Ribbontail: Enter Emalia
Chapter 38: Worthy allies

Author's Note: Please read my chapter description before continuing. :3
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“Map?” echoed the Tintonian Lion, his big head turning to the side in an almost cat-like fashion. He turned to his consort Mtume.

Mtume lifted his wings and let them fall again. In their native tongue the bird garbled, “E dish’ja’ dha’omo yia woro u sh’esha’shu’aeshi’d. Dhoy ha’vza’o u mo’ujo uuuuuuusha’ja u dha’iashu’d-”

Groaning and swishing his long black tail, the Tintonian Lion grumbled. “Dresho’s’ory ushu’uesha?”

“Sh’irja, sha’i E-”

The little bird and the big, shadowy lion then lapsed into a hurried argument in a language neither Ribbontail nor her friends could understand. All around them the monkeys began shuffling uncomfortably, as did the travelers, until finally the two arguers reached common ground.

Sighing, the Tintonian Lion turned to Ribbontail and her two companions. “There has been a mistake. I am not a map reader, and I know no other language besides yours and mine-”

At this O’liday became visibly disappointed

“-I asked Mtume here to keep an eye open for you, and that he bring you to our camp. But clearly he preferred to use trickery instead of honest pleas. I apologize sincerely for this.”

Ribbontail spoke for her two friends, shifting her paws and looking around at the surrounded tribespeople. “Th... that’s okay, really it is. I didn’t care too much about the map anyway. But why do you need me?”

The big lion took a slow step forward. Even as large and powerful as it was, this was a beast of pure gracefulness, and his movements were almost fluid as he turned to the gathered tribe. “Mo’oush hir dha’o sho’ud. Wudor hir dha’o shu’ijashiya,” he commanded, “Shu’i uza’iad yiar za’ashi’sha’oshi.”

Movement exploded all around them at these words, and at once every monkey was bustling to get away and fetch things. Even Mtume was gone, lost amidst the rushing mob of primates. Ribbontail watched in dull amazement as gradually the encampment became calm again. Monkeys settled down beside their own fires and hooted softly to one another, leaving Ribbontail and her friends alone with the Tintonian Lion.

“As I said, Ribbontail, daughter of the Cunning,” the big white lion explained calmly, “I am in dire need of your help. Please may you and your friends sit and listen, as you are my tribe’s last hope.”

With that the beast sat down, a flow of shadowy grace, and gestured for the three guests to do the same. Ribbontail was hesitant at first, thinking it best to simply leave, but she recalled then what a god’s duties were. Inhaling slowly, the wolf sat down. Her two friends followed suit.

Before Tintonian Lion could speak, a young little monkey trundled up and lay a bowl before Ribbontail and O’liday each. In Ribbontail’s was simple water. O’liday, however, had been offered a bowl of what appeared to be a game bird of some sort- roasted to a crisp, sprinkled with herbs, and half-submerged in a puddle of gravy.

O’liday abandoned all formalities and dove straight into the bowl without a word. It had been ages since he’d had a good meal, and he gulped and slurped and tore at the dish with great gusto.

“So um...” muttered Ribbontail, turning to gaze at the mighty lion before them. “What did you need me for? And please, how did you know I was coming this way?”

A throaty laugh rumbled from the Tintonian Lion. “I told you already, did I not? I am the spirit of the forest; the winds whisper me prophecies. Let us say that I have my sources.”

Those thin pink eyes closed for a moment- almost contemplatively- before reopening.

“As for why I have called you here, it is of dire importance. You see, my people do not live in these lands. Our true home is far away in the Tinto jungles. Not too long ago a beast appeared in our village- a great monster my people call S’arjo’ush’eshi. Kurpalis. I fear that it is an Eclipsian, and a big one at that. It is too powerful for even me to defeat.”

The Tintonian Lion gestured to one of his hind paws, where the length of his leg had been wrapped in browning bandages. Ribbontail nodded understandingly. It took a lot of strength to hurt a spirit; PuppetRibbontail had fallen down the entire depth of a canyon and returned unscathed.

“And you want me to help you... get rid of it?” Ribbontail assumed, her tufted ears rising then falling.

Nodding his maned head, the Tintonian Lion took a slow breath. “Yes. My people fear the Kurpalis like shadow fears light. I came here with half of my tribe in the hopes of finding help. But our old allies, the Wesi, have grown malicious and refused to aid us. If anything they have turned on us, saying that the Kurpalis means that our tribe is forever cursed...”

Again the Tintonian Lion’s eyes closed and he fell silent for a moment. As this happened Ribbontail exchanged looks with her two friends- PuppetRibbontail looking rather sympathetic and O’liday nonchalantly licking sauce from his whiskers.

“Can’t ya just move, dude?” the feliulf meowed before nibbling again at his meal.

“No, we cannot. Our village is set on sacred grounds, and to move would be like separating mother and child. To slay the Kurpalis is our only option.” The shady lion turned its pinkish eyes to Ribbontail. “I prayed to the gods that they would aid us, and here at last is our help. I beg you Ribbontail, will you aid my people?”

Ribbontail blinked and her paws shifted anxiously. She opened her mouth to throw an excuse, but as she did her mind flashed to the dream from several nights ago- of Sasha and Eclipse goading her to fight or flee. Sasha was right; to fight for her people was what any deserving god would do...

The wolf shook her head. Before then she had a question for this beast. “Well first I want to know something,” Ribbontail stated, “How did you know that I’m a god child?”

“Mmm,” the kingly being crooned, “We Summonings are always aware of god-children. The winds speak of their births whenever they happen. We are servants of the gods, after all, so we are told when a new one arrives.”

The Tintonian Lion stared down at Ribbontail, and the young goddess stared back. That was a viable enough answer for her.

“Well okay, thanks. I...I’ll do it,” Ribbontail announced at last. Though she did not feel the least bit confident about it, she finished it off with an assuring, “I’ll help you with your problem.”

In a manner befitting only the most regal of beasts, the Tintonian Lion lowered himself into a groveling, flowing bow. His glimmering eyes closed and his voice was a rumbling purr. “Oh thank you, daughter of the Cunning, I thank you with all my heart.”

Then he lifted himself up onto his feet, whirled around, and bellowed a quick roar. Instantly the surrounding camp was at attention. “Ja’oudha shu’ija wesh heshu’ha’d dha’o S’arjo’ush’eshi. Sho’osh’oza’rudo!”

Thunderous, triumphant roars boomed from the surrounding primates. “Reza’isha dueshya! Ja’oudha shu’ija! Reza’isha dueshya!”

“What are they saying?” O’liday whispered as he leaned over to Ribbontail.

“They’re praising you, Ribbontail,” purred the Tintonian Lion, casting a glance over his big shoulders, “As a god should be praised. Look, your friend there is looking the part, so why aren’t you?”

Ribbontail glimpsed PuppetRibbontail seated next to her, puffing out her bony chest and looking quite accomplished. This was the first time the guardian had ever shown such emotion; perhaps praise for her master gave the creature something to revel in.

She found herself tentatively smiling. Straightening up, fluffing her blue fur, and flicking her trademark tails, Ribbontail tried her best to actually look like a goddess. To feel like an actual god, she thought, you’d at least have to LOOK the part.
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Later that night, the savannah was encompassed with unearthly beauty. Darkness swallowed the wine-colored sunset and dabbled the sky with millions of stars, each glimmering down upon the flatlands. It was pleasantly cool, luckily, and there was not a sound but the symphony of insect song.

Some ways away from the Inkkuku camp, on the crest of a steep knoll, were Ribbontail and PuppetRibbontail. Together they lay sprawled on their backs gazing up at the black sky. Ribbontail was sharing her dearest past-life stories with her guardian, like the time she went to an amusement park with her dad, or when her family got to go to Canada.

She found, oddly enough, that she did not miss her old human family in the least bit. The god-child was perfectly happy with this world and its charm. No fun Earth experience could ever amount to getting to just sit and stare up at the stars, talking with your dearest undead friend.

And though PuppetRibbontail could not say anything in response to Ribbontail’s stories, it was always a meaningful exchange. PuppetRibbontail could listen ten times as good as O’liday...

“Hey! Hey dudes, Ribbontail! Puppet!”

“Speak of the devil,” Ribbontail thought as she heard O’liday clumsily romping their way.

Ribbontail and her guardian rolled back over onto their bellies just in time to see O’liday come bounding through the tall grasses.

“You know,” Ribbontail murmured to him, “when you run it sounds like you’ve got a broken leg. Seriously.”

The feliulf stood there for a second and flinched as if he had been struck, then stood up and rested a paw on his belly. “Well HELLO to you too, sunshine.”

There was a brief pause, and O’liday sat down with them. Then suddenly he jumped as though remembering something. Reaching up into his Christmas cap, the cat presented an elaborate necklace of twine and beads. “Oh! Dude, check this out. The Inkaka-whatevers gave me this necklace. Pretty rad, right? They say it’s gonna bring me like, luck.”

Ribbontail took a good, long look at the necklace. It was an authentic souvenir indeed. “That’s very nice, O’liday. You should keep that and show your family someday.”

“Totally, they’d love it... Oh! And you know what’s kinda cool? The monkeys keep feeding me like a king and calling me ‘dushy sheejo’ or somethin’ like that, like I’m some kinda celebrity. It must mean ‘surf god’. Yeeeaaah...”

“Dushi’dy shi’iajo,” came a voice from the reeds behind O’liday. Out of nowhere the Tintonian Lion materialized, sleek in his black and white glory. The great lion stopped beside the tiny little feliulf, dwarfing the feline as he spoke to him. “It means ‘tasty soup’. The Inkkuku are fond of leopard cub, boiled and cooked. I would watch your back.”

An irate grumble was all that the big beast received in reply. O’liday gestured over his shoulder. “Oh yeah...” he meowed to Ribbontail and PuppetRibbontail, “But really, I’m here to tell ya that this big guy’s got something he wants to talk to us about.”

Ribbontail watched as the shadowy Tintonian Lion approached, stopping and giving the young wolves a bow.

“I thank you again for choosing to aid us, daughter of the Cunning,” the lion rumbled gratefully, “May the elder gods always honor you.”

“Th...thanks,” Ribbontail murmured, naturally wary of the lion. “What did you want to tell us?”

The Tintonian Lion approached slowly with catlike refinement, not bothering to sit down. As O’liday clambered over and plopped down next to them, a cheering erupted from the distant encampment. Tintonian Lion glanced back. “Hmhmm... they are play-fighting, I believe, having fun before the morning comes. Somebody must have beaten the champion,” he said with a flat tone.

Then the beast turned to Ribbontail, pitched his head to the side, and sighed.

“I apologize again if I was interrupting you and your guardian, daughter of the Cunning. But I came to explain to you what is in my plans. Since you have arrived, my tribe can now return to our homeland. It is only a three-day march, so with luck you are alright with that...”

Ribbontail flicked her ears understandingly. “That’s fine. We’re always on the move anyways.”

Nodding, the lion frowned. “That is good. As soon as the sun rises we will begin heading west, to our home. I wish to remind you that our old allies the Wesi... they do not want us in their land, so be warned that you must always be wary. The Wesi have recently become unreasonable.”

“Okay... that’s alright,” Ribbontail muttered, a knot forming in her chest. She did not like danger, and the big lion standing before her didn’t help at all.

The Tintonian Lion lowered his head and fixed his pink eyes on O’liday, who turned and stared back. Then the kingly beast murmured, “That is all that I wished for you to hear. Mortal O’liday, I request that you go back to camp now.”

“What the-” O’liday jumped back a pace. “No way man, you said that they wanted to eat me. There’s no way I’m goin’ back there alone, dude!”

“If you wish,” the Tintonian Lion lifted that great maned head, turned to PuppetRibbontail, and lowered his snout. “PuppetRibbontail can go with you. Young one, make sure O’liday is kept off their dishes, understand? I wish to speak with Ribbontail, alone.”

Much to Ribbontail and O’liday’s amazement, PuppetRibbontail nodded and complied with obedience. In an instant she was at O’liday’s side, and the feliulf grudgingly returned to camp with her. Ribbontail sat there open-mouthed as they went. Turning to the lion after a moment’s pause, she asked, “Why did she obey...?”

The Tintonian Lion acted as though he did not hear her question. He merely opened those big jaws of his and licked his teeth. “Summoning pact. Younger Summonings must always obey their elders.”

Ribbontail pitched her head to the side. Summoning, the word sounded so familiar to her. It had been a long time since she’d heard it, but after some thinking she recalled that it was another name for spirit guardians. Ribbontail’s ears rose. “You’re a spirit guardian...? Like Puppet?”

“I am.” The lion purred as he sat down before Ribbontail, “I have always been the rightful spirit of the Inkkuku tribe. Why, does that surprise you?”

“It... it does. I just thought that you were joking about the ‘spirit’ thing.”

“Hmmm, the gods have sent us a silly warrior,” the Tintonian Lion chuckled, although his voice was grave, “you strike me as especially strange for a god, daughter of the Cunning, you are quite different from what I’d always expected. I wish to ask you about that confused look in your eyes. Tell me, young god-child, is this the first time the gods have sent you to these lands?”

“Right on the dot,” Ribbontail thought as she shifted nervously where she sat. At least this proved that the Tintonian Lion could be trusted; guardians were devoted fighters for the gods, so there was no way that he meant harm to her. Swallowing, Ribbontail looked up. “Yeah. Well... this is my first time for EVERYTHING, actually. I’ve only been on this world for a couple of months now, and before that I never even knew this world... existed.”

The Tintonian Lion blinked down at her. “What do you mean by this? Were you not born in the hands of the gods?”

Unsure, Ribbontail dragged her paw through the dirt and stared down at the shape she had drawn. It was a circle, and with a contemplative sigh she drew some clouds around it- a world. “Well...um... it’s a really long and strange and confusing story. I don’t think you’d believe me.”

“Strange and confusing?” The lion purred, a sound which struck Ribbontail as a laugh. “Hmmm, almost one hundred years ago, I was a capuchin like the Inkkuku. My name was Omo’usha, if I recall correctly, and I believe that I was quite old, too. One day I was slain by an Eclipsian, in the heat of battle as I tried to save the tribe. When in the River I was confronted by the god Ai the Fierce, who said to me that I must return to the world to continue my one true meaning in life: to eternally defend this tribe. I came back a lion, big and brutal as I am today-”

The Tintonian Lion paused and stretched out a massive paw, flexing the talons as he sighed.

“–with powers beyond anything I’d ever dreamed of. I can see the dead, I can become shadow and hear the wind’s voice. Does THAT not strike you as strange and confusing, considering I was once nothing but a monkey?”

All Ribbontail could do was shrug. Yet after a brief moment of tense silence she gulped, then turned to the kingly beast and- finally- nodded. His short story sounded much like hers; she was a simple being once as well, tossed into a world with a task beyond her youthful grasp.

For once showing a sign of good humor and liking, the Tintonian Lion smiled and patted Ribbontail’s paw. “Good, now we see eye to eye. I have told you my story, Ribbontail, so now I request that you tell me yours.”

And so Ribbontail told the Tintonian Lion her story; of her life and death on Earth, of the Emalian gods and Eclipse and his fearsome Eclipsians, and everything she’d lived through for the past several months. He just nodded and listened in silence, a proud spirit-lion eternally sworn to protect his people.

Indeed the Tintonian Lion and Ribbontail were not much different. If anything then they were extremely similar. Thus, Ribbontail concluded after she had shared her tale, the two of them would be very worthy allies- both reborn to serve and protect, one aged and fearless and one youthful and meek. Whatever the morning dared to bring, she would be ready for.