Verlyna's Emerald Pool [Open]

[Syndela]

Timestamp: 35th Day of Summer

It was like the stories had told so long ago, of lush green canopies that spread across the sky, except much smaller and confined. Emerald waters pooled under the cascade of washing water, submerging the dangers or secrets with frothing green and white foam. As the water rippled out from the waterfall it began to bounce off the surrounding moss covered stones and rocks like tiny shards of glass only to coalesce together in bond once more. Solace gave haven away against the busy streets and crowds of Alvadas, consisting of so many smells and sights it was overwhelming to see so many humans bustled into one giant rectangle together. Tradesmen from far and wide searched for a price in the shuffling streets of the city, condemning them to a constant savanah to find the nearest bargain.

Syndela had gone for a few days without a supple meal and the stew in her waistpouch slowly drained through the miniscle amounts of feeding proclaimed in her daily feeding ritual. Alas, the stomach of the Symenestriian growled, reminising of the meal she would soon have to hunt for if she continued to want to be here.
Huddled in the confining branches did the spider-like woman slowly and silently fed from the pouch. The now cold stew precariously passed her lips with small gulps, letting not a drop escape from it's rim. The hooded figure only managed to pull a few eager mouthfews of the savory meat ridden soup before pocketting the rim with a cork. White fangs glistened in the shadows, lightly painted in a glaze of bloody juice which was quickly swiped away with a hungry tongue.

Syndela neatly swashed the pouch against her thigh and tucked it at her side to lay neatly against the nimble frame. Wasting not but a moment, she extended out her long and elegant hands. Black sharp nails met against the bark, white skin met to trunk and in but a blink the female had scaled the natural giant. Defying gravity, the figure all but trailed along from branch to branch, dark silken robe flowing in the soft breeze projected against movement.
Evaluating the trees back toward the city, the tug of uncertainty grasped her stomach. Since being here in the week since she arrived the Symenestrian only made way to travel during twilight hours or at times when the weather affected sight. Being seen in public was risky considering the reputation of her people. The white and black haired woman knew all too well about the dangers of having your identity thawed before your very eyes. Assumptions and judgement conflicted by emotions and morels quintisensual of how much drama afflicted such encounters.

The new refuge was not well known and to risk threats, harm or death and torture was beyond comprehension and negotiation. She would need to take it one step at a time, one meal at a time, one performance at a time and see how willing the city of illusions would truly accept another exile.
At the edge of the forest did the robed figure stop, her superior eyesight in the darkness catching a glimpse of movement ahead. Making momentum and soaring into the air with her gravity defying tricks, Syndela ensconced herself behind an array of leaves draping from a willow tree to observe what may come around the corner at any moment. Perhaps they be of some use to her...

[Ssafirsotibones]

Once more Bones went a bit beyond the city. He was used to leaving its boundaries, often going far out to hunt, and get what little game there was to find in the area. He walked along dressed sparingly, so as to make it less to take off if he needed to transform. All he usually wore was a pair of shirt, pants, a robe, and some sandals. Nothing he could not easily lose. Over his back, hung from a strap around him, was his trusty gladius, which he had with him almost always. He had not made camp yet, and would need to find a new place to set up, before he rested tonight. But perhaps he could still accomplish something today, perhaps even find a creature to fill his belly with. This time his feet found himself at a pool of water. With his tongue darting out for a second, he tasted somethings presence, just before his eyes saw them. They floated dreamlike down from the tree, as if they were much lighter than they should be. Obviously they were not human. "Well, I must admit I am a good climber of treessss... But I ssseem to be no were as ssskilled as you. And you are not human I am sssinking? Well who needs them anywaysss, they are so critical... You eat one human, and no one wants to be around you..." Bones said this last bit with a smile, making it hard to tell if he was kidding, or being serious. In his human form most of his senses were little better than a human, however he still could taste very well. And the flavor on his tongue was not one he knew. Most definitely not a human then... "People call me Bonesss by the way... And you are?" Bones said this, while still looking straight forward. He was not sure exactly were the other person was, but he figured they would answer if they wished.

[Syndela]

Ambient shadows cast over the speakers face, obscuring the details in which to identify the male. His stocky figure was something not expected, since most of the men she had seen were rather slender and ripped. Syndela was sure she had not seen him about in the town while she stalked the alleyways or upper terraces. The second attribute that was out of place was the accent. Slithering. Creeping. Serpentine. Dhani was the first impression that raised and wriggled within her mind. The Dhani were cunning like the Symenestra and had similar patterns of life in many ways. There was also the common hatred of their races by the humans as eat devoured them as meals in one way or another. Mistrusted and brutal when provoked, the snake people were not an every day occurance but the rumors and tales of encounters with them warned the robed woman to use caution.

Smiling, the male called out his name in the opposite direction of where she hid. There were two options to assimilate. Ether leave the trees and head back toward the city or stay and seek answers. She was sure the male could cripple her if she got too close with his brute strength yet he could not outrun the agile aerial dancer if she was to take into the trees.

Deciding on the second choice, the pale woman slowly parted from the branch and descended to the ground in a delicate float, the dark robes lifting around her athletic legs to expose the ghostly pale skin for just a moment until they gathered at the ground.
" I proclaim humans to be pack animals. " The ensconed figure answered back, ebony fabric holding over her body so that only the bottom of her jaw and neck were able to be spotted. Her voice was much unlike the Bones, a cold smooth and accentless common with no affliction to anything.
" Their ego defends them from the harshness that burdens reality. In a sense, they do not see themselves as meals for others such as you and I... " Ruffles of leaves blew across the grass between the two figures, swirling around their ankles and robes as a sense of calm seem to overcome her. She would see if this strange creature could be trusted enough to not attack.

[Ssafirsotibones]

As he said his piece, it seemed the other decided to trust him. She floated down from her spot, to the ground. His eyes turned to look at her, now that he knew were she was. Luckily for her he was not to hungry, he had been on a hunt not to long ago. Yet he would need to eat before to long, in the next day or two. As she floated down, there was a short flash of her legs and pale skin, and then she was set there without even any impact on the ground. She was very light. Then she went on to describe humans as she saw them, not to far from how he felt. "Yes, there only redeeming quality for them is there numbersss... There are far more of them than there are either of our racesss... If not for that, we would have wiped them out long ago, as we are both far sssuperior... They do not even have any ssspecial abilitiesss..." "In a fair fight I could kill dozensss, however with them outnumbering us every were hundredsss to our one... It is just not possssible... We live in a human world... For know...." "Ssso what are you doing out here today? Anyssing in particular? Or just looking around. Or maybe on a hunt?" Having spoke, he poked his tongue out for a moment, tasting the air again. Yes this was what he had sensed, this woman. He took a moment to go over it, and to remember the taste, and of her race, which he would recognize next time.

[Syndela]

Syndela was rarely this friendly or kind to strangers. Racism was a common trait in all Symenestra, a feat that continued to play in their society though they grew rare. Humans were a common enemy between the last remaining races and as the saying heeded; The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Bones seemed adamant in his beliefs about humans and their lifestock turned aggressor lifestyle and it was this kind of topic that she enjoyed most in the few conversations she would have with others. Speaking of tales and lores of the humans that put them in the spotlight for what they truly were...and to think they dared call her a monster...

" Their pets are usually what I feed on, Dhani. My race can digest both flora and fauna but I have eaten humans before...though it be frowned upon. Survival of the fittest is what this world is, and I am sure the others would eat humans if that was the only resource avaliable. " Courting to the right the woman tread a few paces to stand in a softer location. The feeling of prickly leaves under her sensitive feet were not the most desired of sensations.

" You have experience in fighting with humans hand to hand? ..." Bones had suggested he did indeed have combat experience in dealing with the pesky humans face to face, but the mere imagery of facing such a brutal enemy so close was farfetched for the frail Symenstrian.
" What are they like? Did they use weapons against you? " Curiousity could be sensed behind the accentless common, a tilt of her head revealing a set of blood red orbs behind the hood. The features didn't look like the silvery slitted percepticals of the snake-man and so met the male's gaze eye to eye. Red irises dancing against white.

[Ssafirsotibones]

It seemed this woman was not as conflict oriented as he was. Which was probably common among her race. They were so frail, she would probably be blown away by a heavy gust of wind. However he, a true Dhani, of the mother constrictor race, was strong of body. They easily had four times the strength of a man in there dhani form. He even had double a normal humans strength while in this normal human form. Not like those other dhani races, which had been changed and distorted. "Dhani can only eat meat, usually we just ssswallow it whole. Preferably while it is ssstill alive. We don't cook our meat like those humansss do." "I do have some experience in fighting, I am ssskilled with unarmed combat, wressstling, and using my trusty gladiusss. All good for fighting. Most of my fighting is either with animals I am hunting, or with other dhani for fun. Hunting, always a good sssource of meat! And a good way to passss the time." "Though we have a much more deadly race of humansss near my home. These sssoft humans you know, they are weak of body. But the Myriansss, they are much ssstronger and deadly. I have faced a few in combat near my home, and have at least sssurvived to tell the tale. Which not many can sssay."

[Syndela]

Myrians? This snake man had actually opposed them and lived to tell the tale? Nostalgia settled as the ivory skinned woman flashbacked to the time she heard tales of the fierce cannibalistic warriors and tribes, their pledges to battle earning them a notorious reputation. " Have you eaten one of the Myrians? I heard their flesh was tough and pungent. Humans at least have softer tissue to break down and render. An easy meal, if best. "

Finding herself gaining trust for the strange creature known as Bones, Syndela felt behooved to remove her hood. If he had not judged her now, then it seemed safe to show her identity for now. The shadows were thick and dark and though her features were pale, it would not hold much distinction in the poor lighting. With a flick of black claws on black silk, the folds of fabric undid the bind on her scalp and gently fell to her shoulders.
Unlike Bones who had hardly any hair at all, the woman's white locks were prodominant, adding to the eerie and almost ghost-like features. Stripes of ebony fronds decended from the scalp, adding a distinct stylish camoflague to the mass of white.

" I am Syndela, if you must know. " At the mention of her name, red eyes peered about, seeking to see if any figures or spies were overhearing the secret conversation. It must look somewhat comical to a human, a giant snake man embedded in the body of a human-look-a-like and a pale skinny woman in robes rushing up trees.
" I do not trust you completely, Bones. But for both of our wellbeing I think we should take a walk. The city holds many secrets but having us discuss such touchy issues in a human settlement doesn't guarentee safety. Would you oblige to climbing the trees and talking of this elsewhere? "

[Ssafirsotibones]

"Eat them? No, I did not have time. I had to leave as soon as the battle was over, if I had not left I would not have lived. But I have never heard that they don't taste good. But meat is meat for me." He watched as Syndela lowered her hood, deciding to reveal her face. She also let her hair fall down, and spread out over her shoulders and back. Her startling white hair shown out, being clearly visible in the light. Though she also had some strips of black hair combined with the others. "Good to meet you Syndela, as I have said I am Bones. Trust... is a hard thing to get... Can you truly even trust yourself, let alone other people? However a walk would be fine." "I am not as fast a climber as you, but my people tend to be good at climbing trees. If that is what you would like, I will go along with it." Reaching down, he took off his sandals. Taking them, he placed them in the pack on his back, to let him have better grip on the trees. It would make climbing a bit easier for him.

[Syndela]

Syndela coaxed him with a finger, observing the area once again. " Come. " Rusting her hands and feet to bark she prevailed to pull herself up the vast embankment with carefree splendor. The movements to her were as natural as breathing. Long silken cloak didn't apprehend movement and so she shimmied up the tree in only a matter of a few seconds. Reaching a sturdy thick bracket of leaves, the female lightly glided over the foliage, testing the texture with her feet to assume how safe it was. Not from falling or it's sturdiness, but whether the leaves would come alive at any moment and attempt to prize her ankles, or worse unleash some magical entity that grew flustered from having it's privacy invaded.

Crouching at the end of the leaves were the branch ended with thick coils of draping vine, obscuring the sight of the woman and her new aquiantence from the ground should they rest here. " Trust is an issue between many things. In this city, you cannot trust anything. The walls move, the entrance talks. Shuffling like small pieces of wood down a riverbed. " Riveted with a strange sense of warning, the woman croutched suddenly, obscuring behind the leafy attachment.
A passing group of humanoids eager to see the fountain approached. Three men and each armed. Probably travelling hunters or a group of bandits no doubt. Syndela spotted tattoos running up the men's arms in vast barbaric patterns, and their ears laced with earrings. Red incandescent eyes veered to Bones from behind the dark veil of silk and leaf, finding little to no warmth in seeing such a disruption. With back straightening she sat up and peered down at the small group, torn between whispering to Bones on what to do next and staying put.

Though there were only three of them, the feeling of killers crossed her mind like zigzags. Each man possessed a different weapon, suggesting they had different roles. The largest carried a polearm, a wicked metal frame topped in a cleaverish blade. Next to the taller male stood the shorter, handling what looked to be a hammer. The device was fixed to his back and held some custom modification - jagged nail like spikes had been cruedly attached to the end, adding perhaps a cruel spark to his style. Finally the middle sied man carried two weapons, one a crossbow attached to his wrist and a round circular disk. Whatever these men were, they were up to no good. The middle sized humanoid bent down and prodded at the ground where the two once stood, seeming to take information as the others jabbled amoung themselves.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Following along behind her, Clyde got himself up into the tree. He was not as fast, or as smooth, but he managed. He made a good jump, and pulled himself up to the first branch. From there he climbed from one branch to another, or occasionally jumped to it. He eventually ended up next to Syndela. "Yesss, but if you trussst nothing, you will fear everything. Do you ssink the ground will open to ssswallow you up, or a rock to fall from the sssky and crush you. Sssometimesss you must trussst, and just expect thingsss to go in your favor." "If you do ssso, often enough you will find ssey will. Besssidesss, why worry about sssomething you cannot change? It will happen no matter what you do..." Tasting the air with a flick of the tongue, Bones sensed the approaching humans. That was one flavor he had known from long ago. He looked down at them, and gave them a once over. For know neither was bothering the other, and since he was not starving, he felt no great need to interact with them. Besides, they seemed to be distracted enough with each other, and could not hear even if the two of them did talk. More likely than not, they were drunk, and had stumbled here by chance. Looking with distaste, Bones let out one word, so quiet only Syndela could here it. "Humansss...."