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Post by June on Apr 12, 2024 9:51:27 GMT -6
In the midst of an Indian jungle, there lived a clan of tigers. They feared humans, but humans also feared them, so they fared better than many of the other creatures of the jungle, and respected humans in their fear rather than loathed them. Perhaps this was why, when a lost baby orphan was found on their territory, they adopted her as one of their own. They named her Shanti, meaning ‘peace’, hoping she would embody a peaceful coexistence with her adoptive tiger family. And indeed she did - she learned to hunt, she learned to speak the languages of the jungle, and it’s laws, she learned to track… Everything that tigers could teach was hers to learn. She grew quickly, and before long she was running with her pack, patrolling the tiger’s territory, which they guarded jealously against intrusion. But as she blossomed into late adolescence, dire news came. The feared serpent Kaa was on the move – in spite of their proud warrior tradition, over the years many tigers had fallen prey to the despicable creature. And so, the chief tiger called a clan meeting, from which Shanti was exempt. She had been excluded from so little in her life with the tigers before that it came as a hurtful surprise.
“I will get right to the point.”
The elderly chief said, having at last silenced the chatter of the other tigers that had been echoing all around the cave walls.
“Kaa has come hunting. We must be vigilant, and we will be. But, our clan has a weak spot.”
He looked around the room, preparing for what would come next.
“Our sister Shanti.”
He declared, and the instant he did the cave erupted into loud argument – some in favour, some vehemently opposed.
“SILEEEENCE!!”
He yelled, and obediently the tigers stopped their shouting.
“She is dear and precious to us, yes, but if a tiger can be at the mercy of Kaa, one without claws or sharp teeth is even more at his mercy. I have already decided – it is time for her to leave us, for her own safety. She will travel into the deep jungle, where it will be much easier for her to hide from the serpent. SHARA!”
He called, and a young tigress stepped forward and bowed her head.
“As the adoptive sibling of Shanti, you shall take her to the edge of our territory, to keep her safe until she can cross the river into the deep jungle.”
He commanded.
“As you say, chieftan.”
She responded dutifully, but with a voice choked with emotion. As the tigers filtered out of the meeting cave, a tearful Shara came to find Shanti outside, and she explained the situation.
“...So you see, we’ve got to get you to the river crossing as soon as possible – we’d best set off right away, that snake is dangerous, and I fear your death more than your absence.”
She finished.
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Post by kanatokisho on Apr 12, 2024 10:39:02 GMT -6
Shanti loved her family, she was always grateful to them, they took her in and taught her how to survive, Shanti waited nervously outside the cave, she didn't know what this meeting was about but she could assume it wasn't good.
She has noticed one or two young tigers went missing...Which means they were killed most likely by a more dangerous animal and when Shara explained the situation Shanti looked almost shocked.
A snake? It seemed so odd for a snake to be the dangerous killer...But she trusted her family, she would always trust in them, she nodded "understood Shara...It's for the best and maybe one day I'll be able to come back to visit...But if not I'll always see this pack as my family no matter where I live" she said.
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Post by June on Apr 12, 2024 11:18:25 GMT -6
"And you'll always be my strange little sister, Shanti."
Shara purred, nuzzling her affectionately.
They set out with the sunrise. Shanti brought nothing but the clothes on her back, a white shirt the tigers had stolen from the man-village for her long ago and which had since gotten a bit too small for her, and a purple cloth she had tied at her hip as a sort of short skirt. On the way, Shara explained a little to Shanti of what made Kaa so dangerous.
"We don't know exactly what he does, but he has only a small hunger, and is soon filled up - but then, we find our brethren having fallen from cliffs or drowned, no signs of struggle. He has some trickery about him, I wager - they say he bears no scars, and to hunt tigers so effectively..."
Shara shivered. They had been walking for a few miles now, following a trickling little stream. The paths in the tigerlands were wide, stamped down by uncounted seasons of tigers prowling about the territory, and it made for an easy journey.
"When the moon rises again, we shall look for shelter."
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Post by kanatokisho on Apr 12, 2024 11:42:32 GMT -6
Shanti followed Shara with ease and listened to her warning...A shiver rolled across her body the fact that there was no struggle was scary...Still she just had to be careful and not lose her guard.
Night came and Shanti looked around to search for suitable shelter, she soon found a sturdy tree that looked like it could be protect from the cold and ground threats, there were a lot of leaves...A snake could hide in them with ease but she was with Shara "how about this tree Shara?" She asked.
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Post by June on Apr 12, 2024 11:46:39 GMT -6
Shara looked up the trunk.
"It is sturdy... And hidden by the wide branching foliage of the surrounding trees... "
Shara praised.
"But. Are you sure you'll be able to manage?"
She asked, extending her claws meaningfully - Shanti had learned as a very young human-cub that nails were no good for climbing. The sun was setting on the horizon, and Shara wasn't sure if they'd have enough time to find another spot.
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Post by kanatokisho on Apr 12, 2024 12:04:37 GMT -6
Shanti nodded "while I may not have claws I'm smart enough to figure something out" she said, she searched around the area and found a vine by another smaller tree, after tugging it free, she tied one end around a rock, throwing it up again and again to circle the branch enough that she could start climbing up it and onto the branch.
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Post by June on Apr 12, 2024 12:11:16 GMT -6
Shara shook her head in amazement, and climbed up after her. When they rejoined on the thick branch above, Shara affectionately ruffled Shanti's hair with her paw.
"You know sis, you might just do alright out there."
She said, beaming with pride. Then she went to the end of the branch, and stretched out to lay down with a yawn.
"I don't know about you, but I'm getting some shut-eye... Night, sis."
Shara said, laying her head on her paws.
From the bushes below, the feared serpent Kaa lurked... Or so the tigers thought of him. He hardly looked fearsome... But then, perhaps that made him more dangerous. He chuckled to himself. Mainly he was sneaky, isolating one person at a time to prey upon. It was all cunning and sneakiness... And that's what he was doing now. He'd heard of Shanti from some of the tigers that he'd... Toyed with. And his interest was piqued to say the least, he'd been stalking her and Shara ever since he'd spotted them earlier that morning.
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Post by kanatokisho on Apr 12, 2024 14:37:16 GMT -6
Shanti fixed her hair that was messed up by Shara's paw "goodnight Shara" she replied, Shanti wasn't really sleepy...She let out a sigh as she wondered about so many things like how this snake was able to take down the tigers and if there was a way to stop him so she wouldn't have to leave.
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Post by June on Apr 12, 2024 22:49:36 GMT -6
Kaa watched the girl from below with interest. He coiled himself around the tree, and slithered up slowly and silently. He considered the approach to take - this was risky, riskier than most other encounters he would choose to initiate. An isolated tiger on all it's own was one thing, but a girl and a tiger together - too easy for one to warn the other, to subdue him and... Kaa shook his head. A risk, yes, but he was ever so curious, humans were one group he rarely approached, they normally traveled in groups, so it had been years since he'd seen one properly. But how to initiate...? Kaa considered how meek and pathetic he looked compared to his reputation. Yes... Perhaps. Breathing in and preparing himself, he suddenly rushed forward as if fleeing from something, and coiled tight around the branch in front of Shanti, panting in pretend panic and looking all around.
"Oh, thank goodness... That horrid evil large serpent, Kaa, he's been chasing me... Can I stay here, just for a moment? I'd feel safer with others around to protect me..."
Kaa hissed, rather proud of his acting skills. He took the opportunity of Shanti's wide eyed surprise to get a better look at her, even though in the back of his mind he knew he should prepare to flee in case his ruse didn't fool her. He looked over her clothing, the cleverly tied cloth for a skirt and the child's tunic that the girl had clearly grown out of as the sleeves, very wide for a child, now were close to her arm like a shirt and leaving a strip of bare skin around her midriff, where on a child it would hang to above their knees. She had her hair done up in a ponytail, a makeshift hairband of young vine, green spring twigs and some strong leaves. He also found herself admiring the soft features of her face and the deep pools of inviting brown that were her eyes. 'How odd', he mused to himself in his head, 'to be admiring a human in this manner'. He'd found other animals to be aesthetically pleasing catches before, but humans were such ODD creatures after all.
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Post by kanatokisho on Apr 13, 2024 0:28:15 GMT -6
Shanti didn't expect it when a snake coiled around the branch right in front of her eyes, she almost called for Shara before the snake spoke, Shanti looked down, observing the area, she couldn't see any signs but maybe a group of three was too much. She looked back to the snake, it didn't look big...Nor dangerous.
"O-Of course...We are staying safe from Kaa too" Shanti replied keeping her voice low so she wouldn't wake Shara.
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Post by June on Apr 13, 2024 16:17:40 GMT -6
Kaa knew that Shanti had been adopted by the tigers, but why was she out here, rather than back with the others? 'Perhaps these two are scouting for signs of me to report back to the chief... So if I tell her that Kaa left some tracks nearby, I can lure her away from her tigress and...'
"S-so what brings you out here, m-my dear?"
Kaa asked her, pretending his teeth were chattering with nervousness. His normal lispy hiss was totally absent from his falsetto, wimpy voice as he fully fell into the role of pathetic, unthreatening little snake. He even started pretending to tremble, but always carefully watching Shanti's face to see if his act became too much to believe.
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Post by kanatokisho on Apr 13, 2024 23:48:00 GMT -6
Shanti frowned at the snake's trembling, poor thing must be so scared. She scooted closer and stroked his trembling coils hoping to calm him "Shara is escorting me deeper into the jungle to get away from Kaa. It's no longer safe for me...You can come with us if you want, it'd be nice to have a friend" she said with a smile.
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Post by June on Apr 15, 2024 2:21:08 GMT -6
The serpent stretched his coils in delight as Shanti's delicate fingers stroked across his scales, and he sighed in relaxation, curling up around Shanti's feet like a pet.
"Friend?"
Kaa repeated, confused. The word seemed to trouble him - but he shook his head to get it out, and resumed his focus.
"It'ssss sssuch a ssshame you have to leave..."
Kaa hissed, his voice all of a sudden lower, reverberating with confidence, and vibrating at a precise pitch, the words dripping with softness and sibilance so they'd easily slip into Shanti's mind.
"I t-think I saw a f-few snake tracks a-as I came over here... M-m-maybe if we find Kaa, we could lure h-him here so that all three of us c-can capture him..."
He suggested, returning to his fearful, falsetto stutter.
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Post by kanatokisho on Apr 15, 2024 3:27:47 GMT -6
Shanti frowned and nodded slightly, she didn't want to leave her tiger family but the snakes next words didn't give her confidence "I don't think we'd be enough...Shara told me that he might have some form of trickery to not get harmed by the tigers...I trust her, it might be for the best to stay quiet and alert" she replied.
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Post by June on Apr 16, 2024 9:10:54 GMT -6
So she wasn't taking the bait... No matter, Kaa had other tricks up his sleeve.
"Perhapsssss you are right - quiet and alert, that would be besssst..."
Kaa agreed, dropping his voice down to a barely audible whisper. Shanti would have to actively strain to make out the words, forcing her to carefully concentrate on the snake's voice. He slithered up her legs to perch on her knees, and then, it was Kaa's turn to concentrate. He looked down at the ground, as if watching out for something, but in reality it was to hide his eyes from Shanti whilst he prepared something. Very carefully, he began to let his eyes spiral, but quickly reined them in - he shrunk his spirals down to about the size of a large pupil. The outline of the spirals wobbled against the white of his normal eyes, but he kept it stable after some effort. Next, he gingerly dimmed them so the spirals were just barely luminescent. Now he was prepared, he turned to look at Shanti again. His eyes were strange now, but nothing like as inexplicable as his spirals.
"Night vissssion. Like your tiger friendssss."
He explained.
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