by Noam Oswin
/∞/
Being unable to move for hours upon end in the stomach of a snake was, admittedly, the event that almost frayed what was left of my already slipping sanity. There was nothing in my past that could compare to this. I could sense nothing outside of the walls of flesh and heat, and every sound and throb of the creature’s inner organs reverberated against me like loudspeakers. My ability to sense vibrations meant I knew, I could feel, every single vibration and process that went on within the creature’s body.
I knew where its heart was. Where its lungs were. I could tell, that as a snake, its heart was encased in a sac, and it was located some ways off from the head. I knew, that the snake lacked a diaphragm and was capable of moving the heart around. I knew, that the ability to move its heart around protected it from potential damage when ingesting prey. I knew that it possessed only one working lung, although I did not understand the evolutionary benefit that provided.
I knew, because although I could not move, I could still sense the world around me. The vibrations were clear, inimitable, and shrill. From the pumping of blood to the beating organ, everything was available to my perception.
I would probably never attain another chance for something like this. The snake was no doubt strong, it was named – something of apparent significance – it was venomous, and I was a tiny, petty little worm that it swallowed because it possibly did not like the sight of me in its territory.
I was concerned that this spelt the end for me. There was, after all, not a single chance in the world for a creature like myself to escape once it was ingested. However, the more time passed, the more time I spent within the snake, the more I realized that I was not the one who was truly in trouble here.
No – oh no –
I was not the one who was in danger.
The city of Troy was famous for the inability for it to be conquered from the outside. But – from the inside –
Yes, from the inside –
[Diapause will end in five minutes, thirty one seconds]
Twenty three hours and fifty four minutes dragged on, slowly, agonizingly, with nothing but the sounds of the snake’s insides to comfort me. I counted mentally, the seconds go by. I sung and hummed to the tones of toons from my childhood. I crafted morbid jokes within the silence of my own mind and laughed at them within my own mind, lacking the ability to voice laughter to the world. It was enough time to realize that I accrued certain benefits.
[Skill {Lesser Acid Resistance} evolved into {Acid Resistance}]
[Skill {Acid Resistance} evolved into {Greater Acid Resistance}]
[Skill {Vibration Sensing} has gained a Level.]
[Skill {Vibration Sensing} has gained a Level.]
[Skill {Vibration Sensing} has gained a Level.]
I spent hours thinking about every reference to insects I knew, trying my hardest to remember the one I needed, hoping and assuming that the choice I had decided upon would not backfire horrendously on me. I was weak and I was small, but weak things and small things possessed benefits that big things often did not.
[Diapause will end in two minutes, eight seconds]
If I failed... then I died. However, if I succeeded –
[Diapause will end in twenty seconds]
All or nothing risks were not my favorite to take.
[Diapause will end in ten seconds]
I wondered, truly, how many individuals put in this scenario would be capable of doing what I have done? To be reborn as a worm and contemplate rising to slay beings above your species –
[Diapause will end in five seconds]
Perhaps it was because there was the potential of becoming stronger present that I had not utterly lost my sanity. Perhaps it was because my stubborn pride wished to find Oblivion and laugh in his face as I conquered this second attempt at life. Or perhaps, it was merely because I was too stubborn, bull-headed, and assured of my destiny of greatness or delusions of grandeur that I simply refused to give up.
[Diapause will end in three seconds]
Or perhaps it was because I gave up time and time again. Gave up on my brothers to ever treat me as something other than an unnecessary annoyance. Gave up on my father to stop comparing me to my ‘prodigious’ siblings. Gave up on people who constantly failed to keep their word and their promises. I gave up a lot as I became a worm.
[Diapause will end in one second]
I was tired of giving up.
Skill [Diapause] has worn off.
You can now use skills.
I [Rolled].
Your HP Regen has been resumed.
You have spent 24 Hours within a highly acidic environment.
[Skill {Greater Acid Resistance} evolved into {Acid Immunity}]
[You have attained the skill: [Weak Acid Secretion] from exposure to digestive acids.]
[You have attained the Title: [Jonah] from surviving within a creature’s stomach.]
I paid little heed to the information bombarding me, focusing my direction through the snake’s body forward, forward, faster – faster –
The Negative Effect: [Severe Acid Corrosion] has been mitigated by [Acid Immunity]
I did not stop until I reached it, the vibrations coming from the organ being unmistakable. It was indeed protected by a lung, but that didn’t matter to me. The lung was still an acceptable target.
[Insectoid Metamorphosis]
The body part grew, oddly, freakishly, from my ‘rear.’ Black, small, round and sharp, it was the stinger of a specie of insects particularly known and infamous in one part of the world: The Asian Giant Hornet.
Thirty seconds.
I attacked.
I felt the snake writhe and vibrations from its movement indicated clearly, that it had felt that. Oh, yes, it had definitely felt that.
So, I attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The snake thrashed. It lashed around, painfully, slamming itself against everything and nothing, but there would be no reprieve from me. I chose the Asian Giant Hornet because I could sting as much as I wanted, as quickly as I wanted, as rapidly as I wanted, without needing to stop. The venom of the Asian Giant Hornet was a neurotoxin capable of killing infants, small pets and elderly, and this was when they stung you from the outside.
Imagine, the sensation of your heart being stung by bees within your chest, and you could do naught to stop it.
This was my retribution.
Again!
Again!
Again!
I lost count of how many times I stung the snake’s tender internal organs before my stinger vanished, before I would find myself incapable of utilizing that skill for another 72 hours. It did not matter though, because I knew the damage had been done.
The lungs and heart were pulsating at erratic, infrequent paces, stopping and restarting, stopping and restarting, increasing in tempo, faster, and faster, and faster, until, slowly... it stopped vibrating altogether.
It was done.
[You have slayed Agkistrodon]
[You have attained the Title: [David] from defeating an enemy more than eighty levels above you]
[You have attained the Title: [Parasite] from defeating an enemy from within its body.]
[You have attained the title: [Agkistrodon’s Slayer] from the defeating a named enemy.]
[16000 Experience Points Gained]
[You have gained a level]
[You have gained a level]
[You have gained a level]
[You have gained a level]
[You have gained a level]
[You have gained a level]
[You have attained the Maximum Level (10) for your current species]
[You have attained the Maximum Level (10) for your next species]
[You have attained the Maximum Level (10) for your next species]
[You have unlocked the suitable conditions for evolution.]
[Would you like to Evolve?]
[Yes]
[No]
Interlude II
Sophos
“Cynthia, when I purchased you as my amanuensis, did I not instruct you to never interrupt me in my lab?”
It was hard to look into his eyes. Humming with an overwhelming brightness that reminded her of lightning streaking across the night sky. “Y-yes, your Eminence, you did.”
“Galling. Why have you done that which I ordered you not to do?”
“I –”
“Upsetting. You were the least inept of your peers, so this refusal to comprehend explicit instructions is justified?”
He did not walk, for as an Eminent, as one of the High Eminents, his feet would forever remain five inches above the earth. He strode forward, hovering, his hands going straight to the tattoo drawn on her neck. She resisted the urge to flinch, and instead spoke rapidly.
“I was instructed by the Eminent of Diplomacy to inform you that the entourage from the Takum Kingdom has arrived!”
His hands stopped short of the tattoo, and she released the breath she did not know she was holding. Towering over her, regardless of the extra five-inches, she watched his expression sift rapidly.
“Amusing. Why did Media deem it fit that I should know of this?”
“She wishes for you to meet them, your Eminence.”
“Unamusing. That is not my business.”
“I told her as such.” She paused. “In official terms, so as to not lose my head.”
His brow rose. “Continue.”
“She stated that the Gathering had already voted in favor of the matter. The Eminent of Espionage, Eminent of War, and Eminent of Culture proposed that your methods would be the most...” Cynthia hesitated. “...convincing.”
“Puzzling. Even with Media, that is still four votes. The Gathering requires a minimum of six.”
“The Eminent of Faith, Eminent of Trade and Eminent of Famine also voted in favor of the idea. The Eminent of Structures and Eminent of Penance were against it.” She informed. “That is a total of seven votes against three, with the supposition that you would also be voting against the plan.”
“Deeply unamusing.” Sophos muttered. “Perplexing. Despite awareness of my contempt for the needless nuances of socio-political affairs, I was chosen to meet with the delegation?” Her master slowly trailed his fingers across his nose in irritation. He took several breaths, each one deeper and longer than the next.
“Significantly Unamusing. Do you suppose this is punishment for skipping Gatherings?”
She did not provide her input on that matter. She was not allowed to provide her input on the matter. Her tongue was held still, and she waited until her master took another, deeper and more fulfilling breath.
“Trivializing. The decision has been made; its lack of logic notwithstanding.”
Cynthia knew that trouble was brewing from those exact words. “Your Eminence, if I may –”
“You may not.”
She kept her lips shut. Her master strode out of the privacy of his laboratory, and she did her best to chase after him. It was hard to keep up with an Eminent, as she needed to run and dash merely to catch up to the men and women who glided across the earth. She caught up to him with her best dash, rapidly checking her Slate for more information.
“Evaluating. Where are they?”
“They are currently outside Rubicund Plaza – and if I may –” she began, “I have taken the liberty of attaining information about the entourage. They are led by Prince Wukari and his sister, Princess Kwana –”
Her master let out a distasteful hum. “Monarchies? No nation I am aware of on Alamir still utilizes a monarchy. Considering... are the Takumians savages?”
“Well,” Cynthia hesitated. “They hail from an island across the Kankara Sea and arrived on small shipping vessel... with horses, iron swords, shields and goods for trade.”
“Amusing.” Her master said. “Iron swords and spears? This is not the Fabled Era. How have they fared in conflicts against the ‘mares?”
She huffed under her breath as she rushed to keep up with him. “Decently. The Eminent of Espionage has acquired information from the crew of the Takumian ship that indicate the Takumian Capital City, Zoma, possesses reinforced enchanted walls and is surrounded by a moat of sanctified water. Their defenses against the nightmares hold strong, and so far, they have not yet lost to the creatures.”
“Fascinating. Why have they come to Alhamis?”
She checked to discover as much information as she could. She opened her mouth, but was too slow.
“Assuming. It is has something to do with the Floater.”
She nodded.
There was nothing more to be said. Her master’s expression sifted again. She knew he was thinking, as he always did. The hardest working mind in Alhamis was almost certainly possessed by him, or at least, this was what Cynthia believed.
They reached Rubicund Plaza in little time. Whereas she struggled her best to not immediately keel over from having to race the entire way, her master paid no heed to her physical state, and instead turned his attention to the delegation.
“Ah, here are the savages.”
Cynthia did her best to avoid closing her eyes at that utterance. No, she needed them to see and document the eventual outcome of this, lest the Eminent of Diplomacy punish her for not doing so.
Indeed, the entourage did appear and look like individuals from the Era of Fables. At the forefront was Prince Wukari, clad in shiny iron armor that reflected the sun’s gleam. A longsword remained at his right hip, a visor was held to his hand and a shield was strapped across his back. It had been so long since Cynthia saw anyone dressed in actual Knight armor. The last time she remembered it, was during the Fable Remembrance Festival fifteen years ago.
Princess Kwana wore what Cynthia found personally distasteful. Robes, of sort, in place of armor. They seemed to highlight the woman’s curves and suppleness, her raven hair and slender legs, and they did not seem to provide any form of defensive benefits. She wielded a long crooked staff in her right hand, and the Cynthia contemplated if the woman was a practitioner of the Mystical Arts.
Notable individuals amongst the entourage included a tall bearded man wielding a bow and quiver filled with arrows, – not even a crossbow at the least? – another woman, this time, blonde hair and blue eyes in skin-tight white robes that were reminiscent of that belonging to Priests or Clerics – why are the women’s clothes so sensual? – and finally, a man with three scars across his right eye and a falcon on his shoulder – a beast tamer perhaps?
“Did he just call us savages?”
Her master clapped. “Inspiring. I see you have learned to speak Alhamisi. Your accent is off and your pronunciation is atrocious, but I assume it was your best effort.”
Cynthia could tell that there was a shift in the air. Learning to speak the Alhamisi language in the brief time they had been here was not what savages did, but she did not voice her observation. If she realized this, no doubt her master did as well. She wondered if her master knew that his words could be construed as an insult, or perhaps, he did not care.
Prince Wukari stepped forward. “And who are you?”
Cynthia seized her moment. “Visitors from Takum.” She declared. “You stand before one of the Ten High Eminents of the Alhamis Empire.” She bowed and gestured. “His Exquisite Eminence, Master of Technology and Scientist Paramount: the Eminent of Progress, Sophos the Sagacious.”
There was immediate muttering amongst the entourage. The spoke in their native language, a tongue Cynthia had only begun to learn earlier this afternoon. Nevertheless, their words of confusion were clear.
“A sage?” Princess Kwana asked. “Why are we meeting with a sage? I thought we were to meet with the Emperor, or one of his aides.”
It was rare Cynthia found herself stumped. Emperor? “Emperor?” Sopho
s asked her unasked question. “Deeply amusing. Where does this assumption that Alhamis possesses an Emperor stem from?’
“It is an Empire, is it not?” Princess Kwana responded. “The Empire that has conquered and subsumed all the kingdoms of men close to its borders. Why would it not have an Emperor?”
“Misleading.” Sophos said. “Not all Empires must possess Emperors. Regardless, such a method of governance is inefficient.” His gaze trailed to their swords and their iron weaponry. “I suppose I should not expect you to know of efficacy.”
“Still your tongue sage!” Prince Wukari snarled. “We will not be insulted a second time.”
“Disconcerting. If you consider the statement of facts to be insults, then by my count, you were insulted three times.”
“Enough of this!” Princess Kwana declared. “We came here to meet with the one who rules this Kingdom, not a Sage!”
Sophos let out a long sigh. “Vexing. Cynthia, educate these savages.”
“If you call us Savages one more time –” the Prince threatened.
“Highly amusing. What will you do? Leave? Attack?” Sophos asked. “If you choose the former, then you will accomplish a feat of crossing an entire ocean to turn around because you could not accept that through the lens of a scientifically superior nation you are comparable to barbarians wielding stone tools and discovering pottery.”
Sophos waved his hand. “If you choose the latter, I assure you, your deaths would occur in a way certain to continually awaken me from my sleep in uncharacteristic fits of giggling.”
The Prince grasped his sword. “I’ll give you something to giggle about –”
“Wukari! Enough!” Princess Kwana moved to her brother. “We must remember that we are guests in this land, and we must remain civil, even if our hosts do not extend to us the same courtesy.”
She’s the calmer one. Cynthia noted. The Princess seemed to be the one gifted with guile. She flickered her gaze to her master, wondering if Sophos was intentionally riling them up to witness their responses. It was not unlike him to be blunt, but never had his bluntness seemed so hostile. He always did things with a purpose, even if she were not always able to ascertain what they were.