Honey's heat had come to a close, thus she was slowly beginning go feel like herself again. Now that she was able to fully assess her situation, she considered the fact that she hadn't yet met any of her pack mates other than Eshamun. Sure, there were side introductions at the pack's first gathering, but none of them felt genuine.
There was one she-wolf in particular who'd called for Honey's attention and in return, Honey called for her presence. Aru...Arunik'ra, yes, that was her name. Perhaps she would be able to give a bit guidance to the new wolf.
overhead the thin cry of a wolf pierced the star-dappled sky, bringing with it a hush that thrummed in the darkness. the woods grew silent in the wake of the call, and for a moment not even a leaf seemed to stir.
from the navy blackness a small figure broke from the trees, her long and slender limbs washed a pale ivory by the moonlight. the sunspear knew the speaker, but not of her purpose -- in quiet yet obliging steps she closed the gap between herself and the cream female. beneath her the crunch of leaves on cold dirt announced her presence, and she swung her tail patiently as she awaited some sort of explanation for the call.
H-hi
, Honey stammered, breathless as the woman approached. In her head, this encounter went much smoother. I just...I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Honey. I think you knew that though
, she continued, though the final statement served as more of a self-scolding purpose.
I also wanted to ask about the god here. I don't know much, but I want to learn.
It made sense to the pale femme that as a pack wolf, she would devote herself to tradition. She'd have to go about learning it first, though.
arunik'ra's features, while sharp, were not laced with harshness -- if anything, the female's sudden trepidation caused a visible softening the sunspear's usually pinched countenance.
arunik'ra could be convinced by any means to speak of molech; it was her purpose and her passion. she tucked her thin stomach, resting on her long haunches -- if honey wished to learn about molech, arunik'ra would happily supply tutelage.
"molech - that is the god's name." she spoke, her tongue thick with accent. she would have launched into a long (albeit not very well-worded) explanation but instead thought it better to ask first: "how much does this one know about molech?"
Not much
, Honey replied, but I'd like to know all that I can. If...if you'd teach me. I don't want to burden anyone.
Her voice was low and soft, not wanting to overstep. Honey was asking a favor, and an intimate one at that, for it wasn't always easy for a wolf to share her personal beliefs with a stranger.
I wasn't raised in a religious pack, but when I met my mate, we agreed to raise our first litter under the belief in something...bigger.
Honey smiled as she remembered their tiny bodies latched onto her, so innocent and docile, untainted by evil. But they're no longer with us. Two of them were stolen, the other two...
Please tell me more about Molech.
arunik'ra listened, a faint flutter of her ear signaling her attention. when honey finished the red priestess drew herself up, as if she were going to be there for a long time. perhaps she was -- and perhaps that was the reason for her adopting a more comfortable pose.
"molech, when taking corporeal form, is a many-armed wolf possessing two sets of horn; one ram, and one bovine. eight limbs, and eight tales. i myself have seen molech in a dream but once: a terrible and exacting vision." she remembered it vividly; it had been the night of her tophet.
"molech's form is unimportant, what is more important is our duties to molech. molech's light is our will to live, our life. without it, we cease to exist. there are many ways one can become a supplicant to molech and many steps one takes to please the many-armed god; the first is through daily vigils. that is the duty of the baakar -you and i both. these duties never fade - not until we are dead." she would pause for a moment, to give honey a chance to ask questions if she had any.
So, okay, how exactly does the pack function? What are the different roles of the ranks?
Honey had found plenty of questions to ask, though those two seemed the most reasonable to begin with. She appreciated Arunik'ra's help in learning more about their god, but their were too many variables that seemed purposeless. Being the thinker she was, Honey had to have the facts down before she could devote herself to anything.
arunik'ra did not mind the questions -- not because it signaled a faithless degree, but because it showed the questioner had a vested interest in learning. the sunspear was always happy to oblige the pursuit of knowledge, so long as the pursuer was genuine in their thirst.
honey's next question the sunspear gave some thought to. she paused and trailed a paw along the ground, painting a tendriled groove into the scattered sand. "our ranks are different: there are the men, who carry duties for the health of the fold. the women carry duties for the health of the fold and for the pleasure of molech; and eshamun -- and once, i -- we bear our duties for the continued blessing of molech.
a woman's place in the malkaria can be wherever she deems it, so long as she is faithful to the all-consuming god. there is the baakar, which are the servitors and supplicants: they pray and maintain the vigil, tend to the shrine: they help with deliveries and are present at every ritual. and they, in turn, create their own ritual - the tophet. the tophet is the only way a baakar can become res drunak, high priestess."
did she wish to know what the tophet was? arunik'ra leveled her gaze to the woman, her expression somewhat severe.
It all sounded so extravagant, so orderly. Honey smiled throughout the entire explanation until Arunik'ra's expression changed. Tophet?
As a matter of fact, Honey did not know. But she longed to, for in her mind, one had to be completely devoted to their goal to achieve anything.