The final frontier (and some stops inbetween)

"Oh, well that can be arranged." Joe grinned. "Although, yes, it can be quite a mind blower - not literally." he added for in case. "Depending on where you start and how much there is to see, one of the things you might feel is... lost and alone at the expanse of darkness around. It gets better though once you're out of the solar system."

At Sinrah's question they answered,
"Our world changes a lot throughout the year. One part is cold, another is hot and it changes almost instantly."
"We have three suns, but one is so small that it's more like a moon and doesn't give much heat or light. That's when it gets really cold."
"Most of the surface is covered in water and we have floating islands of land. Because of the two suns the days can change from very hot to mild to hot again in one day. If the second sun is closer then it usually rains for some reason."
"Other than that it's very tropical with large areas of ice lands. We don't have any hot deserts though."
"For all these reasons our species have had to be very adaptable and our females travel a lot to other places across the planet, collecting-" he had to think how to explain DNA to Sinrah, "uh, samples from other creatures to get the best pieces, you might say, that will determine how her offspring will look. Once they are satisfied they return to their husbands and have children."
"Nowadays though the females and even males travel out in space to get even more samples and thus our species has no "template" or looks the same as another. We have to determine if someone is our kind by smell."
Quain chuckled, "Children rarely look like their parents. It can get quite confusing sometimes."
 
Lost? Alone? Expanse of darkness? Sinrah couldn't help but shiver at these words. She's never experienced what it felt like to be all alone. Her tribe was a group of close members that were supposed to support you. In space, no one would support you but your crew and yourself. The feeling must have been wrecking.
Then she caught what Joe said. It could be arranged? Did that mean...Her eyes went wide at the suggestion. She would leave her tribe? Sinrah wouldn't be the first Nythen to travel through space but she would definitely be one of the few. What would life be like? How would she survive? All these questions gnawed at her mind greatly...could she leave? Would she leave? The question burned inside her head.

Deciding to ignore it for now, she listened to them describe their world. Her mind was filled with the image. For the parts she didn't understand, she simply filled in the blanks as best as she could.

Quiet for a moment, she finally said. "I...am amazed. I don't know what more to say. But..." She looked at them carefully. "You would really bring me up there?"

Suddenly her head perked up. Normal humans wouldn't have picked it up, but a faint whistle sounded throughout the air. "Hold on." She reached into a small bag that hung around her hip. Taking out a small conch-like item, she blew into the small end of it, making an almost identical whistle noise. There was a pause between the two whistles before a deeper sound echoed towards them. "Stay behind. It's the tribe protectors. I will talk with them." She limped up ahead and disappeared into the fog and awaited her Nythen tribe members to arrive.
 
For a moment Joe thought he might have overdone the darkness part and how it could feel to be out there. Then again, that's what you got for not being able to lie at all. She seemed intrigued by being able to go though.

Quain answered her question with enthusiasm, "Of course!" and shrugged, "We travel a lot and it won't be a problem to bring you back home again, we just alter our route a bit." then the honesty kicked in again, "Barring any attacks from pirates it might take a bit longer, but it can still be done."

For a second Quain thought she was going to ask about their proposal, but it seemed she had heard something else. Then they heard the deeper sound and looked in the direction.

Tribe protectors, okay, no problem there. They nodded and waited patiently for Sinrah to return.

You think she's going to take up the offer? Joe asked his brother mentally while poking at a stray pebble with his foot.
I have no idea. She looks interested though. Quain shrugged.
Joe smiled mischievously, Janu would probably be glad if she does.
Quain snorted and smiled.
 
"Sinrah, I'm glad you're here." A male dropped down from a tree branch quietly, staring intensely at her with his violet eyes. His eyes eventually traveled to her injured leg and he casually lifted an eyebrow. "Sinrah?"
"I'm fine, Jaryd." Sinrah dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Just got into some trouble with some Siriks."
"Ah, bachelor tribe, correct?" He stood up straight from crouching, the blades hanging off his 6'2'' body'' swinging gently. "How'd you manage to fight them off?"
Before Sinrah could answer, a smaller female fell from the tree. Not as quiet as Jaryd and Sinrah due to her not being as experienced as her. An axe-like weapon was strapped onto her back. Hardly the weapon for a person who wanted to be stealthy. Sinrah and Jaryd shook her head at her.
"Ina, hello." Sinrah welcomed.
"The elder is looking to seek an audience for you! You prolonged your hunting session!" She squeaked back.
Sinrah lifted a finger to her lips and pressed it against them. "Quiet. You speak too loud."
Ina drew back, embarrassed by her mistake. Sinrah turned to Jaryd.
"I will go to the elder. Go on, I'll catch up." Sinrah tried to wave them away. Ina nodded and trotted off noisily.

Both Jaryd and her watched the young one go back to the large gate barrier that surrounded their tribe city. When her footsteps could no longer be heard by them, Jaryd turned towards her, watching her. Sinrah shifted a little under his stare. Jaryd's gaze had a way of making her feel uncomfortable...it was just very cold and seemed to bore holes into your skin.
"Well?" Sinrah said. She didn't want him seeing Joe and Quain. He was known for being more prone to violence than other Nythen in the tribe. She didn't want him hurting her new companions.
"Well what?" He snapped. "You're injured, I'm not leaving your side."
"I'm fine, Jaryd."
"I'm not leaving your side."
"I'm fine. Jaryd!"
Jaryd narrowed his eyes at her. Sinrah calmly met his gaze again, though a nervous coil of anxious butterflies began to flutter in her belly. "I think," He said harshly, taking a step closer to her. "You're hiding something, Sinrah." He said her name more menacingly. He took yet another step towards her. By reflex and instinct, her hand hovered over her wrists to where she housed her killing blades.
Jaryd chuckled, sending needles of slight fear to prickle on Sinrah's skin. "You know it is unwise to draw a weapon on me, because we both know what the outcome will be between us..."

Sinrah knew all too well what the outcome would be.
 
((Ooooooohhh... I have an idea. I hope it doesn't interfere with your plan))

Standing quietly was easy enough, until the "pebble" at Joe's foot moved on it's own. He didn't notice it though until it scampered over one of his tails and continued in chaotic circles. He looked down and saw the pebble with hundreds of little legs and what seemed to be antennae sticking out the front.
"Hmm?" he bent down to inspect it and this time poked it gently with a finger.
The little critter was very agitated by now and when Joe's face was close enough it blasted him with a fine spray, instantly causing his face armour to come out in defence. Quain stifled a laugh as his brother jumped up and let the armour go back again.

Unfortunately some of the spray got into his nose and it began to itch. He knew what was going to happen now, and Quain's expression fell as he realised it too. Before either of them could try to stop it, Joe let out a heartfelt sneeze that echoed into the near distance.

The twins looked at each other, Joe still with his hands covering his nose, Think anyone heard that?
 
((Nope, it doesn't! Actually ties in quite nicely.))

Jaryd's ears twitched at the sound. "Hm? Did you hear that?"
Every curse word Sinrah knew was going through her head right now. "Ah..."
Jaryd stared into the distance behind her. He was deathly quiet. "You're hiding something." He didn't ask it, he stated it.
"Jaryd..." Sinrah said softly.

It was strange. She could fight Saiprocs, Siriks, and other predators to defend her tribe with little fear. And yet, here was one of her own and she was afraid of him. Sinrah didn't know why this was. The way Jaryd simply carried himself with such brooding cold nature and with a piercing glance that would slice deeper and thicker than any other blade. His way of speaking was straight-forward and to the point, as if he could see things even if they were hidden. He truly did scare Sinrah and some of the other tribe-members. What was more scary was that he insisted on being Sinrah's partner from time to time...for whatever reason.

Jaryd pulled out his twin daggers, casually turning them so they glinted in the light. "Sinrah, it's unwise to to hide things from the tribe..." He turned it at an angle that made the light shine directly in Sinrah's eye. She winced at it. "...and from me."
"Jaryd...NO!"
Jaryd leaped behind her, daggers drawn directly at Joe and Quian. Thinking fast, Sinrah tackled him, leaving his jump short but not short enough to conceal Joe and Quian. Jaryd grunted, feeling pain shoot through his side, but he flashed a devilish grin at Joe and Quian when he saw them.
"Well, Sinrah...you are hiding something, aren't you?"

Dammit.
 
The twins waited in apprehension for anything to happen, like that silent moment before the storm. As a precaution they called up their awareness again, Joe's focusing more in the direction that Sinrah had gone which enabled more distance and Quain had his more like a pool around them.
They heard Sinrah's voice and felt someone with weapons drawn leap in their direction. Both jumped back as a precaution, but didn't draw their own weapons.

"Hey, woah!" Joe exclaimed in surprise.
Upon seeing Jaryd, they immediately disliked him... maybe it was his expression, or perhaps the sound of his voice. Quain noticed something was off with Sinrah. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she felt different.
Hands raised, Joe tried to reason with the male warrior, "Look, we're not here to cause trouble. We're just merchants and we have some things for trade." he said calmly.
Remembering what Sinrah had told them before, "-and gifts." Quain added, keeping his eye on Jaryd.

The twins tried, but they really couldn't shake off the feeling of dislike and even distrust for this guy.
 
Jaryd raised a sarcastic eyebrow, treating the twins with his sharp stare. "Merchants? Really. I wonder what you have to trade..." He glanced at Sinrah, who had tackled Jaryd and was clutching his waist. "Sinrah, please..." He roughly pushed her off.

Sinrah got off and jumped to her feet and gingerly touched the area where Jaryd had shoved her. His touch was probably even scarier than his stare. Always, his hands seemed to leave a burning sensation whenever he felt her skin and she couldn't help but rub it gently. Sinrah hated being scared of Jaryd for he was just another member of her tribe. Why should she be scared of him? And yet, she couldn't help it.

"Sinrah," His cold voice caught her attention. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill them where they stand." A thin finger traced the edge of the blade lightly, as to not cut himself.
"They're merchants. They're not here to fight, they're here to trade." Sinrah explained, hoping he would understand.
Jaryd cast a quick glance at them before returning it back to the female warrior. "And you led them here, I assume?"
Sinrah winced. "Yes."
"Oh, I see. You purposefully led two strangers to our tribe." He smiled at her, sending freezing coils through her chest.
"I already said they're not here to fight, Jaryd. They're here to trade. That's all. That's all." Sinrah had to fight to keep her voice from taking on a pleading tone.
Jaryd chuckled darkly, his chest bouncing up and down. He turned to the twins, weapons out but relaxed. "Fine, fine. Merchants are not a big threat I suppose." He then smiled at the twins. "I'll be walking along with Sinrah due to her injury. Surely, you will not mind...?"
 
The question Jaryd posed was most likely rhetoric, but Quain answered it anyway, "Good stuff, I assure you." he had to be careful not to sound sarcastic himself. Both of them watched the two tribe members carefully, and noticed the body language. She was definitely scared of this guy, which probably meant he was either an important figure, or a bully.

Joe had his own comment to Jaryd's question, Because you'll have a hard time doing it? Thankfully he relayed this mentally to his brother only, which made him twitch the corner of his mouth in a quick half-smirk. Jaryd didn't know about their armour.

From his words, it confirmed the bully part. Was he afraid of someone potentially more powerful than him? Bullies usually were, which was why they always made others feel inferior. Still, they didn't know much about him, or his people and how their hierarchy worked. Maybe this was all normal.
"Oh we don't mind if she doesn't." Joe answered his question, and it was an honest one.

Quain pressed a button on his wrist device to activate the hoverboards' following mechanism again. He had to admit he was looking forward to this Jaryd's reaction to their gifts that they were bringing, being the hides, claws and horns of Siriks and all.
"Shall we?" He smiled.
 
((Sorry, I'm going to skip ahead a little to where they're walking to the entrance of the tribe-city))

The four walked towards Yanraht in the thick fog. Sinrah wanted to place the twins between her and Jaryd, but didn't want to put them next to the dangerous male. So she forced herself to walk next to him, feeling his icy aura stab needles into her skin. Jaryd was mildly impressed with what they were bringing, stating that they "weren't ignorant after all". So they walked with the goods in tow towards the entrance.
"You're not one to get injuries, Sinrah. You usually fight well." He murmured into her ear.
Sinrah shivered. "It was just a mistake."
"A mistake?" He seemed taken aback. "A mistake is what will kill you, dear protector. We wouldn't want to have that now..."
Sinrah said nothing, trying to focus on walking.

Piercing through the fog, huge gates appeared with equally large walls rounding on both sides. The gates were carved expertly with careful precision and entwined with vines, making it seem as though it was one with nature. Two Nythen caught sight of them and one of them reached to open the gate but stopped when he saw the twins. Sinrah motioned for them to continue to open it, which they eventually did. Jaryd stood stiff and silent during all of this.
As the gates opened, Sinrah turned to the twins. "This...is Yanraht. My tribe." She said, almost smiling. But her smiled disappeared when Jaryd loomed over her shoulder, smiling at the Joe and Quain again.
"Please, enjoy your stay, dear merchants. We love visitors."

The last sentence was said with venomous sarcasm. It was obviously a lie.
 
((No problem ;) ))

Is it just me, or are we not the only ones who don't like this guy? Quain asked his brother mentally.
Hah. Think he's got interest in her and she doesn't think the same? Maybe that's why she doesn't like him?
Dunno, but overall I think we should watch out for him. Lets keep our awareness open.
Waaay ahead of you.
Joe said with a wink.

The twins were impressed with what they saw, and were glad that Sinrah had found them first. Otherwise trying to talk to these people was probably going to be very tough.
Both of them caught her sense of pride, and the fact that she was willing to welcome them meant a lot. Before they could say anything though, Jaryd again made his presence known.

His words made the spikes on their back tingle. Still, despite his icy endevour they both grinned brilliantly and turned their attention to Sinrah instead,
"We are both humbled,"
"-and honoured." they said.

And the quicker we can get out of here, the better.
 
Yanraht. A tribe like a city.

There were many large huts, showing Nythen inside eating at restaurants or drinking at bars. Some places had young men and boys train and fight with others. Nythen turned and stared at the twins as they walked pass before turning back around, pretending to not have seen them. Sinrah stopped outside a large hut and turned to the twins.
"I'm going to go inside. I'll have to do it alone, since the healers won't allow any guests for the patients." Her eyes darted from the twins to Jaryd. She didn't feel comfortable leaving them out with Jaryd alone but she had no choice. Be safe. She thought quietly before entering.

Jaryd leaned back on the side of a hut with his arms crossed. "Hmph. I don't see why I can't visit her. She'll obviously need my company."

((Sorry for shortness again! I kind of wanted this part to be a little "bonding time" with Jaryd and Joe and Quain and then they'll learn more about Sinrah's life in the tribe, if you don't mind.))
 
((It's fine, let's see what we can do with it ;) ))

They followed silently and as the tribes people stared every now and then they returned their glances in a non-threatening way. The place looked interesting and there was a feeling of a close knit community about the place. They didn't see much in the way of technology so far, but then again they were only seeing the outside.

"No problem." Joe replied to Sinrah as he nodded and watched her go in.
Jaryd's comment puzzled the twins a bit. Now he seemed to be protective of her, or was he obsessed to some degree? Eventually Quain couldn't help but ask:
"So what's the story between you and Sinrah?" he tilted his head sideways and then added with a shrug, "If I may ask."
 
Jaryd shot them a hard look at Quain's question. "Hmph, didn't think you would want to know such information." He said harshly at them, but eventually softened and shrugged. "Huh. If you really want to know. I'm here to always maintain that Sinrah is trying to get above me. It tests her. I've been doing it ever since we met five years ago." He crossed his arms.
"I know you think my methods are harsh. Everyone does. I know I scare Sinrah. I know very well. But I like to scare her because it tests her even more. It ensures her abilities are always being evaluated. However, when Sinrah goes out to hunt by herself, I cannot test her so I hope that she shows me somehow that she's improved." He shrugged again. "Today, she failed. She got hurt. If I was there..." He shot them another hard look.

"Now, being the ignorant people you are, I'm sure you'll want to know why. Everyone does."
 
((GAH! My apologies for taking so long to reply >.<... ))

They both raised an eyebrow at his response; they couldn't help that they were the curious type.
As Jaryd explained, they listened carefully. Here and there they would either nod, shrug or furrow their eyebrows slightly but still not interrupt. It definitely changed their perspective a bit and Quain was quite glad he had asked.

Oh, ignorant. Joe said to his brother in a mock harsh voice.
Quain held Jaryd's gaze for a second before replying, "Well, we can either guess that you're preparing her for something," by your own will or because you were instructed to." Or we can just ask you and get a straight answer and not waste your time." Otherwise we can make our own 'ignorant' assumptions, seeing as we're not from around here and have no clue as to your social structuring." they answered him plainly.

"On another note though, we've seen her fighting and she's very skilled. Sure she got a scratch but she's still alive."
Joe nodded, "If it weren't for her guiding us and her skills we probably would have ended up in a lot of trouble."
"Or dead." they added.
 
((No problems! Take your time.))

Jaryd shrugged. "Hmph. That's all I will say."

Sinrah came out again with bandages wrapped tightly around her leg. Inside, a female's voice yelled something at her. Turning her head around, Sinrah yelled back before shutting the door closed. She eyed Jaryd while walking up to the twins. "The leader will want to meet you and then you can trade." Silently she added to herself Then maybe I could leave...
She turned to Jaryd. "Well, thanks for, eh, accompanying us. You can leave, we don't want to be a bother."
Jaryd raised an eyebrow. "Hm? You want me to leave."
Sinrah swallowed hard. "Well, um..."
"You really expect me to leave you alone with them." He pointed at Joe and Quain. "No."

Sinrah shot the twins an apologetic look. Sorry... She said to them in her mind, even if they couldn't hear her.

((Sorry for that. You'll find out about why Jaryd's an ass soon.)
 
Joe rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly. Sheesh, bet he's fun at parties. Not.
What's his problem anyway? Quain asked rhetorically.

When Sinrah returned they smiled a welcome.
"Great. Let's go then." Joe said with optimism in his voice.
They really hoped Jaryd would take the hint and leave, but as expected he didn't. Neither of them appreciated his attempt at using their presence as a threat to Sinrah though, and Quain spoke up, taking a step towards Jaryd,
"Look, jerk. We came all this way with her and if we wanted to hurt or kill her we would have had plenty of opportunity to try. We're doing our best to be hospitable and even left our ship out there so as not to seem threatening to your people." he didn't break eye contact for a second, didn't even blink. Even Joe was a little surprised at his brother's anger and could feel the heat of it. Not to mention the colour of Quain's back and tails' spikes were turning a deeper red colour. Because of their strong mental bond his spikes did the same even though he wasn't as angry.
"So why don't you take your holier-than-thou attitude and buzz off!" Quain said through clenched teeth.

((Heheh, it will indeed be interesting to find out the reason.))
 
((Oooh, Quain just laid down the thundaaa on Jaryd, haha.))

Jaryd narrowed his eyes at Quain and opened his mouth slowly to say something but quickly shut it again. He shrugged nonchalantly and began to walk off, though let his cold gaze settle on Sinrah for a moment as he passed by her. She quickly averted her eyes and he left, disappearing behind the corner of a building.
Sinrah let out a breath and breathed deeply to let her heartbeat slow down. "Thank you. Very much. Sorry about him...Follow me, please. I'll tell you more about him."

They passed more buildings, some smaller than others with others being very large. As they began traveling closer to the tribe-city square, more businesses began to crowd the areas besides the path. Many Nythen still stared at Joe and Quain as they passed, with some younger ones crying out and pointing at them. Their mothers quickly shushed them and pulled them aside.

"Jaryd is...a very scary person." Sinrah said, pushing aside a merchant who wanted to sell her jewelery. "He's always watching me with his cold eyes and judging me. I also know why. He wants me to be his wife." She paused, stopping for a quick second before resuming walking. "He believes that only the most fit women are worthy to bear his children. He thinks I am somewhat worthy and he's training me to, well, be his wife." She shivered at the idea. "He's already given me gifts of marriage and I always turn them down. I think that caused him to hate me as well as want me."

The trio reached the square, where in the middle a stature of a warrior stood proud, decorated with the teeth and marks of his kills. It sat in the middle of a large clean pool, where people milled and lingered around. Across from the statue stood a medium-sized house, painted with elaborate patterns and colors. Different colored smoke drifted from holes in the roof.

"That's the leader's house." Sinrah commented.
 
((Bwahahaha... that was what I was hoping for. I'm not sure if Quain did but he really wanted to speak his mind. He asked me nicely.))

Quain kept his gaze on Jaryd up until he was out of sight. Only then did he relax and his tails twitched like a spring under tension.
Well, if you wanted to tick him off then you sure got top marks. Joe commented, some caution in his voice.
Psch. At least he's gone. Quain huffed through his nose.
For now, anyway.

"You're welcome." he said to Sinrah in a calm voice. "Thought you might need a break." and then smiled a bit.

Again they quietly followed Sinrah, taking in the surrounding sights and sounds. It was always interesting to them how no matter how different the planets you visited for the first time were, the people's reaction was always the same... well, if the natives weren't used to visitors of course. It was one of those unwritten Universal Laws... like duck tape (or otherwise known as blackbox tape). Each race had their own version of it, but all in all it could hold a ship together no matter the make or model. They knew this from experience.

Their eyes widened and they glanced at each other with something like horror in their expression. "His wife?" their voices echoed their surprise. Right, so their guess was right in a way... but for marriage? What kind of relationship would that be? Certainly not a happy one.
"So, do all the males do this kind of thing?" Joe asked. "Or is he the only one being an ass about it?" he added with some humour.
"We've seen that happen. The girls play hard to get to entice the guys more. Granted this is a different situation, but the effect is the same."
Joe chuckled,"Remember when Hellek did that with you? Had you as confused as a nule in a thunderstorm."
"Yeah, too bad I didn't get it and she got bored."
"Meh. She smelled wrong anyway."

"Nice."
Joe said as they arrived, admiring the architecture.
"Is that statue of him?" Quain asked, jabbing his thumb towards it.
 
((Bwahahaha... that was what I was hoping for. I'm not sure if Quain did but he really wanted to speak his mind. He asked me nicely.))

Quain kept his gaze on Jaryd up until he was out of sight. Only then did he relax and his tails twitched like a spring under tension.
Well, if you wanted to tick him off then you sure got top marks. Joe commented, some caution in his voice.
Psch. At least he's gone. Quain huffed through his nose.
For now, anyway.

"You're welcome." he said to Sinrah in a calm voice. "Thought you might need a break." and then smiled a bit.

Again they quietly followed Sinrah, taking in the surrounding sights and sounds. It was always interesting to them how no matter how different the planets you visited for the first time were, the people's reaction was always the same... well, if the natives weren't used to visitors of course. It was one of those unwritten Universal Laws... like duck tape (or otherwise known as blackbox tape). Each race had their own version of it, but all in all it could hold a ship together no matter the make or model.

Their eyes widened and they glanced at each other with something like horror in their expression. "His wife?" their voices echoed their surprise. Right, so their guess was right in a way... but for marriage? What kind of relationship would that be? Certainly not a happy one.
"So, do all the males do this kind of thing?" Joe asked. "Or is he the only one being an ass about it?" he added with some humour.
"We've seen that happen. The girls play hard to get to entice the guys more. Granted this is a different situation, but the effect is the same."
Joe chuckled,"Remember when Hellek did that with you? Had you as confused as a nule in a thunderstorm."
"Yeah, too bad I didn't get it and she got bored."
"Meh. She smelled wrong anyway."

"Nice."
Joe said as they arrived, admiring the architecture.
"Is that statue of him?" Quain asked, jabbing his thumb towards it.