Crimson Coils (The Snake Men Book 2)

Chapter 4

Wherever his camp was, it was far away.

Mari's feet were killing her, her thighs sore and burning as she trudged alongside the massive Naga beside her. They had been walking for what felt like hours, since it was near impossible to tell the time with the sky covered by the ash. She had been silent since he let her walk on her own, glancing at him from time to time in case he tried to do something. However, he just simply slithered beside her, keeping alert but holding a somewhat relaxed demeanor, as if this was just a simple stroll. It infuriated her, so she huffed. "How much farther is this camp?"

The Naga looked towards her. "Not much farther, just over those ridges over there." he gestured with his hand to three spires of hardenedlava, reaching up towards the sky only to jaggedly curl inward like a wave. There were much smaller yet similar curls off to the side,creating a formation she knew all too well for her maps.

Yet another place she wanted to avoid.

"The Wyrm Burrows? Tell me you're joking?" she asked, her blood running cold at the words escaping her lips. Wyrms – an ancient form of dragon that took their residence within the earth. They dug deep and long burrows under the ground, creating a network of tunnels. Wyrms never went after humans, she thought it was always because they thought of humans too small to eat, or not worth the meal. Even if that were the case, Wyrms sometimes dug their burrows underneath caravan campsites, creating a massive sinkhole and destroying them in mere seconds. They were enormous creatures, some Noduin stories claimed that they could become so large they could wrap around the volcanoes thrice fold.

Naturally, their supposed nesting ground was a massive crater in the Wastes, a crater created when a Devil emerged from Devils Gate and created a massive boulder made out of molten lava from the depths of the volcano, and hurtled it at heroes who intended to slay him...according to Noduin myth at least. Devil or not, it left a massive pit in it's wake, which made it the perfect home for the Wyrms. Her father had been the closest to it out of their caravan, telling them that he could feel the Wyrms moving underneath his feet the closer he was to it. He then banned the entire caravan from traveling near it.

The Naga shook his head. "That's where my home is. Why?" he leaned closer, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Are you scared of some Wyrms?" he taunted.

Mari stiffened, but lifted her chin. She would not let this Naga make a fool out of her. "Of course not." she said, staring at him straight in the eyes.

He laughed, leaning back. "Good." He then continued on in silence, before stopping. "I never got your name by the way." he pointed out, looking at her and tilting his head.

A tiny voice in the back of Mari's head wanted her to sneer at him and declare "I don't need to tell you anything, kidnapper" but those golden eyes pinned her there, curious and inviting, and she found herself wanting to spill all and everything about herself to him. Her favorite foods, her hobbies like collecting Ash Crystals, and how she always wanted a pet dragon. Oh, how she wanted one so dearly...

...if they just weren't so vicious.

However, she decided to just simply say: "Mari." At her response he seemed very pleased, and their walk continued. She blinked at him in surprise, left in suspense about knowing his name. "Hey, wait!" she stammered, running a bit to catch up.

"Hm?" he hummed, looking towards her once again. "Is something wrong? Have you got a pebble in your shoe, princess?" he asked with a teasing smirk, causing her to frown yet again.