The Dryth Council

[viewtifulday]

Veradak opened his venom-colored eyes, blinked a couple times, and then crawled out from under his Rock where he slept. It was dark out, as always, and cold, and the damp smell of algae hung in the air. Despite its foulness, the smell didn't bother the Dryth, who, having always resided in the Nameless Underground, had never really smelled anything else.

As Veradak made his way to Central Boulder, where the colony gathered together every morning, he passed alongside Dryth of all ages crawling out from underneath their Rocks to face the day. As he walked, he noticed a young Dryth Negg female struggling to get out from underneath her own Rock. Casually, Veradak reached over with his tongues and lifted part of the Rock into the air. Immediately, the Dryth Negg popped out of the hole. "Thank you so much!" she said, gratefully, before scampering off. Veradak pulled in his tongues and set the rock down.

When all the Dryth had arrived at the Boulder, Veradak, being the Counter, stood in the midst of them, and began taking role to make sure they were all there. As he finished, he noticed that there was one more Dryth Negg than there was yesterday. "What's your name?" he asked the Dryth, politely.
"The name is Tanthos," Tanthos replied, eying Veradak. "I'm visiting from another colony some distance away."
"What's your business here?" Veradak inquired.
"I'm here to see a friend."
"That's nice. I hope you have a nice stay here with our colony."

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"Veradak!" called out Rythia, an elderly female Dryth.
"What is it, ma'am?" Veradak asked as he skittered over to where Rythia was.
"I guess I'm just concerned is all...you know the new lad, Tanthos?"
"Yes," Veradak nodded.
"There's something about his scales...have you noticed? Instead of having the bright lime-green luster, they're dull and much, much darker. Is that normal?"
"I couldn't honestly tell you," Veradak said, unsure. "And now that you mention it, he does seem a little bit odd, doesn't he? He always gives me the strangest look whenever I run into him, like he's got something to hide."
"Maybe he does," Rythia agreed. "Whom did he say he came to visit?"
"Uh...I don't think I ever asked."
"Oh! And something else: I spotted him and a bunch of other Dryth talking. In secret, it looked like."
"Really?" Veradak blinked. "Where were they when they were talking?"
"Oh, some remote tunnel a little bit down that way."
"Were these Dryth he was speaking with the same ones he's been hanging around lately?"
"The very same." Rythia frowned. "I think they're up to something."
"Hmm..." Veradak thought for a moment. "I'll look into it. Thanks for the report."
And, without another word, Veradak scampered off to go do a bit of spying.

Little did Veradak know how much he would soon dislike Tanthos.

[feindslayer]

"This is BORING!" whispered Flexor, slightly louder than Feind Slayer would have liked. "Why must we spy on these stupid creatures?!"

"'Cuz Slaye' loikes the shoiny green things," explained Dustbane sarcastically. "Aparrantely they be integligent wee li'le crawlers.

"They are lizards, and yes, they are intelligent." Feind Slayer was, as usual, all business. "According to the archives, they are one of the smartest creatures in the world for their size, quite possibly some valuable allies here on this foreign land. They seem to be of relation to the Six-Legged Salamander and--"

"Hold up! Go back to the part about the 'valuable allies' thingy. Hello! These things wouldn't stand a chance against a paralyzed kitten! They don't even reach past my shin!" Flexor enthusiastically pointed his silver-hilted knife at his shin to demonstrate. Sure enough, these creatures were only about the size of a fat chihuahua.

"Now, now," chided Dustbane, pausing to blow his filthy blond hair out of his eyes. "Don't make a fuss or they'll notice us hidin' up here in this crak. Just do as Slaye' says an' eventually 'e'll lose int'rest an' we can cloimb back to de camp, k?"

Feind Slayer sighed and ceased to pay attention to their bickering. Perhaps he had not been thinking correctly when he had recruited his sarcastic deputy and the newbie to come along. Then again, Dustbane, for all his joking remarks, was a loyal friend. Flexor, well, maybe he had just been chosen to come along because he needed the conditioning. Badly. Feind Slayer had admitted to himself alone that this below-the-surface investigation would be uneventful, but as he gathered in the information from the events taking place only 20 feet below, he began to wonder if this would involve more action than hugging his well-muscled legs and observing from their not-so-luxurious crevasse.