator wearing more-or-less the same garb as Anubis. Sobek walks over to Anubis and looks over his shoulder, "You called me?"
Why, oh why, was fate so cruel to this young lass. The life she so richly deserves, won't be achieved, not with this passing upon the earth. Perhaps another life, if her soul frees itself from its mortal bonds. Maybe it is some instict kicking in as her life draws ever closer to its end, or perhaps she has gathered just enough strength to revive enough to let her emerald eyes open to tiny glistening slits. One last look is what she gets of the sunrise and the one who is tending her as she ventures closer to the darkness of the eternal void.
Anubis looks over his shoulder up at the morphic crocodile godling. He nods, "Aye. It was me who called you here Sobek." He turns back to Fursa and lightly wipes around her neck and under her muzzle. "This little one has been struck down and continues to fight an enemey long since gone. Her time now draws near.. If she carries your fiery breath in her heart when her body expires, it will weight it down on the scales of judgement." He whispercomments while he continues to nurse the felines wounds, "It is clear as crystal she was wronged today by this. Please Sobek, connect to this little one, give her peace.." He looks down and watches as Fursa's eyes open to fine slits. He gives her a soft, tender smile and lightly gives her a caressing pet on her moistened brow.
Sobek looks over Anubis shoulder and stands up. He folds his arms across his chest and snorts. "You called me here for this Anubis?" He paces around his fellow godling and stands on the other side of Fursa, "I am missing a chance to spend some quality time with that Olympian chick, Aphrodite, I double-dated with last Friday.." He looks down at the dying feline and grimaces a bit, "...just so'es I can help you with these mortals of yours." The crocodile sighs deeply and looks at the jackal, "Oh Anubis.. when will you get it through your thick black cranium that no ammount of kindness, no miracle on our behalf is going to put an end to horrors mortals inflict on eachother." He lowers his muzzle and looks down at Fursa again.
A heart as pure and young as this one shouldn't be allowed to pass after so short a time on the earth. Her eyes open further, enough to see clearly in the growing light of day. Her emerald orbs move ever so slowly from one to the other, wondering only to herself who they are. The voices barely make their way past the protests of her soul to stay alive and the last efforts of her fluttering heart. All she knows is that she is at least able to see one last sunrise and the one trying to bring her comfort.
Anubis lightly pats the side of Fursa's cheek and looks back up at Sobek. A faint frown is seen on the Jackal's gentle features. "Sobek, these 'mortals' of mine are not just mine but yours as well. If we don't tend to their needs then who bloody well will?" His tone of voice is deep and serious, "These mortals have fought wars for us, they have built temples to honor us, they look up to us!" His ears flatten a bit as he continues with a growl, "And when one of them needs your help, I am forced to listen to you piss an moan about the inconvience it causes because the one thing on your mind right now is boinking your greek girlfriend!" Anubis looks really mad right now at his fellow god..
Sobek eeps and leans back away from growling jackal. He has known Anubis since forever began. He's always managed to annoy the patheon of gods around him, but Anubis has always been the first to speak in his defence.. His one true friend with the voice of reason to cool the flared tempers of the other gods. Never once has Anubis been cross at him, and that falls on the crocodile godlike like a figurative slap to the cheek. Sobek lets out a soft sigh, "You don't have to get so pushy with me Anubis." He looks back down at Fursa and comments, "All right. Bleeding hearts of the world unite! I will help you Anubis." He lays his scaley green paws on the feline. One on her head and the other on her heart as he makes a link with the fighting spirit still stuck inside her as he finds out what's going on.
Fursa lets her eyes slowly drift closed as her fight finally begins to drain her of everything. Her yearning soul doesn't want to leave its mortal bonds. Its found life to be good and challenging. As her heartbeat begins to fade, her soul communes with Sobek, showing him the peaceful night of travel ending just mere hours before sunrise at the oasis when a party of bandits charged over the dunes and robbed her of her few possessions. She had fought valiantly, giving as much as she took, but it was only her that fell when the sword slashed through her side and toppled her to her side where Anubis had found her.
Anubis closes his eyes and spreads out his large black feathery wings. By nature he senses the point of Fursa's cross over approaching ever closer. He does not sense the full level of her defiance, as he is not capable of doing so. Its not his spheare of operation. However he stands ready to help guide the young feline across the desert to the hall of justice where she will be judged before Osiris. The jackal opens his eyes and looks at his friend.. he watches the expresson on his face change. Anubis tilts his head in a very quizzical canine manner as he wonders what the crocodile senses..?
Sobek closes his eyes and merrfs as he senses all these things..all the bad things which happened to Fursa. Being a god of violence and quick action, he truely has no option but to connect and relate with the valiant struggle of young little Fursa. Maybe once, or twice in a god's eternity will one ever connect with a mortal like this. As Sobek connects, it stirrs his heart and brings a change upon him. He feels pitty towards the young girl. He opens his eyes.. moistened faintly with tears as he looks over at Anubis. "She has fought bravely brother. There is little I can do for her spirit is truely worthy of my cause. She does not deserve the injustice done to her. A soul so brave does not deserve a chance to work my wonders upon the world.." The jackal nods to the Crocodile, and the croc nods back to the jackal. They both by some unknown force seem to know what must be done with regards to Fursa. She must not be allowed to cross over just yet.
Both gods throw their arms to the heavens and invoke the healing powers of Isis - Wife of Osiris - Mother of the gods. As she enters the trio's presence, healing energies begin to swirl around them.. kicking up a neat mini-tornado of energy around them..
Fursa lays there peacefully. she isn't aware of anything around her any longer. Only her soul, which now waits for the bond to be broken, senses anything at all. The natural curiosity of this feline's soul keeps it from breaking the last delicate thread keeping it tied to the mortal bond, allowing the healing energies of Isis to work upon the small form of the young cat.
Anubis closes his eyes as his wings ruffle violently in the energy induced vortex forming around him. He remains opposite of Sobek, the feline laying between them. As the healing energies begin to condence over the feline, both gods lower their hands and lay them on her to guide and contain the potent energies. A violent thunderclap shakes the heavens as the healing energies of Isis condense to form a pulsating blue orb of light. The orb descends from the skies and sinks into the chest of the fallen feline. Almost instantly her body glows brighter than the sun as the full healing energies of Isis surge through her..
Sobek closes his eyes as he prays with his might to mother Isis to save the brave soul of this feline and to give her a second chance to work his wonders on the world. He truely believes this young feline has a special fighting spirit.. one worthy of his own. He believes that if young Fursa is given this chance, she will be destined for greatness and perform many wonders in his honor. Sobek smiles warmly and focuses his energies with Anubis to help contain the might of Isis so as Fursa can be revitalized..
Fursa gasps as she suddenly begins to breath again through the combined efforts of the gods. Her body, tenses and archs off thw sands then quickly relaxes as she falls limp, all of it just too much for to handle at once. She hasn't died, just fainted. The wounds covering her body visibly heal from the effort and her heart beats strongly again in her chest.
Anubis grits his teeth as he strains to contain the stronger energies of his mother's energies. With the help of Sobek however, he manages to get the job done. As the wonds heal, and her soul sinks back into her body, the jackal cracks a smile. He has much to smile about afterall.. Fursa has gotten a 2nd chance at life. His brother has hopefully stopped being such a dick, and.. *snirk* This stunt has saved him a trip all the way to the hall of justice and back again. More time left for him to relax. The jackal's smile broadens to a grin. His sharp white canines stick out in stark contrast to the deep black of his face. As Fursa's wounds heal and she faints, that is the everpresent sign that the job is done.
Sobek works hard with Anubis and strains muchly to contain the powers of his mother's healing force. With the help of Anubis, after the job is done, the orb of light rises up to the heavens, and hovers in the center of the vortex. The crocodile and jackal raise their arms in tandem with the light, tracing it's path and guiding it back from whence it came. The orb disperses in flash of light. For a brief moment the warm smiling face of Isis is seen as she smiles down at her two sons. The face quickly vanishes from the skies, and the vortex wanes.. and eventually vanishes.. leaving the two godlings alone with the fainted Fursa.
Fursa's lips part as she takes that first real deep breath and starts to come around. An ear flicks, and her whiskers twich while her emerald eyes open once again to look towards the horizon where she last saw the sun. Seeing only the blue of the morning sky, she flicks her gaze towards the gods. Blinking, she just looks at them, wondering quietly as she lays still and counts her blessings to still be alive.
Anubis looks down at Fursa and cracks a grin. He looks over at his brother and chuckles softly at him. Not being one to break his guise he puts up his traveler facade. Afterall mortals shouldn't know the gods walk amung them as them. The jackal comments down Fursa. "By the gods are you all right Miss? Me and my fellow traveller saw you laying down at the side of the road and wondered if you were all right?"
Sobek smirks a rather tooth smirk at his jackal brethern. Afterall he is a croc.. why shouldn't he grin toothy? ;) He looks back down at the feline and gently helps her to sit up. He plays along with the act for he knows all to well the rules about manifesting one's self before the mortals.. even if he does fancy her much.. he can't compromise himself. He smiles warmly to her, "Hay there pretty lady. You gave us quite a scare. Indeed you did."
Fursa umms and uhhs as she looks from to the other, blinking still, mostly from the bright light, then looks at her own clothing which is still tattered from attack hours earlier. the stains draw her attention as her memories of the incident flood back to her, "I-I-I... I'm alive?"
Anubis tilts his head in that quizzical canine expression of his as he smirks at Fursa. He comments, "Well not unless you happen to be the most animated corpse this side of the upper valley, I'd guess so."
Sobek chuckles softly and stands. He grabs one of the halves of coconut, and rinses it out in the nearby waters. He then returns with the bowl full of fresh cool water. He asks Fursa, "Would you care for a drink, lass?" the croc asks? Sobek offers Fursa the coconut bowl full of oasis water.
Fursa seems rather confused, she knew she recieved a fatal wound. She remembered feeling her life's blood seep out into the cool sands. and, yet, she's alive, and her wounds are gone. The bandits couldn't have been a dream, the tattered remains of her camp are proof of that. As she accepts the water with a nod, she contemplates what could have happened, not even remotely thinking gods had interfered.
Anubis mms softly as Fursa accepts the drink. He gets to his feet as Sobek tends to her thirst. The jackal walks over beside a palm and picks up his satchel of goodness. He wanders back to the furs. "Little one, it seem like you were attacked somehow. Its not safe to wander around these lands. Not without protection.." He looks down at the tattered remains of her clothes. "...especially from the elements.." The jackal reaches into his satchel and pulls out a fine desert robe, ironicly from the Roofshadow tribe
Sobek carefully tends to Fursa's thirst.. double checking the shaken feline to make sure all is well. Once her thirst is quenched, he smiles. He looks up and watches as the jackal offers her the change of clothes. The godling crocodile reaches behind him and pulls out an elegant dagger about a foot long, curved like a scimitar, and encrusted with gems. "Elements aside, it's also unsafe to wander these lands without protection from others. Here you go Pretty Lady. Take my knife.. keep yerself safe." :-)
Fursa stammers as she looks at the robe. The cloth far more elegant than what her's ever had. Her gratitude is felt as well as said in a soft, quivering voice, unsure about these strangers, yet willing to accept their help. "Th-thank you.. sirs.." is about all says as she accepts the robe and the knife. After looking at the dagger, she suddenly remember, "My sword? Where is it?" then looks about, no where is the blade she had before the attack.
Sobek looks around and shrugs. "I don't know. But if it didn't help you, it musn't have been all that lucky." He stands and walks over to stand beside Anubis. "Besides, you might have better luck with my knife." The croc grins a toothy grin. Its safe to say a god-empowered artifact such as that knife would be stronger than any mortal-made sword ever could.
Anubis clears his throat and looks over to Sobek. He then looks back to Fursa. "Well Miss. Do be careful and take care of yourself." He waves to the feline, "Who knows... we may meet again someday." The jackal hides a faint inner chuckle.. another meeting is guranteed.
Fursa nods to the croc as she looks at the dagger he had given her then says softly, "It was a gift..." then sighs a bit and stands. She had best find better shelter before the day gets too hot to bear and ends up frying herself. She gives each a soft smile while she carries her new possessions towards a shady spot beneath the palms, "Thank you both, who ever you are. May the gods bless your jouney." A common enough farewell, but from her, it has some meaning.
Anubis looks back towards Sobek and snerks softly at Fursa's last comment. Both furs smirk for a moment then turn to look towards Fursa. The nod to her, and wave in greeting. The jackal arfs and waves, "And may the gods be with you too!" Sobek grins and waves enthusastically. He growls, "Ditto!! Good bye pretty lady." As Fursa turns to go about her way so do both Anubis and Sobek. They turn, walk a few paces, and vanish from sight to that place where gods go when they aren't in use.
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