Midas - The Cursed Golden Lion
~~~~~
Once was a great King, one who ruled with Kindness and Generosity.
He led the land to a new Prosperity of the likes no other creature had seen before.
"Truly," the birds tweeted and twittered, "Midas must have a Heart of Gold! To do such deeds with such ease!"
And a Heart of Gold he did have.
As the sun rose so did he, to aid the farmers with the harvest. Lending a paw to hunters and the patrol. Protecting and caring the Kingdom however he could. For Midas loved his People and his People loved him in return.
Untill, one day in the dead of winter - when the sun never shone and the snow seemed to fall forever, a cruel serpent talented in the art of olden magick came through the peaceful Kingdom. Intent on a horrid, horrid scheme the serpent curled upon the limb of an rotting tree and waited.
And waited.
And waits.
"Hello there stranger serpent! I have not seen you here before- Welcome to the Kingdom!" Midas called, as he slowly walks towards the tree and it's inhabitant.
A moment of silence returns his cry.
"If I may ask about what it is you are doing, strange serpent?"
"Patience is a virtue and all good thingsss come to thosse who wait. Ssssalika knows thiss well, he doess." the serpent, Salika, responds with a flash of his fangs.
"Oh? And what is it that you wait so patiently for?"
Salika turns to Midas and shifts his tail. Midas' eyes grow wide as he leans towards the coils of the serpent in interest. For there, nestled among the coils and the scales, was an glimming, gold apple. The skin caught what little light there was and casted a halo of gold across the trees, the ground, and the two themselves. The stem and the leaf shone just as bright and Midas wondered, so briefly it couldn't truly be called a thought, if the fruit's flesh and seeds were just as gold as it's skin.
"Sssalika waitss for the one meant for thiss fruit. One sssaid to bring great joy and hope to thiss Kingdom. For their heart is like gold - asss gold asss this apple."
As Salika spoke he shifted he scales to and fro, causing the apple to tose the light around, and brought it slowly closer and closer to Midas.
"Magick hass filled thiss fruit - filled with good tidingsss and blesssing apon blesssing! Sssalika intendss to give it to the King to feasst on."
"The King will not eat when his people are hungry!" snarled Midas, claws digging into the dirt. His fur stood on end around his shaking neck.
Salika drapped around Midas' shoulders and neck squeezing comfortly and slowly slipped completely around him. He raised the apple again and softly hissed into Midas' ear.
"Blesssing apon blesssing. One bite will bring the cropsss back healthy and plentiful, two will refresh the rivers and the lands anew. Three bitess will open the heavenss for the rainfall. To eat the whole thing... iss to give the Kingdom more Gold than they could ssspend in a lifetime."
Salika stared down at Midas, who stared down at the apple enthralled at the possibilites. Never having to go through droughts, starvation, or lack of trade again. For the people to never worry or fear about the unknown again - what kind of great king didn't want that for his people, truly? His mind spun and raced and so the poor king never noticed his thoughts slowing or gaining a soft hiss. Never noticed the serpent hissing in his ear or the words that spilled of it's tongue.
There were simply the what ifs.
Salika handed the apple over, smiling.
"For you, Oh Great King. For you and this... kingdom."
Dazed Midas thanked the serpent and stumbled home, never lifting his gaze from the apple, from his Kingdom's future.
Salika's smile grew and grew and grew untill it was an ugly twisted thing full of fangs and venom. He sat there but for a mintue more to bask in his victory, for he knew there was no kind end for kind kings, before turning and slithering away. Never glancing back at the pain and agony he brought forth - Salika only looked towards his next horrid, horrid scheme.
(TBC:Part2:Midas Takes the Bite)
...
Headshot done by the wonderful • sekizen •
Spring Month: 3 
Night 
Clear Moon: 
