Crimson Coils (The Snake Men Book 2)

Chapter 15

Mari had to sit down on the base of his tail again as they descended into the tunnel. She was a bit embarrassed, but he had reassured her that he didn't mind. In fact, he enjoyed it - it allowed him to "show-off" as he happily told her. His comment made her chuckle, and she made sure to sit still as he navigated the tunnel. They chatted as they made their way down into the earth, Rezran commenting on her learning self-defense, and then praising for her it. While she commented on his new attire, and him doing the same to her.

Their talking made her comfortable. When they did fall silent, it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. It was simply...them. With how silent it was in the tunnel; it was like they were the only two left in the world. Even she found the silence peaceful, with nothing but the sound of his tail shifting the ash quietly as they moved. 

After a few more minutes of silence, Rezran spoke. "We're here. You'll have to let your eyes adjust." he warned as they began to move through an opening in the tunnel.

Mari was hit with a bright light, and her eyes squinted as they came into an open cavern. Once her eyes adjusted, she slid off of him and gazed around at their surroundings in wonder.

Around them, stood towering crystals jutting out of the ground and out of the ceiling. They were clear as water and shimmered in a thousand colors as light from small holes in the ceiling streamed down into them. The cavern was painted in a rainbow of colors, creating a shimmering wonderland she only thought possible in her dreams. "Oh, it's beautiful Rezran...!" her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she was afraid that if she spoke it would all fall apart. While nothing fell apart, a flock of Drakelings flew out from a hole, a cloud of them flying around the crystals. Their colors accented the shimmering colors of the crystals, almost making them shine more.

"This is Clearstone Cavern. The Elder-Scales dubbed it a sacred site. No mining is allowed here." Rezran explained. "Hardly anyone comes here, I think because most don't want to disturb it." He slithered forward and rested against a rock, large enough for both of them to sit on. He patted the rock as a silent gesture to sit down, and she eagerly took it. She quickly walked over and seated herself on the rock.

She was silent as she took in the cavern, and Rezran gave her that moment before speaking himself. "So... Ziva told me you had something to tell me." He began. "She made it seem like it was important, so I thought I would take you here. Less people around and... I find it calming." He murmured, piercing her with his beautiful golden gaze as he waited for her response.

Mari kept her silence, silently looking down. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before slowly releasing it and looking back at him, meeting his beautiful gaze. She held her hands together, giving them a squeeze before she spoke again. "Yes, I wanted to speak to you about something. Something I haven't told you yet. Madam Savari and Ziva thought it best that you should know." she explained. "And I don't like keeping secrets. And!" she quickly said before he opened his mouth, pointing a finger at him. "You cannot say a single thing until I'm finished! You also need to take this seriously." She gave him a look, to which he quickly nodded his head, keeping his mouth shut. Taking another breath, she prepared herself.

Then she told him everything.

~/~

True to his word, Rezran had stayed silent throughout her tale. He hadn't really even reacted to some parts of her story, he just listened quietly. In fact, he seemed rather calm, and Mari was beginning to think that he wouldn't go berserk. She finished her tale with a sigh, and she looked away. "And that's what I wanted to tell you." She murmured, glancing back at him.

He stared at her for a few moments longer, before looking away himself. He closed his eyes, and he bowed his head, letting out a deep, slow breath. He still hadn't moved, nor had he spoken.

"Rezran?" Mari leaned in, a bit worried and put a hand on his shoulder. He did not flinch away from her touch. However, his eyes opened, and Mari pulled her hand away a little. She froze at the look in his eyes.

His golden eyes were glowing, his black pupils in thin slits. A slight hissing growl came out of him, and his scales on his tail seemed to raise just a little more. The words that came from him were accented with that same terrifying hiss. "I'll kill him." He turned his head to look at her fully. "I'll kill him for you. I could give you hisssss head asssss a trophy." He curled his lip to reveal one of his sharp fangs, a growl coming out of him again. His fists dug into the stone, his claws carving into it. "It would be a pleasssure, though it would be..." his head seemed to tilt in an almost bestial manner. "...Merccccciful. He doessssn't dessserve mercccy." 

The change in his speech, in his manner, shocked Mari. It was as if the Rezran she knew was just a part of a whole. There was the kind, almost human Rezran, and then there was this: the beast she knew from her stories as a child. The kind that kidnapped women and drank blood of the innocent. The one that would kill without a second thought, who would turn the ash red if he so chose. The hunter, the warrior - that was the one that stood before her now, looking at her with a piercing golden gaze. 

He was waiting, he was waiting for her to give her orders. It fully dawned on her as she noticed that he kept staring at her, like a predator ready to pounce. Everything about him before her should've scared her. Perhaps it did, just a little.

But it excited her more than anything.

Lifting her hands, she gently cupped his cheeks and leaned closer. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Slowly, and with another growl, he kissed her back. He tasted like spice and smoke, and she loved it. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close as his tail coiled around them. As she kissed him, she felt him relaxing. His scales lowered to their normal position, the muscles in his shoulders loosened, and his growling seemed to lower to a slight purr. It was only until then that she pulled away from the kiss. "You're not going to hunt him down."

His eyes, still slitted, looked away from her. "But-"

"No buts! Although I do find it slightly romantic that you want to hunt and kill my rapist." 

That seemed to elicit another purr out of him as he gaze turned back to her with a little more heat in it. "But if you do that, you'll risk more than just my family hunting you down." she explained. "I've really grown to like it here. I love being around you, Ziva, and Madam Savari." she said softly. "And I don't want anything to ruin that. So...unless he walks right through that door, I don't want you going after him, alright?" she asked.

Rezran grumbled, but he seemed to relax and his pupils went back to their normal diamond shape. "Fine, but if anything happens, he dies first. Consequences be damned." 

Mari laughed and wrapped her arms around him, to which he did the same, a smile coming over his features. "Alright, alright. Consequences be damned." she responded back to him. "Thank you, for listening to me Rezran."

He didn't say anything, though his hold around her tightened just slightly.