[Aka's Cave] Arcane Shackle (Traverse)

by **Soshakuakamamushi** on April 24th, 2014, 5:19 pm

The corridors leading to the nurseries felt so quick and short, mainly due to Aka's adrenaline boosting her senses and dampened her concept of time, she wanted those snakelings to be safe, they were just children and didn't deserve the brunt of her stupidity, she shouldn't have brought the collar from that temple, she should have destroyed it in the first place. The cry of terror jolted the Viper, the Viper ran even faster, and finally, arrived at the scene where a female Constrictor in Dhani form was curled up on the ground, an all-too-familiar cauterized wound due to fire on her stomach, "W-who did thisss?" The Viper asked no one in particular, her voice coated is disbelief.

Her boss reacted first though, asking the fallen female about the one responsible, the wounded female spoke, her words caused assumptions to battle in her mind, who was it? Glyph? Impossible, it was as she feared, the collar drove her insane - not that she was exactly 'right in the head in the irst place - but to think she could hurt her own brethren, unthinkable. Aka silently nodded at Aspia, now was the time for action, she would find out about this later. The Viper flexed her legs as she ran swiftly into the corridor, then they came upon a large cavern where precious of Dhani eggs where stored... and Glyph, or Hex, as she was called now.

She looked to be hex at first, but her demeanor and movement reminded her of someone... someone familiar, then as the Dhani spoke, it dawned on her. This... 'Hex' was no other than Liss in truth, the fallen Dhani priestess in her dream! "W-...what?" Aka couldn't help but hung her jaw in agape, this didn't make sense, Liss was dead, but here Hex was, telling the Reimancers that she was Liss. Aka saw the very same glyphed collar snugly fitting around Hex's neck, then the Viper instinctively took a half-step back when the Priestess locked her acid-eyes with her scarlet slits. "C-child?" Aka was angered, this woman might be hundreds of years older than her, but that didn't give her the right to call other genuine adult Dhani a child even though she was a Viper, these brutish cousins of hers were all the same - save for Aspia - dead or alive, they loved to prance about in their giant forms.

Aka briefly heard Aspia's words, then a flash of flame soared directly to her mentor, completely acting on instinct, Aka's superior Viper reflexes and muscles moved between Liss and Aspia, raising her left hand as she literally caught the fireball with her palm. The Master Reimancer Viper quickly exhumed her res from her palm to wrest control of the element from Liss, the gnosis of Ivak keeping her safe from harm, "Lie?!! By the Godsss, Priestess! WAKE UP!" Aka screamed as loud as she could, clenching the fireball on her left hand as the flame coated her fist, "I sssaw your memoriesss! You and your warriorsss fought bravely againssst thossse monkeysss, but in the end... you were defeated after you mutilated one of their leadersss," Liss might know this already, but Aka wanted to prove that she indeed know the Priestess' end, "And then, I sssaw another visssion, thisss time through the eyesss of a Myrian, the Myrian who accompanied the one who put the collar on your bound human form..."

The Viper then gave a look of sadness, her breath hitched as she remembered about Liss' children, a tear falling from her right eye, from her gnosis, she could feel overwhelming despair and frustration oozing from Liss' borrowed form, "I... I'm sssorry... I wasssn't there to help you, y-your children..." More tears fell, she couldn't take this, her gnosis' emotion-sensing ability took its toll on her, "They didn't deserve thisss, b-but... you mussst accept it, Priestess, they have passssed away so pleassse..." Aka would dare herself to approach the Priestess, offering the Constrictor the firebolt for her to extinguish herself, "Ssstay your powersss... I... I don't know how, but I know you can help us ssslaughter thossse humanoid pesssts!!" She snarled, pure unadulterated hatred dripping from her voice, "Grant usss your power, Priestess! We will see Zinrah back to glory!" Her expression then slightly softened as she gave a look at the precious eggs, "Ssso they may live without fear."

by **Traverse** on May 1st, 2014, 12:06 pm

Liss had expected many things. Her mind was so confused. Part of her knew her eggs were not here, that she was in a different time far from her own. No one's scent was familiar, no one's patterns the same. But it all ached in a mind that was not her own, and Glyph's strange mental pathways did not help her memories and thoughts invade the Dhani Glypher's brain at all. When she had been alive Dhani had not been trapped underground like rats, and her knowledge of the past and Glyph's knowledge of the future alarmed and enraged her beyond reason.

She had expected the violence, more than likely guards would swarm to the nest soon and simply gut her from head to tail. This prospect almost delighted her. She would cut as many of these weakling snakes down that would sit idle while Myrians in the thousands surrounded the lands that should rightfully be theirs.

She had not expected...what was it, the strange little snake that had invaded her memories seemed on the brink of tears, and then they were there. Liss knew few things, but she knew that small girlish looking being held more power than most Constrictors in this tainted den could ever imagine.

Her eyes tried hard to focus and she slithered forward toward's Aka, but the Res she had been collecting seeped back into her body. Despite the fact that in her prime she had been a powerful Sorceress, Glyph's finite powers were already taxing her. The other slighlty burned woman in human form looked wary, but did not attack the being in her acquaintences form.

"You make an impasssioned plea...." She trailed off, trying to think of what to say next. She was a verbose being usually, but now there were too many roiling emotions to find the write and clever words for the girl. She slid forward a bit more, then put a clawed hand on Aka's shoulder. Unlike Glyph's grip which had punctured her flesh, this one was gentle, almost tickling as opposed to careless.

"Rise viper, I will not desssstroy the children of otherssss, it will not change the fact they are not mine." Her head truned backward longingly for a moment, then she gave the Dhani room to collect herself.

"I...I do not belong here." She raised her hands to her neck, curved claws trying to find a way under the leather that held her mind inside the Glypher's, but though the collar was visible against her scales, it seemed fused to the flesh. Strange green eyes turned towards Aspia.

"I have memoriesss of you Asspia, you are one who treatsss thisss brain cassse better than you should." There was a bit of Disdain there, but respect as well. "Would you ssstop at nothing to ssseee your....friend brought back from my hold?"

Aspia regarded the massive Constrictor coolly. She was raging one moment and entirely cognizant the next, perhaps there was more of Glyph that remained intact than they knew, or perhaps this was simply a side effect of whatever the artifact was supposed to do, though whether it had been forseen by its creator remained to be seen. She opened her mouth once, then again, trying to figure out a response that would not send the female into another rage.

"If the collar will not come off, I will not force you to try to kill yourssself for Glyph'sss ssake, perhapsss time will reveal an ansswer, perhapsss Glyph will reclaim her mind, we cannot know sssuch thingss, but the guardsss will be here sssoon ssisster and if you want to help Zinrah reclaim itsss glory as Aka saysss, we will need you to be Glyph for a little while longer..."

She let those words sink into the priestesses mind a moment, and then acid green eyes seemed to click with acknowledgement. "Yesss, I think I can do that..." She grinned, an expression that was frighteningly calculating, and she looked to Aka.

"WHat ssay you Aka, will you allow me to be asss I am asss well?"

by **Soshakuakamamushi** on May 2nd, 2014, 7:04 pm

"I... know," The Viper helped the Priestess to extinguish the flame on her left hand as the much larger Constrictor put a hand to her small shoulder, Aka winced, half-expecting the Constrictor to use too much power then ended up bruising her delicate skin again, but no... unlike Glyph, Liss' touch were gentle, very odd coming from a powerful dominating Priestess such as her, perhaps there was more to Liss that met the eye. The Viper looked up into Liss' acid-colored eyes with her own scarlet ones, showing a small relieved smile that the Priestess opted to be civilized.

Aka breathed a sight of relief when Liss promised to not hurt the eggs, in the end, mothers would know how to appreciate the eggs of others, Dhani might be vicious, they might be vile, but they were not cannibals. "Thank you..." Aka simply muttered, her left hand went to her side, magically unharmed by the fire. The Viper wanted to respond, but she held her tongue for she knew Liss was right, she did not belong here, Liss was a relic of the past, unwittingly unearthed by her, heck, 'Liss' might not be 'Liss' at all but just a complex form of coded magical instructions etched into the collar to turn those who wear it into acting like the Priestess. But if so, why would the Myrians make such a thing? It seemed pointless. If the collar was indeed a soul jar, then Aka's hatred for the Myrians only grew, not only they had slaughtered her kin, but they also tortured a Priestess with the highest one imaginable, to deny her release from Death, to trap her in a contraption.

Aka noted with some curiosity, it seemed Liss and Aspia knew each other, well, she wasn't that surprised, these were two Elder Dhani, Aka was a mere snakeling compared to their age. The Vipers let her elder cousins converse with each other, fully intending to leave the decision to her boss. "Uh..." When the Priestess turned to her though, Aka was at a loss, but as Aspia said, guards were coming and Aka very much wanted to prevent another casualty to the Dhani ranks, no, even one Dhani live lost would be a huge blow to the nest, considering how long it took for a Dhani to reach breeding age, a whole petching century.

"I..." Aka closed her eyes, contemplated, then trusted her instincts, Ivak marked her for a reason, a flame shall not waver in uncertainty, "Of course, I'm sssure Glyph wouldn't mind." In the back of her head, Aka snickered, she actually preferred this 'Liss-Glyph' over that crazy 'Glyph'. Look, her shoulders were unharmed. "Ssso... I suppossse we ssshould explain thingsss, Sissster?" Aka asked the Head Reimancer. If the guards had Senka amongst them, then that would actually make things easier.

by **Traverse** on May 4th, 2014, 12:09 pm

oocSorry if I was confusing, but Liss only has memories of Aspia because of Glyph's memories, not because they knew each other, Liss is much much older than even a Dhani would live to haha.

The Priestess nodded, but a smile broke her face as Aka spoke. Clearly the viper hadn't gotten Aspia's hint as she had. The rasping of multiple tails in along the narrow passageways of the Nursery echoed to the three females suddenly, and it didn't take long for the 4 guards to start seething into the room. Surprisingly the nurse Liss had injured was ahead of them, barring them from entering this particular clutch.

"Sssstop it you oafsss, you'll crush the eggsssss!" The urgency of her voice made the four gurads, three male, one female stop in their tracks, glaring intently into the room beyond. Aspia walked swiftly up to the Nurse and stood on her tip toes to whisper something into her ear hole. THe Dhani female flinched at first, bu after a moment nodded, the female guard growing seething.

"What did you sssay to her Assspia? What issss going on here?"

This was when Lissandra took the stage in all of her glory. Suddenly she was not the strong standing Dhani, but bent, her eyes hooded and flicking from one side to another, she partially collapsed on the floor. "Where...where am I?"

Aspia gave a meaningful look to the nurse, who raised her hands in exhasperation. "Itsss that petching Glypher, the half mad one. She came down here muttering Goddessss knowsss what and ssstarted throwing fireboltsss at me, sssaying I wasssn't protecting the eggssss."

Liss/Glyph, rose to her full height, a large hand covering her face. "I...I should get back to my work, their are thingssss I need to do there."

"Hold up jusst one petching tick!" Screamed the female guard. "Are you telling me you're gunna let thisss hazard to the nesst jussst...go?"

Aspia stepped forward. Despite the haphazard burns that marred her appearance, and the fact that apart from Aka she was the smallest thing in the room, there was a sense of composure and almost regalness surrounding the master Reimancer as she stepped forward toward the guards.

"She isss not well, but no harm came to the eggs, and the injuriesss she gave will heal, I will make sssure of that myssself. If you wanted to protect the eggsss you sshould have been done here in the firsst place. Of courssse I could tell one of your sssuperiorsss, for what greater duty is their in Zinrah then guarding the nessstsss?"

Looks were turned one way then another. Aspia smiled. "Go back to your posstsss, we will not speak of you shirking your duty if thisss matter is forgotten." All eyes met each other in confirmation of this deal, then the guards sighed heavily, and slithered off. Aspia led her companions out of the clutch, Lissandra giving pause to put one hand upon the nurse's shoulder.

"Your favor will be repaid in full, Sissster." Her peircing green eyes were unblinking as she stared into the female's eyes, holding them there for an uncomfortably long period of time before the nurse shook her off with a grunt, muttering something about needing to get back to work.

As they worked their way back up to regular tunnels of Zinrah, Lissandra glanced at Aka.

"I will need sssomeone to teach me lessonsss in Reimancy if I wish to regain my old knowledge once more. Would you do sssuch a thing for me Viper?"

by **Soshakuakamamushi** on May 4th, 2014, 1:43 pm

OOCLiss is ancient grandma even for Dhani. :lol:

"Eh..." The Viper heard the shuffling of scales and tails, swiftly heading to their location, Aka immediately assumed those were the guards and she was right, a nurse entered, along with about four guards. Aka managed to make a quiet snicker when she saw the nurse blocking off the guards from entering the delicate nursery with their brutish conduct, a wise decision, only Ivak knew what those bulky form, scales, muscles, and weapons could accidentally do to Zinrah's future generations.

It looked like Aspia took charge of the situation, Aka merely slinked back into the background, watching these brutish beings frolicked with each other, the Viper's slitted eyes perked with some amusement when Liss/Glyph began her facade, acting like a confused female just out of hangover, She isss really... Aka was at a loss for words, even for her own thoughts, one thing for sure, it wouldn't be the last time she would be involved with the ancient relif of a Priestess.

Did all guards act like Senka or was it just her? Aka scratched her head as a female guard screamed loud and intimidating, well, perhaps some guards did act like her vitriolic friend, just Senka was an odd combination between playful, serious, and dense. Aka noted with some mirth as her boss expertly handled the feud, truly the mark of a senior Dhani and a living proof that one's body stature couldn't get in the way of one's standing in society. This made Aka even more confident despite her diminutive form.

Aspia wasn't telling everything, but she wasn't lying either, Aka took note of this, she sould train on her social skills more, some things just couldn't be solved by fire and more fire. The Head Reimancer then dismissed the guards, so it seemed the Nurse realized that... Glyph was not acting like Glyph but chose to defend the Priestess, perhaps out of solidarity between fellow Priestesses? Aka shrugged, whatever it was, it was a good thing.

Aka followed as the trio of reimancers exited the cavern, raising her head diagonally upwards to look at Liss, "Of courssse, I sssaw your powersss in the dream though, ssshouldn't be hard to reheat your ssstiff musclesss, I also learned a good deal from the few scenesss I remembered, sssuch asss your flaming uh... disssc-thing, though..." Aka grinned, a favor for a favor, the Viper learned that things didn't come for free most of the time, "I want you to teach me about the olden waysss, sssuch asss, what wasss that temple for exactly?"

by **Traverse** on May 16th, 2014, 12:47 pm

Lissandra gave a little smile at Aka's response. "Yesss, that sssoundss like ssomething that can be arranged. Come by the sshop anytime you wish Aka, I will be trying to repair the chaosss within it while I possesss thisss form."

Aspia glanced back, nodding gratefully at Aka before both the old sorceress trapped in the future and the master reimancer made their way down a seperate tunnel of Zinrah, off to discuss what the future held for the body snatching Constrictor.

Aka

Experience:

Endurance 3XP
Investigation 2 XP
Persuasion 2 XP
Running 1 XP
Socialization 2 XP

Lore:

Living the Past: A Time Before Dhain Lived in Zinrah
Ressaylissandra: A powerful, ancient Sorceress
Identifying a Powerful Glyph-work
Aspia: One of the Few Constrictors Prefferring Human Form
Glyph: A Mentally Unstable, yet Skilled Glypher
Persuasion Technique: Tell the Truth, but Not All of it
Lissandra: A New Ally

Additional Notes :

If you have any questions, concerns, accolades, complaints, etc about your grade, drop me a PM and we can most certainly talk it out.

As always, Safe Travels!

Completed [Aka's Cave] Arcane Shackle (Traverse)