The Snake in the Ice

Entering a New Life

The snake mother Vouyootuyoo. Spirit to the tribe of the ZucI, One of four tribes in the Jungle that resided under the Ice. The Ice that was the land of the Antarctic spirit Urani. The bear who your cousin pushed you too. The bear that scarred and crippled you, leaving you for one of the four tribes to find you.

And who exactly where those other three tribes? You did not know. Bobazo said he would explain later. He stopped asking questions as to how you had gotten there, which you appreciated to an extent from all the memories of the teeth and claws, pain and blood that resurfaced.

He continued rowing the boat down the sluggish river. You brought your arm closer to yourself, trying not to let the memories get to you anymore and make you cry again. You did not want to cry, there was too much on you as it was.

Feeling your distress you saw the little white shape of Y/S/N make her way back to the Canoe. Her body shining out immensely and making ripples in the green water as she swam in an S formation. Her head barely sticking up above the water's surface, her one round good eye telling you that she was coming.

You reached out and gently picked her up from the water. Her wet body dripping cool water back into the river, onto the boat and then into your lap as you brought her close.

She curled around in your lap, her body swirling around itself as she made herself comfortable. She kept her head up though. Her little white noggin standing up with her neck as stiff as a stick as she surveyed the boat for what had upset you.

You smiled at her and ran your finger down her back. feeling her smooth scales and the little bumps of her scars. she flicked her tongue out a couple of times. You noticed that it was beginning to turn into the evening now. The sun would set in a couple of hours.

" How far is the village Bo?" You asked. Looking up at him while still continuing to bet Y/S/N. He glanced down at you quickly before returning his gaze over you to the river.

" Since I am the Shaman I cannot be too far away unless certain matters come about. We will arrive in an hour." You nodded and wracked your brain on how long you had already been on the river. You could not quite recall where exactly the sun was in the sky when you first rowed out.

You sighed and picked up your snake, placing her on your shoulders. Liking it when she wrapped herself like a scarf around your neck.

She happily obliged. curling herself semi tightly around your neck. Her cool scales a good contrast against the hot humid air of the jungle.

You looked back out to the slow river. Wondering what it would be like when the tribe saw you. How would they react? Some of them had already seen you, including some children, but not the whole tribe. If they were anything like Bobazo you think you would be ok.

You would just have to wait and find out.

- -

The village? More like a small town. You stared in awe at the structures built into the mountain steps. Built around cascading waterfalls that created big bodies of water in between huts and houses. The buildings winded up the steps, with the biggest building being at the top step.

The sun was beginning to set now, casting a calming orange glow over the huts and the water. Turning the waterfalls into fire that poured down the steps and formed into lakes.

Bridges above the water connected the buildings on the same step together, and you could see people looking down and waving, calling out to their shaman while others raced down sloped wooden walk boards that let them descent or ascend throughout the entire village.