On the Prowl

[leoin666]

Viper sat purched on a high branch in the canopy, overlooking a rabbit, foraging on the forest floor for whatever meager scraps or berries it might find. He stared at the small fluffly creature for some time, studying its movement habbits. He drew a small throwing knife from his belt and prepared to throw it. The knife flew from his hand and struck the rabbit at the base of it's neck, pinning it to the soft soil, killing it instantly.

Viper slid down the trunk to collect his meal. He trod carefully over to the rabbit carcass and withdrew the knife. He then knelt down next to the body and his eye shape-shifted into his prized serpent and coiled itself around the lifeless piece of meat. After the snake had consumed the rabbit, Viper ushered the snake to crawl back up his arm, along his jawline and back up into his eye socket where it reassumed its previous form. He wiped the blood off the knife and sheathed it.

He felt a slight tingle up his spine as he heard a twig snap behind him. He walked away from the site of the kill, but ignored it.

[Lujayn]

Aneira had been lost in the forest for several days now.

It had started as a short excursion to find a rare type of mushroom that she required for a new spell she had been experimenting with, and her stores had quickly been depleted. To buy them would cost far more than she was able to spend, so off she trekked to Selkia Forest. She had intended to make her way back to Tamasha Village before sunset.

Despite having been travelling for nearly five years, however, she had yet to learn any sort of proper navigational skills, and her "compass" had refused to work yet again, and in no time she found herself utterly lost and without a clue how deep she was in the forest. She luckily had enough food and foraging skills to sustain herself, and Selkia was never short on water supplies, but because of her condition she would need to find her way back to civilisation before she collapsed.

On the verge of despair, she had seen another person not too far away, and had been overjoyed. He would have been terrifying to someone else, but considering her profession, "creepy" was her normal. Which sometimes terrified her.

Not as much as when she saw his eye turn into a snake, slither down his arm, and consume the rabbit the man had killed. She had seen many scary things as a necromancer. Undead shambling around, screaming spirits hell-bent on ripping her apart, nameless creatures lurking in the separation between life and death... but there was something about an eye turning into a snake that was far more terrifying than all of that combined.

Deciding that she didn't want to get mixed up with someone with a snake for an eye, she started backing up, stepping on a twig that made an audible snap in the process. Distracted by that horrible noise, she failed to pay attention to where the other foot was going, which stepped on a wet, mossy rock, and slipped.

With a startled shriek, a crash, and a very unlady-like curse, she fell onto her back into the foliage and promptly got her cloak stuck into the somewhat thorny branches of whatever bush she had fallen into.

Not a good day, all in all.

[leoin666]

Viper heard a womon's voice. What he heard was not very pleasant, but it was nevertheless a woman. He spun on his heel to face the sound. He saw this woman all tangled up by her cloak in a thorn bush. He could see the look of panic in her eyes and decided to have a little fun... He wasn't going to kill her, but she didn't know that. Anyway, she looked like she could have something to offer. A necromancer, perhaps? That would have to wait... Now was play-time...

Viper moved like a blur, until he was only a few feet away from the woman and knelt down. He crept closer still, seing the panic rise in her eyes. He leant in close and smiled, bareing his teeth in a wide smile. He licked his lips and exhaled a long breath, steam seeming to billow from his mouth in the cold winter air. "Well... Pretty, aren't you? Tell, me. What are you doing way out here in the big dark forest all by yourself?", he chuckled. His snake-eye twitched to squeeze that last little bit of effect of his performance.

[Lujayn]

Utter panic crawled up her throat, threatening an embarrassing little squeal of terror when the creepy man sped over to her, almost untraceable to her eyes, but she managed she shove it down. If there was anything she had learned during her travels alone, and especially in her particular craft, was that one should never show fear. Even when close to fainting from it.

She took a short breath, calming herself as he spoke despite the inner squirming at his creepy eye. "I suggest you get your eyes checked, good sir," she replied calmly. "For I am not pretty. And as to what I'm doing in the forest, well, that's my business, isn't it?"

As she spoke, she calmly went about disentangling her cloak from the bush. It was too difficult, except for where she had put most of her weight on, the thorns digging deep into the fabric. That was proving annoying.

"I could ask you the same thing," she continued, not meeting his eyes until she could muster a bit more nerve. "What would anyone be doing out here all by their lonesome, hm?" She tugged at the bit of cloak that was stubbornly stuck in the bush. It would not give. She stared at it a moment, and muttered an annoyed curse- far milder than the one she had let off when slipping- and finally met the eyes of the man. "I don't suppose you would be able to help?"

She didn't really expect him to, but she needed a way to turn the conversation faaaar from what she was doing. She didn't know anything about him, after all, and her craft wasn't particularly well-liked, even here. He could prove dangerous to her. Well, more so than he already was feeling.

[leoin666]

"My eyes?" Viper burst into laughter. "My eyes are fine, and as for what I'm doing, I'm just out grabbing a feed, love. Not healthy to go . There's no need to be scared... I can see right through you! Almost literaly, anyway! If you are in this part of the forest, I'm guessing you are doing one of two things. One: Trying to get yourself gobbled up, or Two: you ae after a very... special type of mushroom." As he said this, Viper glanced to a satchel on his own belt that seemed pretty well full and patted it.

"As for helping you...", said Viper with a note of utter malice shuddering under his voice. He lent in close again and saw a droplet of sweat trickle down her forehead and off the end of her nose, making a tiny puddle on her cloak. He leant in to her ear and whispered, "Of course Ill help you! I'm not some kind of loon, love!" Viper stood up and took her arm. He yanked her free of the bush with minimal damage to the cloak and her belongings.

"So, what does a Necromancer want with mushrooms anyway", said Viper as he shot her a rather charming glance like he knew all along...

[grimcarebear]

He hadn't eaten in awhile. Not that he couldn't hunt...after all, a nagas claws could easily kill even the hardiest of animals. No, it was more that the demon hated to hunt the same thing over and over. His snake half slithered along the ground, carefully treading over to keep from making noise. Hezubah was quite large for a naga, being well over twelve feet. But he could be graceful...if he tried.

The nags stopped slightly and perked his ears. Was that...voices he heard? A long grin crossed his lips as he stopped to asses the direction. "What have we here?" He purred, shifting course. Humans were a favorite of his...playthings and prey included. The snake man snapped his fingers and his body seemed to shrink into a flurry of scales. The scales disappeared to form his regular six foot human form. With that, he moved up a tree towards the noise.

A part of him was disapointed. A woman and a young man? Barely seemed to have any meat on their bones. The naga demon licked his lips and settled into the tree, slited purple eyes watching...waiting.

[leoin666]

As Viper finished his sentence, he heard what seemed to be the rustle of leaves. How strange, in a windless part of the forest such as this. He looked around for the sign of disturbance but saw nothing. He clasped his hand firmly over the girl's mouth. "Quiet, love..." he said quietly. "There is no telling who might be watching... Do not let your guard down under any circumstaces. Would'nt want an arm missing, now."

He smelt the air, his tounge flicking, sensing for any etherial disturbance. He had something. His vision shot red and he saw a large cloud of magickal activity just a few metres ahead. It trailed away up the length of a tree. He continued to scan this trail as it eventualy reached an end. He saw a man, perched in a tree, a little over six feet tall, the etherial trail was all around him. He knew that this wasn't his true form. No human could give off that much magickal aura.

Viper's vision snapped back and he saw the man clearly now, almost glaring at him, his purple eyes slited as his left eye was. If his intent was hostile, Viper couln't hope to even put a dent in this man if he was using a regular weapon, so he didnt bother reaching for his sword. Instead, he had his eye slither out once more, and coil itself tightly around his forearm and wrist. "What are you and what is your business here?" shouted Viper, adding a threatening hiss.

[Lujayn]

Unfortunately for Viper, his threatening visage would be somewhat threatened when Aneira, not quite recognising that he was speaking to a threat at the moment, and even if she had she was boiling with irritation, slapped him across the face. A rather hard smack, for someone of her small size and lack of physical strength, although it wouldn't have really hurt him more than a bit of a sting.

"Who do you think you are?" she snapped, jabbing him the chest with her finger. "You rude, uncouth, boor of a man!" Every other word was punctuated by another jab of her finger. "I must wonder what wretched creatures birthed you for you to have such an appalling lack of manners and social graces! Your parents I am sure would be horrified at your behaviour!

"And don't presume to tell me what to do! I am an adult now, despite appearances, I know, and I can take care of myself! And while necromancer would be a bit of a stretch-" playing the part until the very end... "- I am a mage and not without my own guards." A snap of her fingers and a muttered word, and her wards briefly flared into life, a spinning cacophony of runes, symbols, and whorls of various magic, before fading into invisibility.

Her little outburst, of course, would have had Viper staring at her terrible sense of practicality, and she eventually did notice. "Why are you staring at me like tha-" she finally noticed that there was someone else around. "Oh."

Not a terribly good day for her, no.

[grimcarebear]

Hezubah's eyes flashed faintly and he chuckled. So thy were more than he had assumed. He should have known. The demon jumped to the ground, landing lightly on the ground with bare feet. He formed a pair of jerkin pants to his legs, other wise he would be naked. He tilted his head to the side, giving them both a wide grin.
"Travelers? Hmmm well I'm surprised. This is a bit far out for..."His eyes flashed from Viper to the young Necromancer. "A young creature and his young woman." He chuckled, moving to sit back on a rock. He waved a long nailed hand at them. "Don't mind me. I heard the two of you and had to check you out. I haven't seen another living being in days..."The naga purred, feigning innocence.
His eyes flashed from face to face, body to body. If all else failed, they would have to do. As much as the snake demon hated handling magic users. They were such a nuisance.

[leoin666]

Viper was no gentleman, but he knew how to deal with people. He could see that this... thing was not after a friendly hello and a few directions. He saw his stomach growl, which gave him away. He didn't even have to search the man's mind. "My, what big claws you have..." said Viper cheekily. "When I say so, love, run away as fast as you can. If you can't run fast enough, i'll carry you..." he whispered over his shoulder to the girl. He could probably face this creature and live to tell about it if he fought him while he was . He had to act, and fast. Time seemed to slow for Viper as he lowered his right arm and a knife slid out from the sleeve. He grabbed the knife as it fell and the edges of the blade glowed slightly green with his etherial trademark poison.

He flung the knife directly at the chest of the man. If the knife struck home, even though he knew the poison wouldn't kill him outright, it would paralyze him long enough for them to get a head start...

[grimcarebear]

Hezubah tilted his head, then shrugged. "All the better to rip you apart with m'dear..." The demon's body writhed and stretched, his lower half form his scales again. As Viper dove at him, the naga pulled up to his full height and backlashed him with the back of his hand. Hezubah hissed, jaw unhinging to increase the sound. He slithered back, eyes narrowing. "A little poisoned blade won't do you well...my own is just as lethal." He said, fangs dripping poison.

Hezubah rose up again in his scales, looking down at them. He always did like a good game of sport...though he felt this would probably be too much of a nuisance. If the girl ran he could easily catch her...but the man would be a problem. Decisions, decisions.

[leoin666]

Viper recoiled from the deflected blow as he saw the man shift and change into a large Naga and bear his fangs. "Leathal venom? I wish you luck in getting it to kill me." he taunted, knowing all to well that he was immune to most poisons. Any new ones would be absorbed and re-introduced to his bloodstream like all the others. He layed his palm out flat and the snake slithered around it and shape shifted into a slender Katana. "My longsword may be of no use, but with Snake-Eyes here, I have slayed deamons and men alike. You shall be no different!" hissed Viper as he held his sword to bear.

His image seemed to blur just as he sped around behind the naga, leapt up and slashed a pattern of bloody gooves up it's back and landed, turning to face the beast. He crouched slightly and concentrated, prepared for the inevitable counter attack that was to follow.

[grimcarebear]

The demon hissed at the pain and lurched forward. He slithered around, his tail reaching to knock Viper back. The chaos demon cracked his neck, the blood already starting to stop. "Oh, I'll take more than your bones for that. I'll take your soul." He hissed. He shifted again, body lengthening to his full 20 feet. Horns ripped from his head and he let out a large snarl. "I have more than poison up my sleeve." He grunted.

He lifted a hand and his fingers twirled. The ground around Viper shifted to quicksand, moving to suck him down. "Chaos will suit you fine..."

[leoin666]

Viper found himself in a bit of a predicament. He was now faced with a full grown Naga and he was surrrounded by quicksand. He had to move. Fast. He flipped backwards, ripping his feet free of the sand. He looked up at the huge leviathan and gulped. A ray of hope jolted through his mind. The beast was still ridden with hunger! There was no way that it could keep this up. All he had to do was hold out just a little longer...

Viper threw Snake-Eyes into the air and stuffed his hands deep into his coat. As the blade spun in the air, he retracted his hands at lightning speed, sending almost a hundred razor sharp throwing knives towards the naga. As the knives flew forward he caught Snake-Eyes and held it back in position once more. Viper was fast enough to dodge the naga's attacks, but only due to its condition. On any other day, no, any other time, he would have no choice but to run. But not this time, not today. Time was on his side...

[Lujayn]

Aneira watched the two fight, faintly amused that they had completely forgotten about her. In her home country, there was a saying: "Never turn your back on a mage." Those two would have been wise to have known about that saying. They weren't paying attention to her at all, having been dubbed a non-threat by both of them. Well, Viper at the least didn't seem to want to harm her- not at the moment, anyways- but she didn't really like either of them.

Perhaps it was time to show them what a mage... no, a necromancer... could really do.

Since they were caught up with each other, she was easily able to take a few steps back and quickly make a pentagram with some coarse salts and mysterious powders. A few stones inlaid at each star point completed the summoning circle, and she pulled her book out of the bag that appeared too small for it. She breathed along the pages and it fell open to the spell she required.

Aneira smiled slightly, and intoned the words on the pages, in a dead language that no one but necromancers used. It was a powerful necromantic spell, and so, as always, her eyes changed. The pupil contracted briefly before spreading outwards to become a black iris, inlaid with a blood red pupil, and her sclera became awash with the icy blue of her normal eye colour. "Morte adversariorum tellus..."

An otherworldly scream, and then the corpses that lay below them, victims of some violent crime or other, burst forth from their unmarked graves, grabbing the naga and Viper by the waist and dragging them partway back into the earth, the cold, rotting corpses clinging in an unwavering grip to keep them down. It wouldn't keep them there forever, but it would give her enough time to do something else, if she so desired.

She closed her book, putting it back in the bag that was smaller than it, before turning her gaze towards the two. "Really, I point blank admit to being a mage, and yet you both turn your back on me. You are both fools, you know?" She smiled. She was a pretty girl, when she wanted to be, but this smile was so cold, and so filled with cruelty, she was almost another person.

She might as well have been. She was a good person, but good people didn't survive the world of necromancy. You had to be horrid and cruel to stay alive, and she could very easily turn that way if she needed to.

Even if she never wanted to.

"I wonder what I should do with you?" she mused, crossing her arms. She hadn't left the necromantic circle; doing so could have been dangerous, from both living and dead. The wards built into it protected her from both sides of death, to a point. And using such a high powered spell... She coughed into her sleeve, inwardly grimacing. Her health was never that good, and having been lost in the forest so long, it was even worse than normal. With the spell, it was going to quickly deteriorate. It probably would have been better to have run, but she did have her pride, after all.

“Maybe I should just leave you in there. You can slowly die while glaring at each other.”