Daniel stood in front of his kill, snarling at the dire wolf alpha. He brandished his knife in front and his spear was held in his other hand at his side, blood still dripping from the tip. "K'om Fiiq, da'ren mel Alfas." The alpha stepped in front of Daniel, looking down at him. Daniel backed up a step, looked at his kill and back at the giant wolf. He was still far too weak to even dream of fighting the gargantuan canine. Yelling in anger, he sheathed his knife and grabbed the elk's severed head and stepped away from the corpse.

The wolf seemed to smirk before leaning down and tearing a chunk out of the elk. The rest of the pack came one by one to feast on the elk, taking turns in order of their relative positions in the pack. Daniel was already gone, angry at himself for his cowardice and angry at the wolf for showing him how weak he was. He was barely paying attention to his surroundings as he ran towards his cave. He didn't notice the root until his foot caught it, sending Daniel hurtling down a hill. He hit the dirt hard and rolled until his midsection hit a sapling at the bottom, driving the air from his lungs.

Daniel lay there, groaning in the dirt for a few minutes before standing slowly and brushing himself off. He looked up to see what looked like an eroded Mayan pyramid. He picked up the dirt covered elk head by an antler and began ascending the pyramid. It looked like there was an entrance at the top. 'Here's to hoping there's some clothes there. Daniel's gi was shredded at this point. It was more a skirt than anything else at this point. The only intact piece left was his black belt that held his knife holster… Daniel grumbled to himself and stomped down the pyramid. Spending five minutes looking for his tusk knife that he finally found embedded in the ground under a bush.

He trudged up the pyramid once more, senses peeled for any sign of danger. Finally, after what seemed like hours of climbing to Daniel's weary mind, he made it to the door. He peered into the blackness and tried to see what was inside. The only thing immediately visible was a staircase spiraling down to a giant hall. The far wall was barely illuminated but Daniel could see what looked like a huge bas relief of a massive cat? Stepping into the pyramid, he began descending the stairs. His footsteps echoed in the silence, even his breathing was amplified. Daniel felt like he was intruding on something sacred, like a grave, but he couldn't stop himself from investigating this place.

When Daniel's foot finally touched the floor at the bottom, he felt the Qi in the air stir and suddenly torches flared to life in the hall. Skeletons littered the ground of the ancient banquet hall. Golden goblets and silver plates littered the ground around the dusty skeletons of people and beasts. It seemed they were all running away from something. All of the skeletons were missing limbs, heads or legs. A few were bisected diagonally or at the waist. Daniel walked forward and examined the bodies. Their skulls were weird in the fact that they weren't human. They had longer eye teeth and they were all just a bit too tall. He compared his hand to one of the skeletal hands, they had much longer fingers with an extra joint.

Standing up and brushing his knees off, he looked down at the elk head in his hand. Daniel sighed 'the meat is probably ruined by now. I can still use the skull and antlers though.' He looked around at the great hall, as he was now calling it. 'This could be a new home if one of these rooms lead to a bedroom. Surprisingly, these tables haven't collapsed or the skeletons haven't disappeared. The dust wouldn't be so thick if this was recent.' He shook his head. 'Priorities, kid.' Daniel walked over to one of the banquet tables and set down the elk head. He then grabbed a large silver bowl and a giant plate. 'I wonder if they had servants bringing in roasted boars on these plates. Do they even have apples here?'

He started stacking as many of the fancy dinnerware and jewelry that he could in piles near the head of the room at the foot of a stone throne. Oddly enough, it wasn't adorned at all, just plain hard stone. He could see where hands had worn away at the chair's armrest. The dark rock polished and smooth where many hands had rubbed away the sharp edges. In spite of how stressful his new life had been and how many new scars adorned his darkened skin, Daniel smiled. This was evidence that there might be people, there was history here! As ugly as surviving was, he could admire the beauty here, at this moment. Daniel spent a few hours stacking up all the new possessions of his and running back to his cave to gather his old things. Some, he left behind like his skull bowl. But he made sure to bring his hair rope, tusk spear, hides and firewood stash.

As night fell, Daniel finally stepped into his new home in a side room of the banquet hall. He finally had a functioning door again. Daniel took a moment to chuckle at how easy to please he was. Here he was, ecstatic having hinges on a door. He peered outside his room to check on the Elk head he had set to boiling in a huge bowl of water in the giant firepit that dominated the middle of the room, the eyes had fallen out and the skin was peeling off, showing a macabre grin. Daniel shivered, slightly grossed out. Scratch that, he was really grossed out. Not enough to stop though, that skull was incredibly hard and those antlers could be turned into new knives, or spear tips. They were too curved to become a spear on their own, sadly. He smiled and closed his door after making sure the fire burning merrily underneath the bowl had enough fuel and that there was nothing flammable near it.

Daniel smiled and lay down on his furs. He had taken a smaller table and decided it was his new bed, sleeping on the floor bothered him a lot. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind and slowly drifting off into slumber. He tossed and turned for a few hours, something was nagging at him, keeping him from relaxing. Daniel smelled cooking food and vegetables as he started to drift off, his eyes closing on their own.

Suddenly Demas Rialdi, king of the Alva, shook his head. "My lord? Is something the matter?" He looked down to see his Adviser, Matten, looking at him in worry.

"My apologies, dear friend. Just a light headache, too much wine I think." Demas chuckled and swirled his golden goblet. He stood from his throne and everyone in the banquet hall quieted, their ears ready for his announcement. "My friends, warriors and subjects. I thank you for joining me here today. We have finally reached an accord with our longstanding enemies and after generations of hate and fear, we can stand together as brothers and sisters. Today I have with me their beautiful warrior-queen Ghanda." He saluted the ebony skinned woman with his goblet. She was accompanied by her escort of warrior women, Amazons they were called. Their eyes constantly scanned the party for threats. His longtime enemy and newest ally was dressed in her ceremonial armor, bare feet tapping to the soft beat of Hrrth skin drums. She wore a leather skirt over bone plated legs. Ghanda's midriff was bare, showing her white tattoos that depicted great beasts.

Each time an Amazon prevailed in a hunt, they ground the skull into powder and mixed it with the sap of a mother tree. They then etched the image of their prey on their skin, believing it granted them strength in future battles. The amazons were certainly fierce warriors. Her chest was almost bare, making his cheeks heat up. he averted his gaze. The women of his people were much more modest and less...gifted. than the Amazons. He looked back up to see her smirking grin and knew he'd been caught ogling. Thankfully, everyone else at the party were too busy mingling with the other tribes and drinking to notice his embarrassment.

"You know, my king. A marriage would certainly go a long way towards solidifying this alliance. Unify the peoples, as you were." Matten's smirk set his pointed ears aflame and Demas ducked his head.

"I am too young to-"

"Nonsense, my lord. While you may have ascended the throne early due to the war, your father would be proud of the Alva you have become. No one else could have driven back the demons and forged an alliance with the Amazons. While their ears may be round and ugly, I do quite find their...presence to be quite attractive." Matten gave a throaty chuckle as he grabbed a goblet from a passing server and took a drink. "Now excuse me as this old man finds a dance partner for the night."

Demas laughed in horrified fascination at his elderly advisor, the man was two centuries old! And here he was, flirting shamelessly with one of the veteran amazons. Nervously, he gulped down the rest of his wine and set the goblet on the arm of his throne. He stood and stripped off his embroidered robe of authority, signifying his transition from priest-king to simple warrior leaving his chest bare to the crisp air. Like the rest of the warrior men, he wore only his kilt and bracelets. It showed that they were unarmed. Demas walked over towards Ghanda, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed across her chest, enhancing her appeal in his eyes greatly. Her eyes tracked the dancers and her foot tapped to the beat, yet she did not go join them.

He nodded to her escorts. "Might I ask why you do not join the festivities?"

She looked at him with those startling blue eyes and he felt like a baby hrrth in the eyes of a great feline. "I do not know your dances." Her deep voice set his blood thrumming.

"As your host, that is quite an oversight. May I remedy that by being your partner for this night?" Whether it was his loins, or the wine he had drank, Demas was feeling the bravest he ever had. Ghanda's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I will be honest, Shaman. I did not expect you to be so bold, from the way you were staring at me. I had you figured for a boy, not the man I see before me. My apologies for my disrespect." She smirked and bowed at the waist, giving him quite the view. From her expression, it was intentional.

"While I may be young and inexperienced, I have been told I am a quick learner." He grinned and took her hand, pulling out of her encirclement of warriors and over to the bonfire. "Enough talk, now we dance!" Laughingly, they began dancing. She was a remarkably quick study herself. Together they danced the night away like two flames, burning bright with passion. Soon they were both gasping for breath and grinning, sweat glistening off their bodies. Demas smiled and stood, motioning for her to stay seated.

"My people! Amazons!" He shouted, his voice infused with the power of his line. "While we are called the priest kings or messengers of the serpent, my family began as shamans to a small village. It is through the blood, sweat and tears of our people that we rise. So lay back and allow me to tell you of the world serpent and her place as our guardian." Demas stomped, his will dimming the torches along the walls. During the dance, the bonfire had burned itself down to embers. Now he was barely illuminated by flickering embers, casting an eerie light across the stone floors. He stomped again with his other foot, drums began pounding to a rhythm only he and they knew.

Soon, the room became pitch black and the fire seemed to die. The only sounds were a rhythmic thumping like the beating of a heart. A gentle green light began emanating from the coals, taking the form of a rising sapling made of coiling green flame. The sapling became a tree, sprouting branches and leaves. As it grew and grew, two flames also grew at its base. The flames took the forms of two serpents, one green flame like the tree, and one made of black smoke and red fire. The green serpent coiled along the trunk of the tree protectively. The black serpent struck at a singular apple on the tree, seeking to devour it.

The two snakes fought, tree fading into the fire as the two serpents battled for supremacy. Their images grew ever larger as they clashed. Soon, the faces of the audience were bathed in green and red light as the gargantuan flames rose into the air. Suddenly the black serpent struck too fast for the green to dodge. It latched onto the green snakes' throat with its fangs of fire, slowly the green light of the snake began to darken and fade, until the tree appeared once more, pulsing with light. Streamers of emerald flames infused the green serpent with power and life, giving it the strength to vanquish the black serpent, tearing its head from its thrashing body. Light began to slowly return to the room, a stunned silence covered the room. An elated hoot rang out, breaking the silence and signaling the rest to cheer as well.

"That was quite the show, shaman." Ghanda said, bringing a cloth to the breathless Demas. He took it with a grateful nod and wiped his sweat.

"It was more than a show, it is our people's history. We follow the emerald serpent's teachings and values."

"And the dark serpent?"

"A monster" he spoke vehemently. "The stories passed down tell of when the black serpent tried to take over the forest, it is not appropriate for the festivities and I will enlighten you another time." Demas smiled and took the Amazon leader's hand. Before he could say something, an alva burst through the hall's door.

Daniel shot up, wide awake and covered in sweat. "Ghan me'al hefas" ( That was intense!) He froze in realization. "Den mar nokrii!" (I can understand!) Daniel stood up and made his way to the feast hall. "It must have been those memories. Too real to be dreams." Daniel picked up the now boiled and bleached skull and without thinking, snuffed the flames with a wave of his hand. He made his way over to the throne and sat in it, lounging and reaching for a goblet of watered down wine.

He frowned before jerking his hand back. "they must have affected me more than I thought. It's so strange, I know common and Alva now but I don't remember how I learned it. It's like I assimilated part of Demas into myself. That's a problem for another time and a wiser me." Daniel sighed and began the arduous process of carefully sawing through the antlers without damaging the skull of the Hrrth. "Huh, so that's what the giant elk are called, hrrth. Hee-urth. What a strange name." Daniel shrugged and spent the next few hours, humming to himself and sawing through the antlers, enjoying his new voice and the ability to use it finally.

As he finished, Daniel debated on what he wanted to turn the antlers into. They were long enough to be spears but they were too curved. He had no idea how to make a bow, so that was out. He groaned and tossed them to the side for now. "I will get to it later." He mumbled to himself. He couldn't help the grin that crossed his face when he spoke clearly. It was a different language than english, but he could finally talk! Now that he understood the language, he finally realized what the wolf had said.

Elit nevahn, Fiiq. Den nomar viid. Meant: Calm yourself, Warrior/ hunter. I mean no harm

Fen nokrii Den? Be'rha. Meant: You don't understand? Very Curious.

And finally, K'om Fiiq, de'ren mel Alfas. Meant: Silence warrior/hunter, I still remain Alpha.

That final sentence from that wolf set Daniel's blood boiling. "Not for long." He growled. "I'm going to turn you into a pelt if I get the chance, mutt."

Daniel stood from his place in the center of the great hall and walked behind the throne, where he knew there would be a door leading to the royal chambers. He angrily strode through the doors, heading to where he knew that The Alva king kept his staff and dagger. He walked through the door to the grand bed chambers and marveled at how clean it was. Sure there was dust everywhere but everything was intact, the bed was covered in treated hides and the wardrobes held various clothes and robes that Demas would have worn when he was alive.

"How long ago was this? They look like elves but I'm not sure if they even lived longer than humans. The amazons looked like humans but they were taller than the Alva. I just don't know enough." Daniel shook his head, lifting the hidden compartment where the Alva king's prized weapons were stashed. Slight problem, Alva were slightly short so it stands to reason that their staffs were short as well. Daniel held up the pole that was half as tall as he was.

"No way I can use this easily as a staff." He then pulled out the shortsword that looked like jagged Damascus. The blade had patterns that were angular and the metal was whitish, like shiny bone. The blade itself was razor sharp and jagged at the base like a saw. He grinned and felt a thrumming in his veins. Daniel felt his energy, his Aether as the Alva called it, enter the knife. It became light as a feather in his hands. Daniel gave it a test slash on the stone of the wall and yelped as it easily sliced through and almost cut his leg on the way down.

He grinned and donned some of Demas' clothing, bracelets and anklets for his wrists and ankles made of woven leather. A simple shirt that was a little tight but not restrictive and a kilt. All simple but well made, when Daniel went to grab the staff to bring with, it lengthened to the size of the staff he normally used with master Jet. "Amazing" he breathed, wanting to create things like this. Finally, he no longer looked like a barbarian savage, he looked like a fierce tribal warrior. All that was missing was bronze skin and body paint, and Daniel had neither sadly. He never could get a tan.

He left the room and the pyramid to go hunt for his daily meal. Taking the steps two or three at a time, Daniel felt relaxed for once. As his feet impacted the soft grass and dirt, he changed his and decided to go visit his friend the undead dog. "I wish this staff could shrink a bit, it's a bit unwieldy to carry without a holster." As soon as Daniel said 'shrink' in Alva, the staff shortened to the length of those cheap magician wands you find in a grocery store. He twirled it for a moment before setting off to the fog wall that was still visible from the pyramid.