"What was THAT?!" Vene'sha cried.
Kel shook her head, "I don't know, but whatever it was it'll-"
"It'll do whatever horrible thing it did to those people to us!" Vene finished off for Kel.
"If it finds us," Kel pointed out.
Vene screwed her face up, "Yeah," she said sarcastically. "It just tracked down a lone cart out in the middle of the desert and smashed it down into the depths of this, this sea of sand. No, nothing to worry about there." The thief was becoming unusually hysterical.
Kel sighed inwardly, "Look, we can't panic…"
"Who's panicking?" Vene grumbled, looking down.
"…But if we want to survive we are really going to have to find water. That's what is most important." Kel was lucky to be able to stay cool-headed in such situations.
"Right, I get it. Just as long as we've had enough to drink it doesn't really matter if a mammoth serpent kills us. Righty-o, lets go find some water. After all, we wouldn't want to taste all dry and stringy for the serpent."
Kel felt frustrated and bemused at the same time.
Kel took a deep breath, thought of a calm lake, and looked around. She felt as though she was the leader out of the duo and, somehow, had to lead them out of this desert. But that serpent thing… the thought of it made her stomach churn.
"We might as well go back home the way we came- we'll follow the tracks the cart left." Kel murmured and handed one of her small swords over to the other girl, "Just in case you need it." The thief glanced up at her and looked Kel up and down expressionlessly, taking the weapon. Kel took another deep breath and began to trek across the sand. Finally, to her relief, she heard the Thief begin to trudge behind her.
~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:
After a little while, the Thief told Kel's back; "I'm Vene'sha."
Kel turned to face her, "I suppose you know who I am?"
"I know everything," Vene lied, a smile tugging at her lips.
Kel raised inquisitive eyebrows, "Oh?"
"Well of course I do- I'm a thief. 'Tis me job" Vene joked in mock seriousness, grinning. "Now hop along, squire, we've a long-"
Behind Kel's back the giant serpent began to rise out of the sand, like a cobra out of a snake charmer's basket. Sand cascaded off its giant head as if it were water. The best way to describe the serpent is that it looked like a really, really big yellowish brown snake. REALLY big.
Vene staggered backwards, her mouth wide open. Kel still had her back to the silent monster and she frowned at her companion.
"What's wrong with-" Kel fell silent as the shadow came over her. She turned around slowly, and found that only about three metres away a scaled body thicker than the oldest of forest trees was looming high above her. Her body went stiff with fear and she stopped breathing. Suddenly Vene grabbed Kel's arm and yanked her out from her paralysation.
"Kel…" She breathed, but the giant serpent unexpectedly struck, mouth open. Surprisingly it missed the two girls; instead the serpents' fangs left two deep holes in the sand.
Vene's eyes had automatically squeezed shut at the snakes abrupt attack, so she now opened them cautiously, "It missed!" She loosened her grip on Kel's arm.
The serpent let out a long hiss, and lowered its head until it was hovering just a meter above Kel and Vene'sha. 'I didn't miss.' A voice boomed in their minds.
Kel's eyebrows snapped together, "Did you just hear any-" But was cut off when her legs suddenly lost the sand they were standing on. The two deep holes the fangs left were refilling, and Kel was being dragged in one of them. Kel's arm was tugged out of Vene's hand. Sand buried Kel- it seeped into her mouth, hair, clothes, and ears.
Above the depths of the sand, Vene had tumbled to the ground, dropping the small sword Kel had giving her earlier. The serpent loomed over her and, almost daintily, picked up the sword and snapped the end of the blade off with only the pressure of where its lips would be, if serpents had any. The broken sword, with only about 10 centimetres of a jagged ended blade left on it, dropped conveniently next to Vene. It was pathetic, but it was at least something- Vene picked it up.
The serpent dove under the sand and disappeared completely. Vene held her ground, holding her stub of a sword in 'ready' position. The thing is taunting me, she thought darkly. After a few moments, a lump in the sand appeared. The long lump moved through the sand swiftly. Like a shark skimming the surface of the water, the giant serpent began to move towards where Kel had been buried. Then it dove completely out of view again, leaving Vene in suspense once more. Seconds later, Kel's body was flung out of the sand- sending her flying a few metres back. The serpent arose out of the sand again, casting a shadow over both the girls. Vene ran and stood over Kel, who was sputtering out sand and trying to get up at the same time.
'I shall enjoy feasting on you,' The voice sounded once more in their heads, 'Today has been a good hunting day.'
Vene took the broken blade in the tips of her fingers, like she would with a throwing dagger. "I'd be worried if I were you, monster," The thief mused, "Flee now, or you shall feel the wrath of my mighty stub!"
"Sss-ss-ss-ss" The serpent made a sound resembling a laugh, 'Humans.'
Vene smiled maliciously and piffed the broken sword (skilfully) at the serpent's eye.
It hit.
The serpent hissed ear-piercingly and thrashed its head around wildly.
"C'mon," Vene took Kel's hand and half pulled, half-dragged her away quickly. "I don't exactly want to hang around…"
The serpent's screams stopped, Vene swung around to see what had happened. Well something definitely had happened- the monster wasn't there. Vene looked at the sand beneath her feet fearfully.
"It couldn't have," She breathed. "No way- even IT couldn't dive under the sand that quickly!"
"You know, you're probably right," An unfamiliar voice said behind her.
Vene yelped whipped back around. The wild mage Daine was standing before her, with no clothes on.
Vene'sha's jaw dropped and instinctively covered her eyes with a hand, whilst yanking off her cloak and handing it to Daine with the other.
"Sorry 'bout that- you can't transform your clothes with you when you take another form, unfortunately. But you didn't notice that bird flying around? Heh, well, that was me." Daine told her while wrapping the black cloak around herself like a dress. "You can look."
"The…the serpent…" Vene stammered, scanning the area wildly.
"Don't worry about the serpent," Daine said casually, "Numair has taken care of it. He would've done it sooner but he had to get in range- he's still about an hours ride away, though."
Kel blinked, "What happened to me?" She coughed up some more sand.
Daine's eyes became concerned as she helped her younger friend stand, "Are you okay?"
"Oh, she's fine," Vene answered for Kel. "She only just got BURIED in a couple of tons of sand- why shouldn't she be?"
A smile tugged at the corners of Daine's lips, "Don't worry about anything- help'll be here soon."
Vene rubbed suddenly weary eyes, yawned, and sat on the ground, "Great. So, congratulations, you caught me. Lock me up, I don't care- just get me out of here."
Daine grinned down at her, "Lock you up? Hmm, I don't think, after what you've done, that that will be necessary."
Vene'sha looked at Daine, squinting at the sun, "It isn't?"
Daine smiled, "Come on, get up you. Run through to me how all this happened- the King will want to hear this!"
Vene'sha groaned and lay back against the hot sands, "Oh, I'm sure he will. Goddess, I am so dead!"
Okay, it's late so I'm just gonna make this short- Hello to all those kind, benevolent reviewers :)!!! Thanks. I finally got this posted, despite my school's Project Season! G'night people! (Or good morning, or good afternoon- whatever time of day you're reading this!)
Liaska
Kel shook her head, "I don't know, but whatever it was it'll-"
"It'll do whatever horrible thing it did to those people to us!" Vene finished off for Kel.
"If it finds us," Kel pointed out.
Vene screwed her face up, "Yeah," she said sarcastically. "It just tracked down a lone cart out in the middle of the desert and smashed it down into the depths of this, this sea of sand. No, nothing to worry about there." The thief was becoming unusually hysterical.
Kel sighed inwardly, "Look, we can't panic…"
"Who's panicking?" Vene grumbled, looking down.
"…But if we want to survive we are really going to have to find water. That's what is most important." Kel was lucky to be able to stay cool-headed in such situations.
"Right, I get it. Just as long as we've had enough to drink it doesn't really matter if a mammoth serpent kills us. Righty-o, lets go find some water. After all, we wouldn't want to taste all dry and stringy for the serpent."
Kel felt frustrated and bemused at the same time.
Kel took a deep breath, thought of a calm lake, and looked around. She felt as though she was the leader out of the duo and, somehow, had to lead them out of this desert. But that serpent thing… the thought of it made her stomach churn.
"We might as well go back home the way we came- we'll follow the tracks the cart left." Kel murmured and handed one of her small swords over to the other girl, "Just in case you need it." The thief glanced up at her and looked Kel up and down expressionlessly, taking the weapon. Kel took another deep breath and began to trek across the sand. Finally, to her relief, she heard the Thief begin to trudge behind her.
~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:
After a little while, the Thief told Kel's back; "I'm Vene'sha."
Kel turned to face her, "I suppose you know who I am?"
"I know everything," Vene lied, a smile tugging at her lips.
Kel raised inquisitive eyebrows, "Oh?"
"Well of course I do- I'm a thief. 'Tis me job" Vene joked in mock seriousness, grinning. "Now hop along, squire, we've a long-"
Behind Kel's back the giant serpent began to rise out of the sand, like a cobra out of a snake charmer's basket. Sand cascaded off its giant head as if it were water. The best way to describe the serpent is that it looked like a really, really big yellowish brown snake. REALLY big.
Vene staggered backwards, her mouth wide open. Kel still had her back to the silent monster and she frowned at her companion.
"What's wrong with-" Kel fell silent as the shadow came over her. She turned around slowly, and found that only about three metres away a scaled body thicker than the oldest of forest trees was looming high above her. Her body went stiff with fear and she stopped breathing. Suddenly Vene grabbed Kel's arm and yanked her out from her paralysation.
"Kel…" She breathed, but the giant serpent unexpectedly struck, mouth open. Surprisingly it missed the two girls; instead the serpents' fangs left two deep holes in the sand.
Vene's eyes had automatically squeezed shut at the snakes abrupt attack, so she now opened them cautiously, "It missed!" She loosened her grip on Kel's arm.
The serpent let out a long hiss, and lowered its head until it was hovering just a meter above Kel and Vene'sha. 'I didn't miss.' A voice boomed in their minds.
Kel's eyebrows snapped together, "Did you just hear any-" But was cut off when her legs suddenly lost the sand they were standing on. The two deep holes the fangs left were refilling, and Kel was being dragged in one of them. Kel's arm was tugged out of Vene's hand. Sand buried Kel- it seeped into her mouth, hair, clothes, and ears.
Above the depths of the sand, Vene had tumbled to the ground, dropping the small sword Kel had giving her earlier. The serpent loomed over her and, almost daintily, picked up the sword and snapped the end of the blade off with only the pressure of where its lips would be, if serpents had any. The broken sword, with only about 10 centimetres of a jagged ended blade left on it, dropped conveniently next to Vene. It was pathetic, but it was at least something- Vene picked it up.
The serpent dove under the sand and disappeared completely. Vene held her ground, holding her stub of a sword in 'ready' position. The thing is taunting me, she thought darkly. After a few moments, a lump in the sand appeared. The long lump moved through the sand swiftly. Like a shark skimming the surface of the water, the giant serpent began to move towards where Kel had been buried. Then it dove completely out of view again, leaving Vene in suspense once more. Seconds later, Kel's body was flung out of the sand- sending her flying a few metres back. The serpent arose out of the sand again, casting a shadow over both the girls. Vene ran and stood over Kel, who was sputtering out sand and trying to get up at the same time.
'I shall enjoy feasting on you,' The voice sounded once more in their heads, 'Today has been a good hunting day.'
Vene took the broken blade in the tips of her fingers, like she would with a throwing dagger. "I'd be worried if I were you, monster," The thief mused, "Flee now, or you shall feel the wrath of my mighty stub!"
"Sss-ss-ss-ss" The serpent made a sound resembling a laugh, 'Humans.'
Vene smiled maliciously and piffed the broken sword (skilfully) at the serpent's eye.
It hit.
The serpent hissed ear-piercingly and thrashed its head around wildly.
"C'mon," Vene took Kel's hand and half pulled, half-dragged her away quickly. "I don't exactly want to hang around…"
The serpent's screams stopped, Vene swung around to see what had happened. Well something definitely had happened- the monster wasn't there. Vene looked at the sand beneath her feet fearfully.
"It couldn't have," She breathed. "No way- even IT couldn't dive under the sand that quickly!"
"You know, you're probably right," An unfamiliar voice said behind her.
Vene yelped whipped back around. The wild mage Daine was standing before her, with no clothes on.
Vene'sha's jaw dropped and instinctively covered her eyes with a hand, whilst yanking off her cloak and handing it to Daine with the other.
"Sorry 'bout that- you can't transform your clothes with you when you take another form, unfortunately. But you didn't notice that bird flying around? Heh, well, that was me." Daine told her while wrapping the black cloak around herself like a dress. "You can look."
"The…the serpent…" Vene stammered, scanning the area wildly.
"Don't worry about the serpent," Daine said casually, "Numair has taken care of it. He would've done it sooner but he had to get in range- he's still about an hours ride away, though."
Kel blinked, "What happened to me?" She coughed up some more sand.
Daine's eyes became concerned as she helped her younger friend stand, "Are you okay?"
"Oh, she's fine," Vene answered for Kel. "She only just got BURIED in a couple of tons of sand- why shouldn't she be?"
A smile tugged at the corners of Daine's lips, "Don't worry about anything- help'll be here soon."
Vene rubbed suddenly weary eyes, yawned, and sat on the ground, "Great. So, congratulations, you caught me. Lock me up, I don't care- just get me out of here."
Daine grinned down at her, "Lock you up? Hmm, I don't think, after what you've done, that that will be necessary."
Vene'sha looked at Daine, squinting at the sun, "It isn't?"
Daine smiled, "Come on, get up you. Run through to me how all this happened- the King will want to hear this!"
Vene'sha groaned and lay back against the hot sands, "Oh, I'm sure he will. Goddess, I am so dead!"
Okay, it's late so I'm just gonna make this short- Hello to all those kind, benevolent reviewers :)!!! Thanks. I finally got this posted, despite my school's Project Season! G'night people! (Or good morning, or good afternoon- whatever time of day you're reading this!)
Liaska
