Hark, This Way a Traveler Comes

[Traverse]

Oryani was overlooked during the fight, and luckily so. Her Dhani captors were far too worried about the number of Myrians, and the Myrians had eyes only for the filthy snakes that had come so close to their city. The two males, stuck in human form without proper time to transform were the first to fall, one struck with several arrows, the other cut down by a throwing axe to the spine. One female Constrictor took the brunt of the arrows, but her size made the weapons look more like needles in a pincushion than actual injuries.

The Myrians swarmed the two males in Dhani form. Powerful swings from the massive beasts kept the smaller Myrians away, but there were far too many of them for the snakes to keep them all away. Grazes and light slashes turned into gaping wounds, and two warriors were able to leap on the serpents backs.

Meanwhile, a much more cautious war was being fought with the two giant female snakes. A continuous, but lessening barrage of arrows came from up on the cliff Oryani drew solace from, but the arrows were just as likely to bounce harmlessly off the snake scales as they were to penetrate the tough hide of the monstrous creatures. Hissing their fury both serpents grabbed Myrian warriors in their mouths, chomping at their bodies and then swallowing them whole, tails lashing this way and that, bowling over their enemies. Spears punctured their flesh, swords tried hacking through tough scales, but it was clear the attackers had their work cut out for them with these two.

At first it seemed like the Chaktawe might be able to merely wait out the fight, perhaps both sides would kill each other and she would be free to walk away from the carnage without nary a being knowing she was ever there.

That changed, however when a massive tail came slashing backwards, poised to knock her right off her perch and potentially crush her if she didn't move away in time.

And then Oryani would find herself in the midst of the brutal fight.

••••••••••••

[Oryani]

The fight was brutal, but both parties seemed to know how the other fought. The snake-people in human form went down quickly... it was obvious their power wasn't there. Those as huge snakes, however, seemed to have an advantage. One-on-one they would win any day, but they were outnumbered, and the giants were amazing warriors. Arrows, axes, swords, they hacked and slashed at the beasts, darting away from snapping teeth and slapping tails. It was really quite impressive, excluding the immanent danger.

Meanwhile, Oryani faced a hard choice. She could stay sitting like this, huddled small to make herself harder to see and harder to hit with arrows. Or... she could stand up and -if some attack came- be able to get out of the way more quickly. She wasn't so sure about her reaction speed, when it came to standing up first. Both sides had their pros, and both had their cons. However... the former choice felt more like there was fear influencing the decision. She wouldn't lie, this was a fearsome scene. She just wanted to curl up and hide, and tried to find logic to excuse it.

Shaking her head, she snorted and muttered profanities under her breath. Especially in a place like this, she needed to be sensible and practical. Survival was the most important thing... and standing up would lead to that. If anything came her way, they'd probably see her standing up or sitting... it would be more useful to get away quickly. Sighing heavily, the Chatakwe pushed herself up and continued to press against the rock face, hoping to stay out of sight from the archers above.

It turned out to be the right decision. First and foremost, she had a better view of the battlefield, and it seemed that... the giants were winning? Maybe. It was hard to tell. It might have just been that she was rooting for them to come victorious, at least. More importantly, however, the attack she'd been expecting did come... though not exactly from the giants, but rather her (mentally) sworn enemies. A giant tail came lashing out from one of the small skirmishes, proving that this was all much to close for comfort.

The Drykas hadn't quite seen it coming, however, as her attention had been fixed on another fight, a little further. Though why she hadn't been focusing on the more problematic one, she didn't know. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw sudden movement, and... tail! She yelped in surprise, despite her determination to stay quiet, and shoved, in general, away from where the huge limb -Was it a limb? Were tails limbs?- smashed into the wall behind her. She fell awkwardly on the ground, pushed herself up... and found herself in an even worse spot, closer to the giants (who didn't seem so giant now), and the most-certainly-giant snakes.

"Peeetch..."

- Pavi - Common - Tawna -

[Traverse]

When the call had gone out two mornings ago, rumors of strangers in the jungle, just outside of the clan perimeters Hyluck hadn't believed the report. The report was humans, few of which could get into Falyndar so deep without aid, but the alternative, Dhani in their human form, was just as presposterous. Dhani were many things, monstrous, cocky, and powerful, but stupid wasn't generally an additional adjective to throw into the mix.

Yet here the Scattered Bones warrior was, his chipped, yet sturdy hand axe chopping away sections of flesh from one of the giant serpents, blood covering his arms and face as he strove to make a dent the bitch would remember.

••••••••••••

Mayli of the Poisoned Arrow stood on her rocky perch, longbow drawn fully. This arrow had to count. It held a potent poison on its tip, and if it could find a spot in one of the snake's flesh, not simply bounce off their tough hide, then it would do some serious damage. Most of the archers had switched to melee and joined their companions down below, but Mayli had always been a more potent fighter at range.

••••••••••••

Oryani's cry went up. Both of the snakes paid little mind, it was just another noise amongst the small monkeys that were slowly overwhelming them, but the Myrians knew the cry to not belong to one of their own. Hyluck wrenched his axe out of the gaping wound he had made with a wet noise and turned to see a feminine form, humanoid in shape crawling to her feet to the right of him as a muscled tail writhed around them.

His axe was at the woman's throat in an instant. The light was dim, but he could tell by her stature she wasn't in the two fangs that had been sent to take care of whatever threat had come so close to Taloba. A flash of torchlight, however revealed Oryani's strange black eyes and the Myrian drew back. She may not be Myrian, but he had never seen a Dhani with eyes like that, and she had no weapons.

That was about enough time, however, for both parties to be knocked over by another swipe of the massive serpent's tail, landing heavily on the ground.

"Hyluck you want to petching die tonight? Get off your arse and keep cutting this skurak!" Screamed a voice somewhere behind the Myrian and Chaktawe.

••••••••••••

Mayli focused. She could hear the dying screams of her bretheren below and her grip on the bow shook slightly. This shot could save or condemn more lives. She breathed in through her nose, exhaled out of the mouth and focused on the gash some male had opened up below her. She could see the blood glistening in the torches here and there that the Myrians waved to ensure they could see each other.

Twang

The poisoned arrow loosed from its home and sailed diagonally downward into the fray. For a moment Mayli felt like a child, wanted her eyes to close and not open them until it was all over, but she forced herself to stare at her work and where her shot landed, because just one arrow wouldn't be enough.

••••••••••••

Perhaps one might think that Dhani did not easily feel fear. After all, once they reached adulthood, Constrictors were forces to be reckoned with, monstrous forms that had power and grace as well long lifespans to master whatever skills they wished. These thoughts might be right in a sense, but on the other side the Constrictors of Zinrah had always lived in perpetual fear. There was an inevitability and moroseness about their lives. Even as they tried to cultivate their numbers, Dhani in their prime were cut down by the impossible numbers of Myrians, and though few would admit it, nearly all Constrictors feared the day when the full force of Myri's children would come storming down their city tunnels to eradicate their hope once and for all.

Taylssin and Lilithin were not sisters though they might as well have been. Their egg clutches were int he same nursery, they did everything from hunt to shop with each other. Their minds were in very different spaces, however just then. All Taylssin could think of was her snakelings back in Zinrah, just hatched. She had sought the short cut, to return to them all the sooner, to watch the priestesses teach them, to feed them raw meat she had caught herself...and now she would never see any of them grow, serve Siku, what they might become.

Lilithin was of a different mind. She would not die here, she refused. She would kill a thousand Myrians before they took her down, Siku would see her work and bless her with a new Gnosis mark, her glorious victory would be heralded down Zinrah's halls, and she would use the skulls of her defeated...no that was too close to what Myrians did.

Lilith believed she could accomplish anything with Taylssin beside her, which was why when she turned, and saw her closest friend convulsing, half a dozen arrows sprouting from a particularly nasty gash did the female Constrictor fall into a frenzy as Oryani and Hyluck desperately tried to escape from the bulk of the dying Caonstrictor on top of them.

••••••••••••

[Oryani]

Oryani was just pushing herself off the ground when there was a sudden movement and... axe. A large, bladed weapon sat at her throat. She froze. That was never good, and at the moment, was a more immediate threat than giant snakes. The wielder was one of the sort-of-giants, a dark skinned man with a fierce look. Since there was a pause after the movement... it didn't seem like he had a direct intent to kill her. Better, though not quite good. Awkwardly she gulped, staring at the axe, then up at it's wielder.

The man seemed to see her eyes and backed away in surprise, almost enough to make the Chatakwe grin... but she didn't have time for it. They were still remarkably close to the flailing creature, and only a tick later they were both on the ground, the Drykas feeling painfully sore. She groaned into the soil, before awkwardly pushing herself up with bound hands. As she'd recently learned, it was best to stay standing at a time like this.

It was all chaos, the warriors all trying to break down the snakes' hard armor, get inside, cause pain and damage. The shape shifters were fighting with all they had as well, though, whipping their tails, snapping with their jaws, attempting to crush break and bite anything that came near. However, there was a remarkable number of the humanoids, and they kept shouting and attacking relentlessly. Arrows still flew, though they were fewer in number. It was one giant mess, and one she would have preferred to stay out of.

However, that wasn't her choice. She was stuck in this, and had to stay alive... at all costs. At the moment, she really had nothing to loose, other than her life... and it was the one thing she was fighting for. She didn't know the new party, and one had just threatened her, but she couldn't really blame the man. It was a battle after all, generally someone not a friend was an enemy.

She glanced up at the top of the ridge and saw the archers there, carefully placing shots. Oryani felt a pang of jealousy, wanting to be up there -without her hands like this- and aiding the fight with her own skills. Irritated she growled at nothing in particular, before returning to reality. There was so much movement around her that she couldn't really focus on it. It felt like she was blind in all but sight, it was all so chaotic... and the lighting was more than iffy.

The warriors had apparently successfully taken down one of the snakes, and it groaned and hissed in pain, twitching randomly. The movements caught both her and her 'companion' off guard, and they ended up having to get themselves out of another sticky situation...

- Pavi - Common - Tawna -

[Traverse]

Hyluck was getting tired of getting knocked off of his feet. It was a useful tactic, and horrendously annoying. He lost sight of the strange woman for a tick before both Myrian and Chaktawe managed to find their feet again. It took a full chime for the large serpents body to stop moving completely, but the shuddering jerks became less frequent, more sluggish, until finally the beast ceased moving all together.

And the one remaining serpent was in an utter rage. Part of the jungle was ablaze, a stray torch having been knocked out of a warrior's grip and thrown into relatively dry foliage. It cast bizarre and twisted shadows of the massive rearing Dhani female as she raised herself up, her twisted reflection jagged on the cliff face behind Hyluck and Oryani.

With a vicious snap of her jaws two Myrians were gobbled up in one swallow, a severed leg falling with a wet thunk onto the ground. The dead body of the writing Dhani's companion shielded the two from a violent sweep of the female's tail, sending several Myrians onto their back and one fatally into the trunk of a nearby tree. Snakes didn't have the vocal chords of tigers or wolves, but the noise that escaped the serpent's throat was more than a hiss, and more like a choked cry of hatred. If she was going down, she would take as many Myrians with her as she could.

Oryani would see the strange tanned male assess her briefly before lunging up over the dead carcass of the DHani, sliding over rough scales onto the other side of it, and charging headlong into the fray. Arrows peppered the snake's hide, numerous gashes and cuts tore apart thick scales as her body writhed and floundered to repel her attackers.

••••••••••••

Why had this happened to her? To them? What had it all been for. Every shriek of the monkeys beneath her massive body made Lilith's ears ring pleasurably, but it wasn't enough. She was losing blood and energy too fast to keep this up for long.

Her head whipped from side to side, nostrils flaring, eyes searching in the darkness using a sight that did not rely on the light. She wanted to kill the black eyed girl. It was her fault that all of this had come about, so much trouble and only to get one slave out of it? And the Myrians would surely take her two, along with the pelts of her slain sister and brothers, parading it proudly back to their Warrior Queen like the savages they were.

Each heat signature looked the same from the last, but she searched for one's without weapons in hands, someone who wasn't attacking because she couldn't.

There! Behing Tayl's corpse, already cooling despite the heat of Falyndar stood a single form, not moving fast or far, trying to remain safe while the chaos reined around her.

Oryani suddenly became aware of a massive dark head snapping towards her, pink maw opened in an attempt to grab her up and eat her before the Myrians cut deep enough to stop the Dhani permanently.

[Oryani]

Once she was up again, Oryani took a moment to stare at the dying snake. It barely moved now, slowing further and further until… nothing. It stopped completely, body limp and motionless. It was quite the sight. These warriors had to be well practiced at fighting the snakies, to take down something as simply huge as this. It looked like an impossible task, but… apparently it was possible. She was staring at the proof right here.

She dragged herself out of these thoughts on the premise that she needed to pay attention to things around her…she didn’t want to get snuck up on again. A glance around told her the tall man had left, apparently trusting her enough not to stab him in the back. It was nice to have that… though it probably wasn’t trust in her mentality, but rather trust in the fact that her hands were bound and useless. She scowled again at the fact. It didn’t help much with balance, and she felt utterly useless. She wasn’t one so skilled at fighting just with her body that she could kick things to death. It was almost laughable. She could punch things… and that was it. But anyone could punch things.

The Chatakwe stared at the last remaining snake, marvelling a little at the warriors’ endurance and skill. They kept charging back, despite so many of their number being tossed around like rag dolls. She barely knew what they were, but she already felt quite a bit of respect for them. They could almost be equal to Drykas, except… they weren’t Drykas.

Her eyes watched the snake’s head vaguely, noting the large teeth, and… the fact that it was now heading towards her. Was that just it trying to get another warrior? Or… no, it was coming closer and closer, those teeth that were remarkable earlier now frightening and deadly. She swore under her breath and backed up hastily a few steps, until she stumbled and nearly fell. Only the corpse of a dead warrior stopped her from landing on the ground. She didn’t pay too much attention to it, though silently thanked it’s presence, before turning and running at full tilt away from her to-be attacker.

It had gotten too close in that moment of pause, and those few ticks of sprinting felt like longer than they should have. She wasn’t going to lie, she was scared, but she tried not to show it… even though there was no one to look. Instead she stared into the ground, until finally deciding that she was probably far enough away. She paused for a moment and turned, now almost out of the circle of light and fire. The snake had moved closer towards her, but now was down, under a swarm of warriors, becoming like the first monster had. Dead.

Relief struck the Drykas like a stone… they were all dead and gone now. She didn’t feel like caring about anything else… there was no immediate danger. She sighed heavily, and suddenly felt more tired than she’d ever in her life. She’d faced enemies and predators, but nothing like this…Closing her eyes, almost wishing for sleep, she sat down heavily on the moist ground, simply waiting for whatever came next.

- Pavi - Common - Tawna -

[Traverse]

"Role Call, NOW!" The voice called sharply after they were all sure the second serpent was dead. Voices went up like lights in the night one by one. But there were 8 less than the three fangs had come with. The three fang leaders all lived, and grouped up around the two serpent bodies, consulting on what to do next.

First would be a pyre for the dead. Solemn faces began dragging what corpses there were into a pile, collecting dry brush and wood. The small fire that had started was extinguished and torches were mounted on tall spears, a perimeter formed.

During this time, which took ten chimes or so, Oryani was ignored, but the male from before remembered the black eyed woman, and waded around the dead snakes to find her far behind, not so far from the fallen and dull eyed head of the massive snake that had tried to kill her in her final moments.

Hyluck approached slowly, as one would a rabid animal, but his weapon was sheathed, and now he could see clearly she was bound, which meant she had been a prisoner, most likely of the Dhani's. He raised a hand in a universal sign that he meant no harm, then put his wrists together as hers were and feigned cutting bonds with a small dagger which he slid slowly from his belt, holding it loosely in front of him.

If she raised her hands he would cut the bonds, releasing her from their tight and constricting grasp, and it was around this time when others begant o notice the female.

"Hyluck, who is she?" A tall woman with massive bon teeth sticking out of either ear stepped forward, her eyes harsh, her mouth turned down in a frown. The male lowered his head in deference and took a step back.

"She is a barbarian, held captive by the Dhani, I have never seen something like her."

"She looks human."

"Her eyes, they are...different."

Incredulously the fang leader bent forward to peer in Oryani's solid black eyes, nose sniffing as if that would help her identify the creature. Then she spoke in common.

"Do you understand common, barbarian? If so you will tell us why you are here and who you are or you may meet a similar end as those snakes." Her common was clear and fluent, and Hyluck took another step back, his grasp of the foreing tongue not nearly so deft.

••••••••••••

[Oryani]

The Warriors seemed to go around their own business after the fight was over, leaving Oryani to drift off almost into a half sleep while they did so. It seemed that the collective strain of not just the fight, but the journey through the jungle was finally hitting her with a huge wave of simple exhaustion. Repetitively she tried to remind herself that she wasn't quite out of danger, and possibly would never be. She was still in the blasted jungle, with plants and animals and people she knew nothing about.

It was only when the man from before approached she moved, glancing up and frowning. She straightened, wondering if she should stand up, but not quite wanting to put in the effort. The fighter towered over her, but he didn't seem to mean any harm. In fact, he raised his hand in a sign that was nearly the Pavi one for 'It's alright', though not quite. These people had probably never heard her language before. Did they even speak Common? The snakies had, so why not these people?

He motioned that he was going to cut the ties around her wrists, and the Chatakwe sighed in relief. These people were probably trustworthy, from what she'd seen... and who else was there to trust. She willingly lifted her hands, and in moments they were free. She shook her wrists, wincing at the pain from the constant bonds that were now gone. Using these, she pushed herself up, feeling a little wobbly on her legs. It was just like after a long ride... except she hadn't touched or seen a horse in... days.

A new arrival came, a woman who was taller, larger, and a little more gruesome-looking. She also seemed to be in charge. The two talked a little, obviously about herself, before the woman's full attention was directed at the Drykas. She looked back, standing a little awkwardly, but still wanting to hold up her own dignity. Almost to make herself feel more comfortable, she crossed her arms and tried to stand a little more steady.

The Common spoken was fluent, and almost a little too fast for Oryani's tastes. "Yes, I speak Common," was her first simple answer. The second part was harder to decipher, and she frowned in concentration as she tried to remember what was said. 'why here' and 'who', before some other gibberish she hoped wasn't too important. She might as well answer the questions she knew. "I am here because the...," she hesitated, not knowing the word for 'snake' in Common. "Them," she finally gave in, pointing at the huge carcasses behind them. "T... take me. Here." She scowled at her own lack of knowledge in the language.

"I am Oryani. I am a Chatakwe. From... deserts. I am also a Drykas." It was an awkward explanation, but what else would she say? "Black eyes, I am a Chatakwe," she mentioned, knowing they were probably wondering about them. She pointed to her eyes as well, to push the point.

Since she was talking, there was reason to ask a question in return. "Who are you?"

- Pavi - Common - Tawna -

[Traverse]

The woman took a step back, giving the stranger time to answer, but her hand rested on a knife hilt, breath still heavy from the exertions of only a few chimes prior. As Oryani spoke the woman's eyes narrowed. A prisoner then, as Hyluck suspected.

"Oryani, I am Grytali of the Poisoned Arrow. I do not know the Drykas or Chaktawe, but you will be safe with us." Myrians were not a trusting sort, but this female had no weapons of any kind, and being a prisoner of the Dhani meant she was not ally to them.

Hyluck stood at attention near the female, waiting for instructions, a few other Myrians had come to gawk at the barbarian as well. Grytali turned on a miza to face them, her expression making everyone stand a little straighter.

"First the pyres, we must send the dead to Dira Properly. then we roast up these Dhani and eat them, Zinrah has a few less snakes in their serpent nest!"

A ragged cheer went up, but what came next was just as gruesome as the fight. Several dead Myrians were inside the snakes, and the bodies were sliced open, the fight too quick for any digestion to take place, yet the dark ground was covered in pools of slippery blood and Dhani guts as one by one the bodies were pulled out, slimy and lifeless and dragged to their comrades. Oryani found herself alone again as those living surrounded the great pile of umbrella leaves stacked on broken wood and tinder to watch the bodies burn. A slow humming began, coming from the throats of all of the soldiers, three females including Grytali who seemed to be the leaders standing at the head and leading a chant that Oryani could not understand.

"We do not mourn the loss of these who have fallen tonight, for they have been returned to Dira's embrace. May those who fought to the death for our Queen be returned to Myrian bodies healthy and strong, to live and grow again, to learn to fight anew, to kill more enemies of Taloba, to rise to the greatest heights they can, as we shall when we die, so is the cycle of life.

For Myri, For Dira, for Caiyha, For Kihala, For Syna and Leth."

The last bit, their patron Gods and Goddesses repeated became a chant as the crackling flames snatched at the flesh of their fallen comrades, and Oryani might be able to make out the deity names, if she were familiar with them. This event in itself took about a bell, and then the Myrians began slicing up and dividing the meat of the two massive snakes. Three fires were built and formed a distance away from the stink of the carnage, and spits with roasting Dhani meat were erected. Hyluck returned to Oryani and guided her to a fire, sitting down on a fallen tree and beckoning her to sit beside him. Hyluck didn't know a word of common himself, so he did the best he could with her.

Oils and spices from various packs were poured and sprinkled on the meat, and one chunk about the size of Oryani's fist was offered to her by a female with braided hair and a bone through her nose.

"Eat?" She suggested in common, and to show Oryani it was safe, Hyluck ripped off a strip of the meat and put it into his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing it whole and beckoning for his own skewer.

••••••••••••

[Oryani]

The warrior's name slightly confused Oryani with the foreignness, but it sounded similar to the kind of name a Drykas would give. 'Something Windhoof of the Sapphire Clan', for example. She didn't recognize the first word of the last name... but the word 'arrow' clicked easily... she was familiar with that.

More warriors came, and they talked in what was probably their own language. Sadly, it wasn't Pavi... but it wasn't the painful hissing of the snakies, either. She respected these people, and was rather impressed... hopefully they could bring her to some place where she could settle down, then find a way back to Endrykas...

After an order and some cheering, the Drykas was left alone. That was quite the proof of their trust... though she obviously wasn't armed. Watching the dark-skinned group, she was pleased to see that they cooked their food... like civilized people. They looked rather like Drykas themselves, though they seemed to be burning their dead, rather than allowing them to return to Caiyha and the Web.

That brought along a thought. She had no idea if any Drykas had ever been in a place like this... but there was a small way to tell. The web. Slowly, closing her eyes then opening, she purposefully looked for the strands of light that always scattered the Sea of Grass. It was disturbing what she found. Nothing... absolutely nothing. She'd never been unable to see anything before. It was so... empty. She shuddered, and stopped trying.

She wasn't given time to think, before a sound came from behind her, in the trees. A small screech. Oryani whirled around, taking a few steps back, thinking there was a predator. She wasn't entirely wrong, but... it wasn't the kind of predator that intended on eating her. Lit by the flickering light of the fire was a familiar form, covered in familiar feathers... staring at her with familiar eyes. She reversed her direction and stepped forward, wanting to see more closely.

"Alaril?" she said hesitantly, staring at the bird. There was a screech in reply. The Chatakwe stared. She'd thought Alaril had flown away to never come back. But... the eagle had... followed her? Was that even possible? "I can't believe..." she muttered in shock, hands too limp to actually bother making any signs. There wasn't anyone to see anyways. She wanted to hug Alaril, thank her, but... she didn't know how the bird would take it.

Instead, she instinctively held out her arm and whistled, calling the eagle to her. This was even more proof that it was the Alaril she knew and loved, as the bird came willingly, flapping her wings a few times before landing.

It was then that Oryani realized her mistake. Not anything huge, but something that would leave scars on her arm for a long time. She'd forgotten the gloves. She gasped at the feeling of claws biting into her skin, and almost tried to shake the bird off, before realizing that that would make it all worse. It was hard to ignore the pain and keep her arm straight, so she pointed back at the branch and whistled again... the command to go in that direction.

Alaril took off calmly, leaving the Drykas to rub her arm and stare at the slowly dripping blood. She didn't think it was bad... but hopefully the warriors would have some bandages. "It's good to have you back," she muttered, a little sarcastic.

OOCI thought this was a good time to stick this in, if you didn't mind

- Pavi - Common - Tawna -