Flashback Through the Sands

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

The pain coming from Marcus' side was emense as he struggled to move forward. The sand hadnt worked as he had hoped but it did keep the creature from landing a direct blow which more than likely saved his life. He clutched his ribs while he moved as quickly as possible, not bothering ro look back at the demon that had inflicted these injuries, that was until he heard the sand shifting behind him. As Marcus turned to look over his shoulder he saw the snake begin its twisted metamorphisis. The already large snake began to grow thicker and longer, the hood around its head began to expand as it reered its head off the ground, and before Marcus' eye he watched as it face and body began to take on an all to human form. Its eyes shimmered at him as the golden fleck above its eye reflecked the sunlight. Fear was the first emotion that shot through his body and close behind was the confussion of bot knowing what this thing was, but those emotion were quickly replaced by anger. This was not ordinary beast, no wonder it had evaded the trap and knew the opportune moments to strike, no this was no ordinary beast at all. The creature hissed at Marcus in its foul tounge as he slowly backed up towards his sword. He kept his cold gaze fixed on the eyes of the beast as he knelt down and took his blade in his hand. Marcus' attitude had changed completely, he loved a challenge and the chance to face an unknow creature such as this was a true luxury. Perhaps this was the reason for his coming to Burnings Sands in the first place, was this a sign from Caiyha? She did have domain over all creatures, was this a test? Marcus rose his free hand and pointed two fingers at the snake then moved them down and spoke. "En dala Seku Tak." which mean prepare yourself demon snake. This would surely be a grand challenge, and Marcus relished the thought of gaining a new trophy. He grabed his blade with both hands and planted his feet firmly upon the sand as he prepared for the fight.

[Bethsyliss]

Even though Bethsyliss did not comprehend her opponent's foreign words, she understood them as well as the gesture that accompanied them as a challenge to fight. He adopted a battle stance and brandished the long bastard sword that he had retrieved while she had transformed facing the opposite direction. She peered into the deep blue eyes of her enemy across the waste of sand that was to be their battlefield and hissed a warning while her hood flared wide open threateningly. Overall, the length of her body was greater than that of his, but his upright position made him slightly taller than her in effect. She perceived that as a weakness of hers that put her at a disadvantage. A shadow of fear passed her eyes. But she wasn't going to flee. She had been forced to flee during that terrible incident seventy-four years ago, but, now that she was strong enough, she was going to fight, no matter what it took. She was not a good fighter, since she had never really been in a serious battle or had ever even hunted her own food, but she was an excellent runner, and her physiological constitution as a viper Dhani conferred a swiftness to her movements that was to be reckoned with. Speed, as she had witnessed first hand, was a viper's strength, and she was going to use it to the fullest in order to counteract the human's heavy-looking sword. She flickered her tongue menacingly at her opponent once again, and tensed her muscles in preparation for her move. She knew that she couldn't lunge forward once again, because a single strike from her opponent would shear right through her body and she wouldn't be able to avoid a swing from his blade mid-air. The thought of metal slicing through flesh and bone was sickening. It pushed her into believing that the blade was the only danger. Whether that was true or not, she desperately needed to get that sword away from him again so that she could pin him down and force him to yield. She did not want to kill him. He hadn't killed anyone that she cared about, so she had no reason to kill him. But, for treating her as a vulgar wild beast, for trying to capture her, whatever the purpose, she wanted to make him suffer. She wanted him to see what it felt like to be reduced to a base creature and to have one's life hanging dangerously in the grip of a superior being's will. She wanted revenge. She clenched her half-serpentine half-humanoid body and released her force all in one go. With the most speed that she could manage, she bolted towards the foul man in a curved trajectory in an attempt to confuse him. She circled him once thus, gaining some momentum to increase her velocity, then came back at him, this time darting directly to meet his legs like a piercing arrow. With her head, she dodged his feet and slit right past him. At the last possible moment, she lashed inwardly with the tip of her tail, trying to cause the man to trip, and carried on forwards to reach a safe distance before looking back to see if she had succeeded.

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

The beast circled him with amazing speed attempting to disorient him, but it was in vain for Marcus had seen this many times before. The Glassbeaks of Cyphrus favored this tactic and on nearly always used it, so when the serphant demon began moving around him he was prepared. Just like while in the Sea of Grass he relied more on his ears to defeat thia tatic than his eyes, the only differnce being the sounds of grass moving and the shifting of the sand. Suddenly the monster began its asualt, staying low and moving quick it bolted towards Marcus. He had now had the hardest choice that any warrior has ever had to make, should he attack or defend? He did not have the luxury of time to think it over for the longer he stood there the closer his opponent drew. Before be knew it the gap was closed and it was right before him. However it did not attack him head on, instead it slipped between his legs with great accuarcy. Why did it not attack him when the oppurtunity had arose? He searched his mind and found the answer. It was planning to throw Marcus off guard then attack with its tail, so Marcus dove to the side just in timd to see the creatures tail whip around where his legs had sat. He landed with a roll and quickly stood, brandishing his sword in front of him seeking the beast. This thing was good, but with every move and every attack Marcus analyzed his opponent and he thought he now had a brief understanding of what he faced. This creature wasnt a direct fight, it was cautious and prefered deception and quick surprise attacks. Marcus knew that if he watched this creature closely he could easily dodge its attacks and counter with one of his own. He raised his sword and slowly walked towards the beast. He wouldnt play the victim any longer and he prepared to go on the offensive.

[Bethsyliss]

Bethsyliss turned around, only to see with undeniable evidence that her attack had failed. The man was still standing. And he was now walking with alarmingly threatening slowness, as if he was so confident he would overcome her that he didn't need to come at her with any sort of speed. Frozen in half-torpor, Syliss eyed the blade in the man's hand. She pictured the horrors it could be capable of. It flashed in the sunlight like a snake's fangs. Fangsss, she remembered then, recalling how she had been told countless times that, in the face of aggression, intimidation was always a good choice to start with as it could give her the edge. She straightened upwards, flaring her hood wide, trying to tower over the advancing man like a dancing fire. But she was still trembling, and the burning blaze she was trying to emulate resembled something more in the nature of a flame wavering under the gusts of the wind. It was hopeless. The man was getting dangerously close now. She muttered a curse under her breath. It was time for diplomacy. Ssstop, she called in common tongue, figuring he could understand that language, wherever he came from. Her voice was on the verge of breaking, but she tried her best to seem steadfast and assertive. "You and I obviousssly are a close match. I have no businesss with you and hold no desire to hurt you, neither do I want to get hurt. Drop your sssword and I will attempt to do you no harm." She fervently hoped that she sounded convincing enough. Today was not the day she wanted to die.

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

Marcus was close now, so close in fact that he could make out the individual shaping of the black scales that danced along the creature's back. His face was stern, showing no emotion as he grew ever closer to the aggressor. The creature must have sensed Marcus was an actual threat since its attack had failed for it straitened up and flared the hood around its head. It was surely an imposing sight as it hissed and brought its fangs into view. Intimadation one of the most effect weapon at any creatures, or mans for that matter, disposal. There was a moment of hesitation as the snake did this but Marcus dissmised it knowing to show fear meant death. However Marcus stopped dead in his tracks when the beast spoke. "Ssstop, You and I obviousssly are a close match. I have no businesss with you and hold no desire to hurt you, neither do I want to get hurt. Drop your sssword and I will attempt to do you no harm." Marcus there stood awestruck staring blankly at the thing he thought was a simple monster. What could this thing be? It obviously wasnt just some twisted monster, but that didnt mean it wasnt evil. Marcus quickly tightened his grip on his and glared at the monster, trying his hardest to process this new information. The creature asked him for peace, which Marcus prefered over to killing a sentinent creature, however surrendering his sword was unexspectable. "I will yield." Marcus said calmly "However i will not surrender my blade an leave myself at your mercy." Marcus then looked kn at the creatuee awaiting its reaction.

[Bethsyliss]

Syliss narrowed her eyes when the man refused to drop his weapon. She had wanted him to cooperate so that she wouldn't have to remain on the lookout for a possible surprise attack, but, since he insisted on keeping his sword with him, she wasn't going to get on his bad side and command him to surrender. She had neither the authority nor the confidence to risk such demands. At least, she acknowledged to herself, he had stopped moving towards her now. That was an improvement. It signified that he was not willing to pursue the fight any longer. They were both on the same page. "Fine," she agreed. However, she did not want to seem weak in the face of adversity, and simply accepting that the man kept the weapon in his hand would have come across as servile. She was nobody's servant. "Then put it away in its ssscabbard. I shall speak no further so long as that sssword threatens my life flassshing its ssshiny blade." The gesture she had requested was more of a symbol of cordiality rather than a real precaution, since, either way, she wasn't going to go anywhere near the man anytime soon. She had witnessed his martial reactivity and was pretty certain that he could draw his sword from its sheath before she even noticed he had moved an inch. She wasn't going to risk anything that could cost her her life, and quite obviously it was her life that he was after. She peered intently at him, concentrating on his outline to scan for any sign that he would not yield. In the corner of her eye, the strange beast that he had brought with him and that, oddly enough, hadn't joined in the fight, stood idly. She would deal with it later. Right now, she had a more pressing matter on her hands. She waited, her eyes narrow and her muscles still braced in anticipation.

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

Marcus did not surrender his weapon, nor did he intended to, but the creature was persistent. It now ask that he simply sheath the sword to clear some hostility from the air. He was hesitant to do even that for his opponents weapons could not be sheathed, however; he was confident enough in his skills to believe he would be able to draw his blade quick enough should trouble arise. "Very well" Marcus said then let out a high pitched whistle signaling Tarlok to come. "I shall sheath my blade." Tarlok quickly approached Marcus then stopped by his side allowing him the withdraw the sheath from the items tied to his back. Tarlok had a deep conection with Marcus, as all Striders do with their Drykas counterparts, so he knew what Marcus would want. He had stayed on the fringes of the battle and not intervened because that is what he was taught to do. If he was signaled he would quickly be there to aid Marcus, but untill the he waited. Once Marcus had the sheath he nodded at Tarlok and ran his fingers through his mane, then Tarlok slowly walked off before stopping a good distance from the fight. Marcus then ran the cold steel edge along the top of the sheath causing a slow metal hissing before inserting it with a soft click. "My blade is sheathed Seku." Marcus said holding up the blade so the creature could see for itself. "I mean no harm." Marcus now hoped the creatures worries and doubts would be sated enough to talk his way out of a fight. If this creature was intelegent enough to speake perhaps it could also be reasoned with.

[Bethsyliss]

The man's whistle startled Syliss. When the alien beast approached, she recoiled slightly, wary of its capacities. It was a great four-legged animal, in some respects similar to a desert cow, but, unlike the desert cow, its neck proudly supported its long head and displayed a line of hair on the back. It, too, was a force to be reckoned with, as Syliss perceived immediately, because, when it moved, its muscles shifted visibly under its skin, demonstrating a potentially massive amount of raw power. But the creature was surprisingly tame, and responded very obediently to the human's call, in seemingly perfect synergy with him. Syliss noticed then that items were tied to the animal's back. Was the man using the beast as a slave? Sure, it wasn't a sentient animal, but that wasn't reason enough to treat it like an object. Taking advantage of such tremendous force at the expense of another being, whatever it may be, was a disgusting notion to Syliss. Animals were to be hunted for food or left alone. Syliss could only begin to imagine the horrors she deemed this man was capable of inflicting upon her, had he managed to capture her in that initial attempt. She shuddered involuntarily. The man sheathed his sword in the scabbard. The grating noise produced by the friction of blade against scabbard was disturbing. That might very well have been her flesh instead of the sheath, making the same kind of noise as the metal pierced through her body. This man had ways to creep Syliss that could make her tremble, even though she had been desensitized by her viper environment by repeatedly witnessing the acts of torture that strain of Dhani was fond of. But picturing herself as the victim added a whole new dimension to the concept. It was horrible. Now that the human had sheathed his blade and stated his harmless intentions -- although Syliss doubted his honesty --, she could speak. "I demand to know why you tressspasss upon viper land," she declared, trying her best to sound sure of herself though her voice still wavered because of the thoughts she had previously been subject to. "I want to know your name and intentionsss," she added, "so that I may deem you fit to let you sssurvive." That was a nice touch. It indicated that she did not bow in the face of adversity, but maintained a strong position. She jerked her head upwards to signal the man to speak, her hood still flaring challengingly, and her posture upright to rival with the man's height. Despite the appearances she worked to maintain with great effort, she was cringing inside, and hoped the man would not give her anymore trouble.

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

First demands then threats came from the creature as soon as he had sheathed his sword, he grew ever more grateful that he hadnt surrendered it to her for there was no telling what it would have done then. Without fear or hesitaion Marcus replied to the beast. "I am Marcus Gray-Dawn, son of the Sea of Grass and warrior of the Diamond Clan." He spoke loud and proudly "My reasons for being here are mine alone, but I did not intend to trespass." Marcus kept a steel face as he cast his haunting gaze upon the snake, but his ribs throbbed with pain a he stood there. Deep down he knew that a few of them werw more than likely cracked from the strime the beast had delievered earlier. He knew how to hide his pain well luckily for if being injured multiple times had taught him anything it was how to deal with pain. He held his the sheathed sword tightly in his left hand as he began to slowly walk arround the beast. "Now that ive answered your questions will you answer mine? He said confidently as he turned and began walking back the way came in sort of a pacing motion. "Like what type of serphant is able to change form and speak?"

[Bethsyliss]

Bethsyliss was rather proud of herself. She was not even a full-grown adult yet, and still she was acting as a spokeswoman for her people. True, she had not been officially designated since this was a chance meeting in the middle of the Burning Lands, a little ways from the nest. But she had nevertheless managed to turn a hostile fight into a diplomatic encounter, fragile though it may be. The man who had introduced himself as Marcus now asked her a question about her people. His seemingly nervous pacing back and forth relieved the tense atmosphere a little -- enough for Syliss to feel a bit more comfortable in this uneasy environment which had turned from a battlefield to a colloquial space. She still eyed Marcus's scabbard though, worried at the fact that his hand was still on the sword's protruding hilt, as if he were ready to draw the weapon at any moment. She replied to his inquiries first with an exaggerated laugh to show the man that she did not fear him. Then she answered: "You ssspeak as if I am merely a wild beassst roaming the sssurface of the ssscalding sandsss. Has your kind not heard of a race of desert-dwelling beings who are born sssnake and die human? We are the Dhani, children of eternal Sssiku, and the land on which you dare tread is oursss." This, of course, was not true, since the vipers only owned their underground nest, but Syliss wanted to impress Marcus with a demonstration of her power. "You will ssstate your intentions, however private they may be, or the sssand beneath your feet shall be your grave. Do not attempt to essscape. Even as we ssspeak, hundreds of vipers like me lurk under the sssurface, and they await only my sssignal to ssstrike. No harm will be done to you, ssso long as you cooperate." That was certain to get Marcus's attention. She flared her hood defiantly and flickered her forked tongue with a distinctive hiss, indicating that it was his turn to speak -- and that his fate depended on what he would say. She peered expectantly at him, urging him with her golden gaze to respond. The golden scale above her left eye caught the sunlight and glittered ominously.