NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: Please view the OOC thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=442076) for more information.

IC:

A sweet, calm breeze shook through the tall, ebony trees that dotted the edge of the rocky coastline. Waves crashed in rhythmical, hypnotic patterns, bringing with them gifts from the bowels of the sea. Short, thick, willowy reeds lay across the earth like grassy blankets, their tips swaying in synch with the trees that surrounded them. The sun was now low in the sky, basking the world with a red, radiant light. This beech was filled with such peace, such tranquility, broken only by the occasional seabird screeching its harsh cry. Suddenly, a few small trees began to shake in irregular directions. Soon, the noisy sound of snapping leaves and twigs shattered the beautiful calm of the coast. As the waves cascaded over the rock-laden shore, a thick, tall, humanoid figure walked out of the tree line and down towards the shore. He was over two meters tall, his body covered in an tunic-like garment with long sleeves. A thin, short cloak covered most of his features, save for two thin, sharp hands. The creature, who had obviously been walking nonchalantly, now changed his attitude and began to move ponderously across the rocky beach. He was crouched on all fours, his face close to the ground, sniffing violently.

“I can smell it,” the thing thought, raising his head slowly, a ring of sand cascading from the hood of his cloak, “my supper.”

Slowly, carefully, the humanoid began to crawl across the beach, rarely disturbing the sand or making the slightest hint of a sound. All the while, he recited the training his father had taught him.

“Patience and stealth, Shachak. Patience and stealth. For prey cannot outrun a specter, a shadow-walker, a nothing. Patience and stealth, Shackak. Patience and stealth.”

Shackak suddenly froze, his nose perched a dozen centimeters above the sandy rocks. He was completely motionless, even when a thick black fly landed on his cheek. Shackak patiently let the fly take his fill of whatever small morsels of filth had entrapped themselves on his face, until it finally flew off to find its next meal. Shackak continued to wait, straining to hear the sound of his prey burrowing out of the earth. He needn’t have waited long. Soon, the sand a meter in front of him began to swirl with a sound of a rushing wave. Six earth-colored segmented limbs broke the surface of the land, finding steady ground to anchor their spike-like tips. Only a few seconds later, a thick, chitinous shell arose from the sandy pit; two enormous brown claws, large enough to sever Shackak’s hand, followed.

The Slckal, or so Shackak called it, started to move its meter-long body towards the sea; intent on gorging itself on the kelp, small fish, and detritus that lurked in the shallow water and was scattered thickly on the shore. Shackak knew what he had to do, for he had killed many Slckal in his time. Swaying left and right, Shackak began to move ponderously towards the Slckal. The breeze carried Shackak’s scent upwind of the Slckal, whose finely-attuned nose would be able to smell Shackak’s thick, musky odor. Inching forwards, Shackak positioned his hands high above his head, keeping them outside of the Slckal’s six-eyed view. The Slckal, encountering the decaying carcass of a long-dead seabird, paused for a moment. It’s six stalked eyes looked towards the heavens in an effort to spot any of the deceased hungry cousins. By the time it saw the two rugged hands, it was too late to react.

In a single swooping action, Shackak dropped both of his hands to the joints of the Slckal’s claws. With two sickening pops, Shackak tore the thin tissue and severed the Slckal’s dangerous limbs. Terror-struck, the Slckal spun around with a speed that beguiled its size, its wide-jawed mouth bereft of its usual small digging claws. In its place were row upon row of thick, knobbly teeth and a set of fiercesome ripping fangs. But, it was too late for the Slckal. Before it even had time to prepare itself to jump, Shackak had driven his hand - not in a knife-like position - directly through the thin carapace that covered its head. With a remorseless crack, Shackak tore the Slckal in two, a single half in each of his hands. The battle was over, and Shackak had won his meal.

---

The sun had set now, and the shore was now bathed in the cool, bluish bathe of moonlight. Shackak sat next to a humble fire, where a dozen smooth, white rocks were glowing in the roar of the flames. Atop the rocks rested the spoils of his hunt: the severed carcass of the Slckal, a dozen or more fleshy coastal plants, a freshly-dead seabird (killed by a pebble thrown by Shackak) and a pile of now-burnt berries resting in a thin, bronze cup. Shackak was standing watch, pebbles ready in his hand, vigilant against any nocturnal scavengers who might wish to partake in his bounty. This was, for the most part, a superfluous task: the eastern coastline had no known (or surviving) night-hunters. The seabirds (called Kakas by Shackak), perhaps the worst scavengers of the sea, were all asleep in their grass-knitted nests high in the jagged cliffs that overlooked the ocean. Shackak’s vigilance was more of a habit; something he picked up during his tour in the Succession War. After all, if you left your food out someone would have taken it. Shackak chuckled to himself quietly as he gazed up to the star-studded heavens. He breathed deep the thick, salty sea air and felt a warming sensation throughout his body. He had fought and survived the worst campaign ever launched against Laksascksa, only to turn into a humble slave-trader.

Never, not in a thousand years, could Shackak have predicted the path his life had taken. Still, he was only thirty of the double-moons, still a young, healthy Kalyash. As a slave trader, he was regarded with the same respect as merchants, noblemen, and generals. He was also fairly successful, his silver tongue able to sell-off the most “undesirable” of slaves. Still, Shackak prided himself in one thing: he was never a cruel master. Always he treated his slaves with kindness and dignity - still keeping the hierarchal structure of master and slave, of course.

A thick, bubbling-popping sound greeted Shackak’s ears, and the succulent smell of roasted Slckal greeted his nose. Shackak grasped the shell of one of the pieces of Slckal, and brought it to his mouth. Greedily, Shackak crunched through the still-hard shell and devoured bone, flesh, and organs. The white, slippery meet was thick with oils and grease, now released from the heat of the flames. Shackak felt its warm touch slide slowly down his esophagus as he carefully removed the acidic stomach and tossed it out towards the sea. Shackak ate his food slowly, moving the remnants of the Slckal (and the rest of his food) to a thin, flat rock to cool. Only the berries remained, now thin and dry: the water literally evaporated from the inside. Soon, Shackak would remove the berries and let them harden overnight. Shackak began to suck the thick oil from the tips of his fingers, trying to consume every single ounce of nourishment he could. The berries would be his only food as he crossed the Great Scgl Desert, and this feast would be the last meat for many weeks. Shackak might encounter a small mammal or lizard or two, but even those were rare encounters. Shackak had crossed the desert before with less food and survived, so he was not really worried. In fact, Shackak felt this had been one of the most mundane (but peaceful) days of his existence.

Little did Shackak know a chance encounter would turn his world upside-down.

OOC: Okay, people, please RP your shipwreck. The first one of the three nations to post will wash up on the shore with Shackak, the others will be encountered later (or, if you all want, you can all be part of the same shipwreck).

Karne, and Jellia were on the bow of the of the resident lord's ship as he entertained a lady that he hopped to make his bride. Karne was on board because he was a member of the lord's retinue, while Jellia had been weaseled on by her brother.

Karne was busy polishing his short sword, even thought he doubted he'd need it, while Jellia was playing with a necklace she'd lifted earlier in the week.

As the ship sailed, there came a massive crunching noise as the ship hit a reef or large submerged rock.

As both of the Le'Be siblings were decent swimmers, and not weighted down with a mass of armour, or clothes, they managed to escape the doomed ship, and arrived at what they thought was a large island. Smelling the oder of cooking food, the two wrung themselves out, as much as possible, and head to find the source of the oder.

"Well, Ellis, what have we here?" asked the delerious boy. He'd been drifting in the open water for three days, a storm having destroyed his small craft and leaving him with only a small empty barrel to float with. "Land! I've found it! They said it wasn't possible, but I did! Land!" he cried realizing what it was, hoarse and rasping as he began kicking. He knew he didn't have the strength to make it there on his own, but the current which had brought his forefathers to Carthago Deuce was now carrying him almost directly towards this new land.
Washing up on the beach he thanked the gods he was alive and promptly passed out.

Shachak was about to enjoy the second half of his Slckal, when an unnatural sound hit his ears. Bolting upright, Shachak heard the grinding of wood on rock. Soon, the smell of damp wood greeted his sensitive nose...but...something was odd about it. Shackak had never smelt such a wood before: it was fresher than most wood he had smelt, but it retained the salty-air of the sea within its cracks. Shackak, drawing the hood of his cloak above his head, rushed towards the edge of the shore - careful not to disturb any nesting Gtlsacklg Worms, lest he get stung.

Such alien smells greeted his nose, Shackak almost turned away. "Such a stench! Ugh!" thought Shackak, drawing a part of his cloak over his nose to stop the rancid odor from reaching him, "What is that?"

A screeching cry suddenly pierced the air; a cry Shackak was all to familiar with. "Shaldsak," Shackak whispered to himself, shaking his head. "Whatever or whoever is making that smell, they won't last for very long."

Shackak pictured the three-meter long predator, sleek and rubbery. Scores of razor-sharp teeth and a giant maw characterized this terrible killer. It was fast, deadly, and the smell of blood sent it into a killing frenzy.

Shackak turned away, walking slowly off towards his campfire. Already, he could hear...screams?! Shackak turned around violently, his eyes wide with disbelief. Screams? They were complex screams: intricate screams. Not howls of pain like most animals.

Shackak rushed back to the shore, gazing out towards the nearly pitch-black sea. Shackak frowned slightly as he took stock of the situation. He could not swim very far without succumbing to the Shaldsak, but such intelligent creatures could not simply be left behind.

Sudddenly, the sound of thrashing waves reached Shackak. They were approaching faster and faster, and so too were their smells. The sea-water had cleaned them up quite a bit: for the smell was far less disgusting than Shackak had smelt before. Then, Shackak smelt another creature aproaching very fast: a Shaldsak, covered with blood.

Shackak knew the Shaldsak would reach them before they reached the shore, so Shackak did the only thing he could think of. Shackak took his thin, sharp fingers and carved a small slit on his arm, running further down the shore as he did so. Without hesitation, Shackak plunged his arm into the salty sea. Stinging pain crept up his arm, but Shackak shrugged it off.

The Shaldsak, sensing the blood of the rarest and tastiest of prey, veered off-course towards the source of the now-crimson water. Of course by the time the Shaldsak reached its destination, it found that the water was far too shallow for it to continue. Upset, the Shaldsak turned back towards the carnage of the wrecked ship: intent on finding another meal.

Shackak grabbed a vile of a thick, green gel, and applied it to his wound. Instantly, the blood stopped flowing (though the wound remained). Shackak turned to see the two creatures crawling their way up the beach towards his fire, both completely soaked.

Shackak observed these two creatures with interest. They both walked like a Kalyash, though their features were quite different. So...strange.

Still, he could not allow them to devour what precious meat he had left, so Kalyash silently approached the two strangers. Using a few tricks he had picked up from a group of sea-going Kalyash, Shackak stepped in turn with the crashing waves, dampening his sound. Shackak was now only meters away from the two strangers (and his fire), when he called out in his native tongue, “You! Who goes there! Why do you disturb my camp!” It was a cackling, popping, whistling, and gurgling language. Shackak’s head still remained behind the hood of his cloak: his features invisible to the world.

Karne whirled around at the sound of the unnatural sound. Seeing the person, who appeared to be the source of the noises, he rested his hand on the hilt of his short sword, "Who are you, where are we and are you the one cooking the food?" He asked

Jellia slipped her pouch, containing the trinkets and other valuable and semi-valuable items in it, to the small of her back. She also tried to study the language/person and figure out what language/who it was.

Shachak was amazed by the two creatures: they were like nothing he had ever seen! Intelligent, obvious craftsmen, and covered from head to foot in soft flesh or hair. Shackak couldn't understand a word the two were saying, but he immediately felt the harmonious roll of their words. Such a beautiful and poetic language! So smooth and graceful, like the ocean. Still, they were foreigners to this place. Intelligent ones, but still foreign. They had not place here...unless...

Shachak realized with a sudden twinge that these two could be perfect slaves: intelligent, obviously strong enough to swim towards shore, and craftsmen! Absolutely perfect!

Shachak drew back his hood, to reveal his face to the two strange humanoids.

His head was hairless, replaced instead by rows upon rows of thin, glistening green scales. His eyes were large and fixed in the front of his face, they were slitted eyes, but rounder than most normal lizards. Two long slits for his nostrils punctuating the center of his head. The front part of his face was layered in thin, whitish scales similar to the underbelly of a snake. As Shachak opened his mouth to speak, an arrayment of omnivorous teeth and a long, hyper-dexterous tongue was revealed in the firelight.

"You will drop your weapons and submit to me." Shachak said, his eyes bulging slightly as he did so, "You are a lower-class, a nothing. Come with me and you will survive in this place."

Shachak knew his words were meaningless to these two creatures, whose faces mixed with terror and puzzlement almost amused Shachak. Shachak, stealthily reaching into the pocket of his cloak, gripped a sack of lead balls tightly in his hand.

OOC: Don't worry, Carthago Deuce, I'll come to you're guy soon (maybe tomorrow).

(OOC- Yeah, Theo got his in first so no problem. It's why I had him pass out.)

Jellia recoiled somewhat, moving behind her brother, while Karne drew the blade as he stared at the very strange creature.

"What are you saying, who are you and where are we?" Karne growled as he made sure that his blade was between the creature and him/his sister.

Jellia looked at the 'snake', and was trying to figure out what it was.

Shachak was afraid of such a response. Very typical of a frigtened animal. Shachak carefully scanned the blade of the Alpha creature, for the other had fallen into place behind the Alpha. It was very odd indeed. A single, short blade. Nothing particularly stunning about it. Quite primitive, in fact. How on earth could something defend itself with something as pitiful as that?

Shachak whispered a breif prayer to the Spirits of the Fallen.

"The essences of my ancestors, whose light shines above the masses, who live within the soil in the air in the sea: I prey to you to give me a blessing and your protection. I call to thee, and request the Fallen. The Fallen whose prayer can be heard throughout the heavens."

Then, Shachak liften his head towards the sky, and began to bellow in a beautiful, smooth voice.

"One of fire, one of ice, one of joy and one of spite. One of wrong and one of right, one of victors, one of lost. One of life, one of death. One of bravery and one of fear. Twelve spirits of Battle, Whose strenght is measured in mountains, please aid me in my task."

Shachak looked at the bewildered faces of the two aliens, then took a sharp breath.

He was right on top of the Alpha creature before he had a chance to lift his sword. Shachak drew the sack of lead balls, and sent them crashing down towards the Alpha creature.

OOC: I'm done for today. Check back tomorrow.

While Karne was caught off guard by the beast's attack, he was a trained warrior, and an excellent one at that. As the beast tackled him and swung it's sack at him, he swung his blade up to block, bracing with his other hand on the flat of the blade.

Jellia, seeing the beast on top of her brother, pulled back her leg and aimed a kick at it's mid-section.

OOC: Sorry this took so long, I had a crazy day today.

Also, remember people: the point is to become a slave. Trust me, being a slave isn't all that bad in Kalyash society. Plus, I want to get away from the beach ASAP...so, you know, just sort of "lose" a bit. In other words, just to get things moving, I'm going to pseudo god-mod (just your character's reactions) so we can start to go somewhere. If you don't like it, then I'll change it.

Oh, and if Derise doesn't post by tomorrow, Karaska can join in his place.

IC:

Shachak was surprised for only a second, but it was a second. As the sword pushed the blackjack from Shachak’s hands, Shachak instinctively gripped the hands of the Alpha creature. The lesser one began to jab its foot into Shachak’s side, causing more of an annoyance than actual pain. Blow after blow hit one of the thickest parts of Shachak’s armored hide. Shachak ignored the kicking one, and focused his attention on the thrashing beneath him. Obviously, this creature had some skill at fighting, given his metallic blade and swift response. Shachak was not truly struggling against the rebuttal, for his strength was far superior to his adversary. Still, he could not defeat such an adversary by strength alone. He wanted to take this one alive, and he was unfamiliar with its anatomy. What may be a light tap to a Kalyash’s head might be a fractured skull to this creature. Shachak calmly took in the situation around him as the being struggled to lift Shachak with the side of his blade. The memory of the Kak training Shachak underwent as a whelp resurfaced in but an instant; as though he had never left the Circle of Twelve (the Karikchik). “Remember: the strong can crush the mightiest of boulders, but will loose the simplest of fist-fights against an agile opponent. A Ikchikcka must be both strong and agile: for only through such a combination can one achieve victory. But, in the end, both speed and strength are useless against one whose mind knows no bounds. The storyteller speaks of those of equal merit: one who pull wagons with his back, and one who uses Ckcko instead. One’s body is only as effective as one’s mind.” Shachak knew what he had to do: he could win this struggle with strength, but not strength alone.

In one swift, sudden movement, Shachak leaned his forearm against the width of the blade. His enormous bulk and shear strength forced the sword down inch by inch. Seizing his opportunity, Shachak pulled his right arm into his cloak and pulled out a dirty brown bag. Snapping through the tightly-bound thread that enclosed the contents of the sack, Shachak poured a handful of a purple-black powder. Already Shachak could feel its effects, his sensitive nose was beginning to twitch and grow numb. Breathing deeply, Shachak blew the contents of his palm into the face of the warrior below. (OOC: Let’s just say it’s knock-out powder, you’ll learn its full purpose later.)

Shachak, assuming the one beneath him was unconscious, turned to grab the leg of the other intruder: only to discover a pair of arms already entwined around its neck.

“Shazcrck!” Shachak shouted suddenly, realizing that the Szk powder must have already dulled his sense of smell, “I was not supposed to meet you until tomorrow!”

Shazcrck was almost as tall as the one he held, but was thinner and gaunter. His scales were a pale, sickly yellow compared to those of Shachak’s. The markings on his color showed that he was once a slave, but was now a Lesser Slave Master under the service of Shachak. Respected enough to be called by name, but not respected enough to work for himself.

“I know, dear friend, I know,” the one named Shazcrck responded, his hand tightening slightly as he said it, “But, the desert sands proved to be thicker than we thought. We arrived early enough to see the carnage at sea. Also, we found something...interesting. But, enough of that: let us deal with the task at hand: should I kill it, or is it yours?”

“Mine, I dare say,” Shachak said pompously, blowing heavily through his nose in an effort to expunge any remaining Szk residue, “I found these two, so they are my property.”

“Indeed, dear friend,” Shazcrck said, but failing to release the creature - who was nearly crying out of fear, “but, I dear say, these two seem rather against your prospective venture.”

“Well, I suppose you are correct,” Shachak conceded, walking over to a small sack near the still-active fire, “I just need to put their markings on, that’s all.”

Shachak emerged with two collars of what appeared to be ivory. On each collar was a series of symbols and square, sharp pictographs. Shachak without saying a word, walked over to the one captive in Shazcrck’s arms. In a single, familiar motion, Shazcrck removed his hands while Shachak placed the collar on.

“There,” Shachak said, looking over his new slave, “she is my new Ukz...uh...” Shachak paused for a moment, unsure of what to call her. “Shazcrck,” he continued, walking over to the unconscious other have you ever encountered a creature like this before today?”

“Of course not,” Shazcrck said, holding Shachak’s new slave, “But, I have encountered another like this but hours ago.”

Shachak looked up in astonishment, his eyes almost bulging out of his sockets, “Bring it to me!”

“Of course,” Shazcrck said softly, thrusting Shachak’s new prize into her master’s arms and gave a piercing whistle. In a few minutes time, a half-dozen or so wispy-looking Kalyash came charging forwards: bearing the body of another soaked creature similar to the others.

“My, my, my...” Shachak said, his teeth born in a wide smile, “This is an interesting find. Please, wake him up, Shazcrck.”

Shachak still kept his slave tightly in his arms; not from fear of escape or for protection, but because the scent of it now released was almost as enchanting as its speech.

OOC: Yeah, so, if you don’t like what I wrote then say so: I just want to get moving on this :D

Karne had been rendered 'stunned' by the powder.

Jellia, as she was grabbed began kicking the one holding her. As the collar was put on, she aimed a kick at the first one's groin, or what would be the groin on a human.

As they were both brought along, they both began doing 'passive' resistance, frequently falling over nothing and dragging thier feet.

ooc: It's alright. Thought I'd edit in that what's his name takes Karne's blade before he regains full consiousness.
What scent?

(OOC- Ellis is completely exhausted, and rather dehydrated, at the moment. He shouldn't be waking up for a few hours yet, and will probably be relying heavily on Karne and Jellia for a few days. You need to remember that he's been adrift for three days, without food or water.)

The Lady and her serving girl were walking up the beach from a wreck much further down. "Help us!" Angelina cried out, hoping anyone was in earshot.

ooc: It's alright. Thought I'd edit in that what's his name takes Karne's blade before he regains full consciousness.
What scent?

OOC: Well, actually, his blade will be recovered in this post. Also, the Kalyash have very sophisticated olfactory and hearing systems. Their sight, however, lacks compared to humans: so not-very dark shadows can often be enough to shield objects from sight. The scent is that of Jellia. Trust me: human scent is going to become something special to the Kalyash :)

ALSO, NOTE: THERE WILL BE SOME DESCRIPTION OF MALE GENITALIA. PLEASE DO NOT BE BOTHERED BY IT. IT'S ALL IN THE SAKE OF SCIENCE. YES...THAT'S IT...SCIENCE...

IC:

Shazcrck attempts at waking the third visitor were all in vain. Even when Shazcrck used a pinch of powerful Yellow Powder, the creature still slept. Shachak watched Shazcrck in silence, surveying the creatures before him. His genitalia were already painful from the trauma he obtained. "So...they must be creatures of two sexes..." Shachak thought in an ironic, but still empirical, way. Such a clue was helpful in obtaining the creature's identities: for Shachak was still unsure of what kind of animals these were. Looking down at the smooth-skinned lesser animal, Shachak saw deep into its eyes. He calmed his face as much as possible and widening his eyes sympathetically: a gesture that was universal in both the animal and Kalyash kingdom. "I am not going to hurt you." he said, making sure every "sh" "ck" and "sha" sound was calm and soft. Shachak looked up again to observe Shazcrck's progress. Never a great adapt in medicine, Shachak relied on Shazcrck's knowledge of anatomy and biology for many situations. Shachak smiled as he surveyed his Junior Slaver, pride welling up in his chest. It was not more than eleven double-moons ago that Shazcrck became a member of his troop. Only six double-moons had passed since Shazcrck had saved him from an infection: a combination of herbs, water, hot-foods, and certain jungle concoctions. Soon, Shazcrck's first contract will have ended. If Shazcrck wished to pursue something more, Shachak would not resist. In fact, Shachak would help him in any endeavor he wished to pursue. Watching Shazcrck remove the creature's clothes, feel up and down it's body, pear into odd orifices, and a host of other unpleasant tasks: Shachak realized he would miss his companion. But, like the Moon and the Sun, all good things will leave for a time till they are reborn in a new adventure.

"Hmmm, significant hair," Shazcrck muttered softly to himself, continuing to examine the body, "External...what are those? Are those...yes. External testicles surrounded by a blanket of hair. My guess is this thing above them is the penis. Interesting: this is very similar to ours. The hair around the genitalia trails up to what is obviously a chest of some kind. Ah! I hear a beating heart! By the Twelve, it is beating far slower than Kalyashian standards. Two nipple-like extrusions...hmmm...I wonder. Could he be...well, let me see. No visible scales, feathers, or thick hide. Quite thin and delicate. Let's see, WOAH!! Obviously the anus. I could smell it from back her- hello? What have we here? This is an odd bone...it's like...something I've felt before. What is it...what is it...what i- of course! I've got it!"

Shazcrck did a little jig in delight, nearly dropping the body in his excitement. "They are mammals, Shachak! Mammals!"

"Are you certain?" Shachak replied, his eyes wide with amazement, "Mammals of this size? I mean, besides Kshsc I can't think of anything this size."

"Definately mammals," Shazcrck replied confidentally, "look at the hair patterns and the nipples. Nipples usually hint at mammary functions: only this one is male...hello?" Shazcrck began to round on the girl enclosed in Shachak's arms, staring at her chest, "I suppose those things are the full mammary glands," Shazcrck chuckled, rounding once again on the naked man, "But, you see, the real tip-off was the tailbone. You see, there's this little bone right here," Shazacrck pointed just above the crack of the anus, "that I've felt many times before: it's the tailbone of the mammals. Remember, our tails are quite thick and boney, theirs are slightly less boney and thinner."

Shazcrck, covering the man with a sheet, began to examine him closely. Peering deep into his mouth, nose, and eyes.

"This man is dehydrated," Shazcrck said flatly, pearing deeply into his mouth, "he has almost no saliava. My guess, he's been without water for several days. Since I've seen fattened mammals before, I'm guessing he hasn't eaten."

Shachak realized that his food was still cooling on the rocks nearby. Haistely, Shachak ordered a troop of his lesser slaves to fetch fresh water and all of the food save for the fruit. Within minutes, the smells of food and a gourde of fresh water reached the small group.

Shazcrck, gently tipping the dehydrated man, poured a few drops of water into his mouth. Rubbing his throat, Shazcrck began to make a gentle, soothing hiss. Shachak looked up at him suddenly, his face a testament of amusement.

"What was that?" Shachak said jovially.

Shazcrck gave an embarrassed smile, "I looked after Teacher Zshkcksh's Kshsc when you visited him last. Once, a Kshsc we thought was long-lost came back after a few days. He was completely dehydrated, so Zshkcksh taught me how to give it drink..." Shazcrck trailed off sheepishly, focusing his attention on the exhausted mammal.

"So, he might want to be an Animal Trainer or Caretaker," Shachak thought to himself, as he handed the left-over half of the Slckal to the female mammal in his grip, giving her the chance to eat whatever part she wished. "I could not think of a better job."

Suddenly, Shachak heard the feint cries growing louder by the second.

"By the Twelve, what is going on today?" Shachak cried in exasperation. He quickly pointed to a few slaves before shouting, "You four, find out what's going on here. If they're more of these mammals, bring them to me..." Shachak paused for a moment, realizing the blade the other mammal used against him still laid in the sand. Putting the Slckal corpse down, Shachak picked up the blade. It was an interesting, if simple, design. But, it was clearly made with iron and there was a definate craftsmanship about the weapon.

"Listen," Shachak said quickly, turning to the slaves again, "If they are these mammals, make sure you disarm them before you bring them here. I don't want any more of these things," he held up the sword. With a grimacing bow, the troop of slaves thrashed off into the shadow of the forest: dashing stealthily towards the voices.

'Gods. . . so tired. . .' thought Ellis, who briefly became aware of his surroundings (not that anyone could really tell) and was almost imediatly taken by sleep.

(OOC- He'll be consious and interacting with the others next post, but for now he's asleep. By the way, this post takes place a few IC hours later than Kalyash's last post.)

The two were glaring at the creature, for different reasons thought.
Jellia's reason was it had attacked her brother, while Karne had two reasons to be pissed, getting attacked, and the creature had stolen his sword.

Neither Lady Angelina nor her servant saw the creatures in the forest. Her delicate, long legs giving out beneath her, Angelina sighed as she fell to her knees in the sand. "Go try and see if you can find help, Bathsheeba." she gasped out.

The African woman with the unfortunate name nodded. "Yes, signora." Still having some strength left in her, she started towards the treeline, walking straight towards the unseen creatures.

Bump

Bump, again. The final time.