Family System [Zohartze]

[Messoria]

Perfect. They are absolutely perfect. The thought repeated itself again and again in Messoria’s mind as she lay curled in the back of her chosen den, one side pressed against the cool rock of the slick walls, the other serving as warmth to the five healthy pups who nuzzled against her. For the last week since their birth Messoria had been wholly captivated by them, hardly ever daring to leave their side. The tiny stream that ran throughout the caverns was close enough for her to sate her thirst while keeping them in sight, and she did not have to venture for food, as it was provided to her by the huntresses, who had become akin to angels in her eyes. While her exhaustion had finally ebbed way, leaving only hunger in its wake, she was still recovering from the ordeal. Her body had been badly torn by the massive pups, and for perhaps the hundredth time Messoria was reminded of Datura, whom it was highly likely that she owed her life to. She could still remember the dizziness in her brain as the blood continued to flow down her haunches, and the way that the Matriarch had taken charge of the situation and stopped the coppery flood. It had earned Datura a larger measure of respect in Messoria’s eyes, and while they would never quite be friends with Goliath in the picture, Messoria was beginning to find her presence almost tolerable.

A sharp squeal drew her sharp amber gaze towards the pups, a wry smile of amusement springing to her muzzle as she observed the two pups to the far left. They were the darkest of the bunch – Hyperion and Morrigan, respectively – and their constant struggle for room despite their sealed eyes was never-ending. Their high-pitched yelps of indignation continued until Messoria dipped her head, pressing her muzzle between them and separating them a smidgen. It wouldn't be long until they wiggled together again, their sightless battle continuing, but for now there was blessed silence. Her gaze flicked to the others, all at once admiring and proud; Nimue lay firmly in the middle, so similar to her father even at her young age that it was startling. Will she have his eyes, or mine? Messoria wondered, her gaze wandering absently to Fawn, the smallest of them all and certainly the lightest. She was impressed with the wide array of colors that her pups sported, from the dark dappled pelt of Morrigan to the light, creamy color of Fawn. Her gaze traveled to Croix then, first born male and second largest boy, although two of his sisters were larger than him still. The browns and whites of his pelt were no less pleasing to the eye than his siblings were, each of them so lovely and perfectly formed that it took Messoria’s breath away. Soon they would be older, their eyes open and their minds impressionable. She would not be able to dote over them so blatantly then, but for now she would allow herself to let her triumph course like hot blood through her veins.

She curled around them, the tip of her tail brushing her nose as she circled them completely. The ordeal had been so agonizing, so dangerous, and yet she did not regret a moment of it. Each and every one of them had the mingled blood of her and her mate, Goliath, running through her veins. They would grow to be fine, fierce pups, even the females it seemed. With a soft sigh of satisfaction, Messoria allowed her eyes to drift close – not sleeping, but instead allowing the trick of water and the sound of their breathing to placate her.

Words : 615
Muse : Good!
Tags : Zohartze
Notes : eheheh so excited

[Zohartze]

It had been too long since she stretched her legs. Zohartze tore across the sandy expanse, kicking up particles behind her and feeling the encroaching summer air whip through her fur, pieces of salt lodging themselves in her coat. She had freed herself from the dens, the dark caves feeling more and more like a prison to her, and left her pups behind—they were old enough now to fend for themselves inside the territory. They wouldn’t go far.

Not like it mattered very much to her, anyway. Ossa, her daughter, bore a striking resemblance to herself, and she grew more beautiful every day. She was quiet, and though their relationship wasn’t perfect by any means, the creature would undoubtedly do her proud as she grew into an adult and serve her well inside the pack she’d come to call home. Zohartze didn’t traditionally love her—she felt pride when she looked into her daughter’s brown eyes, but something inside her was still unattached. The pup didn’t seem to need her too much anyway, already fiercely independent.

But the boys. The boys, she thought inwardly, shaking her head and pushing her body harder. They looked so like their father, and they were already overtaking her in size. Neither of them really wanted anything to do with her, and she felt no remorse over it. Olympus was more level-headed, more even. He knew what he was and what he was destined to become. But Othrys... Zohartze almost scowled at her son. He was practically unbearable. The boy was needy and disgustingly distant at the same time, and it made Zohartze want to scream. And he had rage. She could see it in his undeniably gorgeous deep blue eyes. There was an anger that sat below the surface, and every time she denied him, it flared.

Not that she’d give him the coddling she thought he wanted. The boy needed to grow up and be strong, if for no other reason than to prove that she had been a triumphant vessel of life. She couldn’t be seen as weak, especially not in front of Goliath.

She’d grown closer to Datura. When they were alone, she didn’t try to be anything, and it was almost awkward. Like her own pups, Zohartze was growing into a personality that was partially borrowed from the russet-hued femme, but one she was proud of. She was becoming arrogant and quick-tongued, but from her dearest friend, she was also learning of devotion. There was something about being with the female that made her feel a fire in her stomach, and it was something she was quickly coming addicted to.

On the other hand, she was also learning of her alpha. He visited infrequently, but she saw something compassionate, something caring—and, like Datura, she was beginning to love him for it. She craved the powerful aura he omitted, and thrived in it like a weed in the rain. Zohartze didn’t know how to tell her friend about the feelings, though. She didn’t know how she’d react.

As the thought took the wind from her sails, Zohartze slowed to a trot, each hard pant burning her lungs with salty air. The harshness was welcomed like an old friend, and she smiled, each breath deeper and slower than the one before. When her heartbeat returned to a normal rate, she peered over the coral on the Atoll, stepping carefully. Tiny pinches of rock stung her paws, and fish of all kinds swam between her legs. Legs of anemones and coral reached out and brushed her paws, and in the distance, she saw sea turtles feasting on algae. But one piece of prey, in particular, caught her eye—a stingray rippled along the shallow water of the corals, its flowing body dancing with the current.

The huntress carefully danced over near the fish. In one swift motion, she slammed the creature into the coral with her paws and latched onto its tail with her jaws just above the barb, twisting then ripping it off to prevent it from stinging her.

Zohartze dropped the remains creature’s tail back into the water, as its blood caught in the undertows. Other fish must have sensed the disturbance in the water, species of all kinds fleeing away from the cloudy pool of red. The fae smiled, almost devilish, swooping down and grabbing the flapping creature hard between her teeth. As she lifted it from the water and padded back to the sand, blood pooled in her mouth.

She’d missed this. Her body heaved a sigh of contentment, and she suddenly realized she’d had a headache as it melted away. She ground her teeth into the animal, relishing in the fresh kill.

But this meal was not for her. Today, she’d made it her mission to do as Datura had done for her—visit the other new mothers. Besides Datura, Xena, and Goliath, she hadn’t let others come to see her brood. Part of it was the shame of her dead pup, who she called Oeta in her mind, though she’d never let on to anyone else that she’d named her. For some reason, she felt the greatest love for that pup—more than her living spawn. It didn’t make sense, but she was somehow in mourning, and somehow ashamed. But now, the pups were old enough to greet others on their own, and she no longer had to deal with the questions she might have gotten, or listened to the compliments of others. Yes, they were strong. Yes, they were gorgeous. But somehow, it only meant something coming from Datura and her emperor.

Today, she would visit Messoria, another consort of Goliath. Datura didn’t like her much, but in a way, Zohartze hoped that this meeting would be one of good faith. As her dearest friend did, she paid attention to her rank and ascent through the pack, and she knew as well as Datura did that any ill-will beyond simple dislike wasn’t ideal.

She walked slowly back towards the caves where she knew Messoria would be as the creature in her maw slowly died. Zohartze smelled of seawater and her breath smelled of blood, but she knew the dark fae would enjoy the meal variety. Though the huntresses brought various meats, it was unlikely that she’d had seafood since her time as a mother.

The Mexican mix strode quietly through the cave system, allowing her eyes to adjust back to the darkness. The pangs of imprisonment didn’t strike her so heavily now, though her tired limbs ached with the comforting throb of unhindered exercise as she walked. She found the mother nestled against the cave wall, curled around her pups. Five of them, it seemed. For a moment, Zohartze seethed—she wonder if any of them had died, but she shook away the thought. She was here with good intentions.

With a smirk-like smile on her maw, the closest thing she could manage to a good-natured smile outside of laying with Datura, she gently placed the fresh kill at the dark femme’s head. Swallowing her pride and learned arrogance, she spoke quietly. “They’re lovely, Messoria,” she said honestly, looking down at the mottled pups with a soft eye.

It was then that it occurred to her that while Messoria had probably heard of her, they hadn’t actually met. “Zohartze,” she offered plainly. She looked the fae over, satisfied with her appearance. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Datura told me it wasn’t the easiest birth.” She chuckled genuinely, flashing the mother a knowing glance.

Zohartze laid down reasonably near to the other, unthreatening, though not so close that they might touch. The thought sparked the fire back in her stomach—that nearness was for Datura only.

my face above the water, my feet can't touch the ground,
and it feels like i can see the sands on the horizon every time you are not around.

w o r d s : 1330? ? ?m u s e : lol tons oops? ? ?t a g s : Messoria

[Messoria]

For some time, Messoria lay in quiet contentment, her sides rising and falling gently. Her mind churned sluggishly, offering snippets of memories and past conversations, visions of her pups pirouetting behind closed lids. She thought of her time before Kairos, how powerless and boring her life had been. Never would Messoria would have imagined that she would end up here, denning upon a mighty island with her colossal mate’s pups snoozing at their mother’s side. Inevitably her thoughts flicked to Goliath, a tiny smile gracing her muzzle. Her affections for him ran even deeper now that she’d provided her body as the ultimate price, using it as a vessel to bring forth his offspring. A word that she had never dared to use before flitted through Messoria’s thoughts, slippery as an eel; love. Did she love him, then? Never before had Messoria claimed to know the meaning of the word, nor had she any desire to, and yet…and yet everything is different now. It was a confusing muddle of feelings that churned behind her rib cage, and yet what else could it be? When she looked at him, and when she looked at their beautiful pups, the feelings that came to her were very nearly overwhelming.



The soft thumping of paws against stone drew her from her confusing thoughts. Messoria’s eyes crept open, half lidded and filled with contentment as she gazed into the dimness of the cavern. Certainly it was not Goliath, for his footsteps were far heavier than those of who approached; Lichen, perhaps, or Datura. As it turned out, she was wrong. Her eyes widened just a fraction in surprise as Zohartze stepped into the spacious opening, the smell of blood thick around her. She did not lift her head at first, not until the Mexican femme dropped the lump of slick flesh in her jaws at Messoria’s dainty paws. It was then that Messoria’s slender muzzle lifted, her nostrils flaring as the scent of the creature reached her: stingray. Her stomach gave a noisy rumble as the realization that Zohartze had brought her food finally entered her weary mind. It had been so very long since she’d had something from the sea as well; the huntresses had been kind enough to offer her variety, but things that swam beneath the waves were Messoria’s favorite.



”They’re lovely, Messoria.” Zohartze’s tone was not at all cruel or arrogant, and for this Messoria was grateful. She had never spoken with the she-wolf before, for she’d never known what their standing was when Zohartze was so close to Datura. While her rivalry with Datura had cooled with time, she’d still been uncertain…but there was no distaste in Zohartze’s gaze, nor in her tone as she formally introduced herself. While normally Messoria might have been more combative herself, she found that after the birth that she could not drag up the energy for her barbed tongue and cutting gazes. It would inevitably return with time…but that would be long after she’d made her peace with the she-wolf who moved to lay before her, her words causing a wry smile to spring to Messoria’s lips.



”I’m so glad to finally meet you, Zohartze,” she said, and indeed she was. It was well beyond time for her to become acquainted with all of the new mothers in Kairos, and with such a large amount of pups being born, they would need each other’s assistance. ”I expected it to be difficult…but it was unlike anything I could have imagined,” she admitted, sliding her tail aside to give Zohartze a better glimpse of the pups before dipping her head with her hunger clear on her expression to eat. The moment that her ivory teeth pierced the creature's skin, Hyperion jerked suddenly, rolling to the side and kicking out with front and hind legs, pressing against his sister’s sides. Morrigan gave another sharp whine of indignation, while Nimue simply huffed, rolling out of reach from his flailing paws. Messoria snorted before digging into the flesh of the stingray, eyes fluttering closed with elation as the taste of it washed across her tongue. She would be so very glad when they were large enough for her to go hunting; she missed being able to take whatever suited her that day, and she still very much enjoyed providing her own food despite her recent change in rank.



When she’d finished she backed away, pushing the remainder of the meal towards Zohartze with her nose as an offering. It had been a sizeable meal, and she’d only scarcely managed to consume half of it. ”Thank you. It’s been so long since I’ve had anything from the ocean,” she said. The pups had settled into silence once more, their squabbling for room apparently settled, if only briefly. ”How are yours?” Messoria asked after a moment. She had not met them, but she’d heard that Zohartze had given birth to two hulking boys who were strikingly identical, and a single girl. There had been another, she also knew, but she did not allow this knowledge to show in her expression. She could not imagine how it would feel to lose one of her own, and she would not burden Zohartze further with useless pity. ”Big enough to explore on their own now, are they not? It must feel so freeing.”

TAG: Zohartze
WORDS: 891
NOTES: such muse <3