Completed [Aka's Cave] Arcane Shackle (Traverse)

[Soshakuakamamushi]

The Viper knelt there for a full chime, her body doing nothing while her mind was wracked with despair, despairing at her inability to help a fellow kin, those events might have happened hundreds of years ago and Aka wasn't even born at that time, there was nothing she could do about it and frankly, it wasn't her fault, but by Ivak, watching her fellow kin being gored, impaled, and cut down by Myrians, finished with the tortured form of a once-proud Priestess had its effects on her mind. I will change this... She made a mental promise, By the God of Flames, I will burn them to the ground! One day, with her own flaming hands, she would see the Dhani ruled over this jungle.

The Viper slowly opened her eyes to examine the collar when a sudden mental flash, barely a tick, clicked in her mind, Huh? She little knowledge about the Arts of Glyphing, but from what she knew, this particular collar was far beyond her ability to read, let alone create. "Woah..." Aka held the collar with both of her hands as she her slitted scarlet eyes reflected the collar's azure light, it was beautiful, powerful, and definitely a masterpiece work of arcane arts. For the moment, she forgot about the collar being used to torture her kin. "Wait, isss thisss?" She could recognize some of its symbols, while most of them were gibberish to her, some strongly resembled the letters that those multi-armed people back in Eytkol used, "Aru...menic?" She knew an Arumenic word or two during her time visiting the desert city.

The voice spoke again, and this time, Aka was fully awake so she reacted properly, the Viper turned her head left and right, up and down, examining every inch of her cave in search for the speaker, but she found none. The voice was echoing in her cave so even with her observant senses, she couldn't sense where it was coming from, "Don't tell me..." She looked at the collar once more, did the voice come from the collar? The only unusual thing in this cavern was this thing, surely Yuki and Evalin wouldn't whisper ominously like that, well... Evalin would, but her voice didn't sound like that. The light show disappeared as the collar returned to normal.

"I have to get to the bottom of thisss..." She muttered to herself, in her mind, the best person to ask was sister Senescaaspia, Head Reimancer of Zinrah and Aka's boss, hopefully the Constrictor Master Reimancer wouldn't mind a little midnight visit. The Viper stood up as she stepped out from her bedroll then giving one final glimpse to her slaves, she exited her cavern. If nothing stopped her, Aka would make her way to Senescaaspia's cavern, to see if the Constrictor was resting there, if the head reimancer wasn't about, she would change directions to Sitria instead.

After a few moments, she was standing before Aspia's cavern-home entrance, she politely entered then made herself known, "Pardon me, Sissster, are you here? I have sssomething to ssshow you, sssomething... glyphed, I think, I'm not sure."

[Traverse]

Aspia was meditation in human form when the viper approached her cavern. She could detect the soft padding of feet, and it didn't take long to figure out who it was. Few who dwelled in Zinrah preferred their human form, and she knew of only one of those that would seek aid and knowledge from her.

She caught the word 'glyphed' and slowly stood up, pushing out the wrinkled layers of a sheer dress before walking silently out towards Aka.

"I am afraid, sisster Aka, I know little of glyphing." The master reimancer eyed the strange collar the viper was holding, and gently reached out for the object. Her fingers brushed the leather, and nothing happened, not like the blue flash Aka had witnessed. She turned the object around in her hands, examining it.

"I can feel the power of this artifact, but nothing more." She glanced up at Aka. "Can you tell me how you came to have this and why you brought it to me?"

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Aka idly wondered, while most Dhani preferred their Dhani form or Snake form, the both of them were fond of their humanoid form more than the other two. Aka's reason was that she spent about a decade traveling in her human form with Galbern. Most humans or other races, save for the Eypharians, didn't really appreciate a half-snake half-man creature walking through their city streets after all and her snake form just made it hard to do her day-to-day activities in a non-Dhani nest so the most viable choice was her human form. She got used to it after a decade, Aka saw walking around in her human form as normal, but that didn't mean she hated nor dislike her other forms, if the situation warranted it, she would gladly switch, as evident by her switching to her snake form for stealth attacks or swift retreat. What was Aspia's reason? She was curious, but curbed her urge to ask, it could be seen as impolite. Aspia was one of the few Constrictors she truly respected in Zinrah after all.

The Master Reimancer and Head of Sitria was deep in meditation, an act Aka could never perform for more than two chimes due to her hyperactive nature and impulsive personality. Calm and composed manner were not something a flame could do, a flame was never stagnant, always moving, always burning. The Viper watched as Aspia walked towards her, the difference of height between the two sub-races became increasingly pronounced with each step, Aka's head reached just above Aspia's chest, below her chin, at most. When the Constrictor asked for the collar, Aka gladly gave it to Aspia, she was not disappointed when Aspia revealed that she knew little about Glyphing. To be frank, Aka only knew the bare basics as well.

Not only herself, but Aspia could detect the power oozing from such a simple collar, the Viper's features became serious as she formed her words, planning to explain to Aspia in a short and concise manner, "Well Sister Aspia, I was hunting for tapirs and then uh..." She rubbed her left arm with her right in nervousness, "Kinda got lossst," The Viper then explained about the strange glowing silver bird and how she must entered the strange ruins behind her to escape talon-y death. "And then, I was trapped there, the entrance collapsed, I must find another way..."

Along with her explanation about the temple being Myrian-like in nature, especially with the giant statue of a Myrian in fancy clothing, "I encountered a stone door, blocked by some... unknown shimmering layer, I broke through it though," She didn't know that it was Shielding which blocked the door, "I entered it..." then a look of horror slowly plastered itself on Aka, "T-the door led into a corridor... m-much like Zinrah..." She bit her lower lip, but plowed on, "At the end, t-t-...there was a bone yard w-with..." She couldn't take this, Aka sat down in fear, her eyes focusing on nothing in particular, "Dhani bonesss, l-lotsss of them..." Then she looked up at the collar in Aspia's hands, "There wasss an altar with a small chessst... I didn't know what happened next, my body jussst m-moved by itssself and then... m-my handsss put the collar around my neck..." Aka closed her eyes as she continued about how she passed out, waking up, and finally escaped the temple, "I can't remove the collar ever sssince."

The Viper shakily stood up, looking up to Aspia, "And then, I had a vision, about... the ssstory of a Priestess of Siku, Sister Aspia," With what she knew and vaguely remembered about the battle, Aka kept her story short, "In the end, the Dhani lossst, Liss wasss captured and... a Myrian put the collar on her, then I woke up." The Viper sighed as she finished her story, looking away, using one of the glowstones as a distraction, "I don't know who elssse I can go to, Sister..."

[Traverse]

Aspia handed the collar thoughtfully back to Aka, her gaze traveling past the shorter viper and down the dark corridors of the underground city.

"I think I know ssomeone we can talk to." The woman wore sheer robes, and gestured for Aka to follow her down the winding passageways of Zinrah toward an unknown destination.

Which happened to be a crack in the floor with eerie green light seeping out of it. Aka may have realized this was the entrance to the eccentric Glyphing shop owned by a bizarre and twisted example of Constrictor kind. Aspia slowly lowered herself down and bade Aka to follow.

"If anyone in Zinrah knowss about thiss collar, it will be Glyph." She said in way of explanation, then disappeared around a corner.

Once Aka caught up to her fellow Reimancer she would find herself in a narrow tunnel that eventually opened up into a queer little shop, filled with scrolls and strange artifacts hanging from the ceiling and perched upon every natural rocky shelf available.

A long smoothed piece of rock acted as the 'front desk' of the shop, and at present a Dhani lay drooling over it, one hand clutched a large quill, a pot of ink spilled and dripping over the side of the marble as a half finished magic scroll lay crumpled under the Dhani's weight.

"Glyph...?" Aspia's voice was hesitant. There was no one in Zinrah that Glyph could call friend, though the head Reimancer was a more complacent sort than most.

The Dhani's nuzzle shook derisively, drool falling out of a half open jaw as she snorted and shot up, large acid green eyes peering down at the two Dhani in human form that had come into her shop.

"Whu....that'ssss not what thisss sscroll wasss sssuppossed to do..." She glanced down at her ruined piece of work and cursed in snaketongue.

"Petching Myrian ballssss, not again." One massive arm merely swept the whole mess of paper, ink and other materials off the table and clattering onto the ground, two bony elbows settling against the stone, head cocked to the side like a strange bird as Glyph assessed her two visitors.

"I know you...both of you, though you..." That was directed at Aka, "You've never come to my sshop. I'm not open, by the way, ssso go back to sssleep and ssso will I." She rather looked as if she could return to sleep too, but Aspia gestured to Aka to hold up the collar.

"Glyph, we have need of your expertisse. Aka found thisss collar in some old ruinsss, it gave her sstrange dreamsss, and I can sssensse the power within it."

Glyph leaned forward, breath sliding out of slittled nostrils and she peered towards the plain looking collar. All at once she snatched it from Aka's grasp and began turning it round and round in her hands.

"Ooh, oooh, OOOOOOOOOOOH thissss, thisss is wonderful work!" She slammed the collar down on the table flat, eyes scanning its surface, then pricked one end of the collar. Like a glow stone the patterns and glyphs lit up once more, showing all three of the mages the intricacy of the collar before going dark again. Aka heard Aspia draw in a breath.

"So what isss it?"

"What iss it? Don't make me laugh, that isss the easssy part. It holdsss imagesss, memoriesss, probably of a singular individual. A hissstory, or a ssstory of caution, as it might be." Glyph grabbed Aka by the shoulder.

"Tell me everything you remember about thisss collar and what it hasss done since you found it. Everything."

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Oh, who isss it?" The Viper asked curiously, she had no assumptions as of the moment on who they could talk to regarding the strangely powerful artifact. Was it someone even more powerful than Aspia? Siku? The Viper make an awkward chuckle as she mused to herself, nah, it couldn't be, troubling the Serpent Goddess-Queen for such a simple matter would elicit her wrath, perhaps it was some other powerful mage that Aka had no knowledge of, Aspia must have been living in this giant nest for decades or even centuries after all, even after all her time here, Aka didn't know how deep and confusing Zinrah went. The tunnels seemed endless, when Aspia motioned her to follow, she gladly obeyed.

As the two Master Reimancers walked the tunnels of Zinrah, Aka idly wondered if they were going to a Queen or something, she had this wish in the back of her mind to meet one of Zinrah's higher-ups, as a female with a large ego, the Viper loved attention, she wanted to be recognized, she wanted to be famous as how a proper female Dhani should be. She had built a reputation as one of Zinrah's potent reimancers, but it wasn't enough, she wanted more, her flaming ambition wouldn't be stopped here. So caught up in her thoughts, Aka didn't notice the eerie green light until Aspia spoke to her, she quirked an eyebrow and was about to ask on what in the name of Ivak was that light? The green look was rather similar to... she wasn't sure, acid perhaps.

However, her boss answered first, so there was this person named 'Glyph' who knew about Glyphs... well now that was some dedication right there. To name oneself based on one's job, Aka chuckled at her own thoughts, perhaps she would meet a Reimancer named 'Reimy' soon or a Hypnotist named 'Hypno'. What was the world coming to? The Viper followed Aspia, traversing through the downwards narrow tunnel, due to her small form, nimble limbs, and Viper reflexes, she had an easier time compared to Aspia, but she slowed down for her boss' sake. At last, they arrived at a strange little cave, scrolls and odd objects strewn haphazardly all around them. In the midst of it all was a Constrictor in Dhani form... sleeping on the job, her droll spilling on the desk, "..." Aka was speechless, the sight was an odd combination of disgust and hilarious, this particular green-scaled Constrictor appeared to be the epitome of sloth.

"So... ssshe isss the one?" Aka raised an eyebrow when Aspia called the sleeping Constrictor, the one literally named 'Glyph'. Apparently, Glyph was a light sleeper, she woke up after a single call, albeit her reactions were rather exaggerated, Glyph mumbled some slurred words which prompted an eye roll gesture from the Viper, Aka put her right hand to her waist, holding back the urge to pull Aspia out of there and not waste anymore time with this drooling Constrictor. Granted, Aka chuckled when she made a joke regarding the male sex organ of those monkeys. An unfinished glyphed scroll floated its way to Aka's feet as she bent down then picked it up, absently examining it, raising her head when Glyph spoke to them. "Er..." Of course she never came here, this Ivak-forsaken shop was hidden in the middle of nowhere! "Oh... closssed? Well then *Sigh*..." Her sigh was not that pronounced, revealing she was glad to be rid of Glyph, Aka was about to turn around when Aspia gestured for her to show the collar, Aka sighed, truly exasperated this time, and raised the collar for Glyph's acid-colored slitted eyes to see.

"..." Aka winced in annoyance when a massive scaled hand wrenched the collar out of her grasp, gritting her teeth, worried that Glyph might tear it apart with her strength, even the weakest Constrictors were mightier in terms of brawn compared to the strongest Viper. Glyph then began shouting around like a snakeling high on drugs, crimson slits widened as the Glypher slammed her precious collar to the table, the collar she unwittingly risked neck and limbs for, "C-careful, damn it!" She hissed, but her anger was quickly overtaken by awe when Glyph did something with it, revealing intricate glowing patterns, she drew a breath at the same time as Aspia. By now, Aka couldn't be annoyed or angry, Glyph clearly knew what she was doing, annoying as she was, this woman was a much better glypher than the two master reimancers.

"O-ow!" Of course, Glyph just had to grab her human-formed shoulders with her dhanif-formed massive scaled hands, Aka tried hard not to think of the bruises that would surely come later. So the 'dream' she saw was not a dream, but indeed a vision of the Dhani Priestess, when Glyph requested it, Aka began retelling the stories she told Aspia just chimes ago.

.........

.....

...

"After that, I didn't do anything to it, it jussst clung to my neck like a leech... well, after the dream I told you, a classsp sssuddenly appeared on it which uh... I rubbed then it jussst came off, I went to Sister Aspia, we went to you, and that'sss where you came in." Aka wanted to shrug but with her shoulder being tortured, she just gave a light annoyed smirk, "Would you kindly get your handsss off me? It hurtsss..."

Dang brutish cousins...

[Traverse]

Glyph listened intently, but the more Aka spoke, the more her face fell, as if the story the viper told was not one she wanted to hear.

"That isss fasscinating, but doesss not explain ssso many thingsss, the trigger changesss? Why did it releassse, isss it done? Cannot be, it isss too complex to jussst give one dream, why would it be made for that?" The Sorceress trailed off, leaving the collar on the table and slithering back and forth with one claw on her chin,claws tapping her jaw contemplating the artifact and what secrets it held.

When she turned back to the two of them she looked almost like a child....Well as close as a monstrous being like that could manage. Her slits were wide and plaintive.

"Perhapssss you would allow me to have the collar overnight, I will try to transsslate the glyphsss, figure out what it isss and if it hasss further memoriesss to divulge or not." Her bright eyes looked to Aspia, but the Master Reimancer shook her head.

"That isss not my decission, Glyph, it is Aka'sss." She turned toward the viper, clearly annoyed and rather tired of telling her tale again and again.

"She may be the only being in Zinrah who can unlock thisss puzzle Sisster, perhapsss resst is needed now and we can sssee what Glyph hasss learned in the morning?"

The Reimancer looked warily at the collar and shrugged, leaving the final decision up to Aka.

oocIf you decide to leave it with Glyph you can fast track to returning in the morning/ afternoon to see her in your next post, if not we shall continue into the night!

[Soshakuakamamushi]

OOCI chose the former.

"..." Aka tried her hardest not to burn everything around her in one inferno blast of frustration when Glyph started asking questions to her where she should be the one proving answers. The Viper then stood on her tippy-toes as she whispered to Aspia, "Sissster, I think ssshe isss crazy..." As much as it was hard to believe to the common men, a mage accusing of another mage as crazy, it would be clear on who was crazier by the current sight. Aka promptly stood normally then stared at Glyph, an awkward chuckle escaped her lips, she made a 'How should I know?' shrugging gesture.

Through Aka's keen eyes, she saw the fascination and curiosity in the Glypher, it was even enough to prickle her Gnosis, an overwhelming emotion flaring the Azenth in her. Aka sighed, giving Glyph her rare sincere smile, which usually shown to the people she loved or respected, Glyph was neither so it was a rare occsassion indeed. The Constrictor's unadulterated passion for her work got onto the Viper, "Alright, but don't rip it, I won't go back to that forsssaken temple to get another one," Aka ignored the fact that Glyph directed her question at Aspia, she couldn't predict much from this loony Dhani's behavior, "Alright, let'sss uh... climb back up." She nodded at her boss.

Aka would then took the first step since she was nimbler and faster compared to Aspia and the fact that should the Constrictor slipped and her larger bulk fell upon her, she would surely become a bloody past on the ground. After they had reached the previous secluded tunnel, Aka would stretch her body and yawned, "I think I'll go back home... that dream exhausssted me for sssome reassson," Aka slumped her shoulders, dragging her feet back to her cave, "Sssee you tomorrow morning, Sissster..."

.........

.....

...

Tomorrow Morning...

The Viper, freshly cleaned and appropriately dressed, was now standing before the Glyphing Shops secluded entrance, Aka was just finished in trying her hair into their usual twin ponytails, waiting for Aspia to arrive. She would wait for about ten chimes and if her boss didn't arrive by then, she would enter the shop herself. Once inside, Aka would greet the drooling Dhani then inquired her about the collar, "Ssso, what did you dissscover?"

[Traverse]

Aspia did not arrive, so Aka proceeded on her own, winding her way into the strange store, glancing around before her eyes settled on the strange work table at which there was no sign of her collar, nor Glyph.

If the viper chose to call out and or search the shop she would find no sign of Glyph either. The strange cluttered space boasted a few nooks for storage, but no other tunnels to leave from, and there was no sign of the Constrictor at all.

Just when Aka's frustration had reached a pique she would hear a call from otuside the cave.

"SSSisster Aka?!"

Hurrying out into the strange ravine that led to the shop Aka would find Aspia perched on the ledge, her eyes wide.

"Come quickly Sssisster, sssomething is happening."

When Aka had climbed up and joined her fellow Reimancer the woman began running down the tunnels explaining rather breathlessly on her way.

"I have been called down to the Nursseriesss, sssomeone isss causssing a fusss and from the dessscription it sssoundss like Gylph. I fear it hasss sssomething to do witht hat collar." Aspia was nomrally quite calm, even for a Dhani, but her eyes were wide with worry, her breath heaving, clearly signs that she had already been running. Whatever was happening had to be serious indeed...

oocApologies for the shortish posts, the next one should be longer by far haha

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Aka scratched her head as the only thing that answered her call was her own echoing voice, neither Glyph or Aspira could be seen in the messy 'shop', if this place could even be called a shop. She was getting annoyed, reluctant though she was to meet with Glyph for the second time, she was eager to see the true nature of the magical collar. Aka signed in exasperation as she pulled at one of her ponytails, adjusting her sleeves as she contemplated the decision on whether to just leave and see Aspia or burn the shop down first, the latter seemed fun...

"Huh?" The sound of Aspia's sudden frantic call broke the Viper out of her plans of arson, Aka whipped her head about, her long jet-black twintails twirling, following her movements. The Viper then looked up to the ledge that was the shop's entrance. Something was up? Something that could instill panic on Zinrah's Head Reimancer? That was urgent alright and something Aka couldn't ignore. The Viper prepared her nimble limbs as she dashed forward then jumped to the steep entrance corridor, climbing up as fast as she could while avoiding loose rocks, after she reached the top, the Viper huffed, "W-what happened?!" She tried to keep her voice down, but her worry mixed with excitement failed her, she hoped Aspia wouldn't find her little outburst offensive.

"Wha-?" The Viper didn't believe it at first, but Aspia was not one to lie, the first assumption she got was Glyph rampaging in the Nurseries. Aka's impulsive nature immediately took her assumption as truth, "Let'sss go there now! We have no time to wassste!" Without even waiting for Aspia's reply, the Viper's agile form then sprinted to the nurseries. Those snakelings needed help, Zinrah couldn't afford anymore casualties to its already thin population, besides... that collar could be used to prosecute her as she was the one who brought it into the Nest.

[Traverse]

It took barely five chimes for the two reimancers to reach the first set of lower tunnels where the precious clutches of Dhani eggs were kept in the warm underbelly of the city until they hatched and could start learning the way of their people.

At first the tunnels were silent, especially peaceful since all Constrictors seemed to keep political drama and excess from tunnels such as these. Then their was a flash of light from around a bend and Aka heard shrill cry follow it.

The two mages rounded the bend and found a Dhani curled up in pain on hte ground, her eyes wide in terror. A wound on her stomach was oozing blood, but Aka could see that it was fire that had caused the gash, an intense heat that had also cauterized the wound as it had made it, leaving a bright red puckered line along the Dhani's stomach. Aspia fell to her knees beside her fallen sister, cradling ehr head.

"Sssisster, are you all right? What happened?"

Large yellow eyes blinked once, tonge lapping at non existant lips. "She came ssso fasst, crying out for her children. She ssspoke sstrangely, and when sshe sssaid her name I told her we didn't have any clutchesss under such a family name, sssshe grew enraged, she-" She coughed a spray of red dotting Aspia's partially marred facial features. The master reimancer nodded and put a hand over the Dhani's mouth.

"It'sss okay sssave your ssstrength, othersss will come to help you sssoon, just ssstay sstrong." Dark eyes level with Aka's. "Come, we have to ssstop thisss before it getsss far worsse"

They ran further, but encountered no more casualties stopping when another bright flash of light guided them into a smooth cavern, large enough to keep thousands of unborn Dhani.

Inside was Hex...or perhaps not, clawed fingers stroking the membranes of the Dhani clutches, a wetness dripping onto the eggs that could only have been tears. Aspia stepped forward, shifting a stray rock and sending the Dhani upright and blasing around, tail curling protectively around a series of the eggs.

The snake was Hex alright, those acid color eyes, but her posture and demeanor were somehow different. She looked haughtily upon the two Dhani in human form, towering over them.

Aspia began, her voice calm despite the circumstances, "Glyph thisss issn't you pleasse come with u-"

SSSilence foolissh woman. This Glyph you sspeak of iss gone, only Lissandra remainsss." She ssmiled, craning her neck and in the faint light of glowstones placed around the cavern they could both see Aka's collar around the Dhani's neck. It was the same, yet it was larger, lookin snug but not tight around the much larger Dhani neck. Her eyes locked with Aka's for a moment, grinning.

"I would have preferred your body, child, thisss one doess not have the sssame powersss as you, but she will ssimply have to do. I will find my eggsss and none of you can ssstop me."

Aspia looked to Aka, feet splayed looking worried, then glanced back at the Constrictor. "If you are the Dhani that Aka ssaw in her dreamss you know your children are grown and dead, you will not find your eggsss here."

She had barely finished speaking when Lissandra snarled and charged Aspia, res coiling around her hands and forming a firebolt that shot directly for the woman's chest.

"YOU LIE!"