A Snake's Life

by Kenneth Arant

  The remaining smaller deer chose that moment to split their attention; half of them charging at me, while the rest started to devouring their fallen comrade.

  The large deer made another pass at me, one of its horns tearing a line across the underside of my mouth as it passed. I ignored the sting of pain that followed and attacked its neck before it could get out of range. I flipped the deer sideways, before quickly coiling part of my body around it. The deer managed to continue its charge for another few seconds before I slammed my full body weight into it and threw it to the ground. I twisted my body around and lifted the deer a few feet off the ground, then drove it headfirst into a tree trunk. Its horns pierced completely through the hard tree bark as if it were made of paper. The deer screamed in pain and reflexively attempted to free its head. But because of the angle I’d left it in, it couldn’t get enough traction against the ground to free its horn.

  The deer was well and truly stuck.

  I bit into its neck and was about to deal the killing bite when I heard Ayla scream. "Torga, help!" her little voice pleaded.

  I looked in her direction and immediately noticed the problem. A group of male Alpha Deer were rhythmically slamming their antlers into the trunk of the tree she was standing in. Each hit shook the branch she was perched on and it was beginning to bend into a bad angle.

  "Use your magic!" I snarled before I bit into the large deer's neck again.

  "I can't!” she hollered. “I'm just a trainee. I don't know any spells yet!"

  "What?" I couldn't afford to just let this thing go. If I did, who knows what I could miss out on by not eating it.

  "Help me, Torga!" she cried.

  I could just leave her. Let them eat her while I escaped...

  "Albert," a familiar voice said. "Save her, Albert," it continued.

  "Sa... Sarah?" I asked, surprised. I hadn’t heard that voice in years—

  "Save her, or I'll never forgive you!" The sound of my wife’s pissed off voice never failed to clear things up for me.

  "Yes, ma'am!" I immediately replied. I latched onto the large deer's neck and pulled until I heard the bones snap, though its horns were still buried inside the tree. The move fulfilled its purpose. Every small alpha deer surrounding us had frozen up as soon as the large deer stopped moving. As one, their eyes tracked over to me and the large deer.

  They began to advance on the large deer, and I took that as my cue to leave. While they were distracted I moved over to Ayla and picked her up by her shirt. We made our escape while the small deer consumed the barely breathing large deer. Alive.

  Interlude: A godly conversation

  ON THE HIGHEST PEAK of Mount Vyens stood a small bronze temple. And inside this temple, two beings made of pure energy were sitting at a table. On one side sat the owner of the temple, a being composed of golden energy. On the other side sat a smaller figure made of bright silver energy.

  "Niabus, you cannot continue to interfere in the affairs of mortals. You know this," The silver being said.

  "Spare me your lies, Forna,” the golden being scoffed. “You and your 'siblings' have all been interfering in mortal affairs. Or was it not you who caused that woman's premature death, so you could have your ‘perfect’ hero?"

  Forna tapped her fingers on the table and stared at Niabus, who was returning her look with an intense glare.

  "That was... different. I saved a pure soul from a life of misery, while you brought her tormentor here to interfere."

  "That's my sister, always so 'justified' in everything that you do." Niabus leaned over the table and stared into Forna’s eyes. "Admit it, sister. Your hatred of men is what drove your actions. Not this drivel about 'saving' a pure soul. You ripped her away from a family that loved her and forced her to reincarnate into an incredibly dangerous world, all so you could appear to be her benevolent 'savior'. Tis only natural I do something to protect her from your schemes."

  "Since when did you become the type of person to care about mortals?” Forna scoffed. “Your very existence is their natural end. Isn't that right... God of Destruction?" The golden energy dissipated and revealed a tall, overly thin man with burning red eyes and two curved black horns protruding from his brow.

  "Of course, sister. But I've never claimed to be the 'good guy’. Unlike you and the rest of my 'esteemed' siblings, I'm only honest in what I want." The silver light faded away and revealed a small woman with long white hair and eyes as dark as the abyss.

  "Are you saying I'm not honest, dearest brother?" she asked, as the pressure in the room began to increase and cracks formed along the walls and ceiling.

  "Of course.” Niabus offered a half-hearted shrug. “After all, you wouldn't be much of a life goddess if everyone knew the kind of person you really were, now would you?"

  "You always were my favorite sibling, Niabus.” She laughed. It was a musical sound that had driven many a man to his knees... and a fair few women. “But do not interfere with my business again or there will be consequences." Her black eyes began to release an oppressive mist that slowly filled the room.

  "I'm looking forward to it, sister." Niabus’ eyes ignited in a pure red blaze and a crown made of blue flames appeared above his head.

  "Hmph!" She vanished in a silver whirlwind and left Niabus alone.

  "You always were too easy to rile up, Forna,” Niabus laughed, after he was sure she’d gone. “Now, what're you planning for my new 'friend'?" Niabus waved his hand, and a ring of fire appeared before him. The ring shimmered for a moment, before a crystal-clear image of Torga and Ayla appeared inside it.

  "Sorry Albert, I can't allow that girl to die just yet. She's my wild card in this game." Niabus cleared his throat and began speaking.

  "Albert..."

  "Save her, Albert." Niabus could see Torga begin to look around.

  "Sa... Sarah?"

  "Save her, or I'll never forgive you!"

  "Yes, ma'am!" Niabus watched as Torga snapped the Alpha Deer's neck and then proceeded to make his escape with the girl.

  "Sorry for deceiving you like that, my friend. But I'm sure you'll thank me for it... one day." He swiped his hand through the flames, dissipating them before he leaned back in his chair. “Of course, you're probably going to hate me for it first.”

  Chapter 8

  AYLA AND I HAD LONG since escaped the Alpha Deer, but I refused to stop until I was sure we were safe. I moved for over an hour before I slowed enough to check on Ayla. "Are you okay, brat?" I slid her off of my head and watched her for a few moments as she lay on the ground.

  "Yeah, I'm fine... it's just," she said through gasping breaths.

  "It's just what?"

  "That was..."

  "Scary?"

  "That was awesome!" She jumped up and began running circles around me.

  "You're so strong! The way you just lifted that deer and hurled it through the air was amazing!" she squealed. I watched her run around for a while before I said anything.

  "You do realize that you almost died, right?"

  "Oh, sure I do. But out here in the wildlands, that's a common occurrence."

  "The wildlands?"

  "Oh! That's what we call the areas populated by magical creatures. Since we don't really know the names of these areas, we just call them the 'wildlands'."

  "Is that so?"

  "Yep!" she chirped, but then she got really quiet.

  "Brat?"

  "Granny's gonna kill me," she mumbled.

  "Why would your granny kill you?" She looked up at me with her bottom lip quivering.

  "I snuck out to play in the forest, but I was supposed to be back before nightfall."

  "Okay... and?"

  "The Beetles are gone. That means Granny has probably already discovered that I left." She began to run around for a different reason.

  "What am I going to do? If I don't make it back soon, Granny might send out a search party to look for me. I'll be in big trouble then!" I silently watched her panic for a few mo
re minutes. Then, I decided to leave before she attempted to drag me into her problem. Unfortunately, I wasn't as stealthy as I’d hoped, and she noticed me.

  "Where are you going?" she asked. Though I still couldn't make out her facial features. The way she tilted her head and began tapping her foot reminded me of Sarah when she was mad... or at least growing impatient with me.

  "Um... away from here?" I replied. She tilted her head to the other side and her foot sped up.

  "Why?"

  "Because I wanted to." Her foot sped up even more.

  "So, you were just going to leave me here. In the middle of the wildlands. Alone. Were you?"

  "Okay. That's just creepy." She was acting like Sarah used to after I'd said or done something she viewed as “wrong.”

  "What's creepy?" She tilted her head again.

  "Never mind, it's just old memories,” I assured her. “I take it you expect me to escort you back to your granny?" The foot stopped tapping then.

  "I mean, I wouldn't want to impose or anything..." She looked at the ground.

  "Oh, alright then. Bye." I turned to leave again.

  "Hey, wait!"

  "Yes?" I turned my head to look at her.

  "I thought you were going to take me back?"

  "No, I asked if you would like me to take you back, and your response was to try manipulating me into feeling guilty. If you want something, speak clearly or not at all."

  Her foot started tapping again and I could swear she clicked her tongue at me.

  "Did you just *Tsk* me?"

  "What, are you, my dad now?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  I froze at her words and stared at her. Something akin to déjà vu struck me. I knew I’d heard those exact same words, in that exact same tone before... but where?

  "Um... Are you okay, old man?"

  "I'm fine. So, do you have anything to ask me?"

  She folded her arms and looked at the ground in response. "Will you take me to my granny?"

  I stared at her. When she looked up and saw me, she seemed to realize what I wanted because her face grew pink.

  "Please."

  "Eh, why not. I don't have anything else to do until my meal digests."

  "Why only then?" she asked as she clambered onto my head again.

  "Because, brat. Then I get to eat again."

  "Is your next meal all you think about?" she snickered.

  "Of course not. I also think about snacks in between meals," I replied in a serious tone.

  She almost fell off my head because she was laughing so hard.

  While moving through the forest and listening to Ayla ramble on about her granny, I began to think about the voice I'd heard. "Was that actually Sarah?" I wondered. For the entirety of my time here, Sarah had never said a word. So, what could have caused me to suddenly hear her voice?

  Was it my conscience feeling guilty about leaving a little girl to die? But then, why didn't I feel anything when I ate those bodies? It could have been because I knew saving Ayla was what Sarah would have wanted me to do. After all, she died to save a child. And regardless of the pain it brought me, I knew it was just who she was.

  "Or maybe there's more at work here than I currently know." I wanted to throw a suspicious glance at the little chatterbox riding on my head, but didn’t. I seriously doubted Ayla was involved, but another druid, perhaps? I was unfamiliar with their capabilities, so I couldn't rule out some rudimentary form of mind control.

  "Hey, Ayla?" She stopped rambling long enough to look at me.

  "Yeah?"

  "How does your magic work, exactly?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "How does it affect the world? I've never encountered a druid before, so I'm curious."

  "Oh!” She brightened considerably, which was quite a feat considering she was already a squirming mass of positivity. “Well, according to Granny, our magic connects our minds to the plants and animals around us, to allow us to communicate with them and ask them for assistance."

  "If they refuse, could you force their compliance?"

  She was quiet for a few seconds, then she asked, "Are you worried I'll force you to do something?" She leaned over to look me in the eye.

  "You?” I laughed and shook my head. “No, It's not you I'm worried about. It's others like you that concern me."

  "You don't have to worry about Granny either. She's the nicest woman I know," she assured me. It didn’t do any good, but it was the thought that counted.

  "Is it just the two of you?"

  "Well... no, there's a camp of us," she admitted.

  "Should I worry about any of them?"

  "Hmm. There are a few that may try to suppress you."

  "Oh, and why's that?"

  "A druid is only considered an adult when they have successfully bonded with an animal. While most of us believe this is a sacred bond that should be voluntary on both sides, some of us believe it to be a show of strength, so they force the animal into submission."

  "Would I be an animal they would try to 'force'?"

  "Probably. I mean, since you're so strong, and your race so rare. A lot of people will want to bond with you."

  "Wait... my race? Are Titan Boas that scarce?"

  "Yeah... I mean, I think so. Granny's mentioned before that most large Serpents are hunted for their meat and skin, Titan Boas even more so. You’d be a rare thing among my people."

  "Hmm, Is that so..."

  She must have mistaken my words for fear because she spent the next twenty minutes assuring me that I would be fine. What she didn't seem to realize was, I wasn’t speaking from fear.

  "It sounds like I'll have all the food I could ever want if I'm so 'rare' that people will actively try and hunt me down."

  "What was that?"

  "Nothing, nothing. So, tell me about the other druids at camp."

  She began listing names and a description of each person. She also told me which ones she liked, and those she didn't.

  "Especially Aurae. Don't trust her. Ever."

  "Rivalry on the playground, I take it?"

  "What? No!” she vehemently denied. “Aurae is my granny's age. She's also the leader of the camp’s warriors. She's one of the people that likes to force animals into serving her, and my granny has never gotten along with her.

  "Hmm, I suppose I should probably avoid her then?"

  "Yes! You definitely should!" Then she went back to rambling off names as we ventured through the forest with her leading me to the druid camp. Then something appeared in front of me.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  You have unlocked the following evolutionary path: Gluttonous Basilisk

  Would you like to evolve?

  You have unlocked the following evolutionary path: Gluttonous Earth Basilisk

  Would you like to evolve?

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  "No." A phantom smile spread across my face. "If any of them tries to “force” me to do anything... well, I could always use a snack on my way to the next animal."

  "Huh? Did you say something, old man?"

  She’s annoyingly perceptive sometimes. "Nothing at all," I lied. I was almost eager for one of them to try, now.

  Chapter 9

  I FOLLOWED AYLA'S DIRECTIONS AND only three hours later I could smell smoke in the air. My first thought was that the forest was on fire, but I quickly calmed down when I remembered that we were heading towards a camp, and a camp meant cooking fires. We must be getting close.

  "Okay, how did you manage to get us here so fast?"

  "Hmm?"

  "I smell smoke in the air, so I'm assuming we're close to this camp of yours. Now, are you going to tell me how you managed to get us here so quickly when everything looks the same?"

  "I'm just that awesome, old man!" I didn’t need to see her face to know she was smirking at me.

  "Alright, brat, you've earned a little praise."

  She jumped off my head and ran a bit ahead of me. "Hurry u
p, old man!" She took off running towards camp.

  "This damn brat. Does she ever get tired?" I followed after, and before long I saw a large break in the trees. After passing through the tree line, I found myself in a large clearing full of leather tents and campfires, and standing directly in the center of the clearing was a large group of people. I could hear them yelling about something, but I was too far away to make out the words. Ayla, however, apparently could hear them fine because she started sprinting for the group.

  While she was running, I got my first good look at her. She had long blonde hair and was wearing some sort of gray cotton dress. She was also barefoot, though I had suspected that for a while as I didn't feel anything rough on my scales.

  I followed her, hanging back from the light of the fires in case the people carrying bows got jumpy or the few carrying spears suddenly decided to get all stabby on me.

  "Granny! It's okay, I'm here!" Ayla ran and jumped on the back of a young woman.

  "That's her 'granny'?" The woman Ayla jumped on looked to be in her late twenties with short silver hair. When the woman turned her head to the side, I saw the ears. "So... they're elves." In the light of the fire I could see their tanned skin and golden eyes.

  "Ayla, where have you been!? You've had me worried sick about you!" Ayla's granny yelled.

  "Sorry Granny, but I was just so bored waiting around the camp all day." Her granny pulled her off her back and placed her on the ground, presumably so she could inspect her.

  "So, you thought running into the Myrkr Forest alone was a good idea, did you?" Granny bopped her on the head. "You idiot! What would you have done if you ran into an Alpha Deer, huh!? You knew we already lost one group to this damnable forest!"

  "I know Granny, but it's okay, I made a friend!" Ayla said, while trying to dodge her granny's arms.

  "Oh? And just what good would this 'friend' have been if you ran into a group of deer? You both would have been killed!"

  "No, it's okay. We did run into a group of deer, but he protected me!"