Bones and stones

[Atl]

Timestamp: 7th of Spring

Holding the strung in his dominant hand, he crept silently, his feet mimicking the heel toe method the other myrians around him used. There mission was simple focused on simply combing the forest around Zinrah for any stray dhani. The storm that marked the beginning of the season had left Zinrah bereft of guards around it's parameter and it was hard to say how many of the reviled creatures had escaped into the jungle wilds. Divine agreement kept them from outright storming in and exterminating the creatures, but out here in the wilds, such an agreement held no sway over their blades and they would not harbor the beasts free in their jungle.

Many fangs had come out for this mission, each and every myrian burning with passion, thirsty for the blood of the creatures. When it came anything dealing with the invasive species they held nothing but hatred for, there was no shortage of myrians willing to volunteer.

There approach was muffled in part due to the soft earth and sound of birds calling overhead. Multiple weapons could be found on each myrian, a testament to their discipline. There would be no quarter for the snakes, only death. Up ahead the sounds of battle carried to his ears, and he pressed forward, drawing on his bow string as he did. The tension of the string cut into his fingers familiarly. He let the string slack as he saw the mangled remains of a reticulated python that had tried to snag an inattentive myrian, probably new to the service since Atl failed to recognize him. This one was not dhani but one of their cousins, beasts that proved themselves to be quite deadly time, and time again.

He left it to them to take care of the meat, and continued on with the rest of his fang through the jungle. His was to go to Zinrah herself, and reestablish a parameter guard there while the other fangs patrolled around the jungle looking for any of the escaped beasts. An ill favored position but a necessary one to stop the continuing spread of the dhani throughout their lands. While moving after the other members, he unstrung his bow, and drew out his sawtooth, preferring the hand weapon now that they were nearing their objective. If a beast came upon them now, he wanted to be ready to meet head on. It was a poor weapon choice of course, the wood hardly a match for the scales, but his wasn't to get the kill but work in tandem with his fang mates to bring the beast down. At least until he found a better weapon to keep at his side, particularly one with a keen edge for sheering through dhani flesh.

They all dropped to the ground suddenly, and Atl followed suit, crouching low while he crept along. He was hardly as experienced at sneaking as his brethren, and so he moved slower, not eager to be the betraying noise that alerted the beasts to their presence. It must have been that they were nearing the entrance of the vile city, and at that though every crunch his leather boot made on the ground sounded like a tiger roaring straight into his ear. He slowed down a pace, ears attuned to the world around him as his eyes followed where his brethren looked.

One by one they claimed their places, mostly high in the trees, and produced their ranged weapons. Atl found his place in a dense undergrowth that grew around the base of a massive tree, and readying his bow once more, he situated his back snug against the tree. It was going to be a long day.

[Atl]

Bells had passed with nothing but silence from the jungle to greet them. His muscles were starting to ache from being held tense for so long, and he rolled his shoulders regularly to bring some measure of comfort to his stiff neck. The other fangs where probably seeing plenty of action, and enjoying the spoils brought from such a thing while his stood watch, as if they where handlers and these were their priceless pets. It agitated him, but he didn't let it get much farther than that. He knew that all things followed their course as the goddess willed it, and he wouldn't let anger take hold of his heart.

A movement ahead broke him from his musings, and drawing the bow back as far as he could managed tight up against the tree, he took aim on the oddly moving shape ahead. There was a flash of scales and then it reappeared on the other side of a narrow tree before standing still, presenting a quite tempting target. He almost released the arrow when he felt a hand touch his forearm, and looked to see the head of his fang, Shira, gazing at him intensely while motioning for him to lower his weapon. Atl couldn't help but raise his eyebrow, but lowered his weapon none the less. She replied with a gesture, and looking ahead for a while, he still couldn't tell what she meant until he noticed another form shifting into view, not far from where he was disturbingly enough. Had he shot, a shot that would have probably missed at that, he'd have given himself away, and wouldn't have been breathing much longer after that.

He found himself on impulse shifting slowly away, joining up with the rest of his slowly gathering fang quite a ways from where they had previously stood guard. In the center Shira spoke to some others, the very look of her commanding attention and respect. Scars highlight her muscular form, and her fierce look was matched by the assortment of weapons adorning much of her frame. Beautiful and deadly, not to mention her wicked cunning.

"Alright observations over, we regroup with the other fangs now, and tighten the net around the city. They think we don't know there tricks, but we do, and they'll pay soon enough. Its time they know once more the price for setting foot on our soil" Shira called out when everyone was assembled, and once more they where off, pacing through the forest quietly, Atl's senses more on edge after seeing the beast so up close. He'd have questions for Fik whenever he'd got back to Taloba. Never again would he allow one of the beasts to outmaneuver him.

[Atl]

His fang was of the few to depart the jungle, heading back to report what they'd seen to the goddess queen. There was no blood to stain their swords, but they all bore it in stride. They would live another day for another chance at the dhani, and the honor would be theres then. Whatever victory dhani claimed this day would feel hollow soon enough when his fang was sent forth again, and the ground would tremble underneath the beasts feet as death approached them, and they would know true fear. He'd lost good companions to the creatures, seen men torn to shreds because of a simple misstep. The beasts were a blight on the jungle, and he hungered deeply for their blood as did the rest of his kin.

His heart pounded in his breast, and his lips remained tightly together. Till that day he would prepare as he always had. Sword in hand till he was bloody with his own blood or that of another, mixed together upon flesh in an exquisite way as offering to his goddess. Only that would satisfy him.

"Soon" He whispered.