After The Escape

[Gydale]

38th of Winter, 509 AV

The hot sun that penetrates the canopy of the jungle had set long ago leaving the ground the color of pitch. Disease baring mosquitoes the size of small birds swarm any warm blooded creature, and the sound of colorful birds has been replaced with the growl of jungle cats. The Myrian Half Breed known as Gydale The Outsider creeps along the forest floor leading his white and black spotted mount through the dense underbrush.

He left what trace of a road he could find an hour ago out of fear of running into one of the famed Myrian Scout. He would much rather fight a tiger or be bitten by a venomous snake than be taken back to Taloba and once again labeled a thief. The first time it was food for his growling stomach that he took and his head was shaved to shame him; This time it was a horse and many supplies and execution would surely await him.

Wading through the vines and climbing over the downed trees had made his legs grow weak and his eyes were growing heavy. He needed to stop for the night before he made a mistake a walked into a situation he could not escape. He quickly ties his mount to the trunk of a small tree and carefully removes his saddle, hanging the valuable saddle bags over a downed tree limb that was above the eye level of most of the jungle creatures. He then takes his blanket out of one of the bags and uses as a towel to wipe down his mount. He may not know much about most things but years of working in the stables had left him pretty knowledgeable about taking care of horses.

Once the horse was sufficiently wiped down he laid the blanket our on the limb to dry and pulled out a handful of dried fruit which he held up to the mouth of the spotted creature.

“I’m sorry it’s not more, but it’s all I’ve got for now.”

The horse begins to gently eat out of the hands of Gydale but a sound in the distance immediately brings the son of a warrior to attention. He reaches over and grabs his mothers spear, the tip razor sharp from his careful honing. He ducks down into a battle crouch, never taking his hand away from the mouth of his mount. The horse finishes munching on the handful of fruit and The Outcast quickly moves away from the horse, keeping it out of harms way if there was to be a fight.

He slows his breath to calm himself and prepare for battle. He was ready for a fight be it against man or beast. He was ready for anything.

[Cayenne]

OOCYou need a time stamp.

Nighttime in Falyndar made a dangerous environment just that much nastier. The flock calls of the giant hookbills that took to the sky had long since waned, leaving the clicks and whistles and calls of the night's beasts. At least in the daytime, it was fairly easy to see things clearly. Leth's cold light had a harder time penetrating the canopy overhead, and that itself was a hindrance. Some may have said that you were safest when your fellow creatures were asleep. In the sweltering jungle, just because one set of creatures went to sleep didn't mean all of them did. The nighttime brought a new round of bloody-thirsty predators out. And for one hardly-trained child, the dangers were more than doubled. The leopardbred snorted, beginning to stamp its feet, tugging at its reins uneasily. Even over the unsettling sounds that came from the jungle, what Gydale heard all too clearly in the dark was enough to turn his blood cold.

Sssssss....

The horse heard it, that much was clear. Tied as it was, it could do nothing but jerk and pull at its reins, its long tail swishing as its eyes rolled wildly.

Sssssssss...

He heard a shifting in the trees above the smaller tree he had used as a reining post. He couldn't see it, but he could hear it.

"Well, well, well... a little Myrian hassss wandered from itssss den..." Gydale knew that that could only mean one thing.

The one type of monster the Myrians had yet to completely remove from Falyndar because of a bargain between their goddess and Caiyha. One of the most hated enemies of his mother's people.

Dhani.

It didn't drop, not yet, but it was up there, the hissing coming from everywhere around him and nowhere. Where was it?

[Gydale]

Gydale scans the canopy above for the snake. A Dhani, this night could not get much worse. The boy slowly backs up against a tree and keeps his eyes open for the serpent to drop from the safe treetops to the jungle floor; unfortunately this snake was just as dangerous on the ground as he was high in the air. Gydale’s fight of flight instinct was working overtime as he decided whether to leave all he had behind him or stay and fight an unfamiliar foe.

The young boy quickly sprinted over to his saddle and tossed his saddle bags over his arms. If he was going to run he was taking his supplies along for the ride. He hated to leave the horse behind. He was a horrible rider, but he had a soft spot for the creatures after spending so much time in the stables of Taloba, besides he could always sell it once he got out of the godforsaken jungle.

He quickly ducked under the fallen limb that his saddle sat upon to make a break for it, but the hissing sound grew louder. The Dhani must be coming nearer; he could never make a safe break. The shape shifter would never let him escape alive. He was once again met with his fight or flight instinct, this time fight was beginning to win.

Suddenly a new instinct showed its face in the back of his shaved head. He closed his blue eyes attempting to shake it away, but it would not leave. He was confronted, for the first time, with a thought that was far more Human that Myrian. He was about to betray his mothers people for the second time in one day, but it just might save his skin.

“Dhani I’m afraid you are mistaken. I am not a Myrian that has wandered from its nest. I am a Human that has escaped from the slavery of the Myrian’s. I am an enemy of the Myrian’s just as you are, perhaps we can make a deal of some sort?”

[Cayenne]

"You lie," the Dhani laughed softly. At about the same time it spoke to him, he saw the tail of the monster descending first, wrapping slowly around the Leopardbred's stomach, even as the horse kicked and plunged and reared, releasing screams of panic as the coils around its stomach tightened still more, slowly pulling the Dhani from the tree. In what light remained, Gydale could see the markings over the pebbly-looking skin: splotches of orange were outlined in black, contrasting sharply with unusually pale skin. "I can ssssmell it in you... Every ssssecret you have oossszessss from your sssskin... even your fear."

"Undersssstand ssssomething... that issss that..." with every intake of breath the horse took, the coils tightened further, suffocating the beast, pulling the Dhani from the tree, forcing it to slowly uncover itself. The more it spoke, the more Gydale noticed a particular femininity to the voice. That was bad, was it not? Like the Myrians, the Dhani were matriarchal, and while the females of his mother's race may not have been prone to unpredictable and undeserved bouts of cruelty, if stories of the Dhani were true... these ones certainly were. He could see the torso now, even as she continued to suffocate his horse, hanging from the above tree limb with ease. "Unlesssssssss you are like me, you are my enemy. You are prey. You are weak, inferior. Human, Myrian... it makessss no differensssce. Prey issss prey."

She was broad of chest and shoulder, hairless, and her amber-coloured eyes had a cold gleam to them. "But let me humour you, tiny human brat. Tell me why I sssshould not kill you now, and ssssave your horsssse for later..." the horse's struggles were getting weaker and weaker, as it rocked, almost as if it was unable to support its own weight. Its breathing was laboured, almost wheezing. The coils were sneaking past the chest, now, and were working on entwining around the horse's muscular neck. Busy as she was with his horse, she didn't pursue him just yet. She grinned viciously at him as her lengthy, muscular body contracted, almost lifting the horse from the ground in a casual display intent to frighten him. "What ssssort of deal do you have in mind?"

[Gydale]

The Dhani frightened Gydale, but he had spent most of his life being frightened. The only difference between his life inside the walls of Taloba and dealing with the Dhani was that in the city he knew the rules. The Myrians were warriors that fought for territory or for self defense, Dhani were something different. Dhani were predators that fought only to kill, they were far more like animals. Animals with the cunning of men, was a more frightening enemy possible.

The young boy had worked long hours in the stables and understood animals. He had been hunting deep in the jungle and killed his fair share of prey, but he had a snowflakes chance in Falyndar of killing the Dhani. He had brought forth the subject of a deal, using the idea of diplomacy that was more native to his father’s people. Now he had to come up with something to offer the Dhani in return for his freedom.

“I was going to offer you my horse, but well you’ve helped yourself to that. I am afraid I have little more of value to offer you.”

He was trying to buy time, not truly make the Dhani an offer. He truly had little of value to offer little one let alone a Dhani. Then suddenly an idea struck him like a bolt from above. He had something that the Dhani or anyone would value, but would they value you it enough to save his life.

“You said that unless I am like you I am your enemy. I am in many ways like you Dhani, and I do not plan on being prey. We are the same in that we are being hunted in our own home, because I assure you the Myrians are hunting me. We are the same in that we both hate the Myrians and would love nothing more than to see them dead.”

Anger replaced fear in the eyes of the boy as he thought about the abuses he received from his own people. He truly hated the Myrians and he truly would love to see those that beat him die. One day he would get revenge and maybe that day was drawing near.

The young half-breed threw his spear and saddle bags down at the feet of his horse, which was quickly dying. It was an attempt at showing the serpent that he did not intend to fight her. It might have been the biggest mistake of his life.

“The ways that we are differ Dhani are the ways that we can help each other. You could devour me and save my horse for later, but if attended to do that you would not have killed the horse. So the deal I offer you is my life and protection in exchange for teaching you what I know about the Myrians.“

The run away lowers his head and awaits death or an answer.

[Cayenne]

If he had been planning on making a run for it, the logical time to do it would have been while she was suffocating his horse. As it was, the animal's struggles were soon over, and the Dhani let go of the tree, lowering her lengthy body on top of the horse, hanging onto it until the animal was completely still. Then, and only then, did she unwrap her coils from it, freeing herself to rest on top of the spotted equine's still warm body, a wide, nasty grin on her face that was almost enough to chill the blood. Her eyes glittered, cold and merciless in the dark as she lifted the spear, testing its weight, 'standing' at almost eight feet upright, towering over him. She was circling him, that long, powerful body almost forming a noose.

"Really..." the Dhani hissed, her grin growing into a smirk. "Mere momentssss ago... you were telling me that you were human. If you are human... what would you know of the Myrianssss, who pride themsssselvessss on not keeping sssslavessss? Foolissssh.... Sssso foolissssh..." She circled closer, her forked tongue flickering from her wide mouth, tapping his spear against her open palm, testing the weight... like she was preparing to break it. "And if you were kept assss a sssslave... then why would they tell you anything of any importansssce? Do not overesssstimate your ussssefulnessssssss. I ssssmell your liessss. You sssstink of fear and pissssssss..." she tapped her snout with a finger, as if to make a point.

She laughed quietly, if one could call it a laugh. It was more of a collection of sinister chuckles. "Bessssidessss... look at you. A tiny little boy... you think they will hunt you? They will leave you to the wildssss to be devoured by the Great Mother'ssss children, your belongingssss left to be found by ssssome sssscout... You are too weak to even be a ssssport for them." The Dhani was close enough for him to see the outlines of her muscles underneath her skin. There was no doubt in his mind that she could grab him at any moment. "They know that you will die before you leave Falyndar. Thissss battleground will be your final ressssting plasssce. But sssstill, sssshow me you are not worthlesssssss, and that I sssshouldn't kill you jusssst yet, and take both your horsssse and you for the hatchlingssss. Tell me ssssomething, little human brat, assss a ssssign of faith."

[Gydale]

Fear was a lump in Gydale’s throat as the shape shifter finished off his horse. The sound of ribs snapping echoed through the eerily quiet jungle, even the bats and jungle cats knew not to mess with a Dhani.

“I am a human, but my mother was a Myrian. I was raised in the city amongst the Myrians and I have learned their ways. I was a slave to them, maybe not in the traditional sense. I was not captured in battle or purchased as part of the slave trade, but my head was shaven just the same. When other children were learning the way of the warriors I was mucking tiger stalls or brushing horses just as a slave would.”

He cringed as the creature picked his mother’s spear up off of the ground and defiled it with her scaly skin. He knew he would kill the Dhani if he was ever given a chance, but now was not the time. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath to calm himself. He knew he would not survive this encounter if he acted out of anger. He had allowed his emotions to get the best of him far too many times in his life. He had lost countless fights simply because they were against children three or four years his senior, he had learned from his mistakes.

“Just because they did not tell me anything important does not mean that I do not know anything important. Myrians have a tendency of not paying attention to the background when they are within the walls of Taloba. Even the mightiest warriors relax when they feel safe and that means that they relax their tongues and speak freely amongst their friends, ignoring the boy with the shaved head pouring them wine.”

The Dhani was tightening her grip on him, her muscular arms within inches of closing in around him. He took another deep breath to calm himself before the lump returned to his throat. What could he tell the Dhani about the Myrians that would impress her suitably? Think think think! He had it, what is the one thing any enemy would want to know about the Myrians.

“The guards change every morning just after sun rise, and again an hour before sundown. They will never change at night for fear of being overrun in the dark, even though very few ever get past the scouts. If you want to get into the city for any reason that is the time to try, because you have the best chance of getting inside without being seen. I hope you will accept that fact as a sign of my good faith, and as a sign of your good faith I need my spear back.”

He raises his hand expecting his weapon to be returned.

[Cayenne]

The female, her white skin a sharp contrast to the greens of the jungle, let out another of those laughs of hers as she listened to him. "Issss that sssso..." she seemed to be thinking as her cold, reptilian eyes never left him. "Interesssting... interessssting indeed... perhapssss you are not as ussselessssssss assss you appear," as she circled him, she held his spear easily in one hand, tapping the shaft against her palm. The action was almost mocking, reminding him of his situation. She had his weapon, she had killed his horse, and if he tried to run, she could either chase him down or impale him when he died with his back turned... all at her leisure. As she held the spear, she gauged the weight and strength of it; and as sturdy as that weapon was--it had been his mother's, after all, and Myrians cared very deeply about their weapons--if she had been able to suffocate a horse, she could likely snap the spear like a twig. A few times she looked like she was going to, as her knuckles and arms tensed. This one might be worth something, after all.

She held his spear out to him, butt first, holding it casually in one hand. "In good faith," she grinned menacingly, the expression splitting her face nearly in half as her forked tongue flicked. She let him have it back, not at all worried about any conceivable trick he could pull. She could smell his fear radiating from his skin. She turned her back to him, then, and reached for the fallen horse. Sure, she'd suffocated it, but... she ducked her long, broad body down, and with a sudden move hefted the Leopardbred, half onto her back and onto the rest of the length of her body. The weight of the horse pulled her down to be almost level with him as her muscles flexed and bulged, but she didn't seem to be having any problems with the beast. "We will go to Zsssinrah, where thosssse Myrianssss do not go. There, we can talk in peasssce, yessss? And you will tell ussss everything."

With his weapon and saddlebags, he could possibly make a run for it if he wanted. She might choose not to chase him - he weighed only a fraction of the horse that she now carried. There was a lot more meat there, and a bigger prize. If what she said was true--that his mother's people wouldn't bother wasting their time looking for him, and she figured that the Dhani would catch him at some point--he might be able to run. Besides... who knew just who was watching Zinrah right now, and what reaction they would have to his apparently willingly following a Dhani to it?