Dusty Canyon

RULES:

Well, there aren't any, really. xD This is an anything goes rp. Other than death, no one abides by death. But otherwise whatever you want. fighting, meeting, hopefully not falling of off the big scary cliff. WHATEVER.
Any characters allowed, and if anyone wants to have some faction fights they certainly can.

Shinlai can be above, or in the canyon. or between on the paths.

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The sun was just starting to come off it's arch, towards the setting side. Casting everything in ever lengthening shadows, and starting to decrease the horrid heat of the place.
The wind whipped and howled through the landscape, which up above consisted mainly of red stone. It blew through the towering obelisk figures, cutting them ever, ever thinner. Then suddenly dipping right down below the edge of the cliffs.

The canyon was long. Hundreds of miles long. And well over a hundred feet deep. It had narrow pathways, barely big enough for any Shinlai, and dangerous to say the least, with the high winds.
The sun glared glittering off of the rushing river below.
In start contrast the the rocky, nearly inhospitable surroundings of the world above, below the water bred life.
Plants, even some trees, flourished by the rivers banks, the red murky water rushing by provided all they needed. And in turn the birds flourished from them, so a large population lived amongst the canyons foliage.

Many nooks and crevices lined the wall, broken here and there by an old fallen boulder, or a path winding towards the top.
The canyon got limited sunlight each day. During the middle of the day. It stayed considerably cooler than above. Shadows already were growing over the greenery.

That was where Eshe chose to be. She hardly saw up above as a better choice. Down here there was water, and it had to be ten or twenty degrees cooler. Of course, it was still warm, nearly uncomfortably warm, but at night she knew it would get cold. She already had a den sorted out.

She was wandering, now, poking in amongst the plants and along the waters edge. she had already found a small gold nugget and now she was excitedly searching for anything else she might find. There were trinkets here and there, from people and Shinlai that had lost them in the river. they would eventually be washed up on the banks and that was what she was looking for, mostly.

She cocked her head, eyeing another useless little item, then looked up at the sky and the cliffs edge, a hawk swooping down between the canyon walls.
She eyed the large plateaus above. Down here they looked like tall towers, but above, even with the canyon walls, they had a flat, large surface. She had already hopped over them, nearly gotten herself blown off, before coming down here.

Stepping down a narrow path towards the water Zeke to every step slow and steady even though there were not many drop offs toward the water. It was a very narrow path, and Zeke wanted to move to not make a sound. With being unknown of what could be in the Canyon. Getting to the water's edge Zeke took a bid dive in. After running all day a dive into cool refreshing water was just what he needed. While under he saw a small group of fish and went after one, and with no luck he came up and swam up to a random edge of the water. Then shook hard to get most of the water off. Then looking to the left he saw another Shinlai he had just completely drenched. With a look of surprise on his face, he looked at her said "I am terribly sorry! Let me dry you off it's the least I can do." With that he used his element to make a big gust of wind and sent it gently towards her to hoping it would help with the water.

When done he said, "There is that any better?"

She had heard the splash. But by the time she glanced up the Shinlai had submerged and she didn't see anything. So she returned to her leisurely search, edging away. Though it seemed not far enough...
Before she knew what was happening the purple shinlai had climbed out, and suddenly she was covered in water.
All she could do was blink, mid-lifting her head, and stare at the river in front of her.
She closed her eyes when sh felt the breeze.

Okay. Good now she was wet and... breezy. She shook a bit, then opened her eyes and used her water element to pull the water from her fur and let it fall into the ground. then she looked at him.
"Now it is." She said, pleasantly.

((I am now in 5 Rps... But Kay would hit me if I didn’t join >.<))

Alkyone had spent the midday heat submerged in the river, only lifting her nose to breath every once in a while. In this climate her thick fur was extremely stifling, the heat of the day seemed to stick and cling to her fur, making her hot and uncomfortable. The cool river water deep in the canyon helped to cool her. Her long fur wafting around in the current. The shadow from the canyon sides and the trees by the river, helped throw the river into shade and keeping it cooler them the rest of the canyon.

She stuck her nose above the surface, inhaling deeply. The scent of another Shinlai caught her attention. She raised her head a little higher, blinking at the humid heat, and looked around. Further downstream a creamy brown Shinlai with long horns was picking through the rocks on the ‘beach’ of the river. She watched quietly as they picked up a small shiny object from the floor. ‘I recognise you...’ Alk mused, floating around on her belly, rolling briefly in the water. Her eyes still locked on the other Shinlai. ‘Where do I know you from?’

She spent a few minutes racking her brain for the Shinlai’s name. She met so many Shinlai while travelling it was hard to keep a track of them. ‘Eshe! That was your name.’ She eventually remembered. She watched for a few moments longer. Finding it interesting how Eshe foraged for small shiny items. Alk didn’t understand the fascination with the shinnies. But she did realise that it might come in handy. She ducked underwater again and dug through the river bed, occasionally firing bursts of echolocation. She jug up a small bright red, shiny object, with a thin gold coloured metal band surrounding it.

She spun around underwater, briefly seeing a flash of purple, white and black. She listened as she heard a mumbled voice talk, the water distorting it. She swum further upstream and surfaced silently. The small shiny red thing held between her teeth, being very careful not to swallow it. She watched the pair for a moment, recognising the other purple Lai as Zeke. Swimming along the surface of the river she headed down stream towards them. She slowed as she neared and waited for them to notice her, before gliding slightly closer. With a flick of her head she chucked the shiny towards her. Watching it bounce onto the floor by her feet.

“Hello.” She said calmly, tilting her head to one side. “I can find more if you want.” She said jerking her chin at the shiny. She smiled at Zeke and nodded at him.

That was one excellent way to completely get Eshe's attention.
Her head jerked immediately away from the Shinlai that had soaked her, down to the object at her feet. she had just seen it flying through the air. She cocked her head side to side, much like a bird examining, then she knelt down to toy with it between her paws happily.
"Ooooh." was all she said, before it was swiftly tucked away into the bag around her neck.

Only then did she look up to the Shinlai that had thrown it.
"Oh, I recognize you." she said with a nod. "Where did you find that?" She glanced around as if there would be more.

A few meters away Linx padded down one of the narrow passages in the canyon wall, the rocks and sand below her feet nearly made her slip a few times as she made her way down. Linx had come down there for a reason, the birds in the few scattered trees, as well as the lizards that lived in the canyon were a great snack. Despite the heat, it wasn't uncommon for her to take the occasional trip. As she reached the bottom of the pathway she made her way to a pile of rocks, she started to move them gently with her forearms to try and dig out any lizards or terrestrial owls that would sometimes make a nest in between the rubble, instead however, she found a rattle snake. Linx was well aware what the little reptile could do if she got within it's reach. The snake threatened with the familiar "HSSSS" sound it's tail would make as it rattled. She toyed with it, moving her paw one side to the other, as the snake followed it with it's eyes.

Against his better judgment, Silas decided to tag along on Linx's little trip. The heat was excruciating. He followed her down the narrow path easily. He watched from behind to her left as she waved her paw in front of the snake,

"As neat as that is, please get rid of it." Silas said, intrigued and wary of the snake.



(So yeah I needed a reson to be here so I'm just following Linx... xD)

"Now it is."
Sorry about that! I should have looked around before shaking that water of in your direction! But then he saw her attention was turned to the shiny object just thrown to her feet. Zeke looked at it and it was pretty yes, but not very exciting to him. Then looking back at the egde of the water seeing Alkyone flash a smile at him!. He got a little smile to his face also then saying "Hey Alk, how ya been" he also, wondered what she may be doing out here, but simply did not ask since she is in the water, and water shinlai must like the water.

"Oh, I recognize you. Where did you find that?" Eshe said tucking the shiny into a small bag around her neck.

“I’m Alkyone Zabatos. We met on a beach a while back.” She said drifting around in the river. “I believe Zeke was there too.” She said grinning over at him. “And I’m sure I could find some more if you want.” She said smiling at Eshe.

She dunked her head under the surface briefly, the cool of the water and heat from the sun was conflicting and irritating her. Surfacing she gave a soft snort to get the water out of her nose. She heard the faint rumble of a deep voice not far away, and recognised it almost straight away.

She sank as low in the water as possible, but still keeping her eyes and nose above the water. ‘I don’t want him to find me, we always end up fighting, I don’t want to fight him. Not today.’ She thought to herself, almost a whine. It always seemed that they ended up at blows or harsh words. Despite the fact she didn’t really want to. He was Ananth’s mate. And Ananth was her close friend.

She sighed, blowing a few bubbles in the water.

“I believe Zeke was there too.”

Yes I was there!, but I don't think I got to meet you! "By the way I am Zeke Albescu" I guess I should have told you that first off after soaking you! I think I will get back in the water it is a rather hot day and the water is cool. With that he slowly walked in, then took a small dive, went kinda of deep but not so much since he can stay under as long as a water shinlai. Then seeing one big fat fish Zeke smiled big and slowy inched forward and opened his jaw and clamped down on the fatty. Making it hard for the fish to escape zeke bit down harder to kill it. Then swam towards the suface back towards the Lai' he still did not know the name of. "Sorry to run off like that, but would you like some fish?"

Eshe flicked the object she had been looking at previously into the water, well away from Alkyone, watching it glint briefly and drift beneath the surface. Then she turned her attention to Alkyone once more, sitting and stretching.
"My name is Eshe, in case you may have forgotten." She said with a small smile.
She blinked, and looked to Zeke. "Oh. no thank you. I've spent half the day fishing." she laughed.

Another Shinlai lurked not too far away. she had taken up shelter in a nook beneath the cliff's every lengthening shadow. Where the bit of a breeze and the cool rocks of the canyon wall kept her comfortable.
She could see the group from her hidden vantage point, and hear them a bit. but she didn't go over. She still was not one for large groups of shinlai. She would say hello to alkyone, if she got the chance. But she didn't know the other two so she kept clear.
She had no scent of her mate, he was still too far above her. She wasn't expecting to see him yet.
Ananth just stretched out and laid on her side, closing her eyes finally.

"As neat as that is, please get rid of it.

with a splat of her paw, Linx made quick news of the snake, without making a big fuss over it so Silas wouldn't notice. she took it by the tail "Hey Silas" she mumbled, "CATCH!" the flingged the snake at his mask, hopping to spook him somewhat. Mature as Linx was, she couldn't avoid the occasional backtracking to a childish mind to fool around.

The snake managed to hit Silas's mask. His eyes widened and he jumped back, barking a curse. He then focused his attention on Linx, snarling, and bearing his teeth. He leapt at her, barreling into her side.




(Does not react well to being frightened.... xD)

Linx burst out in laughter, even after Silas had barreled her over. "Aww, what's wrong? Is the big bad Silas afraid of a wee little dead snake?"

(I found his reaction to that--hilarious XD)

"My name is Eshe, in case you may have forgotten." She said with a stretch. "Oh. No thank you. I've spent half the day fishing." She added turning to Zeke.

Alkyone smiled calmly drifting around in the water almost lazily, when a faint snarl followed by laughter made her stop. She grunted a sigh before looking at Eshe. “I’ll see if I can find more shiny things.” She said a little blunter than she intended, before receiving an answer she dived under the water again, swimming a little downstream to dig in the river bed. If she had gone further upstream the mud and silt would have collected in her and Zeke’s fur. And that stuff was a pain to get out.

Scrabbling around in the rock and the mud she couldn’t find anything interesting. She surfaced and exhaled with a loud snort. Noticing she had gone further downstream than intended. She paddled further towards Eshe and Zeke, before diving again. Firing a burst of clicks at the river bed, an oddly shaped ‘image’ returned to her. Surfacing once more for air she dived again and scrabbled around in the mud digging up the object.

She surfaced and held up the item, giving it a slight shake and dunking it in the water a few times to clean the mud off it. A long thin chain with a pendent swung from her grasp. The pendent was a small yet elegant rose head, with thorny vines encircling it, all made from the same yellow metal. She raised her eyebrows, rather impressed at her find.

((Lol silas got snake slapped.))

"Oh. no thank you. I've spent half the day fishing."

"Alright Eshe, but if you want one later I would not mind catching one for you!" Watching Alkyone in the water Zeke just laid down, and was amazed how she swam with such skill, it was better than he could ever do. Of course he only knew what he was taught about swimming when he and his father learning to fish. Gazing in to the sky for a second forgeting what was going he thought "I wonder what my father must be doing now."

The he turned his head as Alkyone burst out of the water with a beautiful yellow-colored object. The saying "Oh Alk that is amazing! And what a find in such a odd spot!" this made Zeke wanna go into the water and look for something also, but he did not really wanna get muddy. So he just waited for Alkyone to come up out of the water.

Silas took a small step back from her, his teeth were still bared, irritated by Linx's taunts.

"I have one word for you Linx, expendible. You might want to try and remember that next time you feel the urge to antagonize me." With that he turned to walk further into the canyon.




(Linx you're such a butt hole xD too funny)

Eshe's attention, much like that of a bird, was immediately caught by the glint. She 'oooh'd' and 'aaah'd' and actually ventured partially into the water, so it ran over her legs as she tilted her head this way and that to get a look at what Alkyone held.
"It never even occurred to me to look /in/ the river!" she said, with amazement.
She swayed to the side a little, watching Alkyone. "You're fantastic at this, how o you even see through all the mud and silt?" She asked.

As Alkyone inspected the pendent she heard Zeke exclaim. "Oh Alk that is amazing! And what a find in such an odd spot!" She turned to look at them still holding up the pendent.

"It never even occurred to me to look in the river! You're fantastic at this, how do you even see through all the mud and silt?" Eshe said, almost charging into the water to get closer.

Alk burst out laughing at their reactions. They were so excited about the finding of a trinket. She rolled onto her back and swum upstream towards them careful not to lose her grip on the pendent. She slowed as she neared them and rolled onto her feet, giving her fur a slight shake to dislodge most of the water.

She held up the pendent for both Eshe and Zeke could see it better. “It is a pretty one I must say.” She said inspecting the trinket. She held it out to Eshe. “I use my echolocation.” She said with a smile. “I can just about tell the difference between shinnies and rocks.” She added with a laugh.

Eshe looked perplexed by her laughter, but found herself grinning anyways. She did like being around the bigger, fluffier female.

And now it was time for her to just look awed. Looking at her. she hopped a little in the water, and soaked herself. "You have echolocation?" She asked, scooting closer. "Really? How does that work? Is it just you or can all water Shinlai do it?" shehad never really let slip what element she had, let alone that she had two.

His legs cracked loudly in the canyon as he stretched himself into consciousness witha yawn, swallowing a couple bugs and grimmacing.
The dark shinlai emerged from his seclusion beneath the rocks and cavernous entries of the canyon, on his way to find a true home.

Kordasai stopped by the small stream which surely had carved its part of the canyon so many many years ago. His eyes scanned the area for others before moving on. Without his even noticing, the stream began to find itself joined by namy other smaller streams...streams leading to a alrger place, a river?

He stopped when he realized he would ahve to cross it to get tot he other side fo the canyon, on his way to anothe Shinlai settlement.

When he noticed... Splashing?
Giggling?
What was this?

He had only a moment to look down from his place ont he rocky shore to see them, before they saw him...
Two shinlai! In the water (likely water shinlai, he proposed), and splashing about.

He wondered how long he could simply stand there before they noticed him?

It didn't take long at all. Eshe cocked her head up abruptly before Alkyone even had the chance to answer. She tilted it, to eye the newly appeared Shinlai curiously.
It showed she ha an awareness of her surroundings that she didn't let on. She always seemed so casual. But she was always aware. Always.

She shifted and edged towards the river bank a bit, not calling out to the new shinlai, just watching.

Eshe’s abrupt movement and change in interest made her tense. She whirled around, her eyes scanning the trees and undergrowth. Her eyes locked onto a new Shinlai. With a flick or her wrist, she looped the pendent around her wrist. Ensuring she wouldn’t drop or lose it. Eshe edged past her towards the new Shinlai.

“May we help you?” Alk called taking a couple of strides towards him too, drawing herself up to her full height. Making sure to brush against Eshe. A warning not to get too close to this new Lai.

Kordi felt at first, an air of friendship but, with the two , apparently females, approaching he found himself outnimbered but he did not move.

His head tilted to the side as Eshe looked at him and he looked back, almost dumbfounded a moment before words made him snap to attention.

"Oh? Me--No...Um..." Kordasai looked at the ground with a bit of disdain and disappointment in himself. For a dark shinlai he was not the bravest or most blazingly egotistical. He probably looked like a pansy to them and wanted to kick himself for stmblign onto them at all.

"I just need to pass," is all he could manage to say, still looking between the two. he did nto move hs feet forward or backward, his tail swished calmly behind him, its small end dusting the ground lightly.

Eshe was entirely oblivious to Alkyone's subtle gesture. she looked at her,t hen to Kordasai. Noting how intimidated he seemed.
She smiled up at him, a beaming smile, before heading up towards him.

"Passing through? where are you going?" she asked, curiously. always curiously. Never happy without questions.