||The Legend of Taavi ||

|new creatures|

She didn't recognize these creatures.

There was never a time where Taavi didn't know what beings inhabited her jungle. It was a new feeling. Not territorial, no. That was Kerchak. Curiosity, most definitively.

The creatures tromped through her brush noisily, crushing living and dead foliage alike under their feet. At first, Taavi was sure they were elephants, from the furious uproar they caused. But they didn't look like elephants, and they didn't sound like elephants. They made fast-paced noises with their mouths, that sounded a bit like a bird call, but lower, and various pitch changes.

Taavi plastered her body to the vertical tree limb, breathing hard and feeling the rough, damp moss against her skin. She peered down at the intruders, squinting hard and desperately trying to make sense of their unfamiliar speech. They were communicating with each other, that was certain.

There were three of them. Taavi tried to think of animals that travelled in small family groups. Their fur coats were the most peculiar thing she had ever seen, for they didn't look like fur. They were of a multitude of shades, some parts were loose, and others were tight, with inconsistent patterns. They had ape-like hands, she had noticed, that were protected by some sort of hide, kind of like the leather Taavi used to cover herself.

Their manes came out from the top of their heads, which didn't seem to have any protection other than the brown, curved, plate-like exteriors on their heads. She noticed they had similar appendages, and sizes. The creatures were just a bit bigger than her. One of them was drastically larger than the other two. The leader, no doubt. He lead the way, whacking the plants in front of him with a strange looking spear.

Taavi slid down the tree trunk and dropped to the jungle floor, bending her knees so that she landed soundlessly. Crouching into her basic ape stance, she slowly moved towards the path were the animals would soon pass. She hid behind a rather large Nepenthes Genus plant to conceal her body from vision.

Still noisily crashing through the tropical verdure, the beasts passed her without a stray glance, and Taavi got her first good look at them.

The leader's skin was that of a peach rind, flushed and flesh. He seemed very aggressive, and Taavi made note not to ever challenge this one if she could help it. The smallest of the three was covered in fur, practically, other than small areas on his face. It was shorter, and quite stout, and had trouble keeping up with the dominant.

Then came the last one, which trailed behind the first two. It was a bit larger than Taavi, with a nicely groomed, brown mane than came down to the base of his neck. His skin was clear of fur other than eyebrows. He seemed very distracted and was marking something down in a square object he held in his hand.

Taavi knew too well not to approach them, for they outnumbered her. She couldn't near the leader. His immense size would surely overtake her. The creature that trailed behind them looked interesting, and his lack of defense seemed like the easiest way to investigate. She reminded herself that she meant these creatures no harm, as they have not yet posed a threat to any life in the jungle. She also remembered that if the time ever came where they did, she was a trained huntress, and used her strengths well.

As the creatures passed, Taavi climbed back in the tree, and followed the small herd, in hopes of reaching their territory.

Her hopes had been fulfilled. However, their habitat was the strangest thing Taavi had ever experienced. There were...things, objects she had never before laid eyes on in her life. They didn't look particularly dangerous, but completely foreign, which was nearly as terrifying.

She hung from a thick tree limb, covered by a sheet of vines. After watching the creatures behaviors for three sun shifts, Tavvi got bored, and made note of where their camp was located, in means of finding it again soon. She swiftly jumped from branch to branch, using sturdy vines to slingshot her way through the tropical African jungle, headed home.

Venturing back into familiar vegetation, Taavi quickly found Terk, who was eating a papaya for his meal.

"Terk!" she cried excitedly, dropping down from above, in front of her best friend and also cousin.

Terk jumped backwards and dropped his fruit. Grumbling, he scrambled to pick his food back up. "Watch it, Taavi." He warned, and then became curious. "What is it?"

"Terk," she began quietly, leaning in closer. "There are new creatures here."

Terk's eyes widened, "New? Here? How new? How here?"

Taavi waved her arms and shushed him, "I've never seen them before in my life." She replied, breaking off a papaya from the tree from which Terk had gotten his.

"What kind of animals are they?" Terk inquired, chewing in anticipation.

Taavi shook her head, "I don't know."

"What did they look like?"

"They're big, but not as big as us." Taavi began. "They have small manes, and they stand upright, using their hind legs to stand."

"Not many creatures stand upright, other than us." Terk said meaningfully.

"They're not us. They have strange coats, and one of them didn't even have hair on his face."

"How many?"

"Three. There weren't any more at the camp."

Terk choked on his food and made a sound of surprise. "You went into their territory? Are you crazy?"

"Only to look. They didn't see me."

Terk relaxed a bit, but still furrowed his brow and stuck out his lips.

Taavi wrung her rough hands nervously. "And...they kind of look like me."

Terk looked up at her, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that they looked like they could be...I don't know...related to us."

"Oh."

"Should I tell Kerchak?"

"Not unless you want them dead. You know how Kerchak is."

"What about Kala?"

Terk thought about it, then shook his head. "Not yet. I would learn more about them if I were you. But don't get too close. You don't know if they're dangerous."

Taavi smiled, and leaned forward. "Would you come with me?"

"No," Terk said simply. Taavi groaned, knowing that once her cousin set his mind to something, there was nothing you could do to change his mind.

She was on her own.