[Flashback] Dinner in the Wild

[Kara Sunderwater]

Timestamp: 20th Fall 510AV With barely a rustle in the leaves and a breeze in the air, all was quiet on jungle floor. It was evening, the sun was setting and for a moment, the idea that Falyndar was anything more than a wild, untamed but harmless jungle seemed to be plausible. Such naivety alone was bad for anyone's health. Alone on the jungle floor, a creature slithered steadily, screened by the growing dark. Noravennsalar, a young adult Dhani Constrictor, was on one of his many nightly feeding trips outside of Zinrah. As always, he was hungry for fresh meat and the jungle offered more choice than Zinrah. He was alone but that was fine by him. Stealth was his defense, shielding him from the wandering Myrians better than any army. As Salar sniffed the wind and tasted the air, he realized that he some choices. A group of wild boar were settling in for the night nearby. Even together, Salar doubted that the boars could take him in his snake form. That was tempting and easy. But there were others which offered more sport. Some Myrians, unsuspecting and preparing their own nightly meal. Similar meal sizes and one with inherently more risk. As much as Salar hated the Myrians, killing them was not in his plans tonight. The boar, on the other hand, were. Salar uncoiled his massive body and began gliding through the jungle floor towards the boar. What could go wrong?

[Kara Sunderwater]

It was a warm and humid night in the Falyndra jungle. A perfect night for hunting. Salar felt pleased with his choice of tonight. It was a skill, no a talent, that he loved about himself. One couldn't develop that instinct to choose a time with favorable conditions. The trio of wild boar that he had been stalking were upwind. Every few minutes, Salar raised his head to smell the wind. Up until now, it had only been the boar. But now, the stench of Myrians hit his nose. This was a new development. Clearly the wild boar had not smelled them since they weren't running away. This meant that these accursed Myrians were between him and his dinner. Worse, they were stalking the same prey as him! Sal thought quickly. Give up and seek something else or continue his pursuit? It would take too long to find a new prey. By the time, he found something filling, it would probably be morning. He was a Constrictor, strongest of the Dhani. This was his prey. Judging by the strength of the Myrians' stench, they were close. He sped up, slithering faster and neglecting his stealthy approach until he could see the residual heat from where they had been. Then he slowed down and continued slowly, looking out for them. A snap and a curse almost caused him to flinch. Instead, he remained still. He couldn't see anything, but his sense of smell told him that one was near. His ears confirmed the solitary Myrian. Where were the others? Why was this one alone? Ever so slowly, he craned his neck to see. The Myrian was squatting and ... pissing. Salar thought about the Myrian anatomy. As far as he knew, males didn't squat to piss. So... this Myrian must be a female. A Myrian, temporarily alone and vulnerable, this was too good to pass up. She wasn't even facing him! Salar began shifting as silently as he could. His Dhani was better suited for this. The seconds ticked by as his body changed. The Myrian warrior woman was already hiding her presence and walking away when Sal was finally ready. He swiftly slithered up to her and grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground. As she tried to get up, Sal jumped atop her, pinning her and tangling her with his tail. The Myrian warrior tried to yell and get out from his grip. Salar's right hand was forced off her's and they tumbled as she launched herself off the ground. The Myrian drew a small dagger and swiped at him, drawing blood from his belly. Sensing that she had gained the advantage, the Myrian woman got to her feet unsteadily and prepared to lunge. At that moment, Sal whipped his tail at her, striking her in the abdomen. The smell of blood, both his and her's, assaulted Sal's nose. A second whip-crack of his tail sliced into her hand and sent the dagger His tail strike had created an opening. Sal made his move, closing with her and pushing her to the ground. With a supreme effort, Salar managed to regain his pin on her with his left hand. Once again, the Myrian was face down, writhing violently and grunting as she tried to escape the large Constrictor's hold. This was not ideal. She was fighting tooth and nail for her life. Eventually, the others would notice how long she was taking. They might already be on their way. Salar's nose was full of the smell of blood and his hearing was clouded by the muffled grunts and yells she was making. He was on top of her, with his right arm holding her behind her back and his left hand forcing her head into the ground. Even if he killed her now, there was no way he could reach the boar, bleeding as he was. Then Sal made a decision. He had to leave now with whatever food was on hand. Swiftly he man-handled the Myrian and began choking her between his powerful arms. Sal's left elbow was crooked around her neck, strangling the Myrian warrior-woman who was kicking madly, trying to escape. Her arms flailed violently in front of him, trying to find purchase on something, a weapon, him, a tree. With the speed and precision inherent in one of Siku's children, he bit into her right arm causing her to release a muffled gasp of pain, wasting precious air. The taste of warm, salty blood was gratifying and stimulating. It was the taste of victory. Sweet, vainglorious victory. Three heartbeats later, the Myrian went limp. She wasn't dead but she was certainly not going to bother him for a while. But now, he had to escape with his meal so that he could finish her off somewhere which promised greater safety. Salar could hear voices in the distance. They were agitated. Escape would be difficult since nowhere was really safe except for Zinrah, which would take all night to reach. He still had to.... wait... Sal thought back to his training. Myrian necks, like human necks, were easy to snap if they were unconscious. No, if she woke up he could easily suffocate her again. Better to have some fun before killing her. So he slithered to Zinrah carrying his prey, doing his best to make sure that neither of them were leaving a blood trail for the other Myrians to follow.

[Kara Sunderwater]

Salar slithered swiftly, carrying his newly killed meat over his shoulder. Stealth and discretion were thrown to the wind. He needed distance between him and the Myrians, who were undoubtedly on his track. Not only was he dripping blood, his dinner was too. It did not require a genius to track a blood trail and the Myrians were good at their profession. There were no two races, in Salar's mind, best suited to be opposing forces. The Constrictors and the Myrians. Primal strength against primal strength. The Myrians were winning now but the Children of Siku would have their day and ultimate victory. What should he do with the Myrian woman? There were so many options. There were pits where prisoners were kept but Salar was bored by prisoner fights. It was never as exciting as pitting a Dhani against a Myrian. Maybe he should wrestle with her in his snake form. An unarmed Myrian versus Noravennsalar in wrestling. If he won, she was dinner. If she won, she got to live another day. Sounded fun. His reverie was broken as his stomach growled angrily. But Salar could not eat now. If he did, he would be slowed, the Myrians would catch up and his short life over. So for now, the Dhani would have to take comfort that he had shed Myrian blood and left them with nothing to boast about. With the enhanced senses of all Dhani, Salar could see, hear, smell and taste more acutely. A brief change in the wind let him hear and smell his pursuers. They weren't close but they were moving quickly judging by their energetic shouts. Salar cursed them for their persistence. But then, one's strength was only truly tested and judged when facing a strong opponent. If the Myrians were weak, then they would have been conquered by the Dhani long ago. Salar had to accept that he, alone, was not strong enough to overcome his pursuers. He was close to Zinrah. The hidden signs laid by other Dhani were either visible to or sensed by Sal. Disturbances in the shrubs or a scent of ash gave away that he was on the right path. That also meant that there were hidden weapon stores nearby. Salar paused to search a tree and found what he was looking for. A hollow interior, hidden by thick vines. From within, he pulled out a spear which had not been well kept. Part of its shaft was rotten and the metal was beginning to rust. But the tip was still sharp and the shaft still felt solid so it was a passable weapon for a Dhani with only passable skill in the weapon. Now armed, Salar slithered onwards towards home, hoping that he could get away without fighting a horde of angry Myrians.

[Kara Sunderwater]

Salar's heart began pounding faster as the tension built. The closer he got to home, the greater the danger. This was the Constrictor way of life, proof that they, of all the Dhani, were strongest. What use was poison or speed? Those would not move a rock. And that was why Salar thought Vipers and Rattlers, though he had met only a few, were weak. Congenial but weak, compared to the Constrictors. But still better to be a Dhani of any kind than a Myrian or any other race. Just as thought formed, a Myrian warrior leapt in front him and hurled his spear. Salar managed to dodge it by lowering his height as he charged at the Myrian. With his left arm clutching his prey, he could only wield the spear with his right. Again, the greater strength of the Constrictor was a boon though without the balance provided by a second hand, the weapon was more unwieldy. Sal's first and second thrusts missed the Myrian, who danced and laughed condescendingly at Sal's poor aim. He tried to swing his sword at the Dhani but Sal's third thrust finally cut into the Myrian's arm. To his credit, the Myrian did not cry or even stop his attack. It was, however, blunted and only cut the surface of Salar's scales. Painful but not a terrible wound. But now the Myrian was in his face with his stinking breath. Acting on instinct, Salar used his right hand to back hand the Myrian and get him out of the way. He took a second to consider killing him or just making for Zinrah and chose the latter. The more he was slowed, the greater the danger.

[Kara Sunderwater]

Salar found the entrance he sought, a small hole that would fit only a Constrictor in snake form. Not his Dhani form and certainly not his unconscious human prey. Two younglings slithered out to challenge him. Salar hissed back in Snake-tongue, quickly explaining the situation. The pair were awed by Salar's size but he quickly brought them back to the matter at hand. A live Myrian female was more useful than a dead one, all three agreed. They proposed to lead Salar to another entrance which would allow him to enter with his captive. Salar realized that his dinner would not be this Myrian woman after all. Though he could trade her for another captive. This new entrance was close and the Dhani reached it without incident. Though all three knew that the Myrians were close from the smell and the excitement in the night. But none appeared, probably unwilling to approach the Dhani nest at night when they had trouble seeing in the dark whilst their opponents did not. Salar entered with the two younglings without much problem, though he was directed to take the captive to the prisoner pens. At this point, his two escorts departed and Salar found it amusing how they were still amazed that he was so large. "A prisoner? And a young, fertile female. This will be good for breeding ssssince two have committed suicide today after being successfully impregnated. A waste of food. We will take care to ensure she does not follow." One of the guards chuckled happily. Forcing Myrians to breed children who would then be eaten was a common practice and it was amusing to watch the mix of horror, disgust, defiance and powerlessness in the Myrians as the Dhani forced them to mate and give birth. Pregnant Myrian females were kept where they could not harm themselves or their child but no system was fool-proof and the desperate Myrians did what they could to disrupt the Constrictors' plans. Salar turned his captive over to the female guard in Dhani form who had spoken earlier. "I like a male who knows how to see to my needs," she whispered to him, causing him to smile. "A round in the ring before you eat? My shift ends soon." The invitation was hardly one that the young male could refuse. Though it was an offer, it was from a female. That made it a very polite order rather than a choice. Another guard examined Salar's wounds but both of them agreed that, though painful, were hardly life-threatening now that he was within Zinrah's walls. Salar opted to simply let his body heal itself naturally over time.

[Schism]

And the Results! Noravennsalar: Skill(s): Half Spear +1 Hunting +1 Observation +2 Running +1 Stealth + 2 Tracking + 2 Wrestling +1 Lore(s): Hunting in My Elements Common Scent of the Wild Boar Scent of Myrian Urine Not Leaving a Trail is a Key to Survival Worth More Alive Than Dead Women Like To Be Treated “Right” Note(s): Though Sal’s belly wound has long since healed, it has left a thin scar while in his human form. The same goes for the wound on his arm. Not sure how I feel about weapon caches in the middle of the jungle, even if they are marked by Dhani. The Myrians are acute, and could probably find such things. Avoid this in the future. It’s vital when training with weapons, armor, magic, etc., that you specify as closely as possible to the actual model listed in the price list. I’m assuming this is a half spear based on how it was hidden. If you had an alternative in mind, PM me, and I’ll review the grade and scene to see if that’s conceivable. Dhani keep Myrians as well as Myrians keep Dhani, that is as skins, bones, or something else. There are no live Myrians in Zinrah, trading posts, etc. They’re killed on the spot, or maybe held for a sacrificial ritual depending. Also, on breeding Myrians, that’s untrue. The Dhani can make better use of the food that goes into making babies than farming Myrian morsels. Female guards are unlikely. Men do the dirty work. One here and there…fine, but generally male. Overall, interesting read. Proof read a bit more next time for typos, grammar, etc. one sentence in an earlier post was cut off, though not detrimental to the entire story. Be very careful when making a thread your own just how much you add and alter. I stress this is a jungle and you’re not likely to have these weapon caches. The breeding thing is very inaccurate. PM me if you’re ever wondering. Odds are if it’s not in the lore or link map, it’s not there. In closing, PM with any questions, concerns, etc. Enjoy the battle scars.