Freeing the Serpent

Elin stood under the crystal with Jonas holding it ready to enter where she knew that she'd enter the facet that held the serpent. A decision she still wasn't sure about, especially after the incident with the roc.

However, it wasn't like she had many options to choose from.

When she entered the facet, she came face to face with the serpent. It was at least twenty times her height in length and likely longer with how it was coiled up. It was currently coiled up, its scales a rainbow of colors that seemed to change based on the angle the light hit it. The head of the serpent was more humanoid, but otherwise there didn't seem to be anything that made it seem different from any other serpent.

"Ssso, did you get sssent here as my food or did he forget I was here?" the serpent asked, it's accent almost stereotypically that of a serpent.

"I came to see if you'd like to get out of here," Elin replied. "If you want to leave this prison, I can help you with that."

The serpent' eyes narrowed at Elin, as if it suspected a trap of some sort.

"Where is the one who put me here? Is he outssside of here like thossse waiting for you?"

Elin shook her head. "While I suspect he's not, I could be wrong by the time we leave, if you choose to join me."

"Why would I want you to leave?" the serpent asked, starting to move forward. "You're ssso pretty, that I ssshhhould insssissst on you staying a while."

Elin wanted to prove she wasn't afraid of the serpent or what it might do, so she kept herself still. She wasn't sure what to expect, but had a sinking feeling as the serpent started to circle her.

"Sssuch obedient prey," the serpent said, it's tongue tickling Elin's ear. "You didn't move even when you knew you ssshhhould have."

The serpent seemed to be building to something, yet for whatever reason, Elin couldn't bring herself to feel scared.

It wasn't because she didn't think that the serpent might actually try to eat her, but rather there was something that she couldn't quite place. Like it was playing with her, but not in the manner a cat played with a mouse.

"What'sss the matter? Are you sssure you want to ssstay there?" the serpent asked when Elin didn't move and it's coils started to close in on Elin.

"What's your name?" Elin asked instead, wondering if that would help things either more along faster. Although, part of it was simply that she was getting tired of thinking of the serpent as 'the serpent.'

"You can call me 'Kael,'" came the answer as Elin started to feel the coils begin to bind her legs and feet in place. Though, they stopped as soon as they were snug, rather than continuing to tighten.

Elin wasn't sure what was going on, but when she was lifted up, she almost cried out in surprise. She wanted to demand to know what Kael was planning, but at that moment, she felt the tip of its tail sliding up against Elin's legs.

"W-w-wait!" she called out, pretty sure where that would be going. "Can't we talk about this!"

"Sssorry, but it'sss jussst been too long. I haven't had a good meal in a while."

Elin blinked. She wasn't sure what that had to do with what Kael was clearly doing to her. Even as it's tail reached between her legs and began rubbing her there, eliciting a cry from Elin, despite her bets efforts to remain quiet during the serpent's ministrations.

"Uh, can't we, uh, do this outside the crystal?" Elin pleaded, not sure Kael would accept. Though, she also feared that if he let things go as they were what she might do in response.

"Outssside crysssstal is possssssible, yesss, but you might have accompliccces that could help you avoid thissss."

Elin sighed. "How about this?" she asked. "If you promise you won't kill me, I promise to let you do whatever you want to me outside the crystal, okay?"

The serpent stopped it' s movements, which left Elin feeling uneasy for a moment as she worried about what the final decision might be. It was possible that the serpent would accept, but at the same time, the serpent could continue on without any further though, since it wasn't like Elin could do anything to stop it.

After what felt like hours, the serpent sighed. "Alright. We'll do what you sssuggesssted. In that we'll leave the cryssstal before I get to enjoy eating you," Kael replied, moving towards the exit that still glowed brightly

Elin hoped that Jonas wouldn't misunderstand what had happened. As that would create more problems. Problems that weren't problems until they reached a misunderstanding.

Elin couldn't really see where they were, but she wasn't surprised when she had the feeling that he'd come to recognize of moving out of the crystal. Which meant that while she was still captive of the serpent, she was at least getting out of the crystal. So, that was at least a step in a positive direction.

As they left, Elin felt Kael moving along, not letting her go as they put distance between them and the crystal, leaving Jonas stunned as he continued to hold the crystal out.

"I'll be right back!" Elin called out to him, hoping that she was telling the truth of the matter.

"Will you now?" the serpent teased. "Sssure you won't want to ssstay longer?"

"I'm sure," Elin replied, hoping she was telling the truth. "Though, what kind of serpent are you?"

Elin knew she made a mistake the moment the coils holding her in place suddenly loosened and she nearly fell to the ground. The fall itself wouldn't have been so bad, but the fact that it nearly happened told her all she really needed to know.

"A SSSERPENT!?" Kael roared. "I am a naga! We are not mere ssserpents!"

"Sorry," Elin replied in an almost whisper. She couldn't get her voice to go louder

"Well, as long as you underssstand your misssstake," the naga said, though from it's tone Elin suspected that it hadn't quite let the matter go entirely.

"Uh, aren't naga's usually trying to eat people?" Elin though she'd heard something about that once.

"Sssome do, but I consssider myself more neutral. I've found a way to live that doesn't require sssome of the lessssss than sssavory aspectsss of many other nagas to be part of my daily life," Kael replied. "That's one reason I was put in that cryssstal, I guessssss."

"What'll you do now that you're out of that crystal?" Elin asked, hoping that what it had said before she'd convinced Kael to leave the crystal. Especially if the suggestive nature of what Kael had said was even close to what Elin had imagined Kael was going to do to her.

"Not really sure, but I'm sure I'll be able to find my own way around," Kael said, though Elin did notice that the coils were tightening again from where they'd loosened earlier. Which for her didn't seem like as good of a sign to her.

Not that she could do anything about it in general.

"Uh, do we really have to do this now? I'd rather cook something to eat and enjoy it rather than… whatever you mentioned when we were in the crystal," Elin aid, hoping to get Kael to think of something different than whatever it was going to do.

"You can enjoy it or not, but I haven't had a chanccce to enjoy that taste for so long. You're even human which makes it even better!"

Elin felt like she was missing something. Something that would let her know whether or not she really was in danger. It felt like she was, but the word from Kael made her think that the plan was something different entirely. Although, part of her had to wonder if some of that talk was from some of what she'd heard Kim tell her from what she remembered hearing when she was a child and overheard things that she didn't understand what they meant and never asked anyone in her father's house about.

+++

Jonas couldn't help but feel a little worried a he watched Elin get carried off into the trees. Her word indicated she was fine and didn't need help, but at the same time, the way that she was being carried off made him worry that she was in danger without realizing it.

"Worried?" Etaina asked, surprising Jonas.

"A little," he admitted, though he was pretty sure it was a lot more than that if even Etaina was noticing it.

"Don't be," Elysia said calmly. "If that's a naga, and especially if it's a female one, then it's likely going to do some adult things to her and there's no need for Etaina to know exactly what's going on. Just that it'll be over soon and Elin will be back when she can walk again."

Jonas sighed. He wasn't sure why things needed to go in that direction. Even though he was at least happy that he didn't need to witness it or get involved either.