What does Home mean?

The lake: Revisited.

We arrive at the lake and I'm kind of surprised to see Tiseth laying motionless on the shore.

{Hello?} Brent asks.

{Saiyeth! I told you to leave me alone!

... wait.}

She uncoiled and looked around, flicking her tongue.

{Master!

I thought that you were someone else!

Sorry.} She thinks, crawling over and coiling around us.

She squeezes gently and moves back to where she'd been laying.

{Call me master again and I'll have snake skin drapery.}

{Yes sir...

What do I call you?}

{My name.}

{Oh... um.

Okay, then, Brent.}

{Why are you so snappy, anyway?} Brent asks.

{Uhg! I'm close to giving birth and a certain male wants to play daddy...

Weird.}

{Why is it weird?}

{Well, for one thing.... uh......

You know, I'm not really sure, aside from it not being necessary.}

{Is he the father?}

{Well, yes.}

{Then, what do you have to lose by indulging him?}

{Hah! My dignity!}

{You were very nearly killed by me.

You have no dignity to hold on to after that.}

{Don't remind me.

Oh! Three humans came here yesterday, after you left, and threw a cougar morph child into the lake.

I didn't eat him and he's over there in the bushes.

He understands me but can't mentally respond.}

"Cougar!?

They're extremely rare!" I say to Brent.

{Rare or not, were raising him, unless you oppose.

Tiseth. You did well.

I wanted to ask, since I was inside you, why were you so damned hot?}

{I don't know what you mean by that, but it sounds dirty.}

His eyes glow bright red and he looks confused.

{Snakes are typically cold-blooded but, you have a core body temperature exceeding 110⁰F.}

{As far as I know, I've always been like that.

I really don't know how to answer your question.}

{Oh, well.

I need a favor.

Open your mouth within reach of me, please.}

She does so and Brent swabs her teeth, gums and mouth before placing the cotton swab in a test tube and pouring something in with it.

As soon as he shakes it, the liquid blackens, then turns bright red.

{As I thought. Your body produces a powerful neuro-sedative protein that weakens what you swallow.}

{I do know that much. It has worked on humans in the past, within seconds and countless times, in fact...

You're the first person I've ever eaten who survived.