This is the transcription of posts from ten different contestants in an offsite forum. One by one, they'll be eliminated until only the winner remains. Your vote counts! Please join us by clicking "Redscape" from our user page.

Chapter 39. The Coldest Heart

by Silisk

A sense of impending panic hovered over the group of Brandy-hunters like a bird of prey, talons outstretched.

Silisk, remembering the way Dirano had been abducted, rather regretted having come up with such a comparison, and tightened her coils around Antonio's shoulders just a smidgeon. Think of something positive, she ordered. A proper Queen must be in control at all times.

According to the number of rustlings and scrapings in the foliage, it was clear that whoever was lurking about was, at the very least, not that mad wretch of an earthwalker, Castille. And Silisk was too rare and important a figure to be targeted. Antonio, being the larger and plainer of the two, would provide a more than serviceable shield in case fisticuffs were involved. As pleasant as the stoat was, the adder wouldn't think twice to dart away in order to avoid danger from a warm-blooded assault. And furthermore—

Silisk stopped mid-thought. She flickered her tongue out, but the only warmth she sensed was cradled in the bodies immediately around her.

"Harken to me!" Silisk's sudden hiss caused Rea to jump, and the wolf switched her tail in irritation as she and the rest of the group turned their attention to the snake. "Calm yourselves. Lo, these beasts in hiding are truly nothing to fear."

Sybil snorted, ears flat against her head. "Right," she scoffed. "Which is why they've walked up to us in plain sight and said hello."

Silisk's patience with the marten had already flatlined a good while ago. "Silence! I will explain henceforth." She rose from the stoat's head and glanced down regally at the faces below her. "These are not warm-blooded earthwalkers like you. I do believe we are fortunate enough to have come upon my servants."

The marten muttered something into the air about fortunate but Silisk silenced her with a glare.

"Lizards?" Aras spoke up, looking wary. "You mean monitors like Rekkua?"

Silisk shook her blunt head. "Nay. Those lizards are wild and completely unfit. Fear not," she added tapping her tail idly against Antonio's shoulder. "I will make sure no harm comes of you. Perhaps we will finally find aid in our quest!"

"Come out, loyal servants! To me!" the adder bellowed.

Suddenly, the forest teemed with a bristling and shimmering of scales as two-score green lizards seemed to materialize against tree, bush, and shrub. The small creatures encircled the entire party of vermin. The earthwalkers shifted, and Silisk felt Antonio reach for his hatchet. In each tiny clawed hand was a crude spear, although they were really more like glorified sharpened sticks. There was a moment of awkward shuffling, and then one of the lizards stepped forward. "SiliskQueen? You backback?"

An anxious whispering slithered amongst the circle of lizards. Silisk merely looked down upon her servant. "Yes, it is I; safe once more. There is no need for any of you to worry anymore." The serpent flicked her tail dismissively. "Now, you will escort these earthwalkers and your Queen back to our camp post-haste!"

"Err…" The lizard fidgeted, claws scuffing the dirt.

Silisk bared her fangs. "Desist with your babbling at once and obey me, fool!"

"We gorra NewQueen."

The adder gawked. "…What?"

The small lizard looked quite sorry indeed, fiddling with his tail. "Scout Sitch see you get took by furrybeasts. He say you deadgone for sure."

Another lizard, the scout in question, stepped forward and nodded his head so quickly and eagerly, it looked as if it might have snapped off. "Yarar! Bangonhead and put in strange box, yississ!"

The first lizard shot Sitch a glare for interrupting before shrugging at the infuriated adder. "So, get newQueen!"

"Why—you—I—you…!" It took Silisk a moment before she could form her rage into something resembling coherence. "Hsst!" Rearing up to her full height, the regal serpant thrashed her coils; a hissing, writhing crown high atop Antonio's head as she spent her raged on all and sundry. "Infidels! Traitors, all! Fie on your wretched, black hearts! I should inflict you all with the deadliest of poison!" The lizards hung their heads and shifted anxiously as their dethroned leader continued venting her spleen. "If it was not for my guidance, you would be naught but the lowliest of paupers begging for scraps from those monitors! Fie, I say!"

"Huh! Fibba-lie!" The brave lizard who had spoken out shrunk back just a little as Silisk rounded on him, gaping mouth showing off her impressively curved fangs. He took a step backward from the looming monarch, and then continued, chest puffed out. "If you sogood, why you comeback with furrybeasts, eh eh?"

Silisk was about to deliver a stunning counter when she realized she was currently coiled quite comfortably around Antonio's neck and stayed her tongue. She had been so used to traveling this way that she didn't even think twice about it. "Well," she murmured, "you see, I'm afraid it's not quite like that…"

Another lizard bopped the first on the head with the butt of her spear. "Youbequiet! Stupaidjit!" She beamed up at Silisk. "OurQueen GoodQueen! Can you not see? She be goodspy! She bring back plenty foodslave for all lizards!" The lizard performed a little hopping dance, jumping from footclaw to footclaw. "Gogo! You chokim, killim now!"

The entire forest seemed to be alight with leaping, chanting reptiles. Silisk was suddenly very aware of the stoat's heartbeat. Thump-thump. It was so warm and constant and comfortable and she was suddenly overcome with the desire to break it. Thump-thump. All eyes were upon the serpent, reptilian and warm-blooded alike, expecting, waiting. Thump-thump. It would be easy, really. Silisk felt her coils tighten just the slightest, and there was a giddy rush as Antonio's heartbeat pattered just a little more franticly. Aye, mortal. Know you the meaning of fear, and tremble.

You're a good 'un, Silly. I like you.

Silisk frowned at the unwelcome intrusion. The rest of the world seemed to melt away, leaving Silisk alone with her thoughts and the ethereal vixen. I like you. The snake shifted her coils in irritation, willing the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach to go away. Surely she didn't care about this little scrap of fluff? And yet…

It was rather nice to be liked.

The image disappeared, evaporating into mist with a sigh and Silisk let her coils slack, glaring at the expectant lizards. The adder did not want to be Queen to such foolish, simple-minded oafs. Her plans were far grander; infiltrating and gaining the trust of a group of earthwalkers and then the possession of this brandy. After all, Silisk was destined for much greater things than to be only a Queen of lizards.

"Away with ye!" She snarled. "I—"

A sudden influx of jingling and jangling causing the rest of the Brandy troupe to start.

"What the 'Gates is that ruckus?" Sybil gritted, pinning her ears back.

Almost as in response to the marten's question, a strange procession stumbled its way through the trees. Hoisted up by a mob of lizards sat what was undoubtedly the new Queen. The smug-looking monarch was literally covered from head to whippy tail tip with as much of Silisk's horde as possible. So bogged down was the reptile with charms, necklaces, and rings that they clinked and clacked and clattered with any and every moment, down to the smallest of claw flicks.

Silisk could only stare. The new queen was, in fact, Whipscale, the decidedly male captain of her guard.

The serpent's desire for slaughter grew about a hundred times in one second.

Meanwhile, it was obvious that Rea and Aras were trying to stifle their laughter as much as possible. The new Queen looked at the furred beasts from beneath the adder's horned crown, which was much too big, with an overbearing amount of regal indignation. "Tressypassers! Why they not killdead yet?" He drawled at the circle of lizards around him.

"Whipscale," Silisk ground. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, hello groundworm." The lizard smirked in a particularly greasy, noxious manner. Silisk twitched. "It is Queen Whipscale, now!" The monarch nearly pitched forward as one of his tired litter bearers shifted, and he offered the unfortunate servant a good tail-whipping.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Silisk raged, hoarse from yelling. "You cannot be the Queen, you ignorant little blister!"

The lizard pouted, crossed his arms. "Whynot, eh?"

"First of all," the snake sniffed, "have you any idea of what a proper Queen is? You are not the least bit qualified. For many, many a reason. Secondly," she stabbed the air with her tongue. "I am the only Queen! Me! Silisk! While you," she hissed venomously, "are little more than an insignificant dust-speck, a putrid vile stupid beastly knave! Lay down this mockery at once, or I'll strike you down where you stand!"

"You notboss of Queen!" Fire leaped in Stillclaw's eyes, and he jumped to his footclaws, treading on the backs of his servants as he waved his bejeweled arms all and sundry. "No more talk! Gettem! Killem all!" the lizard shrieked.

There was a moment of apprehension. It seemed that none of the lizards seemed particularly keen on attacking a band of strange, exotic furred beasts and a poisonous adder. The tension was broken as Thalliv, who decided to do something decisive, fired off his crossbow. One of the lizards fell back with a gurgle, clutching at the bolt lodged in his throat, and then spears bristled in a ring around the earthwalkers as the rest of the lizards surged forward, shrieking and hollering. Aras drew back a massive paw and sent a coilful of the beasts soaring with one mighty stroke, clearing a path. "Move!" He growled.

Silisk, burning with rage and helplessness, clung to Antonio's neck as the ragged group fled deeper into the trees, the tiny savage lizards hot on their tails.

After a good deal of running, the lizards gave up the chase and the group of Brandy Hunters trailed to a stop, panting and heaving. Rea had asked if they'd gotten lost, but Silisk imagined they probably just got bored and gave up. Blithering buffoons, she inwardly sneered. Idle-minded fools, all. I'm glad to be rid of their lot for good.

Antonio's voice brought the snake out of her sulking. "Well, that worked like a dream," he quipped. Thalliv tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. "It appears as though we are not going to make much more headway tonight, seeing as it grows dark. I cannot read your thoughts, but I imagine you are about as fond of the idea as getting attacked by savages in the middle of the night as I." The stoat paused for only a moment, and Silisk could nearly see his thoughts arranging themselves in neat little lines to be delivered to his mouth. "We will set up camp here, and one of us will keep watch throughout the night. I will begin, after scouting the area beforepaw."

Rea stepped forward. "I'll come with you," she said, and Antonio nodded in response.

The group disbanded, making up camp. Silisk sighed, shifting her position; there was nothing for her to do. "I suppose I will claim the second watch after you," she hissed close to Antonio's ear. The stoat winced, and then nodded.

"Very well." A pause. "Would you like me to set you down?"

"I can do that myself, thank you," the serpent huffed. Without any other words, she slid off the stoat's neck, across his shoulder and onto the welcome limb of a tree, scales rippling and shimmering in the early twilight.

Huddled on the bough, the snake coiled and curled into a miserable ball, feeling absolutely horrid in every way imaginable. Her scales bunched against a cool gust of wind, and she hissed at it for being in the way.

"Hey."

Silisk's head shimmied out from beneath her coils, and she peered inquisitively at the wolverine who stood beside her. Aras blinked, as if struggling to find the right thing to say. "… why didn't you attack us?" He narrowed his eyes. "The strongest beast in the world would have powerless against poison. You could have regained their trust."

"I know that," Silisk snapped. The serpent did her best to copy the careless shrugging that she'd seen the earthwalkers do, although she imagined it didn't quite work. "I… well. I could not bear to be with such beasts any longer." She dipped her head, letting the regal persona slip off her back like a heavy cloak. "I suppose I never truly belonged with their kind."

Aras nodded his great head. "That's what I thought." He sighed. "I know that feeling well." For a moment, the wolverine's eyes darkened and Silisk found herself about to ask him more when he returned to normal. "Don't be discouraged," he offered. "You're a good beast, Silisk. You don't need a stupid git of a lizard to tell you that."

Silisk had a question lingering on the tip of her tongue, but Aras had already began trudging off and so she kept it to herself. A sigh escaped the ruffled serpents lungs as she turned her attention to the first star that twinkled into sight.

Why did sentimentality have to be so bothersome?