Itzcoatl lay curled close to the side of the sleeping lioness, her eyes half-closed as she sought a sleep that would not come. Something bothered her, though she had not spoken of what and the dark cobra had felt the need to be at her side until she was ready to talk. Though when that might be, he did not know. Perhaps the dark omen behind those bloodied tear- markings was rearing its ugly head at least? He hoped this was the case, after all, that was the very reason he had bonded to her. If he could discover the meaning behind those strange marks it would be like finding the meaning to his own life.
His tongue flicked out idly for a moment, tasting the air. The desert smelt much the same as it always did. Of sand and emptiness and lions. And yet, today, there was something different. Something both strange and familiar. He lifted his head, arching his proud, fanned neck and tested the air some more.
Yes. There was no doubt about it. A snake was in the lands that day. A snake that did not normally reside within this barren land but was familiar nonetheless.
So, she was back? But why?
The sleek, onyx-scaled serpent was curious, he had to admit, but he was uncertain whether he should leave Fia when she was so...not herself. The feline seemed to be able to read his mind and lifted her head a little to glance moodily his way. "If you want to go, Itz, just go. I'd like to be by myself for a while anyway." She set her head across her paws once more and let her bi-coloured eyes fall closed.
"But you are troubled."
"Maybe so, but I don't need you fussing around me. I already have one mother. I don't need another one."
With a soft hiss, the black snake nodded slowly and blinked his green eyes. "I ssshall not be far if you need me." He paused a moment but got no response and, with a small sigh, he moved off across the desert, leaving strangely artistic 's' shapes in the sand with the swaying movement of his body.
She was not hard to find.
Her brilliant green scales glinted emerald under the sun and he hissed softly in admiration. Had she returned to see him or did she have another lover out here that he didn't know about? Itz had always assumed their meeting to be a one-night-stand, but here she was again. Did this mean she had favoured their coupling? He puffed out his throat with self-pride and glided towards her. His silent approach and the aid of the wind meant that she was not aware of his coming until he was almost upon her.
Her eyes - wide with surprise - curved with a smile and she hissed in greeting, bobbing her head.
"It isss you." Itzcoatl gave in the way of greeting. "I thought it might be a trick. What bringsss you back, green beauty?"
"It isss." Panna replied, instantly becoming a little sheepish. "You bring me back, Itzcoatl. For you are a fine male and...and I have met none other like you." Well, truth be told, she had met no other male. Their numbers were either very dwindled in the area or she was just particularly unlucky. In any case, the passion that this black snake had shown her had not been a thing easily forgotten and she had secretly been saddened that their moment together had not produced offspring.
"Impresssed you, did I?" The black snake seemed pleased, moving close and brushing against her very gently.
She shuddered, following him with her eyes. "My parentsss made me promissse them that I would continue the family line. I sssaid that I would and yet ssso far I have failed them. May I be blunt with you?"
"You may." He retorted, wondering momentarily whether he should be off having fun with pretty females whilst his bond was troubled. The thought was gone the moment the green snake rubbed her head up against his chin.
"I am hoping you will father my children."
"No ssstringsss attached?"
"None. They may ssstay here, come with me, or go elsssewhere. We are not like the furry onesss. Our young are not ssso dependant."
"Thisss isss true." Itzcoatl replied after a moment, fanning out his proud neck and turning his sharp eyes to her. "You are an attractive female. Healthy and...wissse." He smiled at the effect his flattery had on her. "Ssso, if I agree to this, what happensss next?"
"I ssstay until I am egg-heavy." Panna replied. "I think travelling doesss not help with my chances of a successful mating. I ssshall birth the children here, watch over their eggs until they are hatched, and then return to my new home."
"And will I sssee you again after that?"
Panna smiled. "Perhapsss."
"And what if our coupling isss not sssuccesssful?"
"Isss there a reassson for your doubt?" Panna asked, suspicious for a moment that there was something the black serpent was not telling her.
"No. However, there isss never a guarantee for sssuccesss in thessse thingsss. We already know of thisss." He was, of course, referring to their first time together. At that point, producing offspring was not on their minds and, if he was honest, it was not on his mind now, either. He longed for the company of his own kind and he was certainly not going to turn down an offer of intimacy. Such opportunities were few and far between.
"I cannot ssstay forever. I ssshall be here a while. If there are eggsss, then wonderful, if there are not, I ssshall go home once more a failure."
"I ssshall do my bessst to aid you in thisss worthwhile quessst." Locking his neck around hers, he held her close for a moment, relishing in the contact of her smooth but dusty scales. "You found a home, then?"
"Yesss, with the goddesss I sssought the lassst time we met." Panna replied. "I found her and relayed my messsage and now I ssstay with her. Bonded to her asss once my father wasss before me. I can only hope that I have made him proud by doing ssso. The goddesss misssesss him greatly but I do not think they will ever sssee one another again. A sssad thought indeed, but at leassst I am there."
"Doesss ssshe know where you are?"
"Ssshe doesss. Ssshe underssstands my want for children for ssshe has her own. Dear thingsss indeed with their tiny wingsss and tiny pawsss. You ssshould sssee them, Itzcoatl!"
"I am needed here and I have never once left the desssert. I do not think I could ever leave it. It isss my home and my desssire to travel hasss never exisssted. Not like yoursss, pretty thing."
"Well, whilssst I am here, I will tell you ssstoriesss of the thingsss that I have ssseen. Then you will not need to ssstray far." She squeezed him with a surprising amount of affection and he drew her across the sand to one of his many secluded spots where he could shelter in peace from the bite of the cold night and the sound of Fia talking in her sleep.
"There will be time for ssstoriesss later, dear Panna."
And with that, she heartily agreed.
/fin.
