Savage [Jasmeen x Jack Grayson]

[Jack Grayson]

Even through the dense and bright green foliage of the Amazon rainforest, Edward Briggs could sense a pair of eyes on him… heathen eyes… savage eyes…

A small smirk spread across his bearded lips as he raised his rifle, tentatively aiming it at the trees in front of him, trying to see if he could make out any leaves that happened to be moving anomalously. This was exactly the sort of encounter that he lived for… the kind with real danger… with real stakes… It always filled him with such a rush of adrenaline. How many times had he been in a similar situation with the East India Trading Company in their conquest of savage territories and virgin lands? Too many to count, and still the feeling only seemed to intensify with every encounter. And now in special service to the Spanish crown, exploring an even more foreign and virgin terrain, it all felt even more thrilling.

Though he was a man of British lineage, the King and Queen of Spain wanted him to lead their conquest of South America. His reputation preceded him, but just the look of him was imposing, certain to strike fear in the native populations he encountered. He was 6'3" and had a strapping build. All of his muscles were ones that he had gained from hard, strenuous work, the kind of manual labor that conquest required. He wore his beard long to help deal with the new and incessant pests he encountered on his travels, and his intense green gaze always looked as if he were searching for something.

Briggs's stated mission was to loot the jungle for its riches, for as much of its natural resources as his ship could possibly hold, to find new resources that the folks in Europe hadn't even heard about yet, but the sensation of staring death in the face, laughing, and living to tell the tale was what he was really after. The wealth that came along with that adrenaline rush was just the cherry on top of it all.

"GO ON, THEN!" He yelled at the trees. "COME ON OUT HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN! STOP YOUR HIDING!"

Spanish soldiers soon surrounded him, drawing their weapons and aiming them at the trees. Captain Espinosa, the second in command, approached Edward's side. "Señor, we can easily shoot them out of the trees," he said. "Just say the word."

"No," Edward responded quickly. "That's the coward's way. We're not hunting game fowl. Whoever it is, they are probably just scouting, doing a bit of reconnaissance. In my experience with savages, it's best to meet them on the field of battle like men. They'll want to look in your eyes while they test your mettle. It's the only way they'll eventually learn to respect you. They may be brutes, but they are often noble brutes, brutes that live by a code. It's usually more than the simple law of the jungle with these folk. They want to be respected, and if we can show them that respect while also showing them how easily we can overpower them and bring them to heel, well… then our job here becomes much easier."

Just then, there was more rustling from the trees, which had apparently spooked one of the Spanish men, causing his weapon to accidentally fire into the trees with a loud BOOM!

"NO!" Edward yelled. "NO, GODDAMNIT!" He stood to face the line of men still aiming their weapons at the trees and threw up his hands . "ALTO! STOP! You only shoot when I say, entender?!" Suddenly, Edward became all too aware that his back was now facing the trees. He'd made himself vulnerable, and though the hair on the back of his neck was starting to prickle with anticipation of what would happen next, this was exactly the sort of feeling he savored.

 

[jasmeen]

The midday sun blazed relentlessly over the wide expanse of tropical greenery that Divi called home. Luckily she and her kin were protected by the lush canopy as they enjoyed the cooling lake Divi usually took her little cousins to when she was on childcare duty. The young woman sat watch astride a sturdy bough overlooking their secluded area while the fluffy heads of six shrilly little girls darted below, splashing the otherwise still waters. Divi did not mind whenever it was her turn to watch the children while the other young women of the tribe went out to hunt, but today she was unusually uneasy. Something unknown stirred the air and made the back of her neck prickle. She would normally splash around with the children and help them catch frogs or pick sweet grass, but today she kept careful watch from her perch.

Like a few of the children playing below her, she had golden tan skin that shimmered from the sweat that was inevitable in such balmy heat. Not anticipating any issues initially, she had not worn the utility tunic normally used when going out scouting or hunting. Instead her high, round breasts were bare aside from the necklace that hung heavy in the narrow space between them. It was the only adornment she ever wore, a marker of her place as the heir to the chief of her tribe. It glittered with dark green stones that were threaded with bursts of yellow veins, which matched her eyes and the eyes of her mother and their foremothers. Her strong legs were bare aside from the short cloth knotted around her wide hips to keep insects and stinging plants out of uncomfortable areas. And there was the strap around her left thigh where her hunting knife resided. Small sticks painted red were threaded into her long brown hair to pull it back from the strong lines of her high cheekbones and wide jaw, and keep it from obstructing her view.

As soon as her ears detected what she had been both dreading and anticipating, Divi made a harsh noise in the back of her throat that imitated the chittering of red-furred monkeys. These animals did not inhabit this patch of the forest so it was a good signal to get the children's attention. All at once, they became still, clearly well trained in how to respond to this call. Divi held her breath and listened, then bristled as she caught it again. It was not yet close enough to be dangerous but it was the unwelcome sound of heavy footfalls on mud and decaying leaves. Divi dropped soundlessly from her perch to the soft grass beneath it and beckoned the children to leave the water, which they did without protest.

"Lead them to the Birthing Hill, mother will be there. Tell her there are men passing the young baobab by the river. I'll go scout them. Take the overpath." She whispered rapidly to the oldest girl, who nodded solemnly and then motioned for the others to follow.

With the children on their way to safety, Divi could now investigate. Luckily she had at least her hunting knife for the sometimes likely event they came across a desperate jaguar. She did not draw it yet, needing both her hands to hoist herself up into the trees where she could remain undetected within the lush growth. Barely making a sound, she navigated the branches with effortless efficiency, her well muscled arms hardly straining as she swung from boughs to branches to vines. She landed silently in the lower branches of a towering huimba, still obscured by an abundance of leaves and branches. About a hundred strides ahead of her were the men. And they were clearly not from any of the distantly neighboring tribes hers would sometimes mix with when more children were desired. No, Divi had never seen this type of man, though she knew who they likely were. Some of them wore armor that shone like sunlit water, and carried the long dark sticks that she knew to be deadly at a distance, full of dark explosive magic. The golden-eyed woman's mouth set into a hard line of disdain. The last time some of these had strayed into their territory a group of warriors had skewered them and mounted their heads. Divi had been just a small girlchild then. But the intruders back then had not carried more than one deathstick between them. These men had more.

They seemed to be led by the largest one, a beastly thing of muscle and hair. He had his stick raised and was pointing it at the treetops a dozen strides to Divi's left. She squinted to get a better look at his face, and her nostrils flared as she saw the unmistakable smirk there. He then bellowed something she could not understand though his words seem to carry a challenge, a test of authority. It made Divi's skin tingle unsettlingly. Distracted by a mix of curiosity and contempt, she did not notice that she had leaned a little too far ahead until she almost lost her balance on the bough she was crouched on. She had to grab an adjacent branch to steady herself, and realized with a cold sinking feeling that she had done so with too much force, and the disturbance of the leaves would be undoubtedly noticeable.

Divi detected the swivel of one of the men's sticks and immediately dropped from her tree to the loamy forest floor, just as something with the force of a deadly lightning strike shattered the bough she had been on top of. Jagged splinters sprayed all around her as Divi rose from the ground, her chest heaving with a depth of fear she had never experienced before. It only heightened and then gripped her heart like an icy claw as she found herself peering through a gap in the foliage right at the back of the large man who was niw shouting at his companions. Her hand went to her dagger and she gripped the hilt with white knuckled ferocity but did not throw it at the pale patch of neck the man had exposed. Something stayed her hand. She did not want to kill this man like she would kill a boar during a hunt. Something about the act was distasteful when done to an unsuspecting human, no matter how brutish. As if sensing her wavering intent, the man stilled, and all it took was a slight motion of his head for his gaze to fall on the gap in the leaves, which framed the wide-eyed face of a woman who locked eyes with him, bared her teeth in a snarl, and then bolted.

 

[Jack Grayson]

He'd heard the thud of a body falling from the trees and hitting the dense foliage on the forest floor, but it sounded more like the fall of a cat falling onto its feet. Something told him to keep still so he could ensure that the Spanish soldiers didn't attempt to fire once again. He knew bits and pieces of the Spanish language, but he figured it was best to keep his current position so that his body and the stern look on his bearded face could do all of the talking that was necessary. As a result, his back was laid bare for whoever this spy might be, and his hunter-like senses could feel eyes assessing the vulnerable position he was in. But he could also feel that this person was not going to take advantage of it. A worthy adversary, he thought, one that didn't want to take cheap or easy shots. Or maybe one that knew something of modern artillery and was too frightened to take his chances.

Just as Edward was about to give a command to the soldiers to drop their weapons, they had already started lowering them, staring into the bush with bewilderment, like they couldn't believe their eyes. And that's when he finally turned to see a gorgeous little thing, crouching some distance away, wearing barely anything at all as many of these savage women in warm climates were wont to do. His green gaze locked with hers, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.

Her eyes…

They shimmered like pools of liquid gold…

It instantly felt like a good omen of riches to come. Edward unconsciously and subtly grinned, but perhaps the girl interpreted his expression as a threat—smiles and the intimidating baring of teeth were so close, after all, especially at a distance—because once he did, the girl snarled and sprinted away through the jungle. Edward tracked her with his eyes for as long he could until she disappeared out of sight, until he could no longer see leaves rustling.

Espinosa approached his side. "Seems the rumours are true, Señor. The women serve as warriors in this part of the jungle."

Edward stroked his beard as he nodded and grunted. Female warriors… a female scout… She was small too, but maybe that was because they thought it would easier for her to go unnoticed. This whole adventure just got a lot more interesting, didn't it? He looked over at the man beside him. "They sent a scout to spy on us. Perhaps we should send our own…"

Espinosa whistled, drawing the attention of a few of his men and flagging them over, but Edward grabbed his hand. "No, " he said, "I'll go… I'm curious…"

Espinosa looked concerned. "Not by yourself, Señor. Take a couple men with you." He didn't know what he'd do if word got back to the crown that he'd let Edward leave on his own to ultimately meet his death.

"Unnecessary," Edward said. "You saw her. She's just a girl… and a small one at that… I think I'll be fine." To make his second in command even more nervous, Edward handed him his rifle.

"Señor! You'll need some form of protection!"

"I've got a hunting knife if I need it, but I don't think I will. If I find her and we're on relatively equal footing, then maybe we can form a truce of some kind. Maybe she can lead us to some gold. That's ultimately what we're here for, isn't it? This jungle is supposed to be chock full of it. We just need to find it. And the sooner we fill our coffers, the sooner we can leave, right? Perhaps we should try a bit of diplomacy." Edward's entire attitude towards this mission had suddenly changed. Killing men to bring a tribe under his control and do his bidding was one thing. But killing that girl—The Golden Girl as he was already beginning to call her in his head—well, that would be a waste. She was too beautiful to be dispatched. A good woman was naturally submissive to a worthy man anyway, warrior or not, he thought. If he played his cards right, he could certainly get her to work on his behalf. Perhaps he could get her to serve him in other ways as well. The thought of it was already getting him excited. Suddenly, he didn't care about chasing the adrenaline high that came with facing death. It was going to be just as exciting to see if he could bring this gorgeous little savage woman to heel.

And so Edward started walking in the direction where he'd seen the woman disappear. He was a particularly skilled game hunter, and in this scenario the girl was just that: game. He had all the confidence in the world that he could find her or where she had fled to.

He stopped where he had seen her disappear into the trees and started scanning for footprints. She was apparently bright enough to try and take her steps on shrubs or patches of grass, but he eventually saw the unmistakable impression of a heel here and there in the mud, and after about twenty minutes or so he tracked enough of those partial prints until he found his way to a stream hidden beneath a canopy of dense green foliage, the perfect place for a drink for someone who was hoping not to be found. Careful with his steps so as not to accidentally break a twig and startle her in case she was still there, he made his slow approach.

And then he saw her…

She was crouched as he'd seen her before. She truly was a beauty. Slender and fit, but with the undeniable curves of a young woman in bloom. Hopefully, his dark green, canvas jacket would keep him camouflaged enough to approach even closer m. He made his way until he was only a few paces behind her, and that's when he picked up a rock and lobbed into the water in front of her. It was a primitive message that he hoped would be clear, a message that would hopefully interpreted as "I mean you no harm." He could have easily thrown something else, and he could have easily thrown it at her rather than the water. But he didn't. Would she understand that?

When the girl turned to see where the rock had been thrown from, Edward stood up and smiled. "So you were the girl spying on us, hm?" he said, his large hands proudly resting on his waist. He was trying to be amicable and non-threatening as he fluke be, but he was more than ready for whatever the girl might try.