Flashback Swanson the Snake, Kuvarakh the Sailor,

[Licearsvansan]

. . ......... My journey is my destination. . . . .

Summer 25, Year 503 North Suvan Sea

continued form here

So Svan has had ruder awakenings than this. That time he woke up after his eating some hallucinogenic mushrooms probably beat this, but this certainly was near the top. After all it wasn't every day that a dead man that you had recently screwed over and looted woke you up. Had Svan been human he would have lept back at least at least 6 feet, and sworn in languages he didn't realize he even knew. However, since he had been napping in his snake form he merely flinched back, and let out a long slow hiss. His mind raced to remember the events that had brought him to his current situation.

I arrived here -wherever 'here' is- a day ago, I got a bunch of sailors to try to kill this Nuit, but the Nuit killed one of them and stole their body. Now that Nuit is staring at me, and he probably has been doing so for a while which means he probably knows that the person who has caused all his troubles is the snake lying before him...or does he? If Kuv knew all of what Svan had done then it would be unlikely that he would just be waiting so calmly. He would either be running for the hills or attacking. Instead, the man seemed more curious than anything. It made sense. All the pieces hadn't been assembled, and it was likely that Kuv only had suspicions of the answers. Unfortunately, they were not suspicions Svan was keen on answering quite yet.

Svan lifted his massive body into the air and let his head dance to and fro. He accompanied his movements with a deafening rattle that echoed off the walls of the cove and formed a sound like some unholy chorus. He continued this cacophony of sound as he slowly began to circle the Nuit. He drew close for a moment, and glared at the man as if he were a five star dinner. The sound stopped and the snake flicked his tongue quickly in front of the Nuits face. For a moment it seemed as if the snake was deciding whether or not it was still hungry, but after a pause he simply turned around and continued on past the man. The snake slipped its half filled body into the waters, and in a single tick he was gone.

...

There really wasn't much else Svan could do. He couldn't morph to a human with such a large meal in his belly. He could have technically shifted to his dhani form, but just thinking of the indigestion it would cause made him queasy. Not that swimming with a full stomach had been much better of an idea. In the end he had been forced to cough up his meal. The mere thought of loosing free food almost brought a tear to his eye, but the food had been poor anyways. Svan wasn't above being a scavenger when he needed to be, but there was a village nearby and he wasn't broke yet. The snake frowned. It would have been nice if he could have kept the necklace. Traveling constantly meant that holding a job for any period of time was an impossibility.

The snake stretched out newly reformed arm while sitting on a rock that faced the ocean. He was sitting in Dhani form next to some half dried clothes. Once he finished stretching he breathed into his hand and took a deep breath. Sea salt and ocean breeze. He made a satisfied smile and looked out towards the sea. Once he had finished washing the taste bile and rotting flesh out of his mouth, Svan had gone back to fetch his clothing, and dunked them along with himself into the water. He was slowly making a story and if it was going to work it couldn't look like he had hopped out of the water naked, and shoved himself into some dry clothes. No, he wanted it to look like he had swam here fully clothed.

However, that was only half of the story. The second part would need a little more finesse. The snake flicked out its tongue, and immediately the scents of dozens of creature's filled his nostrils. The snake though, was only interested in one of them. Kuv's. Luckily it wasn't very difficult to smell out a dead man when your sense of smell was only a tick away from a blood hound. Svan smiled softly and allowed himself to shift into human form and quickly dress himself. Once he finished putting on his clothes he took off in the direction he knew Kuv was. The next time Kuv would see Svan, the snake would be shearching around desperately as if either lost or looking for something he had little hope of finding.

Which while in his human form, was not far from the truth.

[Kuvarakh]

The snake awoke with a start, rearing its head back with a hiss. Kuvarakh's suspicions were definitely piqued, but not extreme. Growing up in Zeltiva, he'd acquired a fairly comprehensive education, and that included some common sense knowledge of snakes. Were he alive, he'd have to worry about being bit by this thing, judging by the rattle at the end of its tail. But taking into consideration the massive bulk of what was apparently his recently abandoned body, bulging the middle of the snake's length, it was not a normal snake. Rattlesnakes did not, could not, swallow things that large.

Again, the notion of the 'Kelvic' possibility came to mind. Kuvarakh had no idea if there were any limitations on what creature forms Kelvics could be born into. Until he knew otherwise, he considered it prudent to assume that anything was possible. That did not, however, discount the next scenario that this thing was a shape-shifting familiar of some sort. He considered attempting some hypnosis on the thing as its head bobbed and swayed before him, but he remembered how that had back-lashed on him before when he'd tried it on an animal.

He didn't really have the fortitude to do much more than hold himself upright at this stage anyway. So soon after a body jump, he'd be doing well to be off his hands and knees by this evening. So when the snake circled him, then slipped past him to escape into the sea, he did nothing to oppose it. He chuckled even at the thought that the thing probably thought it had intimidated him, and then pulled some slick maneuver in the face of a frustrated foe. He was too tired to be intimidated. What was it going to do anyway, try to swallow his new body along with the old? If it didn't kill him first, he'd snap off one of its fangs going down and cut it open from the inside with it. It's not as though he'd die from lack of air.

'Screw him.' he thought. 'I'll figure out his connection soon enough.'

With that, he found a slightly more comfortable rock to sit on as he leaned back against the rock face. He didn't sleep, but meditation always brought him around a little faster. He had no reason to leave the spot for the rest of the day.

[Licearsvansan]

Still, in the same spot. Svan could hardly believe it. After all the time it had taken Svan to find his things, get them wet, let them dry, sniff out Kuv, and get dressed, the Nuit STILL hadn't moved. The snake was beginning to wonder if the man really had died. No... Svan remembered that Kuv had waited just as long when he had been planning his revenge. It seemed that just like the Dhani, Nuit possessed the surprisingly useful ability of sitting in one place for a very long time while doing absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, Svan couldn't just waltz right in on Kuv and find him. If anything that would affirm each and everyone of Kuv's suspicions, and cast further doubt on himself.

Instead, the serpent found himself wandering the rocky coast, and acting as if he had no clue where Kuv actually was. Several long chimes passed by like this, but the man hadn't emerged. It was expected though, the snake couldn't just expect Kuv to suddenly get up and look for him just because he wanted to. However, nor could Svan walk directly to Kuv as if divine knowledge of the Nuits position had been bestowed upon him. In other words, Svan was stuck. Defeated and tired, the Dhani collapsed onto the rock covered shore. It had been difficult to maneuver along this cliff due to the rocks that had been loosened by the waves, and the sea that threatened constantly to swallow anyone who drew too close to the waters.

The snake frowned and stared out into the sea. They had only been here for two days, and yet so much chaos had happened. Svan took in a great gulp of air, and then slowly breathed it back out. The bitter sea air tickled his nose, and he smiled slightly. There was something calming about water that seemed to cool his burning soul. Whenever he was near it he always felt more at peace. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to reveal the truth. Perhaps not the whole truth, but at least enough to satisfy him. As he rested on the rocks he wondered just how much he should tell Kuv. Kuv should at least know what Dhani are, but what else? Should he admit that it was he who had sabotaged the sail? That his lies were part of the reason he had been nearly killed....twice? Perhaps those subjects were best avoided. The Dhani grinned and took another breath of the sea breeze. He knew what he was going to tell Kuv now.

Still, there was one small problem. Kuv still hadn't come out. Svan made an annoyed expression and rose to his feet. He cupped his hands to his mouth and in the loudest voice he could muster he called out his name. "KUV!?" Svan slowly made his way up the rocks and away from the water's edge. No longer content with silently searching for the man, Svan continued calling out the Nuit's name as he looked around the rocks. A chime or so into his feigned search the snake was climbing up one of the shelves and shouting, "Kuv?! Are you actually dead this time?" As if he expected the man to answer. Petch it Kuv, you had better not be. I'll never be able to forgive myse-AAHHH!" The water worn rock snapped off in Svan's grasp, and plummeted to a landing far below. The serpent's other hand held onto another rock, but the grip was rough and quickly loosening. "OhPetchOhPetchOhPetchOhPetchOh ho ho Petch me!" His voice had become something of a shouted whimper which only grew more desperate as his other hand failed to catch hold of any good grips on the mountain.

"Um, if anyone is there I don't mean to be pushy, but PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS HELP ME!"

[Kuvarakh]

'Aaah, sweet, unhurried meditation.' Kuvarakh was content as he sat braced against the rock wall. The sound of the sea, the birds, the waves, the wind...It was a balm to his nerves. Given time to think without emotions clouding his judgement, he'd come to the decision that that Swanson guy was some sort of summoner.

Kuvarakh would never have claimed to know of every form of djed crafting, so it stood to reason that something he'd never encountered before was still entirely possible. 'Some sort of animal summoner.' he guessed. Probably capable of imbuing some sort of "dire" nature into his creatures.

He knew there was a god or goddess of animals, there HAD to be, but he couldn't think whether he'd ever heard the name before. 'This Swanson guy must be some sort of follower, given power over animals to some degree.' he reasoned. "I mean, that snake was NOT natural, that's for sure. I've heard crazy stories of "snake people", but that thing just acted like a plain snake, regardless of the oddities about it. it's not as though it sprouted legs and walked away, anyway."

It all made sense, more or less, to him. it's not as though he was going to object to some variety of animal magic. Given the nature of his OWN existence, he was hardly in any position to level the finger of judgement against something on account of it being contrary to nature. There was plenty of time to ask the guy about it. And if Mr. Swanson hedged his answers, Kuvarakh decided he could always impose a slight hypnotic desire to be more forthcoming and honest.

As if in response to his intent, Swanson's voice echoed from the rocks to the East of where Kuvarakh was sitting. He ignored him. The next call made some mention of "...really being dead this time?" Kuvarakh rolled his eyes, 'Smartass...Here I tell him all about me, but he still keeps his talents concealed, like I can't be trusted.'

The next call was considerably more interesting however. Something about If he was, he'd "never be able to forgive..." it sounded like he was finishing with the word, "myself", but it was drawn out and lost in the crashing of a nearby wave. 'What's this? He's feeling guilty about something? Probably realizing he's been a discourteous churl.'

But there was something in the tone, a hint of genuine regret. Kuvarakh sighed, just a habitual gesture, since he didn't need to breath. "I guess I better go see what the fool wants..." He stood and started slowly and unsteadily toward the voice, which suddenly took on a seriously desperate aspect and lapsed into repetitive cursing.

He heard a wailed call for help and saw the man hanging in from the cliff side still several dozen yards ahead, requiring some fairly agile maneuvering over and around a field of algae-coated rocks logs and debris. Something caught his eye...his old body! Now bloated and waterlogged, in addition to it's already advanced state of decay and newly acquired state of semi-digestion.

Mischief now gave him motivation to hurry. He made his way in surprising haste to grab the squelching cadaver and drag it to where Mr. Swanson would hit the ground. He gathered a few fluffy bits of unidentifiable debris and some coils of stinking kelp and laid them in a heap over the body. Then he called up to the stranded man.

"It's okay, Lyseer. I've got a cushion arranged. Go ahead and drop." He quickly stepped back, not caring to be splattered by what promised to me a truly revolting combination of rot and stench.

[Licearsvansan]

Hanging on a cliff with certain death below gave a man a time to look back on his life, and try to figure out where it all went wrong. Svan always blamed his parents for the way he turned out, but he began to wonder if some of the blame should be placed on himself as well. Sure his parents were the cause of his "trances", but most of the trouble the Dhani found himself in was due more to his own rude attitude, and brash nature. Perhaps if he hadn't been so stubborn about maintaining his lie then he would have never been in this position to begin with. Maybe if he was just a kinder person and stopped being so defensive other people would open up to him more, and he wouldn't find himself dangling on the edge of cliff. Maybe, just maybe the world was trying to tell him something. Yes it was! The world was trying to tell him that he had the power to be better all along, and it was only his fear that kept him from doing so. All he had to do to be happy was-

"It's okay, Lyseer. I've got a cushion arranged. Go ahead and drop."

Dang it Kuv I was just about to have an epiphany! Svan sighed. The voice that had greeted him was that of the sailor, and while Svan knew that Kuv had shifted into the body, Swanson didn't. "Petching perfect. Now I have to pretend that I don't know him... Svan's lies were close to flawless, but he often needed 'inspiration' to mix a lie with a bit of acting. Svan could act out a lie, but only when the emotion he was acting was close to the truth. When he had cried to Kuv earlier there had been genuine sorrow, and when he had acted bewildered it was only because Svan had actually felt confused. But now...

Svan had no idea how to act to the sailor saving him, but he had to decide soon. His fingers had all but broken off, and it would only cast suspicion on Svan if he remained up here any longer. With no other option, Svan cast his fears aside and threw himself to the mercy of fate. On his way down he prayed to his goddess to give him an idea, and as he struck the rocky floor, Svan landed in a big fat pile of rotten inspiration.

At first Svan was simply happy to be alive and unwounded. And then the smell hit him like a brick to the face. The Dhani nearly wretched and he quickly turned his head to see just what he had landed in. He had the misfortune of looking directly into Kuv's old, crushed, bile-covered face. Every once of blood drained from Svan's face, and eyes went blank. For at least three seconds Svan didn't move so much as an inch and it appeared as if the Nuit had actually broken the snake. Then all at once life returned to the serpent and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "KUV!" The Dhani shot back like a spring and hurried eyes rushed to scan the damage the Nuit's old body had taken. He fumbled back towards the body, and panicked hand scrambled over his body as if he could actually fix the flattened thing. "No, No, Oh Goddess no!" Svan whimpered.

And then, laughter. Not from Svan, but Kuv instead. Anger rushed through Svan as he realized that he had been tricked, and the snake welcomed every once of it. Hellooo inspiration. Svan looked up to see the laughing sailor, and blind rage filled his eyes. "Y-you killed him....You KILLED him!" He said first as if he couldn't believe it, and then again with mad blood-lust practically dripping from his mouth. He leaped at Kuv, and attempted to use his far superior strength to force him back closer the edge of the cliff. "He wasn't evil! He didn't deserve to die!" The rage paused for a moment and Svan grew deathly silent. He glared at sailor Kuv with cold unforgiving eyes. "You deserve to die. You took an innocent life, its the only thing a monster like you deserves. Svan took another step to box in the Nuit and frowned hatefully. Once again Kuv found himself at the edge of a cliff. However this time, he had no weapons, a weakened body, and a much more powerful foe.

And the row of sharp rocks at the bottom of the cliff certainly wasn't helping.

[Kuvarakh]

There were many ways that Kuvarakh was like other Nuits. But one of the biggest ways that he was NOT was that beneath all his unnatural lifespan and ichor-empowered flesh, he still possessed the attitudes of a man. A living man. And that nature was no more evident than in the fact that when he got mad, little things like threats and unfavorable odds were shunted to a back burner while he vented.

Sure, his laughter choked off suddenly as Swanson jumped up and squared off to stand toe-to-toe, rattling off his accusations. But Kuvarakh wasn't buying it, not completely anyway. He knew there was a connection between Lyseer and that snake, and the snake had seen him make his last body jump. He didn't flinch from the tirade of indictments spewing from the young man before him. If anything, the infuriating absurdity of the whole situation brought narrowed eyes and a challenging lean into the face of Lyseer's rant.

Even though he knew he was in about as weakened a condition as he was like to ever be, the strength of Mr. Swanson was a bit beyond impressive. Nuit or not, his new body must weigh well over two hundred pounds, but Lyseer was hoisting it like a parent cowing a small child. It could be that the man realized the unlikely nature of his display of strength and quit driving Kuvarakh towards the edge, but it did nothing to wipe the calculating expression from the Nuit's face.

"ARE YOU DONE!?" Kuvarakh sneered. "Done going on as if you aren't aware of how that body came to have that half-digested look? Done maintaining this stupid charade about not knowing who I really am, or who HE was until a few bells ago? he pointed at the ruined body behind them. His eyes narrowed. "And what is that snake to you? A companion? A familiar? Do you inhabit it and see though its eyes or something?"

He pulled on Lyseer's grip to free himself, gesturing with a backward nod to the fall behind him. "You want to throw HIS murderer off that cliff?" his eyes flashed briefly to the splattered remains of Kuvarakh's old body. You know petching good and well that will just make you guilty of the same crime! I AM Kuvarakh! And this guy tried to KILL me," he indicated himself by slapping his own chest. "WOULD have killed me if it was possible for me to drown, that is."

He altered his lean to a more assessing stance. "But here's the main point, You already know this! You were there! Or at least your snake was! I've held nothing back from you. But you're hiding shyke from me and you know it! You want me to know you can break me in half whenever you want? Fine! You want to keep secrets from me? Fine! You want me be open and honest with you while you do? PISS OFF! You tell me who and what you are, and what that snake is to you, or we go our separate ways right now!"

He got an odd look, "Oh...and...thank you for bringing back the necklace." He tried not to let his expression betray his focus on Lyseer's response. If he had no connection to the snake, Lyseer would not know what necklace he was talking about. Hopefully, his own tirade had distracted the young man enough to let that detail slip by unnoticed.

[Licearsvansan]

Svan actually contemplated shoving the man off the cliff. Mostly for due to some sick curiosity, but also just to see the look on Kuv's face if he actually did it. Luckily for the Nuit, Svan had already had his share of chaos and destruction for this week, and the snake started backing away instead. At the word "snake" Svan fell back onto his rear and stared up as if Kuv had just told him that he was pregnant with their child. Everything after that was just icing on the cake. Kuv was telling Svan everything that he needed 'Swanson' to know. Svan had already prepared his lie to near perfection in the time that they had been separated. Finally, as the man finished, on a rather awkward tone, Svan opened hi mouth to speak. "Y-you saw it? The snake?" His tone wasn't quite disbelief, just shock. Which was good, he couldn't pull off disbelief right now anyways.

Svan let out a breath and his entire body seemed to deflate. He stared down at the ground, guilty. "You're right, you deserve the truth," his eyes flicked up and Svan wondered if perhaps the true just might be better than another lie, "You are right. The snake belongs to me in a way. However..." Svan trailed off and rubbed a hand through his head as he tried to find the words. It apparently wasn't easy for a man who was so used to lying to come clean, "Do you remember back when we first met? I referred to you as a Dhani. The Dhani are a violent race of shape shifting snake creatures. Some are poisonous, some are even immune to poison. But if they are discovered, most are hunted." The snake paused for a moment as something clicked. "And no. there is no uncle Adonnie. I just needed something to cover my mistake so that you wouldn't pry. I had to keep my secrets you because you see....Dhani are are often killed on sight." Svan frowned at the man. He said that Dhani were killed, but Svan had know for a long time that he wasn't in danger in this secluded village. He had caused the man to relive his daughter's death just to keep a lie. Thats all he had done. The serpent had never been in any real danger, but by using one lie after another Svan had tortured this innocent man.

"You see Kuv, the reason I know this is because years ago... I used to study them." And so the snake continued. "I had always found them interesting, but the knowledge we have of them is very meager. So I set forth to learn more about the race, and, gods be blessed, I ended up finding one. Her name was Kessah, and after convincing her not to swallow me alive, the serpent agreed to allow me to study her and record her activities. So long as I was careful not to bother her. For a while it was a dream come true. I was studying one of the rarest and least known creatures on Mizahar. However, calamity struck before even a season had passed. S-she was going to kill a girl-must not of even been 12 years old- and...How was I supposed to watch that?" Svan looked up to Kuv pleadingly. "I hit her, the snake that is." The serpent folded a hand over his face and shook his head. "I wasn't trying to kill her. I just wanted to knock her off, but I've never been good at controlling my strength." Svan's hand remained over his face, but he stopped shaking, "Siku came. The goddess of snakes. She had heard about my interests in the Dhani. She was planning on gifting me with her gnosis, but when she saw what I had done...She gave me a gnosis. She tore open my stomach, careful not to kill me, and placed a curse mark on my insides. I wish I could say that the girl escaped, but Siku is a cruel goddess. I was forced to watch as the girl was torn limb from limb." Svan flopped onto his back and placed both hands over his face. "She is clever too. Her curse seems weak, because it only make a person speak with a lisp and seem slightly more snake-like. One of the ways to spot a Dhani however, is through their lisp. Her enemies not only suffer the same prejudice as her children, but act as decoys for them as well."

Svan peeked an eye out at Kuv, and stared solemnly. "The snake is, and isn't mine. It follows me where ever I go, but I have no control over what it does. I can only assume that it is a spy for Siku, but I dare not strike it. Why its presence is disturbing, it has done me no harm. Anyways, killing it would only serve to bring Siku's wrath upon myself once again. On occasion it gives me hints on what to do, perhaps because it gets bored if I don't do anything. It led me to this place, but I didn't know where you were." Svan sat upright and stared Kuv in the eyes. "So there you have it."

"Thats all the bullshyke I could have told you. Now here is the truth. I'm a Dhani."

[Kuvarakh]

Kuvarakh made an effort to betray no disappointment that Lyseer had not reacted to his mention of the necklace. He didn't know if it meant the guy didn't know anything, or if he'd ticked him off so much with his last rant that the young man hadn't even been listening. He suspected the latter, as it seemed for a moment that Mr. Swanson was going to take him up on his "offer" and break him in half, or maybe throw him off the edge.

But unexpectedly, the fellow sort of sagged back to sit, staring up at him in shock. 'What now?' Kuvarakh thought. His interest was very much piqued when the man before him admitted some awareness of the snake in question and acknowledged the necessity to come clean. He was equally glad to get some clarification of the whole "Adonnie" thing. He recalled how the man had mentioned Kuvarakh's seeming immunity to poison that first day, asking him then if he was "Adonnie".

Now that whole misunderstanding was clear. He had asked him if he was 'A DHANI' not 'Adonnie', like a name. Of course, it still didn't explain the way the guy had sort of clung to the mistake to keep the issue clouded. But as he went on, describing his run in with the snake goddess, and the delicate social position it put him in, to be in danger of being mistakenly identified as being one of these vicious, shape-shifting monsters, Kuvarakh could see his need to be cautious.

There were still elements of the story that struck him as far-fetched, like how this snake had followed them so closely as to get on the Svefra ship with them in Syliras undetected and stay hidden, despite its instinctive tendency to rattle a warning. Surely in the ten days or so they'd been at sea, someone would have come close enough to prompt it to sound its threat. But overall, he was prepared to accept the story, almost BECAUSE it was so odd.

Then all at once, the proverbial rug was pulled out for under him...

"Thats all the bullshyke I could have told you. Now here is the truth. I'm a Dhani."

Kuvarakh found himself suddenly sitting a moment later as well. He stared at Lyseer, one eyebrow cocked in a look of suspicious puzzlement. Then he started to laugh. Slow and soft at first, but building to full-throated roar in no time at all.

"Boy, I've got to hand it to you, you are a gifted liar! I don't know what the petch to believe about you, or your snake. First, you tell me about your horrid life-altering encounter with one of these Dhani, and their goddess. Then the whole sad tale of how you're on her shyke-list and its ruining your life, for fear of being mistakenly identified as one and killed on sight. And then turn completely around and say that you ARE one."

"Just what in Dira's Dungeons are you trying to accomplish? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you because you're NOT a Dhani, or terrified of you because you ARE? And where is your snake now? I mean if it follows you everywhere, let's see it!"

His tone became less amused and he crossed his arms with a disbelieving scowl, "Seriously, out with it! If it always follows YOU around, why was it in the water with ME when I was fighting this crewman, and YOU were nowhere around. It sounds to me like it was following ME, not you." He cupped a hand around his mouth and shouted, as if to the surrounding cliffs and beach, "COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE! HERE SNAKEY, SNAKEY!"

He turned his face back to Lyseer, "Look, kid, people don't like Nuits much either. that's why I was in such a hurry to get out of Syliras. I'm not your enemy and I'll keep your secret. Just decide once and for all what your secret IS, and then stick with it."

[Licearsvansan]

At first Svan was impressed. Usually people didn't take his lies quite as well as Kuv was.

Then the laughing stared dying down. Uhoh... Svan half expected to be assaulted by black magic, but instead the man gave Sva a stern finger wagging. It gave the Dhani....mixed feelings. On one hand, the man had all the right in the world to be angry. On the other however, Svan HAD told him the truth in the end. Svan scowled as the nuit began berating him. The scowl though, quickly turned into a look of confusion when the Nuit started calling out for the snake. The Dhani thought he had told the man that he WAS the snake, but it seemed that Kuv had missed that part. As the realization that the Nuit had missed his point hit him, Svan let out a short few giggles and grinned up at the man. Slowly the snake rose to his feet and began to stretch.

"You know..." Svan causally walked up to the Nuit and put his hand in front of the man's face, his index finger and thumb a mere inch apart. "-You were this close to getting the award for being the smartest dead guy I've ever met." Svan shrugged lazily and began walking around the ledge to a lower level. "Oh well, I guess the award goes to Daniel again this year." Svan flashed a grin towards Kuv just before his head disappeared beneath the side of the ledge. "You want the truth? THen stay right where you are for one chime." His head dipped below the ledge and only the crunch of loose stone and gravel could be heard as he continued down a little bit further. Just as the footsteps stopped, and the snake's voice rang out in sing song, "No peeking~"

Beneath the ledge Kuv was on, and a little ways to the left, stood the figure of Svan. He was unbuckling his belt, and taking off his pants. In a matter of seconds, a pair of pants, shoes, socks, and a belt were lying on the ground. Bottomless, Svan sat down on the cold mist soaked rock and began loosening his shirt. He never rarely bothered to take of his shirt when he morphed. He wore too many layers, and it was easier to just buy clothes that her a little baggy, and use a few lengths of twine around his wrist to keep in the heat. Being summer however, Svan only had to loosed his collar and cloak. With that done, Svan allowed his body to settle into its dhani form. He smiled peacefully. The sea breeze carried a bit of water into the air and it kissed his face. There were few things quite as therapeutic as shifting with the back drop of the Suvan sea. He might have continued switching between forms just for the relaxing effect, but he had a dead man waiting.

Now in his dhani form, Svan slithered back up towards Kuv, beneath the peaceful scents of the sea, Svan could already smell the man's dead flesh....and the scent of his own bile. The Dhani was doing his best to keep tongue flicking to a minimum. As he slithered up to the ledge he decided to have some fun and sneak around the opposite side. Popping his arm and head over the side of the ledge opposite to the side he had gone down, Svan stared at the man. The serpent wore what passed for an amused expression for snakes. "Violent race of shape shifting snake creatures, brown hair, hazel eyes..." Svan pointed to his dark brown scales and eyes before cupping his hand midair and shaking it as if he held a maraca.

"Ring any bellssss?"

[Kuvarakh]

Kuvarakh made no move, nor did he focus on the hand wavering before his face, as Lyseer made his giggling, sarcastically overly-casual remark. He had no idea who this "Daniel" was, nor if his status as a "dead guy" meant he was now an UN-dead guy or just dead.

Up until now, the youngster before him had struck Kuvarakh as a bit of a clown, probably not serious enough about anything to be a truly lethal threat. He was not so sure now. He took a slow intake of breath and compressed it, exerting exhaling pressure, but not releasing it. This had always been the way he built a bubble of djed to work hypnosis. He set his mind to implant the impression of himself as someone to treat with respect, and just a bit of fear.

Lyseer had passed around behind him as he did this, crooning a mocking "No peeking", like a teasing girl. Kuvarakh found it easier to maintain the internal djed pressure as his annoyance with Mr. Swanson grew. He sat for a chime or so, waiting to see what sort of mischief the guy was going to pull now. As he sat, he lost focus on what thought he was going to send into Lyseer's mind. He waited for the young man to return.

He sensed movement close by, as an arm appeared on the other side of the ledge. Kuvarakh rolled his eyes the other way as a shape pulled itself up, and a voice made a remark about a "Violent race of shape shifting snake creatures, brown hair, hazel eyes..." He quickly re-amassed his djed pressure and turned back to deliver it the young man.

Instead there was a monstrous and massive reptilian humanoid form, radiating feral menace and a penetrating gaze rising over the lip of the ledge. "Ring any bellssss?" it hissed, only a couple of feet away.

Whether the creature intended to scare the shyke out of him or not, Kuvarakh flung himself back, his hypnotic djed bubble flashing out at the creature in reflex, the impression losing all intellectual capacity, and degrading into nothing but sheer revulsion and the powerful, instinctive impulse to "GET AWAY FROM ME!"