Crimson Coils (The Snake Men Book 2)

Chapter 9

Sparks danced off of the ash crystal before Mari, her eyes protected by a set of goggles she had found right beside the other tools on the desk. She reassured herself that she was in her element, she had been doing this since she was small. Though it was hard to concentrate with the thought of disappointing a very large golden snake woman lingering in the back of her mind.

The gold in front of her broke off with a loud CRACK, making her curse and shove the pieces off of the desk. She gave a huff, putting the tool down and removing the goggles. Silence surrounded her, though she swore she heard the minutes ticking by. How on earth was she going to please Madame Savari, a very rich woman who seemed to have everything? Resting her head in her hands, she bit her lip.

Madame Savari's house was like a tribute to her. She had statues of herself in every corner, gems and gold practically dripping off the walls; and hell, Mari wouldn't be surprised if the cliff around them was made of precious metals. Really, what could a simple human girl have to offer her? She flicked a small speck of the crystal off of the desk and looked at the remains of the broken pieces. Simple...she thought for a moment, picking up one of the broken pieces and turning it around in her hand. The crystal glinted brightly, almost reminding her of the glowing eyes of the dragon that chased her much earlier in the day. What she wouldn't give for a good nights rest right about now...

...Then again, she hadn't seen any dragon-like statues in Madame Savari's house. Turning the crystal over again in her hand, her eyes landed on a gold ingot on a shelf nearby. A smile slowly crept over her lips. She would take Madame Savari by surprise. This human would become her apprentice, and she would prove it.

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Mari stared at the large door in front of her. Behind that awaited her toughest customer yet. She glanced down at the objects in the cart and then back at the door. "Here we go." she muttered to herself. Stepping around the cart, she knocked on the door. "Madame Savari, I'm coming in with my pieces." she announced.

"You may proceed." came Madame Savari's muffled voice on the other side. Mari opened the door and pushed the cart through. Like the rest of her house, the study was surrounded by gold statues and dripping with jewelry. Though this time the walls around them were covered in bookcases, each shelf packed with books of all kinds. Scrolls were also neatly rolled up and stacked in some shelves as well. Sitting at a desk in the middle of it all was Madame Savari herself, looking up from a scroll she had been examining. She straightened up, slithering off of the pillows and blankets she had been resting on, and coming over to the cart. "And what have you brought me?" she asked.

Mari halted the cart in front of her. The first she presented was a small figure of a magma drake, it's joints and different body parts fused together with a mix of onyx and gold. She lifted it, and offered it to Madame Savari, who took it and held it in her hands. "The first item I present to you is a magma drake, made from ruby, gold, and onyx. The ruby was carved and cut using a rune carver, and I fused the pieces of the body together with gold, and used a mix of excess gold and onyx to accent the scales and facial features." Mari explained.

Madame Savari turned it over in her hands, looking over the figure, before setting it carefully back down on the cart. "Next." she stated.

Mari nodded and lifted the next object. This one was a choker, crafted with red stones and gems which she linked together with golden rings to look like the overlapping scales of the Kraugest, or of a dragon. "This is a choker made with garnet, rubies, and various red stones; held together by golden links and can be clasped together at the ends. I made sure the clasp would be large yet comfortable enough to secure and still keep it's grace." Mari explained.