The Serpants Right of Passage. Chapter 1

  Snow is everywhere. It there has always been snow here. Burrying the thick ice below in a thick, cold blanket. Dragons rule the skys above the mountains and slumber in large hot caverns inside them. The Realm of wolves consists of ice caverns and caves at the base of the mountains. Water flows in these caverns, giving life to hardy, if a bit stiff, plant life.


  Humans rule the open plains. Their cities rising above the snow covered ice, guarded by large walls. Simon had traveled to the mountains with a large hunting party, they were in search of a new home and food.


  Simon, a deposed king of three large cities, was about six feet tall with a lean build, his slender form was rigid and tough as his wild brown hair was blown about by the wind. His thick fur clothing covered his muscled body. Blue eyes cold as ice that could see for miles when other men struggled to see. His ice crusted face was a testament of his weary traveling. He had been deposed of three days ago by his brother who had planned rebellion for so long and had led the rebels against him for two whole weeks before finaly killing Simon's pregnant wife.


  With Sherry and his unborn child gone, Simon had picked up what was left of his life and moved,but not before greatly wounding his brother; taking his left arm as a prize.


  However, he would not be condemned to traveling alone, hundreds of his supporters went with him. They were his servants, soldiers and their families. These people had shown a great devotion to him that he could never repay, not like this, so he had made a promice to them all. He would find them a new home in the mountains that would protect them all from the Dragons, Wolves and ocational snow bandits.


  Simon walked through the treacherous mountains, killing any wolf with his devout followers and using their meat for food and pelts as blankets or clothings.


  A cave mouth was just ahead. It was large enough that he and twelve others could walk into the cave side by side and still have room to move. Stopping briefly Simon took a closer look. The cave was likely home to a pack of wolves or a play hole for baby dragons. Snow bandits could have even used it at one point.


  The people behind him had stopped and were waiting for him to make a desicion. Waving his captain over to him, he walked closer to the cave. Getting the idea, the captain brought thirty of his men with him.


  Simon walked into the cave. The wind calmed as he walked further in until his hair finaly rested on his shoulders. It looked normal, no sign of snow bandits, wolves or dragons. Simon spoke to the captain, checking up on the security of his people, as they walked deeper into the cave. The ground lowered slightly, and the walls widened to reveal a large cavern. Simon looked to his left, the wall stretched on until he couldn't see into the darkness any more. Looking to the right confirmed that the wall on that side streached just as far. Ahead of him, he could hear flowing water, but could not see the water. Looking up, Simon could see that the cavern was deep within an old mountain.


  Simon motioned the captain closer. "Go back out and bring the others inside. We have found our new home in the mountains!"


  The captain took three men with him and left Simon and the other men at a run. While the Captain was gone, Simon grouped the rest into groups of four, and had three men with him walked deeper into the cavern, towards the sound of the running water, Simon and the soldiers grouped with him kept looking over their shoulders and in as many directions as they could. After a few minutes of walking, they could finally see the water. It looked like a large lake. Lakes usualy held unknown monsters, but many of them usualy left humans alone, unless they were really hungry.


  Simonn led his group closer to the lake. A serpant like head was just above the water surface, watching them. Simon felt a sense of awe and fear. The men just behind him must have felt the same, but they didn't say any thing. Stopping just a few feet from the edge of the water Simon spoke into the darkness. "I was told once that the great serpants could speak...Is...Is that true?" Speaking to the serpant's head made Simon feel foolish, he didn't want to die, but he also wanted to know if what he was told as a child was true.


  The eyes in the serpants head blinked. Raising slightly higher, the serpant revealed a long neck like body. Sharp teeth lined it's mouth. "It is true human. Is it true that you humans like to meddle with things they shouldn't?" Simon was shocked, The serpant had spoken to him! What was even more shocking was that the voice seemed feminine! His shock must have been shared with the men in his group because the Serpant let out what sounded like a laugh. Quickly regaining his composure Simon answered best as he could. "I believe that it is true that it is human nature to be curious. Not all of us like to meddle."


  The Serpant lowered it's head, the body gracefuly sinking back under the water, until their eyes were level. "You have answered well. I assume you want to use my home for some reason? You humans always do hm? Tell you what, I will allow you and who ever may be with you to use my home if you can complete the right of passage."


  Giving quick thought to what this Serpant proposed Simon couldn't quite make up his mind. "What...Exactly is this right of passage?" The Serpant chuckled at this, her mouth seeming to actualy smile. "The right of passage is simple, climb on my back and I will take you some where...After a little swim. In this place there is something precious of mine, something that was taken from me long ago. Get this for me and I will give you a gift."


  The Serpants eyes seemed to turn from a watery blue to a crystal like gold color as Simon thought. "I will do this, but first, what is it that I must recover?"


  The Serpant's head seemed to shake for a moment before answering. "I will explain further once we get there."


  Simon sighed and thought about his options. He came to the conclusion that he had no choice. "Okay, I will do it, lets go." The Serpant's head turned to the side and moved forward, giving Simon access to climbing onto her neck. He lowered himself and crawled onto the Serpants body and found it to be surprisingly warm. Before Simon could speak or even take in a breath of air, the serpant plunged into the deep, cold water. Simon instinctively tightened his grip with his knees and wrapped his armed around the Serpants warm neck. Eyes wide with shock and fear, how was he to breath? Simon looked around him, he could see almost nothing in this dark water. He chanced a look at what he thought was up and could see a little light. Simon closed his eyes and hugged himself tighter against the Serpants skin, warming himself as he tried to consentrate on holding what little air he had. Simon found it harder and harder to do as the Serpant plunged ever deeper. He couldn't take it any more! He let the air out of his lungs and braced for death, he took a deep breath. Water filled his lungs, but it felt as if he had taken a fresh breath of air. Shocked and confused, Simon let go of the Serpant with his arms and felt himself. Everything seemed fine. He looked around him. He felt different but couldn't quite figure out why. Looking down at his waist, he saw what was different, his legs seemed to have changed color and grow into the Serpant's neck. His pants flowing behind him. Seeing this body some how a part of the Serpant was something of a worry for him.


  The Serpant went into a cave in the rock. Simon could tell that the Serpant was going up now, not directly but slightly rising. Seeing the walls of the cave getting closer and closer, Simon hugged himself to the Serpant's neck. A jagged rock just skimmed his back, tearing his wet clothes. The walls suddenly opened up into a large underwater cavern. The Serpant shot up in a sudden movement. The Serpant's head broke the surface of the water. Simon suddenly had to hold on tightly as he legs detached from the Serpants neck, nearly sending him into the air. The Serpant's head lowred until it was level with a rock above water. "Get off quick and find the glowing egg, it should be no smaller than your head, human!" Simon shakily crawled off of the Serpant's neck onto the rock. Standing up and staggering off the rock and onto a....strange ground. He knealt down and picked up the grains of dirt with his hands. Strange new places. He dropped the grainy substance and staggered forward. He could see a faint glow coming from a cave just ahead. Walking into the cave and rounding the first corner, Simon came into a large room filled with stuff. Treasures and riches covered the ground, as well as skeletons. In a throne like chair, sat an imposing looking skeleton, holding the Glowing egg. It shown a deep saphire blue that seemed to draw Simon closer to it. He shook his head and ran forward, taking the egg and wrapping it with a nearby silken green clothe. Taking another look around, Simon thought of what these riches could buy for him and his people. Deciding to think of it later and get back to the Serpant. Simon ran out of the cave and back over the strange ground. Simon pulled the silk off the egg and held it up to the Serpant. "I have it, now what?" Simon asked in a rushed voice.


  "I see the egg affects you already. Look into it and I shall grant you the gifts I promised." The Serpant's eyes stared into the egg.


  Seeing the Serpant staring into the egg prompted Simon to do as she had told him and stared into the egg. Simon felt strange as his mind seemed to be sucked into the egg. Mind spiraling in the egg, he could hear something calling him. He raced deeper into the egg. He could hear it now, it was a voice. Racing deeper into the egg, delving to find that voice. He could tell that it was the Serpant's voice now. He lost control and fell deeper now. He didn't resist, just let himself fall deeper. Falling out of a mist and landing roughly on a stone floor, Simon stood and looked around him. The room was completely stone with nothing in it, not even a door. He looked up, there was nothing.but stone.


  "You made it!"


  Simon lowered his head to look to where the voice come from. His breath cought in his chest as his gaze came to rest on a gorgeous Woman. She wore an elegant green dress. Her golden hair shimmered blue as the light shown on it. Her beutiful, deep water blue eyes held his gaze the longest. He slowly blew out the air trapped in his lungs and took another slow, deep breath.


  "Now, I have you're attention." She shifted her arms and her dress slid off her slnder body like silk sliding off smooth sea rocks. She held her hand out to Simon and smiled with her plump red lips.


  Simon took her hand and let her pull him closer.



Simon's eyes flashed open as he sat up. He was back where he had first met the Serpant. He closed his eyes and took a breath of air. before opening them again. He looked around him. The men that were with him before were sitting not far off, talking amongst one another. Simon stood and walked closer to them. "Let's go back."  The men looked up at Simon. Fear in their wide eyes, they pushed themselves from the ground and scrambled away from him. "What is wrong?" The men kept scrambling away until they could finaly get all the way up and run as fast as they could. Confused, Simon looked around, the lake water was still and the area around him was empty. Simon looked at himself, everything was just as he remembered, his pants were torn but okay, and his shirt and coat were torn at the back. Confused Simon walked after the men.