The Gods that Shape Our Bite (Aka)

by **Shasshtekssemet** on June 20th, 2014, 8:40 pm

Timestamp 46th of Summer, 514 AV

When slumber had faded this morning Ssemet had finally felt awake. Sseth still lay coiled upon a choice rock they had turned over in the cave. This was the driest she had been able to locate and still the cave seemed covered in an aqueous film. Her first order of business after a quick wash and dressing was to take her recently purchased bucket and set to work.

In her nearly twenty days in Zinrah Ssemet had managed to overhear the existence of a sea within the land. She had never seen a sea without sand and so that had been her destination. She was accosted by a guard on her way out. The guard accepted her explanation although with an amused quirk of her brows. By her second trip coming back into the nest with her bucket of sand the guards had doubled, two had come to see this oddity. On her third trip snakelings had come to see as well, it seemed time to let them down. A newcomer should not make news in a nest.

On her trip back through the warren of caves in the residential wing, lugging her third bucket of sand, she noticed a cave was currently occupied. This cave in particular wasn’t more than a few chimes from her own. Perhaps while avoiding becoming the new oddity of the nest she could meet her neighbors.

“Iss anyone in? I reesscently moved in near by and hoped to introdusse mysself.” She peeked around the corner to see if someone was in and immediately regretted it. The entire cave looked nothing at all like what she lived in. She had stumbled upon a greatly important dhani or at least immensely wealthy. Years later the wealthy made still her uncomfortable. In Anhatep the wealthy had owned anything they thought difficult to obtain which had included her sisters. It was already too late though having announced her presence. Ssemet would act with all the humility she could manage and hope to leave without angering her neighbor. It was a trait she had hoped ot foster regardless, if she was often to become skilled in her craft the wealthy would certainly become her patrons.

Placing her bucket of sand near the entrance where it could not do any harm to the beautiful cavern within. When the constrictors had found her amusing, she had thought nothing of it but in comparison with this chamber her tiny accumulation of sand in a dark cave had a long way to go. She kicked out the sand from her orange sheath pants and straightened her matching over robe. Ssemet’s sandals still looked nice since she had trecked through the jungle in boots and spared the desert footwear. Finally adjusting her silk sash which held her golden flute in two pieces tightly bound to her lower back, she was ready. A steadying breath and the viper stepped forward.

by **Soshakuakamamushi** on June 21st, 2014, 5:59 pm

x

Ah, finally, the sloth plague that had fallen over Zinrah was eradicated once and for all, the Viper Queen didn't need to inhale the herbs that Queen Tanabis gave her regularly anymore. Activity started to pick up in the nest, gradually going normal as the serpents found the strength and will to move and do something productive. It was a good day in Zinrah, and with Aka's stomach bulge growing larger with each passing week, she predicted she would give birth soon, with a loving rub on her belly, Aka tucked herself into her lavish crimson silk bed in her bedchamber.

Though Evalin's time in Zinrah was nearing to a close, Aka wasn't worried much, she knew the Nuit would form some kind of plan to fake her death and escape the cavern, that way, Aka didn't have to break her promise to Tanabis and Evalin got to live, win-win. For now, the Viper simply focused to get a good rest, she needed it at the moment.

Aka expected her order of tapir meat would arrive soon, the perks of being a Queen, until then, she tucked herself to nap, sighing in pleasure.

.........

As Ssemet entered the Scarlet Cavern, she would find a male hunter, in Dhani form, carrying a basket filled with fresh raw tapir meat, the hunter looked to be in a hurry as he entered the lavish abode, his green scales slithering pass the singer Viper then the hunter stopped near the entrance of Aka's bedchamber, which was currently covered by thick red curtains, he cleared his throat, speaking in Common, "Excuse me, my Queen, your order hasss arrived, where ssshould I put it?" He then waited for the answer, hopefully the recipient was not sleeping, he didn't want to wait long, he had other things to deliver.

Fortunately, the curtain was whisked away soon as a small pregnant woman with black robes stepped out of the room, with her waist-length hair cascading down her back, "Oh? That wasss quick, well thank you, you can be off now," Aka dismissed the hunter as he politely bowed then slithered out of the cavern. It was then that Aka turned her head at the other guest of her home, "I heard your voice, I thought you were talking to someone elssse," The Viper said as her scarlet eyes examined this felow female Dhani.

This woman was short, diminutive just like her, only defeating Aka by about an inch, she had tanned skin, dark hair, and amber-colored eyes, she looked quite pretty and she had goon fashion sense too, the orange pants and robe matched nicely with her sash and skin, "Hmmm... are you a fellow Viper?" Aka asked bluntly, it was logical and obvious, no Constrictor in human form would be this short and small.

"I am Soshakuakamamushi, though you can call me 'Aka' inssstead," Aka introduced herself, this Dhani being a fellow Viper already gained her some form of friendly affection, "Who are you? What bringsss you here all the way from Eyktol, Sissster?" Aka ignored the bucket of meat for now, she was hungry, but she could hold it off for a couple of bells, being a Dhani had its perks.

x

by **Shasshtekssemet** on June 22nd, 2014, 8:54 am

Ssemet eyed the Dhani hunter as he slipped around her. He did not match the elaborate room, certainly not the master of this cave. Certainly not when compared with the woman who appeared in his wake. Perhaps the only woman shorter than her in the nest but with beautifully long hair. So long that the musician imagined it must be quite a chore to care for each morning. That was where their similarities forked though, where Ssemet was tawny Aka was pale.

Wealthy was one thing, but another female viper so far from the nest? Ssemet could not have imagined such fortune in her wildest dreams. She would not be alone amongst the strong and sluggish cousins during her stay. Bowing gently as one would to the wealthy in Anhatep, her background expanded upon by the flourish of her wrists. She didn’t provide a sleight of hand or any such subterfuge just a small flutter of fabric that buskers used to accent their introductions. “I am in fact a viper. I am Shasshtekssemet, but pleassse to a ssisster know me as Ssemet. It iss a delight to ssee another viper here Aka.” Her voice seemed saturated with her smile.”I am a sseeker of ssong and sstory. My journeyss brought me here on rumourss of coussinss.”

Her eyes glanced away from Aka to get a feel for the space she had walked into. As her gaze slid over the relatively normal, albeit sumptuous, decor and rested upon the cages for a beat longer than the rest. Smiling again at Aka she continued, “It wass rude of me to intrude, my new cave iss not far and I wisshed to meet my neighborss. But let me assk you ass you assked me, what bringss a mother out of our desssert nesst?” Ssemet nodded towards Aka’s current state of bearing. Her own bucket, of sand, already forgotten she took a few steps closer so they might converse comfortably rather than across a room. It was somewhat presumptuous given that it was not her home but curiosity got the better of the dhani.

“Are there many of our nesst here? No other viperss were mentioned to me by the consstrictorss” Zinrah was becoming an infinitely more interesting place, but perhaps that was in contrast to the human cities she had lived in for years. Being back in a nest, even though it wasn’t her ancestral home, was a deeper comfort than she had bargained for.

by **Soshakuakamamushi** on June 23rd, 2014, 3:05 am

x

Of course, her guest would be a Viper, she must be one Hai of a petite Constrictor or Rattler if she wasn't, Aka gave her fellow sub-race kin a knowing grin as Aka walked to a nearby couch, sat on, it, then motioned for her guest to sit across her on another chair, "By all meansss, make yourssself at home," This kind of hospitality didn't come often for the usually smug Viper, because she didn't come across a fellow female Viper often, the last time she met a Viper was Xen, her husband, and he was a male, Aka was too proud to show her meek side to him in public.

"If you are hungry," Aka motioned for the basket of raw meat, "You can eat asss much asss you want, I can get more," Besides, the hunter gave her a tad too much, but Aka didn't blame him, maybe he was afraid to displease a Queen or that his Constrictor mind thought a Viper ate as much as his giant glutton kin.

This female's name was 'Shasshtekssemet', what a beautiful name, very Eyktolian, just after hearing once, Aka knew this one was a genuine Eyktolian Viper, "I sssee, Sister Ssemet, you are a..." Aka pondered for a bit, searching for the right common word, Taverns often had those people who sang songs and shared tales, ah, she found it, "Bard then? I ssshould sssee some of your performance in the Sssnake Coil." The Queen assumed such, most entertainers in Zinrah worked in the Snake Coil after all.

"Hm?" The Viper Queen noticed her guest's eyes were roaming all over her abode, this brought a small giggle from her lips, it was not often one could enter the abode of a Queen so easily, let alone a Viper Queen in Zinrah. As far as Aka knew, she was the only one here. If only her mother could see her now, she would be proud, the Queen was sure of it.

"Well... when I came here, I vowed to never bow down under prejudice and sub-racisssm, Sissster, and look," Aka gestured to her home in general with her right hand, "Now, they bow down to me inssstead." Her ambition would not be stopped here, like fire, she could never be quenched, she would bring Ivak's glory to the jungle, for the betterment of Dhani everywhere, by exterminating those bronze monkeys. When that time comes, she would be sitting high on the throne as the highest Dhani in Zinrah, save from Siku herself, the Flame God's serpentine daughter shall rule all.

So Ssemet came here out of her consent, while Aka merely stumbled upon the jungle after running away from her accidental murder, if not for the deeds of Mamoru, she would be dead a long time ago, alas, the Constrictor Trickster went missing, sad, but life must go on.

"Oh no, it'sss not rude at all~" It was clear that Aka relished the reputation she had as a master reimancer and wealthy Queen, it felt good to be in charge, her personality and ambitious nature loved it, "Hmmm... a mother..." Aka's right hand moved to her belly as she rubbed it, "When I firssst came here, I was not a mother... not yet," She smiled then looked at her kin, "I met my mate here, in Zinrah, a male Viper named 'Xen', do you know of him?" Aka didn't know what to assume this time, Xen didn't look the type to flaunt himself, he preferred to stay low and out of sight.

"I wasss forced to leave, I had no other choice," Aka bit her lips as she played the memories of her past, years ago, "Sssomething attacked my nessst, I don't know if anyone wasss ssstill alive and misssing, but... at that time, I didn't care anymore, I wanted to die... until my mentor found me, half-dead in the desert, long story short, here I am." She didn't want to reveal that she was the one who accidentally killed her very rescuer and mentor figure, though a sister, she had just met Ssemet chimes ago.

"Perhapsss, there are a couple of other Vipersss that I know, Xen, my mate, I jussst told you, and..." Aka gave Ssemet a mischievous grin, "If you like sssome... bondage and dissscipline, go to the "Scenery", the two Mistresses are twin Viper sistersss. Rumorsss sssaid they could caussse immenssse pain with a mere touch." Aka loved toying with her slaves, with restraints and shackles, she didn't even try to hide her peculiar fetish, in fact, it was common for Vipers, to torture.

"Ssso then, your turn, tell me about yourssself, Sister?" Aka motioned with her right hand, truly like a Queen, for Ssemet to present her story before her.

x

by **Shasshtekssemet** on June 23rd, 2014, 9:13 am

Lowering herself into the indicated chair. It felt like a weakness to admit that humidity made her queasy. With several more buckets of sand needed, Ssemet didn’t dare consume anything yet. “Thank you Aka, but I mussst decline your generouss offer.”

The coil, the white viper imagined, was the theater though she had not yet heard of it. The nest had seemed half in hibernation since Ssemet had arrived. It was only in the last few days that activity had slowly increased. The foreigner was not socially connected enough to have heard that reasons for this strangeness but such associations would come. Musicians had eager ears and easy friends. Let the easy friends be for the constrictors though, Ssemet would not hold another viper at such a distance unless she had to. “It iss my pleasssure to make mussic. It iss not my job within thiss nesst, though if I do perform at thiss theater be ssure I will invite you.”

Nodding, she had seen this sub-racism in Yetmiss and Haress, he had even warned her that such a climate would be present in the nest. “Ssub-racisssm… It iss diverssity which yieldss the greatesst ssstoriess. There iss no sssong without a sstory. But sstill there iss a rightness in refusssing, sshe who bowss admitss weaknesss to the other.” Pride rarely consumed the foreign viper, having an urgent need to cede oneself to a Goddess every few days became a perfect tonic to pride. As a result, Ssemet felt no great shame in pointing out the inherent succession in her earlier bow. It turns out to have been proper, if the constrictors in all their racial division still bowed to Aka she must be a matriarch if not a Queen. No pride was not her vice, revenge was her indulgence; she could wallow in the process and gratification for seasons upon a single offense.

Considering if she had sseen any other short statured Dhani in the nest Ssemet replied frankly, “I cannot ssay I have met any named Xen, I would recall another viper I think.”

Growing quiet again as the story of other viper’s nest laid bare. “To hear of another nesst’s desstruction iss a sssorrow for all Dhani.” Even in her reverent silence for the lost Dhani she had never met, Ssemet’s mind sought the tale. Though she didn’t voice the question, a creature that could decimate a full familial nest would be an grotesque monstrosity indeed. Perhaps someday she may inquire further but it was certainly not the place of such a young acquaintance.

“Aww I have heard of the sisssters but not that they were viperss. Perhapss the guardss did not mention it becausse I wasss present. While mussic iss my pleasssure, I do find fulfillment in my work under Warden Pasorusa. For her I sseek secretsss and sslavess within the thick sskullss of the humanss of this Falyndar.” Returned a coy grin to Aka. It had not always been so but the release of constant pain had soon begun to mirror a release of another kind. It had grown in her like a seed planted in her wrist by the Goddess. Ssemet rubbed the back of her right hand. Like a jungle vine, the tendril had sought her core and where it found purchase all was aligned to a new gravity; a gentle kiss of a lovers flickering tongue couldn’t begin to penetrate the immense pain her mark provided. Originally, one had to be alleviated to consider the other and somewhere through the seasons they had become one and the same.

Though a line of inquiry pressed against the back of her lips, she persisted politely. “I lived much of my life in Ekytol. A few yearss ago I realisssed in full I would not follow as my mother wissshed and take her place as Matriarch when her time iss done. To let my sisster fill the possition I left. Sssomeday I will return and bring ssongs and sstoriess for the younglingss to prepare them for life with the dangerouss prey that callss themssselves humans.” A poor joke but Ssemet tried to be light in tone as her ever present companion, her headache returned. “I found Nyka needed a thinning of the herd esssspecially badly.”

Each throb of the headache felt like a demand on her curiosity, or maybe it was something more than simply curiosity; a visceral need for an answer. Finally Ssemet gave in, “Have you met thesse ssisssters yoursself Aka? Have you ssseen their handss?” The ability to amplify pain was either a heady brag or another marked. If it was a brag, ire flittered across her thoughts ever so briefly, Ssemet would show them the truth of their facade. Still she hoped they were marked. Being alone had been almost as harsh a pain as the splitting, weeping wounds. Twisting her wrist and holding it out, the tawny Dhani displayed the spidering crimson veins impossibly visible through her skin. “Have you seen thissss before?”

by **Soshakuakamamushi** on June 23rd, 2014, 7:31 pm

x

Aka quirked an eyebrow when Ssemet mentioned Rusha, the infamous Warden of the Bastille, Zinrah's very own dungeon, a true dungeon, not the bondage club ran by the twin Vipers. "How peculiar..." The Viper couldn't keep her thoughts from escaping her lips in a whisper, an artist who doubled as an interrogator - might as well include torturer - one couldn't find a person like that often, it roused Aka's curiosity and positively intrigued her. "I sssee, ssso do you gain inssspiration from 'playing' with the wretched captivesss there?" Aka gave a snicker, she didn't mean the question to be sarcastic, she was genuinely curious.

"Hmmm... Well, I do hope you will find great storiesss in your travel, who knowsss, perhapsss you can tell them about me, a Viper Queen amidssst the giant cousinsss?" Aka didn't hide the spark of arrogance in her voice, she sacrificed blood, sweat, and tears to get where she was, sometimes it meant literally for more than a few cases, "Nyka? I have heard of the city during my time in Sylirasss, but I don't know much more than that." The Viper never ventured into the city, but from what Ssemet said, it seemed to be filled by bad humans who needed 'population control'. "There are too many humansss in Mizahar anyway, a hundred or ssso dead would not matter... much." Aka slightly cringed, had Evalin's detached view of life affected her? No, she didn't really mean it, She was just jesting... or so she hoped, deep inside, Aka was a Dhani and like their Alvina mother, bore a streak of sadism and cruelty.

Ssemet was interested in those sisters, well they were fellow Vipers after all, Aka didn't have any knowledge about the Goddess of Murder nor the power and curse she granted her followers, so the Queen had no way of figuring out the real reason behind Ssemet's peculiar interest, "Hmmm, yesss, I had, a couple of timesss when I visssited the club," Their hands? What about their hands? The Queen just shrugged, predicting Ssemet would give the reason behind her question. "No, I haven't ssseen their handsss, if you mean focusssing my attention on them."

So focused on Ssemet's form and facial features, Aka didn't notice the ghastly, yet mesmerizing, crimson veins that slithered on her hands like miniature snakes. The Viper's scarlet slits widened in awe, "No..." Aka blinked once, twice, then she broke out of her trance, "What isss it? Sssome kind of magic?" The Viper had eye-shaped scars on both of her palms from her reimancy initiation ritual, but Aka doubted those crimson veins were reimantic in nature. It must be some form of magic unknown to her or it could be just fancy tattoos, though the latter was highly unlikely.

x

by **Shasshtekssemet** on June 24th, 2014, 3:39 pm

“Perhapss it will come to passs that a captive provesss interesssting, but thuss far they have been reduced to the sssame pathetic creature. But it there iss mussic in everything if any one looksss for it.” Any song could take a twist if she chose, that was what it meant to hold the flute. To command an audience and still command the song as well. Her left hand fell to the flute bundled in her sash. “A sstory of a viper Queen in Sssinrah is certainly worthy. If you would tell me the sstory of your rissse I sshall make it sssing.” Ssemet promised. A rise through adverse elements to hold a position of power within a nest was precisely the sort of stories Ssemet was searching for. “As for Nyka, it putsss the racissm of the Dhani to sshame, but there iss ssong in that too.” Ssemet seemed to be remind herself that even hatrad made song. Perhaps the viper Queen had more favorable interactions with the humans. The sum of her experience was only tempered by the traveling caravan she had traversed Kalea with. They had been kind and even found her useful among their lives.

“Magic? I guesss but magic is called the double-edge sssword. Thiss iss more a blade with no hilt at all.” Ssemet’s eyes traced the veins as they did every time she stopped to wonder about the ‘gift’. “Thiss dessign iss proof that I have met the Goddess Krysus and ssshe did not find me wanting.” It was an odd statement to make, she’d never explained it to anyone but her own matriarch. The humans either knew what it meant and fled or went unaware into the maw of pain. “It iss magic, but one that changess your bassic needss. It is no longer jussst food, water, and ssshelter that I require. I require pain in otherss ass well. It iss her way.” Still when the Dhani thought of Krysus, she could help but hear an echo of the Goddess commanding her to share.

Ssemet shifted to hide her discomfort. Knowing a viper enjoyed sadism was one thing, to know it was a visceral need consuming their thoughts and veins until they fulfilled it or died; that was an entirely different proposal. “Do you know of Krysus, Aka? She’s the Goddess of pain… and murder” Ssemet admitted reluctantly. Making eye contact once again with Aka, ready to explain her gift in earnest. “It iss a magic that matess with pain to breed horribly within the victim. A cut from me could throw a grown man into writhing agony, if I chosse. But if I do not choosse to usse thiss magic then it iss I who am in pain.” It was Ssemet’s suspicion that eventually the pain would grow so great she would die, but obviously she had never gathered the will power to find out. It was a simple thing once, to push pain into the wounds of an enemy but being surrounded by cousins had both elated the viper and saddened her. It wasn’t until she had achieved employ at the Bastille that she could rest easy in her new home. Even still, she would explain no further into the weaknesses of her mark.

by **Soshakuakamamushi** on June 25th, 2014, 5:33 pm

x

"Of courssse, I ssshall tell them," Aka didn't have any reservations if a fellow Viper wanted to tell the epic tale of Queen Aka's struggle in Zinrah, she just had to weed out some unnecessary parts, like her involvement with Evalin, that would be bad for both herself and the Nuit... for obvious reasons. It would be for later though, right now, she was curious to learn more about her neighbor.

"A city filled with human racissst? That'sss not sssurprsing at all, nope." Aka was rather unamused when she heard Ssemet's little blurb about Nyka, so it was just like any other human city, they were squeamish around the 'snake-people' as they called the Dhani race, well not that she could blame them, the Dhani here also regarded humans as snacks and slaves at best, those wretched souls at the Bastille definitely proved it.

Now, this was getting interesting, apparently the crimson veins on Ssemet's hands were not just pretty tattoos or peculiar scars, they were gnosis mark, from a goddess named 'Krysus' it seemed, the Goddess of Pain and Murder. "I... sssee..." Aka was rather taken aback, she expected this fellow Viper to have a streak of cruelty and sadism, just like her, but... to be marked by a Divine who presided over the concept of pain and murder, Ssemet must be one Hai of a sadistc torturer indeed yet... she looked so friendly and cordial at the moment. Truly, even Aka needed to realize that sometimes, appearance meant nothing, just like how she appeared as a young human girl, the common men would not expect her real age to be over a hundred years old.

"Uhm..." After the reveal, the Viper looked visibly squeamish, so this 'mark', whatever it was called, carried a curse with it, in the form of addiction, to cause pain and suffering. Evalin... Of course, it reminded her of the Wretched One, who had the craving of fresh maiden blood, deprived for too long and Evalin would go insane, what was the penalty for Ssemet? Extreme pain? Death? Aka didn't know what to think of it, was it a curse or a blessing? Perhaps it was both.

"I don't... know about her." Aka spoke rather slowly and more guarded, her right hand reached to her belly in a instinctive attempt to protect her unborn children, a person of murder and pain was right in front of her, due to Aka having no prior knowledge regarding Krysus and her gnosis, it caused the Viper's exaggerated caution even though Ssemet meant no harm.

"I sssee, so thossse Sistersss... I think, they are like you, causing pain with a mere touch." Aka wanted to bluntly ask, Will you use that 'magic' on me? But she couldn't bring herself to, but by Ivak, if Ssemet even try to hurt her, she would burn every inch of her body to ashes, then douse the ashes in lava for good measure.

After the initial shock, Aka strangely felt... pity for the fellow Viper, she had no choice, she was cursed by a Goddess, perhaps her story was not that different from Evalin, now she had to live off pain and suffering or else... she would 'starve', what a pathetic existence, Aka wished she could help, but... how? Killing her would be out of the question, she could not bring herself to kill a fellow Viper, except in self-defense.

"Alright, jussst be careful..." Aka stopped there, she didn't want to give empty hopes or meaningless advices.

"A ssstory for a ssstory then," Aka moved on from the grisly topic, it was her turn, "Do you know of Ivak, the God of Volcanism, Sister?" Aka smiled in pride, speaking about the Divine who saved her life, literally baptised her in fire, doused in his flames, she was reborn, stronger and mightier than before. Aka slightly shifted her body as she faced her right shoulder blade at Ssemet then whisked her robe down to reveal the twin flame marks on it, they seemed to flicker, alive, and burning. After Ssemet got a good look, Aka would pull her robe up as she faced Ssemet back.

"I am one of his agentsss, an Azenth, to bring about change," Aka opened up her right palm as res began pooling on it, shaping into a fist-sized sphere, then she ignited it, the Viper was now holding a fireball on her right hand yet her hand looked perfectly fine even as the fiery tongue licked and brushed against her pale skin. "Hisss power allowsss me to become one with fire, they are now an extensssion of my body," Satisfied, Aka crushed the fireball, turning it into harmless puff of air, "I will sssee the Myriansss burn under hisss flamesss, I know my mission, I will reclaim glory to Zinrah and the Dhani race, no matter what the cossst." The Viper's eyes turned sharp, full of determination and confidence. Nothing would stop her, the world quaked when Ivak unleashed the Valterrian, the same thing would happen to those bronze monkeys, let them kneel before the children of Siku.

"Sister, I think there isss a fine way to ussse your... 'gift'," Talking about the Myrians, Aka found a great idea, "Why don't you come with me on a hunt sssometime, we'll find a couple of Myriansss then... you can unleasssh all the pain and murder upon the infidelsss!" They had murdered countless of her brothers and sisters, ever since centuries ago, it was time for vengeance. As far as Aka knew, the Dhani had done nothing wrong to the Myrian, they started this war in the first place, and they would pay for everything they had done.

x

by **Shasshtekssemet** on June 26th, 2014, 3:21 pm

Ssemet grimaced watching Aka recoil, she had been too eager. Of course the mother would be fearful of her now. A foolish move by a usually careful viper, “Aka I would not usse thisss magic on a Dhani unless it wass life or death and even then never on a mother.” Pulling back as well Ssemet took on a reserved posture in the chair. “If thosse ssisssters are like me, I will have to pay the make a vissit and ssee what they know of Kryssuss as well.” The fact that Ssemet had no affiliation with Krysus before being marked was somewhat of a sore spot. She had drawn what she could from their brief encounter and from snatched conversation from the humans. Mostly her name was used as under-the-breath curse anyone who had worshipped the Goddess had made no public mention that Ssemet knew of.

The viper’s head tilted slightly, and she leaned forward though not as far as she had earlier. A story was worth good ears even if the teller seemed wary of her. Ssemet tried to keep the words straight in her mind as she watched the dazzling display of fire. In the vaguest sense the dhani knew that nests were built with this kind of elemental magic but she had never seen it in person. If it had been a less viscous element she might have asked to touch it. “What a marvelouss magic. It doess not burn you?” Smiling again at Aka, “I have no heard of Ivak but if hiss followerss try to effect change, perhapss I sshould have. Change iss another place where sstories are born.” In truth the viper could find a story in anything but finding one worthy of music? That was much more difficult. A story that could be described beautifully in words was not good enough, it had to be an event than transcends meaning in such a poignant way that only the universal spirit of music could hope to transcribe the truth of the whole.

As for the Myrians, she had only sparse encounters with the violent race. They had attacked during her journey with Yetmiss and Haress, and been a heavy presence in the Bastille when she had received her job. It was clear the two races were at war but Ssemet had yet to build up the animosity the other Dhani felt. On the other hand, for all that she could tell the Myrians were a type of a human in the same way vipers were a type of Dhani, and this was enough to earn her distance from them. Until this moment Aka had shown a sweet face to Ssemet, and this change to righteous fury was almost jarring. “I would be honored to hunt with a Queen. Between fire and pain enemiesss of the Dhani will know no future.” Ssemet would need to invest in some training before hunting out in the wild, her skills with her kris were insufficient for actual combat. Her mind drew to the whips in the Bastille perhaps she could practice such a distanced weapon. She need only touch a man to send him into debilitating pains and even a child could finish a fight against a prone enemy.

In the mean time Ssemet would learn about these Myrians. Why they fought the Dhani and what methods they used. If such a conflict could rise such passion in her new friend, then certainly something needed to be done. “We musst make concrete planss to deal with thiss human infesstation. I will ssseek what information I can from the wretchesss in the Basstille perhapss they will yield an opportunity for uss.” While she did report any such information up the chain of command no one had implied she could not utilize it as well.

As for now, Ssemet’s eyes slid over the buckets again; hers of sand and Aka’s of meat. “I have ssurely kept you too long from your meal.” For a moment the white viper considered offering to play for the Queen while she ate, it was a courtesy the humans often enjoyed. Somehow it seemed forced to musician. “If ever I may be of ssservice to you Aka, pleassse call upon me. Whether you need my mussic or my darker sskillss, for a viper Queen they are alwayss at your feet.”

by **Pandaemus** on July 23rd, 2014, 3:29 pm

Congratulations!

Ssemet

Skills :

Lores :

Loot :

Aka
If you ever reactivate your PC PM me and I will post your grade!

Notes :

Closed The Gods that Shape Our Bite (Aka)