Scaley Critters
Nami!
09-11-2021, 12:29 PM
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Jynn swam through the rich teal waters, moving her legs in steady and rapid strokes to keep her moving forward against the current. Up ahead she could see warm brown rocks that formed a strange island. It was like a ring of scales, stacked on top of each other. As she neared the land she hoisted herself up out of the water and shook the sea from her coat. In the center of the island seemed to be another lake of teal blue water, almost perfectly round. What most caught her eye though was the number of large reptiles hanging out in the area. Komodo dragons, crocodiles and even a few snakes. There was little foliage on the island though she did spy patches of green here and there.
09-12-2021, 04:20 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-12-2021, 04:21 PM by Nami. Edited 1 time in total.)
Their little exploration around Silver Island had been interesting, but besides the fine pale sand that made up the island's entire coastline, Nami hadn't been terribly impressed - at least not to where she felt compelled to stay there for any longer than they had. She did appreciate this temperate island weather though, and when Jynn suggested they swim to a nearby island that was rumored to be brimming with strange scaled creatures she couldn't help but eagerly agree to her new friend's plans. It wasn't like she had anywhere in particular to be. Here, the world was her oyster. She'd finally broken free from the restraints her family placed upon her back in their homelands and she was eager to see what these lands had in store for her.
The swim was a long one and by the time Nami reached the shore her legs were screaming for a break. A wolf less accustomed to the water likely would've drowned before they made it to shore but Nami let the fatigue be a reminder of her newfound freedom, and how lucky she was to be here seeing these strange creatures. Some of them reminded her of fish in a strange way, though they walked on land and were clearly not that fish-like at all. "Those look a little mean," she admitted to Jynn once she caught her breath and gestured to a few komodo dragons lounging in the sun nearby. She wasn't sure if they noticed her at all, if they did they didn't seem to mind the company. Then again, Nami wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get much company all the way out here.
The swim was a long one and by the time Nami reached the shore her legs were screaming for a break. A wolf less accustomed to the water likely would've drowned before they made it to shore but Nami let the fatigue be a reminder of her newfound freedom, and how lucky she was to be here seeing these strange creatures. Some of them reminded her of fish in a strange way, though they walked on land and were clearly not that fish-like at all. "Those look a little mean," she admitted to Jynn once she caught her breath and gestured to a few komodo dragons lounging in the sun nearby. She wasn't sure if they noticed her at all, if they did they didn't seem to mind the company. Then again, Nami wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get much company all the way out here.
09-14-2021, 07:32 PM
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Jynn held her crouched position, unaware her ears were still in plain view though the reptiles didn't seem to be terribly interested. She glanced to Nami as the woman spoke. "I agree," she said in low tones. "I don't want to tangle with one of those, I fought a komodo dragon once and it was awful." She still had the memory of that strange battle and the difficulty of fighting something that tasted so bad. "I don't think I like this island at all but I need to rest a minute. Then maybe we can get out of here. I bet if we keep along the west coast we could find more islands to explore if you want." Jynn was enjoying the swimming even if the water was too cold for her liking. This lizard island was certainly a bust. She would eat snakes on occasion but there were other foods she enjoyed more and the lack of vegetation was depressing to her.
09-19-2021, 12:10 PM
Nami gave a shiver at the thought of finding off one of those creatures. "I don't blame you," she admitted with a soft laugh. They looked mean - she could only imagine the kind of bite those things would have. They looked like they were all scales and muscle, no chance that their bites were anything but vicious. She physically shook the thought from her head as they continued on, trekking up the rocky shoreline. It was entirely unlike the island they'd just come from, where the sands were soft and fine; this place was barren, in a creepy sort of way. Not at all like a tropical paradise. But that wouldn't deter her from exploring it, at least for a short while. "Sure. I think if we keep to the shore we won't be bothered," she gestured to the large lizards dismissively. With that she set off toward the island's western edge as Jynn had suggested. "And we probably should rest before going any further." Growing tired on land was one thing, but fatigue on the water was far more dangerous and could spell certain death if they couldn't make it where they were trying to go.
09-21-2021, 06:09 PM
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Jynn nodded and crept back down toward the beach, eager to give the giant lizards their space. She flopped down belly first on the beach and yawned. "I forget how much swimming can take out of you. I normally stick to the main land but it is fun to exploring some of these islands. What about you? I take it you do a lot of swimming?" Nami was definitely more elegant in the water than Jynn was. The maned wolf tended to have to paddle furiously with her long thin legs to get the same amount of propulsion as the smaller she-wolf. It was probably a skill she should practice and refine a bit more.
09-26-2021, 12:34 PM
Once they reached a farther point on the beach, closer to the area Jynn had suggested they head toward, Nami flopped down on the sand too. The stretches of sand here were less plentiful than on the island they'd left not long ago. This terrain was much rockier and less hospitable overall - except for these scaly creatures, it seemed. It was worth exploring this place briefly but Nami doubted she'd come back here anytime soon, not without good reason. "I do!" Nami answered her enthusiastically, grinning. "I was raised to be a fisher, so I've been swimming since the moment I was born." She hadn't been gone from home for long but it seemed like it'd been an eternity since she'd been among her people. Sometimes she wondered if she'd made the wrong decision, but constantly moving and exploring new lands allowed her mind to not fixate on those thoughts for long at all. "Hard to imagine what life would be like without being in the water so much. I can't imagine I'll spend much time inland. The sea feels like home to me," she admitted with a contented sigh, stretching her front legs out a bit further and briefly lowering her head down onto her paws.
09-27-2021, 06:30 PM
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Jynn listened in amazement as Nami explained that she was raised as a fisher and had been swimming ever since she was born. "Wow, that's amazing. I wasn't allowed in the water til I was four months old and it wasn't really something we did often. We'd go through rivers to get to other parts of the territory but water was seen more as a barrier when it came to travel." Of course growing up in a place full of anaconda and caiman made the rivers of her homeland particularly nasty for young wolves. Jynn yawned gently before resting her head down on her forelegs. A little rest would do her good.
09-30-2021, 06:01 AM
Amusement flickered across her pale features at Jynn's surprise. Swimming and fishing had been as integral to survival as breathing, and walking; the water was her birthright. More than once she remembered tales of scuffles between her people and neighboring tribes as they impinged on their territories. She'd learned that she might face something similar here. Wolves in lands far beyond her home seemed more likely to settle down in one place and claim the land as their own, but she had a hard time imagining water trying to be claimed… and fortunately it seemed the inhabitants of this continent had an aversion to islands, as least that she'd seen thus far.
Nami wasn't too bothered by that. It meant more for her to explore, and fewer boundaries she had to worry about crossing.
"My people are fishers. It was how I was born and raised. I'm from the far north, where prey was often pretty scarce, but there were always fish to be found!" She admitted with a grin, shifting where she was lying to adjust her weight to the side. They were a fair distance from the komodo dragons but they still lurked, occasionally paying mind to them but mostly focused on their own existence. A few of them were sprawled out on the sand, sunbathing, while others prowled as if in search of food, slow and deliberate. None of them made any effort to come their way, fortunately for them all. She made another effort to take in her surroundings, noting how vastly the trees varied here, short and gnarled compared to the long, willowy pine trees of the other island they'd explored together.
Nami wasn't too bothered by that. It meant more for her to explore, and fewer boundaries she had to worry about crossing.
"My people are fishers. It was how I was born and raised. I'm from the far north, where prey was often pretty scarce, but there were always fish to be found!" She admitted with a grin, shifting where she was lying to adjust her weight to the side. They were a fair distance from the komodo dragons but they still lurked, occasionally paying mind to them but mostly focused on their own existence. A few of them were sprawled out on the sand, sunbathing, while others prowled as if in search of food, slow and deliberate. None of them made any effort to come their way, fortunately for them all. She made another effort to take in her surroundings, noting how vastly the trees varied here, short and gnarled compared to the long, willowy pine trees of the other island they'd explored together.