darkSpyro

Sybil continued to say quiet in her mind, believing Naga would be upset with so much noise and disruption in his own home. With a lucky break, Sybil managed to notice a small yet hollow tree trunk just inches away from the brush she was hiding in, perfect for an echo.
"Rose! Be quiet! Mr. Naga is near, and you're creating a scene in his own territory." Sybil warned, using the hollow trunk to drop her voice everywhere. It was as if she was doing ventriloquism, which was exactly what she needed to talk to Rose but at the same time keep her from spotting her.

"Yes, I know you know. Snow told you, didn't she?" Sybil replied from the hollow trunk, still concealing her location. She knew there was no other way for Rose to know what she was up to.
"Listen Rose. This is only temporary, alright? Mr. Naga is a Haven resident now and I have to help him. Please go." Sybil explained, wanting Rose to leave at once. She could feel extreme tension around, but she didn't know if it was coming from Rose or Naga.

With that comment, Sybil then remembered that Snow said something about an anaconda attacking her, and since she doubted Rose was going to leave right now, or that Naga was going to attack her in that predicament, she wanted to be the details of that event before Rose left.
"What happened to Snow? Tell me what happened..." Sybil asked, not coming out of her hiding place just in case Rose wanted to trick her. She knew about the python, so Sybil hoped Rose was smart enough to avoid speaking ill of serpents in general as she retold the story...

"No! Just leave Rose! Now!" Sybil ordered, then vowed to remain quiet if that's the way Rose was going to act. She understood her concern, but felt like the tiger didn't trust her judgement. She would have to hear the story later, for the activity between her and the python was still going. As much as she disliked the idea, if Rose refused to leave, she would have to the take the game further into the swamp, knowing that wherever she retreated, Naga would certainly follow.

Sybil wasn't sure what to do. She has heard from Snow how an anaconda supposedly attacked her, but after careful analysis, something did't seemed right. She knew a little about anacondas due to the impression they left on the traveling warblers back when they visited the Amazons, and based on their information, they sounded like they were even larger than Naga himself. If an anaconda really wanted to hurt someone like Snow, it would've done so without much difficulty and would've given Rose a very hard battle.

Leaving those thoughts aside for later, Sybil's patience with Rose was growing thin, and was pretty sure Naga's was too. She imagined the python didn't like his hunt to be interrupted, so wanting Rose to go, she showed herself to her.
"There now, you see? I'm fine! We did this yesterday too Rose, and I'm fine! Please, you can trust Mr. Naga! Now please leave! This is his home and you're being very disrespectful!" Sybil begged, uncomfortable with the situation. Naga never let his presence known to Rose, and suspected the python was simply waiting for the tiger to leave in order to resume his rudely interrupted hunt...

Sybil understood the tiger's concern very well, and hoped her words was enough for Naga to comprehend how valued and loved Sybil was by nearly everyone in the Haven.
"Don't worry Rose. I'll be alright. Mr. Naga is not a bad guy, just misunderstood. Now go on. Don't worry about me... remember that I've survived being hunted by orcas and a crocodile." Sybil said, whispering those last words. She was so proud of Rose for not trying to drag her away, and even for apologizing to Naga for the intrusion. Sybil was already used to being hunted, even if every occasion has been pretend, so it almost felt natural, except it was still scary with a python. But as she waited for Rose to leave, mentioning Crocux made her miss him again, and promised herself that if he ever returned, she was going to let him play and munch her to his heart's content... after a very severe scold that is.

Sybil knew that meant Lumos already gave the news of her activity with the python. She hoped Peepers could calm them down, since she knew too painfully well the loud, restless uproar those little birds could cause when alarmed. But everything aside again, Sybil resumed the game, hoping Naga didn't feel too offended or angry for having his precious hunting time interrupted yet again.
"So sorry about that Mr. Naga. Rose tends to overreact too often. I'll make it up to you soon, I promise." Sybil commented, though hoping he didn't ask for too much.
"Anyway, come on big guy. I doubt anyone will interrupt us now. Come on! I'm ready for you!" Sybil said, trying to sound very confident. She was prepared to use her ears instead of her eyes this time, and hoped she could dodge Naga this time, since he was probably very irritated now...

"Very well... now listen... listen and try to evade...," Naga said the voice getting closer and closer. "You have done well-- or at least as well as expected. And as I said--," he then added seemingly complimenting the civet leader again but rather preparing for an attack. The voice got even closer and possibly from a certain direction-- if Sybil could find the precise source. And with that-- he struck aiming from the direction of the nearby trees and preparing to once again curl the poor civet.

Sybil listened with her eyes closed, as Naga's eerie voice got closer. She acted as if her life depended on this dodge, but with such a thunderous echo, it was nearly impossible to pinpoint Naga's exact location, though she was glad that he at least tried to help her by talking. Still with her eyes closed, Sybil managed to hear Naga's brief hiss as he attacked, and knew she had less than a second to react. She jumped out of the way, managing to reach a whooping five feet in the air, probably the highest she has ever jumped in her life. As the ordeal went over, she couldn't know what happened, and didn't know if she either landed safely on the ground or in Naga's mighty jaws and about to be coiled and crushed for her failure...

As Naga prepared to strike and Sybil prepared to dodge-- the little civet leader managed to jump just out of range of his eager crushing coiling jaw. In fact-- if Naga had been absolutely serious about swallowing Sybil; it would have ended quite differently. However, the little bit of breathing room that he allowed was just enough for Sybil to slip out of his grasp and seemingly unharmed on the ground. "Open your eyes my dear civet...," the mysterious voice that could be nothing but Naga said. Looking at her-- you would think she had landed into his coiling jaws.

Sybil didn't dare to open her eyes, feeling she wouldn't be able to take the disappointment of failing to avoid Naga.
"I just... can't yet. I... you're too good of a hunter Mr. Naga. I may give you the trill, but not the challenge." Sybil said gloomily, not knowing what just happened. She tried to open her eyes, but only opened one, and she still saw darkness. Now that she thought of it, it was already dark out. The game got interrupted too many times, and she was still in that hateful swamp after the sun has set. She felt a pressure in her body for a moment, but she didn't know what was the source. She was too focused on trying to ignore what could be a disappointment that she wasn't paying too much attention to her surroundings...

OOC: Probably doesn't know how to continue. Let's give him some time. In the meantime, let's try to continue the story elsewhere.

While Sybil was engaged in her dangerous activity, the warblers and keas, now aware of everything, decided to divide themselves in two groups. One would go to Hunted island to ask Barloc for some help in finding a new prey for the humongous reptile, while the other half would try to find a food source right there at the Haven. Many of the birds agreed that the best option would be some kind of rodent. They would be just a mere snack for the giant snake, but rodents are fast moving and reproduced quick, so there is little to no chance of Naga bringing the species to extinction as he almost did with the unfortunate warblers. As the plan was put into motion, many of them, especially the warblers, were furious that they had to do this for an animal that was now their mortal enemy. The Haven natives were now practically slaves to this python, and felt that if they didn't do this, Naga would once again pursue them. But as those thoughts went around the mind of the majority of them, others were more worried about their beloved Mistress. She is literally risking her life every day to entertain an animal that could end her life in a matter of seconds if it chooses, something both admirable and foolish, and that was without even knowing that it was Sybil herself who suggested the outrageous idea.

Quote: Felines

Sybil didn't dare to open her eyes, feeling she wouldn't be able to take the disappointment of failing to avoid Naga.
"I just... can't yet. I... you're too good of a hunter Mr. Naga. I may give you the trill, but not the challenge." Sybil said gloomily, not knowing what just happened. She tried to open her eyes, but only opened one, and she still saw darkness. Now that she thought of it, it was already dark out. The game got interrupted too many times, and she was still in that hateful swamp after the sun has set. She felt a pressure in her body for a moment, but she didn't know what was the source. She was too focused on trying to ignore what could be a disappointment that she wasn't paying too much attention to her surroundings...

"Open your eyes my dear Civet.... I mean it... you made it.," Naga said once again wanting to see the Civet's reaction once she realized. Part of him was growing oddly fond for the civet leader-- perhaps because it gave him a purpose or perhaps because he was simply bored. In ether case... he found their current activities more intriguing then simply capturing the civet no effort involved.

Sybil slowly opened her eyes once Naga assured her that it was alright, and finally stopping to feel the middy ground confirmed the truthfulness of his words.
"Hey... oh... I did it? Yes! Finally! Hah! I finally did it! I knew all I needed was a little bit of practice!" Sybil said ecstatically, giving her the motivation to keep trying her success. She then looked at Naga to make sure it wasn't that he let her win.

"This is great! Let's try it again!" Sybil said happily, finally starting to lose her fear of being hunted down by the python, but after she looked around, she saw how dark it was, and that she really needed to go back.
"Oh, no, sorry, it's night already. If only we haven't gotten interrupted so many times." she lamented, and then looked at Naga, as if asking permission to leave. She was still after all, at his home and still at his mercy, and the civet wanted to show respect.

Naga nodded as if to give his consent. "Go-- you have more then a few things to attend to. It... it was a pleasure.," he then said.

Quote: redwes

Naga nodded as if to give his consent. "Go-- you have more then a few things to attend to. It... it was a pleasure.," he then said.

Sybil then took her leave, but as she quickly tried to reach home, she remembered something very important that couldn't wait for tomorrow;
"Wait Mr. Naga. There is something I should know..." Sybil asked, trying to choose the words right.
"Who was that wolf from earlier? And why did she brought Snow? There is no doubt in my mind she kidnapped her." the civet asked, not liking the wolf's presence at her beloved Haven. It was especially made worse when she hinted there was an entire pack of them.

"Ah... Anue. She-- she is an old acquaintance that I hadn't seen in some time. You see.. she.. she used to visit me and was a great distraction to Shadow and all that nasty business. As for why she brought Snow; she probably figured I was curious and I am-- to an degree. However... kidnapping the poor thing was never on the agenda. That.. that I can assure you of.," Naga responded wanting to make it clear that the wolf's actions were under no direct orders from him. He was seemly surprisingly honest about the whole thing. Still-- he wonders if the rest of the pack was there around.

Sybil was very good when it came to detect lies, and she could tell Naga was being truthful this delicate information.
"Alright then. Just, keep me in touch of her and her pack's activity please. I don't feel comfortable knowing there is a whole pack of wolves roaming around and not knowing what they're up to. After what happened with Shadow... well, you understand." Sybil explained, hoping Naga would understand, but most of all praying he didn't took offense in asking him to be practically a spy.

Naga simply nodded to the request. "Go... I'm sure the others need you now. And the last thing we need are more unexpected guests.," he then said growing weary of the time and knowing that Sybil's people would do anything to find her.

"I'm sure she'll be here any moment now...," Sayan said trying to reassure Rose.

"Alright... but remember you asked for it!," Hunter said speeding up and nearly knocking over his sister.

When Sybil prepared to leave, mentioning Shadow made her remember another important detail.
"Oh right. Before I forget, tomorrow Crystal is going to do the ritual needed to get rid of Shadow's spirit once and for all. So can we take a break from the game tomorrow? I'm not sure how long it will take, or if it will exhaust us." Sybil explained, believing Naga wouldn't have any objections to that. While it was true that ritual was tomorrow, Sybil did it mostly because she wanted a rest from the activity itself. Despite her newfound motivation, she wanted to be free of this intense game for a while.

"Alright-- and thank-you for informing me. That little bit of news... is good to hear.," Naga said with a nod. Part of him was relieved to hear that Shadow could possibly be truly gone once and for all.

Sybil was also happy that Shadow was going to be gone, since they have all been tormented long enough. She gave a nod and a smile to the python. Although she still held some resentment for devouring such a large number of her warbler friends, she was slowly growing appreciative of the python nonetheless.
"Tomorrow, hopefully, we are finally be free of his dastard influence. And I want to thank you for not letting yourself be manipulated by him. You turned out to be a really good friend." Sybil complimented with another smile, and without anything else to say, she waved him goodbye and gave a small bow, finally leaving for real this time. She knew that, even though Naga was probably growing a little too fond of the game, he, like most snakes, valued their alone time.

"Sorry sis!," Hunter said helping her up.

Despite Sybil's nocturnal visions, she took a few tumbles on her way home, but even with the setbacks, she reached the foliage she knew well. Although Sybil still didn't forgave what Naga has done, she believed that, with time, she could learn to forgive him.

While she headed to her tree, she decided to do a little detour and head to Sayan and Rose's den instead to let them know she was alright. She understood Rose's paranoia, but trusted she would understand eventually. Since she was going to be free tomorrow, she was going to spend time with the cubs and bond with them.

As Sybil was nearby, she heard with delight how the two cub siblings were playing. They seem to distracted to take notice of her, so she simply went on, distancing herself a bit so that she wouldn't interrupt them. She then reached Sayan's den, and Rose was just a few feet away from it.
"Good evening Rose. Is the night treating you well?" Sybil said with a serene smile, not wanting Rose to be left worried about her. It pained the civet to think how so many knew about her and they python's activity now, but fortunately, if the warblers were quick and successful with their search, she wouldn't have to bear such a game for long.

"Yes, I saw them." Sybil said with a smile, looking at the direction where the cubs were.
"Listen, I'm sorry if I made you worry. I know it's understandable, but please don't enter Mr. Naga's territory like that again. I know you don't like what I'm doing, but trust me, he isn't bad. A little mysterious and even mischievous, but he's no Shadow. Besides, this game is only temporary. We've been at it for a while and he hasn't hurt me." Sybil assured, wanting to give Rose some peace of mind. She kept to herself though how Naga was gradually toughening up his coils with each catch, but Sybil didn't want Rose to bust into his home again and make such a big deal out of it.

"If Mr. Naga doesn't allow it, then it can't be done. Come on Rose. Try not to worry so much. Mr. Naga isn't evil. What happened to the warblers was to an unfortunate lack of communication. But he doesn't want to hurt me. If he wanted to, he would've done so a long time ago." Sybil assured, not wanting Rose's unexpected visit to his territory to repeat itself again. Naga may not be evil, but Sybil could tell he was a rather impatient type, and she doesn't want her progress with him to be slowly erased by Rose's constant worry.

Sybil was glad to have a generation to run the Haven, for she knew that at this rate, she was never going to have offsprings of her own.
"Oh yeah, Snow told me about the anaconda. Impressive how you got her out of Hunted island. You'll have to tell me later how you did it, but later. I need the sleep." Sybil expressed, wishing there was a way for Naga to leave as well. Despite her growing friendship with the snake, Sybil knew he wasn't truly going to fit in after what happened with the warblers, especially since the few remaining lived in constant terror because of him.

"Anyway, I'll talk to Mr. Naga and I'll make sure I can convince him to meet with you. Just not tomorrow. We're taking a break. Remember also that tomorrow is the day Crystal will perform her ritual to get rid of Shadow once and for all. If she's successful, that is one less worry in our minds." she said with optimism, preparing to leave towards her tree to get the much sought out sleep she needed.

Sybil wanted to accept the offer, considering she could finally now sleep until late.
"Thanks Rose, but not tonight. After a while, I'm kinda missing the old tree." Sybil explained, declining the offer. She wasn't going to refuse the next time she was free from Naga's activity, but in the meantime, she missed the mossy interior of her tree, so that's where she headed. She was also kinda doing it to stay away from Rose, for the tiger has become too overprotiective, but Sybil knew that must be because of her new motherhood.

"Alright, I will..." Sybil replied with some reclutance, hoping the kids didn't started to play with her. She was too tired to do anything.

After reaching to where the cubs were rough housing, she bid her farewell.
"Good night Snow. Good night Hunter. See you two tomorrow. Sorry I couldn't keep my earlier promise, but tomorrow we'll play." Sybil assured, still feeling a little bad for practically choosing her activity with the python over her compromise to the little ones. But of course, she had her reasons. Now free from the dangerous game the next day, Sybil made her her priority to bond with the cubs as soon as Crystal's ritual was over.

Sybil rubbed against both cubs, really glad to see them.
"Now you be good now. See you tomorrow." Sybil said, as she tiredly made way to her tree and left the cubs to continue playing for a while longer.

The road seemed longer than usual, but she finally reached her beloved home. Peepers was nearby and about to talk to her, but seeing her so exhausted, he decided to save the matter for tomorrow. He was glad to see that she was unharmed, and was going to report to the rest of the warblers, who feared that if Sybil kept this insane game up, she wasn't going to return one day. But she, unlike them, was calmer now. She believed that finally, knowing how polite and benevolent Naga has been with both their meetings and the game, she could have the peace of mind she needed so much. She fell asleep almost immediately, and while she slept for a time, she then started dreaming about Naga again. This time, it was pleasant. She was happy, for her warbler friends succeeded in bringing an animal species that was sure going to give Naga the challenge he sought. And when she gave the news, Naga was indeed pleased and happy with the new prey. All was going well... but then... the dream turned nightmarish...