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“So, I just want to make sure I’m getting our story straight,” Sam said, muttering towards the ground. He stumbled as a something snagged against his foot. A frown appeared on his face as he lifted his legs higher before taking his next steps. “You’re a human trafficker who uses her half-reptilian traits to gain access to human society.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Wendy said from her spot ahead of Sam. “And you’re my merchandise.”
Sam frowned. “Was that originally how it was supposed to be, or did you improvise once our surdock was shot down?”
“Original plan,” Wendy said. “How else did you expect to become Tamara’s pet?”
Sam’s frown remained plastered on his face. He hadn’t really thought too much about how he’d come under Tamara’s care. A sigh escaped from his mouth as he shook his head. It didn’t really matter if he was being trafficked by Wendy; in the end, it was simply a ploy to steal the GMC. …Unless he was actually being sold to the reptilians under the guise of completing a mission? Sam didn’t think that was the case because it seemed awfully inefficient to sell one person at a time.
“Cheer up,” Wendy said without turning back. “We’re almost out of the jungle.”
“Wee,” Sam said, doing his best to express his enthusiasm. After trekking through the jungle at night, it was hard to muster up energy to do anything, much less be enthusiastic. He glanced down at the bulge in his clothes where Raindu was taking another nap. The ferret didn’t want to travel in the dark, so it went to sleep; after all, the night was meant for sleeping.
“Also, from here on out, don’t speak unless someone addresses you,” Wendy said. “Keep your head down, and do your best to avoid eye contact with reptilians.”
Sam grunted in response. He stepped over a large log, and sunlight streamed into his eyes. They had reached the edge of the jungle; luckily, their ride was shot down relatively close to Et Serpentium. At least, Sam assumed it was Et Serpentium. His knowledge of geography wasn’t the greatest since humanity hadn’t mapped out the world yet; then again, even if humanity had mapped out the world, his grasp on geography would still stink.
“Welcome,” Wendy said, stepping out of the way and turning back to examine Sam’s expression, “to Et Serpentium.”
Sam blinked, and the bulge in his clothes squirmed as Raindu made its way up to Sam’s collar. The view beyond the spectral jungle was a vast and sprawling desert, flowing hills of yellow sand spreading into the horizon. This was Et Serpentium? He wanted to ask, but Wendy had told him to keep his mouth shut. Maybe this was just the border of the territory? Sam turned around to look at the spectral jungle. The dark-green and black colors of the jungle were separated from the yellow sand as if someone had drawn a line between the two regions that the contrasting hues couldn’t cross.
“Do you see that?” Wendy asked and pointed off to the side.
Sam followed her finger and squinted at the sand. There was a glint on the horizon. Was that the closest city? It was awfully far away.
“That’s where we’re going,” Wendy said as she stripped off her multiple layers. She stopped removing her outerwear when she was left with a cloak that covered her whole body, the cloak’s hood shielding her face from the sun. Like magic, she packed away her extra clothes into a small bag that she tightened by pulling on a string. “The heat will be bearable if you keep your skin shielded from the sun.”
Sam wasn’t sure if that’s how it worked, but who was he to question the judgement of someone almost thrice his age? He raised his hood, shielding his face from the sun as he took a step onto the sand. Hot air surged against his face, causing his skin to tighten as if the hot wind had sapped away his moisture. A sigh of relief escaped from his mouth as he trekked further into the desert, following after Wendy. The jungle was wet, damp, and mossy. He had always enjoyed feeling the sun’s warmth, but now he truly appreciated it.
Raindu crawled out of Sam’s clothes and stood on his shoulder. The ferret stretched out its legs while standing on its hindlegs, exposing its belly to the sunlight. After a stretch that cracked several bones in its back, Raindu dropped down and looked around. The ferret tilted its head and spread out its front legs before letting them drop to its sides.
Sam had to agree. Et Serpentium was pretty empty, at least, the area they were in. It wouldn’t take long to reach their destination since it was visible. Sam was wrong. Just because someone could see a mountain in the distance didn’t mean the mountain was close enough to walk to in a reasonable amount of time. After what felt like hours, Sam couldn’t help but ask, “How much longer?”
“Shut up, human,” Wendy said. “You shall address me and any other reptilian you see as sundak.”
“Sundak?” Sam asked.
“Permission to speak, human,” Wendy said. Her voice was serpentine and consisted of hisses, but he still understood her as if she were speaking English.
“When will we arrive?”
“We’ll get there when we get there,” Wendy said. “Just keep thinking positive thoughts, or the journey will be even more difficult. Drink some water too.”
Sam glanced down at the ferret, who was now hiding within his shirt to keep cool. It was hugging a water bottle, one that remained cold despite the sweltering temperatures outside. With a frown, Raindu handed the bottle up to Sam, and he opened it to take a few gulps; after all, he had to obey Wendy’s commands. Raindu chattered, and Sam rolled his eyes before returning the bottle to the dramatic ferret. Drops of liquid splashed on the ferret’s fur from the improperly closed cap, and Raindu swiped at Sam’s stomach, causing him to grunt and flinch. The ferret shook its paw at Sam before closing the cap, squinting its beady eyes at him.
Sam exhaled. He was tired and exhausted, and his summoned ferret was sassing him. Were other people’s natural talents so mentally draining? Raindu swiped at Sam’s stomach again, reminding him to listen to Wendy’s words and think positive thoughts. What was positive about this desert? Well, it wasn’t wet, and there weren’t any predators trying to kill him. Actually, now that he thought about it more, it was way better than traveling through the jungle. So, what if it was a little hot? At least his socks remained dry, and he wasn’t tripping over random clumps of crap every three to four steps. With the dead surdock safely packed away by Raindu, he wouldn’t run out of food either.
As Sam walked, his thoughts couldn’t help but drift. With the bleak scenery, there weren’t any distractions to occupy his mind. What would his parents think if they could see him now? Talented and taking on a mission with a five-hundred-million-credit reward, would they feel regret for abandoning him? Probably, but it wasn’t like Sam had any intention to forgive them even if they wanted him back. They threw him away, designated him as trash because of his lack of talent.
Raindu climbed out of Sam’s shirt and perched itself on his shoulder. The ferret placed its paw against Sam’s cheek as if it was comforting him. Then, it offered him a piece of candy it pulled out of its fur. With a ferret like Raindu watching over him, who cared about some parents, right? Raindu could pull candy out nowhere; could Sam’s parents do that?
Sam snorted. His parents were awakeners, but their talents were mediocre. However, even with mediocre talents, they could still step into a different world; after all, not all awakeners relied on their talents as Sam recently learned. Chakras and meditation played a role too. Even still, Sam doubted his parents could do a fraction of the things Raindu could, which made him feel a bit better about himself. Sam stared at the ferret, and it beamed at him, causing a wry smile to appear on Sam’s face. How could he have negative thoughts when Raindu was always cheering him up when he was down?
Sam exhaled and stared at the ground as he walked, following in Wendy’s footsteps. Only her footsteps could be seen on the endless expanse of yellow, meaning no one else was dumb enough to walk from the spectral jungle back to the reptilian city. Either that, or the wind blew away footsteps not long after they were formed. …Or it meant reptilians could fly and avoided walking altogether. “Sundak?” Sam asked.
Wendy continued marching. “What is it?”
“Can reptilians fly?”
“Some can,” Wendy said. “Humans aren’t the only ones with talents.”
“Sundak?”
Wendy exhaled. “What else do you want to know?”
“Why didn’t you fight those two reptilians we encountered?” Sam asked the question he had been holding back for a while. “What if they bump into us in Et Serpentium? Wouldn’t it be better to”—he used his thumb to draw a line across his neck—”you know?”
“Reptilian society is more advanced than human society,” Wendy said. She turned around to look Sam in the eyes. “Murdering a fellow reptilian is unforgivable.”
Sam blinked. That was surprisingly civil for scaled and clawed beings who stood over seven feet tall. “If you got rid of all the witnesses, would anyone know?”
Wendy narrowed her eyes. “You’d be the biggest witness,” she said. “Are you sure that’s what you wanted me to do?”
“Never mind,” Sam said, shaking his head. “I just wanted to know if Raindu happened to get rid of some reptilians, would anyone find out?”
“Not immediately,” Wendy said, “but their friends and families would eventually notice they’re missing, and some psychics will be called out to investigate the situation, and they’ll see Raindu’s the culprit. It’ll only take a few more minutes for them to realize Raindu’s a part of your talent, and you’ll be a wanted man. Tamara will be punished as your owner, and in the worst-case scenario, her mind will be read and our plans exposed.”
“So, no disappearing reptilians,” Sam said, looking at Raindu. “You got that?”
Raindu snorted. If reptilians needed to be disappeared in order to protect Sam, Raindu was going to do it.
Sam turned his head, meeting Wendy’s gaze. “He agrees,” Sam said with a straight face. He couldn’t help but agree with Raindu here; if Sam’s butt needed saving at the cost of some disappearing reptilians, he’d gladly pay the price. Sam’s gaze traveled past Wendy, and his eyes widened. The glint on the horizon that had seemed so far away had become a massive pyramid at some point. It was made of glossy, white stones that seemed to shine in the sun. In front of the pyramid, there was a statue of a lion with the head of a woman.
Wendy turned around upon seeing Sam’s gaze. “Oh,” she said. “We’re here.” She marched up to the statue and waved at Sam to come over. She made eye contact with the stone face, and it gleamed as lasers shot out of its eyes, scanning Wendy’s eyeballs. After a few seconds, the statue’s eyes dimmed, and it crawled backwards while lowering its head, revealing a passage with steps leading down towards the inside of the earth.
“Move it, human,” Wendy said, gesturing for Sam to walk down the stairs.
Sam swallowed and approached the steps. The sun only illuminated them so far; after the stairs went deep enough, all he could see was black. He gulped and hesitated. He wasn’t scared of the dark; he was merely apprehensive of the unknown. Something bumped against his back, and he covered his mouth to suppress his shriek. He looked behind himself; Wendy’s red pupils were glaring at him—a sight motivating enough to help him get over his fear. Sam swallowed as Raindu hid inside his clothes, and with a deep breath, Sam marched down the stairs.
There were no handrails, and the steps were uncomfortably high, making Sam buckle his knees awkwardly to proceed. The further down he went, the cooler it became, but after a point, the temperature stabilized at a comfy point. Then again, after trekking through the desert, any temperature cooler than the sweltering heat was comfy. The sound of stone sliding against stone rang in Sam’s ears, and the sunlight illuminating the way shrank to a sliver before vanishing as the stone statue shifted back into place.
“Keep going,” Wendy said from behind Sam, causing him to gulp and step forward. He placed his right hand on the wall for support. Ideally, he’d brace himself with both arms, but his wingspan wasn’t enough to reach both sides of the stairs. After taking a few steps, when he thought he’d have to walk in darkness forever, blue bricks within the stairwell’s walls shone, illuminating the path. Depictions of insects and reptilians hunting said insects were carved into the sandstone, the light from the blue bricks causing shadows to fall in appropriates places, adding details to the carvings.
Sam found the murals fascinating, but he was afraid to look at them for too long. If he lost his footing and tripped because he was too busy staring at the carvings, he’d probably die. He didn’t know how many steps there were, but he knew there wasn’t anything to grab onto to stop him from rolling if he fell. He focused on the steps ahead of him, but even they had geometric patterns on them. The more he looked at the steps, the dizzier he became. He stumbled, and a hand grabbed his shoulder.
“Careful,” Wendy said. “Don’t damage my merchandise.”
“Sorry, sundak,” Sam said and took in a deep breath.
“You better be,” Wendy said and nodded. “Focus on your breath. Ignore the visuals.”
Sam pursed his lips. For such an advanced society, one much greater than humans, they couldn’t have designed something like an elevator? Even an escalator would’ve been appreciated. Of course, now that he was inside one of Et Serpentium’s buildings, he wasn’t going to ask about it; what if a reptilian overheard and thought he was insulting them? He’d be eaten. Sam took Wendy’s advice and focused on his breath, breathing in for three seconds, holding for three seconds, and exhaling for three seconds. It was the most basic meditation technique every child learned.
For a while, only the clunking of Sam’s feet and the tapping of Wendy’s shoes could be heard. After walking for what seemed like an hour, the sound of hissing drifted into Sam’s ears, and a shiver ran down his spine. He turned back to look at Wendy, and she gestured with her chin, motioning for him to keep going. Soon, a doorway came into view, the sounds of hissing growing louder as Sam approached. There wasn’t a door in the entryway; rather, there was a screen of black light that shielded the interior from view. Sam turned to the side, letting Wendy pass him. Instead, she pushed him, shoving him through the light screen.
Sam stumbled through the black light with closed eyes. After a second, he opened them and took a look around. Three reptilians were sitting at a round table, stone tablets and round chips littering the surface. All three of them had blue scales and amber eyes. According to the vibe Sam was getting from them, they were poised to strike at any second like rattlesnakes rattling their tails, but when they saw Wendy’s reptilian eyes, the three reptilians relaxed.
One of the reptilians hissed. “Identification.”
A frown appeared on Sam’s face. He could only understand the hisses if the reptilians were present; if he couldn’t see them, he couldn’t read their vibe to translate their words.
Wendy hissed at the reptilians in return as she reached into her bag. “Here,” she said as she took out a symmetric blue stone with glittering substances inside of it. She flicked it, sending it flying through the air like a frisbee to the reptilian’s waiting hands.
The reptilian examined the blue stone, and its eyes flickered. A smile crept on its face, and it fiddled with Wendy’s identification stone, letting it roll back and forth across its fingers. “You’re the great seer’s bastard daughter?” the reptilian asked. “I’m going to need more proof.”
Although her expression didn’t change, Sam could tell Wendy was pissed. Her cold vibe had heated up a little due to the reptilian’s comment. Wendy’s eyes narrowed, and she reached into her back before pulling out a green crystalline rod that was shaped into a point at the end. “Do you extort all half-reptilians who come through here?” she asked as she pointed the rod at the reptilian holding her identification stone.
The reptilian flashed a smile at Wendy. “It’s good that you understand,” it said as it took out its own crystalline rod. It pointed it back at Wendy’s, and Sam had the feeling something was exchanged between the two crystals. “Why would we treat scum such as yourself like you’re a full-blooded reptilian? You’re half animal, an abomination.”
“Are you done?” Wendy asked, holding out her hand.
The reptilian spat on the blue stone before placing it in Wendy’s palm, staring her in the eyes the whole time. “Take care, and be careful,” the blue-scaled reptilian said. “If someone’s not paying attention, they’ll think you’re a human and eat you.”
The other reptilians hissed as they laughed, the sound grating on Sam’s ears. He glanced at Wendy, examining her expression.
Wendy grunted as she wiped the blue stone with her cloak before putting it back inside her bag. She turned her head towards Sam. “Move it, human,” she said, her face stone-cold. “What are you gawking at?”
Sam lowered his head and swallowed. If reptilians treated Wendy, a half-human, like crap, how were they going to treat him? He was under the impression all he’d have to do was follow Tamara’s instructions to survive, but after personally entering Et Serpentium, an overwhelming sense of regret washed over him. Wendy had blinded him with money—well, it wasn’t the money; it was more of a promise of financial safety and abundance for forever. Now, he was going to be one of those fools who died for wealth like in one of those fables.
Raindu poked its head out of Sam’s shirt. The ferret looked up at Sam’s defeated expression, and its eyes narrowed as it turned its head and torso towards the three laughing reptilians.