Thread: [CLOSED] Pulp Inc. Presents: Thrilling Tales of the New Continent! [Deante & Lasciel]

At the mention of the first expedition, Omani's eyes warily drifted back the direction Siona and Lerron had come, and the fur along her spine had climbed, her tail stilling. Then the topic had changed, and she eagerly latched onto the question, and the sight of the coins, her eyes lighting the disks' shine. The beach is safe, but if you do not walk at night, best not to cross till morning. Kanjalli keeps out any threat that touchs its waters. Anything that could not, well, you would be no safer on the other side. She paused, then laughed. Forgive me. Few true dangers will roam this far unless brought. It is the deeper you go inland, the scarier it is. Pointing down at her crude drawing, she tapped the curve of the h. That's why we go no higher than here, and why we praise Kanjalli so. Protection. Though other tribes say we are fools for living at a spirit's feet. The ocelot spread her hands in a shrug. A faint bird call made her ear flick, and her eyes turned towards the foilage, but she didn't stop talking. I will ask if I may take you to find your people, or if not me, someone else. We usually hunt at night, and I would have missed you but I came looking for crabs before the tide came in. Lerron's stomach interrupted with a ferocious growl, then the badger pointed across the river at the fruit tree. Can those be eaten? He asked Omani, then at Siona to relay. Those are waterbellies. Eat one, no trouble. Eat two, and you may need to find a bush a few hours early. But after three, you will be running to the bushes all day. The juice is safe though, we use it in a lot of thibgs. She gestured up the riverbank on their side. Up ahead are some just past the fallen log. Bury the peeling though, or the gnats will fall in love with you. A good thing to leave beside a sleeping brother, if he liked to pull your tail, she added to Siona, flashing a felone grin. When Siona agreed to stay put for the night, Omani warmed about a particularly aggressive species of centipede, and a nocturnal venomous snake that liked any ground warmed by the days sun, like the beach. Fortunately it avoided any threats if it could, so one had to only watch their step. Lerron could in fact fashion a better than serviceable shelter, even with no tools. And just in time a light rain started as they were finishing. The badger was respectful but the small accomodations still left them half tangled together by morning. Morning brought not Omani but an older and far quieter male. He at least identified himself as Romandi, and despite his wariness of them, offered a breakfast of berries, nuts, and a root mash sweetened with waterbelly juice, still warm from the pot. Thought he only had the one bowl, forcing her and Lerron to pass it back and forth. Crossing Kanjalli was uneventful, Romandi tossing in a bright bead before wading in without breaking stride, and tossing on the two coins without preamble proved to bring no unexpected events. They still combed the beach, looking for any signs, and spotted a half-submerged crate swaying in the ride, stuck on a sandbar. Other ship detritus began appearing with more frequency. Romandi did answer questions posed, although not as forthcoming as the other ocelot. He moved with clear stealth and skill, his eyes and ears always on the jungle A mile and a half from the river, they crested a rocky outcropping and the bay revealed itself. The vegetation had been beaten back, and they could see a rudimentary floating dock taking shape, people moving about in clear activity. Some half-mile out in the water, a barrier island of sand had accumulated around rock that jutted out of the sea. A healthy portion of the capsized HMS Horizon Skimmer listed terribly, shattered across the stone. A team of otters ferried surviving cargo on makeshift rafts, while another group of figures took hatchets and pry bars to the wreckage. These are your tribe then, Romandi said, already easing back towards the foliage. Waste of good construction, Lerron mourned he watched the ship dismantled. Plenty of building material, though. Ah well. Looks like theres lots of work to do. Eager to be productive, he trotted off to find a good place to start.