Closed A Day Spent Training (Akua)

[Fari]

Timestamp:39th of Fall, 514 AV

Fari’s fang wasn’t ranging today. The young warrior sat crouched on the balls of her feet, a clay bowl settled between her legs. In the bowl she had a cracked egg, a small handful of ground nuts, and a handful of berries. She mixed the ingredients up together squishing the berries with her fingers. When it congealed with the nuts into a sticky clump, Fari drew the bone knife from her harness and slashed the back of her arm. Pushing the blunt side of the knife against her skin, numerous blood drops dripped out and down into the bowl.With a quick brush she smeared the remaining fluid across her arm trying to stop the bleeding.

The bloody congealed mess seemed to stare back up at her. Without giving another moment to think about it, she snatched up the ball and pushed it into her mouth. The inland sea stretched out before her. In Taloba the city was recovering from the fires, Fari needed quiet to concentrate and so she had moved down the shore. If she strained she could still hear the sounds of Myrian life, so likely from the right vantage she was visible where she crouched.

The hottest part of the day was finally fading, in another few bells the sun would fade beyond the canopies and provide relief. Fari reached down to wash her knife in the waters. All the while, she chewed. Crunching the the concoction until she could finally swallow it. It went down like a lump in her stomach. She knew, she couldn’t feel inside her stomach, but she couldn’t help but imagine she could. The ball sitting inert within her. Pushing the knife back into its place in her harness, she tried to focus her mind.

It was too dangerous to ignore the surroundings in the jungle, but as she watched the shore lines and the encroaching jungle growth her mind was on soul mist. The white liquid that could be used to barter with ghosts reminded the Myrian of nearly dried blood. There was probably a word for that kind of liquid but Fari had never cared enough to learn. The magic wasn’t in the names of the things, it was in the doing. At least she thought so.

The soul mist was nearly ready now though, all she needed was to return the mixed ball to its bowl and with it the mist from her body. As she leaned forward over the bowl a branch snapped. Ignoring the previous process, she rolled back on to her boot heels. In one twisting motion she rose to a wide fighter’s stance watching the jungle for the source. Fari tugged a short spear from the harness strap on her back. She held it out as a spear to jab, not to throw, until she could see what had stumbled upon her.

[Akua]

The Myrian ran through the forest, doing his best to keep his balance as he stepped from branch to branch. His Wolf's teeth club gripped tightly in both hands as he tried to keep the fanged head away from his body. If he did slip the last thing he wanted was to land on it. He knew the damage that it could cause. He had trained with the weapon, grew up with this weapon and spilled the blood of his enemies with it. Though the young Myrian hadn't thought of outsiders to be challenge, the animals in the jungle sure could be. The Myrian stopped, sliding forward in the mud, until the Myrian had to catch himself against a tree. He could hear the waves off in the distance. Not to far from where he was now. The gentle greeting of Laviku upon Semele. The salt mixed into the air now, he moved slowly. Crouching low in the brush he moved forward. It was the way of life in Taloba and the only way true Myrian's knew how to live.

The weapon held in front of him, pointing forward. He used it to push some of the thicker brush out of the way. Trying to be mindful of the twigs and dried vegetation below his feet. He was a distance from his home and separated from his fang. The sweat dripping off his body from the heat that Syna's rays provided the jungle. It was something that all Myrians were used to. Their sweat mixed with the dirt of there home, just like their blood and tears. It was the Myrian way of life. Work, sweat and then work harder. It was the way of life in Taloba and the only way true Myrian's knew how to live.

Akua came to the a stop, where the vegetation met the sand. His eyes peering onto the beach through his leafy cover. He could make out a figure crouching before him. But he couldn't tell the race. It wasn't a Charoda, one of the hated races. One that Akua enjoyed sinking the wolfs teeth into. It looked more human. He moved to get a better view, his foot coming down on a twig with a loud snap. He cursed under his breath, the humanoid figure in front of him had twisted and jumped up into a fighting stance. Pulling another weapon out of her harness. Akua waited for a tick before calling out in his Myrian tongue. "Hold sister. I come baring no harm to a fellow Myrian." he stood up and walked forward. His wolfs teeth club still gripped tightly in his hands just incase she decided to come at him anyway.

"Why are you out here alone?" he asked. Noticing the dried blood smeared on her arm and the bowl that was once at her feet not laid behind her. He lowered his weapon slightly, to show that he wasn't a threat. She towered over him ever so slightly, even when crouched she was taller then him. All Myrian women grew taller then their male counterparts but in Akua's case it was worse. He was smaller then the average Myrian male and thus was picked on and challenged by other Myrian children as he was growing up. None of that mattered to him, he would prove to them all that he could be a great warrior.

[Fari]

Fari’s eyes widened, there were few Myrian’s who stood so short as this one, and his voice was truth enough. “Akua, why are you sneaking around me?” She demanded, not yet lowering her spear. Her eyes narrowed, while Syna shone against his sight Fari’s pierced the murky midday shadows thrown by the treetops. She watched him a heartbeat longer than necessary before lowering her weapon, placing the butt in the muddy soil. “Wait.” She nodded before turning back to her bowl and her crouch.

She stilled leaned on her spear like a staff, but shoved the fingers of her off-hand into her mouth. She hunched forward and and convulsions ran up her back as she vomited the mess back into the bowl. Only now the mess was milky looking gunk. Akua had missed the earlier parts of the ritual so all he saw was the product. Fari doubted the Tempered Steel clan taught their young about spirtism. She scooped up the doughy mess and slide it down into her empty water skin. Any more delay than her fang brother had already caused might have hurt the soul mist. Even still she had been told the soul mist she was able to make was hardly better than mud. For now.

Languidly, like an annoyed cat, she turned back to Akua. Her shoulders rolled as she regarded him. “I am alone because I chose to be. Why are you alone Cub?” Her body language said annoyed, but her eyes said amused. The contradiction was just one pair of many of this warrior of the dancing dead.

All too aware of the short life of her soul mist, Fari chose quickly. “There is a spirit lingering near here. I am trying to remove it. Its a fishwoman.” She tossed her spear back and forth between her hands, clearly not intended to put it away. “You may come. Spirits can be a danger to the living.” Though it sounded nearing on command it was as close to an offer as she was likely to give. Fari had been apart of their fang when Akua joined, and her eyes had always been straight ahead. She would someday become Tokoh or die trying. When they were given orders, the ambition nearly radiated off the warrior. Shr shrugged, “If not I will be back soon. I will be sparing until dusk afterwards.”

The woman turned south, away from Taloba and padded down the bank. Akua could follow or not.

[Akua]

The Myrian shrugged his eyes meeting his elder. They were both members of the same fang. Training, sparring and scouting together since Akua had joined the Taloban army. He watched her finally lower her spear, he had heard the spark of anger and annoyance earlier in her voice. And again when she told him to wait. He watched her lower herself again over the bowl. He looked back towards the jungle, his mind wondering why she had come out her alone. Myrians rarely traveled alone. Even the most skilled Myrian traveled with at least another. When his eyes returned to her, she had vomited. A vile, milky looking gung now in the bowl. He stepped back quick. A quizzical look on his brow as he waited for her to speak again.

She turned back to him, obviously annoyed at the interruption, and rolled her shoulders before speaking again. "Why are you alone Cub?” the nickname had annoyed him to no end. But he acted like he paid no mind to it. Though his eyes gave him away. Annoyance filled then as he looked at her. "Scouting" was all he gave as an answer. Akua was always scouting, his body restless with his young age. Training, fighting, sparing, scouting. That was his daily life, anything else was just extra. Fari spoke again mention a fishwoman spirit. Akua nodded, his weapon resting across his shoulder. Understanding the hidden command she had said. "Then I shall be your sparing partner" he said quickly. His feet pushing into the wet mud as he followed her.

"What was that? The white stuff" he asked, looking ahead and occasionally at the water. Dangerous things lurked below the water. Much like the jungle itself the waters around Faylndar were to be feared and respected. Aside from the fish people, to whom Akua only thought of as targets and vile creatures. Not fit to grace the land that Myri walked upon. A snarl spread across his lips for a second, before his eyes laid upon the shore again. He turned his weapon over in his hand. The spiked teeth rotating behind his hand. The weapon of choice was a nasty one indeed, often crushing and ripping into flesh and bone of whatever it struck. The weapon was designed to do as much damage as possible in a brutal and savage way. Much different from his Fang Sisters weapon. The spear wasn't one that Akua had done a lot of training with, often choosing to beat something to death rather then stab it.

[Fari]

“It’s spirit bait.” Fari replied distractedly, her eyes were watching the tree line. He had snuck up on her from there and that was where she got stuck in the trap of worrying the next threat would arrive there as well. “It is more than that, though.” spirits bait was how her mother had explained it to her as a child, and for most purposes it was. Soulmist was how the living could hunt the spirits. EIther way she didn’t explain further, then he would know nearly as how ignorant about it she was as well.

Her knuckles whitened as she flexed her grip on the spear. Weapons like Akua’s were the very opposite of her own. If she could hit him at a distance that was fine, but in close combat the spiked mace would shatter her weapon. There would be blocking, only slipping away from his swings. Fari doubted Akua posed much threat to her. They had never had a serious fight in the past, never a matter of insult. Others though, would use similar weapons. Sparring with him would teach her much to combat others who fought like him.

Brown eyes swept down to her boots as the thought ‘it would be a matter of footwork’ bounded through her plans. It was then that she saw from the side of her eyes the ripples in the water. The Myrian sprung backwards towards the treeline and the unearthed roots of water-side trees. She had jumped right in front of Akua but she knew the fang brother would trust her against danger.

Immediately her spear was lowered and she crouched. She didn’t wait more than handful of heartbeats when the water violently tore itself apart. The muddy green crocodile snapped at them, failing to catch either by at least an arm span. Fari had encountered crocodiles before and when they failed they usually slid away, this one did not. It lumbered on to the bank clearly ready to meet their challenge. It must have had a nest nearby.

Instinct told her to slay the beast and so the female Myrian circled to the side, putting the beast between her and Akua. She angled her spear, ready to strike at his neck if it went for Akua next. Her feet tensed, ready to jump back if it chose her.

[Akua]

The male did not reply, his eyes trained on the water. Only leaving it to glance forward then back down again. Something made the Myrian uneasy, but with a simple snarl he looked up at his fang Sister. He stepped back quickly as she jumped, his eyes locking to the water as the beast tore its way out of the water. The loud snap of its powerful jaws made the hair on Akua's arms stand up. A smile spread across his face as he licked his lips. Fari crouched low and went to flank the beast, a tactic that many fangs used when hunting together. It was Akua's job to keep the animals attention. He licked his lips, the challenge before him had sent adrenaline through his system. His mark displayed proudly on his neck, the shape of his club, almost seemed to shimmer as the male crouched. The weapons head facing away from him He let out a tribal like shout, swinging the weapons head around till it was behind him. He slammed it down in front of the crocs face. He shouted more, a Myrian war chant as he jumped back. The croc snapping at his weapon. "My wolfs teeth will pierce your hide and rip you to shreds" he growled at the reptile. He swung again ripping into the muddy dirt, sending it up. A few of the teeth scratched the nose of the gator and it stepped back. A hiss escaping its lips. Akua's eyes looked up to see where Fari was. The croc lunged forward, powerful jaws snapping low at the males pride. Akua jumped back, losing his footing in the mud he fell forward. His head a few inches from the mouth of the beast. The hands of the Myrian dug into the ground as Akua strived to flip or push himself away from the teeth. He rolled a few inches to the side as the jaws came down, snapping and crushing the air where he once was. He grabbed for the handle of his weapon and pushed it up into the bottom of the crocodiles jaw. Staggering it for a few ticks. He rolled back and arched his back. Standing in a cat like stance, one leg bent at the knee and pushed up close to his stomach. The other out stretched, his foot digging into the mud. He held up his club in one hand, while the other was spread open on the ground. His eyes met that of the crocodiles and he flashed it a snarl like grin. He moved quickly, standing back on his feet with his weapon ready. His knees bent ready to spring forward and slam the spiked club down into the crocodiles head. He thought not of the animals hide or teeth. The bikka he could get for returning it to the city. The safety of him and his fang sister were his only concern.

[Fari]

Akua did his part well, the crocodile gave its back to Fari. In most other beasts that would be fatal, the crocodile’s thick back was no good target for a spear. So she waited creeping closure and crouching so low to the ground her elbows nearly touched the mud. It was no fighter’s stance but there was no other way to get the killing blow. At least not the inexperienced hunter knew.

Her chance came as the beast snapped at Akua once more. He went down and Fari pushed forward, his club hit the creatures jaw which tilted it giving her the opening.With her entire body she struck, jamming her spear into the soft flesh under its mouth. One bone snapped and crunched, but it must not have been enough to penetrate the skull. The crocodile thrashed violently but Fari held on to her spear. She lay on her belly in the mud but the spear kept the jaws and claws away from her. Until their prey grew tired she could do little more than hold on.

But Akua could do something. Fari spat mud from her mouth, “Akua! Hit it on to my spear!” Her face hit the mud again as she went back to wrestling with spear and croc. As powerful as the beast was in water, on land it was awkward and Fari was strong. She held the spear in place, which for the most part held the crocodile in place.

Finally the the crocodile’s struggles lessened into the pitiful dying throes. As they stilled, she exhaled and dropped her face back to the ground. For a moment, she let it all settled. Her heart pumped against thought, embracing action and so the rest couldn’t last. Releasing her spear she stood back up. With an equally muddy hand she wiped off her face and the toe of her boot kicked the carcass over to pull out the spear. A miracle provided the spear wasn’t splintered in the haft though it might be a single throw from breaking.

Her eyes scanned the water and saw no more ripples but her mind hit on something she had thought of earlier. Still regaining her breath one huff came out, “A nest.” It must be near for the crocodile to have continued its attack so ferociously. Fari had no idea how far a reptile would range from its nest, but she would bet it wasn’t far. She stepped lightly down the bank, still well in sight of their kill. She was looking for the strange bird-like claws crocodiles had in the mud. It would lead to that nest.

Her hair matted in muddy clumps against her face. The birds had quieted during the struggle, the prey creatures always hid themselves when the predators met. It wouldn’t last long though, some beasts of the sky were far more than prey and the crocodile corpse would be too tempting. She moved faster, searching for the nest.

[Akua]

The Myrians dance with the crocodile continued. The mud being flung up by the Myrian as he moved. His fang sister joining beside him to shove the spear into the crocodile's bottom jam. He watched her struggle for a tick before she gave him an order. The cub rose up, swinging his club behind him with both hands he brought it around. Slamming into the top of the crocodiles head. The teeth scratching and biting against it head, a crack of the bone could be heard as the spear was forced through the crocodiles skull. Akua lifted his club with a toothy grin and said "that was exciting." He looked toward his Fang sister as she rose up from the mud. She kicked the carcass over and retrieved her spear. He nodded at her, a sign of respect. He turned to face the water as he scanned it. "A nest" escaping her lips in a rushed breath. He turned his head to look at her, but she had begun moving. Searching for it, Akua turned his head back towards the trees. He heard nothing of the birds calls. They had always run in times of danger. He shrugged and followed after her, his club in both hands. "Why search?" he asked. "Are crocodile eggs tasty?" he wondered out loud. Having never eaten the eggs of a crocodile. Only the meat itself. He moved quickly, feet slapping against the mud, as he scanned the ground for tracks. Crouching low to get closer. He almost went into a crawl like stance. Hopping with his club in one hand as he looked for the claw marks. He stopped once he had come to a rock outcropping and turned to look back towards Fari. "Are we going to return with the water beast?" he asked, now sitting on the balls of his feet instead of looking. His glance roamed over to that of the now dead and turned over crocodile. He licked his lips at the idea of the meat. One of his favorite meals was salted crocodile steak.

[Fari]

Fari repeated turned to look at the crocodile. She scanned the skies and the seaside, looking for scavengers going after their kill, before moving on with her search. Her reply to Akua was in the same awkward fashion,”Yes, just hold on…” and “Snake eggs are not so bad, maybe crocodile eggs are the same.” She said musingly. Her answer was truth enough but she always wanted to try one in her soulmist recipe. May a different ingredient would help. Would a crocodile egg be better than a bird egg?

It took considerable time to find the trail, but eventually she spotted it. The trail had been difficult because directly from the water it was nothing but a giant drag mark smeared into the mud. “It must be from the body and tail.” Fari muttered to herself while she looked at the strange marking. The claw tracks started several feet later. Hoping to the side she bent to examine the track. It wasn’t dissimilar from what she had originally been looking for, but it was not as bird-like as she had expected. The Myrian warrior followed at the side of the tracks, trying not to step in them herself.

Finally at the end of the trail she found a mound of soft dirt and dead foliage. It was unnaturally domed shape. Fari couldn’t help be reminded of a funeral pyre when she looked at it. WIth the butto f hear spear she nudged away some of the dirt, careful that there might be a corpse within. What she found was her prize, the soft reptile eggs. She set her spear on the ground and began the tedious process of tugging her shirt out from under her armor without removing the leathers. It was awkward twists and bent elbows before she pulled the linen out from the armpit of her armor. Using the shirt like a sack she filled it with the eggs, so surprisingly small for such a large animal. When she had all she could carry she tied the bundle around her neck and let the bag rest on her shoulders. A pack would have been better but she hadn’t planned to be away from the city even this long.

She picked up her spear and headed back towards Akua. There were still eggs left in the mound though she had no way to carry more. Fari silently reflected as she once again examined the scaly beast that had foolishly attacked them. It Akua hadn’t been here, it may not have been such a sure thing. As his weapon was strong against hers, hers was strong against these kind of beasts. The armored hides always had holes that seemed to fit a spear head like they had been made for Myrian’s to hunt. There was a rightness to it.

“Now… how should we carry this?” She had seen the hunters use longspears to carry a kill between them, like a spit. The problem was her spears were neither long enough nor strong enough to accomplish it. The animal was probably twice as much as Akua and Fari weighed together. Her brow rose as she examined the animal. There was a natural handhold.

With her head of her spear she pushed a hole through the flesh on its jaw, just behind the front row of its teeth. These teeth were by far the smallest. She dug these front teeth out with the spear head and then shoved her hand through the torn flesh. It would do for the walk back. That, she eyed the other end of the animal, left Akua with the tail or hind legs. There was no doubt to Fari though, they would need to drag it back; could guess from just hefting the head. Spear in her left hand and her right hand through its jaw, she prepared to leave.

It only now occurred to her that she was wasting the soulmist in her waterskin. The fishwoman would wait.

[Akua]

The cub watched his fang sister search for the nest. His gaze turning back towards the crocodiles, he stood up. Walking back over to the crocodile. He reached down running his hand along the hide. "This would make great armor" he said out loud. He looked over his shoulder as Fari was mucking around in the mud. He could see her moving. Assuming she had found the next he stood again, moving to the other side of the crocodile. He waited for his fang sister to come closer before his eyes fell upon the eggs. He tilted his head to the side and then looked up at her. "Is that enough?" he asked. His eyes followed her as she circled around to the head. Watching her process of making a makeshift handle. He moved to the fore legs of the crocodile. He wrapped his arm underneath it, right behind the legs, and lifted it up. His club resting against his shoulder.

He began walking behind Fari. Her height made it a bit easier on his shoulder that the crocodile rested on. Moving over fallen logs and roots. The city of Taloba unfolded before Akua's eyes. The pride of the Myrian swelled as the familiar feeling surrounded him. The Myrians dragged the crocodile to the trading square. The damage the fires had cause were still evident but the Myrians continued to trade and sell things. Akua followed behind Fari as she went to one of the stalls to sell the eggs and crocodile meet. Releasing his end, he slid out from under neath it and wandered over to a stall. Upon the stall were various blades and other weapons. Akua smiled, picking up a long sword and giving it a few swings. It felt different then his club. Lighter and more agile. He pondered buying it, setting it back on the stall. He glanced over his shoulder at Fari.

He turned back to the stall and picked up another blade. This one was curved. Its slightly wicked apperance made the Myrian even more curious. Setting the head of his club on the ground. The Myrian ran his finger along the blade for a tick. It was sharper then he thought. The blood trickled from the new cut. Licking the blood from the slight wound. "Ill take it" he said. Handing the coin to the stall owner and turning back towards Fari with his club in one hand and his new kurki in the other.