Beaut, Meeting The eyes of A Serpent [Tazi]

[Xen]

Beaut, Meeting Eyes of A Serpent

Summer 10, 514 A.V.


A bolt of lightning travels across the sky, as thunder causes the air to shudder. Xen slithers lazily through the jungle with his shield and machete, his mind somewhat distant and nonworking. He was hungry on this day and would hunt, as hunger outweighed fatigue. Xen knew there was a downpour on the way and that many creatures would be seeking for cover, trying to escape from the impending rain. The wind and damp atmosphere signaled the approach of a storm: one that was strong with powerful winds and heavy rain.

However, as Xen traversed the jungle, he couldn’t help but notice the dreary silence occupying his surroundings. He could tell that prey was near and hiding—the thunder and lightning had made them edgy and fearful. Xen inhaled deeply and hisses as loudly as he could! He ducks down as the jungle explodes with life. The creatures were confused trying to find where Xen was within the flurry of flapping wings and stomping feet. Xen hid carefully within the undergrowth, his smell was masked perfectly by the mud and vegetation.

He conceals his presence as best as he could and lies flat on the ground to keep track of the various vibrations in front of him. Xen saw nothing of his interest, creatures that were too small made themselves present and some, like the wild boar, had thick skin that would break his fangs should a struggle ensue. So, he waits quietly and secretively watched for the apple of his eye to appear. Xen could feel various vibrations yet one surprises him. There was a hard vibration behind him: one that was greater than them all. He cautiously looks over his shoulder and witnesses a massive Tskanna dipping his trunk in the Kandukta Basin.

Xen hadn’t realized how close he was to the water in fact he didn’t know he was near the basin! The water was exceptionally high to the point where the loose vegetation on the ground floated and was able to conceal the water from the eye. Xen had not seen such a monstrous beast and opted to avoid the behemoth, as invoking its wrath would probably bring disastrous consequences. He slithers away from the Tskanna and the basin as quietly as possible and positions his body behind a fallen tree. Xen watches the Tskanna for a chime before turning his attention to the now silent jungle. The sudden pause in vibrations was perplexing, causing Xen to flick his tongue inquisitively.


“ This is strange…” Xen thought.


When Xen peeks over a log, he finds Okapis meeting him eye-to-eye. The Okapis stares at Xen for a few ticks, trying to discern the difference between the burnt log and his form. However, Xen was quick to spit venom into the creature’s eyes: which in turn causes it to run blindly through the jungle. He was slow to give chase, as he slithers clumsily over the log and pursues his prey—the chase was on.

[Tazi]

This was probably the worst best idea she had ever had. Having been out on her own for several days, she realized that it was going to be harder than she thought. With enough rations to get her through a week or two and several different contraptions to catch food, she had hoped to be able to make it through the wilds on her own. She was coming to realize, compass in hand, that she was rapidly becoming more and more lost. Tazi sort of knew how to work a compass, but cliffs, fallen trees, and thick flora made it incredibly hard to just go north. Often the compass had pointed her directly into a tree or down a steep hill. She had to settle for walking the trampled paths to make it anywhere.

One of the paths had led her right back to the Kandukta basin. Standing on the edge of the flooded beach, all her gear on her back, she thought back to the day that she had come to float and forage. What she had found was a friend in another Myrian, something that she had never had before. Kol. Even though it should have been a happy thought, it pained her to know that she may never see him again. That she would never see Traya or her horse again. She would never feel the worn paths and gnarly roots of the streets of Taloba beneath her feet and she would never heal another Myrian again.

Her eyes landed on a wild Tskanna, whom was drinking and bathing somewhere off to her right. Tskanna were such majestic creatures in the right setting. Backing up a ways, she took a moment to sit on a fallen tree, pulling her pack off of her shoulders to dig around in it. Her belly grumbled a little, causing her to take some jerky out to get it to quiet down. Jerky was rapidly becoming her least favorite food in the world, but she was finding it necessary with the lack of prey around. Something had scared it all into hiding. Chewing the jerky thoughtfully, she was surprised when an animal came blazing out of the brush in blind hops. She barely managed to duck down as it went barreling past her. With heart racing, she looked where it had run off. Whatever had startled it had just given Tazi hope for a fresh meal.

Picking herself up as quickly as possible, she set her gear down next to a gnarly tree. Taking out two throwing knives and her new Tamo daggers to close combat with the injured animal, she went racing off after it. If she was able to catch it quickly, she would be able to come back for her gear and make tonight an excellent night with fire and fresh food. Maybe even a bath in the basin.

Things were beginning to look up.

[Xen]

Beaut, Meeting Eyes of A Serpent

Summer 10, 514 A.V.

The okapi smashes through the brush, trying to escape the pain in its eyes—such futile efforts. The creature was running into trees and whimpering loudly in weird squeaking cries. The okapi knew it was being chased and could hear the hissing of its assailant behind it. This animal recklessly and desperately dashes through the jungle and smashes into a small tree, causing bruises to form on its body. Xen watches as this huge animal bulldozes a small tree and crushes the plant in its path.

He slithers quickly, his svelte body following the okapi as it discards physical safety for its survival. Xen knew a creature like this couldn’t be muscled down—he would need to poison it with exhaustion, fear and venom. He hisses loudly to startle the creature and deepen its despair. The okapi makes a sharp turn to the left and smashes its head into a low hanging branch. Xen cringes, he hadn’t heard an impact that sound before and watches as the thick branch snaps and falls to the ground.

Okapi’s head was bleeding profusely but this didn’t stop the animal from running. This six-foot tall herbivore ran weakly through the dense undergrowth, its sight and balance disabled by venom and a slight concussion. Xen pauses after he thought he heard something, he lowers his body to the ground and moves to the right flank of the Okapi. He conceals his body behind some bushes and was near his disoriented prey. Xen wasn’t going to hand over his prey to some wild beast—not this time or ever.

He readies his machete-sword and mancatcher shield, hoping that whatever was out there wasn’t some super beast. Those close calls with the Black Panther taught him a lesson about security and cautiousness: a lesson he would never forget. Xen inhales and exhales softly to calm his nerves—he didn’t know what kind of battle he would get into. This creature, would it have scales or wings? The morpher inside him was going wild while the voider within him would dispose of the creature once it became too troublesome to handle.

The okapi had ceased its running and was now mindlessly roaming the area. It was probably blind by now but Xen wasn’t going to attack it head on while something lurked in the area—that would be very unwise. This would probably take some time as most predators he was familiar with in the jungle were expert lurkers.


“Always when I’m trying to hunt… ” Xen thought begrudgingly

[Tazi]

She trailed on the other side of the disoriented Okapi, occasionally touching her hips to check to see if the tamo she had bought recently was still accounted for. She was eager to try out the bludgeoning capabilities and the dual daggers hidden within. She had never been a great fighter, but what was a weak, disoriented Okapi going to do to her? It had size and weight on her, but all it was going to be able to do was run into her and knock her down. It had no idea what was going on with it’s surroundings.

For a few moments, Tazi had lost the massive beast. It had been too quick for her to catch quickly. Instead, she had to follow the mess it left behind. Trampled plants, broken branches, and the occasional scrap of blood and fur. She noted that it had been getting tired, making more mistakes and causing itself more wounds. Tazi recognized the way that it moved, and the fact that its tracks were getting closer and closer together, as slowing down. When she came upon the area where it had slowed down, she hid herself in a nearby bush. It ambled around, making little noise. Instead it twisted its ears around, listening to the silence of the jungle. Tazi too, strained to hear any noises. Something had startled this animal, blinded it with a weapon or magic. Now, it was a meal on legs.

Feeling the ground with her hands, she managed to pull a rock from the loose dirt. Sure, she could have run out and picked it off, but the likelihood that she would startle it into another chase would be good. Instead, she planned to get it to come to her. With the rock loose on the ground, she undid her tamo daggers. One she kept in her right hand, tightly gripped with the point towards the animal. The other she nestled point down into the dirt. Tazi was only barely learning to use a dagger. There was no way she would be able to dual wield twin daggers at this point in her life. It was only when she felt prepared that she took the rock and lobbed it over her bush, aiming for a tree on the far side of the animal. With luck, and maybe a little precision, it struck the tree with a loud THUNK, falling into the earth.

This was enough to get the animal to dance her way. When it was close enough, Tazi lunged out in a huge crash. Unlike the rock, Tazi sounded like a riot of Tskanna parading through the jungle. Looping an arm around the beast’s neck, the jammed the tamo upwards, driving the point into the soft place beneath the beast’s jaw. At first, she felt the dagger give way through flesh only to stop at bone. Apparently she had not put enough force behind the strike. The okapi shook it’s neck back and forth, rearing up until it fell backwards. Tazi was brought down with it. Conveniently, she was on top and now had enough downward force to drive the tamo past the bone into the brain.

It twitched a few times before finally ceasing to exist. Once she was sure she could not feel a heartbeat through its pelt, she sat up on the body, smiling widely. Whatever had blinded it had helped her bring down her first real kill.

[Xen]

Beaut, Meeting Eyes of A Serpent

Summer 10, 514 A.V.

Xen’s narrow pupils honed in on the humanoid figure—a myrian and female. He flicks his tongue and catches the scent of freshly spilt blood. Xen was not expecting this myrian to appear but the results were interesting nonetheless. He wonders why a myrian was so far away from home, he was certain that he hadn’t passed the Kandukta Basin and it only took him a bell to reach the basin. Xen sat here, thinking while hidden under the element of surprise, contemplating why a myrian would be in constrictor territory. He flicks his tongue once more and looks down to the ground before looking upwards again—this myrian was probably lost.

Xen slithers quietly from the brush and approaches the myrian, his body lowered to the ground as though readying a pounce. The silent jungle aids in concealing his ambush but without the active wildlife to conceal his presence, he had to be cautious. He knew the myrian’s had a habit of swarming like insects: protective wasps around a hive. Xen sits up lightly and peeks from the undergrowth without his signature loud, startling hiss. He wished to surprise and throw off this myrian’s balance, aiming to send to her nerves a fray.

A battle with an astonished opponent would be easier than one that was focused. Xen wouldn’t have to exhaust so much of his energy this day or so he thought. A flash of lightning in the sky and thunder within the dark clouds above signaled that rain was here. When the rain fell, it was as a downpour! Xen hisses in disdain, it was ridiculous how heavy this rain was. He slithers at a distance with rain sliding off his snout and soaking the dirt beneath him. The rain obscured all the scent of the jungle and most of all the scent of his myrian guest.

There was no way, he wasn’t going to allow this Okapis to go uneaten or let this myrian escape with his meal. While hissing, Xen flares his hood and raises his body off the ground. A flash of lightning and the sudden increase of the wind gave his act a dramatic appearance. Xen then raises his shield for defense and slithers to the left in order to observe his opponent. He didn’t see any heavy weapons but those daggers would be a problem. Xen relaxes his body and curls his tail to prepare a strike—he was all too familiar with this age old struggle between his race and the myrian’s.

[Tazi]

Tazi was too proud of herself to notice anything else. The Okapi was dead, warm between her knees as life ebbed out of it. Normally, a prayer thanking the gods would have been appropriate for this animal’s life, but Tazi felt strangely unwilling to praise the gods for something she had done. As a marked child of Myri, her prowess with the weapon may have been arguably helpful, but what else had Myri done for her? As a Myrian, she had been thrown out of her home, scorned by her people. Myri had done nothing. Maybe she watched, maybe she even thought about the cruelness the Scattered Bones had done to one of their own. Yet, there was nothing but silence. Honoring Dira would have been a good option, or Caiyha, but Tazi was not even sure if either goddess would appreciate her words. Instead, she mumbled thanks to no deity in general, stroking the sweat matted fur of the Okapi. At least she could thank this beast for its life. That seemed the most appropriate.

It was the roll of thunder that brought her from her malicious thoughts. Tazi tilted her head up to the sky just as the first droplets descended to the earth. A few dripped on to her cheek, making it look like she was crying for the fallen beast or some other, internal reason. Then the downpour came and those droplets ran together with the sheet of water that was now pouring down her face. As dirty as she was, Tazi was mildly irritated with the rain. She would be cold all night at this rate, not something she enjoyed. Bright side, she would at least be able to clean herself and her clothes. Already she was thinking to a warm meal of Okapi, a dry place to stay, and some fresh water in her skin.

A hiss drew her attention and she spun around to look over her shoulder. The shadow of a large serpent met her and forced Tazi to leap up, turning to face it. With half of her tamo still imbedded in the jaw of the Okapi, Tazi felt helpless. All she had was two throwing knives attached to her hip. Aside from that, all her gear was behind her and the other half of her tamo sticking in the dirt behind the serpent. Ideally, she would have been able to pull the dagger from the flesh of the Okapi, but the serpent had surprised her. Gently she lowered herself, feeling the solid handle of the tamo. She gave it a yank, only to confirm that her angle was not appropriate to unsheath it from her kill. Tazi opted to stand slowly back up, raising her hands to show that she was unarmed for the moment.

This was just her luck, to run into a Dhani. All she wanted was a warm meal, a warm place to stay, and some peace and quiet to contemplate her next move. Was that so much to ask? Apparently it was. With calculating eyes, she observed his stance and weapons. She could see the silhouette of a shield and some sort of sharp weapon. It was hard to interpret what kind of Dhani he was between the sheets of rain, flicking lightning, and outstanding darkness. He seemed small for a Dhani, but it could have been a young Dhani out on patrol to prove himself.

“I mean no harm…” Tazi tested, her voice slow and unnerved in Common. She spoke it infrequently, but it was useful where she had worked prior to this. Now, it seemed to be useful again.

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Common - Myrian

[Xen]

Beaut, Meeting Eyes of A Serpent

Summer 10, 514 A.V.

Xen was able to perceive the world beyond the rain clearly. The pit sensors around his mouth flare and create a perfect layout of his surroundings, using the infrared spectrum. The heat from Tazi’s body was made apparent by the rain: which seemed non-existent within his heat revealing gaze. Xen then hisses deeply at his myrian companion. This hiss lacked bloodlust but one could clearly tell that he was serious. Xen curls his tail in the undergrowth to feel something sharp and hard press against it.

This prompted him to move the tip of his tail from around the object to avoid a potential injury. Xen slithers pass Tazi, granting her the space between them both. He did not seek bloodshed or conflict with this myrian all he wanted was his prey and would have it regardless of the weather. Xen was now behind Tazi, his scaly hand gripping onto her dagger trapped in the okapi’s jaw. He manages to pull it out with some effort and tosses the weapon pass Tazi and next to the object he assumed was also a dagger embedded in the ground beneath the undergrowth.

Xen didn’t mean to be rude but he was a cautious viper and did not trust people easily. He would be exceptionally cautious around a myrian regardless of gender, considering that every one of them he met had tried to kill him. Xen raises his machete-sword and begins hacking away at the okapi’s thigh. The meat from this creature would last him a while, maybe a few weeks? The meat would start rotting and cause his cavern to smell after awhile. So, eating as much as possible now would benefit him later on it seemed.

Xen cuts as much of the tough meat of the okapi’s thigh as he could and after he places his weapon on the ground, he uses both arms to pull the creature’s entire rear left-leg and thigh from the damaged socket. He throws the big leg over his shoulder as he grunts and places his shield onto his back. Xen picks up his machete-sword with his free hand and leaves to mind his own business. A bolt of lightning whips across the sky and disappears with a loud crack before he could disappear into the jungle. In a way, it was as though the lightning was trying to have him realize something.



Xen knew what he was doing: it was abandonment. He was going to leave Tazi, knowing that a storm was coming. The jungle and his unbridled hunger made him cruel in this moment—he had almost forgotten about the importance of kindness and mercy. Xen turns to Tazi and faces her as a long and almost apologetic sigh escapes his jaws.


“I’m going to take you to safety follow me.”


Xen’s voice carried sincerity but whether his myrian companion believed him or not was up to her.

[Tazi]

She remained as still as possibly, always watching where the serpent moved. He seemed to be interested in the kill, and Tazi’s thoughts when back to the way the animal had behaved earlier. For some reason, she had a sneaking suspicion that this animal had been this serpent’s prey before it had died by her hand. Maybe it had been the serpent that had caused the animal to go blind, acting all funny while stomping through the jungle. She did not want to admit, but Tazi rolled her eyes in acknowledgement that if the Dhani hadn’t started the hunt and injured it, she would not have been able to kill it. It was hard enough to admit it in her mind, and she would happily die before telling it to the serpent. If there was one thing that she was really Myrian about, it was the wariness she shared with her race on the snakes.

As much as she didn’t want to share her kill, he had stripped her of the weapon that would have done decent damage to him. He had thrown half her tamo back into the bush she had come from. At least both halves were close now, so she would not forget them when she went to retrieve them. He was busy doing work on the Okapi while she remained still. Even though she was still wearing clothes, she could not only feel the chill from being wet, but the sheets of water running down her body. It made her feel naked, despite her clothing.

He began to slip away, his prize over her shoulder. Tazi just stared at him as he slithered away with a portion of her kill. Yes, she was still going to think it was her kill. After all, it was her knife that took the life of the okapi. At first, she was prepared to continue on her own, but the lightening caused her to shrink back. Where was she going to go? On this side of the Kandukta, she did not know her way around. A cave would be hard to find. It was only when he spoke to her did she begin to think her luck had somewhat turned. Not that sharing a cave with a snake was her ideal of good, but it would do.

Of course, he was not going to wait around for her, so she leapt over the carcass to recover her tamos. After digging around in the rapidly becoming mudd, she managed to get ahold of both thick handles. Then she practically jumped on the okapi, cutting at some of the fleshy portions. He was correct, she needed safety, but by Myri she was going to eat tonight. It was saddening to have to leave most of the carcass behind, but some wild animal would enjoy the treasure. With six fist-sized hunks of meet, she managed to put the tamo back together, collect her winnings, and follow him into the jungle.

They headed back the way she had come at a rather quick pace. Tazi was impressed at how he moved, how easily he maneuvered around jungle obstacles. It required a lot more effort on her part, and she ended up dropping a piece of meat here and there. Of course she collected it with a scowl. She had not particularly wanted dirt to spice up her meal, but she wasn’t about to leave it behind. Soon enough, they passed the location where she had left her gear, which she quickly collected. With her pack hung sloppily over her shoulder, tamo and meat chunks held against her bosom, she followed him to a cave. Once there, she was stay as close to the exit as she could while remaining out of the way, watching him and holding on to her meal.

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Common - Myrian

[Xen]

Beaut, Meeting Eyes of A Serpent

Summer 10, 514 A.V.

This was rather perplexing, sitting with a myrian woman on a stormy day within this large and cave-like tree. Xen places the okapi’s thigh in front of him and begins cutting away at the fur. The blood oozes from the area where a joint once remained as he peels away the fur to expose the fresh and warm meat he sought after. Instead of devouring the fur, Xen throws it to the side, allowing it to hit the wall beside him with a loud splat. Xen then transfixes the slab of meat with his machete-sword and pulls the blade towards him to cut away a small strip of meat. He places the strip onto his tail and cuts another strip.

Xen does this several times until he had a total of five strips of meat lining his tail. A soft hiss escapes the crevice of his jaws to evince the discontent he had towards this downpour. Xen’s displeasures branch onto the fact that he would have to change to another hunting ground again, it was frustrating. He would have to go somewhere quiet and teaming with prey. The Kandukta Basin was a great place to hunt but he was sure there was another location he hadn’t discovered yet. Thunder roars and causes the air to tremble around him—things were going to get worse.

Xen did not want to be near the Kandukta Basin if it floods over. The water contained many unseen dangers, dangers you would find to be quite perilous, if they revealed themselves to you. Xen grabs a strip and places the raw meat in his mouth—he doesn’t bother to chew. The rain fell outside and soaks the earth, causing it to become greedy, ready to devour the unwary with its besmirched maw. There was nothing for Xen to do, besides listen to the rain while he eats his meat-stripes. This was going to be a long day and was he was probably going to spend it with a myrian-woman. Xen did a mental facepalm; if the constrictors found out about this they’d never let him forget it.


“It will be raining for awhile—we should talk to passs time.”


Xen tries to start a conversation with Tazi: a myrian for Siku’s sake! The one’s he always encountered were always trying to decapitate him, eat him etcetera. However, this time may be different. He could learn something from a member of a race that has been the focus of his people’s hatred. Xen was discontent with helping a myrian but like every new gardener, having to deal with a bush made of thorns, it was only a matter of time before he found a rose. A flick of his tongue raised a question: would Tazi be this harmless red rose?

[Tazi]

The cave was a large cavern beneath the roots of a great tree. It had taken a moment for her eyes to adjust to realize that the walls were made of living organisms, roots of the tree above. Huddled near the entrance of their saving grace, she managed to place her hunks of meat on a relatively clean stone. By now, most of the morsels of meat had gathered some dirt. What was a little more? Digging through her pack, she sought her flint and steel. It had floated to the bottom, heavier than many of the items she carried in her pack. The tamo she had been carrying she used to scratch off bits of dried, crusty bark from the roots of the trees most exposed to the 'cave.'

With these shavings, she piled them into a small pile before scratching some shavings from her flint onto it. Then she struck the edge of the steel with the blade of her tamo. Shortly there was a little flame reaching up towards the air. As small of a fire as it was, it would serve to cook her morsels. While it heated the air, she took another strip of root. She cared not for what the Dhani was doing with his portion of Okapi, sharpening the bit of root while the rain poured. How had her life become such a disgrace? Disowned by her own people, camping out during a storm with a Dhani. She had no home, no purpose. It was disheartening.

As she speared the meat onto her root stick, her companion found himself talking about sharing words to pass the time. Although Tazi was a strange Myrian, preferring life over death and healing over bloodshed, to speak with a Dhani seemed strange even to her. Holding the meat over the fire, rotating it now and then, she switched her gaze to him. "What would you like to talk about snake?" Tazi grumbled, pulling herself up enough to get a proper look at him. She probably should have thanked him for his mercy and his kill. Yet, he was still a Dhani, and to praise him for his kindness seemed foreign to her. At least she could show some manners. "I am Tazi."

Her name was more than he would normally get.

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Common - Myrian