Video: The Golden Snake Of The Rooftops

[theriflespiral]

It's a quiet day, in Fortitude, like so many other quiet days in Fortitude. The ships are floating in the harbor, and in the distance, there's an incredible view of Big Lake.

We suddenly zoom in. Faster than almost any camera has the right or capability to, zooming faster than rats can run, faster than the wind can carry, fast as an arrow, or faster--

Suddenly, the camera stops, hovering near Rinley, because, well, of course it is. They seem to be kneeling and inspecting one of the two-foot tall rats, dressed heroically, as is the rats' wont.

What they don't notice, is the looming shadow behind them, the sunlight that glints off of golden scales, the forked tongue that watches, curiously, smelling the air for rage--

Suddenly, there is a sound like a spack. Fragments of a bullet hit the ground, and THEN the report of gunfire makes Rinley scramble away.

Sadly, the snake doesn't seem anything more than annoyed.

The drone follows the bullet's path back to a sniper rifle, and behind its scope, Natalia, whose eyes widen. The rooftops tremble with the herald of the snake's coming.

The camera turns and the snake is coming. Natalia pulls away from the scope, hauls up the unwieldy thing, and fires again.

Another direct hit, traced out against the sun.

Again, nothing.

She begins to make her own rooftop run, with the golden snake, 108 meters long, in hot pursuit. Occasionally, the crack of gunfire splits the air, and the snake hesitates, but not long enough to truly slow its advance.

A tail-- or is it the ropes nearby?-- lash out and snatch the rifle from her hands at last. All of a sudden, she is swept up by its tail.

And then it speaks with a voice very similar to Natalia's. "Now, my dear. Such toys just don't become you."

For a moment, Natalia kicks in its grasp, her arm threatening to break the tighter the coils get. "What is it you want with them, snake?"

"Why, isn't it obvious, dear?" For a moment, their eyes meet, despite the vast size difference. "I wanted to meet you."

Natalia's head slips through the coils, and her arm a split second after, and she takes off at a run, looking for something, anything to use.

She comes up with a thick quarterstaff, which bends and whirls in its attempts to keep herself safe from the binding coils.

Until, at last, Natalia is picked up and at last, cast down, and genuinely leaves a crater.

A... second crater.

If this keeps up, they'll have to call the place that used to hold Irinka's small shrine Crater Park.

"A shame, darling. I thought you'd be better sport..."

#

Later, after the snake leaves, Natalia sits up, and stares into the camera. "Any advice on how to deal with that... thing... Would be appreciated."

Comments

[nijistaryume]

Okay, that's creepy. It's immune to, like, everything?

[theriflespiral]

"Definitely immune to bullets-- at least the firepower I can muster on my own," she says, dusting off her only mildly torn blouse. "We've been playing cat and mouse for nearly a week now. Nice to finally see her eye to eye, I'll admit."

[nijistaryume]

That is way too creepy. And it -- she? She's stalking you and then leaving just to taunt you. If she's immune to physical attacks, then maybe not magic? I dunno if you have that, but maybe you can learn it.

[theriflespiral]

"I don't think she realized I can survive being cast down like that. I also don't believe it's a mistake she'll care to repeat." She looks down at her knees. "... At the very least I need to figure out something soon. I just don't know who to ask."

As for magic, she shakes her head. "I've never had a head for ritualism. It's... Difficult for me to believe in a spirit in the first place, never mind one that would actually be friendly to me."

[nijistaryume]

Aren't spirits just elementalism? Though I guess that's most of what we have for magic here, too... But if you're that durable, you're not a plain old human, I figured. Sorry.

[The child sighs and taps the back of her pencil on the desk.]

I just know off movies on Earth, there's monsters that shrug off bullets and regular weapons, and that means only people with magic can kill them. Or war crimes, and then it's really depressing.

[theriflespiral]

"Sadly, given I just tried to snipe her in the head, I'm all out of war crimes. At least ones I'm capable of committing."

[nijistaryume]

Can't build bombs? Though I don't know if bulletproof snakes are also bomb-proof. Might be worth a try.

[theriflespiral]

"I can, if I have access to materials. It's that access that may prove... Complicated." Such access would have been a relatively simple matter in the course of an investigation, but she had no access to her old network in Fortitude. "I should probably seek more information about my quarry."

[nijistaryume]

You mean like off a library and stuff? Or if other people saw the giant snake?

[theriflespiral]

"Quite probably both." She sighs. "Everyone except my parents, of course. Who will have seen nothing."

[nijistaryume]

I don't get it. Are they, like, cursed or something? So they can't see weird stuff?

[theriflespiral]

"It's..." She pauses. "They're not so much blind, as they believe this is a good place, and that we have a home here, and that these inconsistencies I bring are silly, Natashenka..."

She blechs. "I have no idea how they would react to this tale and I have no eagerness to tell them."

[nijistaryume]

[That causes Momo to exhale harshly. She tenses, makes a face, and looks away from the video.]

So they're not cursed not to see, they just don't want to, huh.

[theriflespiral]

"A common issue for you as well, I take it?"

[nijistaryume]

[Momo fidgets with the pencil, staring off to the side.]

Most of our problems here in Iden are people with magical mind control and stuff, but there's always gonna be people like that. They have one idea of how things are, and if you say something against that, even if you're asking them for help, they're not gonna believe you. And they don't want you telling anyone ever again. Like you're doing it to cause trouble for them, not because you need help.

[lightnovelexperiences]

Friends.

Who can shore up your weaknesses.

A tank and a caster wouldn't be out of place. Neither would a healer.

Also, flex that Lorewise skill and consult the local elders. No way something like that has no attendant lore, get some sage or a dusty old tome to tell you it's name and whatever catch there is to it being a 100-foot murdersnake.

[theriflespiral]

friends. of course.

... I think I shall have to check the Archives, then. Though, under the circumstances, perhaps I should also look for a better place to start.

[lightnovelexperiences]

Allies, then, if you prefer to think of it that way.

If this is a world full of gribbly turbonoodle divine beasts, this is a world that has experts on turbonoodle monsters. Maybe not someone you know, but someone someone knows.

[theriflespiral]

... Come to think--

That was Rinley, wasn't it?

Of course it was. There's no one else who could have been in that much trouble.

One of the Rats, too... I shall have to ask them when I have time.

[lightnovelexperiences]

I'm guessing that "Rinley, NO" is a frequent refrain in your circle.

Also, rats, huh.

[theriflespiral]

Right up there with Chuubo, which is surprising. By all accounts, he is an ordinary boy, but his best friend does insist many odd things are his fault.

Rinley, on the other hand, seems to seek out and make trouble, and they're quite good at it.

And yes, Rats. About two feet tall, talking, intelligent Rats that seem to take swashbuckling as the ultimate calling of any sensible being.

... Which makes it all the more likely that they are the 'experts' you spoke of, if indeed there are-- what was your phrase? Omni-noodles?