Completed [Jungle Wilds] Red Viper, Black Constrictor (Saxani)

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Jungle Wilds, 20th of Bell, 62nd of Fall 513 A.V

Night had fallen upon the harsh jungles of Falyndar once more, where abundant life teeming but death awaits for those who were not strong enough to defend themselves. The rainforest looked wild and not an ounce of civilization could be found, however if one looked closer beneath the thick foliage, one could see there were actually two sentient races who made their home in the Jungle. One was the warmonger savage bronze humanoid called Myrians while the other one was shapeshifting snakemen called Dhanis who surpassed the Myrians in terms of savagery and cruelty. They were both very proud and wouldn't relinquish their proclaimed home until one of them was completely eradicated.

One of these Dhanis were standing just outside the eastern tunnel entrance of Zinrah. Though she was a Dhani, the Viper was not a native to Zinrah as it was a home to Constrictor sub-race. Nevertheless, she shared her cousins' hatred towards the bronze monkeys. From what she was told, the Myrians were the one responsible for slaughtering her kin and driving the Dhanis to be cooped up in the caverns, being watched all day long by the savages. Few Dhanis would admit it, but if it was not for the pact between Myri and Caiyha, the Myrians would be storming down upon Zinrah.

Aka was on patrol duty again that night. She was in her usual human form appearance, long black hair tied into twin ponytails, and she wore a simple black robe with a red sash to hold it in place. She got no underwear like always as it was unneeded for her lack of endowment and could interfere with her transformation process. The small girl stretched, preparing herself for the coming patrol, she and her partner would most likely run into a group of Myrians. Yes, she would let them feel her fire and lightning.

Her thoughts went to the Myrian-Dhani mixed breed she met in the jungle, Tinnok, and her Constrictor master, Mamoru. She found out from Tinnok that they both struck a deal for Tinnok to bear Mamoru's child. Aka gritted her teeth in anger and jealousy, why did Tinnok have all that she wanted? At least in terms of physical appearance and... relationships. Aka seldom had partners interested in her due to her child-like appearance, especially in Zinrah where most, if not all, of the Dhanis were far bigger and taller than her. She shook her head to rid the thoughts, she needed to focus tonight if she wanted to kill some Myrians.

Aka didn't know on who was to be her patrolling partner that night, what she knew was Mamoru would not be the one. So... who? Was it Senka? Ruga? She wasn't sure but she would find out soon enough. So there the Viper waited, occasionally glancing inside the cave to see if any Dhanis approached her.

[Sashisaxani]

It came like a dream. The fading of Syna's glow let the work sink into the dark whimsy of the night, and Falyndar came to life with the glow of flowers and torchlights. The Myrians were surely parading through the jungles in song, like "We're Off to Kill the Dhani!" while holding hands and riding giant tigers. Saxani, knowing this, was eager like a child, and grabbed her bow and scrambled out the cave, foolishly nearly knocking the contents of every person's hands she almost ran into, all before running up a wall to the fresh outdoors, hands raised high, and a triumphant smile upon her face. "Glorious night watch patrol!" she would scream, and run off into the wilds to join the Myrians in songs and dance. Ya right… Saxani snapped back to reality. Her attempts at covering up how much of a shit fest patrols could be wouldn't shake the truth. The Dhani had an advantage, yes, but it was sometimes very inconvenient and unnecessary to storm off into the night. The tigers saw well enough in the dark too. Working with unfamiliar faces added a layer of challenges to the dirty work. The elder of the pair, she managed to be informed that it was a viper she'd be working with. Saxani prayed to Siku the poor thing wouldn't run off or scare itself into submission. Her suffocating coils curled over the floor of her den while she gathered her bow, quiver, and knife, all safely tucked into her harness. She turned back to look at the exit to her cave. It was empty and quiet. She peered around the room further and found it lacking, empty, lonely… The patrol brought her company at least. Saxani picked a glowstone out from a nearby well-spring, a small little thing really, and began her stride towards the patrol rendezvous, grinding her nail tips to a point in case they had lost any of their sharpness lately, though her greatest weapon was very sharp that evening. Through the narrow channels of her eyes, the energy of her mind surged back and forth, taking in the view, calculating, and just as quickly acting in response. No Myrian they encountered would survive the night. Saxani looked up through the pass into the night sky and tree line above. She noticed the small humanoid form, and such silly hair coming from it. She was dainty in the moonlight, and seemed foolishly unarmed. Saxani was not as educated on viper culture from Eyktol as she was Zinrah, for obvious reasons, but knew better than to assume this girl to be stupid. The treachery of the vipers was more than a value to these kin of the constrictors; it was a necessity to compensate for their small size. Saxani was curious as to what this viper would do with her own fangs. Saxani's interests only grew as she saw something through her reptilian eyes and the cloth on Aka. There was something strange about her shoulder, as if a fire were built upon it. Her eyes met Aka's through the darkness; this was no ordinary viper. The moonlight that bled into the nest began to shine over Saxani's reflective scales as her crown and brow entered the scene. She raised her head with majesty and ferocity, glaring at the viper. The look of a killer settled, though not on Aka, but as if to look through or past her onto the wilds. The abyssal visage was already beginning to devour the hopes of weary Myrian troops. Her movements were gentle, and it was only when she came close that the rubbing of her scales could be plainly heard among the nighttime symphony of nature. The strange chords of the Dhani vibrated, creating a voice of power that no other race could compare to. The rich vocal tones of humans synergized with the venomous sounds of snakes – for the sound was sharp and cutting like a blade and inspired a feeling of terror in its tone. It was reminiscent of common is what might have been so horrific, but clearly not human. That teetering on the edge is what made it creepy. Imagine now, this was common for the Dhani; they embodied a form of terror. Alas, she had spoken to Aka. "Greetings, friend," rolled the forked tongue of the constrictor, her scales now plainly seen to be a mesh of black mirrors reflecting the white light of the moon. The bronze scales were scattered like patches of stars across her chest, save her face that might glow like the sun in fuller light. The eyes though…monstrous. "I am called Sashisaxani. I have patrolled this jungle for many years, and it is my home. I can say confidently you could not say the same, not nearly as well as I, little viper. Yet, here you are, so you must be forth something." Saxani crossed in front of Aka to view the ruins further, her eyes scanning at once for any movements that signaled at least the intelligence of a hawk. The Myrians were clever with their friendships and allies, and Saxani knew of shape-shifters who might not be trusted. Even birds could be trained though, so caution was in order. Her introduction was continuous however, leaving Aka to listen, "I will not boast of my strength, for you know well of it by being amongst our people. I shall inform you, however, I am sharp with my bow, and should that fail I am prepared to break the savage Myrians in my arms." Saxani flexed and tensed her claws in the air for a moment before briefly letting them down and moving in to Aka's personal space. The cruel maw of the constrictor settled next to the little girl's ear, the snake tongue flickering close enough to leave tickle. "What skills do you offer in service to Siku?" Saxani moved her face right up close to Aka's and stared intensely at the viper. Lie to me Saxani taunted Aka in her thoughts. She wanted to have a reason to be rid of this strange viper, as well as test her prowess in calling out bullshit. She was typically sharp for that. Intimidation was also useful to Aka, in case the constrictor's authority on this patrol was not already clear. OOCI think "Dhani" works like "sheep" in terms of singular and plural use?

[Soshakuakamamushi]

OOCHmmm, I think you're right. Okay then.

After a few moments of waiting, her would-be partner finally arrived. She was a constrictor Dhani in her Dhani form with glistening black scales covering her body with patches of bronze on her chest. The female looked large and imposing like most Constrictors, Aka had gotten used to it by now. She carried various weapons that Aka never cared about, she got her reimancy and agility and those were enough. With her mastery over three elements with an additional two para-elements combined with her inherent speed, no man-made weapons could compare to the power of magic. Still, not all individuals were talented in the art and not all would be willing to take the risk that came with learning the arcane so weapons were still popular among those that preferred brute force.

Used to being physically overshadowed she was, Aka found this particular female's stare to be more piercing than usual. It was as if her slitted eyes stared directly into her soul. Aka found herself wanting to break eye contact, but it would make a very bad impression especially in a prideful society of Dhani. She swallowed her nervousness and looked up to the towering Constrictor guard. "Hey, Sissster. You are my partner tonight?" She assumed the answer to be 'yes', there was no one else here after all. "Sissster Sashisaxani, I'm Soshakuakamamushi, you can call me 'Aka', it'sss uh... an honor to meet you. I think we had met in the Solssstice" As usual, she was more respectful in dealing with a fellow female. Only select few males gained her first-impression respect, one of them being Mamoru.

"...." She should have known, this female acted with the confidence and pride of a female Dhani. She underestimated Aka not a few chimes after they had officially introduced each other. She met the female once in the Siku's Solstice party but this would be the first time they actually worked together on their own. The new nickname was annoying as well, she didn't call her 'small fry', but 'little viper' had the same meaning. Aka had gotten her share of exploring the harsh jungle wilds, she even got lost once in an ancient unknown temple of - possibly - Myrian origins. She killed Myrians, she swam in the Kandukta Basins, and she met a half-breed Caiyha worshipped who made her home in the jungle. Needless to say, Aka could say she was not blind to the jungle. "Of courssse, Sissster. Whatever you sssay." She didn't want to argue with the female guard, being on Saxani's ill end would be not a wise choice. Perhaps when she displayed the full power of her fire then the Constrictor could respect her more, actions weigh more than words after all.

She didn't know for sure, but Saxani seemed to be interested in her small body. Why is that? Perhaps she was not used to seeing an adult Dhani being so diminutive and lacking in any secondary sexual characteristics. The guard basically said she was an archer and an unarmed combatant. Aka nodded, as expected, she had no magical talents. Those strong arms and sharp nails could give any Myrian some well-deserved bone-breaking.

"!?" The Viper visibly tensed when the black-scaled Dhani moved far closer for comfort. "W-what isss it?" She tried to sound like a proper female, but with Saxani's serpentine face so close to her, she knew if the guard decided to manhandle her, she could very much do it. Even with her expertise, at this range, Aka wouldn't have enough time to prepare her res. She shuddered as Saxani's forked tongue brushed against her ear. Aka was about to answer her question, but momentarily hesitated when she mentioned the Serpent Goddess-Queen. Aka was no follower of Siku, she was a flame of Ivak. Siku might had be the one who created the Dhani race, but that didn't mean all Dhani should worship her. Some of her kin decided to worship Caiyha instead. It just so happened Ivak made himself known to the Viper and made her his one of his children. Siku had been large absent in her life, she had no marks from her, no visits, and no signs so why should Aka worship her?

Still, she needed to answer Saxani's question so she just blissfully ignore the 'Siku' part. "I'm a Reimancer under Sissster Senescaaspia of Sitria, I have knowledge in manipulating fire, earth, air, lava, and lightning. I'm also a decent acrobat, Vipersss are inherently fast and agile." Her explanation about her own skills boosted her self-confidence, allowing her to stare back at Saxani without looking timid. The Constrictor's attitude annoyed her and Aka remembered about what Mamoru told her, hypnotism, yes she could use that. She would subtly make this guard at least be aware of her powers. It would not guarantee success, especially with her lack of skill but she would try nonetheless.

Concentrating to call her djed, Aka exhaled and inhaled to focus in coating her next words with her magic. "Sissster, realize I'm more than meets the eye. I can douse anyone who crossess me in fire and lava. I can zap them with lightning should they try to run away... you would do well to know thisss." She gave the subtle suggestion of 'respect' and 'fear' to wash over the Constrictor. She tried her best, it would entirely depend on Saxani's acceptance to the hypnotism for it to work.

"Alright then." They tarried long enough, Aka wanted to get the patrol done and over with so she could get some beauty sleep after a session of bathing in the hotsprings. She motioned for Saxani to go first, it would be logical since she was the more durable and physically stronger of the duo. "Lead the way, Sissster."

OOCFeel free to make up some Myrian fang patrol or predators or something!

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani had accepted Aka's word on her own powers prior to the hypnotism attempt honorably. She was a viper, yes, but not a Myrian, and had no inherent reason to not believe her, especially if she was held up in Zinrah and serving their guard. The reimancers were also a particularly good affiliation to have for Aka's portfolio, and Saxani was pleased with that. Magic was powerful, and figured it maintained Zinrah more than she realized. She had a respect for magic, despite knowing little of it. Each child had her own gifts to give. The reminder of viper speed was also good, and Saxani had been considering, though but briefly, how she might work with this cousin. This of course changed under the effects of Aka's hypnotism. Saxani felt the chill run up her spine, as a creeping presence of fear seemed to emanate from Aka. Her respect was reinforced, but quickly undone as Saxani could sniff out the threat underlying this viper's venomous words, laced in deceit. This would be a lesson for them both. Aka would do well to realize that though she could inspire fear and respect, not every person would react the same way. Fight or flight; the Dhani were fighters to the death and had been since their coming into this world. Saxani stared intensely at Aka who brushed the event off as if nothing had happened. For once, in a very long time, Saxani felt a challenge to her position, female of Zinrah, provider of her people, by this pathetic, treacherous guest. Aka's motion was well met. First the constrictor checked her left and right, to see if anyone was watching. None… Saxani grabbed hold of the viper's arm with her left hand, and just let her firm grip convey the message. Knowing the viper's weapon this close would be her fangs, if anything, Saxani's right hand shot up and clenched Aka's mouth shut, the claws sharp on her skin, but not nearly enough pressure to bleed her. The constrictor towered, the shadow of her monolithic form hovering over Aka, and the faint light of the moon illuminating the Dhani's silhouette. Saxani then spoke to Aka, in tones most calm, her grip unchallenged by the fragile Dhani thus far. "Hear me plainly, Soshakuakamamushi, and do well to remember my words if you are capable." The light gleamed over her fangs, words cutting like knives and pins flurried between them and the harsh timbre of her voice raked at the heart. This is what the Myrians heard when they came to die, and Saxani aided them. "You are a guest in our nest here. We are constrictors, Dhani, children of Siku. We welcome you, dearest cousin, into our home, feed you, shelter you, teach you, revel with you – yes I remember the celebration at Her shrine – and you seek to repay our kindness with this…" Saxani's right hand gripped it a little tighter over Aka's face and she moved in close, seemingly without fear, a fury within her awakened. Had Aka pushed too far, she would have unleashed the full wrath that was built up within her. If Aka was keen, and her own emotions did not overwhelm her, she could sense the hate, fear, spite, among other emotions of negative caliber, fuming within Saxani. There was fear, oh yes, and Saxani was now quaking with it. She struggled to keep her clasp over the viper civil, as opposed to crushing her for such a bold and thoughtless gesture as to not only threaten Saxani, but use her own weapons against her! Saxani could not pinpoint exactly what it had been; just only that she was not herself, and it had only happened in the presence of this viper. "I, Sashisaxani, daughter of Siku, who calls Zinrah home, warn you now, clear as ever, that such trespasses as using your magics against our people will not go unpunished. You, Soshakuakamamushi, little viper, have already transgressed our laws and bonds of solidarity with this act this night." Saxani sought to traumatize Aka a little bit if she could without setting the viper off entirely. The constrictor raised the viper up in the air by her face, and moved her left hand to grab hold of her should and torso, with hands so much larger, and lift the little human form up against the cavern wall, the rough black of the cave pressing into the reverse of Aka's skull and chest. "You will prove yourself tonight, Soshakuakamamushi, and I sincerely hope you do so well to make up for this insult. For in not, that punishment I mentioned will become a severe reality. Be insulted if you must, but realize this offer is merciful compared to reporting to my Queen and informing her of your actions as they happened just now. Saxani tilted her head left, the moon striking the void of her eyes, the black spheres settling on Aka, with only the faint reflection of herself and the illuminated cavern wall to be shown. "Behold Falyndar, Soshakuakamamushi, the land you find yourself in now. The Myrians will not shelter you. You are privileged to be in Zinrah, to call it home. Do not cross the only allies you have here." Saxani had not realized how hard she had been gripping Aka's flesh, the fear overwhelming her as she thought about it, and fed into it. The other lesson for Aka was the chain reaction that could come from her magic. It was a volatile thing by nature, and the people of the world all the more. The right index claw might have slit the surface like a paper-cut in this blind fury, barely restrained by Saxani's discipline. The flashback came to mind and how Aka would be dead where she stood had this been a younger Saxani. Saxani's form bulged and flexed, her coils coming to life. They began to swarm and twist over Aka as Saxani moved in close to make her point crystal clear, clearer than the night sky, the clean star light, the pale face of the moon, the waters that flowed here. She was close, her tempered breath and its odor rolling over Aka's face. Her whole body shook and her grip was tense, as if wanting to crush Aka's face, but being held back. Saxani's near-explosive emotions would be undeniable for Aka now, as they stared her in the face, her eyes practically alit with all the sinful feelings she had harbored within her, all since she was but a young girl. Saxani's eagerness to carve the heart of the Goddess-Queen Myri was unrelenting and overwhelming. "Do not cross me, viper, do not cross me ever again." If such pristine honesty did not convey the message, Saxani would need to learn hypnotism herself. She had showed Aka respect in sparing her, and keeping this a secret, but would the viper see that, or be blinded by her own fear as the Dhani huntress Saxani was pushed to the edge by Aka's own magic? Before Saxani let Aka go, she shifted her hand to pull Aka's dress from her left shoulder, turned Aka to face the wall, and beheld the outline of her gnosis mark, a flame. Saxani didn't know who this stood for, but it was not Siku. Saxani knew this viper had appeared too hot this time if year, even for an outside. With that last motiion, only after a few ticks' pause, Saxani's coils relented and she dropped Aka and backed away toward the cavern exit. The constrictor Dhani hastened her movements to the full exposure of the light and spread her arms low, raising them up as she roared into the endless night and shadow of Falyndar. Her claws raised up as if to hold the moon, skin glistening, the definition of her strength outlined and cast in shadow as their veins and muscles tensed like rock, the immovable strength of Zinrah. The would move like black death this eve. "Compose yourself, Aka, the hunt lay before us." An incredibly controlled Dhani peered back at Aka now, her eyes staring directly at her, dissecting her after that encounter, seeing what it was she feared, what she respected, and so on, and said, "Address me as Saxani, if need be." Saxani turned back, still regaining control of herself, showing Aka how she trusted her, exposing her back. Saxani was unnerved and put into a mood she had not felt for many decades. She would need to regain control of herself if she did not want to risk losing another vital part of her person. Her hand hovered over womb, part damaged, part removed. There was vengeance in her eyes, but regret in her heart. Such doubts betrayed their owners.

OOCI'll pick up with the enemy in my next post, unless you find it more suitable to do it this post. I thought this is something you'd want to address directly and not rush over though, post worthy. Saxani grabbing Aka's face to shut her trap might have cut her with the sharpened claws, but that's all your call. I left it open ended I think, and if i didn't and you want it removed, PM me. No need to hurt Aka's pretty face!

[Soshakuakamamushi]

OOCIt's all good!

"Hsss?!" Aka gasped in surprise when she felt her small body being lifted by the Constrictor, her lithe arm being wrapped by large scaly hand. Mentally, Aka regretted having the audacity to use hypnotism on the guard. It didn't go as planned, utterly didn't go as planned. "L-let me go!" She tried to wrench her arm away, but as always, the female Constrictor's grip was too strong. It clung to her skin much like a vice. Using her reimancy was out of the question, attacking a member of the guard - and a female at that - would definitely spell doom to the outsider Dhani.

"Mph?!" Her mouth forcefully clenched shut, unlike Mamoru, Xani had long nails akin to claws on her tip of her fingers, did she grow them herself? It was logical if Saxani's human form had long nails then her Dhani form would have these overgrown sharp claws. Her scarlet slits couldn't help but focusing on Xani's claws instead of her eyes, these sharp extremities could cut through her pale human skin like a knife through candle. "M... mph.." She whimpered and her small body quivered in fear, due to her position and circumstances, she was at the mercy of the female guard.

Xani's words branded themselves deep into Aka's mind as her hissing voice echoed within the cavern entrance. Everything she said was true, even though she was a fellow Dhani, she was still not a Constrictor and considered as an outsider to the Nest. She was given home due to being taken in by Mamoru and contributed a lot to the Nest so the Constrictors tolerated her. Xani was exaggerating the constrictor's services upon her though, they didn't feed her, she hunted for her own food, but the other tidbits were true. If it wasn't for Zinrah, she would lay dead in the jungle, either by Myrians or by the numerous predators stalking beneath the thick foliage. She couldn't say that to the guard unless she wanted to be ripped apart.

"Ki... umph..." Her cheeks pressed close and ran the risk of being cut by Saxani's nails, her grip was getting tighter and Aka had trouble breathing out of sheer intimidation. Right now, she couldn't see anything but the guard directly in front of her. She also obviously didn't have the faculty to think about Xani's feelings except the sheer anger emanating from her large Dhani form. Aka didn't thought such a simple emotional suggestion was a grave violation of the laws, Mamoru did it often and he got away with it just fine. What Aka didn't realize was that Mamoru was a lot smarter and subtle in using his hypnotism and he was also a guard.

"Ha... n-no!" Her back dragged up along the stone cavern walls as Xani easily lifted her small human body. Now her upper body was also pinned to the wall by Xani's other hand. What was the Constrictor going to do her? Would she violate her like the one back in the Shrine? Unlikely as Saxani didn't look like those kinds of Dhani, Aka expected for Saxani to mentally abuse her instead. "...." She could only meekly nod at the guard's ultimatum, being the temporary subordinate of this guard would be a whole world better than being reported to the Queen for treason.

"A.. mph! Aaah!" She wailed in pain as Saxani's nails began to dug into her pale cheeks. Drops of crimson began forming on her left cheek where one of the sharp claws dug too deeper for her smooth skin to endure. "N-no! Ssstop... hurting... m-me!" She tried to speak as slow as possible to not risk more injuries, but loud enough for Xani to hear. As if her large hands weren't enough to restrain her, now the Constrictor in Dhani form also used her tail to coil around Aka's small body. "A-aaaah!!" She screamed in pain and fear, reflexively trying to wriggle out but it was too tight. The hot breath brushing against her skin snuffed out any remaining defiance she had.

"Unh..." A drop of tear formed from her right eye, the fearful emotion was too much. She didn't want anything to do with dominating the guard anymore, it was not worth it if she had to experience this all over again, perhaps worse if a second offense should happen. "He?!" It seemed her plight was not over yet, her body was turned around her dress being pulled. N-no! Please no! She half-expected Xani was indeed going to violate her, her experience with the more lustful female constrictors reinforced it. But it stopped there, Xani didn't do anything beside pulling her dress at her left shoulder, the Viper wondered why. Then she realized there was her gnosis was located, was the Constrictor aware of Ivak's mark? "U-uhm! S-sissster, what are you doing?" She didn't want to assume, but she really hoped Saxani thought of it as some kind of tattoo instead of a mark.

When Xani dropped her, Aka would immediately put up her left hand to examine her cheek, wincing as pain shot up from the wound. When she looked at the hand that just brushed with her cheek, a stain of crimson was on her fingers. "...." The Viper narrowed her eyes, but not making even a single protest. The Constrictor looked majestic with her glistening dark scales under Leth's light, but the Viper obviously wasn't in the mood to appreciate her beauty, she was forcing herself to tolerate the guard even as she spoke. "Fine, Sissster Saxani. Let'sss kill some monkeysss." She put her mind off the abuse for now, focusing on the joy of hunting bronze monkeys instead. The Viper would let Saxani take the lead, following closely behind her.

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani repressed her presence and took a look forward into the jungle. The light deceived normal eyes, but snakes saw it come to life in a new fashion. Tonight they would not hunt the rodents, apes, boars, or birds that lurked through these jungles, but the "monkeys" – as Aka called them - that plagued the Dhani: Myrians. The sheer hatred for Myrians had been pronounced a thousand times within the past days, surely, and had really become a thing to do. Myrians made life difficult, threatening not only individual lives of those who treaded Falyndar, but in the case of the Dhani an entire culture as well. Saxani considered this game they found themselves in and somewhat pitied the gods who led them if they were to blame. She stood by Siku still though, for Siku had been kind and acknowledged a potential in Saxani Myri never would, even if Saxani bested Taloba's champions. It was jealousy, she imagined, how one works and another is given privilege. The workings of gods were not her primary concern now, rather exaltation of hatred. For the hate Saxani harbored, she spoke little of it anymore. There was a clear implication as to what she felt for them, but these dark passions had evolved in her. Saxani had discovered motivation, a very raw drive indeed, not only to survive and progress the prosperity of her people, but to create a form with a sole purpose of undermining, if not overwhelming the Myrians. Her existence was a weapon against them, incomplete yet effective, powerful but technical, and Aka had pulled a safety trigger of sorts. Saxani was not in as much control as she wanted to be. Her cunning would not suffer, merely her resolve. Saxani lead the little viper through the ghostly pillars of Zinrah's ruins. The moist jungles could form mists in the moonlight that made things worse for Myrians especially. The serpentine bodies swam through it, their coils flowing and guiding currents swiftly. The stark vibrancy of color in the jungle was hazed in this fog, but Saxani knew the way. She used her landmarks, this close to the nest, to guide herself through the wilderness on a local level in and out of the blockade. She was alert for traps, and had managed to slide past one such a thing. She disrupted it, and reminded Aka to be careful of such contraptions. With the Myrians, they most certainly spelled death, either by leaving a Dhani helpless to the wilds or their fangs, if not killing them outright in some cruel and honor-less manner. Pit traps were perhaps among the worst of them, for if the fall did not kill you, nor the poison the Myrians certainly would place, then grievous wounds would. The festering was agonizing if no healing could be done. Saxani and Aka had went far in little time, for the path they took was secretive and thick with vegetation, therefore unideal for fang patrols. The constrictor fluidly put her rear arm back on Aka's shoulder to halt her. She had found something. There was a light in the mist, but Saxani knew for as little detail as might be seen, it was no use to go further. If anything, it was greater danger, for there was a distinct pattern in the light that she knew too well. The black lightning stripes rippled across radiant colors of orange, which were alive like the fires that illuminated them. There was a fang ahead, and they had at least one monstrous tiger among them. Saxani, unsure and untrusting of the wind, began to push Aka backwards the way they came. It was not safe to talk here. She made it clearer, if it was not clear, by putting her finger up to her mouth, and being ready to clamp Aka's shut if she started to speak. When they were in the clear, Saxani began to analyze what little she had taken in. She needed to see what their numbers were exactly before they moved in close. Though snakes in tall grass, the tigers were very alert creatures, unless exhausted or spoiled. If they spooked one especially, there'd be no reason for the rider to stop the cat from doing a patrol of its own. A full fang was powerful, but maybe they could pick it apart. Moreover, Saxani was still unsure of Aka's full potential. The volatility of her plans might have just been crazy enough to work though. "Little viper," she began, "We will need to get close to observe them clearly. I want you to scout for me. You must be quiet and unnoticeable, like the passing of time, there, but permit the Myrians reason to remain blissfully unaware of you. One wrong move and the tiger might pounce, so we must remain cautious. If you feel you cannot go closer without tipping off the beast, then do not do so. You are worth more alive than dead. I will follow behind you. "We must also not linger, for the scent of Zinrah is still upon us, and the dampness of the air may only cloak us for so long. The air will be hot and dry by their fire. Perhaps the smoke too will help veil us from the tiger's nose. We will have little time. Study them swiftly, but be accurate. We need to know how many there are, what weapons they have, anything to distract or take advantage of, how old their tiger seems, and who their leaders are. To much surprise, the young Myrians are not as effective without their leaders, or are demoralized at the least. That is what makes Zinrah strong; we feed off the failure of our peers, fuel our fires with hate and vengeance. "Do not delay if you cannot discover everything. We might circle around for a clearer sight, or they might split apart on a shift, at which time we want to pay attention to their numbers, what times they expect to take, how long. We will take them by surprise that way, weeding them out. I'd like to take the beast on away from its master if possible and even then without the busyness of twenty other dancing savages armed to the teeth. You look at me as if something is wrong. Have you never been on a patrol such as this? I pray to Siku you speak a lick of Myrian?"

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Aka kept rubbing the small cut-wound caused by Xani's claws on her cheek. She lowly hissed in anger when the Constrictor turned her back on her, the thought of enacting revenge upon the large Dhani crossed her mind but she snuffed it. It would be the last thing she ever did considering Xani was a member of the guard. Also, it would be a very stupid thing to do as every dead Dhani meant a step towards victory for those bronze monkeys. It was a struggle already with only a handful of Dhani against the horde of Myrians, with how long her race took to mature, even a single fatality was a heavy blow to Zinrah.

Aka wondered on why did Dhani never grew to large numbers such as humans or Myrians. She kept following the guard as her mind sought for answers. One, the fact that every single Dhani took about a hundred years to mature made reproduction hard, this was also reinforced by the a female's incapability to mate with other races. A female Dhani could only be impregnated by a male of the same sub-race as only them could make the egg-laying worked. Second, the way Dhani society worked itself, Dhani were fond of inner-fighting and had massive amount of pride for their own sub-race as evident by how the Constrictors treated her in Zinrah. If they couldn't even work among their cousins, how could they hope to defeat the tens of thousands strong Myrians with their coordinated teamwork? This all contributed to the sorry state the Dhani race found themselves today.

Aka shook her head in frustration, she hoped for this to change one day. She knew what Ivak wanted her to do now, she would cleanse the jungle of the monkeys with her fire and brought glory to her race once more. She might not be a worshipper of Siku, but she still respected the Serpent Queen to a degree, she created the Dhani race after all. Her reason to keep fighting was to Ivak and her cousins, not Siku herself. The guard in front of her seemed to be an avid follower of Siku, Aka found it common. Though she wondered if Siku's own teachings heavily contributed to the fall of Dhani, but of course even mentioning that in Zinrah would result in her being crushed to a pulp by the giants.

She kept walking through the ruins decorating Zinrah, the night jungle air filled with the chirps of insects, the slithers of Saxani, and Aka's light footsteps. It was almost peaceful, but it was only a mere facade as the moment they stepped outside, it would be a warzone. Constrictors needed to move more carefully to not be detected by the Myrians due to their large form, but Aka found herself easily navigating through them, especially with her snake form since she would be as small as a regular cobra. These Constrictors, priding themselves on their strength and size, muscles and physical strength meant nothing if Aka could burn them with her fire, douse them in lava, or shock them with her lightning. Natural elements were far stronger than any muscle and brawn could ever hope to achieve.

The path they took wasn't familiar to the Viper, but she kept her silence for she knew Saxani would know the way. If she wasn't then she was one failure of a guard. With her act and demeanor, Aka assumed she was one of the more veteran guards, older than Mamoru. Her small lithe agile form allowed Aka to navigate through the vegetation rather easily. She wanted to push her abilities by hunting in human form that night, see if she could match up to the Myrians without her keen senses and heat vision. She had killed Myrians in human form before, but it was all a one-on-one battle while she killed a whole group with her magic in her small snake form.

"...?" Due to her human senses, Aka didn't notice what Saxani noticed, but by the looks of it, the Dhani form Constrictor detected something that warranted them to stop. She let herself be halted and peered through the thick jungle plants. It seemed dangerous enough for Aka found herself being pushed back. "Wh- mph?!" She wanted to ask on what exactly lay ahead, but her mouth was quickly clamped by the guard. "..." She got the message and nodded.

"Get clossse? Myriansss?" Only Myrians could prompt such caution, well maybe that one giant white bird she stumbled upon in the jungle, but that would be unlikely so Myrian it was. "...alright." She agreed to Saxani's plan as Aka found it very logical. She was a lot smaller and lighter than Constrictors, her movements would emit little sound. The mention of tiger brought her to a pause, oh how she hated big cats, especially the infamous Myrian tigers. Those huge fangs and claws could tear her apart in a few strikes. She needed to blast it away with her magic from afar, preferably lightning or lava to the head or heart to ensure an instant kill.

"Er... okay..." Aka didn't get on the convoluted requests Saxani had. This also made her rethink her agreement earlier. Xani wanted to know everything about that particular fang where Aka opted to just find a good 'sniping' spot from the trees and rain down a large exploding fireball at them, roasting most of them to pieces, especially the tiger. She raised an eyebrow which was noticed by Saxani. "Well... Sissster, I patrolled in the passst with variousss guardsss including Massster. We usssually don't do this, you know? Learning and finding. Mossstly we jussst spot them and surprissse them. I will use my reimancy and support him while he fought on the frontline."

The Viper then held her hand upwards like a claw as if wanting to demonstrate her power. "Sissster, I can birth a flaming child, bigger than your Dhani form and send them towardsss thossse monkeysss. Once there, I will command my child to explode, unleassshing itsss fury upon the Myriansss. They will not sssee what's coming." Aka smirked, a rather arrogant one. "Or if you prefer, I can pick them off one by one with my lightning, ssshocking their puny flesssh. I imagine even a tiger cannot resissst my thunder. Ssso Sister, how about I jussst get a good posssition then ambusssh them with my magic then you can charge in? Much fassster." She proposed. If Saxani accepted, Aka would find a good position up on the trees, prepare her res, and unleash her fury upon the Myrians. If she declined, the Viper would just try her best in scouting them, but she would defend herself as needed if she should be detected.

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani tried to lead with poise and consideration. A veteran of the front, champion of Zinrah - for every Dhani who slew Myrians was a champion in such small numbers and vital importance for warriors in these harsh times – and aspiring tactician, Saxani gave Aka's counsel her fullest consideration. The viper's methods, and by the sound of things one of her own kin's, was rather unorthodox. Having been a hunter for years before she was assigned solely to the desolation of the blockade, Saxani fostered patience. She was used to letting the Myrians slip away and single themselves out where her comparative strength trumped any single one of the Myrian's without much struggle. It saved energy, and was very safe compared to Aka's alternative. Under normal circumstance, Saxani would not hear such words and promote her tradition, but the constrictor had not yet recovered from Aka's tampering. Saxani was in a state of bloodlust, for certain, and would achieve her means creatively. Alas, the call for a plan was imperative, for the Dhani were outnumbered at least ten to one, plus a tiger. "Perhaps I underestimate your power, viper, but you underestimate theirs as well. What your human eyes may not see is what deceives you. These fangs can be up to forty strong, as far as I have bared witness, having five or more mounted riders with them. The Myrians do not come to play. This is a front as much as it is a proving ground for both of our peoples. It is sick to say it that way, but we earn our places in our own worlds by killing, and our people are on the losing side. "You do not see how many of them there are, and I doubt not the strength of your venom, merely the speed of your bite. Yes, you are swift, but you do not have five heads with fangs to match, and I fear for you. This is no gathering party, or stray patrol, but the heart of their unit and army. Should the day come, legions of groupings like those before us would be outfitted to march upon Zinrah. "Seeing only one tiger – and I cannot smell much over the smoke or mist, so I do hope it is only one – I believe this might be a broken fang, spread over the area. I wish for them to not use a tiger caller, and signal the rest of their group, for then I doubt I'd have the arrows, or you the fire to destroy them all. The assaults you describe in past journeys sound like child's play to this, and I wonder if you were truly fighting Myrians at all. You might not have remained near for that patrol, or else you'd have thought twice before charging to boldly. "Perhaps you will begin to call me Teacher should I prove something of worth to you. Come, hear me, as I have heard you and still contemplate your words, your power, your cunning – Siku would be pleased. I must ask though, for your strategy is bold, and I wish first to hear what else you have planned before I suggest otherwise. Suppose we attack now, and you unleash the elements upon them, slay half of them before I draw an arrow. What then? What is your next step? What if the caller gets away and the whole of the blockade descends upon us? What if the tiger does not die and snatches you between its paws before I can reach you, if I can reach you? Lightning and fire are strong, but burn bright. You'd have a mere one or two shots before they'd be aware. Tell me, viper, what would you do next, after you ambush them? What can you guarantee of your own power to deliver us from this enemy? "I will tell you, I was one so brazen, so brash, so bold… It was years ago when my brothers and I descended upon a group much like this, destroying their fire, and tearing them apart limb from limb. We won, and I took their captain by the neck and slung her against the strong bark until she broke, but I suffered. For as great a victory as it was, Zinrah had lost that fight, for I had lost my ability to give life – you see," Saxani directed Aka toward her scar, now a bit more faint, if her human eyes could perceive it in moonlight. "That is why we must know them more before we act. We do not make this decision merely for ourselves, but for Zinrah too. Besides that yet, they may have supplies of things of use to Zinrah: food, the tiger's pelt I may be able to skin, or we can haul back the body for a more professional cut, their meats, their own flesh, trinkets, weapons, armor, medicine. You see how much we must consider? We are not mere guards, viper, but the prime hunters of Zinrah's bounty. So yes, we can slay this pathetic troop, scar them, and leave, or we might cut away a chunk in the blockade that will fester for days and heal for longer time, stealing from their flesh. This is the way we live in Zinrah. "I ask again, viper, before you yield the discussion to me once more. What would you next move be after you ambush them? Be as realistic or idealistic as you please, but I warn you, the ideal is a rarity…" All the while Saxani had been watching the Myrians moving about while she tried to perceive who was awake, or what they were doing. She was hoping a group would split off on a patrol, and she might find a means to break the group up further. She especially was concerned with the tiger, and hoped to get it away, and cover their scents for now to defend against it. Aka might be able to slay it in a stroke of lightning, but Saxani knew she'd need a clean shot. There was much to consider. For the time being, however, it seemed the fang was settled. Saxani was very interested to see the viper's perspective of this situation. Perhaps she could prove herself a constrictor yet.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Tch... Aka spat inside her mind, Xani was overestimating the abilities of those monkeys. No matter how many they were, they couldn't stand a chance fighting against a small Syna, that was enough to engulf two Constrictors in Dhani form at once, floating to them. Obviously the female guard hadn't personally seen how Aka fought with Mamoru where she created a very large fireball, spreading heat and devastation everywhere through smaller exploding fireballs and flaming snakes birthed from her sun. The Viper herself would be hiding under her fiery child or somewhere else as she destroy those Myrians from afar. What else could they do? Ignore the sun and look for her, risking fatal burn marks? Unlikely. Those Myrians would be left confused, trying to fight Aka's flaming incarnation. Aka just kept silent, actions spoke better than words, and she was determined to prove her to Xani as the Constrictor wanted.

"Sissster, who said I will ussse my venom? No." Aka stood her ground against Xani, making use what her short height could do. "I will ussse my fire, they will never know what isss coming to them! You'll ssse..." She was not afraid even she had to fight forty Myrians, she was sure each and every last one of them couldn't stand fire, lava, and lightning upon her flesh. She may be overconfident, she may be not, she was determined to find out nonetheless. The Viper's eyes narrowed in offense as Xani underestimated her past deeds, the guard was doubting her?! There was no way the bronze humanoids wearing bone weapons and armor couldn't be Myrians. A child's play? Aka would like to see the guard fought against six Myrians and a tiger with her puny physical weapons alone. "You... kuh..." She whispered low, not caring whether Saxani noticed her disdain or not.

Saxani's further explanations on this particular Myrian group brought her to a pause however. She was right, Aka didn't think enough on the matter. Even if she could slay twenty of them with her magic, more Myrians would be pouring in, drawn by the bright lights of her flames. In the end, they both would be slain and it would be all for naught. The Myrians could take a hundred casualties and still go strong while even a single fatality of Dhani would be a heavy blow to Zinrah. Aka went silent as she looked down upon the ground, not willing to admit she was careless. She opted to just not answer Xani's questions.

The story about Saxani's past made the Viper respect her more. So she the guard was not all hiss and no bite, she had done this for many years and even slain a large group of Myrians much like this one with her brothers. "..." Her crimson slits moved to see Xani's scar located near her womb. Aka wasn't all that disturbed for she didn't get much chance to bear eggs, her Nest was destroyed, and everyone here except Jori was of a different sub-race. Perhaps she could continue her legacy by matting with Jori, but it would be for later. She could understand where Xani's caution came from, her forced sterility meant one less female to support the struggling population of Zinrah.

She then continued, Aka wasn't expecting that. In all her experiences, she never thought to loot the Myrians of their belongings. She would not lower herself to use the objects made by those Bronze Monkeys. She always leave their smoldering corpse along with whatever weapons or armor they carried. Eating a Myrian, no, that would be the same as those cannibalistic savages but she figured it would be the same as giving those savages their own medicine. If Saxani wanted to eat them, that's fine, but Aka wouldn't unless she was utterly starved. Aka kept her silence until the female guard asked her about her next move after unleashing her power.

"I..." By now, she realized she couldn't kill them all. Aka's original plan was to kill this particular group of Myrians then be on their merry way back to Zinrah. The knowledge crushed her plan. "...don't know." She hung her head, breaking eye contact. It was better to admit this now then act foolish and be slain. She had enough of acting stupid, it costed her too much in the past.

"Sissster, I will... obey with whatever you wisssh to do." Aka nodded, rubbing her right arm with her left hand. The Viper would follow whatever instructions the Constrictor gave her from now on. "Jussst tell me if you want my fire to act."

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani was impressed. While the sensation was not overwhelming, she was happy with two things: Aka's understanding and aptitude to learn, and Saxani's own skills at actually convincing an outsider to her view and teaching her. This is precisely the type of leadership, or so Saxani imagined, that had taken the Myrians from their rag-tag bands some hundred years ago and formed them into an empire. It became clear though, that Myri might have gotten some help along the way, being but a human then and a goddess now. Saxani knew she'd need to delve into the catacombs of the priestesses for more information. Knowledge was power, and the fuel to their cunning. Could Aka see that teaching of Siku's? She was learning the importance of team work and strategy at any rate, vital parts of the nest's survival on a daily basis. "I still insist we gather what information we can. I know little of reimancers, but implore you that should you stray too close to the camp, guide the winds from their fire towards you, or to the side. Do not blow your scent toward the camp, or we'll both soon be on the retreat or dead. I may take a while longer, but I will follow behind you. Take note of any oddities before I arrive, especially if they speak. Myrians take their work seriously on the blockade. Even if you do not understand it, take note of their tongues and I will translate what sounds you can mimic to the best of my ability. I am not fluent, but am learning at every opportunity. "We must remain unseen, shadows in the darkness, truly unknown with the air magic I pray you can use. I believe I have an idea for diverting the company soon after, and then you will have your chance to slay all the Myrians you desire. I am very curious to see what tools they might have with them." Beyond what she told Aka, Saxani was thinking bolder thoughts of drawing the whole fang together and purging an entire portion of the blockade. Aka had fire and that may be useful. Saxani considered the consequences of igniting the forest in heavy flames. They might destroy the entire fang, but at the cost of camouflage and possibly local food. It was not her decision to make alone if it might impact the nest, and the Dhani were not nearly ready to expand their control beyond the ruins. After they gather more information, Saxani had some more questions for Aka. The viper's magic would be a vital tool to making a strategy to solely benefit Zinrah, and hurt the Myrians at every turn. Hopefully Ivak was looking over his little pet that she didn't burn out. "Let's move, and remember to be slow and quiet. This is not a race. We will let them come to us when we want them to. Let us see how we want them to move first. Lead ahead, and remember to keep our scent away from them." Saxani began to follow behind in Aka's path, the coils of the constrictor leaving a much wider trail over the viper's dainty tracks. Saxani kept low to the ground and recounted the arrows on hand, definitely thirty-five, packed tightly in her quiver. Every shot would count, and she'd need to watch where they landed in the dark. Saxani started to think of the arrows and the tiger, how a larger bolt would help kill the beast without severe damage to its pelt or body. She kept looking forward at Aka, devising a plan to make the utmost use of this viper's skills. It would be a test of Aka's strength. Saxani was still under trial of her own resolve. Two Dhani versus and entire fang seemed unbelievable, especially for their amateur experience. This would be Saxani's first time leading such an assault, but were they to succeed, it would definitely be a step toward Zinrah's progress. The constrictor's body slithered closer to Aka, her head just peeking above the brush a bit behind the viper. Saxani began to observe passively at the general setting of the encampment. Her snaketongue was hushed, but enthusiastic to hear what Aka may have sighted ahead of her, if anything, "Anything odd? Be brief." Saxani's speech was very quiet, quick, and a bit chopping in structure. Stealth translated beyond motion in such close quarters, and she hoped Aka would know better than to speak too loud. Saxani was noting a count of the Myrians, the tiger's condition, weapons, supplies, and so forth. The circular encampment might be worked toward their advantage. Saxani wanted to trap the tiger most of all and finish it quickly. Perhaps Aka had an idea in striking the strongest of their numbers first, but Saxani knew it needed to be guaranteed for that was their only element of surprise. The constrictor was desperate to find a tiger roarer or any other signal that might alter the entire fang. That should be their strategic priority, then runners. Trapping the Myrians would aid in the latter issue, so now it was important they spy for the instrument. Who among them might have it, a tracker, a scout, or the captain? Saxani hoped desperately the captain did not wield the call, as if her tiger was not issue enough. "Do you see an instrument called a tiger roarer? It is wooden, sleek, slung on string or rope." She hoped Aka's eyes were a bit sharper.