I... don't feel too good...
My eyes were open but everything seemed unfocused for a minute. I was lying down on a bed. Had I been taken back to the barracks?
Finally, I could see properly. I had no idea where I was. I've never seen this place before. It looked a bit like a... hospital?
Well, at least I'm not dead.
The door to the room opened revealing an old goat in grey clothing. Probably the doctor, or at the least he works here... He turned his attention to me.
"Ah, good morning Master Mike. How are you feeling"? He asked in a slightly high voice.
"...Good... I think". I asked, trying to raise myself but was unable to do so. The doctor was quick to help me back down on the bed.
"What... happened with the... the... How'd I get here"? I asked. I had to know.
"Well, your friend Crane near took the front door off of it's hinges as he charged in and asked for our help in a hurry and was carrying you in one of his wings. Never seen the poor guy so worked up. You were unconscious and we did what we could. Now, would you like the good news or the bad news"?
"...Bad news"... I sighed, lying my head back onto the bed.
"The bad news is you lost a great deal of blood. You'll be a little woozy for perhaps most of the day but given what you've been through, I'd consider it lucky".
"And... the good news"? I asked, my head beginning to swirl again.
"The arrow that was in your body only hit you in the very side of your hip. As far as we know, no major organs were damaged. But a few centimeters to the left and, well we wouldn't be having this conversation".
I nodded, thankful for everything that the doctor had done to save me. After asking if there was anything else I needed, I politely refused and let him leave. One good thing about being stuck in here was that I could see the world outside from a window just above me. I was still in the Valley of Peace, that much was obvious. The fact that I could see the villagers, even through my dizzy state, were smiling made me smile as well. We did it. The village was safe again. I gave a sigh of relief and rested my head back onto the soft pillow.
Some time later, maybe an hour, hard to tell when there's no clock, The doctor reentered. He seemed to have bandages in his left hoof. I watched as he took the covers off of me. I saw old bandages already wrapped around my hips. Most of it was covered in blood. The doctor took them off and put the new ones over the wound. It looked almost like nothing but a small hole but it still hurt like hell. I tried not to flinch too much as the doctor did his work. A few minutes, he was done and spoke.
"It seems you have a guest waiting for you, should I send her in"?
"Sure... I could use some company". I smirked.
"Just as well, she's been here for all of last night and the morning".
Seems I was out for some time then. Over twelve hours at least. The doctor left and my visitor came in. I should have known. Viper.
Even in my blurred state, I focused enough to see her blue eyes were red from crying. There had been only one other time I had seen her like this. Though I didn't enjoy the "trip" that came with it shortly after. (see A Lesson In Time)
The poor dear. She slithered up to me, face to face. She was smiling. That eased me if only by a little.
"Hey Vipes". I smiled back.
"Hey". She spoke, her voice sounded like it was upon the verge of breaking. "How are you feeling"?
"Much better than yesterday". I laughed, though I nearly wanted to cry, only because she was.
"What about you"? I asked, knowing she felt awful.
"Yesterday, I... kind of cried for an hour or two after Crane told me what had happened. I came to find you, but the doctors said I wasn't allowed in until they knew more about your condition".
"What about everyone else"?
"They came to see you, but they weren't allowed in the same room either. Especially when they began working on removing the arrow. The doctor was covered in so much blood when he stepped out"... She couldn't continue. I couldn't blame her.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm still here"... I spoke, stroking the side of her face with whatever strength remained in my tail, causing her to lean her head towards it in affection like a dog would to a pat on the head.
"I'm glad you are". Was all she could say.
She slithered onto the top of the covers, my own body being underneath it as she was inches from my face. Her eyes were beautiful up close, even if they were mostly bloodshot.
"And I'm glad you're here too". I smiled.
Then, gently, Viper kissed me on the lips, pulled back and went again but longer and... to my surprise, an bit of an open mouth. I was so shocked, I actually pulled away before it got too far. Viper looked at me, confused.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to"-
"Viper". I interrupted. "It's okay, really. I was just caught off guard was all". I spoke, causing her to smile apologetically.
"I just... got a little carried away. I"-
I smirked and kissed her back before she could finish her sentence. Our tongues dancing around each other in a state of bliss. What seemed like thirty seconds later, we broke apart and stared into each others eyes.
"I guess that's one way to pass the time". I chuckled.
Viper raised a small giggle herself. I could see tears falling down the side of her face.
"You okay"? I asked calmly.
"I'm fine... it's just"...
"Yes"?
"... Please don't leave me worrying like that ever again". She sobbed.
"I won't". I near cried myself and kissed Viper again, tears falling down both our faces. It was quite a touching moment, there was no denying. I continued to kiss her with a few presses to the lips. For most of the rest of the time, we just hugged each other, careful not to press down on the bandages.
A few minutes passed. I gave a small laugh as I remembered something from years ago. Mostly just a silly thought but even so-
"What's so funny"? Viper asked, hearing my sudden laugh.
"Nothing special. Just when I think about it, I feel a bit like my life has partly been played out by a book I once read as a kid".
"Really, how so"? Viper asked as she continued to snuggle into my neck.
"It was based on a story called "The witches" By Roald Dahl. Want to hear how it goes"?
"Mhm". Viper sighed happily before closing her eyes.
"There was once this young boy who lived with his grandmother in Norway who traveled down to England. The boys grandmother was something of a witch expert, knowing all the ways to spot a witch".
"Sound's interesting".
"It was. In the book, the country of England was infested with witches and the kid finds them all hiding out in a hotel. So, the boy discovers this device that the witches have in the hotel, I can't remember the name of the machine, but it turned young children into mice. The witches planned to use it on every child in the country. I'm... not too sure what the motivation was for behind such a thing. But eventually, the boy is caught and turned into a mouse".
I paused.
"I guess I know what that's like. To be turned into another animal".
"How does it end"?
"Well, there are two ways it ends. The book ending and the film ending".
"A film"?
"Imagine a moving picture or a painting that tells a story. Like a play".
"What were the endings"?
"In the book, all the witches are stopped but the boy remains a mouse for the rest of his life. With his grandma until they both passed away. The film wasn't as emotional but it was still sweet".
"What happened in that one"?
"One witch survives and sees the error of her ways. She finds the kid's house and transforms him back into a young boy".
I gave another pause.
"I always preferred the second ending more, because it's like one of those everything turns back to normal deals. But... now I feel a more personal connection towards the child in the book. He remains a mouse and is forever with a grandma until their last moments. It sort of gives the kid a chance to view the world differently, as though sent to a new world".
Granted the book doesn't really mention them dying but it did hint it.
"I used to be human, and now I'm a snake. I have had the chance to experience a different version of the world I once knew and have found peace and happiness in doing so. Like the kid in the book. And you know what"?
"What"?
"I wouldn't trade that for anything. I'd take being a snake, being with you rather than pass it away for some second ending".
I smiled and looked at Viper again before we kissed once more, our chests pressed up against one another softly. We took a moment to break.
"You can be quite sweet when you want to be". Viper giggled.
"Yeah well, moments like those don't come round too often whenever I try to think of them". I laughed.
"It's amazing how bold you've become over the last few days". Viper spoke blushing.
"You're one to talk". I laughed, remembering how often she kissed me now.
Viper went for a kiss again as though she was proving her point. This time I decided to mess with her and kept my lips sealed to keep her from snogging me. She realized this and tried to gain entry but with no luck. She rose back up smirking.
"Playing hard to get"?
"You know me so well".
Viper went again. I softened up and she pushed past my lips with her tongue after some forceful persuasion. Her mouth slid a little deeper into mine, our fangs slipping past each others while our tongues dealt with the hard work.
Some time later, We broke and I kissed Viper's neck. It was amazing how soft her skin was. Afterwards, I whispered those three special words.
"I love you".
"I love you too".
The time passed into the afternoon. Viper still refused to leave my side no matter what I said. I asked for her to get something to eat, she didn't move. I asked for her to go back up to the Jade palace, she didn't move. There was no getting through to her. At least the doctor came in with my own food. I felt famished.
"Good afternoon Master Mike". He greeted and looked to Viper who had slithered off the bed a few minutes ago. "And good afternoon to you as well Master Viper".
Viper lowered her head and bowed.
"So what's on the menu today doctor"? I asked, looking at the dish. It looked like...
"Sushi".
"Sushi"? I asked. Isn't that supposed to be Japanese?
"Yes, our chef is from the land of the rising sun, Japan. He enjoys cooking up traditional dishes from his homeland for new patients".
"Cool". I smiled. "I love sushi".
The doctor put the dish in front of me and left. I picked up the chopsticks at the side of the dish and ate what I could. Each tuna roll tasted incredible. Viper promised to give me a moment to myself, though I could only imagine how long it would last. Apparently an hour passed and she returned with Yinshen.
Unfortunately she couldn't stay too long. A bomb or two had gone off near the outer areas of the village from one lucky gorilla who woke up before anyone had the chance to restrain him and had destroyed the sides of two homes. No one was injured or killed thankfully. But that wasn't the only piece of information Yinshen had to share.
The bad news was that that one airship? It wasn't supposed to be an attack. It was a warning for what will come in the near future. What would be next? At this point the possibilities were endless. A fleet of airships, an army of gorillas, catapults, maybe all three of those things at once? Who could possibly know? It was worrying. The villagers were to be informed tomorrow. Let them enjoy the rest of their day.
Yinshen gave me a small pat on the head and left. I turned to Viper.
"You think she's hiding something"? Something seemed off about Yinshen, that much was obvious. Throughout our small talk she kept clicking her claws together, like she was nervous.
"I don't know". She shrugged.
...
Yeah, another lovey dovey chapter, I'm sorry but I couldn't find anything else to write for this chapter. It'll continue a bit onto the next chapter as well so heads up. And what is it Yinshen seems to be hiding? You'll see...
Oh and shoutout to those who've read one of Roald Dahl's books as a child. I thought it fit well for this chapter.
Oh, and... 50 chapters written and uploaded!:D
Cheerio!