FSE

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Soaring through the skies for less than an hour and the forest land soon peters our and turns to wetlands, swamps and marshland which stretch on as far as my eyes can see. Checking my navigation attachment to find we have veered a little off course. I would correct our direction however I see opportunity to clean myself and try to find some fresh drinking water. Signalling with a lowered tail, I guide us down to glide lower, almost skimming over the bogs, the murky swamp water was certainly not my greatest choice for bathing, yet niceties were in short supply. We would have to make do, the dried honey had become a hindrance and was beginning to chafe and cause greater irritation between my scales.

I signal the other two we are landing and do so on an embankment surrounded by a tree line that formed the start of another forest heading east, our way forward. The wetlands stretched over the north and west into a hilly landscape. Long growing tufts of grass spattered across the span of the area along with the noisy riveting clicks of insects were the only obvious signs of life, a retched smell of decaying nature and swirling disturbed black murky water made me feel nauseous. The swamp water was certainly not drinkable and I was discouraged from even bathing in such vile waters.

This didn't stop Calamity from slowly walking into the swamp, deeply trudging into the murk until he was fully submerged up to his neck in the pitch like water. Inferno cringed at the sight and volunteered to hunt for more food, since losing our stock earlier with the barrels had left us without. She left after nuzzling my snout and making sure I would not leave Calamity side. Her over protective nature is going to be the death of me. I walked the perimeter of the cloudy water, careful in avoiding the branches of the many black dead willow trees surrounding one side of the swamp. The swamp was partially excluded from the rest of the realm in its own little seclusion. Two openings covered in shrubby led any creature to fall into the bog if they were not paying any great attention to their surroundings.

The tacky dried honey was becoming unbearable and I was truly considering jumping into the swamp when the water suddenly breaks. A long almost snake-like body emerges from the dark watery depths of the swamp, a massive head almost reaching as high as the treetops, glaring down at us with pudgy dulled green eyes. Slightly startled to lay my eyes upon such a great serpent whose dark green scales mottled with cream patches, splodges of mud clinging to his underbelly as he rose. Two sets of coned spikes ran along the length of either side of his body, the formation of scales along his underbelly signified it was somewhat softer. I notice a few of the scales around his head and eyes seem deformed and misshapen, perhaps old badly healed wounds or failed sheddings, either way it indicated him to be on the older end of age. Two large, almost cavernous nostrils, certainly big enough for fish to swim within, a sagging dewlap that was perhaps once cream stretched out under the serpent's throat, speckled with thick algae growth between the looser scales.

Great! Just what we needed, a servant of the infamous Hydra of Destiny. A legend, a myth, a fairytale I might have said this very morning. I recall obsessing over the theories as I read the many reports back at the Archives when I was younger. Reports from extractions across the Divine Realms we had explored had mentioned sightings of serpents, which led to the belief of there being a serpent in each realm and certainly attested to such a claim. No existing dragon really knew, not a single dragon had ever encountered this mysterious hydra whose power could supposedly control destiny.

The only viable story, a very thin plausible one at that, was this so called hydra had gathered enough serpents to place one in each realm, changing fate to the hydra's whim. Or so a particularly obnoxious set of dragons claimed, they had formed a cult around the stories of a Hydra at the bottom of a Labyrinth. It may not have helped that I had set out to try and disprove the conspiracies, my claims that the serpents had in fact been in place to gather information as observers of the realms. Unfortunately, having someone of sovereignty back them, even partially, any false claims had started to rile them up, so my Sire put an end to my research to prevent further upsetting of the established order.

Calamity wasn't quite as stunned as myself, quickly making the effort to jump out of the water to the nearest embankment. Although we were separated, I was glad he was assumedly safer out of the water rather than within. I sensed his concern for me, our bond sharing telepathically, fear for our lives and I am certain these feeling relayed to Inferno. If she was smart she could get the upper hand with a surprise attack if this were to turn into a confrontation.

“Who dares sully my swamp?" The serpent growls, his voice was as deep as the waters darkness. Calamity tries to edge around the swamps outskirts towards my location walking cautiously and carefully. Try as he might, he accidentality kicks a small rock which splashes into the waters. The splash was reacted quickly to as the serpent swings his head around rapidly to face the origin of the sound before coiling back round as if he was trying to determine our positions more precisely. Was he blind? I signal for Calamity to stay put and decided to keep this civil, especially after the events with the bee hive.

“I dare disturb your swamp! Dominion, offspring of Sovereign" I call up confidently. The serpent moves to focus on my position. I think he is blind.

“Oh a tyrannical dragon, accompanied by another…no" The serpent's tone becomes almost dismissive as its head raises and sniffs the air with its oversized nostrils “Another two, the second is a little distance away, I was not expecting such company"

“Exactly who were you expecting?" I ask politely, trying to keep the situation steady and calm. Sharing my own calmness with my fellow mates, I felt Inferno nearby, hiding amongst the forest trees.

“Recently my territory has been disturbed by 'Aventari', they are a race of flightless birds who wear totem masks and worship Quetzalcoatl, their chants suggest that their god may have returned. They have formed a gathering at the totem's temple, becoming a nuisance to this realm" The serpent continues to ramble on about other less relevant grievances and as he did so my thoughts turned to the more pressing matter of Quetzalcoatl. Another myth I'd once indulged myself in reading about in the Archives, the scripts claimed he was slain by an ancestor of mine.

Inferno's tension in my mind kept both me and Calamity on edge, keeping ourselves ready to attack or defend ourselves if necessary on the off chance the blathering serpent decided to try and surprise us with a sudden strike. I don't truly absorb any of the information the serpent's spews, though I do needlessly nod and pretend to listen even if his grotty voice begins to bore me as he continues to complain, eventually he does seem to run out of things to complain about.

“Sounds like your more pressing concerns will soon be behind you, we were actually heading to the temple ourselves and will take care of the nuisances for you on our way" I say with reassurance, after all, these so called Aventari's will most likely be getting in our way. The serpent lifts his head again and sniffs the air, as if those massive nostrils could miss a scent, his face soon lowers and comes before me with what I presume to be a smile, though I can't be certain with the strained expression simply revealing a pair of slimy, mostly rotten fangs.

“How convenient for me, in return I suppose I shall let you leave with your lives, however there should still be a payment for your trespassing upon my swamp lands. I suppose the spoils of your hunt should do." I realized then the serpent wasn't actually addressing me with the latter half of his demand as his head twists dis-concertedly around to look towards the tree line. His small clouded eyes focusing exactly where I feel Inferno to be. “Come now, don't be shy, step into the light" The quote felt familiar, like something my Sire would say. I sigh frustratingly and nod while looking over to the glimpse of red scales shadowed behind the trees trunks and indicate for Inferno to reveal herself. She came forth holding two antelope and a wild boar. I admired her hunting skills to acquire such prey in such a short period of time.

“Very well, our food for payment of using your swamp with an apology for intruding" I say sincerely, still trying to keep the situation civil. Of course I felt the serpent didn't deserve our apologies but I saw it as a means to keep civility rather than being sympathetic. Sigh, what a waste of good food. Perhaps the serpent will break a fang on it...he's so large though, he'll probably swallow them whole... I could always send Calamity to hunt for more at least, it was not like this realm was depleted of resources. No scale off my back.

“Much obliged Dominion, offspring of Sovereign, I advise you head east at once to discover a much more valuable resource and be careful of Quetzalcoatl blood thirst" The serpent said a little forebodingly, his confidence in words would lead me to believe he had just read a future hurdle for us. Perhaps these serpents can sense fates... The three of us left immediately, ascending to the green skies, the red sun about to set on the horizon. Leaving the swamp serpent behind to eat in peace. I could not help but feel something was amiss, like we had been tricked into something far more devious. Perhaps these thoughts are what created the whole hydra conspiracy to begin with. The thoughts are interrupted as the dried sticky honey begins to irritate me once again.