Closed The Start of A New Life [Completed]

[Carmara]

Day 37 of Spring, 513 AV

It was a late morning in the hot, exhausting Burning Lands of the Eyktol Desert as a small camp of Benshiras sits in the middle. It was just past 11 bells when Carmara woke up in the shade of her tent, feeling drowsy with a slight headache. Carmara then began to notice her people outside working and realized what time it was. She forced her self out of bed worried that she had woke up so late as she got dressed and scurred out into the heat of the sun.

Walking at a fast pace through the camp afraid that she would be in trouble, Carmara then reached her cousin's tent. "Where have you been Carmara!? Were you asleep this entire time!?" angerily greeted Varila, Carmaras cousin. Still worried, Carmara gave no response as she slipped by her cousin to see a young Benshirian man laying down on a bed roll with a deep cut in his arm. Carmara quickly began to mix herbs as she looked at her angry cousin simply saying "sorry" as she finished mixing the herbs. Varila shakes her head in disappointment as she walks away, Carmara then begins to slowly sprinkle herbs over the young mans wounds before she notices a tall woman entering the tent. Carmara stopped what she was doing and looked up at the woman as her eyes got bigger though curious of who this trespasser was, all she could do is stare.

[Ssynareis]

It was a rare time indeed when Ssynareis ever decided to leave the comforts of Ahnatep and venture into the sands beyond. However, today she was feeling ever so slightly adventurous, enough to where leaving the city looked appealing. Though the heat of the desert was rather oppressive, the Dhani had faced far worse foes in her life time. Still, even her time in the jungles of Falyndar had not prepared her for the constant heat of the sun.

The constrictor had chosen her human form for this little excursion, though she longed to shed her clothing and change to her Dhani form. This trek was a test of endurance if nothing else.

It had not been too long into her journey, a few hours at the most before she noted a rather curious sight on the horizon. A small collection of tents were arrayed close together, their shapes slightly distorted by the heat in the air. As she had drew closer she noted that they appeared to be some kind of humans, nomads if she were to be the judge of such things. They had said nothing as she entered the small camp, though she noted the ways their eyes strayed to her scimitars, Fang and Venom.

The young constrictor made her way through the camp, noting the foreign speech the strange humans used when communicating with each other. Eventually she found herself in a tent, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Ssynareis noted a young woman tending to a young man's wounds, perhaps she could get some answers here. The woman's eyes were widened in shock as they laid eyes upon the tall Dhani, a sight that always managed to amuse the constrictor. The humans were always so small and fragile, often Ssynareis wondered how they managed to get through life without breaking something.

The young woman was covered in a long dress like robe and her face was covered with similar fabric. The other women also seemed to dress this way, which confused Ssynareis to no end. She was one to take pride in displaying her body, though the need for clothing in civilized lands had quickly been made apparent.

It occurred to the constrictor that she had no idea as to whether these people spoke common, which could be rather problematic. Still it was always best to test these things out.

"Greetingsss, I apologize for my abrupt enteranccce but I appear to be out of my element." Ssynareis said, her lisp very evident.

It was best to show some cordiality with these people, they were an unknown quantity. Though they hadn't appeared to be armed they could easily be hiding weapons in their tents.

"Who are you people?" The constrictor asked, genuinely curious as to these people.

[Carmara]

Hearing a familiar language made Carmara feel more Comfortable, but the height and the lisp of the Dhani still amazed her. Though Carmara noticed that this woman felt the same way she did by the tone of her voice and showed no sense violence.

Carmara then replied "Its fine, we are Benshira, you are welcome to stay as long as you would like. We will have food and drink at masha if you are hungry or thirsty" in a shy tone that was heavily accented.

She then continues to treat the mans wound though being so nervous and with only a few years of experience she drops alot of the herbs in the sand.

[Ssynareis]

Benshira, a new word for a group of people she was unfamiliar with. They certainly looked human enough, perhaps human, like Dhani possessed different sects of humans. It was a rather confusing thought, one that she would probably need to look into later. Ssynareis was a naturally curious individual, when she found something new she often wanted to find out more about it. From there it could easily be decided how best she could act upon this information.

The tall woman noticed the shy but rather full welcome from this so called Benshira, and her offer of food and drink did not escape her. It was a general rule of the constrictor Dhani that they were always hungry, rarely would one ever discover a time of day when a Dhani would not accept the offer of a meal. Ssynareis herself generally preferred her meals big and preferably still alive when they became introduced to her digestive system, unfortunately she doubted that these people would react well to a massive Dhani in the middle of their camp.

Part of her, the more prideful side, wanted to transform regardless. What could this small group of pitiful humans possibly do to stop a fully manifested constrictor Dhani? Perhaps she could even make a nice and tidy profit by selling one or two at the slave market.

The common sense part of her, thankfully the more dominant as of late, held any rash actions in check. It was best to get one's bearings before making any potentially stupid decisions. As such Ssynareis graciously accepted the woman's offer to stay, sitting down off to the side.

The constrictor kicked off her sandals and let out a hissing sigh as the sand ticked her bare feet. It was far more cool than it was out side, probably attributed to the shade of this tent. The woman stretched out, arching her toes straight out and stretching her arms. Walking for hours in the desert tended to leave one tired, even a constrictor had their limits. Honestly she didn't know how the Vipers handled this sort of lifestyle, though it was nice weather to simply bask in the sun.

The serpent smiled at her host in a friendly manner, best to keep up disguises.

"Thank you for the offer, Benshira, I have been walking for hoursss. Who would have guessed that Ahnatep was surrounded by this much sand?" The woman said in a slightly joking manner.

Ssynareis noted that the woman seemed rather unhinged by her presence and was dropping a number of herbs in the sand. Though considering that she easily towered over any of the people in the camp, it was not entirely strange that she would be a little put out.

[Carmara]

As the woman relaxed it put Carmara at ease until Ahnatep was mentioned. Though she had never been there, Carmara knew of the city and its large population Eypharians. She never liked Eypharians because of the history they had with Benshiras.

Camara then began to worry, is she Eypharian? if so why doesnt she have six arms? could she be they're ally? Though she doesn"t have an Arumenic accent but Carmara only knew a few armenic phrases so how would she know? but how did she find our tents? These thoughts raced through her mind though not being completely transparent, Carmara gave a quiet laugh as she finished treating the mans wound.

Carmara then began to slowly scrape the leftover herbs into a nearby bowl in order to preserve them. She grabs a few ounces of a harsh brown herb putting them in a mortor as she crushes and mixes them with a pestal.

Carmara then sits in thought for a second but curious to find out who exactly this woman is, she says "My name is Carmara, from the tents of Alachi, of the sons of Eliada. What is your name?" As the young man walked out of the tent probably to get back to work.

[Ssynareis]

Ssynareis' eyes followed the man as he left the tent, falling back on the young woman as he stepped out of the tent. The Dhani inclined her head slightly at Carmara's introduction, committing the name to memory. It was best to remember the people a person met, one never knew when they might have future use to her.

"I am Sssynareisss of Zinrah, currently a resssident of Ahnatep." The Dhani replied, knowing that it was highly unlikely that this Benshira knew of the Constrictor Nest.

Most people she had met who even knew of the Dhani were rather confused by the faction like sub races that made up the species as a whole. Eypharians were aware of the differences only because of their close ties to the Viper Dhani, even then some seemed mystified by the rivalry that existed between the three different sub races. Though Ssynareis supposed that the same ignorance could be said of her in regards to humans, she had not been aware that some humans considered themselves different from others until today. Apparently her mother had been accurate in saying that one learns something new everyday.

The Dhani refocused her attention on her erstwhile host, wondering idly what she was hiding under her rather oppressive and obscuring amount of clothing. The idea of physical modesty was a new one for Ssynareis, one that was still catching on. The beauty of the body was not something to be hidden away, but rather something to be admired and taken pride in.

"I noticcced that other women here cover themssselvesss up the way you do, isss there sssome reassson behind that? Also what bringsss your people ssso clossse to Ahnatep?" The serpent asked, cocking her head to one side.

Perhaps they were a nomadic people, or even a group of traders. Neither one would have really surprised Ssynareis as Ahnatep was quite the cultural hub. The woman waited patiently for a reply, placing a lazy hand over her stomach and rubbing it affectionately. She was getting a little hungry.

[Carmara]

Carmara had no knowledge of Zinrah though she doesn't have much knowledge at all of other places. Carmara has also realized that their wasn't much in common between they're 2 cultures and that being in Ssynaries presence could be a learning experience for the both of them.

Confused by the dhani's question, Carmara notices how much her guests attire differs from her own, then says "well... this is the way my people have always dressed, It keeps us cool in the day and warm at night."

Carmara finally finishes crushing the herbs and pours them into a bowl to store away. The Benshira woman stays silent as she focuses on her herbs hoping to not lose anymore. Carmara notices Ssyneries rubbing her stomach giving her the conclusion that her guest was hungry.

Carmara says "I had no Idea that we're close to Ahnatep, We travel through out the Eyktol Desert leaving are lives in trust of Yahal"as she sets the bowl of herbs on a table and says "we work in the day and have masha in the evening, where we share food and drink among our friends and family I would be happy to have you join us." hoping that her guest was not too hungry.

[Ssynareis]

Yahal, another name Ssynareis was unfamiliar with, though the way the young woman spoke it indicated a religious symbolism to the name. The Dhani, like the vast majority of her people, was a devout follower of Siku and was more than willing to kill and spill blood in Her name. However this did not mean that she was uninterested in learning about other gods, far from it, the more knowledgeable she was the greater the service she could provide her own goddess.

She also nodded at the confirmation of her initial suspicions, these people were indeed nomads. Though it seemed odd to her that they would have no idea of how close they were to Ahnatep, Ssynareis simply chalked it up to the disorienting nature of the desert itself. Her offer brought up another point, should she stay here for this so called 'masha' or not?

If she stayed it would yield more answers to her questions about these people, however it would mean having to wait to return to Ahnatep tomorrow. Perhaps, she mused, it would do her some good to experience some of this woman's culture. Her people seemed earnest enough, for humans, and there was talk of food so it seemed reasonable enough for her to stay.

Ssynareis nodded slowly to Carmara, opting on waiting and seeing. Besides if trouble arose it was highly unlikely these people would be prepared to fight a constrictor Dhani.

"I would welcome a meal, though you needn't worry over much asss to my hunger at the moment. I can wait for a good meal." The constrictor said, crossing her legs.

"Why don't you sssit down here next to me, some cultural exchange will do us some good. Unlesss of courssse your other dutiesss are presssing at the moment." Ssynareis said, patting the ground next to her.

The serpent was no master manipulator by any means and she was a little rough around the edges when it came to interrogation and the art of persuasion, as such this could prove a nice exercise in both. Perhaps this young woman could prove to be both a wellspring of information and a pleasant distraction, only time could tell.

[Carmara]

Carmara smiles after hearing Ssynareis' positive response but it wasn't visible due to her veil. The young Nomad was uneasy about moving closer though, it made her think about the stories her father told her. Where the Eypharians seduced the Benshiras to lure them away from Yahebah to imprison them.

Carmara not wanting to be rude to her guest says "sorry.. I cant, but why dont you tell me more of your people?" as she grabs a pot to fill with water and brew tea. hoping she hasn't offended the The tall woman, Carmara still hasn't dismissed the idea that she is working for a Eypharian and plotting against her.

[Ssynareis]

Ssynareis chuckled slightly, internally a little put off by her coercion failing to bring the Benshira closer. Her caution was certainly to be expected around a stranger, ah well, the day was still early. The Dhani thought for a moment, thinking over a good lie that could get her to avoid the subject of her people. It wouldn't be too difficult given that Carmara didn't seem to indicate knowing anything about Zinrah.

"My people are located far from the desert sssandsss, and our cccity is rather sssparsssely populated due to... recccent hardssshipsss. We are a competitive people, ready to do what is necccesssary to ensssure our sssurvival againssst our enemiesss. Currently I am travelling to hone my skills to better be of service to Zinrah. At the moment I hope to train with the Jackals in Ahnatep." Ssynareis replied.

It was partially the truth, she simply left out the important details. The best lies often had some echoes of truth about them. Besides some honesty might help this Benshira warm up to her, which would make her far more forth coming with information. Intimidation was useful when gathering information but gaining a person's trust could prove even more useful.

If necessary she could always try her hand at hypnosis to help steer the conversation, though Carmara would need to come much closer. Ssynareis had found that body language could help a person feel more at ease, perhaps it would help here. She was already sitting so that should take off a lot of intimidation she might have been giving her host, maybe letting her hair down might help?

The Dhani slowly pulled her hair out of its ponytail, letting her long dark hair frame her exotic and bronzed features. Her narrow green eyes took on a more friendly and open appearance and she placed her hands upon her crossed lap. Hopefully that would do... something.

Ssynareis smiled again, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. If she were being perfectly honest with herself, it was a hard thing to accomplish. She reveled in her ability to frighten people, being non-threatening was simply not congruent with her personality. Still, her mother had often said that honey was easier to swallow than whiskey.

An odd one when it came to phrases, dear old mother, The Dhani mused.

"What of your own people, Carmara, where do they hail from? What do they believe?" Ssynareis asked, as politely as she was able.