[color=gray]in collaboration with [@Mokley][/color]

Slee was surprised at the grace Sorn displayed in weaving through the forest - the other humans she had seen had been nothing but clumsy as they stumbled through the trees. It made sense, of course, if he was from an island too. While they walked, she snuck a few glances back at him to examine his clothing - she'd been too perplexed at his face to wonder at what he wore when first she saw him, but she was just now noticing their strangeness, as well. They looked dark and sturdy, made out of some material she had never seen before - she wondered what strange trees they had on his island, to make such things.

Slee had learned the value of clothing for warmth and protection long ago. When she was younger, her efforts at dressing herself had been very poor; the Senneli had no use for clothes, and so in that endeavor they were not much help. Making things was just something you got better at the longer you did it - and so it seemed that on Sorn's island, they had been making things for a very long time. [color=8dc73f]"I like your clothes,"[/color] she said absentmindedly. [color=8dc73f]"Will you teach me how to make them?"[/color]

His own question registered in her brain, and Slee furrowed her brow. [color=8dc73f]"What do you mean? Everything talks, not just humans."[/color] Comprehension dawned on her face, and she giggled in spite of herself. [color=8dc73f]"Ohhhh. You mean, where did I learn to talk so you can understand? My family taught me. They speak the oldest language. Everything in the world can - "[/color]

The forest gave way to the beach, and Slee froze in horror. The two humans from before were floating in the basket, their spears red with blood. [color=8dc73f]"No..."[/color] she murmured as the realization struck her. They hadn't come to that beach to hunt [i]her.[/i] There was something else that came to that cove.

[color=8dc73f]"No! No, no, no!" [/color]Slee screamed, leaving Sorn behind as she bolted down the beach, wading into to the water until she was nearly hip deep. [color=8dc73f]"Hey! Over here!"[/color] she shouted, waving her arms, desperate to get the attention of the boat, to distract them from their awful purpose.

[color=lightgray]"Make wha?"[/color] Sorn's attention was on the bright birds and deep shadows, swaying grasses and jagged stones; this paradise was too perfect for his comfort. There was always something watching -- something with claws and an unsated hunger, or a quiet horror that walked between the dappled lights. He'd seen enough to know nothing was ever what it appeared -- except Slee, of course. The wild girl definitely seemed to be everything she at first appeared to be ...

Until she mentioned that she spoke the 'oldest language.'

By degrees recognition dawned on him -- but before he could remember where he'd heard the reference before, he nearly walked into Slee from behind.

She was petrified, but all Sorn saw were Black Eyes and Riot in a fishing boat, floating calmly in the deeper end of the cove. Slee was right to be wary of humans, but these ones weren't even looking in her direction. Sorn raised a hand to direct Slee toward a different route, out of their sight -- when she was suddenly gone, hurtling across the beach in a screeching fury.

The pirates both stood up in the boat to stare across the water at her, their jaws slackened in shock to find a [i]girl[/i] yelling at them from the beach.

"What's she saying?" Riot muttered to Black Eyes, who shrugged and shook his head -- then looked down with a sudden shiver of cold.

"Uhh ... Riot?" Black Eyes' terrified stare was locked on the writhing [i]thing[/i] that moved just beneath the surface of the water. He reached out a hand and grasped blindly for Riot's attention.

Riot hadn't noticed. "I think she wants help. She's not bad looking, eith--" The boat tilted violently to one side in a surge of water; the pirates ducked into the bottom of the boat, hanging on for dear life while it churned and bucked among undulating, snakelike attackers.

Sorn broke out of the forest to see the boat being tossed in rough water. He saw Black eyes clinging, sobbing, to the boat. He saw Riot climb heroically up to his feet, somehow maintaining his balance while -- rigid with rage and survival instinct -- he flung a harpoon with all his might into the moving water.

Whatever was beneath the surface gave a tremendous reactive jerk that sent pink-dyed waves crashing into the beach. With a surge and a flash of fins, eyes and teeth, the water crashed down upon the little boat and drove it down beneath.

Black Eyes immediately struggled for shore -- but Riot, with a dagger in each hand and a wild fury in his eyes, had different plans.

Slee screamed as the spear crashed through the waves. From this distance, she couldn't tell which of the Senneli had been hit - probably Pelloc, or maybe Hetch, judging by size alone. The water broiled with serpent blood and Slee struggled forward through the water, kicking off from the shore and swimming into the churning mass as the boat went under.

"[b]Slee![/b]" Hetch's voice boomed out as the serpent reared its head above the water. "[b]Stay back![/b]" One of the other Senneli screamed in pain as it thrashed - that was [i]definitely[/i] Pelloc. Tears slipped from Slee's eyes as she swam, salt mingling with the salt water. 

Hands grasped at her from the churning water, and Slee kicked back hard. The human that had panicked was clutching at her, desperation in his eyes, believing in some addled state that she had come to save him from the 'monsters'. [color=8dc73f]"Get off me!" [/color]she cried, balling her fist and crashing it into the man's nose, causing more blood to spurt into the water. He fell backwards, churning water with one panicked hand as the other went up to clutch at his face reflexively.

Suddenly, Slee felt a scaly and familiar touch from below, and she relaxed automatically. Hetch lifted her up out of the water, straddling his great head as she had many times before. From her perch atop his head, she peered down at the two humans thrashing in the water, one bleeding, one still slicing frantically at the water with his short blades.

"[b]Hang on tight[/b]," Hetch grumbled to her, and shot his head down towards the blade-wielder like a snake, jaws open wide.

Sorn was rooted where he stood on the beach, the thrashing waves foaming around his newly stolen boots; his eyes were fixed on the serpents and the shattered boat and the comparable insignificance of the two pirates floundering against the surge.

There was something ... [i]spectacular[/i] about it. Sorn's teeth bared in a grin, and he barked a laugh at the sudden whimpering sound of Black Eyes' terror.

Riot was too busy ripping at the foam and the churning water beneath him. He heard a cry from Black Eyes, but he thought he saw a passing snakelike body, and jabbed at it with a manic howl.

When a shadow fell upon him, he looked up -- to see nothing but teeth and a dark throat. For the first (and last) time, Riot's eyes widened in horror.

The crash of Hetch's impact sent a thunder of waves rushing to shore. Sorn braced himself against the torrent of water, which brought with it the splintered refuse of the destroyed boat -- as well as Black Eyes, who choked and coughed and scrambled like a fish in the wet sand.

Once the foam had seethed away, Sorn squelched closer to the waterlogged pirate, who was dragging himself as far away from the water as possible. [color=lightgray]"Hey Blacky."[/color]

The pirate froze, and he looked up with blurry confusion to see Sorn's sharp teeth grinning cruelly down at him -- before the butt of Sorn's musket struck swiftly. Black Eyes would be out for the count for awhile.

Sorn poked Black Eyes with a boot, just to be sure there would be no more movement -- then he approached the water again, to see what had happened to those impressive monsters and his new wild-girl friend. Riot, he knew, had already become lunch. He grinned at the thought.

Hetch snapped up the human's lifeless body with a crunch as Slee slid down his back. Pelloc was still thrashing in the water, the spear embedded in his side. Slee grabbed the weapon in both hands and planted her feet on the wounded serpent's back, pulling it free with a cry.

"[b]Oh, that hurts! That hurts very much![/b]" Pelloc shrieked. Slee pressed her hands against the wound fumblingly, as though trying to force it closed through sheer will alone. She felt a prodding on her shoulder as Hetch's nose nudged her aside.

[color=8dc73f]"Will he be okay?"[/color] she asked, peering up at the serpent.

[b]"Most likely,"[/b] Hetch grumbled. [b]"I will need to take him home, below the waves, if he is to recover. Stay in the cove until we return. Do not do anything rash."[/b]

[color=8dc73f]"I'm absolutely going to do something rash."[/color]

Hetch hissed in a way that what somewhat analagous to a roll of the eyes, and bent his head down towards Pelloc. [b]"Foolish girl. I don't know where you get it from. Just don't die, alright?"[/b]

[color=8dc73f]"I promise, big guy,"[/color] Slee answered, rubbing a hand on his scaly nose. Without another word, Hetch closed his jaw gingerly around Pelloc's side, and the two of them disappeared beneath the waves.

Slee kicked her way back to the beach and stepped onto the shore with clenched fists, where Sorn was waiting for her. [color=8dc73f]"It's time for them to leave. All of them."[/color]

They ... could [i]talk?[/i] With a thoughtful glare Sorn watched the serpent's mouth make sounds that didn't match his understanding of the words -- he watched its gentle movements, too serene after just devouring a man whole. He grinned sharply; it seemed this [i]family[/i] was far more familiar with humanity than their own human 'daughter.' He very carefully remained still, drawing no attention to himself, until the two beasts slipped beneath the splintered wreckage.

He was sure there wouldn't be much time before war broke out; when a crewmate was injured by the enemy, the ship didn't stand idle.

Slee was back again, dripping and shaking with anger -- there was a familiar sort of fire in her eyes. Sorn, in return, offered a dangerous grin. [color=lightgray]"Said like a true snake-monster."[/color] He clenched a fist in Black Eyes' shirt and dragged the pirate with him up to drier sand. [color=lightgray]"We'll need that box first. Where's your friend?"[/color]

As if on cue a monkey on a branch began to chitter and screech. It leaped to the sand, and with a hopping gait it rushed to Slee's feet, clicking and squeaking.

[i]"Thunder!"[/i] Ort squealed in terror, having witnessed none of the horrors that Slee had just faced. "They have [i]thunder[/i] in hollow sticks!"

Meanwhile, the pirates had finished their slipshod tents and laughed and drank around the warmth of a crappy campfire. They'd found a few crabs and oysters to eat -- their shells littered the sand -- but they all waited hopefully for the big game that the captain had promised them.

Captain Howler sat on an expensive rug, against pillows brought down from the ship. His arms were folded behind his head while he watched the glowing sunset. His precious pocket-box remained at his side.

In the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something moving in the water near the ship. A trick of the light, he assumed.

Slee patted Ort's head gently as the panicking monkey scrambled up her arm onto your shoulder. [color=8dc73f]"I know, I know. It's okay, it's okay, we're going to get rid of them, okay? No more thunder tubes."[/color]

Ort took a deep breath and snapped his eyes over to Sorn, peering at him as though noticing him for the first time. "Slee," he chittered, "One of them's right there. And he's got weird teeth."

[color=8dc73f]"I know, but he's a friendly one. His name is Sorn and he's going to help us make them all go away."[/color] Slee cocked her head at the monkey on her shoulder and grinned. [color=39b54a]"But we need your help to do it."[/color]

Ort leaned back, hanging onto her hair with a tiny hand. "What part of thunder in a stick did you not understand?"

[color=8dc73f]"Look, it's really simple. You just need to sneak over to the big hairy one, and take something he has in his pocket. Bring it to Sorn, and he'll make them all go away. I'll give you all the snowberries I got this week, okay?"[/color]

"No way." Ort crossed his arms in a distinct gesture he had picked up from Slee and glared at her with black, beady eyes.

Slee fluttered her eyelids and pouted. [color=8dc73f]"Pretty please?"[/color]

"... Alright, but you owe me a favor. What is this thing I'm getting, and how will it help?"

Slee kissed the monkey on the side of the head, provoking a perturbed squeal, and looked back over to Sorn. [color=8dc73f]"He'll help us. What does this box look like, and how's it going to get them out of here?"[/color]

bad idea -- but then Slee was looking up at him with a sort of sure confidence that deflated his doom-ideas just a little.

With a sneer and an angry glare -- he still hadn't even quite realized that she'd been having a [i]conversation[/i] with the monkey in question -- he opened his sharp mouth to protest.

He didn't have a better idea.

He closed his mouth, but not without a small growl of discontent. [color=lightgray]"If he drops it or opens it,"[/color] he warned in a low hiss, [color=lightgray]"The whole deal's off."[/color] He watched her carefully to be sure she understood -- shot a glare at the monkey for good measure -- and took a resigned step back.

[color=lightgray]"It's this big,"[/color] he curled his fingers, [color=lightgray]"it's made of smooth dark wood."[/color] He narrowed his eyes at Slee, considering his options. [color=lightgray]"Have him bring it to you. [i]You[/i] open it. Then scare them all off your island. You'll know what to do when you open it."[/color]

He hefted Black Eyes up over one shoulder. [color=lightgray]"I'll make sure this one and the one you left in the woods go with them."[/color]

Slee grinned in spite of herself at Sorn's obvious frustration at her proposed solution. She could already tell that this was one used to getting his way, and it brought her an immature kind of satisfaction to see him brought around to her way of doing things. [i]Definitely[/i] like a sea turtle.

The suggestion that she would know what to do with it, however, was one that was very interesting and more than a little uncomfortable to her. Was this a part of being human, some tool or device that he thought she would just know the purpose of? She couldn't hazard a guess.

[color=8dc73f]"Alright," [/color]she said to Ort, [color=8dc73f]"I'll be waiting in the forest outside their camp. It's a tiny box of smooth dark wood that the big one keeps in his pocket. You bring it to me, and I'll do the rest."[/color]

"Steal the box, bring it to you, run away," the monkey chittered. "Got it. If I die, I'll never let you forget it."

[color=8dc73f]"Well, don't die then."[/color] Slee watched Ort hop off her shoulder and scamper into the trees until he passed out of sight, then turned to Sorn. [color=8dc73f]"I guess I'll see you when it's done."[/color]

Without waiting for a reply, she bounded after the monkey and vanished a moment later into the undergrowth.