Seed Crystal

Red Salvia

Part 1 - The Deceptively Soft Things in Life

Faye clutches her jacket closer to herself, pressing the fragile bundle tighter against her body.

She used to take pride in her ability to traverse the dense forests swiftly but hearing the sounds of twigs snapping and dry leaves rustling makes her wonder if this is how she goes.

Climbing up the trees would be a no-go, her pursuer has adapted to be able to do that. Crossing the rivers would only slow her down.

The bundle trapped in her jacket squirms.

"No, not safe," she whispers.

But even that loss in concentration causes her to trip on a tree root. The fall twists her ankle as she falls on her side, narrowly avoiding crushing her fragile cargo with her own weight.

The bundle in her jacket jumps out, the small bunny checking her face closely.

Faye was just wandering the woods when the small bunny caught her attention. It was friendly to her and she noticed that this was no ordinary bunny the moment their gazes locked. She didn't have the chance to confirm her assumptions before she heard the telltale sounds of a large predator encroaching upon them.

The small bunny redirects its attention to her foot. It tries to put pressure on her ankle but pain shoots up her entire leg even with its minimal weight.

"Go," she whispers. "Get out of here. I know you can understand me. Run"

The bunny continues to stare at her, nudging its muzzle to her palm.

The sound of scales gliding against the forest floor becomes louder.

Mustering the last bit of strength, she rolls over picking up the bunny back in her arms and hiding between the roots of a large tree.

She's shaking but she tries to keep her breathing even.

This isn't going to work but she doesn't have much of a choice.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

A large serpent lay in front of her.

The head is bigger than an ox's. Posed to strike as it is, it is almost as tall as her, not even mentioning the rest of the length behind it. Its scales are white, almost glowing where the afternoon light filters through the foliage and unto its scales. The serpent's eyes seems to be made of pure green crystals, sparkling as it stares at her.

Faye would have called it beautiful if it wasn't showing its fangs, which are almost as long as her arms. Venom drips from the tips of the teeth as it prepares to lunge at her.

But then, it retreats.

The large serpent closes its mouth and retreats. At a farther distance, it stares at her, head tilted to one side as if studying her. It blinks twice.

Do snakes even have eyelids?

It raises its head again only to let out a hissing sound and lets its tongue out. Then as if disappointed with something, it shakes its head and backs away once more. Then, its whole body was enveloped in a faint light.

The telltale sign of a changeling shifting form.

"Hello, miss?"

Instead of a large serpent, a man stands in front of her.

He is as beautiful as the snake that was chasing her.

The snake man looks like a chiseled statue, with upturned eyes, a straight nose, and a defined jawline. And from what she can see from the embarrassed smile he is giving her, his top canines are more pointed and elongated than most.