Homecoming (Saxani, Justice, Salar)

[Kara Sunderwater]

Zinrah's Northern Tunnel Entrance Winter, 512 AV Zinrah had always been an isolated nest. It was the Constrictors' greatest defense against the Myrians. The three secret passages allowed the Constrictors safe entry and access to the jungle wilds of Falyndar. Those same tunnels acted as choke points to prevent any would-be invader from storming the nest in force. Many foolish Myrian raids had ended in those dark tunnels with death cries echoing up and down the rocky caverns. So too had many unsuspecting creatures that had stumbled upon the tunnels and suddenly finding themselves surrounded by Dhani warriors and snakelings. Those often ended up as food for the nest. This resulted in one thing. A fairly homogenous, tight-knit community. Everyone in Zinrah was a Constrictor. The only exceptions were a few select, trusted merchants from Black Rock. And that was only to provide the many things which a society under siege required. A Kelvic, let alone a Kelvic tiger, was unheard of in Zinrah. It was to one of these entrances that Serquayadiin had directed Justice Sibyl. The northernmost entrance. It was the largest one. And one of the most well guarded. But it had also been the closest. The Kelvic white tiger and her charge made for a most unusual sight. Noravennsalar had begun to regain his consciousness, slipping between lucidity and poison-addled delirium. He had directed the Kelvic to the actual entrance before he started to see visions of flying Myrians and dancing tigers. Whatever guardians were there today, Justice would have to talk her way through them and trust that they would stay their hands long enough to see that she carried a wounded warrior on her back. In one short moment of lucidity, he tried to tell her to tell them that she had his protection but Salar hadn't been sure what language he had spoken in. And then the dancing tigers returned to plague the poor snake.

[Justice Siybl]

Justice listened to the faint directions, soon arriving at the northern entrance. She immediately noticed that it was heavily guarded. It would be hard to get through with out Salar's help, but even just having Salar with her might've been enough. She wondered how the Dhani creatures would react to the tiger. Would they instantly kill her, because she might be Myrian? Or would the spare her, only because she carried a wounded, hallucinating warrior on her back? She contemplated wether or not to keep going, but she knew better than to leave Salar alone. She continued on, trudging closer to the cave. The grown Dhani was huge, and heavy, and she could barely carry him herself. She finally arrived at the entrance, and gingerly slid the Dhani off her back, panting.

Justice hoped his promise to protect her would be enough to keep her alive. She bravely looked up at the Dhani warriors guarding the tunnel, and spoke in fluent common. "I request entrance into Zinrah. I carry the injured Salar, who was injured in a Myrian battle with a poisonous dart." Her voice didn't break. She wasn't afraid, was she?

[Kara Sunderwater]

They stood within the entrance, so as not to attract attention from any spies on the surface. The light at her back and darkness ahead. A pair of snakelings guarding the entrance towered over her. Both were close to maturity. They glanced at each other, hissing at each in Snake-tongue. Neither of the pair moved or did anything, just hissed at each other. Then after a third voice hissed, firm and authoritative, the two snakelings slid back into the shadows. In their place, a larger Dhani female armed with a spear appeared. A dread aura emanated from her. "A Myrian kitten brings back our wounded brother. What kind of trick is this?" she asked in fluent Common. The female had brown and green scales, a solid yet slender frame, and a deep scowl on her face. It was clear that she was not going to be very welcoming.

[Justice Siybl]

Justice did not flinch, though she did take a hesitant step back. She kept her head held high, and her eyes filled with bravery. "This is no trick Snakelyness." she hissed. It was quite obvious. Justice was going to return the female Dhani's plate rudeness. If the Dhani was not going to be welcome, then neither would Justice. "I am no Myrian either." she growled, teeth baring. She threw her head back in a mock of the Dhani's proudness.

"I bring my...." she rolled her eyes, knowing she'd have to give respect to the seemingly worthless Dhani at her feet, "My master." she continued. "I bring him after a battle against the Myrians. He was hit with a dart, and is slowly coming back to it."

[Kara Sunderwater]

The female visibly tensed as she leaned forwards to examine Justice more closely. Despite the darkness of the tunnel and faint light, she could see Justice perfectly well. "Lay him down" she ordered and once Justice had done so, the female placed a hand on him. The touch of the younger male's flesh was cold. The poison within him wasn't abating, it was shutting him down slowly. He needed to be warmed up somehow. Taking him out into the jungle was out of the question; it was simply too dangerous. "Follow us closely otherwise I cannot guarantee your life for the next few minutes. And change into a human, Kelvic-creature, you might live longer." The female's tone continued to be condescending and arrogant but she was, at least, being helpful. She snapped something in the Snake-tongue and two more snakeling Dhani appeared. This time, they were a male and female similar in coloring. Both had mottled yellow and brown scales and carried swords on leather belts that hung from where a human waist would have been. They picked up Salar from the ground and carried him between them. Justice's unconscious master dwarfed each Snakeling but together, they managed to move him. Without a word to Justice, the Dhani slithered farther down the tunnels at speed.

[Justice Siybl]

Justice rolled her eyes as the Dhani gave orders to her, but listened, for she knew her 'Master's' life was on the line. Her tail lashed back and fourth, and before shifting human, she glared at the Dhani female, eyes like daggers. "Just remember. You are not my master. I take no orders from you, unless I truly must." she hissed. She did not like the attitude of this Dhanu. Arrogant, proud, and downright rude. Ugh. The Kelvic quickly turned human, crossing her arms and following silently behind the snake like creatures. She stretched her arms, the muscles having tensed up after being a tiger for so long, as long as having to carry the heavy snake. She looked at her unconconscious master, actually feeling sympathetic and worried. But she made sure not to show it in her face or her eyes, keeping a cold, hard look plastered there.

Justice let her hair fall into her eyes, not liking the way the other Dhani's stared at her. She suddenly felt totally insecure about herself the way the Dhani's acted as if she were alien. She wrapped her arms protectively over her scrawny body, as if to protect it from the viscious eyes of the snake-like creatures. The Dhani all seemed to tower over her, making her seem like a small ant, easily crushed, easily gotten rid of.

[Kara Sunderwater]

"No hide. No like, no mate, no care." one of the Dhani hissed in poor Common. The language was obviously not a strong point of many of the younger Dhani. Even Salar had trouble with it. Still, the message was fairly obvious. The Dhani weren't bothered by Justice's indecency. They were snakes who could turn into human, not the other way around. Their reptilian brains considered a lack of clothing normal rather than scandalous. And it was clear that they did not even see her as worthy mating material. The group traveled further down the tunnels and into an adjoining tunnel. As they went deeper, it started to become noticeably hotter and the air, already heavy and humid, grew thicker like steam. Justice realized it was steam. Another turn and then they were in a large room with large, steaming pool of water. The two snakelings lay Salar beside the pool of water and then left the room from the same tunnel they had come in from. Only the older female stood there for a moment, looking at Salar. "He says that the strong are worthy of Falyndar. Yet he spares a weak thing like you. The boy is soft. You stay. Healers come." She shot another venomous glare at Justice before leaving. And then they were alone again. The room was circular and seemed completely closed off yet the water seemed to flow from somewhere. Not only was it hot, the water was clean and pure. Justice could see all the way to the smooth, rocky bottom. It didn't look too deep, in fact it seemed just about right for a human. Even the rocky walls surrounding them seemed to have been smoothed over by years of steam. Yet no plant life grew, no moss or wall creepers. It was a barren yet beautiful example of the Dhani caves. It was evidence that even the crude and violent Dhani had some inkling of culture. It was eerily quiet until Salar, who had been completely comatose up til then, went bolt upright and started screaming about dancing tigers.

[Justice Siybl]

Justice flinched at the Dhani's words and looked down. She shouldn't have come. She was a total idiot. She should've let the other Dhani that was with them carry Salar back. She would probably end up dead here, either killed by a Dhani or starved to death. Justice looked down at the floor, letting her arms fall limply to her sides. This sucked.

She felt like crying and running off, but that would only make the snake creatures laugh and make them want to kill her more. She started to sweat from the growing heat, phanting and fanning herself with her hand slightly.

And then they were in the cave. It was beautiful, even though no life grew. She sat down next to Salar as the Dhani set her comatose master down. And then the rude Dhani spoke, and Justice shot daggers back. "I am not weak. I am stronger, faster, and smater than you'll ever be." And then the the jealous, and downright evil female left.

Justice looked down at Salar, and he scared her half to death when he started talking of dancing tigers. She put her hands on his shoulders, pressing him firmly on to the ground, and shaking him lightly. "Calm down master..." she whispered, unwillingly feeling as if Salar was her responsibility.

[Kara Sunderwater]

Justice was so preoccupied trying to tend to her "master" that she failed to notice the silent entrance of two new female Dhani with pouches and less hostile body language. "The boy alwaysss getssss into trouble. And now he bringsss back another mouth to feed. Can you do anything besidesss breed, girl?" the smaller one hissed in Common to Justice. At least she wasn't being threatened like the last one. The larger and clearly older Dhani snapped at her in Snake-tongue, causing the younger female to bow her head slightly at the rebuke. "Do not mind my daughter, she is always quick to sting with her tongue. I see the boy is poisoned but by what? Do not answer, I am sure you do not know." The Dhani bent over Sal, her tongue flicking in and out tasting the smells around his wounds. She was so close to Justice that the young girl could feel the Dhani's breath as the healer's hands probed the various wounds before finally settling on the arrow wound. She also had great skill ignoring the shouts from Salar about dancing tigers and singing Myrians (who he claimed were horrible). "They were right to bring him here. The steam baths will cause him to sweat, reducing the effect of the poison by some. All we need to do is introduce an antidote to the poison and let the boy's body handle the rest. An appropriate test for the one who believes only in the virtues of strength." The older Dhani hissed something to her subordinate, who immediately pulled out a wooden cup and dipped it into the hot water. She then crushed and added strange dried leaves into the water before stirring it with her finger. The clear water had turned a murky brown when it was presented to Justice. "Make him drink it. We will hold him down."

OOC :

Feel free to use the NPCs as well. Have them hold down Sal and Justice can force-feed him

[Justice Siybl]

"Well uh I can hunt..." The subordinate female Dhani made her flinch. She suddenly felt so useless. There was no point in her being here if nobody exactly wanted her. She should've expected it though, for these were all Dhani. It was only instinct for them to be rude to something that is so closely affiliated with the Myrians.

She looked as the female was snapped at, and silent relief washed over her. Someone here and some sort of respect. She dipped her head not looking at the other two Dhani's before her, though she continued to ignore Sal's cries.

She looked over at Sal, taking the wooden cup from the younger Dhani. The two Dhani slithered forward, pressing down on Sal to keep him from escaping. She hesitated, before pouring the weird liquid down Salar's throat. She looked away, biting her lip worriedly.

The older Dhani nodded kindly to her. "We go now." She flicked her head towards the exit, and the two slithered away. Justice looked down at her 'master' with a soft sigh.

She put her head in her hands, waiting for the medicine to make reactions. She remembered the cruel words from the other Dhani. She so badly needed to cry, so she did. She let the tears fall, even though it showed weakness. She couldn't help herself, especially after being put down as she had been.