☆ Ri'Anu ☆
King of the Nyota-Roho Pride
Queen: Ki'Upinde-Mvua
Consorts: Ja'Mzizi-Chimba, La'Unaona-Mti
Kind and generous.
Names:
1st Incarnation: Nyota-Roho
2nd Incarnation: Ri'Anu
3rd Incarnation: Ri'Anan (Ri'Abu? Ri'Anzu? Ri'Aru?)
• • • • •
Born to Nyota-Usiku - a priestess of the moon - and an outside male. At birth, Ri'Anu was given the name Nyota-Roho, following the typical naming conventions of the pride. Ri'Asili, the king of that time, was originally irritated at the thought of keeping a male in the pride who wasn't a child of his own. But Nyota-Usiku insisted, and Ri'Asili soon realized that Nyota-Roho wouldn't be any threat to his rulership. The young male was humble and obedient, and all too happy to obey the orders of his King. Ri'Asili allowed him to stay in the pride and appointed Roho the duty of guarding his mother and siblings.
• • • • •
One night the pride was attacked by a rabid lion from a neighbouring pride. Roho was roused from his sleep by the commotion, only to find that the lion was targeting his mother Usiku. Roho hastily charged at the rabid lion, engaging in a fight to the death while his mother fled the area. Roho was badly injured during the brawl, but he emerged victorious.
Worried about blood loss and contracting rabies, Roho immediately consulted the pride's healer, a lioness named Upinde-Mshale. Mshale fed him an herbal concoction and did her best to patch up his wounds, but told him that he was unlikely to survive through the night. His mother panicked and layed down next to her dying son, and she did the only thing she knew how to do to resolve such a terrible situation - she prayed to the moon.
Usiku fell into a deep tranced and when she awoke, she was shocked to find a
Sphinx standing before her. "Loyal Priestess of the Silver Sun, your son has done a great deed tonight. He has risked his own life to protect the one dearest to him. The heavens have heard your prayers, and I am your answer." Usiku was shocked by the appearance of the Sphinx and her message, and bowed before the strange creature with reverent gratitude. The Sphinx walked past Usiku and gently layed her massive paw upon Roho's bloody body. Instantly his wounds began to heal, stitched together by divine magic and closed as quickly as if they had never been there in the first place.
The Sphinx turned around to face the priestess and the healer and sat down, head bowed slightly to avoid grazing the roof of the cave. "The deed has been done" she announced to the two gawking lionesses, "and as the dawn breaks through the starry sky Nyota-Roho shall awake feeling healthier than ever before. He has been granted the gift of immortality, but in exchange I have taken something from him: his mortal sight." Hearing this last part, Mshale made a face of horror and betrayal, and Usiku looked up at the Sphinx with an expression of great concern. "Fear not, he will still be able to see, but not in the way of other mortal lions. From now on he shall see as the gods see; in auras and energies, in vague forms of color and light. He shall still be able to recognize his fellow lions, but he will not see the colors of their pelts or the expressions upon their faces. He will see only their essence - their soul."
Suddenly, the Sphinx narrowed her eyes and gave a sly smile. "And in return for the blessings I have granted upon this young and noble male, a shrine in my name shall be erected at the center of this territory, and I shall become the goddess of this pride."
• • • • •
When King Ri'Asili heard of the Sphinx's actions and demands, he was all too happy to set up a shrine in her honor. An-Lamassu became the official goddess of the Mfupa-Taji pride and most of the pride's lions visited her shrine daily, wishing to receive a great blessing of their own from the powerful entity. Ri'Asili himself hoped to receive some form of immortality like Roho had been given, but as he grew older it became apparent that he was not to be granted such a rare and priceless gift.
Ri'Asili knew that his time as King was soon to end; he and his Queen, Ki'Aali-Ajabu, were now elderly lions and they often felt too tired to manage the pride. These days Ri'Asili's daughters were doing more of the work than the rulers were. The King, in his arrogance, had chased away any sons he had produced and he was left without an heir, so he consulted his Queen on the matter. Ki'Aali had been best friends with Nyota-Usiku for years and had grown to trust her son Nyota-Roho. Along with the fact that Roho had been blessed with immortality, Ki'Aali decided that he would be a perfect successor to the throne. Ri'Asili wasn't too hot on the idea of letting a unrelated male take his place but over the years he had grown wise enough to know better than to question his intellectual Queen's judgement.
Two weeks later Ri'Asili badly injured his leg in battle and he knew that it was finally time for him to retire; his frail old bones could handle no more. The King and Queen called for an assembly of the pride, and it was officially announced that Nyota-Roho was to become the new King. This announcement was met with rejoicing and celebration. Over the years Roho had become a well-loved and respected member of the pride, and his Kingship was a welcomed surprise.
To honor Nyota-Roho's new position as King, he was given a new royal name: Ri'Anu.
When Ri'Asili and Ki'Aali-Ajabu passed away a short time later, the pride's lions unanimously voted to rename it to the Nyota-Roho pride, to honor their immortal King.
• • • • •
When he was just a subordinate male in the pride, Ri'Anu had never considered taking a mate, as he was well-aware it would be a transgression of the laws of King Ri'Asili - it was a betrayal he would have been killed over. But there was one lioness he had always had his eyes on, and now that he was the one in charge, he was free to claim her as his own. That lioness was Upinde-Mvua, daughter of Upinde-Mshale, the healer who had tried to save Ri'Anu's life.
Ri'Anu had no idea how to court a lioness. King Ri'Asili had permitted him to mate with a female once in a while when he was a subordinate, but those situations required no flirting game; they were assigned by the King and dutifully fulfilled for the sake of the kingdom, no romance involved. So when Ri'Anu decided to make Upinde-Mvua his Queen, he entered the situation cluelessly but with determination.
He started by bringing her the flowers he found while exploring the lands. He quickly discovered that impala lillies were her favorite.
(to be continued....)
