His lithe form felt light and fragile in her coils, as if she held a dried stick between two fingers. She had held the thrashing body of prey in her coils before, but never something so limp and fragile. The sensation was unusual, and her fear made her clench him more tightly than necessary. She was used to living in constant fear, the constant fear of the Myrians in the jungle was similar to the constant fear of her discovery in Lhavit. But, her fear had been based on the belief of instant identification, instant knowledge of what she was. And so, as she clenched herself around the short form of the man she assumed her reveal was understood far more deeply than it was.
She gazed down at him, watching his reaction with the unusual stillness that came inherently to all snakes. Her wide thick head was soft and feminine for a Dhani and her large soft scales glistened a faint shine of rainbow in the twinkling rays of Syna. The markings, forming eyes, were scattered about her body, gazing out as if she could see and sense all that surrounded them, despite her intimate focus on only what was before her. She rarely felt so diffident or unsure of her own power. She couldn’t evaluate the risk the people of Lhavit posed to her and presumed their threat as severe as the Myrians.
She didn’t answer the statement, her tongue flicking out as she brought the world to her senses. Though her eyes couldn’t capture the same level of colour she watched the musculature of his face twitch with her more movement sensitive eyes. He’s afraid… She realized, He’s very afraid…more afraid than any Myrian would be in this situation. Should I not have negotiated? Is my sheer presence enough to convince him to bend to my will? She wondered.
Her tongue twitched out from between the faintly arched ridges of her lips as his serpentine tongue flickered back at her. What?! What is this? He isn’t human? What is he? Only, we the Dhani, are the creations of Siku…how can he? Is he of my kin? Perhaps! Perhaps the Alheas Crone was wrong…maybe I am not alone here… she wondered. Flicking her tongue out she touched its cold flickering tip to the edges of his face, searching for a stray scale or any other characteristic that may mark him as the son of Siku. But, she felt only mammalian warmth emanating from his visage. Some sort of imposter? She wondered, though she had no idea what that would mean, or how it would be achieved.
Her head weaved about, unsure whether or not it was enough to convince her to release him. She had felt almost constant confusion in Lhavit, and it was exhausting. Exhausting to try and understand the foreign language, foreign movement in a foreign body, but nothing yet compared to her confusion in this moment. Kin certainly wouldn’t rat on kin. He wouldn’t dare. Although…he didn’t take that humans words into consideration, so maybe he would betray kin? Perhaps he didn’t because the human was not kin? She wondered, it would certainly explain his disbelief. She wouldn’t necessarily believe a humans or Myrians warning either.
“Please, let me down. I’m sure we can find a civil way through this.” His voice quivered faintly with fear, “listen, your secret is safe with me.” Ayszel watched his face darken and his chest weaken against her scaly coil as they choked the life from him. Siku certainly wouldn’t forgive me for killing one of her kin… she decided slowly, and I trust my kin… she reasoned again, though she continued to watch him warily, undecided. Eventually, she knew she must act in one way or the other. Better I die than kill potential kin... she decided and relaxed her coils, untangling herself from his body and retreating slightly.
Ayszel stared down from her significant height at the lithe human form beneath her shadow, her head blocking the suns luscious rays. Dare I remain in this form? Where I might be spotted? They may be coming to explore the other mans warning any moment. Do I dare expose myself in the vulnerability of my human form? She gazed down at the human, eyes unblinkingly meeting his.
The risk of strangers is more risky than the risk he poses… she eventually decided definitively. Slowly she uncoiled her long length and shifted back to her human form. The scales along her breasts and stomach receded into her body and her head compressed, her rostrum retreated until it formed the high cheeked human face he had first witnessed. Legs split from her tail and slowly lost their scales. Her belt had broken in the unanticipated change, but fortunately the dress with its division had fallen away instead of ripping.
Standing bare before him she reached out very slowly, her eyes refusing to retreat from the predator before her. She pulled the crimson sleeved fabric toward her, her one arm bent awkwardly to retrieve it. The pebbly skin sank into her joints, stiffening them and making the acrobatic gesture uncomfortable. Her other arm was reached out in the opposite direction to counter the reach, its long length graced with the cacophonous colours of Caiyhas gnosis. Exaggeratingly slowly, she pulled the sleeves over her arms.
Though the rope belt could be retied into a knot and used again, though less stylishly, she daren’t let her eyes drift from the predator to do the job. Fortunately, nudity was more typical than clothing in Zinrah and so though it only settled across her breasts, leaving a line of skin down her core exposed, she wasn’t distracted by the exposure.
He was afraid…perhaps it is only that which will keep him quiet, make him keep my secret. I shouldn’t apologize…it’ll make me seem weak…Should I say anything? Should I wait for him to speak first? She wavered on the edge of speech, her past questions forgotten in the adrenaline of the moment.
“You have Siku’s tongue?” She finally asked.
