Legends of Belariath
Brianna
Brianna's Story Part 1
The Birth of Brianna
High in the mountains of Belariath lived a fierce dragon by the name of Azdaja. And near to the home of this dragon lived a village of the Kobushi clan of Cat people. And in this village the cat people were born beautiful and no one was ever hungry and they were always victorious in battle - when the need arose. All this had been true for as long as the elders had remembered. The stories of the Azdaja were passed from mothers to daughters and granddaughters so that they might keep the sacred pact that the dragon had bestowed upon them so very long ago. But these magical blessings bestowed upon them did not come free; for there was a cost to be paid to the dragon, and this too was passed from generation to generation of the kittens. Every hundred years, from the day of the first pact, a female kitten would be chosen at her birth by Azdaja himself to become his gift from the village. Now, the planning for the chosen kitten was a little more involved than the dragon walking around the new litters and picking a female out and taking her with him.; there were many ceremonies and contests to determine the parentage of the chosen catgirl.
Beginning in the generation before the gift was to be born contests of strength and beauty were held, as well as battles of magical prowess. For only the best female and male of the village would be chosen to mate for the chosen kitten. So the village elders met to discuss the recent contest of strength and intelligence and beauty and they debated for some time about the female and male to be chosen, for none wanted to bring forth an undesirable kitten that would not be a fit offering for this powerful and respected beast that watched and blessed their village. And finally, after many nights of fasting and meditation, a decision was reached and the young pair were brought forth before the entire village and the elders blessed them and told them that their mating would bring forth a most wonderful kitten, to be blessed and chosen at the birth by the great dragon himself...Azdaja.
The mother of the special female kitten was known by the name of Sonura, and she was an exotic beauty of the minx persuasion with a deep golden fur and beautiful bronzed skin. Her tail was a stark contrast of the deepest black with a few rings of gold at the tip. Her most beautiful feature, however, was her eyes: they were the greenest of any in the village, the color of the purest emerald ever mined. They glowed as if a flame resided in her gaze....brilliant and shining. Now Sonura was very intelligent and had many friends among the village. Following in the footsteps of the all the women in her family before, she was studying to be an air mage, and had taken to it naturally at a young age. She was delighted that she was to be chosen to carry the special kittens that would bring honor to her family and wealth and blessing to her village...and so she went forth eagerly to meet the male who was to be her mate.
The lucky father was to be Qit`Ta, a cat whose tiger lineage strongly showed in his black and orange striped body - richly striped from his head to his tail. The only thing not striped was his mane of jet black hair, which flowed down his well muscled body and was tied by a leather knot at the back into a single long warrior braid falling in front along his chest. Qit`Ta was the best hunter and warrior of the tribe. He bore many scars from the various battles he had fought, both with neighboring tribes when called for and also from the large prey necessary to bring down to feed the many mouths of the village. The young hunter was also favored by many of the younger females due to his hunting prowess and good looks.
So the two were brought together when Sonura came into her time of heat and they were left in a special mating cabin that was only used for this special occasion: just once every hundred years. The cabin was filled to overflowing with every conceivable item or food the couple might need so that they would not have to leave the cabin until her heat cycle was complete. Several weeks after emerging from the cabin the village cleric pronounced the mating a success and a messenger was sent to the palace of Azdaja to tell him of the wonderful news....that soon his gifted would be born. A few months after the messenger was sent to the golden palace it was discovered that Sonura carried three kittens, as the cleric determined after listened to the seemingly healthy heartbeats of the unborn. Praises were offered to the couple, and celebrations were held to pray for the birth of a girl...an almost certainty in any litter of kittens.
More months passed and Sonura grew fat from the growing kittens...the tribe pampering and caring for the mother of the gifted kitten. A week before the expected arrival of the birthing ceremony another messenger was sent to tell Azdaja that the time was near...and the giant dragon carried the messenger back. Lairing in a nearby cave to await the special event the dragon bided his time in slumber.
The next night, at the time of the setting of the sun, as if the kittens had waited for the dragon to arrive, Sonura began her labor. The clerics arrived to begin the ceremony, lighting candles and incense and whispering incantations over the mother for a healthy delivery. The chanting continued into the night and Azdaja waited patiently for the kittens to be brought forth for his approval so he may chose the one who would join him in 20 years from this day. The pact stating that she would come to him a virgin and bearing his mark upon her right foot. As the sun peeked through the morning haze a small mewling cry was heard and the first kitten was brought forth...but it was a male: of the blackest black; a kitten of the darkest night and as they opened his eyes to see the color, a golden gaze stared blankly back, his lids trying to shut out the new light. An hour later, after much worrying about the health of the kittens and the strength of the mother, two more kittens pushed out. one mewling loudly, the other one quiet and shivering. The two girls could have been twins, both resembling their father with their beautiful orange and black stripes decorating their bodies.
But already a difference could be seen in their demeanor, one loud and fighting, the other silent and timid. These two females were brought to the dragon and the ceremony of names began. The dark male was given the name of Bohdan; a name of great honor from the history of the tribe, for whilst he was not chosen, being male, he was brother to one who would be. The stronger of the two tigers was named Brianna, her sister was given the name Qadesia. The dragon carefully lifted the two catgirl kittens and peered at them as they lay in his hand, both blind and helpless this young in life. He noticed the one named Brianna, though still blinded, was mewling loudly and trying to move about, while Qadesia lay limply in his hands and remained passive, not attempting to escape or move. He returned the kittens to the elders, his snout opening widely in a dragon grin, his booming voice speaking, I will choose the kitten Brianna, and she shall be brought to me 20 years hence, a virgin. And upon her foot shall the mark of Azdaja be placed when she is 7 years of age, and she will not be told of her true purpose, only that she will one day bring great blessings and fortune to her village. With this, the dragon rose to his full towering height and flapped his four wings, rising high above the village center and disappearing in the direction of his golden castle. The kittens were returned to their anxious mother and the celebrations began that a kitten had been found desired by Azdaja and would bring the village the good fortune and blessings of the mighty dragon for the next hundred years.