[Gyvaka Swamp] Serpents and Souls (Ialari)

[Haeli]

Haeli smiled. "Thank you for your words. They mean much to me. Often my mentor shrugs off my feelings because she is not the same as I. And feelings, to her, are a weakness. I think it is a racial trait." The witch said, smiling as she tested the ground with her walking staff and moved out confidently. "My mentor is a Dhani. She is quite at home here. And as such, I've had to find ways to make this my home as well. To be human in the Gyvaka is not the ideal situation. So I have not been human. This place unmolds you and remolds you into its image. I've never known 'easy' like people from the cities know it. Here is death and struggle and yet they would starve behind their walls while we are surrounded by riches. The Wilds are my first lesson in irony." Haeli admitted with a soft smile.

"You've seen crocodiles and there are also bigger things, Bubblers for one, if you know where to look. I will not take you to see them though because we say the last thing you see of your life is the Bubbles from a Bubbler's breath if you are lucky enough to realize you are near one. They hunt feeling the vibrations of the land and water. And they hunt things that hunt us." Haeli said, beckoning to Ialari and moving deeper into the swamp. She followed no known pathway. She simply walked, using her stick to probe before her and moved out with a long-legged stride that was confident and yet cautious. Along the way they'd stop, and Haeli would point out a particularly nasty spider and once a bright yellow python that lay curled just under the water with his nose up above it where he could breath.

She pointed out smaller snakes to the Pythone woman, ones that had lethal bites if they decided to tangle with the invaders to their peace. And she also paused to let Ialari gather flowers and vines, pointing carefully out their properties to the Isur, making sure she clearly understood their uses. The walk was brisk and the deeper they went, the more Ialari would realize the Gyvaka was life upon life upon life. There was no space left for empty bark or no rotting log unclaimed by vegetation or wildlife. In many ways it made the mountains look like wastelands, even where Ialari made her home, because the diversity here was almost fantastical while it was so devoid elsewhere.

Haeli seemed willing to field any and all questions, and if Ialari suggested wanting to see one thing over another as Haeli talked, the swamp witch would make sure the Isur got to see whatever it was, even if they had to walk way out of their way.

"So, I would love to learn now things." Haeli said thoughtfully. "Would you be interested in a trade of sorts? Something you know for something I know. I know some magics and herbalism and the crafting of scents. Would any of that interest you? And what could you teach in comparison?" Haeli asked.

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari continued to follow in Haeli's footsteps, mirroring he movements and only walking where Haeli walked. The swamp continued to provide a wealth of mystery and wonder as Ialari shared in the exploration. Ialari listened carefully to what Haeli had to say as they literally climbed their way through the thickness of the swamp. She had heard of the Dhani, or at least stories of them. Her family, entrenched in the nature of the snake, held stories of the how their pre-Valterrian ancestors had cordial relations with the Dhani. While Ialari had never seen one in person, she always imagined what it would be like to see one, to speak to one. As Ialari considered the nature of surviving in such a place as the swamp, the idea of a human being able to do such a thing was nothing short of baffling. "You've survived and seemingly flourished here despite being human. While you're mentor has obviously taught you well, it takes great strength and patience to be able to accept such teachings and employ them in survival." Ialari paused a moment before continuing. "You may find it surprising that life in a city isn't exactl easy. While we may not suffer the same dangers as you do here, at least where I'm from we also encounter great dangers. Collapsing tunnels and unexpected movements of the earth can spell death and great destruction. Above ground there are the barbaric tribes of humans who seek to consume everything in their path and flights of Zith who attack caravans. Though it's not the same as here, there are still dangers in and around the cities."

Ialari stopped for a moment and knelt down to examine a rather large slug resting upon a leaf. It was then that Haeli mentioned the Bubblers. The whole idea of such a hidden creature that spelled certain death was enticing yet Ialari chose not to push the issue as this again, was not her home and such dangers were better left to those who knew them best.

At Haeli's beckoning, Ialari continued the trek through the swamp. Where the witch moved with confidence, Ialari didn't display as much. Her movements were awkward and careful. The ground was softer than she was used to and the obstacles were foreign at best. When Haeli pointed out a particular spider, Ialari carefully moved closer to it for a better look. The spider was half the size of her palm with red and yellow rings around its abdomen. She recognized the coloring, size and shape of the spider as being one baring a particularly potent poison. She watched it for a few moments as it delicately moved about the limbs and leaves while spinning it's web. At one point her gaze moved away from the spider to other nearby trees where other webs and similar spiders could be seen. Such was the wealth of potential ingredients for quite deadly poisons. Haeli interrupted Ialari's poisoned pondering by directing her attention to something just under the water.

Ialari moved closer to Haeli and looked to where the witch was pointing. The bright yellow python sent shivers of excitement through Ialari as every so slowly moved as close as she could to the serpent. Her movements were calculated and meticulous and in a strange way resembled that of a snake. She stared at the snake, her head cocked slightly to the side as a wide smile crossed her face. Glancing over her shoulder to Haeli, she said quietly, "Indeed you are blessed here."

The two women continued their trek through the swamp with Haeli pointing out even more snakes. Never had Ialari experienced such a diversity of life, especially in the form of the many serpents she encountered. In their frequent stops, Ialari took the opportunity to gather a variety of mushrooms including a few black-eye mushrooms. She also gathered enough varied roots to produce many doses of a variety of poisons. Some of the items she gathered were not known to her before yet thanks to Haeli's knowledge, Ialari learned a number of new uses for a variety of different flowers, vines and leaves.

At one point, Ialari noticed the body of a rather large rodent laying nearby. She motioned to Haeli before making her way toward it. The rodent, much larger than a typical rat, appeared to have died possibly from a bite, maybe from a snake or spider. There were puncture wounds in it's side and the skin looked to be especially damaged around the wounds likely from a poison. The creature's fur was matted, wet and especially dirty and stunk in no small way. While she was not familiar with the type of rodent, she had read that the hearts of some swamp rodents may be harvested and used in the creation of certain poisons. Taking a few moments, she pulled free her dagger and began cutting into the corpse. "If I recall correctly, the heart of a swamp rodent may be used in the creation of a variety of poisons. I don't know if this one will work for that but it's worth a try." Ialari cut through the foul fur and flesh around the area where she thought the heart may be. It was a dirty job to be certain, but eventually, after a bit of cutting and cracking of the ribcage, she reached what she thought may be the heart. She cut it out the best she could and placed it in a small jar that she retrieved from the kit she carried on her pack.

Soon after Haeli presented Ialari with a proposition, that of a trade. Such a thing was much like soft music to Ialari's ears. The concept of trade was a religious experience for the Isur thus for Ialari, it was just that. "Trade? An interesting proposal, Haeli. You've already introduced me to so much...of course I would happy to trade knowledge with you. I am a student of many things, magic being a rather important one. Anymore you could share as far as the contents of this swamp are concerned would be amazing. As far as what I could offer in return, I am more than proficient in the creation and use of poisons and I have a small affinity for one of your scaly friends here in the swamp." Ialari pointed to a bright green snake curled around a nearby tree branch. "I don't know if you possess any amount of metal of any sorts but I have a knack for working with it and also know a bit about crafting items with magical properties, though I would need to make a few tools before I could pass on that sort of knowledge."