Snakes and Scorpions (Malah)

[Kanara Keezheekoni]

Malah jumped back in a loose fighting stance while Kanara, from her crouching position, rolled out of the ray’s path. She paused, frozen for a moment. She could feel the ray beneath them, but how could she have not seen it so close to them? She already knew the answer; she just wasn’t ready to accept it. Malah’s words reached her ears, quickly disturbing her thoughts. Kanara let her breath hiss through her teeth, her eyes narrowing. This was not a time for self-pity. “Failure is not an option.” She retorted back at Malah, shaking her head. “We’re going to have to kill it or distract it well enough to run.” The ray took a leap towards Malah, displaying its large stinger glinting against the sun like a deadly needle. The body itself was freckled with various shades of tan reminding her of the golden sand at noon and the dark grains at night. She had never faced them without her people beside her. A thin line of fear and doubt ran down her spine as if immobilizing her. But the ray wasted no time in taking a leap at her. It knew it was outnumbered, but it had the advantage of surprise for the moment. Kanara couldn’t move as the large flat body flew in the air. Time seemed to slow and all she could see was two parallel lines of legs running down the center of its body. There were so many of them, all wiggling back and forth as the ray almost flew towards her. Disgust filled her at the sight of the squirming legs; she could almost feel them trying to crawl up her arms. Shuddering, she dived sideways at the last second landing on her shoulder before leaping back up to her feet and moving backwards, quarterstaff in hand. The ray let out a terrible sound, an inhuman screech that shook her bones and rattled her ears before diving back into the ground. Kanara winced, but managed to keep her sense trained to ray. She cursed herself for not having a blade handy. Her staff wasn’t exactly sharp, but if she put enough strength behind it, it might be enough to pierce its skin. “I have an idea.” She shouted at Malah, cupping her hands around her mouth. The ray had managed to separate them, so that the sand ray lay between them. They were a good five feet away from each other now. But, this also meant they had somewhat surrounded the creature. She prayed another one wouldn’t come join the fight. That would really leave them at a disadvantage. Learning her lesson, she kept alert for any signs of other rays. “We have to kill it before it calls all of its friends.” She wasn’t sure how the girl was going to fight without a weapon, but she knew better than to ask. The Dhani were known to be a threat for a reason. Maybe the girl would turn herself into a snake. Shrugging away the ideas mentally, she took a deep breath and shouted, “I can tell you when it’ll be closest to the surface, but I don’t know how hard its back side is. If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to attack it’s under area it when it jumps in the air.” She paused, feeling the ray beneath her. With haste, she drove her quarterstaff into the group like a pike. Her body shook as she hit something, hard. Cursing, she jumped and ran till she was out of range. She had hit hard bone, which was probably it’s nose. “I missed,” she whispered disbelievingly. She watched as the ray exploded out of the sand from where she had last stood, her quarterstaff flying and landing on the other side of the creature. The ray looked furious; indeed it seemed Kanara had enraged it even more. It dove back under the sand and charged towards Malah. “It’s coming straight at you!” Kanara screamed at the Dhani. Almost tripping over her feet, the Chaktawe sprinted towards her weapon. She wouldn’t be able to help Malah without it. Scooping her quarterstaff, she changed course of the Dhani, the ray ahead of her. “It’s at the surface now! It’ll attack soon!” She yelled. What she wouldn’t predict until the last moment was whether it would jump or attack from right under her as it had tried to do with Kanara.

[Kalasshmalah]

Malah sighed heavily as she realized how close she had come to getting hurt. It was amateurish and embarrassing, and if she could only get her hands on this thing she'd show it just how angry it made her. Pulling herself back into her fighting stance, she watched as it streaked off towards Kanara. No doubt it would try to attack the Chaktawe this time, and Malah used the opening to catch her breath and calm her mind. If worst came to worse, she could always run. She may not be able to outrun the ray, but she was certain she could put distance on the girl. The ray could have her for all she cared, but for now Kanara was useful, Malah still had hopes of catching the scorpion. The ray was fairly ugly, she'd give it that, but it's screech was more unsettling than it's looks could ever hope to be. A call for help would put more of these things in her path, making it virtually impossible to catch the scorpion. Not to mention to possible injury to herself. Looking over her shoulder, she pondered a moment if she should run. In all rights it was likely the sane thing to do. She owed this girl nothing, and wouldn't care if she died. And Malah felt the other felt of a similar disposition. But as a friend once told her "With no risk, comes no reward." She would at least make an attempt at killing this beast, but with the nature of it's attacks, her Human form was all but useless. She would have to shift into her Dhani form. Listening to the girl's idea, it made sense, expect for one major problem. It involved trusting this girl that she practically forced to come out here with her safety. Not something she was fond of doing, but she had to start risking somewhere. Scowling, and with much reluctance, she shouted back to the other "Alright, but you'll have to buy me sssome time. I need to..." Her sentence was cut short when the beast started in her direction. She wouldn't be taken by surprise this time. Crouched over, with one hand splayed in the sand, she awaited the attack. Her peripheral vision registered Kanara running toward her too, but it hardly mattered. The ray would get there first, and even if the other got here, there was little she could help with that Malah couldn't accomplish on her own. Heeding the Chaktawe's warning, she dashed sideways as fast as she could muster. The ray exploded out of the sand a few seconds later, to find the prey five yards away and grinning back at it. It let forth another mind-rattling scream before reburrowing. Unfortunately, she and Kanara were still separated by about eight yards. Continuing where she left off quickly "I need to change forms, dissstract it for a minute." After a quick check confirmed the ray wasn't still charging her, she hastily striped her robes off, tossing them into the sand. While her undergarments were still in the air to join the robes, she began to shift into her Dhani form. Her muscles moving and shifting under her skin, hair being absorbed, and scales forming all in less then half a minute. She grew in length, and flexed her tail into a tight coil. Now I can do something! Sissing in laughter, for she would enjoy this, she shouted "We need to group up! I can kill it if you play the bait."

[Kanara Keezheekoni]

oocSorry it's so late. Seeing that Malah had escaped the ray, Kanara slowed her sprinting to a walk. Her breathing had deepened and sweat beaded her face. She watched the ray quickly spin and bury itself back underground as Malah finished her sentence. “Distract it…” She sighed. She decided at some point, she should seriously consider sharpening her quarterstaff. Then, she began to run. She hoped the ray would chase her until Malah was ready. Sure enough, the ray was coming up behind her; apparently she was an easier target. Not sure whether to be pleased with that thought, she sprinted faster. She glanced at the Dhani once, seeing her strip her robes off, Kanara immediately glued her eyes in front of her. She wasn’t sure what the Dhani was doing, but she hoped it worked. It wasn’t long before she heard Malah’s voice relay more instructions. She glanced back, a little surprised to see a viper slithering away from a pile of clothes. She had never actually seen a Dhani transform before, but she had heard they were frighteningly fast about it. Shaking her head of those thoughts, she focused back on the sand ray behind her and signaled to Malah that she understood. Bait. She hated being bait. She was already bait. There was no killing when she was bait. She sulked a little, muttering under her breath about lack of killing before she started to make her way towards Malah. She was breathing much harder now, sweat dripping from her hair, legs beginning to sore. Her body would pay her back the next morning. She winced at the thought, but didn’t alter her pace. Nevertheless, the ray was catching up. Malah was only a few feet now. Just before the two could meet, the ray burst from the sand. “Attack it now!” She yelled. Not sure whether the Dhani would make it, Kanara dived forward, flipping onto her back as she slid backwards. Her eyes squeezed shut; she shifted all her weight behind her quarterstaff and shoved it forward into the ray’s underside.

[Kalasshmalah]

OOCNot a problem! I understand people get busy sometimes ^.^ As the other signal Malah could tell that the girl didn't like being bait. Kanara's demeanor screamed of dislike for the role, but it only made Malah like the decision more. Keeping the girl uncomfortable left her worrying about what was making her so, and not the Dhani that was taking advantage of her. Slithering off towards Kanara at a quick pace, she stopped abruptly when they were getting close to each other. Coiling her tail tightly unto itself, she prepared to spring forth. Tensing her entire length of muscle, she waited until it had burst forth from the sand before lunging with all her might. Colliding with it's underbelly in midair, she bit down hard and forced much of her venom into it. Momentum carried them both forward and they landed a little behind Kanara in a heap, with Malah on top. The ray was a crumpled heap, lost in it's death throws. "AAaahhh!" A scream ripped through the air. The ray's tail had contacted her chest sometime in the fall, and several of the barbs struck her stomach. It was already beginning to swell and she was gripping it while moaning in agony. Her few attempts at bringing herself to full height were met with brief success before she would fall back down. Finally settling on propping herself up with her right arm, she looked to Kanara for a few moments and then to the ray. "Well it'sss dead...how about the ssscorpion?" Sissing a couple times in laughter, Malah was forced to stop and hold her side with her free arm. Gingerly, she began to work to untangle herself from the corpse.

[Kanara Keezheekoni]

oocShall we start wrapping this up? Time seemed to slow. Suddenly, Kanara felt as if she was far away. She knew she was flying backwards with her staff in front of her. She saw the small viper colliding with the ray before their momentum carried them past her head. She hit the ground at some point; sliding backwards against the heated sand. It felt a like rope burn, scalding the back of her neck and arms. She heard the ray crash behind her. Picking herself up, she turned to look at the scene behind her. The ray, underneath Malah, didn’t move. A satisfied feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. It was scream that finally brought Kanara back to her senses. Startled, she began to jog towards Malah. As she got closer, she saw the thin needle-like barbs sticking out of her stomach. The swelling reminded her of some of her mother’s patients. Sometimes some of their legs would swell because of the extra weight, so her mother would usually give them a cloth soaked with a strong tea. If she remembered correctly, it would also relieve pain. However, she couldn’t see the plant her mother used anywhere near them. Noting to keep an eye out for the plant, she turned her attention to Malah. Kanara couldn’t help but be impressed. She was surprised at how strong the little Dhani’s poison could be. She nodded at Malah and said, “The scorpion should still be here. I’ll find it.” She walked a few feet away from her before she stopped. A small stretch pf silence passed before she stiffly said, “Thanks.” She continued walking away a few feet before she started searching for the scorpion again. The debt she owed to the Dani was clearly bothering her. It felt heavy and thick, enveloping her. Gritting her teeth, Kanara figured the best way to clear the debt was to find the scorpion. It didn't take her long, they had ended up closer to the nest than she thought. Tilting her head to side, she asked, “How many did you want?” Before she turned to hear the answer, she caught sight of the yellow flower her mother used a good twenty feet away from them. “I’ll be right back,” she muttered before sprinting towards the plant. It was then she began to feel the sand burns stinging on her neck and arms. She ignored it, it was something that could be easily healed when she got back to camp. Once she reached the plant, she quickly examined it. Deciding that it closely matched her mother’s flower, she picked off the branch with the most withered flowers. Then she turned back towards Malah. Reaching her, Kanara slashed a small piece of her animal pelt with her eating knife and poured a enough water from her waterskin to soak it. Showing Malah the plant, she said, “This should stop the swelling and the pain.” Taking the plant in her hands, she crushed it with her palms turning it into a dry paste. She rubbed the paste across the piece of animal pelt, allowing the water and flower mixture to soak into the cloth. We don’t have time to dry and powder the plant to make tea. She thought. But, I hope this works. Rubbing the piece of pelt together, she gave it to Malah. “Put this on the swelling. Then I will take you to your scorpions.”

[Kalasshmalah]

OOCYou read my mind ^.^ wrapping up sounds great. Kanara and Malah make for interesting company ;P The pain was forcing itself on her, clouding her judgment. Malah could not stand the thought of laying there, prone. She began ripping the barbs out one by one, each time hissing out a whispered curse only a snake could understand. If in her right mind, Malah would have kept the barbs to experiment with trying to make poison from them, but as it was, she was just glad to have them out of her. Checking them as far away as possible, she tried once more to get vertical. It ended in her falling back down in a pile. Figuring she wouldn't be able to move far in this shape, Malah began to coil upon herself. Her long, sinewy body slowly became condensed in an orderly pile below her. Malah spoke with a soft, controlled voice, obviously trying to mask the pain "Good...I would hate to think thisss wass all for nothing." She left the thanks unanswered, partly because she might have use for the guilt later, but also because, as much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't have done this without Kanara. How many did I want? There was more than one? This girl is more useful than she appears. Ruminating it over, she settled on two. An extra one would be helpful should she somehow botch the process. "Two sshould be plenty." Was this girl going to pick the scorpions for her? It would be quite interesting to see her try, but Malah didn't think the girl could match their speed. She'd be as likely to get stung as she was to catch one. And amusing as that would be, Malah was looking down the road and thought it might hurt any uses she'd have for the girl later. Picking at a plant was definitely not what was expected. After a short sissing of laughter, she wondered what the girl was up to. As the girl worked with it, she began to wonder. Is this some sort of medicine? For me? Malah couldn't wrap her head around why this girl was helping her. What was in this for Kanara? The pain once more throbbed in her side, and she forced and arm to hold it gently. Not liking being ordered what to do one bit, she hissed out a warning in snake-tongue. Reason returned to her as the pain faded. Removing her hand from the swelling, she took the pelt. Putting it to her side tenderly, she waited for it to have some effect. She didn't notice any difference after a few minutes, and felt about the same, but kept it there regardless just in case it took longer to work. "Let'sss go." Slithering close to the ground, she avoided placing any weight in her swollen stomach. As they arrived, she motioned to the quarterstaff. Usse that to move one away from the otherssss. When I have it pinned down, crusssh the head." She got in position and ready to strike out her hands. Aim for the back, and control the tail. she reminded herself.

[Kanara Keezheekoni]

Tactfully, Kanara ignored any insults uttered by the Dhani. She was more curious as to whether the salve would work. She watched the swelling carefully, but it didn’t seem to have any affect. Disappointed, she frowned. After starting intensely for a few moments, she nodded. Pointing southeast, she said, “That way.” They had gotten lucky. The original scorpion Kanara had found had made its way back to its burrow during the commotion. From what she could pick up with her senses, she figured there were at least four to five scorpions; three of them probably just scorplings because of their tiny energy signatures. After walking for a few moments, Kanara sensed it. One of the scorpions had conveniently left its burrow, although Kanara couldn’t quite tell if it was the same one as before, she was happy to see creature scuttling above the ground. It saved her from the task of drawing it out of the burrow. She approached the scorpion slowly keeping a five foot distance from it. Burrowing her staff into the sand a little, she flicked it upwards quickly. A small shower of sand sprayed the scorpion, distracting it from its path. The scorpion slowly turned to face Kanara as her muscles tensed in anticipation. There they stood; girl and scorpion poised for attack.