[Imperial Border Fortress] Reptilian Woes (Uiyaejn)

[Hud Ashraf]

Time: Ashan 110, Arc 716
Location: On the side of a road that leads through a citizen camp just outside the fortress walls.

Times were getting hotter and drier as Ashan slowly gave way Ymiden. The black legionnaire armor was becoming increasingly more annoying to wear. Men couldn't seem to sit still very long under the beating sun; only the broad trees provided shady relief from their duty. Pleasant white clouds wafted along, repeatedly changing the ambient light from bright to dull. The ground was rich dark soil on top of red clay; green and yellowish vegetation was growing rather nicely all about them.

A squad of Raskitheical recruits adorned in shiny black armor, lined the road that lead into the area allotted for private citizenry. The squad's Decadrion was handling some "private business" in the auxiliary camp. The snake-men played a very specific role in the Imperial military and were trained to fight side by side solely with their own race; their serpent appendage made them unsuitable for executing formations with their two-legged counterparts. Despite being divided into racial squads, all races worked together in the Legion.

None of the youngsters truly knew what they were doing, but an aura of pride and power filled them. The green-horn recruits were beginning to figure out that ten Raskithecal in shining armor were an intimidating sight for the average human. The recruits didn't act up though, despite feeling the obvious tension from people as they walked by. Soon several of the snake-soldiers began to sit under trees to nap as time slowly ticked. A few of them were restless though, Hud Ashraf being one of these recruits.

None of the Raskithecal soldiers spoke to one another. There was nothing to say. Sliding around back and forth on the soft grass was mesmerizing to Hud, but only for so long; his hands needed to do something to do. At first he began to break off twigs and branches from a tree and fling them as far as he could. Exploring deeper into the tiny thicket, he found a stout stick about four feet long. Picking it up revealed a pleasant surprise: a rattle snake. As it began to rattle in anger, Hud's hair began to hiss and move about in excitement. Torquing his serpent apendage down he swooped up the rattler and returned to the road.

"Oi-yeh," Hud grunted towards the few soldiers who hadn't dozed off, "We found a buddy!"

Tossing the snake up in the air, Hud showed no care for his reptilian counterpart. It was a dumb snake after all, nothing like the Raskithecal. The rattler landed in the road and perked up in extreme anger. The others laughed and surrounded the little-guy, thus blocking the road. Laughing Hud picked it up with a stick and threw it at his friend, attempting to get it stuck in his hair. One thing led to another and soon three soldiers began literally playing "catch" with the rattler, right in the middle of the road while the others napped nearby.

[Uiyaejn]

"You must grow."

The words echoed through Uiyaejn's mind as she remembered her master leading her on an intrepid journey through foreign landscapes and into the Hotlands. It was here at the border Belgaryn left her for some urgent business in Yaralon "Find the temple, we may not have much time; we are not the only people looking for this artefact. Remember to find the Lost Temple of Illusions, the item is called Arak'Nythar, a tome written in an ancient language it's pages etched within crystal itself. If I cannot make it back by the time you arrive, don't go inside on your own."

Rays of burning, natural light scattered across the scorched dessert, filling the streets with the aroma of sweat covered bodies that laboured away under the sun's unwavering malevolence. Somehow even through this harsh sentence creatures unknown to Uiyaejn ran around clad in metal that clunked down the open pathway, spreading joy amongst themselves at the expense of a frightened creature.

Observing from the shadows Uiyaejn pitied the snake that had become subject to violence from the Raskithecal who found it. Much to their dismay mother nature fought back. Caught within the rush of flight, the rattlesnake's natural instincts took wind as it's fangs lunged into a stranger's flesh, sinking it's teeth deep into the side of his face.

Pain rung from the man's lips as the poison entered his body. Dropping the snake to the floor, it slithered away only seconds before the stranger's skin started to change in colour and began to hyperventilate.

The Sev'ryn removed a small diary from her medicine pouch and recorded the visual symptoms of the bite, eyeing the stranger curiously. There had been a section of her grandmother's book that had dedicated to treating snake bites but tp see it in reality was something different entirely.

"Cruelty brings a harsh burden on those who inflict it," she muttered stepping into the light to slowly approach the soldier.

"Back off ssstranger," the hiss of an armoured Raskithecal leered at her.

"I am a healer, step aside and let me help him," she replied plainly with a pleasant smile, unaware of the looming weariness the locals held for these soldiers.

"Why sssshould we trussst a ssstranger?" the bright yellow hue of the creature slit eyes bore down upon her with antipathy.

"The light of a candle casts smoke in a dark room, in which should you trust; the dark or the light?" she said, her eyes wandered down toward her book and studied the words, 'Make haste when a creature has been injected with this poison,' "In moments that man may die, do you choose to spare his life by the guidance of my hand or death by the culling of poison?"

[Hud Ashraf]

The gleam of youthful joviality filled Hud's face as the lot of them played 'catch' with the rattle snake. The soldiers began to pick up the finer points of the game rather quickly, without a single word being uttered. Thinking it would be funny, one of the soldiers threw the snake directly at the face of a human traveler who was trying to skirt around the blocked road. With a painful screech the human was bitten by the venomous snake.

No one moved a muscle, not even Hud, for the legionaries had no idea what to do. The cries of the pale faced human did not awaken the sleeping soldiers from their slumber, nor did it impede the slow moving traffic that was dividing around them; onlookers merely kept their heads down and trudged forward. A small creature exited the shadows and stepped into the fray without any fear or reserve. A fellow Raskithecal questioned the delicate, looking little-thing's motive. She flipped through a small book, using cryptic words that went over Hud's head. He choose not to worry about them, deciding her face was pleasing to the eyes.

Suddenly, in a fit of hysteria, the wounded human bolted off into the trees in terror. Hud slithered after him as quickly as possible in instinctual reaction. Looking up and down as he moved, the half-snake chose the path of least resistance and caught up to the man in seconds. He swiped him up in one fluid motion, using his tail and torso as leverage. The maneuver caused somewhat of a commotion, because of his black plate armor was very loud. Sliding back towards the road, Hud threw him on the floor in a rough manner.

"Here!" Hud said curtly as he bent down low and held the human down with a nearly crushing force. Hud's twelve foot black and red tail wrapped around in crescent perimeter around the human. The man was going insane with thoughts of death: jostling around and kicking wildly.

"Get the venom out," Hud said calmly to everyone, but mostly to the itty-bitty healer, "There's a kris on my hip if you need it,"

Off to the side, the squad's Quinticus began to rise from his slumber in the shade. The other soldiers towered above the dying man in a circle, blocking out the sun with their large, black forms.

[Uiyaejn]

Uiyaejn slowly stepped through the trees "Please do not crowd so close. I need space," the crystalline tone of her gentle resonated through the air. Offered a dagger by one of the soldiers the Sev'ryn looked up to smile and thank him for his attempt to assist her "No, if we open the wound it could make it worse," she said and seated herself over the main, clearing the hair from his eyes "Shhhh, this may hurt a little so be strong for me stranger."

"Please, hold him still," she requested from two of the soldiers who quickly did as asked.

A cradle of unconditional love and attention held the man in solace, enticing slow breath against the hands who held his life in the balance and she sucked the death out of him. There was little time and Uiyaejn was determined to nurse him back to health. Carefully reading the instructions set for her, the Sev'ryn held a thin bamboo like to her lips and began to extract the poison from the wound and spat it out onto the ground beside her.

Water became her saviour, in an attempt to not poison herself she swirled the water at the front of her mouth to clean the venom away after spitting it, forcing her a certain amount of self control from her not to swallow. No medicine book would be able to tell you whether you truly managed to extract all of the poison; however she could at least prolong the effects of it and take her to Ivera.

She flicked through the book once more for treatments and their description, crushed Takka root, Moukou seeds and Da'kir flower. None of these herbs as Uiyaejn understood were uncommon other than the Takka root, which she luckily had a small portion of but it'd be the last of her reserves. Responsibility weighed down on the young girl's shoulder and she let out a long drawn sigh, she hoped she had enough time.

Death waited for no one and as a servant of lift Uiyaejn worked quickly to brew cool drink using the suggested herbs, this time however including an addition of her own; Mink root. The spicy taste of the root although it would not do anything to mend his condition would at least calm him.

It was done, the moment of truth came and whether or not the man would live to see another day depended upon whether she could get him to her teacher.

"Here," she uttered softly handing the stranger the flask "can you drink this?"

Sweat covered and breathing heavily the man let out a slow nod and took the flask for her hand, shaking as he lugged the remedy down his throat. At least now he'd survive for a while longer.

"This will prolong the effects of the poison but it won't heal it completely, I've given him a chance at life but he will need to be taken to Ivera. Curing him is beyond my current skills," she said lifting her midnight blue eyes to meet the Rakisthecal who had offered her his dagger "Would you mind carrying him? I am not strong."

[Hud Ashraf]

Ylzzirg

Slithering down the road, the mighty Ylzzirg became instantly annoyed when he spotted the commotion occurring with his squad of Raskithecals. Clenching his fists and gritting his jaw, quiet anger flashed in the Decadrion's slitted eyes.

'I can't leave these recruits alone for more than a few minutes. Make a lesson of this, don't waste any time, don't waste any time,' Ylzzirg thought to himself.

The squad was so captivated with watching the gentle Sev'ryn healer deal with the injured human, that the recruits did not notice him at first. Standing tall and grim, the Decadrion put his hands on his hips in silence and counted in a whispered tone how long it would take them to stand at attention. After an entire minute, a yellow skinned Rask's looked over his shoulder. Within a few seconds the whole lot of them stumbled into formation. Ylzzirg wanted to laugh at their fearful antics, but that would ruin the image he was trying to portray.

'Hmmmm, what now?'

"Ssssssixty! Sssssixty- eight fucking sssseconds! That is how long you scumbagsss took to fall in formation! Explain yourself!" The Decadrion barked with a forced scowl on his face.

Quinctus Gulth slid forward and responded immediately, "Ssir! A rattler poisoned this human and thiss healer is fixing him. We need to take him Ivera, Ssir!"

'Gulth is taking responsibility at least,' Ylzzirg bent his long serpent half to get a closer look at the human, 'A peasant laborer. Dying. Execute lesson correct,'

"I am abssolutely disssgussted with your actionss recruitss!" Ylzzirg wanted to laugh subconsciously, but kept up his show of dismay at his soldiers. He paused for a moment to decide what to do.

'Ssssorry little healer, your efforts are in vain,'

"Take this man and throw him in the ditch!"

At this order, Legionaire Ashraf's face turned to anger.

'Perfect!'

Hud Ashraf

Being ordered to throw the dying human in a ditch turned the young Raskithecal's stomach violently. Impulsive, outraged, and shocked, Hud slid forward and petitioned the Decadrion. Adhering to a vague sense of etiquette was the only verbal control Hud could manage at the moment, "Ssir! With all due resspect. We cannot jusst discard this innocent man. Thiss healer gave him a potion. He can still be ssaved! Ssir!"

Orange slitted eyes stared across the way at Ylzzirg's yellow ones. The tension began to build. Hud could not believe the order that was given and would not stand for such an action. Slowly his superior slid forward baring his teeth. The snakes on his head were calm and collected despite the man's scowl.

"Oh you think you are the one calling the sshots here?" Ylzzirg said slowly. Suddenly and without prior warning, the Decadrion punched Hud in the stomach, "Never call out your superior in such a way EVER again! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? Thiss human is no Legionaire. He'ss not worth our efforts... Now, get back in line!!"

Clenching his black belly, Hud pressed the issue regardless, "Ssir! I cannot stand by as an innocent man dies! Ssir!" His face flushed in pain and anguish.

Ylzzirg spat on the man now, the saliva projectile almost hitting Uiyaejn, "Thiss man happens to be a ssscumbag --Just. Like. You. -- We will not sspend resources tending to him when good honorable legionariess are in need of healing. You have much to learn Ashraf, but I admire you honesty,"

Despite the compliment, the Decadrion suddenly back-handed Hud with such an incredible force it sent the fully armored soldier to the floor. At the top of his voice, Ylzzirg barked savagely, "YOU WILL LEARN BY THE NUMBERSSS! YOU WILL BE SSHITTING ME GLASS ORNAMENTS BY THE TIME I AM DONE WITH YOU! ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, ASSSSHRAF! NOW! PICK YOURSSELF UP AND THROW THISS MAN IN THE DITCH!"

Pausing for a moment, the squad leader let his face calm down, "The resst of you on me! We are going to sslitter laps until this man has drawn his last breath! Assss-raf rejoin uss once he is done! On me!"

The squad proceeded with their exercise while Hud was left behind on the floor - with the Healer - to deal with the dying man.

[Uiyaejn]

Condemned to death by malice's stone-hard grip, the military commander's cold heart seethed its retribution upon the innocent. Uiyaejn became aware that whatever happened now, alone they did not have the man power to save him. One after the other the Rasktheical the barking general like sheep and although she could have said something, for a man with so much hatred in his heart it would take a long time to convince and time was not what she had.

"Would you allow me to borrow your dagger soldier?" she requested of Hud, in the hope that he wouldn't go through with his general's orders.

Caution entered the soldier's expression "What for?" he asked, looking back at her.

"Without the help of the others our friend is a dead man, I would like to do him an honour and give him one final choice before he dies," she explained, her steady gaze stilled upon Hud's lizard-like features.

"Sure," the Raskitheical replied handing her the dagger.

"Thank you."

Underneath what little shade the trees of this small oasis had to offer, the Sev'ryn averted her smile upon the man once more. A picture of serene sadness she held the man in her arms "You do not have long and I cannot save you, would you prefer a swift death or a to live your life until the poison takes you?"

Scared his hands clutched the linen of her dress, nearly revealing her bossom "My-sister, tell her- I- love her," a croaked whisper escaped his lips.

"Shhh, what is she called?" Uiyaejn's soft crystalline voice inquired as her dainty fingers ran through the stranger's thick brown hair "I will make sure she is safe."

"L-ida... Li...Lida, Mish... Mi-Mishyn," he said relaxing into her embrace, "D-Dagger, please."

As swiftly as the last sound of his plea left his lips she slashed Hud's dagger across his neck and killed him. In an instant the life drained from his eyes, void of soul and searching for light "Rest well friend," she said as her arms released the limp corpse and rest it against the ground. In his final moments she could see the calm across his face, a smile and sad, hopeful eyes that once gleamed a brilliant greenish hue now faded into grey.

Free of the belief that death was something to be feared, guilt held no burden over her. Wiping the blade clean, Uiyaejn handed it to Hud "Death is not the end, his new journey will soon begin. Do not hold yourself here should you not wish to, I will do my best to make a burial for him and find his sister. Life should be celebrated and the change acknowledged."

[Hud Ashraf]

The little healer's spiritual words went over the young soldier's head due to the shock of what he had just witnessed. Calming down from everything that just happened, the Raskithecal took a moment of respite to reflect.

Relying totally on his own mental reasoning, the situation confused him. He couldn't help feeling somewhat responsible for the man's death, for it was him who threw the venomous snake on him. However, it was Ylzzig who had condemned the innocent man by not allowing him to be taken to help. Then again the strange healer-lady was that the one who took the decisive action of killing the man with the Ashraf family dagger. It was the black-back's first week away from home and his mind was already having to deal with a heavy issue.

Stoic and proud of his discipline though, Legionaire Ashraf would not mention his inner thoughts to the strange healer. Instead he finally came to a conclusion that would sit well in his good heart. Perhaps even a cop-out to hide from his own inner-leadership yelling at him for failing to take charge of the situation.

'It was Ylzzig's fault this innocent man died. We could have helped him, but he was being an asshole. There is nothing I can do now...'

Finally snapping back to the situation in front of him, Hud moved in calm resoluteness towards the dead man. He sheathed his blade and looked at Uiyaejn with a snaky head of hair, "No it is alright, I will see this to the end and help you bury him. I threw the rattler on him, and, it was my kris, Negahnepoc, that ended his life ultimately,"

Bending down low, he swooped the man up in one fluid motion. Grunting, he lifted the man by the collar high above his own head as blood dripped from his lifelessly limp head. Snaky tendrils hissed at the view and a scowl came upon the young soldier's face.

Slowly and without thought, he slid towards the ditch that Decadrion Ylzzig mentioned previously.

[Basilisk]

Hud hadn't made it very far towards the ditch before a voice from behind stopped him. "Are you planning to dispose of that man like he's foreign trash, legionnaire?" Vierka said, her cool gaze boring in to the Raskithecal recruit before shifting to Uiyaejn. "Has he some illness or plague that he does not get a proper burial?" the centurion said, her tone calm but questioning. Though clad in full black plate, the heat didn't seem to be bothering the centurion even the slightest bit, and the group of soldiers filing into the fort behind her indicated she had just returned from a patrol or something similar despite her high rank.

Once the two had answered her questions, Vierka simply tilted her head to the side. "How did this man die?" she said, before glancing at Uiyaejn again. "You've look of a healer, girl. Could this man have been saved?" The centurions interrogation was mild, but her expression, cool and remote, made it clear that she would brook no attempt to shy away from or avoid the questions.

[Uiyaejn]

Empty words of honour sept from the snake’s lips, accompanied by actions that betrayed them “Wai-“ Uiyaejn's crystalline voice drifted into the wind as yet another stranger inquired from behind them. Foreboding in her presence Uiyaejn could tell she too was from the military, another soul too late to save an innocent life and by the looks of things the one to issue the consequences “I killed him,” she admitted and steadily returned the centurion’s hardened gaze with uncontained warmth.

Confident that honesty was the best course of action the Sev'ryn told the centurion everything “By the time the man had run off, his heart had already increased the rate in which the poison was spreading. Had more men been around to more carefully shift his eight we may have been able to take him to Ivera for better medical attention than it is my ability to give, but the others were ordered to leave him to die. I offered him to stay alive until the poison took him or a swift death and he chose the latter,” she continued returning her gaze toward Hud “Condemned to death by the fear of a snake incited by another, I had hoped to bury him and give him a ceremony but it appears that our friend here has a different idea.”

Uiyaejn did not know the Raskithecal and although he had offered to help out, he was also one of the reasons this mess happened in the first place.

[Hud Ashraf]

Holding the dripping carcass of the human, Hud remained quiet as Centurion Vierka questioned the situation. The feeling of anguish filled his stomach, because he was certain that he would be scrutinized harshly by the veteran. The little healer girl took blame for the death in an experienced and detached manner, which made the Raskithecal feel incompetent to the situation.

Taking a dry gulp and clearing his throat, the recruit decided to speak up. He did not quiet know the correct way to talk to the Centurion, so he spoke as if he was talking to his trainers thus far.

"Sir! The Legionnaire has more accurate information on the incident!" Hud spoke deep from his belly so that his voice was projected clearly across the way. He spoke about himself in the third person, which seemed to be the ettiquitte required for recruits-leadership interaction, "It was the Legionnaire who killed the man, because he threw a rattler on him that ended up biting him! The Legionnaire was ordered by Decadrion Ylzzig to throw the body in the ditch! Sir!"

The vibe of his response seemed completely off from the casual calmness of Vierka and the confidence of the healer. Hud had decided not to say any other details, because frankly he had no idea what was a good idea in this situation.