Pairing: Conis/Laki
Notes: According Animals in Myth and Literature, alchemists thought that snakes were the embodiment of all four elements. So... that's the elemental theme of this one! Written for Share the Love Month! I had to continue on with all the femslash pairings really.
(also the goddess in this is totally hancock, i could never be anyone else)
This is un-betaed so I'd appreciate any mistakes to be pointed out!
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The rope around her wrists chafed and Conis was sure she smelt disgusting due to the amount of sweat pouring off of her. She'd been on the other side of this before – not happily – but having it done to her was far worse than she could ever have imagined.
"I'm sorry," came the quiet voice of her father, and Conis smiled. Her lips wavered a little and she let her tongue dart out in attempt to control them. She wanted to comfort him, to tell him that everything would be alright, but there was no way this could turn out alright.
Conis had been chosen, the greatest honour in their society. They lived on the precipice between two worlds, between god and the devil, and they had to keep their balance. Sacrifices had to be made to keep the devil away. If the devil rose, their god would have no choice but to destroy it and their entire world would crumble.
So Conis knew she was doing her duty. She knew she was protecting her people, but it didn't stop the trembling in her very bones or change how hard it was to breathe.
"It's okay father," she said quietly, squaring her shoulders as the white berets approached her. McKinley's face was grave as he took Conis' shoulder, nodding to her father and leading her down the stairs to the platform.
The entire town had come out to see he sacrifice, as they always did. Some were praying, hands clasped and heads bowed, while others were looking to the skies, as if hoping that their god would come down and put an end to the sacrifices once and for all.
No one would come for her, Conis knew. She could pray and beg all she wanted, but it wouldn't make a difference. Their god didn't care, not really. In all the stories, gods were merciful and would never allow for so many to be sacrificed just to keep a devil out of its way.
"I never thought you'd be chosen," McKinley said, and Conis bit her lower lip. She didn't want him to talk; it would only make this so much harder. "It'll be quick, at least."
As McKinley strapped her to the sacrificial post, Conis wondered how he could say that with such conviction. No one here had ever gone through what Conis would, they'd only seen it. How could they know it would be quick?
"Be brave," McKinley said as he stepped back. Conis tested the chains holding her to the post and her breath hitched when she realised she was completely chained. Her knees trembled and she wondered if she'd fall to the ground when the devil appeared.
It didn't happen immediately. Conis had time to scan the blurred faces of onlookers as McKinley made his way back up the stairs. The bell rang, six times to signal they had a sacrifice, and the very ground beneath Conis began to shake.
Cloud spewed upwards as the devil came from below, maw wide and eyes peering at Conis from the very moment it broke through the clouds. A rattling hiss escaped from the giant snake's mouth as it heaved its huge body onto the sacrificial platform, circling until it had wrapped around Conis' post. It was so huge that its tail still resided below.
The snake turned its head so that it could look at her and Conis forgot how to breathe. Its eye was dark, matching the patterns on its blue tinted skin. Conis could see the individual scales and a strange urge to stroke the snake crossed her mind. Of course, her hands were bound and she was chained to a post, with no option of escape.
The snake turned so that its tongue flicked over Conis, testing her. She closed her eyes, knees giving out as she'd expected. There was nothing that could prepare her for what happened next, despite the amount of times she'd seen it.
The snake's mouth was warm, surprisingly, and Conis could almost imagine she was inside a cloud cave. The sound of metal crunching under teeth sounded behind her and Conis' body went slack. She'd been freed of the bonds and the freedom gave her courage she'd never thought she'd have.
"Let me out!" she screamed, turning around. She was still on her knees, the snake's tongue under her ankles, but she managed to push up, stumbling to the entrance of the snake's mouth. Tears ran down her cheeks and she pushed against the opening, desperately trying to escape.
Conis didn't want to die. She wanted to save her people, but was this really the way.
She didn't get a chance to escape. The snake moved and she fell, down into the throat and into pitch darkness. It was warm, surprisingly so, and Conis closed her eyes, not wanting to see how she'd die.
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Except, Conis didn't die. She kept her eyes closed, though she desperately wanted to know what was going on. Her feet were wet and her hands touched stone, but she knew for certain she was still inside of the snake. At least she hadn't found any bones.
Fear had left her a long time ago. Conis had resigned herself to what was going to happen, so when the entire world around her shuddered, Conis snapped her eyes open, trying to find something in the gloom. Fear hadn't left her entirely, it seemed, and her breath came shakily. She bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes.
Why couldn't she just die and have this over with? Conis wanted to live, so very much, but how could she in this world?
"Don't be afraid," an gentle voice said. "If you want to get out, you need to keep walking until you see daylight. When you see it, head for that."
Conis wanted to ask hundreds of questions, wanted to know where this woman was and what she was doing inside the snake. For a moment, Conis wondered if she'd gone insane. Perhaps she had, but doing something was better that sitting here and she moved forwards. Conis had no idea which way she was headed (did giant snakes poo? If it meant escaping the snake's belly then Conis would take it), but she continued on.
She must have been turned around many times, but eventually, Conis saw a glimmer of a reflection in a puddle on the ground. It was the light she'd been looking for and she hurried towards it, knocking her shins against stone in the dark. Conis was sure she was bleeding in at least one place, but she couldn't stop now, not when the exit was getting closer and closer.
There was something strange about the exit, and Conis discovered why as she came closer. The snake had its mouth wide open, as if it was simply waiting for her to walk free. Conis didn't question it, instead she began moving quicker, until she was running towards the light, ignoring the tongue lying flat and he tucked away fangs.
When she was out of the snake's mouth, Conis took a huge breath, as if she'd never breathed before. The light was warm and softer than what she was used to. Conis had expected the devil's land to be far hotter than this.
Looking around, all Conis could see was a village, similar to her own though far more basic. Children played, weaving around the houses with toy animals. No one seemed phased by the presence of the huge snake and Conis saw why. Snakes decorated all the houses in gold and splendour. Clearly the village held the snake in high respects.
Footsteps sounded by Conis and she turned as an elderly man approached from the snake's side. He had a helmet cradled in his arm and a weary looking horse by his side. He wore no smile, though his eyes were kind, and Conis felt her fear subside, despite the huge snake that shifted, mouth closing and eye peering down at her in curiosity.
"Welcome to Shandia," the man said. "My name is Gan Fall."
His kind eyes swept to look at the snake. Conis bit the inside of her cheek, too afraid to speak. Would this man order her to be eaten? And who had helped her?
"You will be taken to the temple, where the shrine maidens will help you." The old man narrowed his eyes. "You have nothing to fear – your people think of us as devils, but we're far from it."
He looked as if he wanted to say more, but the snake shifted, lifting its huge head up and hissing. Its tongue came close to Conis and she shied back, knowing what lay beyond that tongue. She never wanted to experience it again.
"Follow the snake to the temple. You will be received and you will be able to relax after that." The snake began to move and Conis hurried to stay with its head. The sooner she got to this temple, the sooner she'd be away from the snake.
Luckily, the temple was close. It was made from what looked to be pure gold and snakes were engraved all over. It was beautiful, but Conis felt the eyes of the snakes stare at her and could only think of being swallowed, the wooden post behind her hands splintering. She crossed her arms over her chest, holding her arms as the huge doors to the temple opened and someone came out.
"This way! This way!" the girl said, She was young and wore a bright smile, unafraid of the snake as she took Conis' hand. "You can have a bath and something to eat."
Conis had no choice in the matter as the girl dragged her inside. The snake watched, swaying its head a little sadly as the doors closed, and Conis tried not to feel bad for it. It had brought her here, yes, but she hadn't been in any harm, not really.
The girl – Aisa, she introduced herself as – gave her a whirlwind tour of the temple, directing her to her rooms, which were right next to Aisa's.
"Down the hall is the goddess' servant's room." Conis peered down the hall, to a door with a single snake coiled, mouth open around the door handle. "She is the only one who had direct contact with our goddess and we receive our orders from her."
Aisa led her to the baths – again, the entire room was full of snakes, water pouring from their mouths – and she cleaned herself, ridding her body of dirt, sweat and whatever had coated her inside of the snake. From the side, Aisa chatted on, informing her that their village had been saved by the goddess and blessed by her power.
"There was a man who called himself a god. He had the power of lightning and he tried to end our worship of the goddess." Aisa looked down at her hands. "He destroyed our village and killed many people. Our goddess gave us the power to protect ourselves and we fought him. The false-god left to become your god."
Conis stood, picking up the towel that was at Aisa's side. Her mouth was thinned as she tried not to think how her people were worshipping a god that had bloodstained hands.
"Your people have held sacrifices every month since the false god left. We've saved as many as we can, but not everyone makes it out of the snake." Aisa looked truly regretful at that.
Conis slipped into one of the soft robes, glad for the loose, long fabric. It was comforting and warm, and she even found the snakes a comforting pattern.
"One day we'll destroy the false god," Aisa said, voice passionate and frown firm. "And your people won't have to sacrifice anyone anymore."
Aisa was so young and innocent, yet Conis couldn't help but believe her words. As she walked to her room, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of person the goddess' servant was. She eyed the door at the end of corridor, too tired to think of anything properly. Perhaps she'd meet this servant of the goddess tomorrow.
As her head hit the pillow, Conis slipped into an uneasy sleep, wanting her father and her own room more than ever before.
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The days at the temple passed slowly. Since her arrival, Conis hadn't once seen the huge snake, nor had she seen the doors at the end of the corridor open. Perhaps the snake and the servant had business to attend to.
Despite longing for her home, Conis fit in well. She helped Aisa around the temple and was shocked to find that Aisa was the only shrine maiden there.
"The false god Enel tried to kill me when I was younger," Aisa explained. "The goddess took me in and I've been in her debt ever since."
They picked their way through the temple, making sure the lanterns had enough fuel and the temple was well heated. They'd clean the floors in a bit, but they needed a trip into town before.
It was uneventful, to say the least. The people of the town were charming and Conis was even introduced to people who had come from her own homeland. The women were a little older and some even had children of their own, settled comfortably here without any thought to the world that had abandoned them through sacrifice.
Conis should do that too.
On her third week, Conis was cleaning her room when she heard a heavy door slam against a wall. She rushed to her own door, poking her head out. Her eyes widened as she saw the door at the end of the corridor, wide open for all to see. The servant had returned, it seemed.
Whatever Conis had been expecting, it wasn't the person who came out of the dark room. She was a tall woman with dark hair, fringe swept to the side of her face. Her eyes were dark and she met Conis' gaze with a familiarity Conis didn't quite understand.
"Forgive me," the woman said quietly. She looked ill, pale with dark circles under her eyes and trembling hands. "I need Aisa."
Conis set off at once, running to the kitchens to fetch Aisa. They ran back, finding the servant in Conis' room, sat on the bed, cradling her head in her hands.
"You need to use your mantra," the woman said, her words directed to Aisa. "The goddess has warned me that Enel plans an attack, and it will destroy us if we do not stop him first."
It took Aisa a moment and Conis watched as the girl closed her eyes, body relaxing. Conis wasn't entirely sure what mantra was or what Aisa was doing, but it was clearly important and so she remained silent, a stranger once again.
"The false god is moving his ship. He plans to strike both Conis' land and ours at the same time. We have a week." Aisa's voice wavered and she opened her eyes, glancing at Conis and then the woman.
"Go fetch Wiper and the other warriors," the woman said, voice commanding. "The goddess blessed us with this warning and we will stop Enel for once and for all."
Aisa was gone in a flash. Conis sucked her lip behind her front teeth, biting at the skin nervously. The woman took a shaky breath, smoothing her hand over the covers of Conis' bed.
"I meant to introduce myself a long time ago," she said, warm eyes meeting Conis'. "My name is Laki and I am the goddess' servant. I pledged myself to her when she gave us her protection."
Laki was wearing a robe of soft cotton, embroidered with elaborate snakes. It was finer than anything Conis had worn or seen on Aisa and clearly marked her of higher status.
"My name is Conis," Conis replied, bowing her head and keeping her hands together in front of her. This woman needed her respect. "I was taken from-"
"I know," Laki interrupted, rising from the bed and stepping forwards. "You came here in the belly of a snake."
Conis' words left her as Laki ran a hand over her cheek, eyes soft and sorrowful.
"I promise you'll see your family again," Laki said, moving her hand to squeeze Conis' in reassurance. "Whatever happens with Enel, you will return where you belong; where you will be happy."
She left and Conis hoped she would take some food and sleep. It had never occurred to Conis, though, that she could be happy after this. Conis had thought she would remain at the temple – for how could she return to her home? She missed that world, yes, but if she were rejected by the creature they thought the devil, then so they would reject her.
If Enel was gone, however, her people would have nothing to fear.
It didn't take long for Conis to make her decision and she ran quickly, skidding into the hall just as Laki was returning to her chambers.
"I want to fight!" she said, her voice echoing through what seemed the entire temple. Her chest heaved with nervousness. Laki turned, fingertips on her golden door and mouth wide in a smile.
"I want to protect the people I care about," Conis continued, standing straight and waiting for Laki to reply.
"Meet me outside the temple's doors tomorrow," Laki said, vanishing into darkness. "You need to see something before you speak those words."
And then she was gone, slithered away into her room. Conis would see her tomorrow, though, and she returned to her room, not bothering to fix the rumpled sheets where Laki had sat.
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Conis had abandoned her robes for trousers and a snake-skin top. It wasn't what she was used to wearing, but it was strangely comfortable, and what everyone appeared to be wearing.
"The warriors will be the ones to destroy Enel," Aisa said as she'd dressed Conis, wearing snakeskin of her own. "If you're to fight alongside Laki, then your job will be to convince your hometown and protect them from Enel."
Conis was glad. She wasn't sure she'd be able to go against a furious lightning god, though a town of angry citizens might not be too good. Still, if Laki was there then she was sure she'd have the strength. Laki was strong and kind, Conis knew.
As she'd promised the night before, Laki was waiting outside the temple doors. Like Conis and Aisa, she was dressed in snakeskin, hair tied up and eyes narrowed. This was a woman who was preparing for a harsh reality, a woman who had spoken with the goddess herself and had committed herself to protecting her people.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked softly, walking behind the temple, Conis in step. It was an odd question, one that Conis would never have expected.
"Well enough," Conis replied, smiling gently. She tucked her hands together, fingers twisting. "I was quite excited about today."
Laki nodded, though she did not smile. She looked more rested than last night, but there was a lingering sadness on her shoulders that made Conis want to reach out and hold her close. She didn't, of course, but the feeling didn't die down.
"When I was younger, I was part of a group that had planned to take down Enel when he arrived here," Laki began, picking through the trees carefully. "The group who will be taking on Enel this time were the very same, but the goddess came to me the night before we'd planned our attack."
Laki gave a humourless laugh, shaking her head as she jumped over a tree root. She offered her hand to Conis, and Conis took it, delighting in the warmth of Laki's skin.
"The goddess told me that we were doomed, that if we should fight the following day we would be slaughtered." Laki paused, feet stilling as their shins touched wildflower stalks. They had entered a wide meadow and Conis looked at it, marvelling at its beauty.
"She granted me the power to protect the people I loved and I used it. I stopped my friends from stopping Enel that night and he left, fleeing to the skies above your cloud." Laki closed her eyes, holding a hand up for Conis to wait, dancing into the wildflowers and spinning around. "They built a temple to contain me, allowing me to continue protecting people when it was needed."
The air began to change and Conis could only watch as Laki spread her arms wide.
"Please do not be afraid. I cannot harm in this form; the goddess only gave me the power to protect." She began to shift, body elongating and enlarging beyond anything Conis could have imagined. Human skin became light blue scales and Conis felt her knees shake, unable to control them.
Conis took a step back as the very snake that had stolen her from her home reared above her. She stopped herself taking more steps, knowing that this snake was Laki. Laki was there to protect, not harm, and Conis took a deep breath, forcing herself to take a step closer.
"I'm okay," Conis said quietly. "I'm okay," she repeated a little louder. The snake – Laki, Conis reminded herself – looked down at her, slowly lowering its head until its eye was level with hers.
"You saved me," Conis said, reaching a hand out and running along Laki's scales. "You saved me and so many other people."
Suddenly overwhelmed with how much Laki had done, Conis felt her eyes well up with tears. Laki's voice had been the one that had called out to her in the snake's belly and she'd been looking over her ever since.
Scales began to shift back under Conis' hand. Laki moved to hold her, pressing Conis' head to her chest. Conis could feel her heart and breathed in her scent, flowers and a warm, comforting smell filling her nostrils. Never had Conis been at peace like this before and it was easy to look into Laki's eyes and press a small kiss to her cheek.
"Thank you," Conis whispered, stroking Laki's arm as she gripped it. "You won't have to protect them alone anymore."
Laki's eyes widened and her mouth parted softly. Conis had known being alone was what she'd feared when Laki had said she'd stopped her friends. There was only way she could have stopped them – by swallowing them – and then they'd trapped her in a temple, pretending they were worshipping her and her powers. In reality they had been punishing her.
"Let them stop Enel. You and I will protect the people and make sure everyone is safe." Laki's lips pressed together as a tear streaked down her cheek. She wrapped her arms around Conis, pressing a kiss to her lips that Conis accepted happily.
"Together, you and me," Laki whispered, resting her head on Conis' shoulder.
Conis couldn't say for sure how long they stayed in the field of flowers, but they returned home starving. Aisa met them with a worried group of men, warriors who bowed their heads when Laki entered the room. She dismissed their bows, gripping Conis' hand as she sat down next to them, eating from the same plates and engaging in conversations she'd shut herself away from for years.
Laki had once mentioned Conis' happiness. Conis knew now that whatever life threw at them – angered lightning gods or people who thought they were the devil's agents – that as long as she had Laki at her side, she would be happier than she'd ever been.
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Thank you for reading, reviews are always appreciated!