`gods and monsters [Xolotl]

[Cihua]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]The earth was warm beneath Cihua’s large paws as the mottled fae loped across the charred ruin of land, a single crimson orb scanning the horizon for any sign of movement. While another creature might have been put off by the hardened lava that stretched towards the distance, or the telltale heat that lingered here, Cihua was not. In fact the she-wolf was enamored by the sight as she strolled along the shore, fondly noting the contrast between the icy waves on one side of her, and the warm stretch of barren land on the other. Only a day before she’d dragged her sopping wet form from the ocean, where she’d promptly collapsed, lulled to sleep by her exhaustion and Seir’s presence near her. Unbeknownst to the female, she’d washed ashore upon the corner of the Occasus, and when she’d awoken that morning, Cihua had promptly wandered into Igneir as her vulture companion had soared off to scavenge for a meal.

She strolled along idly now, the ocean to her left – her blindside, therefore leaving the open land to her right fully within her view. In her wanderings she’d come across two borders to the south, both who smelled strongly of the same pack, and so she’d strayed from there, not wishing to cause trouble. But Cihua was now unknowingly walking towards yet another territory claimed by the very same pack – Acerbus, though she did not know the name of it. The charred trees of the foreign territory loomed on the horizon, close enough for her to reach well before nightfall, but far enough away that she could not nearly smell the markers yet.

After some time of walking, Cihua was at last approaching the forest, and only then did the smell reach her. She faltered, her blood-red eye narrowing as she inhaled, recognizing the scent for the third time that day. How much of the land does this pack own? She wondered, careful not to cross the border into the stripped trees. A moment later, however, her attention was stolen by something else.

A flicker of movement in the sky far above caught her eye, and instinctively Cihua glanced up, crimson gaze flickering to meet the soaring form of Seir as he dove towards her. He was massive, his entire wingspan longer than her body, which was no small feat considering how large Cihua was; larger than normal, even, for her rare breed. As the vulture neared, his legs extended, claws digging lightly into the fur of her back as he landed upon his shoulder, hefting his considerable bulk. A smaller wolf might not have been able to support him, but Cihua did so with only a blink of her eyes, slowing to a halt as she craned her head to look at her oldest friend. True to her nature, Seir dropped the remains of a hare at her feet, and Cihua smiled thankfully. While she’d always believed that vultures preyed upon creatures decaying and filthy, it seemed as if Seir’s particular breed of vulture that hailed from her home land preferred fresh kills, turning their beaks up at anything too old. And indeed there had been several occasions where Cihua had observed Seir truly hunting, knocking creatures from great heights so that he could feast upon their corpses when they shattered against the ground below. He was a magnificent creature, and she silently thanked Miquiztli for both her companion and for the meal that he had brought her.

She settled upon the ground to eat, the warmth radiating through the fur of her belly as Seir moved to perch on the earth beside her. As she picked at the flesh of the rabbit, she gazed into the territory of the foreign pack she’d scented so frequently, her curiosity mildly piqued. Perhaps I will inquire after them when I have finished my meal.

---

Words: 644
Tags: Xolotl
Notes: AHHH so excited < 3
Muse: Excellent!

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[Xolotl]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]There was a rank smell in the air, something of rotting and disease. The sickening odor emanated from Xolotl's right shoulder, still bleeding freely despite many days having passed. Any other wound ought to have started clotting by that moment, but it seemed that the Kairos wolf's injury just hurt more and looked worse by the day. Perhaps his right front leg would be permanently disabled from it. Great, another leg with issues. Ever since the intruder's attack, the wound had pained him rather badly even for his high pain tolerance. He suspected infection but trusted his body to fight it off. He was not weak. He would not rely on others to survive a mere infection. Soon, the blood would clot and create his first battle scar. The monochrome brute felt a somewhat pup-like excitement to wear the badge of honour, the trophy of a small but still worthy skirmish. It was not likely to disappear as the yellow-eyed behemoth was rather certain that the small male's teeth had broken tendons and muscle as well as the skin. It hurt to move the joint and the pain felt internal so he figured that the injury was internal.

Sighing, the monolithic giant rose from his resting place upon Acerbus. He had yet to visit Ina'mos, Kairos' main territory, mainly due to waiting for his injury to heal so that the saltwater would not intensify the pain of moving his shoulder. However, it seemed that the tear in his muscles was stubborn and would not vanish so he would have to stop being such a coward and brave the swim, ignoring the pain simultaneously. But the day that he went to the large island was not that day—that day, Xolotl wanted to visit Igneir again to see if he could get some leads to where the miniscule fox, Aisling, had run off to. He considered keeping her captive to watch over her and to experiment on her whenever he liked but having her explore was an experiment in itself. Hopefully she would not die so that future tests could be done on the intriguing animal, but if she did, he hoped to at least find her body, freshly killed, ready for examination. Ideally, he would have witnessed her death for himself so that he could watch the intricate bindings of life slowly unravel as yet another being died, but that was a rarely granted pastime activity. Perhaps, though, if he caught on to Aisling soon enough, he could stalk her scent trail and watch her, see if and how she died, or perhaps how she lived if she did survive. How did such miniscule creatures live? Xolotl had thought that his runt of a sister would have died sometime, but Aisling was a different story entirely. She barely exceeded the height of the wolf's ankles! How could something as pathetically sized as that survive on its own?

Pillar-like legs carried a hefty load towards a barren, desolate landscape, the remnants of some volcano eruption. The earth was warm as ever, although something felt slightly cooler about it than the last time that Xolotl had visited. Soon, the hardened lava would become the same temperature as the other winter-chilled ground located around Anikira. Until that day, Xolotl would always find something rather... Fascinating with the uniqueness of what the wolves called Igneir. Perhaps it was the molten hotness mingled with the icy chill of the surrounding sea or perhaps it was how lifeless it was, without landmarks, without anything other than a seemingly endless expanse of smooth rock. Its origins were just as amazing—the ground had shook violently and a special mountain, a volcano according to what he had heard, had started spewing out liquid ground. It was scorching hot, searing the mortal earth and everything in its deadly path and settling between mainland Anikira and Tas'alea.

It seemed that, in these unique lands, there was just as unique a wolf. They were sat down upon the featureless ground, eating some meal. From a distance, the canine seemed just like any other, although there was something quite unlike any other. For right there, perched next to them, was a bird. The avian was huge, titanic, larger than any others that Xolotl had seen. They were obviously a bird of prey and probably a hostile or at least defensive one, yet here it was, sitting meekly beside the wolf. And it was in comparison to this bird that the enormous male noticed the other wolf's own considerable size, piquing the morbidly curious wolf's interest. Although the sight was not one that he had been seeking that day, perhaps it could not hurt to approach.

So, just like that, Xolotl strode quickly towards the mottled wolf, pain in two of his legs forgotten. It was an almost hobble, although the grace of the brute's walk did not concern him particularly at that moment. From the distance that he was from them, they seemed to have a few colours mingled among their fur. Their colouring seemed nothing special—just common browns and blacks and whites—until he got closer and saw their—her, from the scent—eyes. Never had the male seen anything quite like them, and he had seen a lot in his short life he liked to think. The set of vibrant orbs upon the femme's face were two different colours entirely, one a unique, blood red and the other a rather stark contrast—a beautiful emerald green, the two hues clashing vigorously yet working together harmoniously to make up a rather stunning she-wolf. She was also large—noticeably shorter than Xolotl but still large, definitely the largest female that the male had seen in his lifetime. The fascinating female felt quite a bit larger than Silver, the largest female that Xolotl had known until then, just by looking at the wolfess. Another intriguing feature of her was the set of three scratch marks, now just scars, running down her left side, cutting through the spring green. And of course, there was the immense avian, now recognised by the Kairos warrior as a vulture of some sort.

For a while, Xolotl just stared, unsure of how to respond to such a sight, but then he decided to start with the basics. "So, what is your name?" the behemoth asked, not paying attention to his shoulder which was sluggishly oozing blood and pus as he spoke.

.: OOC :.

notes: Er wtf this is so long
tagged: Cihua
word count: 1102
muse: Amazing omg

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[Cihua]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]The sharp cracking of bones occasionally split the silence as Cihua set to work devouring the remainder of her meal, snapping the ivory cartilage between her teeth and peeling the remaining flesh from the surface. Her gaze was downcast, entirely focused upon her task, and it was because of this that she did not notice the form of another creature approaching – but Seir did. The vulture shuffled beside her, wings partially spreading before coming to rest at his side one more as his hooked beat parted to emit a shriek. It was a warning, one that Cihua had heard from her companion before, and one that she swiftly heeded.

Upwards she glanced, ears alert atop her skull as her mismatched gaze found the hulking form of the wolf who approached her from the charred pack lands, though only her crimson orb was able to process the sight of them. The wind shifted at that moment, and she caught a masculine scent, earthy and unfamiliar but distinctly male. Closer and closer he drew as Cihua sat up, perched on her haunches to watch him. He was easily the most massive creature she’d ever laid eyes upon, significantly larger than she was, which was impressive, for Cihua was no dainty fae. But more pressing was another smell that mingled with his: the smell of death. As he came to a halt before her, her gaze immediately shifted to fine a gruesome wound situated upon his shoulder, stinking of rot and oozing infection. It was not a pretty sight, though Cihua was not swift to look away. She had seen her fair share of wounds when she’d taken on a healer-esque role in her previous pack. Some of them had survived, making slow but successful discovers. And others...other did not. It was ultimately up to Miquiztli; Cihua was only his handmaiden.

At last the brute who’d drawn near spoke, his deep voice posing a question, and Cihua’s gaze lifted to meet his. His eyes were a vivid yellow, his coat a mixture of gray and ivory, and his expression was a mix between what Cihua thought was curiosity and apathy. She was acutely aware of the set of his shoulders, his stance, watchful in case he decided to lunge for her. But a larger part of her was curious, drawn in by him somehow, as if something about the brute was calling to her. Perhaps Miquiztli has lead him to me, either to heal him or to oversee his passage into the God’s realm, she thought.

She tilted her head as the observed him, her muzzle parting at last to answer his previous question. ”Cihua,” came her clipped response, her expression guarded. A heartbeat later Sier shuffled, and she glanced towards him briefly. ”And that is Sier.” The vulture was crouched at her side now, wings shuffling as his beady black eyes stared at the gargantuan brute before them; should it come down to it, Cihua knew Sier would use beak and claw to protect her, to distract the male and cover her retreat if she needed to flee. Hopefully, however, it would not come to that. ”I would ask the same of you. What are you called, colossus?”

Once more she found her gaze drawn to his wound as the wind blew the scent towards her once more, and she blinked as she considered it. ”That is no mere scratch; certainly you must know that it houses infection?” She asked, her lips pulling slightly downwards into a frown. ”Does the possibility of death due to your affliction not disturb you?”

---

Words: 598
Tags: Xolotl
Notes: AHH! <3
Muse: Excellent!

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[Xolotl]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]The pain in Xolotl's shoulder was steadily increasing, although the titanic brute still did not flinch, ignoring the throbbing and instead focusing on taking in the heterochromatic female. He wondered if she was related somehow to the brutes of Kairos—that would be an impressive feat if she was not, for the monochrome behemoth had never met another wolf outside of his new pack that was of similar size. Yes, true, there had been quite a few large wolves in Valyn, but they all had Kairos sires.

And then she offered a name. Cihua. It was a pretty name, a graceful one, a word of elegance. Xolotl wondered if the large femme had been born with the name or if, like the yellow-orbed male standing in front of her, she had been christened something else and had changed her moniker. Either way, it was a rather intriguing name. The mottled brute was not one to usually appreciate beauty, but he had to admit, there was something alluring outside of simply fascination to Cihua.

Cihua then introduced the vulture as Seir. Why would she name a bird? The ivory-streaked monolith then remembered that his youngest sister had a snake companion, named something like Duarte. Perhaps this was a companion, one of a different species, that had been given a name. Would the avian defend Cihua if she was in trouble? Xolotl would have loved to test it out although he did not fancy getting more wounds on top of his infected shoulder. He would have to find out if something else endangered the wolfess.

"My name?" the wolven goliath asked. "That would be Xolotl. Nice to meet you, Cihua."

It was the first time saying her name and he loved it. He loved how each syllable rolled on to the next, how the different phonetics mingled together and created new sounds. Yes, a name was just a name, but it was a simple pleasure in life to appreciate the well-crafted strings of letters. Did Cihua come from a meaning like Xolotl did? Xolotl, the wolf told in tales, one of might and power, one who had control over life and death, the one who understood everything entirely. The Xolotl in stories was an almighty sovereign, something that mere mortals could only aspire to resemble. Perhaps Cihua was chosen from a story, or perhaps she had been named after someone, or perhaps whoever had given her the name simply liked the way that it sounded.

At the loner's apparent concern for the infection manifesting itself in the muscular shoulder of Xolotl, the male laughed, not a carefree, happy laugh, but one slightly off, unnatural, despite being one of humour. "Me and death, we get along. I was hoping to live slightly longer than I have so far in my short life but ah, well. I would assume that death is something that you must experience in order to truly understand, and to understand death has been the singular point of my existence so far."

With death on his mind, Xolotl was reminded of one of the many fables told by his mother. This one was rather lengthy but it involved a wolf, one who died. What was curious about the death, however, was that the wolf had not been permanently dead. They had been 'reincarnated' as Emerald had said, which made the necromaniac wonder—would he live on through a reincarnation? Perhaps Xolotl would be dead in some senses of the word, but he would not be truly dead if that was the case, for part of him would live on. Not through offspring as the phrase 'part of them to live on' would usually refer to, but rather, through a reincarnation. Perhaps this new version of the male would go on to bring greatness upon Anikira, feeding off of the raw strength of their predecessor and harbouring something more, something to make a great wolf even greater.

Fantasies were good to get lost in. They brought hope and placebos, although sometimes, a wolf could become too delusional for their own good.

.: OOC :.

notes: <333
tagged: Cihua
word count: 703
muse: Great

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[Cihua]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]Xolotl. It was a strong name, somehow both powerful and ominous in tone, and one that Cihua was not likely to forget. She did not miss the way his gaze lingered upon her, his pale eyes seeming to glow as if lit from within, a stark, vibrant contrast to the charred remains that surrounded them. She had never seen anything quite like him before, and perhaps it was this that drew Cihua to him, that kept her rooted before him though she knew that should he wish to cause problems for her, he would have an easy time of it. But so be it; she did not determine when it was time for her life to end. That was solely up to Miquiztli, and had her God sent a messenger in the form of the colossus before her, Cihua knew it would be a noble way to die.

And death was apparently on Xolotl’s mind as well, his apathy for the weeping wound upon his shoulder obvious. "Me and death, we get along.” His words rang in her ears as if echoing, the rest of his statement solidifying her belief that for whatever reason, she had been guided here to today to encounter Xolotl. He spoke so easily of death, so freely, with reverence instead of fear; he wished to understand it, and Cihua’s lips quirked upwards into the ghost of a smile. Still she felt an odd pull to him, and so wordlessly she rose, padding closer to the brute despite Seir’s squawk of indignation and warning.

The she-wolf stopped before Xolotl, slightly to one sight, her head tilting upwards to gaze into his eyes as she gestured to his wound with her muzzle. ”I was something akin to a healer in my previous pack,” she murmured, not delving further into details. She had been no healer – though she had been skilled in the art, her sole task had been to oversee those who would live or die, never interfering if Miquiztli called them home. But that was a conversation for another time. ”I would like to look at your wound, if you would allow it.” She paused briefly, giving him a moment to object should he wish to, before lowering her head to peer closely at the festering gash upon his shoulder. It was certainly infected; if she’d had any doubts before, there was none now. To Xolotl’s credit, he seemed entirely unconcerned with the state of the wound; she’d seen wolves cower and cry over less. She could not picture the behemoth who stood before her ever doing such a thing.

”Seir,” she said absently over her shoulder, ”Perhaps some Snapdragon, or even Yarrow, if you would?” The rustle of wings and a passing shadow overhead informed her that the vulture had gone. She glanced up towards Xolotl, shrugging a single shoulder. ”It may not be possible to find the necessary plants I would need, since the land is desolate and dead here. Seir will try. But for now…it should be cleaned, at the least.” Her tongue darted out when her words faded, and she carefully licked at the wound, ignoring the sharp tang of blood and rot as she worked in silence. For some time she stood quietly beside him, cleansing the gash to the best of her ability, until at last the rhythmic thump of wings returned, and Seir dropped from the sky beside her, a semi-wilted bundle of pale crimson flowers dangling from his talons. Snapdragon, then, she thought, pleased, as she reached to take the delicate flowers in her mouth, crushing them between her teeth until they formed a blood-hued poultice, which she carefully smeared upon Xolotl’s wound. When at last she’d applied the last of the plaster, she bowed her head over the wound, her whispered voice sounding reverent and humble even to her own ears.

”Miquiztli, God of Death, you linger over us, keeping a watchful eye upon the living. You wait, patiently, for eternity is yours. Hail to you, guardian of the realm, and should you decide that this brute’s time has come, I hope you may deem him worthy of serving you in your sacred kingdom.” It was a familiar prayer, tugging at her heartstrings as she spoke it. She could remember her Ama murmuring the same incantation time and time again; the very words were seared into Cihua’s heart.

She stepped away from Xolotl, her gaze shifting up to meet his as she spoke. ”I can do no more for you; anything further would be interference. Your fate is decided by Death’s Sovereign now.”

---

Words: 766
Tags: Xolotl
Notes: ugh this is my favorite reply yet < 3
Muse: Excellent~

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[Xolotl]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]It seemed that Cihua had some ideas on her mind as she rose from her meal and approached Xolotl. The monolithic brute did not move, instead watching the mottled femme as she ignored Seir's sound of protest and gestured towards the Kairos male's wounded shoulder. She told the larger wolf of how her role in her previous pack had been like that of a healer and that she would see to Xolotl's injury if he would let her. Curious as to how Cihua would do it, he shrugged, sending a sensation of pain to his right shoulder as if it had been smashed into a boulder at that moment.

As the healer worked, Xolotl watched in fascination, marvelling at her systematic approach to such a seemingly simple task. Cihua spoke of snapdragon and yarrow so easily, as if she had known every detail of herbs and their uses since she had been birthed. She could not have been much older than Xolotl, yet she knew what she was doing so thoroughly, calmly and confidently applying treatment to the infection. A thirst to know, a desire to find out, burned within the necromaniac. He was not used to knowing so little and it seemed that Cihua's knowledge dwarfed Xolotl's own, even more so as she spoke of an intriguing figure.

Miquiztli. It was a powerful name, one of might and strength. It rolled off of Xolotl's mental tongue elegantly, although it was no delicate word. Miquiztli was a god, according to the heterochromatic wolfess, the God of Death. Cihua's words and tone of voice were of reverence and admiration, speaking of an almighty deity reigning over life and death. The mere mortal of a brute clung on to every word of the incantation, analysing every syllable and phonetic uttered from these now respected lips. A feeling of power, enlightenment, spread through Xolotl at the mention of this ultimate sovereign.

"Cihua. You speak of this Miquiztli, God of Death. Tell me about Him."

Shoulder infection forgotten, Xolotl mulled over Miquiztli, trying to grasp his place in life. He wanted to believe in this higher being desperately, wanted to know of this god that could provide answers to the male's endless enquiries about Death. What did He do? Was He Death or was Death something else entirely? Perhaps he was the embodiment of Death, or the messenger of Death, or the commander of this powerful entity.

Xolotl had never been religious, never even considered the concept of a higher being, but there was something so alluring, so empowering to the idea of belief in the God of Death. Death had always been a fascinating concept to the monochrome behemoth, but he had never thought of the possibility of a god being behind the natural mechanism. It had always been shrouded in mystery and it was less theorising and more experimenting to Xolotl, but now he had an idea, something above the physical plane of existence, to cling on to. The idea was, just as its subject was, shrouded in mystery, but perhaps it would give answers to balance out what questions it gave.

Destiny had never been something that Xolotl cared to think about. He never believed in destiny or fate either, but now with the subject of Miquiztli having been brought up, he wondered if he had been destined to meet Cihua. There was something about her that made her different, that made her stand out to Xolotl. And now she had introduced the deity that could very well change the Kairos wolf's perception of his hobby, his obsession, forever.

.: OOC :.

notes: <3
tagged: Cihua
word count: 613
muse: Good

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[Cihua]

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[attr="class","pltxt"] "Cihua. You speak of this Miquiztli, God of Death. Tell me about Him."

The surprise was evident in the set of the she-wolf’s jaw and the slight widening of her good eye as she glanced upwards to meet Xolotl’s gaze. She found no hint of jest there, only rapt attention and an intense seriousness. It was not a question – rather a demand, though Cihua found that she did not mind. When it came to Miquiztli, she was always happy to inform others about Him, and an indulgent smile tugged at the corners of her maw as she lowered her rump to the ground in preparation of the web her words would weave.

”From the time I was a pup, scarcely able to comprehend, my pack spoke of Him. They revered Him, worshiped Him, and through them I learned of His ways. He is Death, Sovereign over the deceased, and when we pass it is to Him that we are presented, either to serve Him eternally in his realm, or to be reincarnated to continue executing His will here upon earth if our death is particularly honorable. To die is a great honor, and death is to never be feared, for it is what ties us to Miquiztli.” Never once did her voice waver as she spoke; instead it was strong and crisp and sure, the reverence for her God shining in her gaze as she looked at Xolotl. She could feel the pride and honor surging through her veins, singing hotly in her blood.

”He is Death, but He is also Life,” she murmured, lowering her head a fraction as her gaze briefly drifted skywards. As a pup, she’d never once learned to fear Miquiztli, nor to fear death. Instead she marveled at it, and wondered how she would die when her honored time came. Morbid thoughts for a young one, some would say, but Cihua did not agree, for it was Miquiztli that she owed her life – and therefore that she owed her life. ”He is who sent Seir to me,” she informed Xolotl with a smile as her gaze flickered to her vulture companion. ”I stumbled upon the fallen nest of Seir’s mother when I was young, and in her desperation to defend her young, she attacked and maimed me. I thought perhaps that it had been my time, that it was Miquiztli calling me home. There was so much blood, and even when I killed the mother, my eye was ruined. I did not see how I would survive, how I would hunt and feed. But I healed. And when I rose at last, the sole surviving vulture chick had followed me home. A gift from Miquiztli Himself; a way for me to hunt, to live, to continue on and spread the word of Him.” Her smile had grown, and she shifted her weight as she glanced upwards towards Xolotl, searching his expression for a reaction to all that she had told him. ”To this day, I remain His humble handmaiden.”

---

Words: 504
Tags: Xolotl
Notes: < 3
Muse: Good!

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[Xolotl]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]Xolotl patiently awaited the seemingly wiser wolf's reply, sitting down with the mottled femme. The eloquent words flowing out of Cihua's maw were somewhat cryptic in nature, but Death itself was cryptic in nature. It would only make sense for Death's sovereign to be so as well. Every fibre in the monochrome behemoth's body was alive, awakened, feeling as if he had made a step larger than the mysterious concept itself towards understanding Death. The mere knowledge of such an almighty being, one so in tune with Life, brought a feeling of enlightenment, perception, to Xolotl. He did not question His existence for only a higher deity could allow for such intricate knowledge to take reign upon an entire pack, like the one described by Cihua.

From the words of astuteness that the heterochromatic femme spoke, it seemed that she had known of Miquiztli since birth, worshipped Him from the moment that she had been born. Xolotl was not a newborn, no; he had not even heard of the God of Death until he was over a year old, like he had been in that moment. Was it too late to gain such an intimacy with the powerful immortal? Was it something natal, a birthright, nature and not nurture?

Once Cihua's tale of losing vision in her left eye was over, the larger brute was completely convinced. It was not blood, but Death, that ran through his veins; Death was what had defined his short walk among the living, and it would be foolish to brush aside a being so pivotal to Death. He belonged to Miquiztli and always had—he had simply never known it. But now he knew of the dark deity, both the answer and the question, some purpose to Xolotl's deathly activities other than simply to know.

"You say that you come from a pack worshipping Miquiztli. Where can I find them? How do they function?" Xolotl hated it; he hated depending on another, hated almost begging for information from Cihua as if he was a little pup to his mother. He was, in any other situation, independent, standing tall all of his own accord. And here he was clinging on to every little word uttered by an insignificant wanderer, a she-wolf nonetheless, those things that had led a pack into something resembling corruption, those things ruling Valyn and despising Xolotl's very existence for his gender... But Cihua did not seem to be like those she-wolves. Neither was she one of those dainty faes rumoured to reside in Kairos that the warrior was yet to meet, servile and submissive in nature. Cihua was... Something different. Feminine, yet strong; not submissive nor dominant; subtly wise, something wholly unique in form.

Thinking of one last question, Xolotl enquired, "And... If, say, I wanted to follow Miquiztli, where would I begin?" Dark ears streaked with white perked forwards, raptly listening for answers. Nothing had ever fascinated the monolithic male as much since he had started to keep the prey that he caught, studying them and only eating what he needed to not starve. Perhaps it was Miquiztli's allure, or perhaps it was Cihua's beauty in her own strange way, or perhaps it was something different, something higher in form, but Xolotl felt as though he needed to know, as though his very existence balanced on the outcome of this spontaneous meeting.

.: OOC :.

notes: So sorry for the wait D:
tagged: Cihua
word count: 587
muse: Decent

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[Cihua]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]As the massive male lowered himself to his haunches beside her, Cihua glanced up, secretly glad that he’d chosen to sit on her good side where she could truly see him. Seir clicked his beak and settled against the earth on her other side, the rustle of his wings reassuring her that he was there, keeping a keen eye on the area that she could not see due to her blindness. Once more her attention returned to Xolotl, who towered over her even when sitting, partially casting a shadow across her form. He was truly the most monstrously sized creature she’d ever laid eyes on, which was no small feat considering her own sizing, and some of the huge creatures she’d laid eyes upon on her home island.

He asked about her previous pack then, and Cihua paused briefly before answering him, her muzzle titled upwards so that she could look at him. ”They resided on an island off the coast of here. Africa,” she informed him. ”I left them several moons ago to swim here, after I was presented with a vision from Miquiztli, instructing me to swim here. I was unsure of why at first, when I arrived. He had not made His intentions clear, and it swiftly became apparent that there were no worshippers of His here. But I think that is why He sent me – to spread the word and to build a band of loyal followers here, somehow.” And now she paused, her lids lowering just slightly over her eyes, her voice dropping as she murmured, ”And I believe He also sent me to find you. Perhaps that sounds insane, but you seem so fascinated by Him, as if you have known Him without realizing it.”

Nothing that she said was false; Cihua truly believed that she was on the right track to discover why it was that she had been sent to Anikira, a place devoid of proper faith. For now, anyways. She would do everything in her power to ensure that Miquiztli’s rule spread to this land. It was, after all, her job as His handmaiden, his devout follower and servant.

"And... If, say, I wanted to follow Miquiztli, where would I begin?"

”My Amma – the mother-of-my-mother – told me when I was very young that the first step is simply opening yourself to Miquiztli, pledging yourself as His, completely. You must not fear death, but instead treat it as something sacred and precious. When you kill to sustain your hunger, or whatever other urges you may succumb you, you must thank Miquiztli for what he has given you, and for the life he has taken from another. And you must wish the creature you have killed safe passage into Miquiztli’s realm.” As she spoke, a tiny smile had crept onto her maw. She had not expected to find one who wished so desperately to learn about Miquiztli so swiftly…but it was clear that Xolotl was fascinated by the words that Cihua spoke. Yes, she’d made the right decision in coming here on this day, for her God had lead her knowing form directly to the paws of this colossal brute.

---

Words: 527
Tags: Xolotl
Notes: ^.^ < 3
Muse: Decent

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[Xolotl]

[attr="class","plbase"]

[attr="class","pltxt"]There was a tinge of disappointment in Xolotl as Cihua's words hit his mottled audits. Had they resided upon Anikira, the Kairos brute would have sought them out for intelligence on this deathly deity. It seemed, however, that this pack spoken of was to be found off of even Anikira—beyond Anikira, perhaps in a greater realm. Africa. The monochrome male's ears perked slightly in curiosity, although he did not focus on where the pack was, but rather what it was—a band of faithful followers, all worshipping Miquiztli together, as a singular entity. It amazed him, how an entire congruent group could all unite and form as a powerful force to serve Him.

She then revealed that Miquiztli Himself had sent her, giving her a vision to inform her of her purpose to seek Anikira. He could not explain it, but there was something reminiscent of envy that Xolotl felt, as if he did not like that He had chosen Cihua and not Xolotl for such a mission. It was, of course, irrational, as Xolotl had only just learnt of Miquiztli, but that did not stop the emotion, not even when the large femme stated his supposed position in destiny. Of course he was meant to have been found by Cihua. She was perfect in the dark behemoth's eyes, not to mention that it was her who had introduced him to such a revolutionary figure. And perhaps his mission was something else. Perhaps Miquiztli had a different fate planned out for Xolotl, perhaps one greater, perhaps one more subservient. Either was just as divine in the warrior's eyes, either just as honorary. Surely, with time, Miquiztli would come to trust and put responsibility upon His soon-to-be most faithful servant?

These thoughts of inadequacy dissipated with Cihua's next words, and instead, Xolotl's ears perked up yet again, listening intently to what he had to do. He could not pinpoint when exactly he had decided to be so wholly devoted to Him in such little time, but that did not matter; now he was His, and His forever. Cihua could have told the brute anything and he would have done it, done it for Miquiztli.

"Of course I will do that."

Standing up from his sitting position and pulling himself to his impressive full height, Xolotl announced, "I, Xolotl, pledge myself eternally to Miquiztli. I am forever His to do with how He shall." Poison yellow orbs flicked towards the sizeable she-wolf sitting beside Xolotl, looking for either approval or how he should do differently. She was the expert, after all. "Let me help you. I'll spread the word of Miquiztli as well."

And until the sovereign god granted his newest follow with a mission of his own, Xolotl was Cihua's own assistant. He was neither above nor below her in his eyes; they were equals, two devoted patrons of Miquiztli. Together, they would claim Anikira as part of His almighty kingdom, its own followership springing from the two devout worshippers.

.: OOC :.

notes: Blah sorry for the wait! <3 Maybe we could end this soon? We could do one or two more posts or continue it more, whatever you want ^^
tagged: Cihua
word count: 529
muse: Good

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[Cihua]

[attr="class","plbase"]

[attr="class","pltxt"]It seemed as if Xolotl was well and truly determined to worship Miquiztli, something that pleased Cihua, a smile curving at her maw. He pledged himself to Him, the passion and determination in his eyes licking at Cihua like fire. She adored seeing reverence for Miquiztli shining in the eyes of others, loved knowing that she had lead them down His path, much like her Amma had done for her. And as he looked for her to acceptance, Cihua gracefully dipped her chin one, granting him what he sought. Already he had done so well – he would be good for her purpose, for her admission, and his willingness to spread the word of their God proved it.

”That would be wonderful,” she informed him, lowering her eyes demurely for a moment, silent even as Seir rustled his feathers and clacked his beak beside her. He was growing restless again, and soon she would have to go with him to hunt, but she was not yet done with Xolotl. ”I can make work of it in the unclaimed lands – but there are not many here, now. Perhaps you can spread the word in Kairos, in allied packs…wherever you can. They must know of Him, somehow.”

Her voice tapered off as she stood, her gaze lifting to find Xolotl’s once more, the curve of her smile wicked and curling as she took a single step towards his colossal form. ”You have done a great service here to Miquiztli today. I will hang around the borders of your pack for as long as possible, so that I may speak with you whenever I may. I can help you, teach you, and together we can communicate about our mission and accomplishments…” She trailed off, a flick of her tail punctuating her next words as she took a single step away from him. ”And also because I would like to see you again. You intrigue me, Xolotl…and that is a compliment.”

Seir rose to take his place upon her shoulders once more, her head dipping as she backed away slowly, her crimson gaze remaining upon the massive brute for as long as she was able.

---

Words: 360
Tags: Xolotl
Notes: I figured one more reply from you and it could be the end...or we can leave it here. Then we can re-thread them again later c:
Muse: Decent

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