Flashback Breathe.

[Ssafiracitlali]

91st of Summer, 505 AV.

Citlali basked in the heat and the relative peace of the forest, despite it being a cacophony of sounds that might unsettle a savage from beyond the shelter of the trees. The baboons were screeching on a nearby tree, the sound of fruit striking branches and the ground level audible just barely over the din.

The large serpent flicked her tongue in amusement, her mouth unfit to turn up in a smile as she stirred. Slowly, languidly, the serpent unwound herself and began the careful descent through the levels of the tree before finally settling upon the lowest before the ground, although it was still at a decent height. There, she settled again. It was warmer here, the air heavier in a way that made the Constrictor wish to sleep. However, she bade her time; a patient serpent, one who aspired to hunt, made Citlali wary of sleeping so close to the ground, so close to potential prey.

It might have been a dull animal, which did not appeal to the Dhani as she was still in the process of digesting one of her older ones. It might have been another snake, a younger one that chose prey that did not like to be prey. That would have been funny, and a malicious part of Citlali enjoyed the idea of taking the information home and smearing this other snake's reputation.

She waited, heavy in the thick branch that held her aloft, mud-coloured scales offering her traction as she watched. Thankfully, her colorations offered her the appearance of the trees themselves; there was a fine and underlying green tone reminiscent of creeping foliage against the dark tones of her muddy scales which mimicked bark. It would help, especially if whoever had earned the ire of the yowling monkeys was something interesting.

[Riyk]

Riyk probably should not have been this far from her clan, but nothing could keep a curious Myrian child from exploring. Despite her mother wanting her to be a mature girl, she wasn't. There was a serious look plastered on her face even though she was most certainly trying to make herself look like a fool. With a thick branch in her hands she would put it on the ground and dance around it. At this age Riyk was a very long legged girl.

Which made this situation even more hilarious. Entertaining the baboons above her she made short grunting noises. Riyk grabbed a branch and kicked her legs until the branch broke. Thankfully she wasn't to far from the ground. Getting back up she tossed the broken branch to the side and kept dancing.

Putting the stick down she kept her behind in the hair and wiggled it from side to side. All whilst making baboon like sounds. Eventually she was unable to keep a straight face. Even she had to laugh at herself. Trying to keep the straight face again she picked up this stick and rose it above her head.

Now she was walking like a crab, but instead she was standing up and not bending over. Riyk rose this branch even hire and made a screaming like noise but it came out like, "Ledle, ledle, ledle!"Almost instantly the primates cheered her on by shaking the tree branches and wooting louder.

[Ssafiracitlali]

Citlali's tongue flicked, tasting, the only sign that she may have been smiling in this form that did not allow for her face to contort in such a way. She was closer to the ruckus and could hear the instigating little child taunting the monkeys... and their response.

Citlali had dealt with these animals before and did not fancy another encounter with them, as they did not cow under her glare as most savages and Myrians would, even briefly. They were prey that she could not understand, so she didn't like to pursue them. However, Citlali wanted to see this child, who she assumed was savage, if not Myrian, and who would be very interesting to have some time with.

With a mighty heave that strained her muscles, Citlali ripped free a hefty branch from the tree she lay upon, and she swung her arms in order to throw it. The Dhani hoped to startle away the distracted baboons, giving the snake some time to swoop in and take the child.

Whether or not it succeeded, Ssafiracitlali could not help the curiosity. She continued her descent, now, and eventually dropped herself upon the forest floor with a thud. She began to slither almost immediately, keeping her body low to the ground and going so far as to dig her fingers into the rich jungle soil so she could pull her way forward faster. One could not help but to satisfy their curiosity.

[Riyk]

Once the branch was hurled through the air the monkeys screeched loudly. Some protested to whatever or whomever sent the branch in their direction. At first they threw a few small sticks in the direction then gave up. Eventually they all scattered and their noises came to a halt. Fading as they fled from the scene hesitantly.

Kitaot was not with her sister at the time, other wise she would have took off as well. As the massive Dhani came crashing down to the earth, Riyk in turn squealed. Of course Riyk knew that she wasn't supposed to be around the Dhani but she was young and curiosity clouded her judgment immensely.

Slightly over reacting she it almost looked like she was flopping around on the ground but then she propped herself up on her small elbows. Riyk's long legs were everywhere, her eyes were wide as she gasped for air. At first she thought she was going to faint but the she got silent.

Riyk was honestly frightened. Almost instantly tears filled her eyes and empted themselves out on her muddy tan cheeks. Now she was balling, almost like a waterfall, pleading to Myri for her safety.

[Ssafiracitlali]

Citlali recoiled from this child at the first sound of her wailing, the incessant sound completely alien and unexpected. For a moment, she expected a monkey had returned, before she realised that this thing's mouth was open and she was having some sort of fit.

"Enough," the Dhani hissed, in Snake-tongue. To get the point across, she struck the trunk of the nearest tree with a hard blow, and openly prowled towards the child. "Ssstop your ssscreaming, or I'll give you a reassson to ssscream." It occured to her, briefly, that the child would not understand her. She was a Dhani speaking her native language, and this child was apparently sick. Dhani children certainly had fits, but they didn't sound like this. However, frustration had clouded her judgement, and she'd suddenly resorted to addressing this Myrian brat as if she'd been a Dhani brat- although the Myrian was considerably noisier. She was gibbering nonsense in her language, the words falling on ears that made no sense of the guttural sounds.

Citlali reached for the child to pick her up. This quarry was not what she expected, nor wanted, but she wasn't going to just let it go on its merry way, especially not while making this ruckus. She didn't care what she grabbed of the child, so long as she took her anyway; she might have grasped hair, cloth, or flesh. Regardless, she'd gotten the child, and she made her way to some place secluded for a little fun.

[Riyk]

The hissing was quick to silence the screaming Myrian. Still she sniffled, holding back her awaiting cries. Even though she was unable to understand the creature it's tone was enough to force her to a halt. It was much like the tone her mother used against her and her sister. Before she knew it, a large hand was wrapped around her forearm.

That is when Riyk began her screaming. Of course she had no idea what this creature's intentions where but she wasn't going to give in without a fight. As her mouth let out high pitched screeching howl Riyk's legs flailed about. Dirty bare feet pushed against what felt like thick scales. Riyk could have swore that Kitaot's face popped through thick Understory leaves but between her blurred vision from tears and the long black hair sticking to the sides of her face she wasn't sure of anything she saw.

Any Myrian would be smart enough to not approach what she believed to be a Dhani of this size and stature alone. Riyk was even unable to see where she was being taken. She knew she wouldn't be getting out of this situation any time soon. Finally her noises were slowed down and calmed down to a soft whimper. With flaring nostrils she would now not battle this creature with her bare feet but instead use cling her tiny toes to what she could, such as gently griping slight raised scales.


OOCI'd like to apologize for my absence, I had several family emergences and my laptop charger was needing replacement. As well as me constantly needing to change Templates. Sorry for the inconvenience!

[Ssafiracitlali]

Citlali could not help but indulge herself, and she drew her hand across the child's face with enough force to sting her own palm-- and then she immediately worried that she'd damaged the little thing. Damaging the goods, now wouldn't that be entertaining.

When the girl had fallen silent, at long last, and clung to Citlali's scales, the Dhani briefly considered the flare of discomfort that associated itself with the act. Whatever gripes she might have had, however, were kept within, boiling and simmering beneath the surface of the serpent's scaly flash. It was an incredibly strange sensation, honestly; any young Dhani coiled around what grasped it, also, but not with the fleshy little digits that this child did.

Citlali could say that, despite her disgust, she did not mind it.

She allowed silence to descend between them, oddly gentle with this fleshy thing that clung to her. It would be the calm before the storm, as Citlali would not count herself as a gentle creature, but the Dhani may yet reward the child for her current silence.

She was guiding them through the ferns and dripping plants of the jungle, slithering with the sibilant cadence that only a snake could possess. There were caves, shallow and constructed by the vines and roots of jungle giants. There were flooded pools that the child could be submerged within, to test the strength of her lungs. She was guiding them to a place that typically drained itself of water swiftly, with few who knew of it amongst the Dhani.

It would be nice and private.

oocNo need to worry.

[Riyk]

A bright red hand print formed on the child's cheek. Pursing her tiny lips together Riyk tried not to weep. Slowly Riyk closed her eyes, as though it would release her of what was to come. The only sound inside of her ears where that of leaves, colliding with each other to be moved. Black hair swayed in the wind, at the pace they moved.

Taking slow deep breaths, it was like she was trying to wake herself from what seemed to be a nightmare. Her tiny gentle lips whispered a soft pray in Myrian. There were stories of children getting kidnapped and she would just be another case. Before she knew it, the sound of leaf movement was replaced by that of quick water. Even then she did not want to open her bright blue eyes.

Before she knew it, her breath was taken from her. Air was replaced by warm water. Uncontrollably Riyk begun to take in the water. Being held down by grasping under her arms, she flailed her hands about at first. Then her movements slowed down, now her tiny hands were held out. As though she was slipping and all it would take was for someone to grab her hand.

Slowly, the colour in her face was losing it's tan tint and was paler than before. Riyk could feel her eyes closing, all she could see was a Dhani's face and even then she tried to reach for the woman. Then it was slow, her eyes begun to close and her hands lowered into the water. She could have sworn this is where she would perish. Either it would be in a Dhani's acid filled stomach or at the bottom of the water pools. In her ears there were no more muffled screams and sound of rushing water. Only now was there peace in her mind, the sound of gentle breezes ran though her mind.

[Ssafiracitlali]

There was no compassion in the snake as she watched her quarry suffer, silent and watchful. Her own heart had quickened its pace, fluttering in the thrill of the moment and the sheer pleasure that followed the sight of dying prey.

But Citlali would not allow this child to drown.

When she'd grown still, her blue eyes taking in that glassy quality rarely encountered in Zinrah, Citlali drew the child from the water. She deposited the limp creature against the tangled roots that made the back of their little cave and promptly subjected the creature to an invasive inspection. She'd hoped the water had done its bit and dulled the child, silencing her.

Citlali was hardly this brutal, normally, but she truly did not enjoy the grating sound of the little thing screaming, nor the attention it could bring.

When the invasive inspection was over, and Citlali had identified the same limbs she possessed in her human form, she took on the form herself. Even like this, she was more than the child; she was stronger and taller, and her pale skin glistened with the water from the child's drowning, contrasting even the pallor of the normally browned creature.

Claiming the guise of "human" was simply a ruse to comfort the child. Her serpentine form was still insinuated in the slit pupils of her green eyes, and that sort of sinuous gate she possessed when she walked, as if swaying like a snake.

Now, Citlali pondered the child, and whether she'd already abused her too far. She did not know how to care for such a creature. How fragile was it, without scales? How easily broken could she be?

Myri had weak children.

"Wake up," the woman snarled, this time in the most guttural of Myrian. It was accented heavily, layered by Dhani sibilance and disgust. The language was as ugly as the children of Myri.

[Riyk]

It was dark for quite some time, until the two Myrian words came into her water filled ears. It took awhile for Riyk to snap out of her death-like slumber. Quickly she gasped for air but then turned on her side, only to have bile tasting water flow from her mouth. Gagging, it was finally over. Slightly sitting up she propped herself up, the root beneath were rather uncomfortable but her soaked clothing articles and comfort was not her type priority list.

Short light coughs came from her throat, but there was nothing left to returned in the liquid state. Gently she laid down on her side. There was a woman, defiantly not Myrian but yet she shared the same body type. Although Riyk would have given into her, seeing something other than a Dhani, there was something wrong. Effervescent blue iris stared at the woman in disgust.

Her expression was not of fear, anger, or sadness but of dissatisfaction. Riyk refused to speak, she was silenced. Her short lived life flashed before her eyes. There was a small feeling, erupting in her brain. It wasn't emotions she thought she would feel at this age. When she tried to speak, it came out soft and harsh in Myrian. “Do not touch me. You skurak.” Riyk spat the ending swear.

Which she had only heard from being around her fellow Myrians when in a eventful brawl. Taking in of what she could Riyk came to a conclusion. This woman did not take the Dhani form, the one who almost drowned her, but she knew they had some connection if not the same person.