Flashback [The Ruins of Old] Asylum for the Hunted (Vitri)

[Kaie]

19th Day of Fall, 510 AV

She was up to her usual antics. Like just about every other day Kaie wasn't training with Yitmah or pestering Keikyo to spar with her at the Arena of Ancients, the fourteen year old had taken off on yet another reckless journey into the unforgiving jungle. It was near midday when she had initially departed from the Cutthroat Shadows' territory and into the brush with nothing but her makeshift spear. Bells had passed, quarries were lost to the thick shrubbery, and every passing tick left the young female more and more flustered. They'd beat each other sore and bloody in the mock battles she practically lived for, but what good was all that violent ambition if she couldn't even feed herself?

"For Goddess petching sake!" Kaie cursed furiously as her spear sailed viciously into a congregation of jungle leaves. A cloud of earth that spurted up through the greenery was the only signal of its pathetic crash landing. Ahead there was the frantic rustling of grasses and snapping twigs as the tapir retreated back into a tropical oblivion. "Third time today! Third time!" Her bare foot struck a browning leaf upon the forest floor, which tore in its flight through the air.

The disgruntled Cutthroat Shadow woman trudged toward the misfired spear and rifled through the foliage until it was retrieved. She stood up and inspected the weapon cautiously, blowing the filth from the spearhead's point as if such a presence were truly the cause of her repeated follies. A sigh escaped her and her fiery amber eyes wandered upward, as if begging the gods for mercy. That's when she noticed the angle in which Syna sliced through the canopy above. A copper hand lifted to act like a visor over her eyes as she peered thoughtfully upward. When she left the sun had been high in the sky. Now it was very quickly on its descent toward the brink of horizon.

The fourteen year old Myrian looked left, then right. Suddenly her shoulders seemed to sag under and invisible weight. It was all she could do not to verbalize her irritation. Not only was she completely and utterly empty handed, but she hadn't a clue where she was. Not a single clue...and night was approaching.

[Vitri]

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Vitri was looking up at a big jungle tree in front of him, it couldn’t be too hard to climb up there. The branches looked sturdy and not too far apart and the trunk should provide enough footholds to help him climb the first part. He smiled to himself , what was the worst that could happen? He wanted a better vantage point to get his bearing and with the sun setting soon it was probably safer up there than down on the ground. At least there were fewer predators that would climb a tree just to catch a prey.

Vitri backed away from the tree and hung the bow around his shoulder, taking a few deep breaths before he ran at the tree. As he reached the base of the tree he put a foot on a large root and launched himself upwards. He reached for the lowest branch and wrapped his arms around it. The branch creaked dangerously from the added weight and Vitri’s heart skipped a beat. But the branch held and Vitri quickly pulled himself up. From there it was just a matter of climbing from branch to branch by using the trunk of the tree as support for his feet and pulling himself up until he reached a branch that was thick enough to sit comfortably on without being too visible from the ground. The view was not as great as he had expected, the jungle was too dense but at least it gave him a larger field of view and it was a good place to settle down for the evening. He pulled a grilled lizard wrapped up in cloth that he had prepared earlier in the day and leaned back against the trunk of the tree to enjoy the view and the jungle’s voice.

Half a bell later Vitri was startled as something landed not too far from where he was sitting followed by a fleeing tapir. A hunter, Myrian or Dhani? Alarmed Vitri pressed himself against the trunk of the tree and tried to make himself as small as possible to stay hidden. Better safe than sorry he thought to himself. His body was tense and he held his breath as he waited with apprehension for the owner or more like owners of the spear to show up.

A young voice reached him and he let out his breath in relief, it was spoken in Myrian. To his surprise only a young girl showed up, she couldn’t be more than a teen, were nobody else with her? What was she doing on her own in the jungle? Now curious he kept watching the young Myrian, something obviously had her irritated and considering what he had just witnessed he guessed she hadn’t had any luck with her hunting. Was she out here to prove her ability as a hunter? Maybe he should stay hidden so he wouldn’t interfere with another clan’s business.

But he reconsidered as he watched her looking around as if confused and sag her shoulders, maybe a little help wouldn’t hurt. If she was lost it was dangerous to leave her alone. But he didn’t want to startle her and risk being gutted by a spear, he could shout out to her but he didn’t like the idea of drawing unwanted attention you never knew what could be lurking nearby in the jungle. He could shoot an arrow at the ground but then she would think it was an attack and probably throw her spear at him. Even if she didn’t have a great aim it would be hard to dodge a spear while in a tree.

A solution dawned on him, he dug into his pack and pulled out another wrapped up lizard and stuck an arrow through it. He tied a knot using the cloth at the base of the lizard so it wouldn’t fall off and make it more noticeable. Satisfied with his work he was confronted with another problem, he didn’t think he would be able to stand up and make a shot while maintaining his balance. He didn’t feel like falling from this height. He would have to make the shot while sitting against the trunk of the tree. While it wouldn’t be an accurate shot , it didn’t need to be one either. All he had to do was shoot an arrow at the ground close to her.

He drew his bow and put his back against the trunk, it was not comfortable but it was doable. He held his breath as he did his best to aim, trying to take the added weight into consideration, and let his breath go as he released the bowstring. The arrow struck the ground close to where the Myrian girl was standing.

Now how was he going to get down from here? He looked down at the branches and felt a grin spread on his lips. He leapt from his branch towards another one further down, his hands caught a hold of it but before he could get a better grip his hands slipped. “Shyke.” Was all he had time to think before he fell.
Pain jolted through his legs as he landed and he stumbled backwards a few steps but stayed on his feet. That was not as gracious as he had intended but luckily it hadn’t been a long fall. He checked himself for damage but other than aching legs and feet he seemed fine.

.

[Kaie]

Syna rises in the east and sets in the west, Kaie reminded herself with a sigh, feeling the gentle rays of sunlight upon her copper skin. Had she been able to clearly see through the thick canopy above, she might've been able to notice the brilliant watercolor of warm oranges and yellows splashed against the sky with Syna's set. Our lands are just north of Taloba, which means I need to head south. Eventually, I'm bound to run into one of our communities. Maybe I'll even be found by a hunting or scouting party. The butt of the spear was thrust down and twisted absently into the dirt while she thought. Each spin tunneled the shaft a bit deeper into the loose soil, and created a wall-like mound of debris in its wake. But do I dare return empty handed?

Just when the young Myrian was about to turn on her heel and head south-bound, there was the whistling of a projectile through the air and a subsequent thunk to follow when as it pierced the earth. Instinctively, Kaie reeled back several paces and raised her spear before her defensively. Amber eyes danced relentlessly through the brush and branches of the trees, but it wasn't her eyes that found the assailant first. It was her ears. Not long after attack, a clearly Myrian curse rang from above. Leaves hissed and a branch shook, another snapped, and a Son of Myri landed awkwardly on his feet before her. Had she not recognized the familiar tone of his skin and clothes, Kaie might've tried to finally put her spear to good use. Instead her face twisted into an expression of perplexity. The event itself was rather appauling, even before she noticed the projectile was a lizard essentially on a spit.

"Well, that was graceful," She began curiously, lowering her spear a bit. Her gaze swept from the tree to the strange male of her race before her. A thought made her brow knit unpleasantly. "What were you doing up there anyways? Were you watching me?" Truthfully, she wasn't quite sure at the moment if the idea irritated her more because of her repeated spear follies or because she felt her privacy had really been violated.

OOC:Sorry for the atrocious delay on this one! Thanks for understanding!