Warm, moist morning air slithered up the mossy trunks of cypress trees as wisps of smoke snaked their way toward the canopy, dew on the moss high above twinkling with mottled rays of dawn. The hissing of dying bonfires and the chirping of crickets was giving way to isolated snoring in the branches of a cypress.
A loose ring of cypress trees outlined a wide crescent of dry ground poking out of the murky waters of Floret bog. Dotted with burnt out camp fires and matted down grass, the mound told of a wild, sleepless night in the swamp. The smell of nectar still lingered in the air, and scales jarred loose by dancing glittered in the mud.
The silence of the morning was still stiff, new and ready to be broken.
The gentle swishing of a body sliding out of the water broke the silence.
"Sapphire?" a melodious voice called, asking gently. She knew she was probably waking Sapphire.
The soft snoring in the tree above stopped. A long, iridescent blue tail twitched, and curled. A ripple of muscle sped up the slender tail, up to a slowly widening body which coiled and wound around itself. The knot of sparkling blue scales was draped over a thick branch, right at the crotch of the tree. The loops of muscle undulated and tightened, and a yawn sounded from inside their center.
"Go 'way." The coil replied.
It's too early. She thought, her eyes closing tighter.
"Sapphire," the other called again, this time a little less gently. She, her own serpentine body sliding out of the water and onto shore, crossed her arms and looked up at Sapphire. "You sleep out here?"
The coil in the tree above moaned, tightened again, and yawned powerfully. "Yeah..."
"Well are you going to come down? It's chilly out here."
She sighed from above, and started to rouse herself. She looked over the edge of her coils, folding her arms on herself and resting her chin on the edge of her arms. Her shapely face had half-lidded eyes that were still blinking, and her smile, lively and sly, was already on her lips. She met eyes with the Naga below, and her tail, still hanging behind her, started to sway.
"Ts'not that cold." Sapphire said, still leaning on her coils. She took in a deep breath, her hood flaring. "Sides, there's nothing to do today." She shrugged, and looked off into the swamp. Sapphire stretched once more and let her forked tongue brush the air. The swamp seemed to welcome her as she took her first look around for the morning. The water was still and inviting. The trees were quiet and aching for a climb. The grass was tranquil waiting for her to prowl through it. The air waited for her songs.
She breathed in, and looked at the ragged remains of her bachelorette party from last night. The sights came to her in broken memories, and pulled a wider smile across her lips, a wicked spark igniting in her eyes. One thought came to her mind as her heartbeat accelerated from the memories.
We need to do that again.
Below, Coral was starting to gather her coils closer to herself. "You've got lots to do today, Sapphire. For one, packing. For two, somebody's gotta pay Rah for all that nectar you used last night, and it's not gonna be me."
Sapphire sighed and started to uncoil. "Fine, fine. Just... give me a minute."
Sapphire started to unwind her slender form as she stretched and straightened her top. The morning air seemed to still, her blood not pumping fast enough. She'd just have to remedy that. Sapphire got a devious grin, and a twinkle in her eye.
"Ok, coming down."
Coral looked up at Sapphire, somewhat impatient. As soon as she saw Sapphire's pose, her eyes widened.
Sapphire had her arms spread wide, hood retracted, and eyes closed. She was leaning steadily backwards, preparing to dive backwards. Sapphire could feel gravity tugging at her harder and harder as she leaned back, her hands slowly lifting to meet above her head. Her heart beat faster, her body tingled with energy, and she suddenly let herself drop.
"Saph, no, please-"
Her stomach lunged into her throat as she entered brief, sweet freefall.
Oh adrenaline. I missed you.
The air boiled with a powerful whoosh, and the sound of scales slipping off smooth bark filled the swamp as Sapphire executed a perfectly formed swan dive over her own back. The air whistled as she fell, eyes still closed. Her coils around the branch quickly dwindled, until one strong loop threaded itself around the branch and catching her.
She gently arced, and swung like a pendulum. She came up from the dive like she was surfacing, lifting her torso above the ground and looking at Coral with her fingers laced behind her head. As she swung back and forth, nearer and farther from Coral, she smiled, her eyes still half lidded. The little shot of energy had roused her a little, but the sleep was still in her eyes. It'd take a little more of a rush to really rile her.
Coral's expression of shock had quickly faded to irritation.
"Can't you come down normally?"
Sapphire closed her eyes, slowly letting herself onto the ground a few feet below. She rolled her neck back and forth. "Nope."
"Why not?" Coral complained, looking at Sapphire. Saph knew that she was just concerned for her. But she couldn't just up and do things the 'right' way.
After all...
"Normal's boring."
