Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.
Warning: Shounen ai, First Person POV
Genre: Romance/ Fantasy Definate AU
Pairing: 3x4
Note: I said I wasn't going to do it, but here's a multi-chapter, romance, fairytale... my romances tend to take to much time. With stories I've written in the past, it has taken forever just to get to the first kiss, but I believe the wait is worth it.
888
I've never been afraid of snakes; what reason is there? I know it's cliche, but they're more afraid of us. I've encountered garden snakes that slither at the first sign of my shadow. Even rattlers fear us. That's why they warn us; it's a bluff. They remind me of a big-talking tough-guy in the face of a bigger man. Eventually, both the guy and the snake will flea. So why is it that people fear this limb-less coward? It's the venom--something you can't see, you can't fight, and will kill you. It's a instinctive caution to avoid the bite, so why don't I?
"Quatre, you're just weird!" my sister screeched. She backed away from the scaled head cradled in my grasp. My thumb was bigger than it's cranium. I easily over-powered the reptile with one hand, and thus I possessed its power. My sister was just intimidated by the power.
She ran into the house. She was real scared. I held the snake at eye level. Scared of this piece of yarn? I released the small predator back into the garden which happened to be his natural habitat, as well.
"Quatre!" boomed my father from the house.
"Yes, Father," I greeted automatically. The man was waiting for me by the door of our small cottage. He massaged his forehead. I believed I was his headache.
"Why are you acting up?"
That was an unfair question. "I wouldn't call introducing my sister to nature 'acting up,'" I retorted.
"It is," came the rebuttal. "When you consider the whole town is very superstitious. Continue this, and you'll be accused of being in league with demons." I rolled my eyes.
"People here are...," I was reluctant to say anything bad about a person. It just wasn't in my nature.
"Just watch it. I don't want you to get banished or anything, and stop scaring your sister. You know she has a terrible fear of snakes," he scolded. My father smiled down at me. "Do you want to go in town with me?" he said as a father-son interpretation of a treaty.
"Yes," I agreed. Iria needed some time alone after what I did. I was only attempting to cure her irrational fear of garden snakes. Every time the girl saw one, she ran to my father or me.
Father walked past me, and I walked by his side. The tall man had huge strides. In no time, we made it to the village. It wasn't a far walk from our house.
"Where is everyone?" I questioned my father. He looked just as confused.
He kept leading me to the center of the town. I began hearing human voices. What were they doing in the town square? My immediate thought was that there was a tragic death. Father, sister, and I lived in this town for only three months, so we were still getting use to the customs.
"What's going on?" my father asked the butcher, who acted as a mayor.
"A terrible demon has been sighted," he informed. I bit lightly on my tongue. I couldn't allow it freedom of speech. The butcher continued, "It takes the form of a giant serpent."
"That's impossible," I blurted out. Thankfully, they translated my disbelief into paranoia.
"Aye," affirmed the man. "This one has already caused plight to our people."
"Death?" asked Father in worry. I was wondering the same thing.
Our reply was, "It is only a matter of time."
"So nothing bad happened," I challenged.
"My crop's gone bad," shouted one person.
"I have a terrible head cold," replied another.
"This demon is surely a bad omen," announced the butcher. The crowd believed him. They were all drones.
"Has anyone seen this creature?" I asked. "This is ridiculous. All of your plights are just everyday problems. Bad stuff happens daily. The only thing that's changed is now you have an imaginary figment to blame it on." I finished. I was certain my sensible explanation would change their minds. Everyone stared at me with wide eyes. Surely, they were realizing how senseless and rash they were.
"The demon wants us to turn a blind eye to it. That way the beast can work it's evil deeds unnoticed," I heard the butcher.
I felt a sharp tug on my arm. Father dragged me by the sleeve of my shirt. He sensed the danger way before I did. "Halt them," the mayor figure commanded. Two burly men stepped in front of us.
"We really need to get home. My son is ill; his fever has left him confused. I apologize for his behavior," Father explained.
"Taking your sick son into town?" questioned a voice skeptically.
That is when the gossip began. "They only moved here a short while ago, and now we have demons and are cursed."
"They must be the cause of the demon," concluded some faceless person. I was caught between a state of reality and disbelief. These people were accusing us of an unconfirmed monster?! This wasn't happening. It was impossible to place the blame of common problems on one person.
"That boy probably summoned the snake."
"He's a snake charmer. I've seen him." That wasn't good. Being called a snake charmer in this part of the country was like being a witch.
"I know he is. The whole family's from the South; you know what those heathens are like."
A loud whistle silenced the crowd. "Now, we know the cause of this demon. What should we do with the boy?" the butcher announced. Unbelievable.
"I did nothing!" I pleaded.
"Run him out of town."
"No, we have to execute him and his demon."
"How do you execute a demon?"
I attempted to shout over the voices, "Wait, you have no evidence!"
"We'll use the boy as a sacrifice. That way the demon will leave the town alone. If he is spared, it proves that he is in league with the serpent," suggested the butcher.
"What kind of test is that?!" I yelled in panic. I'll be damned either way.
To make a long story very short, they tied me to a fifteen foot pole and abandoned me by the river. The demon was seen by the water twice, so they assumed it would come back. They believed, of course, that it was poisoning the water. If it did exist, it probably was only thirsty - like I was.
I've been tied to this pole for two days. Thankfully, I was shaded, but even cool shade couldn't prevent dehydration. I wouldn't last for long.
Those damn superstitious... "Idiots!" I yelled. I had no more qualms about insulting these backwards idiots. They've forbiden my own family from coming anywhere near me. At least they could have eased the time a little.
I stared at my own reflection in the lake; it was the most interesting thing to look at. The first day, I admired the beauty of undisturbed nature. Now, I just lost all aesthetic interest. If it couldn't fetch me water or food, it held no interest to me.
I reflected on the events that led me to this situation. I believed moving here was the biggest mistake. I originally came from the South. My hometown was a great place to grow up. The South, unlike the West, was technologically advanced. and highly sophisticated. Everyone wanted to live in the prosperous South. Too many people. We moved because of overpopulation. There was just no room for us.
The Industrial South; the Cultivated, and Barbaric, West; the Mysterious North; and the Empire of the East: These were the four points of the only continent we knew, our humble continent. No one knew what lied beyond the great sea. However, my people had theories. There was a widely believed speculation in the South that our world was round.
I thought I heard a hiss. My head turned to the direction the sound came from. It must be delirium; there were no giant serpents.
I've argued theories about the world, and everything else, with the town people. I've successfully pissed these people off with my quest for enlightenment. It was only a matter of time before they tied me up and used me as a human sacrifice.
Barbarians. I've seen their maps. It showed a flat world where the sea ends and drops off into hell. The oceans were pictured with Leviathans and Krakens. The East had dragons, and the North is littered with Witches and Warlocks.
Everything they hated and feared, I grew up to accept. I felt an odd attraction to snakes because they were so misunderstood. I felt this strange fascination towards all creatures that were shunned. As a child I lifted tarantulas by a leg and wondered what made it feared. Why did some creatures evoke a terrifying emotion within us? And why did people fear what wasn't even there, like spirits, demons, or devils.
I definitely heard a hiss. A tree snake was nearby.
I watched the sun set. It was barely peeking over the horizon, when the forest was disturbed; a large, silent animal was lurking just out of eyesight. I had nothing to worry about; I was ten feet in the air. Of course, I would have something to fear if it happened to be a large feline.
I stopped breathing. I just forgot how to do anything besides stare with my mouth held open. It was the most unbelievable thing I've seen. There was a snake drinking from the river. This reptile could wrap it's entire body around my house three time. It's scales were a deep green and gleamed with a gem like quality.
Any idiot would know this wasn't a ordinary serpent, and I understood how it was mistaken for a demon. This snake wasn't a snake. Where there should have been a head, there was a regular human torso. Except, the human part was scaled as well. Instead of nails, he (he, because of the defined upper body) had long black claws. There was no hair. A frill, like a cobra's, covered the head.
I was shocked it hadn't noticed me. Perhaps, he wasn't interested in humans.
The snake cupped more water in it's hands and took a long sip. I could only imagine how refreshingly cold it felt running down the throat. I moaned.
"I'm not going to eat you," informed the human-serpent. It's voice was a low hiss. I couldn't hear any emotion in it.
"You can talk," I blurted out. I normally didn't state the obvious, but I had a good excuse. I was hot, thirsty, and could feel my stomach caving in on itself.
I wasn't surprised he didn't reply. That was very rude. I couldn't pass this opportunity. I needed to ask him before he left, "Can you get me a drink?" My voice was dry.
He lifted his upper body. The movement was smooth and captivating, graceful. He turned his head. His face was human enough, but his eyes. They were yellow with predatory slits.
"You're not afraid?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I'm more thirsty."
He cupped a full hand of clear, cold, life-saving water. I was relieved when he slithered just below the pole. He lifted up the pole, and surrounded his whole body around it once. Again, I was caught by the smooth movements. It was inhumanly beautiful. The clawed hands were held to my lips.
"Thank you," I said very graciously. However, once I had a taste of the sweet liquid, I wanted it even more.
"They offered you to me ast a ssacrifice," he stated. I looked at the yellow eyes and nodded. "Ussually, they're woman." I glared at the snake. His lips twitched upwards into an attempted smile.
His body descended. "Wait!" I cried desperately. He actually stopped and doubled back. This was a polite snake. "Don't leave me here!" I pleaded.
"I alwayss leave them alone. Do you wish to be a ssacrifice?"
"When they return tomorrow, and I'm still here; they'll execute me. They believe I summoned you here. That I'm in league with you, and that you have been cursing us," I revealed.
He didn't make any reply, but he did circle around my back. I felt the ropes tug. Briefly, I wondered why the serpent just didn't use his long claws to slice through the ropes. I didn't really care; freedom was freedom.
"Hold on," he advised. My hands were held over my head, so I was able to grasp the pole, tight. My body became heavier, and the only things holding me up were the ropes around my wrists. He began to untie those. I twisted my body around. I could imagine how foolish I looked. My legs wrapped the pole securely. The band around my wrists finally fell.
"Thanks," I said again. He began to descend down the pole, and I began to panic. "How am I suppose to get down?" There was no reply. "Great," I mumbled under my breath. I jumped and landed softy on the serpent.
"Ahhg," he hissed before doubling back.
"Sorry," I apologized quickly. His fangs were only inches from my face and set in a sneer. The cobra frill was flared out angrily. My life expectancy was looking real short. "Can I have a favor?"
"...What?" he said. It must have sounded odd for him to hear this human asking for a favor after using him as a landing pad.
"Could you cut my hand?"
"What? Why?"
"You see," I tried to explain. "There will be no way I could return to the village. But...I have a family to protect. They would be better off, if I was dead."
"I undersstand. If I help you pull thiss act off, will you leave me alone?" he questioned. I nodded.
Quicker than any human, he grasped my hand. "Ow." I looked at my palm. Now it had a long gash leaking with blood, quite a bit of blood. If he could do this without me noticing, then how long would it take him to kill a human.
Yellow eyes watched me splash blood on the pole and around the area. I grabbed the ropes and coated them red. I felt a tad light-headed from blood loss. There was a problem. I held the full length ropes in my hands. "We need to make this more convincing. They're not going to believe a blood-thirsty demon untied the ropes."
It began. We successfully staged the entire area. I was beginning to believe I really had been murdered. It was so convincing. All that needed to be done was to console my family. I had it all planned out. After showing Father and Iria I was still among the living, I would sneak out in the cloak of night and begin my new life.
"That'ss a sstupid idea. You make it ssound sso eassy. Living alone issn't eassy; esspecsially, when you're hunted," countered the snake. I decided to ignore that. After all, he did help out more than what was necessary.
"Where are you going to go?" I questioned.
"I can't sstay in thiss area. I'll just move on. Goodbye ssacrifice," those were the serpents final words, before he slithered away. He appeared to be in a hurry. I didn't think I was that bad company.
This story comes from my odd fascination with snakes... I use to catch them when I was a wee girl, tarantulas too; comically, I was always the calm one when there were snakes or spiders in the house. A small, four year old girl would gently pick up the creatures while the adults stayed out of the way... way out of the way. I never did lose my fascination for 'scorned' creatures. I've housed any orphan animal: birds, bunnies, kittens, snakes, and I didn't even turn away a cute little bat. My parents allowed me too, because they knew I felt strongly about it.
When I was twelve, I made a little documentary of the jumping spiders in my attic window...; maybe I am an odd ball.