Love As A Snake Goddess

Chapter 3

"Why would you want someone like me to gather enemy information?" Nyssa asked, her voice tinged with confusion. "Isn't that what your 'spies' are supposed to do?" She couldn't understand why Rose would ask an animal, especially a snake, to do a job meant for humans.

Rose raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh, so you understand what a spy is?" There was a note of surprise in her voice, as if she hadn't expected a snake to grasp such concepts.

Nyssa's eyes narrowed, her anger rising. "Are you calling me stupid?!" She hissed, glaring at Rose with a mixture of offense and fury. The air between them seemed to tense, and for a moment, it was clear that the little snake was not one to be insulted lightly. How annoying it must have been for her to deal with this human that kept her alive for gains.

Rose, however, remained calm, her tone matter-of-fact. "Not you. The other animals, though, aren't nearly as clever. So, are you going to help me or not? If you do, I can offer you something in return." Her eyes gleamed as she added, "I might be able to get you out of death's door—meaning, I could revoke that new law that demands the killing of all black snakes like you." She knew what she was aiming for and this deal was not a bad one.

Nyssa paused, her anger momentarily replaced by shock. 'That's... not a bad deal.' She could avoid a grim fate and go back to her peaceful life. The thought of no longer having to worry about being hunted sent a wave of relief through her. She took a long moment to think, weighing her options.

Finally, she let out a soft hiss, making her decision. "Fine. Let's do it. I hope you keep your word." There were many who did not keep their words at all. It would grow bothersome for the most part.

Rose smiled, clearly pleased with the outcome. "It's a deal, then." Her tone was confident, as if the matter was already settled. "Are you ready to go now?"

Nyssa's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, now? Are you insane!?" She hissed, louder this time. The idea of being thrown into enemy territory so suddenly felt like being kicked out the door straight into a ditch with spikes.

Rose's smirk deepened. "You'll be fine. You're smart, remember?" Rose tried to make it sound encouraging.

Nyssa grumbled under her breath, wondering what she had just gotten herself into. The way Rose said it was all bad. "Well, how are you sending me down there? You want me in enemy territory so how or what am I looking for?" Nyssa needed to know what information she needed and who may have all that information.

The poor snake was going to be left by herself to survive while Rose just lived in relaxation where she was now. 'I should have just bitten that neck.'

Rose led them into her office, carefully closing the door behind her to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed. Keeping the snake right around her neck and shoulder without bothering if they changed their mind to bite her. She knew full well that most people would think she was insane if they caught her having a conversation with a snake. The last thing she needed was rumors of her talking to herself or—worse—being seen as some eccentric who whispered secrets to reptiles. She worked too hard to lose it all in an instant. The room was quiet and dimly lit, the perfect place for a private discussion.

She approached her desk and, with practiced ease, unrolled an old large scroll across its surface. The paper unfurled with a soft rustle, revealing a detailed map. Without a word, Rose gently placed Nyssa down onto the desk, right in front of the scroll, giving her a full view of the map's intricate details. It was quite a lot of information but she would be able to describe it.

"I want you to go here," Rose said, tapping a particular spot on the map with her finger. It was deep within a dense forest, but Nyssa's eyes followed the path that led beyond the trees, to a much darker, more ominous section of the map. The area was shadowed, marked with symbols that Nyssa didn't recognize. This was going to surely get her killed if it were not Rose.

"And that is where, exactly?" Nyssa asked, slithering slightly closer to the map but feeling no more enlightened. Though she could understand human speech just fine, reading their written language was an entirely different matter. It all looked like scribbles to her—a tedious blur of marks she had never bothered to learn. Listening in on conversations had always been easier. Perhaps, it was part of a gift that god gave her for the time being. 'Lucky bastard.' She cursed again at the god. Throughout the time she could only keep cursing at him in her head.

Rose, sensing Nyssa's confusion, leaned closer to the map, her voice steady. "That's enemy territory, hidden deep within the forest," she explained. "It's a place where normal spies have trouble getting in unnoticed. I can't get my human spies through without them already getting detected. But you, being... well, you, can slip in undetected. They wouldn't suspect a snake to be part of some sort of spy for us... for me to be fair." Rose corrected it a few times.

Nyssa flicked her snake tongue, still staring at the shadowy portion of the map. The task sounded as dangerous as she feared. "What exactly am I supposed to do once I get there?" She was getting a bit annoyed that this was taking so long to explain it. "Out with it or else you can just kill me now on this map!" The snake only looked angrily at Rose with her tongue only flicking in and out twice as fast with annoyance.

"I need you to gather information," Rose said simply, her tone calm but insistent. "Listen to their conversations, watch their movements. Anything you can find, even the insaity talk like we are having now and then report back to me." She straightened up, watching Nyssa closely. "You're not just any snake, after all. You've got a sharp mind, and that's what I need. A mind that will not forget and give me all the information that I need." Rose had tried multiple times with many other animals, but none of them were fond of her or understood her well enough.

Nyssa sighed, coiling herself slightly tighter. It was clear now—there would be no easy way out of this. Still, the thought of Rose's promise lingered in her mind. 'If I do this, I can finally be free from their hunt. I may even be saving more snake lives.' Keeping it in mind that it was for the greater good than she knew it. 'Just wait until I become a large snake with immense power.' She was already stupidly thinking about vengeance in the future.

"Fine," Nyssa said after a long pause, her voice carrying the weight of reluctant agreement. "But you better hold up your end of the deal." She went on to remind Rose. That was all that she cared about. "Make a contract."

"Since when did snakes make contracts?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly finding the idea bizarre. Hearing such words from a snake was something she hadn't expected. 'No snake or creature would ever ask for a contract,' she thought, the whole situation feeling more surreal by the second. Not even her old bird had asked for one.

Nyssa, however, wasn't amused. Her small body shifted slightly as she stared up at Rose, unimpressed. "Magical contract," Nyssa corrected, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance. "And don't just call me a snake like I'm stupid because I may be smaller with a small brain. You humans are greedy and go back on your words all the time so I am merely just doing this for safe reasons." Her sharp gaze didn't waver, making it clear she wasn't going to be tricked into doing any free work. What would the point of all her work be for?

Nyssa stayed perfectly still, coiled neatly on the desk, her tongue flicking out in agitation. She wasn't about to budge until Rose produced that magical contract. The silence hung between them as Nyssa's eyes bore into Rose's, waiting for her to honor the agreement.

Rose, still taken aback, studied the snake in front of her, realizing this wasn't just any ordinary creature. There was a stubborn determination in Nyssa that demanded respect. With a resigned sigh, Rose gave a small nod, understanding that this was no ordinary deal—and Nyssa wouldn't move forward without binding terms.

"Alright," Rose finally said, her tone shifting to one of seriousness. "I'll get the contract." Rose was quick to find a contract within her office.