[Flashback]A Trip To The Jungle Wilds [Kirmir]

by **Ayanna** on July 2nd, 2012, 5:33 pm

Timestamp: 20th of Spring 511AV

Ayanna had been in the jungle for a day now, and she wasn't sure if she liked it. She had already run across a few poisonous snakes and had turned tail and climbed a tree, using some acrobatic skill to flip to the next one in the canopy, she thanked whatever god was responsible for the closeness of the trees.

Night was approaching as Ayanna traveled and she looked around for a place to set up her hammock, she quickly scaled a large tree, looking out for tree dwelling predators or snakes as she hung her hammock. She slept with her weapons near her at all times in this place. But right now she placed some of her belongings in the hammock and scaled the tree to another and sat down to wait. She sat there for close to thirty minutes before a colorful bird landed close. She got closer until she caught it's eye, it was almost ready to fly away when she began to push the emotion of safety towards it. I'm safe, I'm safe, You are safe.. It began to relax it's body and the Symenestra was soon over to it's perch, sitting on the flimsy branch without a care as she grabbed the bird and returned to her hammock. She broke the thing's neck and then left again, this time in search of fruit. She came back not five minutes later with several papaya. Satisfied she sat in her hammock and began to eat the fruit.

She later injected the bird with more venom to get it to start the acid decomposing the things insides. She sat back to wait, it would take a good amount of time. For the moment she just picked of several feathers, plucking them carefully in her rucksack. She would see if she could get someone to make them into fletching and possibly hair accessories. She wondered if a fire would be necessary tonight, she hadn't used one the night before. She didn't need it for heat, the jungle was warm enough, she didn't need it for light. She saw in the dark just fine. It would alert any Myrian in the area of her presence. the only good it was for was keeping away predators.

She sighed as the sun began to set, climbing to the top of the tree and popping her head out of the canopy to watch it, the color amazed her every time. She smiled, happy. This place was lovely. With all the fauna and colorful birds. They had a lot of fruit available too. She wouldn't mind living here if it wasn't for the Myrians. Her expression grew dark, she would be living here if it wasn't for those harpies. Her complexion wouldn't be as pale, and people wouldn't hate them so much either. She scowled as she descended to her sleeping place. If she saw a Myrian any time during her stay she was likely to shoot her with arrows. Or attempt to kill her.

She swung on the hammock and looked out at the forest, not content to sleep just yet. Instead she listened for predators and the ilk.

by **Kirmir** on July 2nd, 2012, 6:56 pm

Jungle sounds, night sounds, buzzing of insects, caws of exotic birds, and somewhere in this cacophony of sounds the slight snarls of a hungry predator.

A darker shadow, barely discernible in the murky light of the moon, slippin from branch to branch, slowly making its way across the jungle canopy, searching, searching, for a meal. A wild breeze blowing through the branches brings a new scent... meat. With this fresh scent of prey the shadowy figure is off, bounding from branch to branch it rushes away into the night.

A small deer, just now laying down to sleep let its ears twitch in every direction, testing its surroundings, seeming to find nothing unusual its legs curl under it, its head begins to droop.... and the shadow pounces. A blur of motion from the trees above is the only warning as the beast lands atop the little creature, the sound of crunching bone the only whisper that escapes. And the jaguar stands tall over its catch, head held aloft, the cry of the jungles natural predator rising in its throat.

The beast eats quickly gulping down chunks and swatting away the small critters that try to get at his latest meal. After a few moments much of the little dear has been eaten whats left. The jaguar ponders... after a moments hesitation it lifts the little creature in its powerful jaws slowly making its way through the jungle it comes to a suitable tree and, with his claws, made short work to reach a higher branch. With a satisfied sigh he drops the little fawn in a safe nook and wanders a short way away.

A flash of light startles the creatures around, and where once stood a jaguar, fur dark as night, stands a boy, scarred and wild, Kir laughs quietly. A good hunt, and being human... it feels wondrous. Two legs, two arms his fingers wiggling experimentally. He sits idly on the branch, a slightly bloody grin across his face as the night sounds return.

The smile slowly faded though as he thought about the mere fact that he could become human, shunned by the creatures of the jungle, filled with a longing he couldnt understand. This time when he looked down at his wiggling fingers, he snarled. Why must he be different from the other beasts. He sighed, slowly letting out his frustration and letting his senses roam.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he noticed something off. Some slight difference in the night. He quickly runs the possibilities through his head until something clicks. The night sounds are muted, something doesnt belong. He growled low in his throat as he began to search the nearby jungle, moving slowly, silently, all the stealth of his true, feline, self coming to bare.

He regulated his breath, letting it come evenly, letting his motions flow, he slid from branch to branch as though they were a highway and made his way through the jungle. Finally he caught a whiff of his intruder, but he cannot understand it.... the scent nearly the same as his, and yet cloyingly reminiscent of the great flowers blooming upon the trees. A scent that makes that unknowable longing burn. Kir couldnt help himself, it was too unusual, and so he let his senses, along with his newly found and unexplored humanity, guide him from his familiar section of jungle.... and into the light.

Moonlight and stars, shining down upon the branches, making the surroundings seem to glow in the night, and there sitting on a branch is a woman seeming to shine even more than everything else around her. And so the boys heart leaps, his mind reels, and he falls back into the shadows as silently as he can.

by **Ayanna** on July 2nd, 2012, 7:31 pm

Ayanna spent a few more moments swinging in the hammock before she checked on the bird, it still had not finished liquefying. She sighed, annoyed at how long it took food to become edible for her kind. She wondered if they had stayed in their tree homes if they would still have to eat like this. She sighed and shook her head, she would never know. So while the bird slowly became her next meal she explored her chosen tree, picking a few pretty flowers she knew, not touching one's she didn't . She picked off the petals and began to toss them to the ground, stopping after her fifth flower and instead just exploring the three. She came back to her hammock after an upset bird cawed angrily at her. She took off her cloak when she was back, laying it across the hammock, and putting everything on top of it. She was left in her tightly wrapped purple clothes and tights. She stretched out her body and checked the bird again. This time it was ready.

Ayanna had begun to eat her bird, the insides of it had decomposed enough for her to start pulling the juices from the holes in it's body her needles had made.
she ignored the sounds of night time predators hunting and eating as she did, more concerned with getting the necessary proteins and nutrients into her body. Because of her concentration with her meal she did not at first hear the approaching Kelvic. Not that she would have even if she had been listening, such was his skill.

She was however alerted to the feeling of eyes on her. And a movement from the side of her eye. Her well adjusted eyes search through the shadows, replacing the bird in her hammock she climbs onto the tree and descends slightly, looking around for whatever she saw. She could've sworn it was a human. That had been all she could see.

" Hello?" she calls out, her violet eyes trying to see into the darker shadows that are out of her eye range. She can see a shape, a rough outline..over there... She begins to go towards it when another sound catches her attention. A snap.

Ayanna turns swiftly, her long black and white hair swirling through the air as she does. She freezes and so does the sound around her. The birds stop calling. A predator is nearby. The woman returns to her hammock and quickly strings a bow, an arrow nocked. She looks through the gloom for what made the sound, something's moving in the darkness. She can hear it. She looks from side to side and it isn't until he's almost upon her that she see it. A Dhani, a constrictor. The woman let out a small cry and leaves her hammock, her lash at her side and bow in hand as she retreats to another branch, farther away. The creature follows, slithering up the tree an unholy mixture of man and snake. An arrow flies but missed. The creature rears it's head back and hisses at her, showing it's huge mouth to her. Ayanna glares back at it and knocks another arrow, but the thing is almost at her again, she hops to another branch.

by **Kirmir** on July 2nd, 2012, 8:51 pm

Kirs heart thumped loudly in his ears. Such a sight... he had never seen something like it.... in his short life he had known no sentient being, human, kelvic, or otherwise. At most he had run into the occasional myrian hunter, dirty, violent, and generally as hungry as he, but never had he seen one such as this. She stands at a similar height, legs, arms, fingers, clearly similar.... but oh so different.

His own hearts racing deadened his senses so that he could not recognize the small sounds, the unusual quit of the area, he just assumed it was the world holding its breath just as he was. But the crackling of twigs and sudden sound of birds escaping into the skies alerted him.. something big was out there. The boy groaned at his own mistake... hed forgotten a cardinal rule of this jungle. Never let down your guard. Once again he padded away into the shadows, his feet barely making a sound as they slide across the forest floor.

No, no, no. The voice in his head screamed at him. He must find this thing... and yet that face continues to flash through his mind. With another low growl he shakes the image from his head... only to stop dead in his tracks as the creature hes hunting bursts forth from the trees, a dhani, absolutely enormous... and its heading straight for the woman, Kir snarled, his dual natures fighting against each other, a primal fear of such a monstrously large creature trying to override his need to save the beautiful creature before him.... his teeth snapped as he fought with himself. Only when he convinced his true self that the dhani was trespassing on his territory did his natures agree.... the beast must die.

Abandoning the stealth he was so keen to use for survival he charged after the monstrous snake. He grinned slightly as he watched the flowery beauty pull out a weapon and fire, the first bolt flying wide even nearly grazing him. With a wild leap Kir shifts, midair, and lands with a snarl upon the things back, sinking powerful jaws into its shoulder, and his claws into its back. As it began to thrash about he only sank his fangs deeper grabbing hold in hopes that he would at least be able to pull it away from this delicate flower, even with its thorns he finds it unlikely that she can handle it alone.

by **Ayanna** on July 2nd, 2012, 9:19 pm

Ayanna was not expecting help, from anyone or anything. She was about to let go of another arrow, this one better aimed, when a shadow detached itself from the forest to attack the Dhani. After her initial shock of seeing something attack it, and wonder if it was going to attack her, she realized what it was. Well what it had been. First it had been a man, who she was pretty sure was naked. then his body shifted into that of a large cat.

A Jaguar, a large cat that occupied this jungle. Deadly, their bite could crush a turtle shell. They were a large beast composed fully of muscle. Deadly, a swipe from one of them could decimate a Symenestra body. But a bite from one on the shoulder of a Dhani caused breaking bones, and a good distraction. With the sound of bones crunching behind her as the Symenestra descended the tree and landed on the leafy jungle floor she looked at the two creatures, now entangled. She knew she had to save the Jaguar, there was no question about it. the thing had saved her life essentially, she wouldn't have been able to get away from the constrictor.

She wouldn't be able to get a clear shot at the thing's head or chest with the jaguar on it, and with all the movement. So instead she fires lower, an arrow sinking deep into it's body, it was hard to miss a target so close to you. The thing writhe's in pain, trying to get the jaguar off of him and trying to get at her at the same time. Ayanna glared at it as she readied another arrow and let it fly. It hit again, but neither was a fatal wound. They would just hurt terribly and might bleed him to death if there was time enough for that. The thing was trying to get it's arms around the jaguar, so it could crush him to death. Ayanna looked around for what to use to kill it or maim it.

Her hand brushed her lash and she smiled, laying her bow down she untied her lash and let the deadly metal fall to the ground. She whipped it through the air and the metal whip bit deep into the creature's body, the sharpened end slicing through muscle and skin and reaching deep. She pulled it out and the gash widened. Blood began to pour from the wound.

by **Kirmir** on July 3rd, 2012, 12:11 pm

The beast under him writhing and scrambling, trying with all his might to clear the claws from his back, Kir snarled. The snakes blood slowly flowing between his teeth left a new taste in his mouth, and a buzz in his skull. Bloodlust, and each shudder, each new wound, each new drop of blood, brings about more. His eyes glaze over with a wild rage. No creature may enter the territory of a hunter lightly, and this one dares to poach.

He lifts his head in a blood curdling roar violently sinking his teeth deep into his enemies scales. Its hisses of pain are from more than the claws and teeth gouging into its back, and as it spins about he catches a glimpse of his other intruder, just as she drops the odd bolt thrower shed been using to pepper the giant snake and pulls out a lightly shining vine. For a moment he went over the implications of that unusual weapon... but only until the crack and bite of it tore through the constrictor beneath him. Even on its back Kir could feel the shudder of its muscles as that wicked item tears trough its flesh.

Well pondering the weapons used is not worth the trouble in such a situation, and so his mind shifted to other paths, such as how to bring down a creature multiple times his size without harming himself. After a moment the creatures own thrashing brought an opening its neck easily taken now that its thrashing, reaching hands were occupied with other, pressing problem, such as guts spilling upon the canopy floor. He jumped for this one chance, roaring triumphantly as he reared his head back for another strike, sinking his fangs deep into the back of its neck, feeling the warmth flowing between them, the cracking of bone, and feeling the sudden spasms of its fall.

by **Ayanna** on July 3rd, 2012, 12:33 pm

Ayanna watched with some morbid curiosity as the creature struggled. Herself being pat predator she got a little bit of satisfaction from seeing prey so ready to fall. But as she watched, ready to slice the lash through the air again the thing thrashed it's body and it exposed it's neck.

With a roar that chilled Ayanna's blood the jaguar sunk it's deadly jaws into the things neck. The sound of breaking bone cracked through the silent clearing. she shuddered, her hand going to her own neck, thinking of how easy the creature could kill her. She shuddered and left the whip out and unstrung her bow, the thing would move too fast for her to get an arrow into it regardless. She put the cover on her climbers quiver and looked at the still twitching body of the Dhani constrictor, it's muscles would spasm like that for some time, and the jaguar on top of it. It's body had fallen at the deadly bite and now it lay in a heap of snake coils and human skin. She looked at it with disgust and the slightest hint of fear.

A Dhani constrictor could kill a whole family of Sym's without hardly trying, if none had weapons or an escape route. She wouldn't have been much trouble if she had tripped or fallen to the ground while trying to avoid it in the trees. Or if it had managed to sneak up on her, or gotten to her when she was asleep. She looked at the jaguar, she owed this Kelvic her life. But still her heart thudded in fear of this vicious predator with the pitch black fur and wild eyes still filled with blood lust.

Ayanna forced breathe through her nostrils, she had been holding it for who knew how long. And as she did scents assaulted her. The smell of blood was the main one. metallic it filled the air with it's scent, alerting all residents of the jungle that there had been a kill. The smell of the jungle was the next scent, crushed leaves and flowers, fruit, and the general scent of dampness. Also, over that, was the light smell of her own sweat and fear. And just a little bit of animal musk. She made a face when she smelled herself, that would not do at all. She would not smell like some sweaty barbarian.

She looked over at the jaguar, making sure that there was enough room for her to have some chance of running if he turned hostile.

"Hello." Her voice was soft, as it always was, and perhaps a little timid. But she did what she could to hide her fear from her voice.Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she felt the need to do something, to run, fight, scream like an idiot and run in a circle. But she held her body still, waiting.

by **Kirmir** on July 3rd, 2012, 2:45 pm

Fresh blood between his fangs, sweet, delicious, the final shudders of the monstrous snake as it dies. Kir snarls shaking his head from side to side, ripping out a chunk of its throat and swallowing it whole. As he began to take another bite he noticed the.... woman, her face, a little pinched with fear.

His bloodlust slowly abated, and his senses returned. With them came a slight sense of remorse, he had wanted to save this one, not frighten her. And yet she still seems to stand strong readying weapons just int case... this one knows the law of the jungle. He could smell the scent of battle hanging lightly in air its essence only gradually leaving him.. empty. He huffed slightly in annoyance only realizing a moment to late how she might jump at such a sound.

He made a slight growl, angry with himself and backed further away from the woman, turning his bloodstained muzzle away. Hed never felt such a thing before, shame for his wild nature, for his very way of existence. And her voice seemingly more melodious than the birds that sing in the jungle night sent shivers down his spine, once again he felt the need to be human, to try and show her he meant no harm.

With a flash of light he shifted. A four legged, bloodstained beast, become a two legged one. He let out a sigh and planted himself atop the snakes still writhing corpse, a giant scaly seat, and lowered his head only looking up to get an occasional glance of the woman and a whiff of the flowery scent that seems to permeate her very being, overpowering even the scents of fear and sweat that such a battle surely left upon her. He wasnt sure how to respond, his entire life he had spent in the jungle, not a soul to speak with and not even a language with which to do it.

He growled at himself in frustration and anger, then sighed, nothing to it but to do what he could. With a little more determination he lifted his head staring deeply into her eyes, his own begging to be understood. He made a slight wave towards her a plaintive mrowl his best attempt at words...

by **Ayanna** on July 3rd, 2012, 3:37 pm

Ayanna watched as he ate, still a bit surprised by those who could just swallow meat. Her tongue grazed against one of her fangs and her eyes darted up to her hammock where her meal was. She was hungry as well, the smell of blood had her wanting food. The opposite reaction most humans would have to such a sight.

As the creature went to take another bite it paused, looking at her. She held up her hands, wondering if it thought she would try to take it's food. Which she couldn't, it would take a day for the venom to get through that thing's body!

As she watched his eyes seemed to grow..slightly less feral. But still dangerous. Her hands in front of her she kept a tight grip on her lash but made no move to attack him, knowing if she did her life would be forfeit.
This being might be a Kelvic but she had heard that a Kelvic's animal side was always stronger. And any wild animal would attack if threatened, so she tried to take away the threat without leaving herself defenseless.

As he huffed Ayanna jumped slightly, surprised by the noise and wondering if it meant he was angry. Perhaps she had done something to anger him? Then he growled, very lightly and she resisted the urge to step back, worrying that he might see it as running as then attack her as prey.

Oh how wild animals were confusing! As much as human's were! Although at least they let it be known that they'd either eat you or they wouldn't.

But then the jaguar was backing away, and she relaxed ever so slightly. if he was backing away he wasn't going to attack. Perhaps he was scared of her? Then there was a flash and a man stood before her. She looked at his face as he sat down, no not a man. A boy, probably younger than her. He looked to be no older than fourteen in fact. Her heart warmed then, her love for children kicking in. He might not be a child but he was younger than her and it helped. But he was much more scarred than she ever would be. Scars from battles and other things she could only guess at were scattered across his tanned skin. His face was lightly obscured by wild black hair, the same color as his fur, but still she could see his eyes. Dark and wild, the eyes of an animal.

But with him being in a human form and sitting down Aya relaxed considerably and wrapped up her lash, putting it on her belt as she put her bow string in a pocket and picked up the unstrung bow. She seemed much more comfortable around this younger boy, although there was still something about her. A sense that she was ready to run if he showed any signs of attacking her. The boy kept his face adverted from her, as if he was shy.

Ayanna smiled at the thought of someone being shy around her and it was then, surprisingly, that she finally noticed a very important fact. The boy was naked. Her face flushed quickly, a dark pink highlighting her cheeks. The girl was quite pure in everything having to do with males, never having even been kissed she was in the dark about male anatomy. She had only once seen another male without his clothes and that had been her brother, on accident. Her eyes immediately found another place to look and her face continued to darken. She stammered something that could not be mistaken for words. Suddenly though she sense his eyes on her and she looked at his face, getting immediately entranced by his dark eyes. So dangerous, so amazing. So..wild.

His eyes held an emotion, desperation? Want? Something like those. He made a slight wave, something that seemed to be awkward for him and then he made a noise. A sad mew almost. Ayanna's mouth opened and her eyes warmed, she felt her heart melting. That was just so.. cute?
She couldn't really call anything about this boy cute though. he was too feral to be considered cute.

Can you..can you speak?" she mimed speak by pointing to her mouth than flowing her hands out as if something was coming out of it. She should've considered this before, if he had been living in the jungle he probably didn't know how to speak. She took a tentative step towards him, paused, then another. Her face held curiosity in it, plain for anyone to see. This boy brought out her natural curiosity and she wanted to know more about him. First though, she wanted to get him some clothes.

by **Kirmir** on July 3rd, 2012, 9:06 pm

After a moment she seemed to relax, putting away her strange weapons and leaning back slightly, Kir sighed in relief, somehow he had put her more at ease, maybe by showing her something similar to her self, though he knew from the few glances hed cought of himself in pools of water were far more 'rustic' than he would prefer.

And yet he could see a tenseness in her muscles, ready to spring away if anything went awry, a precaution worthy of respect. But then, slowly, a smile spread across her face, and his breath was stolen from him once again. For a moment he could merely gasp for air.

And then again she did something strange, her face turned bright red and she turned away quickly, he found it cute somehow. She quickly blow out a singsong string of sound. The sudden flow of what he assumed were words brought his head around once more where he managed to catch her eyes.... and couldn't look away, they were piercing, soul searching. And as he stared he was lost in them, first noting the small coloring of fear then, to his great surprise, it turned into a warmth that permeated his very being.

He smiled a little shyly at this new feeling, much better than the last, and stood slowly, doing his best not to startle her any more than needed. That singsong voice rang out once again and he could only look at her quizzically, wondering at their meaning. After a moments hesitation he mimicked her movements and tryed out one of the..
words," Speak?" his tone was nowhere near the singsong she had made, more like a low growl, but still he felt he was close. He looked up smiling not sure what hed said but reveling in this new unrecognized use of his voice,"Speak." He liked the way his throat vibrated with the word.

He tensed a little at her approach but was forced to laugh a little to himself at the absurdity of his reaction. Not a moment before he was trying to move closer himself he smiled and moved forward, slowly approaching.