Let's make love, not war (Razgriz x Talin)

[Razgriz]

Surrounded by lush green forest, a group of men, women and children, dressed in their summer leathers to help ward off the heat of the season, sat around a fire roasting fresh caught game. These were the northern Barbarian clansmen and women, having to vacate their homes after those serpent-women overran them; many of the men lost their boys to those vile creatures, watching them get dragged off to god knows what fate. It was only after the initial shock of the massive assault wore off that the Barbarians began fighting back and reclaimed their town as their own. Though the battle in this land was weary; if it wasn't the serpent-women, it was the plant-women that seduced the most virile men and drained them dry, and if it wasn't them, it was the demons that robbed the men and converted the women into more of them.

But those thoughts were far from the mind as the day's bright colors showed clearly. The wind was minimal today and the sun shone brightly; large multicolored, scaly-looking skins graced the forms of six particularly brutish-looking men: Wolfnonit Direcrush, Taram Jarlhawk, N'rerr Grimnail, Aormal Boldclaw, Arwaramph Vulkfinger, and Thundurn the Greyder. Together, they were the Six Slayers of Anvegad, and their uniforms were composed of the skins of those they had recently defeated. Their legends were known throughout the lands; whenever even one of them stepped foot onto the battlefield, the enemy shook in terror before them, for each was a one man army, a harbinger of death to those that incurred their unrelenting wrath. And if all six were to gather in battle, even surrender was not an option. Even now, in these times, they were still looked up to as vanguards of hope for their clan to drive the various beasts from this world; every woman there would gladly allow any one of them to give her a child, knowing the seed of its father was from one of the clan's strongest and most well-known warriors.

While each man was a warrior in his own right, these were the exceptional few, the picks of the litter and embodiment of everything the Barbarians valued: strength, fiery determination, endurance and most of all, loyalty to the tribe above all else. But, as with every tribe, there is the kicking boy, the runt that receives the worst of hazings from his betters in the tribe. Weakness was something that was looked down upon in the most severe sense, and Gnosr - the kicking boy in question - was just getting back from having his head dunked in the river for the twentieth time.....today.

The boy coughed and sputtered, his short brown hair and toned, fit body dripping wet, as the adult male K'orfke carried him on his shoulder, throwing him down roughly on the ground. Gnosr looked up at the man with hate in his eyes, the same sentiment being returned to him from K'orfke. K'orfke then spoke "Guess the Rabbit wasn't quick enough this time! You bring shame to our tribe, Gnosr! You're just lucky your 'habit' of studying those which harm us is of benefit to the tribe, else we would cast you out!" Gnosr just said nothing, but his head bowed slightly in shame. It was true; Gnosr was no warrior. He could fight, yes, but he lacked strength to overpower exceptionally strong adversaries. K'orfke grimaced, "And here you are, not even raising your hand or voice to defend yourself! A true Barbarian would not let anyone, even one of his own, disrespect him so voraciously! Get out of here, Gnosr the Rabbit! You disgust me!"

Gnosr rose and moved away from the village; he could feel the sadness welling up inside him, his bright blue hues glistening with tears that threatened to break out. He felt it wasn't fair; no matter how hard he trained his body and mind, he just wasn't strong enough. His only advantage in a battle was his speed; this meant the armor he wore was light and meant only to deflect a glancing blow. Still, he felt it incredibly unfair that they singled him out; just because he couldn't take a heavy blow like the others didn't mean he was worthless! Though this tribe did value strength and endurance above all else and had done so for centuries, so it was no surprise that they were stuck in the old ways.

So he merely walked, pushing past thick elderberry brush and small shrubs in an effort to get away. Eventually, he reached a cliff leading down into a steep chasm; he'd heard that there was a group of the serpent-women that lived somewhere down there and wanted to go observe them. For some reason, he found them fascinating; how their snake-like lower bodies moved, how they acted, it was all so foreign to him and his curiosity drove him to try and understand. Not to mention many of them actually quite beautiful; though having seen their combat abilities first-hand, he definitely was afraid of them and didn't want to get too close to them. But, he also wanted to try and be braver, to gain the respect of his comrades; however, as soon as he tried to climb down, his footing slipped and he tumbled down the rocky slope. His head knocked a few times, eventually striking the hardened earth so hard he was rendered on unconscious; this made his body ragdoll the rest of the way down, and by the time he landed on flat ground, he was covered in lacerations and bruises, his unconscious form lying spread-eagle on the ground.

 

[Talin]

A dark head popped up in the shadows of the forest, she counted the group and shook her head over her shoulder at the others that silently moved in the shadows with her. Slithering silently back to the edge of the area they called home. “They aren’t on the attack; at least I don’t think they are.” Bright green eyes shone out from a tan face as she looked over her comrades.

“That’s because you always see the good in everyone Na’valia,” A muscular blonde stated, her name was Ra’an.

“Is that wrong?” She shrugged; the older women shook their heads at her.

They ignored her and made their own plan. Half women and half snake the youngest in the tribe slithered away. She was always treated this way, why couldn’t they talk to the humans and see it wasn’t as though they couldn’t defend themselves. Na’valia hissed allowing her fangs to protrude a moment before her tongue snacked out and wet her lips. Moving through the trees, she used her black and gold scaled lower half to slip steadily down the steepness that protected them. Once at the bottom she heard a noise. Coiling her tail around her body, she rose up and opened her mouth hissing as something tumbled toward her.

Was that… NO, it couldn’t be… could it? It was! It was a human falling down the steep hillside in her direction. Wide green eyes scanned the terrain around her, were the others right? Was this a trap? Lifting as high as she could she searched but saw no signs of any others. Quickly she wrapped her snake body around him and brought the human portion of her over his. Face to face, he looked much like a male snake person would, though she had never seen one. Her own father was a human a traitor, at least that was what she was told. She stared down at him a long moment before pressing her fingers to his brow. He lived but was badly hurt.

She chewed her inner part of her lower lip, thinking things through. Na’valia was blamed for spontaneity, her tribe liked to think on things before acting. “The hot springs,” She smiled after she mumbled. It was summer so the caverns would be empty. Carefully lifting the male, she slithered rapidly over the dry cracked earth and ducked quickly into the caves. Moving through the cool caverns, she shivered and pulled him closer to her body. She lay him on the soft sand near the hot springs before diving in, washing his scent off.

Emerging clean she slithered off for supplies, ducking into the tent she shared with her mother Na’valia quickly grabbed what she needed. Her mother was hunting with another group so she was safe, for now. Returning to the male, she cleansed his wounds and dressed them carefully. Nothing appeared to be broken. Her instincts told her he was waking up and she didn’t want to scare him. She waited until she saw his eyes fluttering before leaving the supplies and ducking in to one of the other caverns. Waiting, she stayed silent and even when she heard little noises she didn’t peek.

 

[Razgriz]

Gnosr' body laid still even as the serpent-woman examined him; his mind faded in and out of consciousness, trying to lean back into reality. His senses barely registered something close; though he was certainly in no position to do anything about. As he was carried off, he felt like he had left the ground and soared like a falcon through the skies, only to touch down on the ground once more. He felt the temperature drop, then suddenly rise again. Muddled sounds played through his ears as his fogged brain tried to pick up its activity; slowly his higher brain functions began working again and his eyes twitched before parting, revealing the navy blue orbs beneath.

His vision was still blurry and his head pounded; it felt like he went through the Initiation all over again. He groaned as the pain he was in finally registered fully; damn, his body hurt. He tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't. It didn't take long for his sight to sharpen; he looked around, muttering "How did I get here?" He then felt a sense of dread, like something was watching him, waiting....waiting to strike. His heartrate quickened, adrenaline beginning to course through his blood and emitting the pheromones associated with fear, unknowingly saturating the air with them. His body froze, feeling those icy tendrils of fright curl up around his spine and lock him in place; of all the Barbarian tribespeople, he had the highest sensory ability, but to his tribe it was a worthless trait. Which seemed counterintuitive, since it would increase their odds of survival, but then again, all of the other men preferred to charge headlong into battle, swords swinging.

 

[Talin]

Na’valia chewed at the inside of her tender lip, the sharp teeth tearing at the skin. She could sense his panic and then she smelled it, FEAR. She knew if he ran he’d be found and killed by her tribe, the women were ruthless and had she stuck with the others he’d have been discovered by the lot of them. Then what? She knew he wouldn’t have stood a chance of survival then. They would have made him an example. Especially with his injuries, he’d have been no use to them to breed with a thought that made her blush heavily. She had yet to breed; her mother felt she wasn’t mature enough.

These ideas Na’valia, they are childish, humans are evil especially the males. Stay away from the males Na’valia they are trouble. Her mother hissed out the last bit, always.

Peeking around the corner she watched him struggle, he didn’t seem so bad. Of course, he had yet to meet her. She couldn’t show herself to him but she could try to ease his fear. “Please you are not in danger unless you keep showing fear. All sorts of deadly creatures will surely find you then. Calm down, if I wanted you dead you’d already be.” She tried to keep a sense of power and peacefulness to her voice, if he remained calm she would be able to keep him hidden for months, if not he’d be found and… she groaned. She didn’t want to think about the consequences of her actions.

Taking a deep breath she continued speaking, "Just please, calm yourself and nothing bad will happen. I have to go now but there are bandages and food in the satchel to your left. When you are able the pools of water are hot springs... they should help to ease some tension and ache in your body." She kept hidden, "I will answer any questions when I return tomorrow to refresh your supplies. Rest well human."

 

[Razgriz]

Gnosr froze even more - if that was even possible - as he heard a voice speak out to him; his breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in terror as he slowly tilted his head back, the crown of his brown-haired cranium coming to rest in the soft sand. His navy blue hues were met with the emerald-colored orbs of a woman; her form peeked around the corner, seemingly just watching him. Gnosr let out a breath of relief, thinking to himself, "It's another human, thank goodness" The smell of fear would slowly dissipate from around them; the presence of a human - or at least what he presumed to be a human - brought him immense relief.

He then let out a small chuckle, the tone reverberating slightly in the depths of the cavernous chamber before he spoke, his voice a strange mix of gruff and soft, "Oh, thank the Gods, and here I thought they wouldn't come to rescue me" His statement was indeed ambiguous; while in his mind he referred to his tribespeople, it could very easily be misinterpreted as the serpent-women having come to save him. Which probably wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to Na'valia; however, before anything else could be done, Gnosr then spoke again, "You'll have forgive me, but I don't recognize you. Who might you be?" He then tried to move, but felt a twinge in his side, forcing him to grunt out softly in pain.

 

[Talin]

Na’valia wasn’t sure what to think when he said what he did. They wouldn’t come to rescue him? her mind questioned, who… they the humans or they the lamias? Her mind spun as he continued talking. Moving her body out a bit further, her long brown hair covered her breasts but just barely. “I’m just a girl…” She smiled at him, “”I have to go I will come back later and bring a blanket.” Her upper body lifted and before she could say anything more, she slithered out. Knowing her tribe was getting ready for dinner. Her name was all he wanted to know but she wasn’t sure she could give him her name. She went to the stream and bathed, giving her a reason to be out of the area for the time.

No one said anything to her, it was normal Ra’an was talking about the human group they were keeping an eye on. Na’valia wasn’t on their radar and she listened curiously. A large blonde with green eyes slid next to her and wrapped her in her arms, “How was your day?”

She smiled at her mother, “It was fine.”

“Ra’an Says you wandered away today,” Her mother’s eyes turned concerned. “You can’t be out there alone, they are dangerous...”

“Mother It was fine, I came back here and took a nap then when I heard them returning I snuck away and took a long soak in the stream.” She smiled at her mother and moved toward the fire they had in the midst of their tents, several animals were roasting over it. Her mother let it drop, she’d warned her daughter enough. Ignoring the other females was easier and as the night progressed, she looked forward to the next day.

Once her mother was asleep, she snuck away with a blanket. She slithered quietly into the cavern so as not to scare him. Taking up her spot along the wall, she laid down again. “Hello again… I brought you a blanket.” She tossed him the blanket, “My name is Na’valia.” She smiled unsure if he could see her or not, her own eyes allowed her to see in the dark, she often forgot about that.

 

[Razgriz]

Gnosr could only watch as she left; he weakly called, "H..hey...Wai....Wait...." but it was no use. She'd gone; he heaved a sigh and relaxed his body, saying lowly "Figures; should have known better". While he didn't recognize her from his tribe, he thought maybe she was from a neighboring tribe or something like that; his assumption was spot on, but unknown to him it wasn't the tribe he was thinking of. So he sighed again and looked up at the bleak, featureless cave roof as he laid in the sand, recovering from his injuries.

Back in his tribe, all were sitting down to eat as well; it would seem that Gnosr's lack of presence went unnoticed. They laughed and joked, some mothers cradling their infants while the fathers - their long, double-edged swords buried by the point in the ground next to them - watched over them, lest those blasted serpent-women attack them again. Men exchanged war stories, boasting about how many of not just serpent-women, but bloodsuckers, flower-girls, and other various demons and creatures they'd slaughtered. Always trying to outdo the other; some even engaged in arm-wrestling as a form of strength-testing.

As the shroud of darkness that associated itself with night came over the land, Gnosr had actually started to fall asleep; however, the chill that came with being so deep in the cavern - even with the heat of the spring - made him shiver. However, the woman's voice called to him again and he heard the thump of something hitting the ground next to him. It was dark in the cavern; though his night-sight was exceptional compared to the others of his clan, he couldn't see her all that well. He wondered why she wouldn't show more of herself; he rationalized that she was shy. But it did cement the fact that she wasn't from his tribe. "My name's Gnosr; I thank you for your aid, Na'valia. It's rare to see such kindness these days....." he then trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

 

[Talin]

“You are very welcome, it’s not every day that a man comes flying down a cliff and lands at my feet, “ She giggled softly. “Well I am not like most people I guess.” Her voice was soft but audible. She shrugged when she said the last thing. True she wasn’t like most since she was half snake, but did it take away from her human side? She scrunched her face slightly as she thought. With the silence surrounding them, she almost forgot he was there. “I’m sorry I’m so quiet, I don’t get to talk to many people outside of my tribe and well even then I don’t get to talk much either, they all think I’m young, foolish and incapable of rational thought.” She sighed, “Sorry… again.”

“So Gnosr… tell me about what brought you to my feet? You weren’t pushed were you?” The panic was obvious in her voice, would they do that… Is that how they would treat their own? She couldn’t imagine, her thoughts stopped there, if Ra’an had the choice and Na’valia wasn’t Lavinelle’s daughter she was pretty sure that she’d be thrown over the nearest cliff and left to die. It was sad that she could even see her tribe mate doing that.

Na’valia couldn’t help but to be interested and curious about the male she’d found. She wanted answers but she also refused to scare him off. Prolonging a complete face to face meeting was best for him and for her. At least if he healed she could show him the way out, he’d owe her nothing. However, she knew she’d be sad to see him go, he was the first human she’d ever gotten to talk to and ever been this close to. She got a warm feeling in her stomach thinking about how it felt to hold him against her.

 

[Razgriz]

"So she is shy; I knew that had to be the case" Gnosr thought with a smile, pleased with himself for having guessed correctly; little did he know that he was so far off-base that it wasn't even funny. "Well, that's alright; whenever you feel like coming out to see me fully, I'll leave for you to decide" he then said, giving her the excuse she needed to keep him from seeing just what she was and potentially putting them both in danger. "Though you might not believe me, I go through the same thing. Just because I'm not as big as the others doesn't mean...." he paused, feeling his sadness well up within him. "It doesn't mean I'm useless" he then finally said.

However, when she asked if he was pushed, he calmed down a little and shook his head, "No; though I know many in my village would gladly do just that. They don't really like having me around, they think I'm a nuisance, a bother." He then sighed, "But I feel like I can tell you; I'd heard that the serpent-women were gathering around here somewhere. I wanted to go observe them; they're such strange creatures. But not in a bad way, like my comrades seem to think; it's just I've never really seen anything like them."

He then smiled and looked at her, "But of course, I wouldn't want one getting near me. I mean, they'd sooner rip me apart than let me look at them, ya know? Bunch of bloodthirsty savages they are, even when a human's done nothing wrong." He'd seen the aftermath of a serpent-women tribe's 'hunt'; corpses mangled, holes in the neck as their blood was drunk like wine. Well, that last part was what he'd been told by his superiors. Oh, how ignorant the boy was, for he didn't consider the possibility that he was indeed talking to one of the species' members.

 

[Talin]

Na’valia was shocked, he had seemed so large to her, she couldn’t imagine him being the smallest. She herself was on the smaller side; her mother said it was because her father was small. After this, she found herself wondering if her own children would suffer the same fate of being small. Her green eyes flitted to him as she adjusted and face him her hair moving exposing her breasts, though she thought nothing of it having never worn clothing. She smiled at him though it faded a bit when he mentioned her species.

Finding herself on the verge of wanting to confess that she was one of them, she knew it wasn’t the best of ideas. She held her head in her slim hands and listened to him continue, glad that he could trust her even though his next statement conveyed fear and she knew she couldn’t expose herself to him. She was as curious about him as he was her though he didn’t know it. She’d been taught to fear the humans for the same reason, yet while he was unconscious, she concluded that no one should meet their end in such a manner.

She took a moment to process what he was saying; others in her position would want to defend whom they were right away with no thought to how it was done. She smiled softly at him, even though he’d insulted her. “The same could be said for your tribe too, same as mine. Perhaps it is best not to judge until it is seen first-hand. Sometimes kills are needed because threats are made, no one wants to sit down and talk to them or you.”

Giving her head a shake, she smiled again. “I have been here a long while and can tell you of the serpent women. For the most part, they are peaceful led to kill when they are threatened by other species. Some act rash and have a kill all mentality but not all of them are the same. just like the humans they are not the same, if it were I’d be dead and so would you, being that we are here very close to the serpent women, this is their home in the winter months but I k new it would be safest.” She bit her lip and waited for a response.

 

[Razgriz]

(Sorry for the delay; things got a bit hectic this weekend)

---

It was lucky the depth of the cave made it hard to see, else a rather awkward moment would have happened; the boy was of breeding age, but he had yet to find a woman who'd take even the slightest grain of interest in him. He knew it was very unlikely to happen, if ever; such was the fate of his existence. His tribe bred through the "careful application" of natural selection; Gnosr remembered those words his father spoke. The strongest of the men would get the most opportunity to breed, since their tribe's core values were strength, resilience, and an unshakeable willingness to die in battle; those who were deemed 'undesirable' would likely never get the chance to bed with a woman, as their social hierarchy forbade them from muddling the child-to-be with 'inferiority and weakness'. In the tribe's eyes, Gnosr was the embodiment of an 'Undesirable'......skirting conflict, letting others torment him and belittle his 'habits' and worst of all, a desire to understand the enemy.

He was initially surprised to hear something of a defense statement made for the serpent-women. He had to admit he was conflicted; he was both elated and somewhat peeved at her for saying such a thing. His desire to try and understand the serpent-women conflicted with what he was taught and what he had seen, the latter concerning an especially gruesome sight he had the displeasure of having burned into his conscience. His skin crawled as the image played through in his head, but he snapped out of his little flashback when she started explaining about how she'd been observing them for a while and found that most were relatively peaceful. Though her statement confused; if this was their winter home, what were they doing here in the summer? Were they driven out by another tribe?

Regardless of the reason, he let it go as that was a non-essential matter for the moment. He sighed as he responded, "I know; believe you me, I want to understand them better. Like I said before, they're such strange creatures. But the things I've seen......" He trailed off, his face turning solemn as a rather tragic incident passed through his mind. He could feel the blood on his body, warm and sticky, the scent of metal flooding his nostrils, a pair of deadening eyes staring right into his and a haunting voice whispering, the strands of life being severed one by one with each syllable by Death's Blade of Souls. He pushed the unpleasant memory from his mind, and regained his composure as he continued, "...makes it hard. I want to know why. When did all this killing occur? Was there no time of peace between them?"

 

[Talin]

She wanted to scream at him, she’d seen things too did he think his species was innocent? She folded her arms and her lower half writhed, agitation moving all through her body. Her heavy tail hit harder than she would have liked and shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve seen things to… from both sides, each have good and bad. If you put yourself in their position and look at your own tribe, do you see happiness and understanding Gnosr? Or death and destruction as well?” She smiled at him, “I can answer it for you… you see both, not everyone is all of one thing… even you and I can be both kind and hurtful.”

Na’valia thought hard about it, she knew things came crashing down upon them when her father appeared. The women were looking for breeding partners and her father was the only male the women had found. Ra’an’s mother found the male and mated with him in secret giving birth to Ra’an on her own in the winter cavern. Her father rejected that she was his child when he found out that Lavinelle had fallen in love with him; he told her he felt the same and many others as well. Lying and spreading out his seed. However, Lavinelle was the only one to conceive though and when her father found out he ran away.

Once she was born Lavinelle went on a killing spree, ridding the vicinity of males because of her hatred of her daughters father. “There used to be peace… but their leader was deceived by a human.” She said softly and quietly. “Figures, right… one male to screw it up for the rest of you.” She laughed softly. “Gnosr, won’t anyone miss you and come looking for you… family or a wife or lover?”

 

[Razgriz]

"I know that, Na'valia; that's why I want to try and learn more about them........I know it sounds contradictory, but my fear lies in what they'll do to me if they found me watching them. They would think me a spy, and that's not what I am at all." He then sighed and added, "I just want this fighting to stop; too many families have been torn apart because of this senseless combat. Too much blood has been shed, and is it really worth it? I certainly don't think so"

His worries were largely instilled by a rather unfortunate occurrence in his past: His only friend, J'arock Sharptooth, was actually the inspiration for him to try and study the Lamia and other creatures with which the humans fought for territory. He could remember it now; they were trekking through the southern portion of the forest bordering the Deadlands, thinking that there was a peaceful tribe of Lamia to study and learn more about. However, they were mistaken; not long before the two of them arrived, another group humans had brutally ransacked the village and slaughtered some of the tribe members, including the village Elder. So when they tried to initiate talks with the serpent-women, they themselves were attacked; though J'arock defended them both valiantly, he was defeated.

Even now, Gnosr could see the life fading from his eyes; he even remembered the small prick in his neck as J'arock inserted a small amount of 'False Death' into his bloodstream. When Gnosr felt his body shutting down, he thought J'arock was trying to kill him, but then J'arock just told him to lay back and let it take over. J'arock also told Gnosr to not hate the serpent-women, told him to try and reach an understanding of just who it is they are. A few hours later, Gnosr woke up, J'arock's dead form keeping the blazing sun off of his body. Gnosr just stared up, shocked at the colorlessness of his former friend's skin, the utter chill that he felt as blood leaked, drop by drop, from a nasty gash on his face and covered Gnosr's completely in thick, metallic-scented red fluid. And so, in J'arock's memory, Gnosr continued to try and establish contact with other Lamias, risking his life in his own way to make things better for all.

Na'valia's words were initially lost on Gnosr, as the image of his friend's violent death played over and over in his mind's eye. It wasn't until she laughed that he was snapped out of his daydream to catch what her next words were. Now it was Gnosr's turn to chuckle, "Hardly; no woman up there wants anything to do with me. To them, I am useless, weak, unnecessary. They would sooner have me thrown to the serpent-women as a sacrifice than bother trying to rescue me. But, you're not one of my tribe, so you don't get included in that description. You at least have enough kindness to help me when I so needed it."

 

[Talin]

“I understand Gnosr…” She sighed, she wasn’t sure why, but something in his voice told her she could believe him. “And I agree, too many things have happened and it is tearing more and more beings lives apart.” She felt hopelessly lost in her tribe, but leaving meant her death and even if it were safe, her mother wouldn’t understand. She knew, deep down, her mother would feel abandoned.

His answer to her question floored her. He didn’t seem useless or weak at all. The words intelligent and handsome popped in her head though she knew thinking the latter would put her and him in grave danger if anyone knew it. “I would certainly hope that if I were in the same position someone would help me.” She sighed and stared at him, her large green eyes flitting over him in the dark. “It is sad to think that there are those that find that people that use their brains instead of weapons to be useless.”

Her forked tongue slid out and wet her lips. “I am in the same boat, though they call me a dreamer in my tribe. I like to see the good in everyone, even out enemies. When mating season comes up, I will not be allowed to partake since I am considered less than by the rest. Once the raids begin I will not be allowed to fight either, I show sympathy and the others feel it will weaken us.” Na’valia was used to this.

Each year she had been told to stay behind and guard their homes while they left to find mates. Even though things went on as they had with her father they still knew procreating was important. The raids called for each woman to find a male with whom she mated and then she either killed or released him. Then the women returned home with a child or a male or empty-handed. Lavinelle, her mother always went off to find Na’valia’s father. All of this went on while she was required to stay behind, her mother refusing to allow her to partake in the mating, though she wasn’t sure why.

Na’valia knew the reason had to be that she was tender hearted and her mother didn’t want her only child to fall victim to a male as cruel as her father. She had a good head on her shoulder and knew that if given the chance to mate he wouldn’t be a barbarian like the other women chose… he’d be someone more like Gnosr. She blushed at the thought but right now she would keep her distance less he spooked and ran from her like most men did her species.

 

[Razgriz]

"Feh, the only good use of the brain is knowing how to defeat an opponent and fight. Nothing else matters......That's what the others would tell me; they say I waste my time trying to study the serpent-women. But through understanding, peace can be fostered. Why can't people get that?" Gnosr pointed out, a huff of frustration in his tone. It wasn't directed toward Na'valia, but just to people in general; everyone was so closed-minded, it was aggravating.

Gnsor stared at her as she explained what her standing in her own tribe was; he smirked and replied, "That's certainly better than the names they have for me. In my village, my name is Gnosr the Rabbit. That's the name I was given at birth, and that's the name I will die with" He couldn't believe how easy it was for him to open up to her; maybe it was because she listened, and he could believe what she said. He knew that he couldn't stay with her forever; no one wanted, not even someone as understanding as her, would want him - a weak little Barbarian child - as a lover. But oh how he wanted her; even though he couldn't see much, her voice alone was simply intoxicating.

But, regardless, Gnosr felt the veil of sleep begin to cover his eyes; a loud yawn could be heard from him as his exhaustion finally seemed to creep up on him. "Sorry, Na'valia, but I guess this is as long as it goes for tonight.....Will I see you in the morning?" he then said, his eyes looking toward the woman half-hidden by the rocks of the cavern, unaware that she was one of the 'enemy'.