A deviation from the norm. [CLOSED]

[Corvo]

TS: 10th of Summer 510 AV

The intense humidity of the day bore down on Corvo as he stalked through the dense foliage of the jungle, large insects buzzed overhead as the calls of the hundreds of birds flew across the airwaves. Each step was made with the slightest awareness that there was a good chance that a plant could very well try and devour him, try being the key word. Despite his calm and almost placid demeanor there was the slightest undertone of a sure and almost vain confidence lying underneath the surface of every movement he made. Pockets of light show throughout the jungle canopy while everything else was covered in an almost dull shadow the slightest breeze reverberated throughout the jungle sending an almost ethereal shiver up his back.

He had just finished a quick and incredibly dull routine patrol, but almost all patrols were dull unless you were being sent into one of the deeper and far more lethal parts of the jungle. On an impulse decision he had decided to deviate off the normally taken path. As usual, he still had ample time to explore as no one expected him back early, if at all.

“Fruit…” He mumbled to himself. Corvo had always enjoyed eating fruit, in fact it was the main staple in his particular diet, along with the occasional animal that had strayed into his path. He wandered throughout the forest, always eyeing even the most innocent looking patch of bush. Trust was not something these jungles nurtured. These jungles nurtured strength, mistrust and the devotion to survival above all else. His pace remained at a slow and methodical pace as he navigated the jungle with relative ease, taking note of landmarks that could be used to find his way back if he got disorientated. With that done he went back to searching for a mikmik tree. They were fairly common so it shouldn’t take him to long, or that is what he thought at least.

[Siiri]

She had a feeling the break in the weather couldn't last and she was right. Mere minutes after she told the rest of her troops to go on ahead of her to the city, the sky began to darken and Makutsi's trademark torrential rains began to pour. Siiri, Myrian warrior and second in command of the fang that had just returned from herding the crocodiles nearer the Basin and away from Taloba, watched in irritation as large droplets of water turned the normally ochre leather armor to a dark shade of chocolate. The dampness was sure to seep into the cracks of the material and spoil its toughness. She could only treat it so many times before she had to have it fixed again. Iami, the barracks leatherworker and armorer, would have another fit if she returned to have her gear repaired so soon. Siiri either had to rush back to Taloba to get the leather treated as soon as possible – a difficult task to accomplish as the city was several miles away yet – or find some makeshift shelter where she could strip off her armor to stow in her backpack. Left with no choice, the Myrian charged through the underbrush to find a tree with leaves large enough to somewhat shelter her from the rain.

Fortunately, she was in familiar grounds, having passed through the place often enough. She realized she was near a grove of mikmik and papaya trees, and near that grove were trees whose canopy she could take shelter under. The fruit trees should be somewhere to here right, so that meant the big leafed trees would be... There they were!

Siiri rushed under the protective branches of the giant trees, dumping her pack on the still-dry ground beneath it to work off the straps of her armor. Her plain clothes should provide enough decency that anyone who might stumble across her would not think she had caught her bondmate's penchant for stripping. Properly folding the leather armor and stuffing its different pieces in her pack, she noticed that the ground was starting to get damp. It wouldn't take long for the rain to soak her hiding place. She looked up, checking to see how long before the raindrops made their way through the think canopy. Right at that moment, a big drop of water hit her square on the forehead. Siiri clenched her fists in annoyance.

Rain would be fine if it wasn't so damn wet.

It was going to be a long, muddy trek back to Taloba. She might was well get a snack from the nearby grove before making her way back to the city. Miserable, the Myrian warrior shouldered her pack and trudged towards the mikmik and papaya trees.

[Corvo]

The once considerably clear sky had given way to gray skies and a downpour of rain that assaulted the jungle. Corvo’s once slow and methodical pace turned to quickened and rain rushed steps. The ground grew damper and damper with each step. The soles of his feet were almost caked with dirt and mud at this point. He almost wished that he decided to simply go back to Taloba after his routine patrol but his enjoyment of fruit had gotten the better of him and he hadn’t truly considered all the factors of what he thought was going to be such a minute trip. With such nice weather e had nearly forgotten that it was still summer, season of rain and flooding for the jungle.

After only a few more minutes of trekking through the jungle he was near a grove that was full of papaya and mikmik trees with fruit that was just waiting to be plucked. Once quick and rush steps turned into light steps of slight anticipation, as if receiving a long awaited gift. Despite the rain the need to rush and get someplace dry had faded.

The war knot he kept his hair in most of the time had stopped his hair from plastering against his and causing that incredibly annoying sticky feeling that it brought. His clothing was still dry to some degree, but that wouldn’t last for long if he didn’t speed things up, but alas his mind was concentrated wholly on the fruit that awaited him, until he spotted someone only a meter or two away. He stopped almost completely, taking slow tentative steps. The only other creature that would bother coming out into the jungle was a Myrian but the jungle bred the need for survival and that need bred mistrust and a readiness to kill when need be.

“Hello?” His voice was low and somewhat hoarse.

[Siiri]

Siiri did not expect to run into another lone Myrian. Most would have been traveling in groups, their fangs, returning from patrol or just setting out. They would have also announced their presence with a Tiger Roarer, the device that emitted a sound similar to the cry to Taloba's infamous beasts, the Myrian Tigers. That this man was alone meant one of two things: that he was lost and separated from his fang – an impossibility, considering they were in familiar grounds – or that, like herself, he had parted willingly from the rest of his group. It must be the latter, but Siiri still had to make sure of the identity of the man. She had seen him first – the fool seemed to have his head stuck in the clouds – and it was only her duty and have him identify himself to prove he wasn't some shapeshifting doppelganger. Her greatsword, Slayer, slipped out of its sheathe from her back in a split second, its sharp tip pointed straight at the man's chest.

“Halt, Myrian!” she called loudly. Her voice hardly carried through the trees, with the sound of pouring rain so loud in the background. “State your name and reason why you're walking around here alone.” The man could ask her the same questions but she wanted to see if he still had his wits about him. The jungle was a dangerous place for someone who was not in tune with his environment. Especially so because of the summer rains, as predators were abound in jungle and the downpour effectively masked their scents.

Siiri eyes did not leave the man's form for a moment. Peering at his face, she realized she had never met him, though he looked about the same age as her. Probably one of those who were trained or housed in a different part of the city, most likely a non-resident of the barracks. Then again she couldn't be expected to know every single one of the three thousand and five hundred soldiers actively serving the city garrison.

[Corvo]

Corvo wondered what exactly he should say. That he had just finished patrolling and had decided to take a quick break to find some fruit? He wasn’t exactly sure how this woman would take that particular answer. She didn’t really seem much like the talking type and the sword she unsheathed drove that point home. “I could ask the same question of you.” He said only loud enough to be heard over the pounding rain.

[Siiri]

“I asked first, male,” Siiri smirked, stressing the last word to emphasize the disparity between them. She eyed the man a few moments more before lowering her blade. She did not sheathe it however. That would at least save her the moment it took for her to draw it again if this man did not appear to be who he was.

“You're obviously Myrian, to all appearances anyway. I have to wonder what you're doing out here weaponless, however. Only a fool would wander out in the jungle without anything to defend himself with. Are you, perhaps, bait set by your fang to lure some sort of beast from the fruit grove?” The woman chuckled at her own question. She gestured at the grove of trees before them. “There's nothing there but fruit-eating birds and chimps over there. A serpent or two might be at the lower branches, those that prey on said creatures, but they will be harder to spot now in the rain.

“Which are you after?”

Siiri assumed the man was out for a hunt, though his lack of weapons certainly suggested otherwise.

[Corvo]

Corvo’s raised his right eyebrow only slightly making such a movement barely noticeable in the onslaught of rain that pummeled the dense foliage. “I am Corvo of the iron hands, the name alone should explain why I am weaponless. I would say something along the lines of...it is a pleasure meeting you, but that has yet to be seen and doubtful I am doubtful that such a statement will come to bear fruit.” He suspected things would get interesting from here on in, mainly because he just insulted her.“Oh yes, I almost forgot. I’m after the fruit actually. I for one find it delicious. You?” He spoke slowly and with the slightest tinge of sarcasm that tended to pepper most things he said. He glanced up at the trees occasionally but Corvo always kept his eyes on the woman for the most, swords didn’t promote much trust. Especially when one had just been pointed at him.

He started to move towards one of the trees to inspect the branches. He knew even attempting to scale the trunk would prove hazardous in such weather. The branches and trunk would be slick and wet making falling all to easy. Now that his back was to the woman, if only partially, he suddenly became highly aware that he had just made a mistake. He doubted the woman would try and fatally wound him over such a small insult. He suspected she might break a bone or two but that would be the extent of her wrath, still a turned back was always dangerous.

“Any ideas on your part, female?”

[Siiri]

The man had a glib tongue, the way he threw subtle barbs at Siiri, confident perhaps that the difference between their statures meant little outside of Taloba, somewhat away from the eyes and ears of the Goddess-Queen Myri. For her part, Siiri ignored the provocative comments, letting them slide off her like the raindrops did off her waterproofed backpack. Despite the sardonic air the man was putting off, Siiri was still amused that this Corvo had gone out into the wilds without even just a basic spear. He must be supremely confident in his fighting abilities to deal with the dangers of the jungle or he depended on his fangmates to soften up any threats before closing in for the kill himself. The warrioress still thought it was a foolish notion though, to depend on one's fists when dealing with the beasts of the wilds. Even a master pugilist could not protect himself from the teeth and claws of the jungle's predators after all. It was something she decided to point out to the man. Who knows, perhaps he'd learn something in the process as well.

“I am Siiri, of the Snapping Jaws, and I too came to this grove for the fruit. One of them at least.” To prove her words, she used her weapon to sever the stalk of a nearby papaya, catching it with one hand as it fell. The display was unnecessary, as she could have just plucked the fruit from the stumpy tree. Still, it was to make a point. Her weapon served a purpose other than for defense: its long blade could net her a few of the higher hanging fruits as well, especially the Mikmik fruit, the one in particular Corvo had been eying the whole time. Its reach could keep her away from the sting of the fruits' guardian as well.

“I hope you like papaya,” Siiri commented offhandedly as she offered half of her fruit to Corvo. She had split it in half with the sharp edge of Slayer and was even now scooping out the seeds with her fingers and scattering them all around her. Hopefully, they would grow one day into new papaya trees. The woman took a bite out of her share, not minding the rainwater that pooled the recesses on the fruit left by her fingers. She pointed at thick and spiny green vines that crept to about six feet up the trunk of the mikmik tree as she chewed. Everyone knew the white, whip-like strands covering the vines induced serious rashes – on Myrians at least. Its effects was much worse for anyone else.

“So what are you going to do about the whipvine?”

[Corvo]

“I happen to like Papaya very much…it has always been a favorite.” His voice started to trail off after a few more minutes of talking about the various uses of the fruit that was sure to bore anyone and everyone who wasn't a herbalist or an avid fruit nut such as himself. He took the piece of fruit that was offered to him, although hesitant to do so. Now that he had actually gotten the fruit he had wanted he didn’t see much point in actually sticking around and wasting his time trying to get past the gnarled whipvine to simply obtain the fruit of the mikmik tree when he had something tasty in hand already. He continued to stare at the whipvine for a few more brief moments before coming to a verdict. “I don’t see why I should do anything about the whipvine, you already gave me a bit of fruit.”

Corvo dumped the seeds in his half of the papaya onto the ground before taking a large, sloppy and ravenous bite of the fruit. It isn’t as if he was starving but trekking through the jungle did make one incredibly hungry. “I suppose I should thank you for the papaya. Are you heading back to Taloba? While I do not fear the jungle it would be safer to travel together. Especially when visibility is so low.” He wasn't sure why he had just asked the female to accompany him back to Taloba, he could navigate his way back by himself just easily. He then mumbled something about thinking before he speaks under his breath as a way to remind himself to avoid saying stupid things in the future.

[Siiri]

Siiri watched the man devour his half of the papaya before heaving a theatrical sigh. The mikmik fruit was quite the treat among her people, and there were some among them who craved for its pleasant flavor. The way he stared at the tree, Corvo was apparently one of those people, no matter how much he tried to deny it. Discarding the pulpy rind of her snack to become part of the decaying detritus of the jungle floor, Siiri backed up a bit before charging at the mikmik tree. She planted her foot on the tree’s bark to propel herself upward, trusting that her high boots would protect her from the sting of the whipvine. Three of the ripe fruits fell, along with the branch they were attached to, with a single swipe of her greatsword. She landed on her feet lightly, picking up the fruits as she stood up. Plucking one for herself, she tossed the rest to Corvo.

“Admit it,” she grinned. “You know you wanted one.”

The rain easily washed any dirt that might have gotten on the fruit, and in a moment, Siiri was munching once more. She kept the useful nut inside the mikmik fruit for later use, allowing the rain to soak it for a moment to wash away any stickiness before stowing it in her pack. At Corvo’s suggestion to return to Taloba together, Siiri pulled out the spear strapped at the back of her pack.

“Here,” she said, handing the ten footer to the weaponless man. “If we must travel, you can hold my spear for me. I don’t want to question how good you are with your fists, but you can at least use that to check if the next puddle you run across isn’t a pit trap before you step into it. Try not to break it on the first beast we run into, I happen to like that spear. And in that regard -” Here Siiri grinned again. “- you can take point.

“For payment for the fruits,” she added as an afterthought. “Makutsi forgive me, but Myri knows I want to get out of this rain. Like an hour ago. Let’s go!”