They had travelled a long way - in snake terms. They had no legs but could move surprisingly fast on their sleek bellies. It was tiring, however, trying to find a home that was perfect to raise a family in. Nyoka had half a mind to return to the jungle where he'd grown up. The greenery there camoflauged them best and made hunting easier. But to do so, they had to pass through the desert he had crossed only curled around Rokopelli's neck.
Snake's didn't mind the heat so that wasn't the problem. But hunting could prove a little difficult. The rodents here were long of leg and quick of wit. They weren't the stupid, overly courageous creatures of the jungle. They were speedy and fast and alert. They knew that predators here were often hungry and that they were in great danger if they let down their guard.
Even still, they'd had a good few attempts and all in all the experience wasn't terribly awful. It was just a different sort of desert from what they had been living in before now.
He lifted his head to glance across at Janja, tongue flicking. "Rocksss up ahead. Ssshelter for the night?" It wasn't getting dark quite yet, but the night here was terribly cold and he didn't want to risk slithering past them and not finding anything further along the way.
Unknown to Nyoka, a snake was already occuping those rocks just ahead. He was curled up in the rays of the setting sunlight. The rays, orange as fire, rippled across the obsidian coils of his handsome body.
He was clearly sleeping, his eyes closed tight. Apparently he did not expect to be interrupted by anything; friend or foe.
Janja was growing tired of the seemingly endless desert. She didn't mind the heat or the long travel she was simply tired of always having such difficulties catching a decent meal. It didn't help that the creatures that they could feast upon where quick footed and smart. Not to mention scarce. What they did catch was always filling enough but she simply couldn't wait to be free of the deserts they were not used to. Snapping out of her thoughts at the call of her name she nodded. "Ssssoundsss like a plan to me Nyoka." She replied gaze flickering from him to the rocks.
It wasn't until they had grown closer that she noticed the living creature that had already settled into the shelter. "Nyoka do you sssseee?"
He nodded his sleek head and turned back in the direction they were heading, his body making curved marks in the sand beneath him.
"Don't worry. We'll be leaving thisss place behind sssoon enough." He hoped so, anyway. It hadn't seemed so big from up in the air. Wings certainly were an advantage...
He came to a halt when Janja pointed out that they were no longer alone. It was a surprise, actually, that they had come across another snake at all. There didn't seem to be many of their kind around anymore and it certainly seemed odd that one would choose to live in this particular place when the jungle lay nestled against this place.
"Yesss...sssleeping, by the looksss of it." He hovered closer, piercing eyes not leaving the strange cobra slumbering only a metre of so away. "Ssshould we wake him, do you think?" His tongue flicked out to taste the air.
Sensing that others were near, the young male snake stirred from his slumber. It wasn't obvious at first that he was awake - not unless you noticed the slither of green that was a vibrant eye set in his arrow-shaped head.
It took him a moment to come around completely, the sound of hissing voices not something that he'd find an initial threat. Then, when he realised that he really should say something to save them the trouble of waking him, he lifted his head slowly and blinked at them with his startling eyes.
"Good day, friendsss." He spoke sluggishly. "Or, ssshould I sssay, good evening?" He spared a moment to glance up to the sky and frowned. "Oh dear, oh dear oh dear oh dear..."
"I hope ssssso." Janja replied as she came to a halt beside her mate. Her yellow eyes studied the sleeping male upon the floor. The sight of another snake was reassuring, especially since it was only the...third one she had seen excluding Nyoka. Unfortunately, as far as she could tell it was another male. Four to one, not good odd. Which resulted in her frowning as well as knitting her brows together in thought. Surely there had to be another female snake out there somewhere hadn't there? She refused to have the weight of repopulating the lands with snakes by herself.
When the other spoke she simply nodded in greeting. "What troublessss you?"
Nyoka lifted himself up as the other stirred, hissing quietly. He wasn't the most trustworthy sort, even of his own kind. His own kind were rare and he was never sure how to react around them. Especially another male. He, too, was thinking the same as Janja.
Another male.
This awoke a protective emotion in him. Janja was a rarity, something to be protected and it was his job to do so, especially from other males. He would not have anyone trying to ruin what they had.
He puffed out his throat and said nothing, allowing the snake to answer Janja's query.
The black snake let his head dart back to face the pair of green serpents. His brilliant eyes were like polished slithers of jade. He had no pretty markings on his body, but the simplicity of his scales made him somewhat striking, especially amongst the golden sand.
"Red sssky." He muttered. "Red sssky." With a hiss he let himself slide forward, dropping carefully to the sand below. His eyes darted between the pair curiously. There was no fear, no hesitancy. It was almost child-like, bumbling clumsiness as if he wasn't quite sure how to address this situation.
"Red sssky isss bad. You are not of thisss place, are you? You are not ssserpentsss of the sssand?" He lifted himself up to mirror Nyoka and hissed with laughter. "Where you from then ssstrangersss that are now friendsss?"
Janja could tell that Nyoka had the same train of thought that she had and to reassure him she slithered closer lightly nudging him with her head. She wouldn't let anyone but him touch her. No, she was his. "Red sssky?" Janja repeated unsure of what he was saying. Her head tilted back as she glanced briefly at the sky behind her. The sky was reddening yes but she saw nothing wrong with it. It always turned red as the sun set. "I don't undersssstand." She stated simply dropping her head to return her gaze to him.
"No we are not." She replied not thinking it was very relavant at all but she couldn't be rude. After all snakes had become rare. "A different Desssssert."
He was comforted as she moved closer and nudged her back softly. His eyes, however, never left the stranger. His bizarre mutterings had him on edge, though he didn't seem particularly threatening. He'd learned never to underestimate anyone.
Maybe the isolation had just driven him insane?
He was about to whisper this to Janja when she spoke in response and instead added: "We are going to the jungle. Do you know of it? Isss it far?"
"Different red." He continued. "Much different red." He shook his head and let himself drop to the ground again. "Usss cobrasss sssee thingsss othersss do not." This was probably a lie but he sounded as if he was convinced of this. "Thisss place holdsss many a sssecretsss. That red isss not red of sssunssset. Red of death." He shuddered. "If you not from here you not underssstand."
At Nyoka's words the snake visibly flinched backwards as if someone had struck out at him. He hissed with fear. "No. Not that jungle. Jungle bad. Very bad. Not even red warrior lionsss go there. No place for a sssnake. Ssstay here. Turn back. But never go there."
Janja was off put by the strange snake's words. She didn't understand what he was saying. How was it a different shade of red? It was the same that they had always seen. What on earth was this crazy male talking about? "I don't underssstand. I don't want to." She told him growing rather annoyed by his strange was of talking. She knew that she shouldn't be rude but she couldn't help it. "The jungle isss not bad!" She hissed defensively.
She had spent most of her life in the jungle, it had been where she had made her few but important friends. How DARE he speak about it like that! "I do not apprecciate you ssssaying ssssuch thingsss."
Nyoka rounded on the black snake, eyes flashing, fangs flashing in his slender jaws. This snake was clearly insane. Red was red. It didn't mean anything, certainly not death! Was this supposed to be some kind of odd threat? Was he trying to scare them away.
And then all this nonsense about the jungle, too! The jungle. His home. His birth place. Of all the places in the world, the jungle was his favourite and here was this creature jabbering on about it being some horrific place.
"Ssshut your mouth, sssnake." He hissed. "We are jungle sssnakesss and we are fine. Get your factsss right before ssspeaking sssuch foolissshnesss." What had happened to their kind? Was this really all there was left? Themselves and lunatics?
"Come, Janja. Let'sss leave thisss creature to his nonsssenssse."
The black snake cowered away from the green, terrified of him but clearly more terrified of the jungle. He was shaking and coiling himself up so that he seemed smaller and more insignificant.
"No..."
But he didn't seem to be so adamant to stop them from going now.
"Missstake..."
Janja was angry, so very angry. Almost as angry as when Rokopelli had dropped her from the sky. Almost. "Yesss, I do not wisssh to sssstay in the company of ssssuch idioticcy." She replied with a nod turning away from the cobra ready to head off, away from him when he spoke one more time. Turning just her head back she narrowed her eyes. "Unlesssssss you have a very...convincccing reasssson assss to why thissss issss a missstake sssspeak now or hold your tongue." She told him her tone harsh and cold.
She wasn't sure if she would be able to stop herself from attacking him if he said one more idiotic thing or one more lie against the jungle. There had -never- been anything wrong with it. He was clearly out of his mind.
Nyoka paused to wait and see if there was any answer from the black serpents, expecting more babbling nonsense. In his anger there was also sadness. He'd thought that maybe they were going to meet another snake like them. Thought that maybe they'd have an ally.
But alas, the poor creature was so mad he was surprised that he was still alive.
He shook his head and moved to head onwards towards the jungle that he knew and loved. It would take more than mad ramblings from a strange serpent to keep him away.
The obsidian snake just curled himself up tighter and shook his head slowly from side to side. He wasn't mad, not really. He was just supersticious. So much so that it did indeed seem madness. He found meanings in all sorts of things. However, it were the Firekin who were to blame for his fear of the jungle.
The red lions had always been nervous and wary of it - though no one was quite sure why. The legend that gave the reason was probably long lost. As such, Itzcoatl could give no reason, only that he'd heard never to go there.
He closed his eyes tight and hoped when he opened them again, the strange snakes would be gone.
When she received no reply she shook her head, disappointed. It was such a shame, a fine snake tainted by madness. It was a saddening thought but she knew what couldn't let it bother her. It wasn't important, not anymore. There had to be more snakes out there, more that were smarter brighter than the one they had just encountered. Perhaps they would discover them in the jungle. The hope made Janja smile just the slightest as she slittered away from the rocks. "Sssssuch a ssssshame."
/fin
