Note! Most of Echo's story is heavily based in the lore of my pride.
Warning Her early bio contains violence and language, for those who may be sensitive to such things.
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Mother of Fera, Ni'Luha, Meros, Amira,
(
Cubs)
Daughter of Serro (deity) and an unknown lioness(?)
Of the Shadow's Path family
Personality
Protective. Fierce. Unsure(internally). Hot-headed.
Role in Pride
Echo is in a sense a demi-goddess, though such a term is not used to describe her place in the world. As daughter of a priestess, she took up her mother's trade and faith, and is the high priestess of the pride's primary deities.
Relationships
Echo was at first apprehensive towards her great aunt, or at least her reincarnated self, Ashildr, but the "goddess" was far more down to earth than the young lioness expected. She has since become close to Ashildr, although "close" is a relative term for Echo.
Echo's possibly closest and one of her only friends is Summer Breeze. Summer and Echo grew up together and have been through the same hardships of their past. Trust is something Echo does not give easily, but Summer has it fully.
Echo generally butts heads with Echo Storm, who at the time she and Summer came to the pride, was the crown prince. He was the one who found the two lionesses wandering around the borders. Storm made it clear that he was interested in Summer from the beginning, and she fall for his charms. Echo did not.
Echo's opinion of Ashildr's daughters is fairly neutral. Family has never been a "good" thing for her, quite frankly, so the idea of having other relatives around is something Echo is not familiar with. Ashildr and her family, however, seem genuine enough for her to give them a chance...
Den
Echo dens far away from the rest of the pride, along the river in the heavy forest between the marsh and the scrublands that belong to the kingdom. There she finds the peace and calm she needs to offer prayers to the gods.
Bio
Child of Shadow and Sun
Do you hear the Hated's song?
To the gods, they are called wrong.
To mortal hearts they go to arms,
Against deceivers and their charms.
Fallen and forsaken are they,
And we who dare to pray.
Rebel show us truth.
Temptress bless our youth.
Guard us, Wrath-Bringer.
Deceiving Blight, not linger.
Envy give us sight.
Destroyer of Fools, bring delight.
Those words once ruled over Echo's life, and at times they still do. Tucked away in a small corner of the world, she lived in a small pride that still worshiped the gods that were called the Forsaken Gods, her pride belonging to the Forsaken faith as a whole. She had heard the stories of why their faith had become so thin-spread throughout the world, but she never knew those stories would actually effect her life. That is until that terrible, bloody day when war came to her pride.
"Do you ever think about the days when the gods walked among us?" a golden young lioness asked Echo, drawing her from a day dream. It was her best friend, Summer Breeze, or just Summer.
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
"Great, you weren't listening, again," Summer sighed, rolling her eyes. "What's up with you anyway? You seem disappointed or something lately."
"Yeah, it's just this whole priestess thing doesn't really seem to be my thing," Echo replied. "And gods, if I have to listen to old Firna's complaining about the zebras looking all the same again, I'll run off with the first roving male that comes my way. She's driving all of the priests crazy. I don't know how my mother has to patience to just smile and act like she actually cares about everyone's gossip and nonsense."
"How about maybe she has a heart for starters," Summer quipped.
"Ouch."
"I'm not saying you don't, Echo, I'm saying yours needs some work," Summer continued. "You're more warrior princess than priestess anyway, but I don't think that'll convince the pride that you shouldn't be the next high priest. I mean, it's kinda in your blood and all."
"Please don't get started about my father," Echo growled. "That asshole doesn't give half a shit about me. If he did, do you really think he would have done exactly what his father did to him and his mother?"
"Be thankful at least your father has a reason to not be in your life," Summer huffed. "Protecting the world from the Void itself is a pretty damn good excuse."
"If you want my opinion, we're both better off without our fathers around, Summer," Echo smirked. "Now if only our mothers would get off our backs," she added in a laugh. She then heard a distant roar calling the young lionesses home. "Well, looks like our day off is cut short, huh?"
"Aw, and just when I was hoping some dashing rover would come along and knock you off your feet," Summer teased as the two headed in the direction of the call.
"Me, fall for handsome face? Not a chance."
As the two returned to their home, the pride was almost entirely gathered around the shrine. The temple had been built by humans, or supposedly the gods, long ago in a large cave, but it was now kept by the pride. They could do nothing to repair broken statues and the like, but they could protect it from those who would destroy it. Echo, however, was convinced that there was no point in "protecting" the temple, as she had once walked among humans thanks to her father's gifts that she inherited and not one she ever came across knew a thing about the temple or the gods it was dedicated to. It was not that she doubted the gods. She had seen their power with her own eyes. It was the sheer fact that very few knew of their existence. However, what she smelled as she made her way through the crowd before the temple entrance and past the temple guards quickly gave her doubts about all she thought about the world.
Blood.
The guards stopped both lionesses as they came, but did not allow Summer in, for she was not a priestess. As Echo entered the temple space, there was her mother and the elder priests along with the war-general standing around and examining three dead, bloodied lions. One of the bodies of of a young male, barely full grown. Echo recognized his dark fur. It was the war-general's son Reikumo. The young lion was not much younger than Echo and Summer and they had been good friends. It was in that moment Echo was glad that Summer was not allowed into the temple like she was. She knew her friend would not be able to stand in that space without breaking down. Echo, on the other hand, could sallow her pain and fear until she knew what was going on.
"We will answer this with blood!" the war-general roared. His voice was filled with anger that was fueled by pain. Echo could feel the war-general's broken heart in every word.
"We must think more rationally than that, Dar'Cero," Echo's mother spoke, her voice calm.
"Besides, your berkoni already dealt with these two," one of the other priests added. "Your son's death has been avenged two-fold, war-general."
"It does not mean this is over! There were others with them, but the cowards ran as soon as these two fell." The war-general was not one to stand down from a fight. Dar'Cero had, according to the stories at least, been hand chosen by Tah'Dajo himself to lead the pride's warriors, and the safety of everyone there rested on his shoulders. Echo was worried that he was about to risk it all to avenge his son, and she suspected that everyone else did as well. She, however, also sympathized with his grief and anger.
"May I suggest you remember where you are, Dar'Cero, and that you not take such a tone with me," her mother scolded the war-general. "You may be responsible for the matters of war here, but I am responsible for the health and well-being of us all. I want you to stand down, for all our sake. Leave everything else in the hands of the gods to give justice."
The war-general simply grumbled and headed towards the exit. "I know who you are, priestess, but all I see is the lioness who would betray her mate in order to gain favor with the gods," he sneered as he left, walking by Echo. His eyes, as always, would not lock with Echo's even for a glance.
Echo had remembered the other priests telling her about Dar'Cero's and her mother's past, and that they had once been married. They were mates out of duty to their families, not love. All that changed, as the stories went, when a handsome dark male entered the temple. Dar'Cero supposedly was understanding of the situation, and agreed to the breaking apart of their marriage, and he quickly remarried. Still, from that comment, and the cold shoulder he had always given Echo, she was beginning to wonder if he was more bitter about it than he let on.
As soon as the war-general was gone, the priests went about preparing the bodies for burial. Even though the other two lions, one male and one a lioness, were enemies, they were still to be shown respect in death. It was not on mortals to judge their spirits. Echo helped as best as she could in the process, though she could hardly keep the tears at bay when she was asked to wash Reikumo's corpse of blood. She was thankful that his aunt and mother were there to help her, given they were also priestesses. The three of them then painted on him the color and markings of his rank as a warrior and a follower of the Eternal Cycle. When it was done, she carefully placed a garland of flowers over his body, and put spices in his mane to cover the scent of death.
"This wasn't fair, iltatioe," Echo whispered in his ear, even though she knew he was long gone, his spirit moved on. The word she called him was one she was afraid to say in life. Kumo, as she knew him, was the closet thing to a brother she had, however, just as Summer was the closest to a sister. That, and she could not help but think of how close they were to being siblings truly, given their parents shared past.
That night, vigil was kept after the burial. The bodies were burned, though Kumo's was burned separately and with more honor than his nameless killers. Dar'Cero was noticeably absent. Echo stood next to Summer finally letting her grief out during the vigil, as the two silently watched the fire go from burning bright to finally, as the night went on, nothing but embers. When there was nothing left but dying coals, and the morning sun was dimly rising, Echo and Summer parted ways, Echo to the temple and Summer to her den. Before entering the temple, Echo looked to the sky, wondering if Kumo's spirit was shining down at the very moment.
To you who knew war, may you now know the peace of the heavens. Her silent prayers went to the Stars, not the gods.
"Destroying Lord, give me the strength to punish those who would kill your loyal warriors," a low voice prayed as Echo entered the temple. She saw Dar'Cero's form, the temple brazier spreading his shadow across the floor. He was sitting before the shrine to Tah'Dajo, his head bowed low. "You once called me friend, so my friend, hear my words; watch over my son. Tell him I am sorry. Hmph, I suppose I should be telling you that too, right?" His prayer in half mumbled words went on, but Echo dared not to listen in further. She went straight to her place to sleep.
Echo woke later that morning from a nightmare that she felt was all too real. Smoke filled her lungs as the temple burned around her. Blood covered her paws as the ground was soaked in it. Bodies surrounded her. The shrines each were shattered in the temple, blood spilling from their cracks. From the War Queen's eyes tears fell on her stone face, which now laid at the foot of her shrine. The only statue that remained whole was the Gate Keeper, Serro. The raven on the shoulder of human form of the god was ever peering down as Echo approached the statue.
Father, if you can hear me, please save us! She then looked at herself, and noticed she was the cub form of herself, small and helpless, dwarfed by the shrine. Looking back up at the statue of her father, she was startled to see the raven's eyes become deep red and for its stone feathers to slowly come to life. It cawed at her a few times before flying to the temple's entrance and landing on the ground, hoping around as if waiting for her to follow. Boldly, the cub followed.
It was then she woke from one nightmare into another. Again, like in the dream, she was surrounded by a chocking, terrible smell. It was not smoke this time, but blood. It was the screams and roars from outside the temple, however, that woke her. Rushing up, she found her way to the main temple space and found there many of the pride's cubs and their mothers, as well as others who were able to make it there and were not fighters. The temple itself was the pride's sanctuary, and its entrance was now closed shut by a large stone. This was the only defense beside the warriors fighting outside. Echo knew there was an escape route which the pride would then take once either the situation became even more dire or the noise outside died. Looking around the temple with frenzy, Echo breath a very short sigh of relief as she saw Summer tending to an injured adolescent. She quickly ran over to her, maneuvering through the crowd of terrified pridemates.
"What the hell happened? I- I just went to sleep and now this?"
Summer looked fairly well shaken, and it took her a moment to compose an answer as she finished tending to the adolescent's wound. "I don't know. I caught some glimpses of what was happening before it broke into chaos, but not much," Summer explained. "There was a large pride and they claimed they wanted to make offerings at the temple, perhaps even join us, but then one of the berkoni recognized some of them as the ones who attacked Kumo's patrol. They didn't make any sudden or rash moves at first, and you mother started gathering the cubs and their mothers here, slowly while Dar'Cero and one of the other priests negotiated with them. I was already inside when Dar'Cero let out his battle cry and the guards were sealing the temple. I think most of the priests were still outside, however, and- gods! Echo my mother was out there! Your mother was still out there!"
"What?!" Echo growled. "The guards wouldn't dare seal the entrance without her in here with us. What the hell were they thinking?"
"It was your mother's orders," a nearby lioness who was cradling her cub spoke. "She wanted us to be safe and was still out there trying to reason with them and the war-general. I'm- I'm sorry Echo, but I don't think she- I'm sorry." The lioness could not finish the thought, but Echo already knew what she meant.
She's already gone. The thought sent dread into Echo's heart. She had faith in the warriors outside and in the strength of the temple to keep those inside safe, but knowing her mother was out there in the melee was a world-shattering piece of knowledge. Her mother was not a fighter. Though wise and beautiful, her mother was a fairly weak lioness, not able to hunt well enough and barely able to defend herself against one opponent.
War Queen protect her.
Echo and Summer hunkered down with their pridemates, all keeping the hope in their hearts that the day would soon be over and won. That hope turned to prayers as the hours passed. They could hear as the attackers were driven back by the warriors, only to regroup and advance even closer to the temple. One thing above all gave Echo hope, and that was Dar'Cero's voice barking out orders to his berkoni. Every time she heard his voice, she glanced at the shrine to the Eternal Cycle offering a prayer for strength and for the war-general to see this through. Occasionally, she looked to the Gate Keeper and that ever-present thought deep in her heart rose, like a heart beat.
Save us, father. She almost hoped that the raven would come to life like her dream, which she now knew was a warning. The stone, however, remained lifeless.
Finally, as sleep over took many of those in the temple, Dar'Cero's cry to chase off the attackers went out. Echo, who was wide awake with anxiety and fear, heard as he and the remaining warrior chased after the attackers, and slowly their fighting faded farther and farther away. All inside believed themselves safe and the battle over. They did not know how wrong they were, or how that temple would become their tomb.
A whole day and night of silence went by before the temple guards decided to unseal the temple and that the coast was clear. The pride expected to see the berkoni waiting for them on the other side. The general and his warriors were no where in sight. With that slightly unsettling news, the guards and some of the other immediately moved on to the depressing work of seeing if any among the bodies that now littered their home were still alive. Echo and Summer looked for their mothers.
Summer's mother had somehow managed to hide in the chaos, and after tending to her wounds, Summer agreed to keep looking for the high priestess. With every body that was not hers, Echo felt both more worried and more hopeful. Her mind was trying to be rational, to accept that her mother was likely dead, but her heart was clinging to whatever hope it could find. It was agony not knowing which one was right.
Some distance away under a tree, Echo finally found the gut wrenching answer. Along with a few others of the pride, the high priestess had made her last stand under the Great Tree, where all the names of the pride's greatest warriors were remember. Unlike the others, somehow her body had been untouched by the scavengers that had enviably swarmed the area. Echo broke down finally, and Summer did her best to comfort her. Some hours passed before she was able to do anything but mourn her mother. The two then began a sorrowful journey back to the temple, carrying the high priestess with them, but not before carving her name, rarely spoken to anyone before, into the tree.
Echo was so out of it that she hardly had the focus to hear once more the clashing of lions. She and Summer were still some distance from the temple when they did react to it. They placed the body down gently before hurrying to discover what was happening. The enemy had returned, and in swift violence, had already killed most of those who remained. Before Echo and Summer could do anything, both fueled by an anger to run in and fight, they were stopped by the sight of something very large coming out of the temple. It looked almost like some sort of canine, but larger than a lion. Its fur was dark, ruddy, brown, with lighter undertones and dark stripes. It walked like a great cat, despite its canine appearance. The enemies all turned their attention on to it.
"I'll give you all one chance to turn around now and run back to wherever it is you came from," the creature called out, its voice loud and carried far. "That is far more than you gave any of these who dared to call on me for aid."
"And give a demon like you the satisfaction of a victory? I think not," one of the enemies, clearly a leader among them, sneered in reply. "Besides, I know why you're really here. You want your pathetic general or what's left of him, am I right? Well, why don't we just go get him for you." There was some commotion among the enemy lions. A pair of males dragged forward towards the creature a half-dead looking male, who Echo recognized immediately as Dar'Cero. They pushed him forward causing him to fall to the ground. "Well, there you have him, your great war general!"
Echo could hardly make out what happened there out, but she could hear Dar'Cero's mumbled words. She could see the shock on the general's face as well. "You asked for strength, my friend. Consider this my answer." Something like a shadow came over all the enemies, bringing their death with it. One by one, all by the one who taunted the creature fell without a fight. The creature had not moved once, but now it took slow steps towards the enemy leader. "You have done this for some ideal of being remembered, haven't you?" The male just looked at the creature with terror in his eyes. "You will not be remembered, especially not by me. I have met hundreds like you, and none have ever been worthy of remembrance and history never once utters their names except to say 'remember the fool who believed they could fight the gods'. I should know, for I am the biggest fool of them all." With that, the creature lunged at the male, and without effort, snapped his neck in its jaws. Echo knew who this creature was. It was Tah'Dajo, the Eternal Cycle.
Echo and Summer stood frozen in place for a few moments, or at least until Echo made that first bold move towards the bloody scene. The creature was tending to Dar'Cero, trying to move him, but the general was too far injured. Summer almost tried to stop Echo from going, too afraid of it all, but she was not able to keep Echo from going closer. Echo walked straight up to the creature and the dying general. As she did, the general and the creature took notice of her, but only the general reacted.
"Echo..." he tried to start, but his strength was quickly leaving him. "I loved her once- your mother. She- she didn't feel the same for me. I was so angry with her, but I knew my place..."
"Save your strength," Echo told him. "You don't need to tell me this."
"But I do." Dar'Cero, even dying was stubborn as always. "When you were born, I was only ever more reminded of her betrayal, but I was so consumed by it I didn't realize my own betrayal. I was her friend, and our marriage wad forced on her by our parents. I should have stood by her still, instead I drove division among the pride, between the warriors and the priests. I was angry with her, but I was angry with the gods as well.
