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

[Soshakuakamamushi]

The Constrictor wanted her to manipulate the wind around them, guiding their Dhani scent away from the Myrians. That was easy enough, she just had to create a thin res-ball enough to encompass both her and Saxani. The Viper held out her right hand upwards, her gaseous res hissing out of her palm and they gathered into a barely visible red-hued gas ball around them. Aka then concentrated to manipulate the flow of air around them so no air flowing from behind them would go to the Myrian's direction. "It'sss done, Sissster."

Her next request was impossible for Aka to do even if she forced herself. She had zero knowledge about the language of Myrians and frankly, she didn't care. She would not soil her tongue with even mimicking their foul speak. The small girl shook her head, a smug smirk on her lips. "No, Sissster, I don't underssstand them nor do I want to." Besides, she was in human form and her hearing was not as good as her Dhani or Viper form. "I think you are the one who ssshould hear them, you're in Dhani form after all." She turned her head back to where the Myrians were, the wind manipulated by her res.

Aka's demeanor on the female guard noticeably changed than when they first met. At first, the Viper saw Xani as an arrogant female who couldn't keep her head out of the clouds and utterly blind to the arcane power Aka wielded, but now, she could see she was a veteran guard and leader. She was fitting to be a Queen, but with her sterility, Aka wasn't sure if Xani was eligible anymore. It was truly a sad thing that Xani couldn't bear eggs as her children would contribute greatly to Zinrah, the Dhani race badly needed Dhani like her. Of course, the cause of her agony was the bronze monkeys, it was always them. The Viper's fists clenched, she would love to tear apart a female Myrian's womb and held it against the monkey's face.

Her slender feet trudged forward, rather silent because of her small weight. She occasionally glanced backward to check on Xani and to see if any monkeys stalked them. The Constrictor may have amazing endurance and physical prowess, but she could only do so much until she was tired while Aka's arcane power could decimate groups of Myrians provided they were clustered close and spread devastation to the jungle, burning all in Ivak's glory. With all its risks, magic was a truly beautiful art. Petch those people who thought being a mage was a sign of insanity and weakness, let them think that when she melted their face with her lava.

As they got closer, Aka's human ears could catch some conversations in Myrian along with the occasional roar of their overgrown cats. "Yesss..." She whispered to the guard behind her "They are ssstill unaware..." It was only a duo of Dhani, one in the form of a small human nonetheless. At the description of the so-called 'tiger roarer', Aka's scarlet slits immediately began searching to the Myrian group on their front, she used the light from their torches to help her vision. She wanted to just shift into her Dhani or snake form, but if she kept using her amplified senses, Aka was worried her human form would grow weak and should one day an enemy ambushed her in human form, her ability wouldn't be adequate to save her life. Transforming in the middle of combat was out of the question, she was not a Kelvic who could transform within a few ticks. With all the blessing Siku gave for the Dhani race, a swift transformation was not one of them.

Squinting her eyes, Aka still couldn't locate the instrument as she had never seen them before and her average vision didn't help her case. The Viper shook her head. "No, Sissster, I can't find it... I've never ssseen it before, maybe you can do better than I am?" She whispered, but she she could do what she did best to prepare herself. Flexing the fingers on her hands, she felt her djed pooled to her palms, ready to create a very large fireball resembling a mini-sun. "However, Sissster, I'm ready if you want to ssstrike... let my flamesss burn their puny flesssh to assshes."

[Sashisaxani]

"No." Saxani's command was brief, but clear. She had other plans in store for these Myrians, and would work the night to make a new playing field of the jungle if it suited Zinrah's ends. Besides the immediate thought of trapping Myrians, Saxani thought of the pact with these savages and how loosely defined what is and is not Zinrah was… In theory, she wondered, could the Dhani drive back the Myrians by claiming sanctuary in extensions of the network? The Dhani were forbidden from Taloba, but Zinrah had room to expand. Perhaps the work of geomancers could bring Zinrah to the surface by some means, making a stone forest in this real one. Saxani motioned for Aka to follow her back to their safe stop. She was careful go to out the way she had come, and to catch that Aka kept them in stealth as well. She was drawing up the final parts of her plan to share with Aka, much of which depended on her magical affiliation. Saxani grabbed a wide leaf a rolled it tightly, pinching the bottom to make a make-shift container of sorts, such as for water. She placed it into a pouch in her harness that kept it tight and sealed. When they were at their meeting point, Saxani wasted little time to satisfy the eager Viper's blood lusting. Saxani cleared a place in the earth and began to carve out figures with her claw in the dirt. Aka could plainly see a large circle marking, with a smaller mark inside for each Myrian and another shape for the tiger. Saxani did not differentiate between ranks or targets yet, for she figured Aka unaware of the Myrian design besides savages armed to kill. She began to dissect her plan and commanded Aka with new marking to help her visualize the arena they were in. "We have a choice to make, and the hours tick by. Perhaps patience would help us tonight, but I am not sure when the tiger last fed, among other things. We are here," Saxani directed and drew marks for the Dhani duo as well as a path they had traveled to the fang squad. Her map was accurate with cardinal direction thanks to her honing in on Zinrah's main chambers. "I want to trap the Myrians in this ring, but I do not wish to awake them, so we must expand the ring, or perhaps make two…" Saxani reinforced the foliage they hid in surrounding the camp, and then drew a new wider ring. "In this exterior ring, I want to place earthen spikes: large, but thin like a spear, so that any Myrian who runs away without his wits will die, impaled upon them, if have the ends shatter in his chest and bleed him. It must be tight, but we must be able to maneuver through them, or the Myrians crawl. They cannot be low enough for the tiger to jump over either, so consider larger spikes pointed high…" Saxani looked for Aka's understanding, and perhaps interest, before she continued. Saxani herself was becoming impatient and wanted to act as soon as she could, but still was critical of every detail in its ideology. "While you do this, I must seek out to the opposite ends of this group, and find the rest of their fang. We will not be taking them by the same direct force; rather I will want walls up to hide this spiked forest, about…twice your height. They can be thin though, just enough to block the light of a fire. I'll show you where to place them when I return. Thankfully the jungle is thick and blocks most light. "As for your assignment with the earthen spear blockade, I want this path," Saxani highlighted the path they had already walked to spy on the Myrians," left open, wide enough for the tiger to walk through. The Myrians ought to fit through by threes. Outfit a platform here, with a wall for me to shoot from. Some coverage would be helpful. I need it high enough that they Myrians would need to climb and the tiger pounce. Make it clean enough for the Tiger to want to jump though, or at least convince its master to guide it such a way. "Lastly, at this spot, in this hedge here," she pointed specifically to a very thick brush among the jungle matter, "I want a hole, big enough for you to fit in. Make it deep and twisted enough that no spear may disturb you, and you might tunnel further if need be. Should this plan go wrong, you might bite with venom from this hole and make a swift escape or tunnel out another end and spring forth for Zinrah. Trust it will not come to that if your aim is true. "I almost forgot," Saxani said, reaching for her makeshift container, "Some venom, if you'd please. In the off chance any Myrian comes close to escape I wish to ensure he does not run far at all. Work for efficiency, not beauty, and be quick. We meet back here when you're finished. I will scout for parties at once. Be careful as to not get caught. If you notice any of them leaving for a patrol, cease your planning and execute them away from the camp that none may hear you… Stealth is the utmost importance this eve. Take a lesson in patience, young viper, safe your fire. Its time will come. If you have no questions, get to work on the blockade once you have milked for me." Saxani felt a mild guilt in assigning so much to Aka, regardless of how much the viper wished to prove herself. Still, she was using the tools at her disposal, and her own assignment was just as heavy from an administrative perspective. Knowledge was power right now, and the Myrians knew nothing. Saxani wanted to know everything before springing this trap. Hopefully Aka's work would pay off. Saxani would only have a few more tasks to ask of her yet, the greatest of which concerned the tiger.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Er... okay." She didn't really get what the Constrictor wanted, she was ready to unleash her wreath, Aka thought them sneaking in close was to gain a good vantage position. She was rather disappointed when the guard decided to retreat. Sighing, Aka followed while keeping her grumbles inside her mind. They arrived at their previous location, Aka sat down on the ground, exhaling deeply. She listened to what Xani drew on the ground, her mind already began to get bored. She hated theories and convoluted planning, it would be better to just charge in and decimate everything. All this planning made was one effective way to get her to sleep.

Still, she did say to let the guard take charge, she would have to see this to the end. "Eh... okay..." But that didn't mean she had to look all bubbly and interested, Aka didn't try to hide her boredom as she half-listened to what the guard had to say. In short, she wanted her to place stone spikes on the ground in a circle to surround the Myrians. It was a good plan, but she wasn't sure if she could do that. It sounded like a good way to fatally overgive. Furthermore, she didn't really understand what the guard meant by walls. "Wallsss? What wall? If we put wallss wouldn't that make the monkeysss crasssh into wallsss inssstead? Making the spikesss redundant." This Constrictor needed to simplify her speech, Aka wasn't fond of flowery fancy words.

She listened further, all of the plans made her scratch her hair and pulled at the strands of her hair. "Aaaagh! Too complex! Why do need all of thisss?" She decided to speak her mind, the Myrians would die of old age first before they even finished with all the tasks for her. "I can try create the ssspikesss, but I'm not sssure I can create them all before overgiving to death, Sissster. You need to underssstand that magic isss tiring. And now, you asssk me to create a platform... and a hole with tunnelsss. No, I'll drop dead, literally." The Constrictor asked too much, she was just a single viper, if Xani got a whole group of reimancers with her then it would be feasible. As powerful as Aka was, creating a whole circular spike wall, platform strong enough to hold a Constrictor, and a tunnel network would kill her.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I don't want to to do thisss, I'm not sssuicidal." Aka bet sending those Myrians a large mini-sun would be a far better solution, they would have no way to fight as the light and heat of the sun would attract their full attention. "Geez... what'sss with all thisss..." She grumbled, Aka was losing interest in working with the female guard. She wasn't fun at all, she was too serious and made complex solutions to simple problems. Throw fireballs, Myrians die, take their stuffs, go home, was that really hard to do?

She took the container offered to her, at least she could get this one done at the moment. "Fine, I'll give you my venom." Vipers didn't have venom in their human form so Aka took off her robe then began shifting to her Dhani form. Her form grew, legs fusing into a tail, crimson scales spawning from her pale skin, and her hair receded into her head as it turned from humanoid to serpentine. Thirty ticks later, a half-snake half-human creature replaced the small girl. Aka put the container to her mouth and used her fangs to spray the venom into it. After it was half-full, She handed it back to Xani. "Sss, there, careful, it'sss very deadly." Viper venom could kill within chimes and Aka was sure even Constrictors weren't immune to it.

She crossed her arms again, her eyes glaring into the guard. "Your plan isss too complicated and imposssible to do. Realize that I'm jussst one Dhani. I am powerful, but building a whole large ssspike traps, wallsss, platform, and tunnel networksss? Soundsss like you need at leassst four to five reimancersss." She waited to hear what Saxani would say, even if the guard insisted, she wouldn't do it. She would rather go home and take a bath in the steam baths than overgive to death.

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani's immediate thought was disappointment, and it began to curve her lusting as well. The fact remained that the Dhani had no fortified position to fight from, and they'd need at least that and a path of retreat. Saxani took the venom with care and returned her attention to the plan below, beginning to make alterations immediately. She began to hiss under her breath at herself and the plan. Aka's childish boredom did not hinder Saxani in the slightest. If she kept it up though, the viper might be reminded of her place. "How about this then," she started, marking now the Myrians' position, their own, and the channel they crossed before. "We'll fortify ourselves here," Saxani marked at the mid-point, "where we can shoot from. Between your fire and these blighted arrows, no Myrian that comes towards us will live. "Here though," Saxani outlined a path between the Myrian camp and the position she wanted to fortify, "We do need something. Can you do spikes coming up from the earth, not big, but thorns, that the Myrians will bleed their feet or die if they fall on them? We need something here. If the tiger can jump over it, then we can single it out from the pack. "Now, I know you want to burn them alive, and you shall. So what we'll do instead of a spike wall... I want to flush them out from that position, but not damage their equipment. Fire is volatile, and I fear if we were to surround them in fire we risk losing their goods, as well as causing too much noise." Saxani began to despair a bit by the sheer lack of resources available to her. While she counted on her own ability most of the time, it just weighed heavily right now. Aka's impatience and disinterest were not aiding in her motivation either. "You may be right, viper, but we can not go in and illuminate them in fire. It would cause too much attention. Your magic is red like smoke and fire, and will blend in easily with their torches and fire pit. Perhaps rather than tossing fireballs, you might spread your magic in the air around them, and immolate them all at once, save the tiger, whose pelt we'd be rewarded for. I can shoot it down with these envenomed arrows thanks to you, even if it's just enough a shot to cripple it, then I can kill and preserve the health of the meat for a meal. Or, if you think yourself capable, maybe you can erupt earth spikes from underneath the Myrians and simply kill them all at once. Form your magic as spears for their hearts and then we clean them up? What say you, Soshakuakamamushi? You know your limits far better than I ever will. "

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Aka didn't feel bad about disappointing the guard. Better to disappoint than dead. Aka picked up her robe and tied it to her waist like a belt, it would be ruined should they decide to battle, but leaving her clothes her was the same as abandoning it anyway. The Viper didn't mind if her robe was destroyed, she got multiple instances of it, a simple black robe was easy to acquire.

Saxani's new plan was far more feasible and easy to understand. The previous spike-forest was too excessive and unneeded, she liked this new plan with them fortifying a position and preparing a line of thorns. "Yesss, I can do that, it'sss easssy." Those Myrians would not expect small, sharp thorns of earth stabbing their feet, immobilizing them.

"Hmmm... okay." Aka could understand Saxani's unwillingness to just burn them all to the ground, she wanted to loot the Myrians' belongings. The Viper began to think of a way to kill the Myrians but not damaging their equipment. Saxani's first suggestion about immolating them was just the same as throwing fireballs at them, they would run around in flames for a while before dropping dead, causing the flames to spread and burn everything. It would be a sound plan if they didn't want to loot. "Nah, Sissster, I think immolating them will caussse fire to spread, burning their stuffsss."

Now about Xani's second plan, Aka got a brilliant idea, Aka never thought of this before. Creating earth spikes from inside their body and stabbed their hearts, destroying them from within. She needed to stealthily inject her gaseous res through their nostrils and pores, and like Saxani said, her reddish res would blend in nicely with their torch lights. "Alright, I can do that, you can take care of the tiger and the Myriansss that evaded my magic, I'll assist you asss sssoon asss possible." She nodded and began to work immediately, glancing back to check if Saxani was following her.

Aka in Dhani form slithered to the planned trap location, moving rather slowly and ducking to make herself as small as possible. Her diminutive size compared to her Constrictor brethren helped greatly with her stealth. She used her agility to traverse through the obstacles while trying to make as little sound as possible. After a few moments, she arrived at the location. Aka glanced at the Myrian camp, her heat vision and amplified senses showed her they were still unaware of the Dhani's presence. Good.

The Viper concentrated and began to exhume her reddish gaseous res from her body that made contact with the ground. They travelled under the ground in a straight line, creating a long blanket of res just hiding under the earth's surface. Aka extended them to as far as she could before losing control then she prepared herself as she commanded her res to manipulate the ground. In the ticks that followed, sharp small spikes began growing from the earth, small enough to be unnoticed, but sharp enough to cause noticeable stab wounds. After the first layer was done, Aka commanded her res blanket to move sideways, shaping another strip of land into the spike trap. She kept doing it until four layers of spike traps were ready. The Viper then moved on to the second phase.

She slithered closer to the Myrian camp, still moving slowly to keep herself unnoticed. She stopped when she felt vibration of footsteps near her, she looked to her right and found two Myrians were separating from the rest, possibly to do their bathroom business. They were the perfect guinea pigs for her little earth-spike-in-the-heart trick.

Aka hissed and opened her jaw, exhuming a small amount of her gas res. They travelled on the air until they arrived at the two walking Myrians. The res spread thinly and enveloped the air around their heads, they unwittingly inhaled her res as they breathed. Once Aka felt her res was inside their lungs, she commanded it to transmute into an earthen stake, stabbing their lungs and heart. The two Myrians' eyes widened for a tick before suddenly dropping dead onto the ground. From the outside, it looked like they were dying of an unknown, sudden cause. Perfect, this should cause some confusion among them. She looked back to the female guard and made a gesture, they could begin now, Saxani should take her position where she could get a clean shot.

Aka continued with her approach, peering through the thick foliage into the clearing where the camp was. There were a lot of them, Aka realized she couldn't use her fire, they must be as subtle as possible. She spotted a few Myrians closest to her, these would be the first to die. She held out her hands, both of her palms produced her gaseous res as it traveled underground. Aaaah~ Ssso good~ She hissed in pleasure, casting had always felt good. Shaking her head slightly to concentrate, She separated the bulk of her res into five separate locations where two Myrians were standing side-by-side each.

Then, she made her res to slowly rise in the air, they were inhaled by the Myrians as they breathed. Aka fully concentrated in feeling her res, if someone were to ambush her now, she wouldn't even notice it until they made physical contact with her. Once she felt each of her gaseous children were inside the Myrians, Aka flared her hood and earthen spikes spawned in their lungs, stabbing it and their heart. The ten Myrians dropped on the ground as if unconscious, but they were dead as they could be. If Saxani was right, they should only be thirty of them left. She glanced back to Saxani, waiting for her next command.

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani studied Aka's motions on the first two Myrians. She was unaware it was a test run for the viper, and expected completely for the ground to reach up like the pikes of soldiers, stabbing through their coarse hearts. She only saw the faint flow of gaseous red and the dead drop of two soldiers. The smirk on Aka's face was unnerving in combination with her technique. Saxani had completely underestimated the viper's ability, as well as the potential for magic on the fields of war. It was an entirely new fight seeing Aka at work. Siku be praised, there was hardly a fight at all, merely invisible death between the reddish smoldering of flames and darkness of night. The god Aka worshipped promised great power. Saxani was met with conflict: a fear of this power, but a respect for Aka's allegiance and her potential as an ally, perhaps even a "constrictor" in status if she were to show such cunning in the continuum of the war. Aka looking back to Saxani was the most humbling of moments. This natural bringer of death still respected Saxani's position among the nest, her rank, her age, her heritage. Saxani did not hesitate, for that was weakness, but instead permitted Aka's continued slaughter of the Myrians. For fear of her own life, she studied Aka most of all, her breathing, focus, and motion. She wanted to understand the working of this reimancer's technique. Her slight against the viper might not be forgotten so soon, and she would do what she could to preserve the sanctity of her life in Zinrah, her home. Aka was one of the most unlikely invaders of the nest, but in light of the night's events thus far, Saxani would take no chances. The viper would sooner taste her own venom than so much as think of crossing Saxani. The constrictor dipped her arrow deep in the venom, the juicy barb lining up against the bow shaft and string. Saxani did not dare to play her symphony of screams, for the silence was precious and magical, if one looked close enough. The black steel glare of the elder peered down at Aka's petite and sadistic form. She merely nodded that the viper continue her assault. The fang had not yet stirred, so Saxani merely sought to cover herself, and for a time to watch over Aka. Saxani looked ahead to the head of battle should they be discovered, and placed three more arrows in her pouch. The envenomed bolts were a means of weakening the tiger at this point. The fight would not draw on much longer with such wicked magic slipping through the camp. Saxani thought of the East and what other cruel magics existed there. Those within the confines of Zinrah were very primal. She had only ever seen the constructs of magic, namely the caves. This violent use of reimancy was something to behold and bewilder. Saxani traced her claws along the string and prepared to pull back, aim true, and fill the tiger with their Dhani-made poison. Still, she'd let Aka finish her work while the element of surprise remained. Perhaps she'd kill the lot of them before Saxani need fire a shot. The constrictor was utterly baffled, just…she had been a fool. Then again, there was no story of the Goddess of War conquering Falyndar with magic. Was that her secret?

[Soshakuakamamushi]

The Viper looked onward, lapping the air and making use of her heat vision to detect the remaining Myrians. The rest of the Myrians were huddled too close together, one death could set them all off. Aka furrowed as her mind tried to form a plan. There was one, she could create a very large fireball akin to a small sun to lure the Myrians into the spike trap while hiding inside the ground using her small snake form. They wouldn't even notice her due to the heat and light of the flames. Nodding to herself in assurance, Aka began transforming as her form shrank and her arms fusing into her body, thirty ticks later, a viper in the size of a regular cobra replaced the Dhani creature.

Aka in snake form exhumed small amount of her res to hide into the ground, but suddenly stopped when she saw two Myrians breaking off from the group to patrol. She wouldn't have enough time to create her sun before they found out about the dead bodies. Petch this... aaagh! This also made her realize there were just two of them and if Saxani said was true, they could call even more of them. These bronze monkeys were endless and Aka didn't want to foolishly risk her life. Twelve Myrians were enough, they could still retreat now. Aka quickly slithered back to Saxani's location, taking care to avoid her own spike traps. Once she was close enough, the snake looked up and hissed in snake-tongue. "Sissster, it'sss not worth it, there'sss too many of them. Let'sss go back for now." She didn't care if the Constrictor thought of her as a coward. It was better than dying.

If the group consisted of just about five to ten Myrians, she could handle them, but forty were just too much and there was a high possibility of more of them lurking just near the initial group. Even if she killed many, many more would eventually overwhelm both of them. "The ressst are too clossse, I can't kill them without ssspooking them all. Like you sssaid, they can call for more, I... don't want thisss. I killed enough, let'sss go back."

In the back, the two Myrians found some dead bodies and immediately alerted the rest of the group. They still didn't know the cause of their deaths nor the snake responsible for it so if the Dhani retreated now, they still had the chance to slip away unnoticed. The Myrians, including the tiger, didn't waste any time though and immediately searched around the vicinity. If they headed to the Dhani's direction, they would find their feet stabbed with strange earth spikes jutting from the ground.

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani's mouth curled to a silent roar, her fangs flanged out as if to eat up little Aka. Retreat wasn't exactly a go-to strategy in the Dhani's book of stratagem. This had been precisely why she wanted her own meticulous plan to entrap the Myrians, and deal with them in groups. The recklessness of this viper had indeed cost them all, not merely Aka and Saxani. There could be valuable medicines or tools in the camp. Mouth agape, tongue flickering, Saxani surveyed the Myrians another time. They were alert, but the Dhani still had the upper hand, they still had surprise. "They may not be worth it, but we are. Follow my lead, we will purge them. Lead them to the spikes, and then circle back to the camp. They expect us return together, viper; do not abandon me. I promise you we will live this. If there's nothing else you can do with your magic, at least dampen their fire in the earth." Saxani was moving without protest from Aka. The viper would have to follow her. Saxani lined herself up directly with the tiger, drawing a second envenomed arrow from her pouch. She was not utterly confident they'd both fly straight, but she wanted to shoot two arrows at once to take the beast out quicker. Range or clarity were not her enemy here, more so her own grip. With shafts lodged between her middle three fingers, the constrictor drew back her bow with great strength, knowing it so well as to not break the chord, and aimed true at the Tiger's throat. The tiger stared her down and began to roar as she came closer into the light and let loose the arrows. The tiger motioned to pounce, landing the arrows into its upper hide, on in the nape, the other in a leg. The captain roared and the Myrians began their counter attack. Saxani had wasted no time drawing on another arrow from the venom, one left soaking still, and fired it again at the tiger. At such range and clarity, she struck it in the right eye. Though not a kill shot, the tiger bowed its head and curled over the ground to remove the barb. The captain was quick to her feet, sword in hand, rushing for her partner's assailant. The Myrians were surely coming from all sides now. Saxani saw the tiger's eye bleeding, though not utterly ruined. With some yards between them still, Saxani drew her last envenomed arrow and let loose a clear shot into the beast's chest. The pelt, the sheer mass, it had been too thick to strike at its heart, but the tiger did moan. The venom would take its time to slow and kill this beast, but Saxani thought it had some fight in it yet. Until then, there were Myrians afoot. Saxani shuffled back, her serpent form moving at two lengths in seconds at her whim. The dread cackling of the constrictor taunted the Myrian captain further, as the fang began to move in around them. Alas, the wood was dense, and the light of the moon but piercing streams in the darkness. The Myrians were at that disadvantage without their fire – which Aka had been assigned to take care of. Meanwhile, the Dhani saw everything. Saxani laughed and taunted the Myrian rider most of all, whose growls and cursing chased after the Dhani ahead of her. "Die, filthy serpent," Saxani called out, speaking a very clear tone resembling of the Myrian language, though heavily accented by her own snake tongue. Saxani laughed wickedly as she coiled up and around the low branches, between tight splits in trees, and the mounds of the jungle, gliding over the spike trap with a meticulous yet swift motion. Landing on the other side, Saxani drew three arrows, dropping two in the venom, and waiting loftily for the Myrian to cross the trap. The snake saw lights in the background, movement, torches needing to be doused. The tiger roared, pissed off and viciously dedicated to seeing a Dhani killed if she could help it. The unbreakable loyalty would surely bring the tiger prowling towards Saxani. If they were to retreat, she wanted that corpse with her. Overconfident though, Saxani began to plot her slaughter of the local fang split, the immediate raiding of their camp, and a narrow but secure escape to Zinrah's ruins. The blockade would react, closing the hole, but spreading the Myrian's thinner. It would be patched by the season's end, however, the Dhani were growing in their strength. Should the attacks become more frequent, more devastating, the blockade would need to be abandoned completely. Saxani prayed to Siku, for her blessing on this evening for utter cunning and voracity for blood as the Myrian captain came into line. Saxani coiled about herself, standing tall and intimidating, and let loose a hissing roar as the Myrian screamed her war cry as well. The screams changed as the crossed the trap, too late she realized and fell. Saxani reached over and dragged her through the rest to the forest edge. Dropping the Myrian who tried to swing her sword into the Dhani, Saxani recovered and secured the sword arm. Dhani strength lifted the comparatively small creature into the air and drove her skull into the nearest tree. Saxani stole the sword from the stunned Myrian, coiled about her, and slit her throat to the approaching Myrians. Sheathing the sword opposite the remaining venom, Saxani recovered her bow and arrow atop her tail, and aiming back for the way she came, the constrictor prepared to bring great death to these savages. Saxani's thoughts of Aka were minimal. So long as there was a fire lit, Aka was either busy or failing. Saxani let loose her arrow into the chest of the first Myrian charging forward into the night blind before doubling back around the trap to the main camp to check on her little viper friend. The burning venom made him scream in agony but briefly before his inevitable end. The myrians buckled. Saxani assumed much of Aka by thinking she would obey and be there when the constrictor called, but Saxani was very confident in her own ability as well. Howling monkeys, bronze toned, echoed from the front end of the trap lined up against the camp. Things were going according to plan, somewhat. Saxani prepared a plain arrow for any Myrian who got ballsy on her advance to the camp. The tiger was still about, though its life dwindled by the moment. It could probably still crush Aka, Saxani thought briefly, and hasted her motion toward the camp.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Petch this! Aaaaagh! The Viper hissed in annoyance, Saxani was stupid, utterly stupid. Did she think both of them could take on a a group of about thirty Myrians? The Viper thought this guard was wiser and far more experienced in dealing with these bronze monkeys than her, but apparently... it wasn't the case. Some part of her mind agreed with Saxani though, it was late at night and they were Dhani, and she already killed then of them herself. They could take care of this particular group if they were very careful... but the matter of them calling for their brethren didn't escape her. Myrians were endless and if hundreds more came pouring in? Well, Ivak would lost a flame in the jungle. "Hsss... petch... fine fine! If we are dead! I'm going to haunt you for the ressst of your life! I mean it!" She groaned and followed the Dhani-formed constrictor, her serpentine body slithering through the vegetation.

As Xani focused on the tiger, The Viper did her task, extinguishing the Myrian's torch. It should be easy enough, Aka opened her jaw and her res hissed out from mouth, it formed a res ball up high above her. Then she willed her res to gather all fire around her that the res could reach. The Myrians were alerted of their presence, but found themselves being left in the dark as most of their torches suddenly snuffed out, flames escaping their sticks, gathered into a particular location above and turned into harmless puffs of air. Aka would continue her work of extinguishing the torches, but her eyes widened when some of the monkeys found them, some of them fell to the ground, feet bleeding due to her spike trap. She couldn't stay still, Aka slithered towards Saxani and wrapped her sinuous body around her wide Dhani waist, literally taking a ride on her body.

"Guh..." She hissed as the toll of reimancy washed over her body and mind. She did her part, now Saxani would have to do hers. Aka didn't want to risk big spells, it wasn't worth it, this was supposed to be an ordinary patrol, but she would support to the best of her abilities. She kept commanding her spherical res beacon to gather torchfires, with every torch extinguished, they bought themselves more time. The tiger, being ridden so much with arrows coated in very lethal foreign Viper venom, wouldn't last long even with its endurance. If Saxani intended to kill it, she would succeed, but how were they going to harvest it with these monkeys running about? More Myrians arrived from the front, but they didn't expect the unnatural spike traps ridding the ground, puncturing their feet and as they fell down, puncturing their body and face as well. They tried to get up, but the spikes also punctured their hands. Some of them were smart enough to avoid it after seeing their brethren succumbing to the spikes.

"Sissster! We have to get out of here! NOW!" The Viper would feel bad, if they couldn't linger further. If Saxani still insisted on being foolish, Aka would slither away on her own. Her very small snake form - compared to a Constrictor - and swift movements would allow her an easy escape.

[Sashisaxani]

Saxani sensed the deterioration of her surroundings. Numbness began to overcome her, as the hisses of the viper were blurred into the background, whispers overcome by the distinct calls of the Myrians, each and every one sparking a sort of sick joy inside of her. She wanted this so badly, open conflict with the Myrians, but still she was only one, only a Dhani. She wanted release again. That sweet taste over a year ago had left her bitter. The blockade could not hold another year, not like this. It wasn't difficult to slip in or out, but why, she cried out in her prayers, why did it have to be so? These goddesses play with them in their spiteful games. She could never disown her mother, for she was generous and kind to her children, but the Myrian war-witch deserved nothing. Prowess in war was something even Saxani could respect, but the belittlement of the Dhani, confining them to a hole, was unrespectable, and it washed all else away. Things were not so severe on the blockade that the Dhani were starving, not yet at least. Saxani's mind dwelled on these things. Aka's coiling drew Saxani back to her senses. The constrictor nearly pulled her knife on Aka before seeing those glazed eyes on the little fed snake. Perhaps it had been enough after all. This bloodshed was meaningless. The efforts of one were pathetic in comparison to the Myrian masses. Yet was it so futile? Geomancers could change the game. What was Zinrah anyway, but the cave? Might Zinrah be expanded upon, and then no Myrian could enter Zinrah. Might Zinrah envelop the bowels of Taloba, and still no Myrian would trespass… The most audacious of plans flooded her mind in spite. For as much as the blood shed wearied her, there remained a sick satisfaction in watching these savages bleed. It hurt to relent, but Saxani started to shuffle back from the trap toward Zinrah. A stray Myrian ahead of his group came too close. With a swift turn, Saxani made a quick draw on him, lodging a coated dart in his leg. He fell, and the Dhani went onward. Saxani moved quickly, yet not so swift as Aka may have liked. Saxani, as Aka could notice, was looking back for something. The viper was clear to run off if she pleased, but the constrictor still had unfinished business it seemed. Saxani's pride would be hurt if she came back empty handed. She had taken the opportunity to use her arrows, and the tiger was still on them. She judged its size, and bargained she could carry it if she had the necessary time. The constrictor started moving vertically into the nearest boughs of trees, higher up where no torch light could see clearly. The starlight that hit her skin looked little different from dampened bark in the distance. Aka, however, would do best to hide her fiery scales. "Be still, little viper, and very quiet. They think they know us so well, chasing us back to our nest. I must go back for something. Are you with me, viper?" Saxani doubted Aka greatly in this regard. She was dead weight coiled to Saxani, so it made little difference if she came or not. Saxani drew from her harness the stolen blade and venom. The blade was rubbed through the leaf in a coat of Aka's venom. It would be clear to Aka that Saxani was moving in close. The rage that has been instilled in the Myrians would hopefully run them astray from the prize, the tiger. Saxani only wanted to get in close and start to move it away from the main path. Perhaps it could be taken to the ruins before they found the trail. The jungle was wide and dense. It could be done. Saxani would merely need to exert no more force than necessary. If they had to leave it and run, fine, but it was better than just running away.