The sand was hot against her belly as she moved through the scrubland, tipping her head every now and then so that she could glance up at the dark, imposing cliffs of this new and strange land. Panna, a beautiful snake indeed, had vowed to travel, vowed to have children and also vowed to find Rokopelli, the Goddess of Confusion. So, in her attempt to fulfil these vows – these promises – she was searching every desert land she came across. Really, it was too good to be true that on the doorstep of the jungle would lie a desert, but she was keen to explore its lands, however scary they might seem. She had come down from the jungle to the north of these lands and made her way alongside the cliffs, scenting lion always on the air. Now that she was upon the scrubland to the west, she could even see some hunting.
Lions were scary to say the least and these ones were huge! She just hoped that the goddess was not as imposing as those distant, fierce predators hunting and killing. Else she would probably be too afraid to ever approach.
She paused here amongst the lows, dusty shrubs, many of them a dry, sickly yellow colour from the rays of the incredible sun. Across from her she could also see a gap in the cliffs, an opening that most likely led into the heart of the lion’s homeland. If the goddess was anywhere, she would be in there, amongst others. It frightened her, for though she was a predator with fangs and poison, she did not wish to strike and anger the creatures with lashing claws.
She was young and this was but the start of her journey!
However, luckily for her, she spotted the shape of something much more welcoming. A snake, his coils arranged neatly about him under the sun. As Panna drew nearer, she saw that he had not a marking upon him, his scales a sleek, shining black. He’d obviously shed his skin recently, for she could not think of any other way that his scales could gleam. He was very handsome indeed but, more important than that, he was not afraid of lions. He couldn’t have been, to be sleeping out here so easily! Perhaps, she thought to herself, it was because he lived here.
In any case it was too good an opportunity to pass up and, with a small hiss, she moved towards him, hoping he would awaken as she drew nearer. The last thing she wanted to do was startle him and provoke an attack. That could be as deadly as startling a lion!
“Excussse me, sssir?” Panna enquired softly as she approached.
Happily, the dark snake opened an eye and peered across at her. That eye was a startling green, so bright that it seemed to glow from the dark, sleek head to which it belonged.
“Sssorry to bother you.” She continued eagerly. “But I sssearch for sssomeone and am hoping you might know her.” Straight to the point as always, a trait taken from both of her parents.
“Oh?” The snake, a cobra, asked.
Panna’s eyes drew to that beautiful, fanned neck and slithered closer, lifting her head a little higher so it came almost level with his own. “Yesss…a lioness with wings.”
“With…wingsss?” The snake shook his head and physically flinched backwards. “Bad omen. Bad omen, yesss. Do not ssseek out thossse lionsss.”
“What? Why?”
“They do not sssee asss we do.” He responded. “Beware your sssearchings.”
“Ssso you mean to sssay that none live in thisss dessert?”
“One did, long ago, but the lionsss here refussse, now, to acknowledge her.”
“Her name?” Panna asked, desperately.
“Finar-Sssi.”
The female literally drooped with dismay, but she knew that it had been too good to be true. Her search could take many years, perhaps even a lifetime. She should not have expected it to be so easy. She’d just have to continue on and hope that another desert held the key.
“You are not from here.” The male replied. “I am Itzcoatl. You are?”
“Panna. And no, I’m not from here. I lived in the jungle. But now I go on my way into the world.”
“You have good ssscalesss.”
Panna flustered. “Me? Well, no, I’m clossse to ssshedding. My ssscalesss look tired in comparissson to yoursss.”
He seemed amused. “I mean, your markingsss. They ssspeak of good omensss. Very pretty. Very pretty indeed.” He eyed her with a slight tilt of his head. “I am usssed to being around sssuch bad omensss. My own lionessss hasss terrible marksss upon her face. Asss for myssself, the marksss are non-exissstent. I am void.”
“Lionesss? Your own?”
“Yesss, her name isss Fia. One of the warriorsss that live here.” It was clear that this black cobra was superstitious, finding somewhat daft meanings on the pelts of others. But he believed in it and no one could tell him otherwise.
“Ssshe’sss not nearby, isss ssshe?”
“Afraid?” Itz replied, flicking his tongue with amusement. “Do not be. Fia isss harmlessss.” And with that he uncoiled his body and slithered up alongside her, eyeing her sleek, young body. “You have…a glowing future, I think.” He continued, circling her slowly. “Hmm, prosssperousss markingsss. Your parentsss’ mating produced fine young indeed.”
Panna glowed with pride. “My father and mother were proud of usss. They have ssset usss free into the world to fulfil our goalsss. I have two.”
“One of which, to find thisss goddesss?”
“Correct.”
“And the other?”
Panna hesitated a moment before continuing. “To have many children.” Her eyes flicked downwards and suddenly she felt his smooth scales against her side. She startled and looked straight across at him, curling her body with surprise.
“Pick your matesss carefully, Panna. It would be easssy to birth children with ominousss marksss if your male or hisss ancessstorsss have them.”
“I will.” Panna responded, her little heart pounding.
“I am male and attractive, am I not?” He replied at length.
“You are, Itzcoatl.”
They caught one another’s gaze for a long time and then, without warning, he slipped his head beneath her chin and caught her neck in his, twining swiftly so that their bodies knotted.
Panna did not struggle to free herself. She was too surprised by his forwardness to do such a thing. So she did the only thing she could do.
She relented.
/fin.
