Through the Looking-Glass (Bones)

[Jamisia Abijah]

4th day of Summer, 511 AV House of Broken Mirrors The Dhani didn't introduce himself or she just didn't catch it among all this hissing and spitting. Still felt a bit insecure that he knew her name and his remained a mystery. It didn't matter in the end, the Dhani would always be one, name or not. “Glad to hear it” A hint of irony could be heard in that statement, but not overall hostility. The initial shock and fear subsided, leaving only unpleasant sense of unsettling anxiety, although she was still ready to run if the Dhani felt a sudden urge for a snack. ”No, I didn't know Dhani worship gods.” Jamisia admitted coolly, hiding her surprise. For a long time she had considered his kind to be like animals and animals don't worship gods. They were just a gathering of instincts and cravings. Why would they need to worship anything? She shook off few petals from her hairs, wondering about the uniqueness of this Dhani. Finally, Jamisia decided to learn his name, maybe he was some strange kind of the snake people? ”Do you have a name?” The girl asked, still trying to keep her voice neutral if a bit cold. ”I have never met a Dhani like you. Only small and fast ones around Ahnatep...You almost seemed nostalgic when speaking about your goddess. ” Jamisia hesitated and stepped closer to the exit from the room as if that observation could anger the snake. The air was thick with sweet smell and she wondered how the Dhani can find his way. Her nostrils were clogged with nauseating aroma. This time Jamisia didn't object his bossing around, since a really big headache began to creep in, probably from the heavy smell, even if it was all bu hallucination. ”How you can find your way when everything reeks like that?” She tried to ignore the darting tongue and focus on mirrors that were oddly calm. Maybe the House decided to release them? Or it was just the calm before the storm? Jamisia, despite still being scared of the Dhani, tried to keep close. Even a snake was better than loneliness in this place.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Bones looked at the young girl for a moment, and shook his head. Why would he not worship a God, just because he was a Dhani... "Of courssse we worssship Godsss... You young onesss... Never ssstop amazing me at how little you know of ossersss... And I am not from Ahnatep, ssose weak little dhani ssere... Ssey are nossing compared to a conssstrictor like myssself... We whossse ssstrength isss ssso much greater..." "I am from the Sssoussern Region from here... And yesss, I do ssspeak of my Goddessss that way... Few among my kind worssship her... Most only sssee value in Sssiku and her teachingsss..." Continuing to walk, Bones looked around, still sensing out this place. It was difficult to go through the different tastes in the air, and took time to find the track of the ones he wanted... Turning to look at her for a moment, he stopped and said "My name is Bonesss by the way..." That name would probably seem a bit ominous, if nothing else. But he did not usually tell humans his full name, as they could never get is right... So Bones would do... He continued to walk along, leading Jamisia along behind him, in the way he felt was right. Though he did things in his own time, and at the moment he had no sense of great urgency. He looked over and noticed a mirror, which showed something different to the others. He was back home, in the deep forest of Falyndar, were he was cutting some vines from a tree, and stowing them away. Most likely for a poison he was making... "It is not easy to do ssso, but I do have a great sssenssse of tassste. It isss enough for me to barely keep track of the ssing I am following..."

[Jamisia Abijah]

4th day of Summer, 511 AV House of Broken Mirrors ”A constrictor? There are different kinds of Dhani?” The woman repeated with an interest, but also fear. Jamisia couldn't say she heard about the races among Dhani. Just assumed all are small and fast. There was also something else that intrigued her. It was the second time he had mentioned her age. The creature before her looked like in his mid thirties if not less. Probably something strange about their bodies and aging. Jamsia wanted to comment this some way but decided not to, maybe asking for such things were rude among his people, seeing how touchy he was about the age. Slowly her inborn curiosity was overpowering fear Jamisia had for his species. She still couldn't shake off the feeling of being in the cage with a wild animal but at least she relaxed enough to look at the Dhani before her as a separate entity from the Ahnatep's snake people. ”Why not Siku?” Even Jamisia knew the cruel, wicked goddess. It was a relief this Dhani was not fond of her. The woman caught herself that he didn't seem to be such a beast as much as something very alien and strange. Still fear inducing, still dangerous but less monster like. Suddenly he stopped and turned around. Jamisia found herself yet again closer to his face than she wished to. The woman rose her hands in a gesture of defense but the Dhani just looked at her with his silver eyes and answered the inquiry about his name. “Bones?” Jam asked baffled, as if she wasn't hearing right. “Bones...like in...bones?” The question seemed like a very silly one but she couldn't believe a Dhani could be named like that ”Alrigh...Bones.” Jam added with a forced smile , though even her forced smiles looked very natural. Years of practice among angry Ephyrians. Jamisia couldn't tell for how long they were to weaving their way through the corridors when met with an outstanding sight. In one of the mirrors there was land visible. Jamisia had never seen so much lavished green in one place, among that green a half snake half man dabbling with some vines. At first her reaction was a shriek of terror but also a strange fascination with what was going on in this forest.”Is this you? As a real Dhani?” The girl came closer and in the blink of an eye the image changed. With a growing surprise Jamisia saw herself, no older than sixteen during her first few months as an apprentice of a healer. Older, tanned human woman was overseeing crying teenager, who scared out of her mind tried to stitch a wound on a cadaver. Now that scene didn't stir any other emotions than just pride at who she was. Her eyes trailed of to Bones A healer and a killer...There was a fundamental conflict of business there."Do you miss your home?” Maybe their minds were not as alien as she had initially thought. If a Dhani could feel homesick too. The image in the mirror faded and vanished. Jamisia looked around. ”How far do you think we are from exit?” She asked, when a rush of air our of nowhere blowing all the candles out. Flimsy fires flickered and died, leaving them both in utter darkness. ”Please tell me that you can also see with no light” The girl looked around panic but the darkness was impenetrable. Scurrying could be heard in a far corner of the room. For the first time in a while the woman unsheathed her dagger, repeating in her head that hallucinations couldn't hurt her. ”Bones? Where are you?” She asked in a frantic whisper. If anyone would have told her she would be happy to have a Dhani, Jamsia would laugh to no end. Unfortunately, this situation didn't seem like a laughing matter...

[Ssafirsotibones]

Looking at her, Bones became a bit indignant... "Of course there are other dhani, those other two kinds, like the one you know, are the offshoots, changed from what Dhani should be. The constrictors, we are pure, and have stayed as strong and the same as when we were first made as a race..." Looking over, he wondered why she said this of Siku... Since most people would find this comforting... That he did not only follow a goddess who loved brutality and torture... But also a goddess who loved all things that were alive in nature, and joyed in the circle of creation that existed in it... "My home? Yesss, I wasss fond of it... But I try to live for what isss going on now... And not were I have been... Food is definitely more plentiful ssere... But wissout ssose feral Myrian'sss, it isss more peaceful here... It isss different... Not necessssarily better..." He was a bit surprised by the situation, the lights going out all at once... But there was not much he could do in his current form. "I am here... I cannot sssee eisser... I will have to change form... You may want to ssstand back, and ssen I can lead us on..." Taking a step away, he started to disrobe, and stuff the clothes into his bag. Since it was not a good idea to change form, while fully clothed... And the extra senses he would gain would let him sense much better... Slowly Bones turned into his dhani form, changing his body. His small bit of hair would recede, and his legs would start to meld... His head would start to elongate, and his nose pressing into his snake snout which was forming... He stretched out his body to feel his new form, and let out a sigh of enjoyment... It was always nice to undergo a transformation... Expanding his new senses, he used his expanded sense of smell, hearing, and taste, sensing more than he could before... He reached out his hand, and took Jamisia's... which he could sense easily near him. He would start to walk once more, picking up his bag, and guiding them both. "Ssis way..."

[Jamisia Abijah]

4th day of Summer, 511 AV House of Broken Mirrors From the sound of what Bones was saying, it looked like he was really prejudiced against his own kind. There was more and more about him that related to a human being in ways she didn't expect. A small part but nevertheless something...Nostalgia, prejudice, curiosity, fear of Myrians. The being before her seemed so human and yet alien. Jamisia couldn't decide if she felt more scared or more intrigued by the whole ordeal. That was...up until lights went out. It is remarkable what darkness does to the human mind. Jamisia felt a wave of panic flooding her as her breath became short and heart started to race in her chest like a scared rabbit. The sound was coming from different directions, like claws being dragged across the floor. The human woman was frantically turning around in a hope the lights would be back up, but to no avail of course. How to be rational in such place? Apparently the Dhani could. She heard his hissing speech and froze in place. “Bo..Wait, you can't poss...By the gods...” The woman muttered and stepped back, falling on a mirror behind her. She couldn't see a thing but the sheer noise of transformation made her sick with fear. There was a slithering movement and Jamisia knew it was Bones in his true form. “Ohh....I don't ...I am ok, I can manage on my own.” Jamisia tried to prevent Bones from getting closer but she couldn't see a damn thing and felt something lifting her up. At first she jerked, scared but it was just a large human hand...no Dhani. She could feel fear clenching to her chest, making it hard to breathe. He is not going to hurt you...He isn't hungry... It was difficult the almost innate fear of snakes the human species had wired in their brains. She took a step, but stumbled over Bone's tail. A rather juicy Shiber cuss escaped her along with a whimper of fear when the tail wiggled. “I am fine, we can go.” Jamisia said and added hastily :“I am sorry...about the ta..tail.” Her own prejudice returned but weaker than before, mostly because that Dhani really trying to help her. She would see about any ulterior motive later. Jamisia clung to Bones' hand and at the same time tried to stay away from his tail and scales. Maybe it would be better if the lights stayed our for the moment or she would really began to scream before getting used to Dhani in his half -an form. If she got used to it. The sounds of something being close by didn't subside, but Jamisia thought....No, she chose to believe that if anything dangerous was here, Bones would sniff it out.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Pulling the girl along, he started to walk with her. It seemed she was not to careful, and stepped on his tail, but she was pretty small, and it did not really even bother him... He darted out his tongue, tasting the air once more, trying to distinguish one scent from another. after a while, he traced the one he was following, and continued on in that direction... However, he could hear some odd sounds reverberating through the hall... It sounded like the skittering of small feet, of something, however he was not sure what. He was picking up a scent which he thought he had smelled before, but he could not tell... Placing his other hand on the hilt of his gladius, he prepared if something were to come. "I do not ssink we are alone... Ssere isss sssomething near..." Walking along, following his nose, Bones noticed that the hall was getting brighter. As they walked on, he also notice that the surface below them was changing... They were no longer on the same surface as before... Now the ground was turning into smooth stone... As the light turned to a dull grey, he began to be able to make out the vague outline of the person next to him with his eyes. Though he had long been able to see her by her body heat, which he was able to see as well as a person could see with there eyes.... All at once he noticed several things... One, they were in a cave, with a smooth stone floor, probably carved out by water. Next, they were no longer in the hall of mirrors, but out in the wild some were. Finally, they were surrounded by hundreds of tiny heat signatures. It was hundreds of half starved rats, all looking at the two of them as if they were a tasty bite of a meal. Taking out his blade, he held it at the ready, and spoke to Jamisia. "Do not move... Ssstay were you are... We are sssurrounded.... But I will take care of ssem..." As the first of the rats leaped at him trying to attack and kill, he swung his blade, bringing it down, hacking five of the rats clean in half. However another dozen were right behind it, ready to take there place. However it was still barely lighted, with the air grey around them. Most likely all that Jamisia could see was a dull grey outline and some kind of movement.

[Jamisia Abijah]

4th day of Summer, 511 AV Location Unknown The sounds were getting closer and closer, more distinctive now. What had been a faint, distant scurrying noise was now real. Something was wrong here...Jamisia could feel her boot hitting something and a rush of what smelled like humid, fresh air. The girl stopped for a moment and pulled gently Bones, signaling her sudden uneasiness. They were not in the House anymore and Jamisia took a moment to let it sink in. There was a source of light coming from the ceiling, openings to the surface. That couldn't be a mistake – they actually had left the house and landed in some..somewhere...Yahal only knew were. “But..we just...exited through some doors...” Few grey shadows danced in front of her. Screeching noises? Rats? Bats? Monsters lurking in the shadows? Hungry rats? Jamisia looked at Bones, whose snakelike silhouette almost reached to the low ceiling. At this point the Dhani's presence was not that disturbing. Outstanding how human mind could adjust to almost anything. For her entire life Jamisia believed that perception is the truth about the world and right now even Bones wasn't half as frightening as losing her mind in front of a mirror. The Dhani seemed to notice the change too. ”You don't say...” She responded weakly, feeling something touching her leg, then quickly fading into darkness. Jamisia shrieked and almost glued herself to Bones, snake tail or not. There were things far scarier in the world than half snake men. Jamisia looked up and saw a starlight coming from the ceiling. Wait..it was night? Hoe much time they had spent in that forsaken place. The shadows were coming closer now, their red eyes fixing on the unlikely companions. Jamisia didn't have to be an animal whisperer to know what the giant rats were thinking about. Their next meal. ”Bones...” Jamisia breathed. Her sight was still mostly useless , but she could make out rough edges of objects and there was a lot of them. Her hand trailed off to the blade secured at her belt. It was not exactly the safest to try and fight in darkness but as much as she knew Dhani were dangerous beings, she was not ready to trust Bones with her life. Her need to have control over her situation was too great and Jamisia just refused to stay still. Rushed scurrying, shrieks and sequels of pain. The rats had attacked. The human woman could only notice some moving objects. Jamisia tried to stab the air but only by sheer luck managed to hit one of the vermin. The other bit into her precious, leather show. She began to kick violently , in attempt to shake the rat which fell off with a splashing noise. Must have hit a wall. The girl turned, only to see few gray shapes trying to gnaw at the Dhani's moving tail. ”Bones! Tail!” Her warning drowned in the air filled with shrieks as the rats were becoming more and more daring.

[Ssafirsotibones]

There they were, being attacked by rats, and now Bones was coming alive. As a great fury pushed through him, his blood pumped, and he awakened his battle spirit. Letting out a great hissing yell of anger, Bones said "Serxesnas", which funnily enough was a swear word in dhani tongue meaning "fang in the dark." Quite a good word to use in this situation. Moving his body, he sensed the heat of the rats all over and around him, and fought with every appendage he had. He brought his tail down, crushing three of the rats with the sheer force of it, and then swept his tail across the floor. This knocked at least a dozen rats flying, stunning them, for know. Bringing down his gladius blade, he made three swipes across the ground, each swipe cleaving through four or five rats each. With the strength of his blade and his arms combined, there was not much that could stand up to his onslaught. All the while the rats were trying to swarm him, biting and scratching with there teeth and nails. As he continuously moved, sending rats flying, he made his way to Jamisia. On the way he made several more sweeps of his gladius, killing a large patch of the beasts. It seemed that not many were bothering with her, as she was smaller, and was not as much of a threat, but there were still four or five trying to gnaw at her. Letting out a hiss of anger, he snapped out his head, biting down and swallowing two of the rats in a row whole. Finally he was at Jamisia, and reached out a hand. Grabbing two of the rats off her back, he squeezed his hand, and crushed every bone in there bodies to dust, dropping there limp dead forms. "I told you to ssstay wiss me!!!" He bellowed out in an angry hiss. And even while talking, he continued to fight off the rats, as they bit into him, and sank there claws into between his scales. With blood dripping down from numerous wounds, he fought, sweeping his tail once more and knocking many more into the wall and into being unconscious.

[Jamisia Abijah]

4th day of Summer, 511 AV Location Unknown Something hissed angrily above her, shouting unintelligible vowels in a language human mind couldn't comprehend. Jamisia would have never thought that a furious Dhani could be a welcome sight, however, majority of what Bones said was quickly swept in the sounds of dying animals. From what she could tell her companion was still living and breathing so they had a chance to survive this. Few furry balls caught into her dress, trying to chew on it; the girl screamed and stomped on one of rats. Sickening crunch proved her hit to be effective, but not nearly enough to stop rest of the creatures. Sharp pain exploded in her arm, one of the rats sunk it's teeth in her flesh. Jamisia flailed but couldn't keep balance and fell onto something hard. A sequel of anger came from behind her back; with utter horror the human woman realized she landed on the rug of rats. ”Arhg!” Jamisia rolled on the ground trying to lose the beasts that clawed at her back. ”Get it off! Getitoffgetitoffgetitoff” The rats were tore from her dress along with pieces of clothing and flesh. Jamisia let a gasp of pain. ”I am close!” The girl argued, but stopped when felt a scaly tail hitting a rat right next to her head. ”Shyke!” Even the most awful swear wouldn't make the rats go away but after a moment Jamisia discovered that it was quiet. No screeches, or sound of little feet around – just her own breathing, racing heart and slithering sound of a moving Dhani. The rats either run off or were killed and for a moment Jamisia couldn't believe she was alive. Covered in blood, rat's insides with scuffs, bites in a ruined dress but nevertheless alive. Slowly, the girl got up and moved toward the gray shape that vaguely looked like the Dhani. ”Bones...Bones, are you alright?” Her arm was feeling like someone smeared acid in it but it was the only injury she sustained. ”Bones, we need to get out from here.” The adrenaline was flowing through her veins, diminish any signs of weariness. She had no idea where they were, how they had ended up here and how would they get back. Jamisia had been in many kind of troubles but never something like this. She could feel her sanity and sense of reality slowly slipping. ”I can take care of our wounds when we will find someplace safe.” Jamisia said as in trying to make sure she is still herself, to get some cohesion back. She was a doctor, a healer. That was useful, although Jami had never attended to a Dhani before. Since today her carefully crafted reality and beliefs began to fall apart so why not add a noble Dhani life savior as a cherry on top of it all. ”It is some kind of nightmare” The woman whimpered as she tried to avoid rats' carcasses.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Having finally taken care of the rats, Bones rested for a moment. In the excitement of the battle, he had been trying to live, and had been to busy to consider the great pain. But know with no new pain or battle to distract him, it came in a new wave. As he stood he snapped up a few more of the dead rats, after all he would need the food for healing. Reaching out a bloody hand, he pulled her along to the way of the exit. However his pull was much weaker than before, as the wounds had added up to something serious. Finally he led her all of the way out of the cave, into the bright moonlight. It seemed they were a good bit away from the city, at least a few hours walk. However he was in pretty bad shape, having been scratched to bits. You could not go an inch across his surface without there being a scratch, gash, or bite mark in his scales. Know out of battle, he started to change, going back to his human form. His long tail split, and shortened into a pair of legs. His head shortened and became less snakish, regaining its previous human features. After about thirty seconds, he was back to human form. However the great bits of wounds had added to him, and he was losing and had lost a good bit of blood. Needing to rest, he collapsed on the ground, laying out naked, as he was unclothed in dhani form. He still had the great deal of wounds over his body, mostly all small, but adding up to a great sea of blood across him. "I... Need to ressst.... Ssere... Not many animalsss out here... We will not see anyssing elssse... We are sssafe for now..." Having said this, he dropped the heavy pack off of his back, and closed his human eyes to rest...