Worldbuilding: The Serpentfolk
Biology
The Serpentfolk are a race of snake-like beings native to the Sandorian desert. They once had a name for their own kind, but after milenia of being called ‘serpentfolk’ by the bipedal races, they came to adopt the term as their own. Few among them still remember the ancient name of their people.
They are on average 50 centimeters in diameter and can range from 10-15 meters in total length, depending on age. They grow continuously throughout their lives, and older individuals can become quite large. Size is a symbol of prestige and respect.
As a reptilian species, they are cold blooded. They are quite comfortable in the scorching heat of the Sandorian Desert. They reproduce by laying eggs rather than giving birth to live young. Trait variation among individual serpentfolk can include: venom, neck frills, color patterns, diameter to length ratio and magical aptitude.
Their upper body strength is greater than that of humans but weaker than that of minotaurs. However, their long snake bodies have incredible power. While constricting, they can easily apply enough force to crush human bones and can maintain that force for a considerable amount of time. This muscle endurance is also present in their arms, allowing them to carry heavy tools for longer periods of time.
Serpentfolk One
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This image is not my own, full credit goes to the original artist
Serpentfolk Two
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This image is not my own, full credit goes to the original artist
Environment
The Sandorian Desert is mostly covered by large sand dunes. However, the Krass’Ebri Valley brings life to the desert. Its fertile banks are ideal for farmland and support a vibrant ecosystem winding through the otherwise barren desert. Serpentfolk civilization is mostly concentrated along the banks of the Krass’Ebri River.
The Serpentfolk divide their civilization into three regions: the Upper Region, the Lower Region, and the Delta Region. The Upper Region is mostly rural and consists of the majority of the Krass’Ebri Valley. The Lower Region is primarily the land enclosed on three sides by the Krass’Ebri River in the south. Nekhcamhet, the Serpentfolk capital and seat of government, is located here. This region is mostly urban, with several large cities and many impressive architectural projects.
While the river banks in the Upper and Lower Regions are fertile, the Delta Region boasts far better farmland. It is perhaps the best in all of Kraffnia. There are small settlements spread sporadically throughout the rest of the desert, but most serpentfolk live in these three regions.
Civilization
The Serpentfolk are ruled by a Pharaoh who is as much a cultural leader as a political leader. They don’t have major slave institutions because most bipedals are unable to work effectively in the desert. They are mostly isolated within the Sandorian Desert and regard outsiders with suspicion and mistrust. The Rontak Empire played a large role in shaping that outlook.
Among their various attempts at conquest over the years, the Rontak Empire once tried to dam the Krass’Ebri River, causing droughts and famine. The Serpentfolk were eventually able to destroy the dam, but the effects were still devastating. Afterwards, they built a large reservoir in the Lower Region to guard against such attacks in the future.
The Serpentfolk worship basilisks as gods and build great monuments in their honor. According to ancient myth, the great Basilisk god Mukhwana cut a swath through the Behmek mountains, and carved the original Krass’Ebri riverbed. If word ever reaches them that a basilisk has been slain, they will slither out and destroy whoever was responsible. They still pay respect to their local deities though.
Map of the Sandorian Desert
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Magic
Serpentfolk have a stronger than average affinity for magic. Their advanced mana pools have a bias towards elemental mana. The Sandorian Desert is surprisingly rich in all four elemental mana types. The abundant archwood trees along the Krass’Ebri River make magic wands and staffs a more common sight than in other magic using kingdoms. There are also significant deposits of magic ore in the desert.
Magic is used extensively throughout their society, but their magic technology is not particularly advanced. They mostly use casting magic and have otherwise limited magical development. Magic is used for construction, food production, mining, and warfare.
Warfare
Long serpentfolk bodies do not lend themselves well to bipedal military formations. Instead, they leverage their snake-like bodies to their advantage in combat. Their formations are usually thin but very wide. They rely on encircling their enemy and attacking from all sides, like a python constricting its prey.
They are capable of raising their torso several meters off the ground to tower over their opponents and attack from above. They are also able to coil their bodies like springs, lunge forward several meters with incredible speed to attack their opponent, and then quickly retreat back out of reach.
For protection, they usually wear leather, chain mail, or scale armor, since those types of armor are more flexible and do not impede their agility. In order to retain proper mobility, they don’t wear armor on the underside of their bodies. However, they have been known to wear plate metal armor covering the front of their upper body, since their upper body is what’s most likely to come within striking distance of the enemy.
Battle mages form the core of the Serpentfolk military. They are equipped with adamantium-tipped mithril spears, which are sometimes coated with venom. The speed of their lunge attacks allows their spears to easily penetrate most armor and shields. A shield is not very useful for serpentfolk soldiers. Their long bodies cannot be adequately protected by regular-sized shields, so instead they carry more versatile magic staffs.
They use magic to create defensive barriers in place of shields, which offer better protection. These barriers only appear at the front of the serpentfolk, almost like a physical shield, but are larger and have no weight. They can be automatically maneuvered to protect any part of the battle mage’s body as needed. Battle mages can also cast other defensive and offensive magic, making them unpredictable in battle.
Serpentolk also make excellent archers. Their greater muscle endurance and excellent eyesight let them take time to aim at precise targets. Aside from being a weapon of war, archery is also a cultural tradition.
Chapter 14: The Serpentfolk
July 5th, 2053
Rontak Valley, Capital City of Ronta, Imperial Palace
Emperor Rontus sat in the palace’s war room with his top generals and strategists. They sat around a large circular table in the middle of the room. The entire center of the table was a large map of Kaffnia. The room was lined with various charts and maps. This was the heart of the Rontak Empire’s vast military.
Wooden figurines representing major armies were scattered around the map. One of the generals used a wooden pole to slide the small figurine representing the Rontak’s Reach garrison off the map. There were no more major armies in Duremar. The Americans would have free reign over the entire province if they chose to continue their invasion.
Emperor Rontus was shaken to his core by Gwuardon’s vision. It would undoubtedly haunt his dreams for years to come. As he sat in the war room, he once again relived the terrible sights Gwuardon showed him.
He saw huge waves of soldiers fall to weapons he somehow knew to be called 'machine guns’. He saw clouds of gas mutilate the faces of soldiers hiding in fortified trenches. He saw flying machines called ‘airplanes’ above great cities that put Ronta to shame. They dropped untold numbers of ‘bombs’ on the cities below, reducing them to burning cinders.
He saw millions of men, women, children and elderly forced into concentration camps and systematically exterminated in gas chambers. The Rontak Empire never treated the people it conquered so inhumanely.
He saw an airplane drop an object that he knew was called an ‘atomic bomb’ over a city. He was blinded by a brilliant white light and then saw the entire city destroyed. A huge cloud of smoke and fire in a shape that resembled a mushroom rose high into the sky.
He saw great ships made of iron launch dozens of airplanes, one after another. He saw arrows of fire and smoke, called ‘missiles’, streak over the horizon. He saw them slam into more ships fully clad in iron armor and sink them with blazing fireballs.
He saw soldiers wearing devices over their eyes that let them see in the dark without magic. They moved through the alleyways of a burned out city. He watched as they fell to enemy golems, known as ‘droids’, waiting to ambush them with their deadly guns.
He saw huge metal carriages called ‘tanks’, each one equipped with weapons that far out classed any magi cannon. His vision shook apart as the war machines rumbled by.
He saw the world the Americans come from. He saw how wars were fought in that horrible world. He would not allow the Americans to bring that suffering to his people. He would stop at nothing to make sure their terrible method of warfare went back to the charred and ruined world it came from.
But strangely enough, despite all the horrible things he saw, his vision also gave him a sliver of hope. Gwuardon never took sides in war. He hadn’t asked for insight on how to defeat the Americans. If he had, Gwuardon probably wouldn’t have answered. Instead, he asked for the wisdom to ensure Maribelle’s safe return and received a vision showing him American weapons. It could only mean one thing: Maribelle was alive. And if she was alive, she could be rescued.
He put the thoughts of his daughter aside and began the meeting with a foreboding warning, “Let me make something clear to all of you. We are not fighting for land, or wealth, or for glory. Gwuardon showed me a vision of the world the Americans come from. They know not the virtue of honorable conquest. Their wars know only destruction, suffering, and death of immense magnitude. We will have to come up with new strategies and adopt new ways of thinking to counter the new weapons the Americans will bring to our doorstep. We will have to do things that would have previously seemed nonsensical. Make no mistake; we are fighting for our very survival.”
He paused to let his message sink in to every last one of his generals. An ominous feeling settled over the war room. With the tone of the meeting set, he continued, “To begin, I am redeploying every major army in the Empire to the northwest. Including our forces in the Sandorian Desert.”
Until now his generals listened to him with respect and a healthy amount of fear. Whatever Gwuardon had shown him was clearly disturbing. But this crossed a line. Cries of protest and outrage erupted from the generals.
“Keep our forces in the Sandorian Desert where they are! We’ve finally made progress towards conquering the serpentfolk!”
“We just captured a major serpentfolk city! We can’t just abandon it!”
“This is our chance to make a real push towards their capital! We can’t give up now!”
Emperor Rontus held up his hand to signal his subordinates to stop talking. He had already considered the consequences. As much as he wanted to conquer the Serpentfolk, it would do him no good if his Empire fell. They would need every soldier, every shield, and every spear in the Empire to resist the Americans.
“I am the Emperor,” he said with a voice full of daggers. “This is my decree, and you will follow it. It will take them months just to reach the front lines of this new war. Who knows what could happen by then?”
The generals looked displeased and resentful, but they would acquiesce to the Emperor’s authority. Returning to his usual calm demeanor he continued, “Now, we have much planning to do. Gwuardon showed me American weapons in action. This war will be unlike any we have ever fought before. We have much work ahead of us. Let’s get started.”
Emperor Rontus told them of his visions. They compiled everything reported by Lieutenant General Ulmok, the Princess, and the Emperor. Initially, they laughed at the Americans’ alleged weapons; it all seemed impossible, even with magic. But the Emperor set them straight.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
They discussed strategies and tactics for hours. Eventually, they devised ways to improve their planned guerilla warfare campaign. When the meeting ended, the generals went about the arduous task of redeploying the Rontak Empire’s entire military. They also sent a mana comm message to update Lieutenant General Ulmok on their new plans.
Grand Mage Arpokla stayed behind to speak privately with the Emperor. “Gwuardon has never taken sides before,” she said.
“The Americans are a threat to the entire Empire,” Emperor Rontus replied. “Gwuardon has always given us aid when we truly needed it. Thanks to Gwuardon, we might be able to rescue Princess Maribelle.”
“Perhaps,” Arpokla replied. “But are you certain that is the purpose of your vision?”
“What are you getting at?” The Emperor asked.
“Perhaps Gwuardon showed you those images to tell you that this is a fight that cannot be won. Maybe we should look for solutions besides fighting.”
Had she spoken those words before his vision, he would have laughed. After all, the Rontak Empire was the dominant power in Kraffnia. He wouldn’t let some upstart kingdom from another world bully the mighty Rontak Empire! But after what he saw… The terrible destructive power of those weapons…
“Do you have something in mind?” The Emperor asked curiously.
“Send a covert team of mages to close the portal,” she suggested. “If we do that, we cut them off from their world.”
“It’s a fine idea, but how do you propose we actually do that? The Americans won’t just let us waltz in and close the portal unopposed.”
“I would volunteer for the mission myself. I’ll take my best mages, along with elven slaves and–”
“No,” the Emperor interrupted. “Based on my vision, we’ll need every last mage to even hope for a chance to win.”
“But Your Majesty, if we close the portal, the Americans won’t be able to bring any more weapons or soldiers from their world. They’d be trapped, and we could whittle them down over time.”
The Emperor paused to consider Grand Mage Arpokla’s idea, but it still seemed a bit far fetched. How would they even get close enough to the portal to close it? But if she somehow succeeded…
“You may investigate the possibility of closing the portal further,” he decided. “But come to me with a plan first. I won’t authorize you to go forward with this unless I am fully convinced it can succeed. I can’t have the best mage in my Empire going and getting herself killed for no reason.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Grand Mage Arpokla replied with a bow.
July 6th, 2053
Sandorian Desert, Upper Region, Near Khesu’Bhet
Lord Commander Teos’Khat watched from the top of a sand dune as his army prepared fortifications on the south side of the Krass’Ebri river. In the distance to his left, were the Behmek Mountains. The Krass’Ebri flowed to his right, cutting through the sand dunes. In front of him, his army was preparing walls and trenches in preparation for a Rontak river crossing assault.
This section of the Krass’Ebri was wider than the rest of the river, but the flow was much slower and it wasn’t very deep. If the Rontak Empire was going to cross the river, this would be the best place to do it. He could see some small boats along the northern river bank they already built to ferry their troops across.
He watched a team of mages pour the last bit of sand into a wooden frame. Then, they used elemental earth magic to condense the sand into sandstone. The wooden frames were pulled away to reveal a newly finished section of the wall. Things were proceeding smoothly.
His lieutenant slithered up the sand dune and approached him. “Lord Commander, the Rontak army occupying Khesu’Bhet is leaving. They’re marching out of the city!”
“What? That can’t be,” he replied.
Why would they abandon the city after already beginning preparations for a river crossing? It made no sense. Teos’Khat raised his torso several meters off the ground and used his magic staff to cast a magnification spell.
The spell created an illusion through which one could see distant objects as if they were much closer. He looked through, and to his surprise, what his lieutenant reported was accurate. The Rontak army was making a hasty retreat out of the city and back towards the edge of the desert.
It could be a trap to lure his forces across the river… But it was also a golden opportunity he couldn’t afford to waste.
“Send word to the Premier Overseer immediately,” he ordered. “It seems we’ll be retaking Khesu’Bhet sooner than expected.”
His lieutenant slithered off to the mana comm station. Teos’Khat held his arms to his sides and slithered down the sand dune to rally his soldiers. They would forge the river and retake the city at once. Serpentfolk have a much easier time crossing bodies of water than bipedal armies do. They had no trouble with the impromptu crossing.
As he slithered through the water with his soldiers, Teos’Khat wondered what the Rontaks were up to. What could the enemy general be thinking? Maybe this was some kind of trap to lure them across the river.
His line of thought was broken as an appetizing kar fish swam directly into his path. He unhinged his jaws, opened his mouth, and swallowed the fish whole, all without slowing down.
Regardless of the risk, he couldn’t just leave the survivors of Khesu’Bhet at the mercy of the Rontak Empire. Mainly because the Rontak Empire had no mercy. If they weren’t killed, they’d probably be forced to take up arms against their own kin.
He reached the other side of the river and sent an advanced scouting team into the city. When they returned, they reported that it was completely abandoned by the enemy. The city wasn’t razed, and the inhabitants weren't slaughtered. Why would the Rontak Empire capture a strategically important city only to abandon it? It was truly a mystery. He ordered his scouts to follow the Rontak army and report back anything unusual.
In the meantime, he brought the rest of his army into the city and got to work setting up a command center in the central forum. It was a flat open area tiled with sandstone. There was a large fountain in the center, topped by a statue of Khesu’Bhet, for whom the city was named.
Centuries ago, Lord Commander Khesu’Bhet made a heroic last stand against the Rontak Empire at what had then been a humble village. His courage inspired others to fight and they eventually pushed the Rontak Empire out of the desert. People traveled far and wide to honor the memory of Khesu’Bhet. Over the years, that small village grew tremendously and was renamed in recognition of its fallen hero.
Stone serpents were raised out of the fountain’s pool and spewed water from their mouths. Braziers mounted on tall pedestals circled the forum to provide light at night. Around the forum were colorful frescoes depicting various scenes from Serpentfolk mythology.
While the people had been spared, the garrison defending the city was completely wiped out. Some of the tiles were still stained with blood from humans and serpentfolk alike. If the Rontaks returned, Teos’Khat and his army would be all that stood between them and the city.
As he was making arrangements with the Bhrar (Serpentfolk equivalent of mayor) to provide his soldiers with food and housing, two of his scouts made their way through the forum. They were dragging a bound and gagged human with them. They slithered up to him and said, “Lord Commander, sir!”
Addressing his men, Teos’Khat asked, “What of the Rontak army?”
“They’re fast marching north, back to the Rontak Empire, sir. This human fell behind and we captured him.”
Teos’Khat nodded to his men in approval. Then, he shifted his attention to the human. He adjusted his torso so he sat at the human’s eye level and pulled the dirty cloth out of his mouth.
“Speak, human. What is your general’s plan? Why did you abandon the city without a fight?”
The frightened human soldier must have been a new recruit; he answered without the need for physical coercion. “I overheard the general on the mana comm,” he whimpered. “We were called back by order of the Emperor himself. I heard them say something about a powerful new enemy called the Americans.”
“Go on,” Teos’Khat hissed.
“The Americans have already captured Rontak’s Reach. The Emperor is sending us to stop them. That’s all I know, I swear! Please let me go!”
Teos’Khat examined him and found no signs of deception.
“What should we do with the human, sir?” One of the scouts asked.
The Lord Commander thought for a moment and decided the human’s fate. “Feed him to the desert crawlers. After what this city has been through, the people could use some good entertainment.”
The scouts flicked their forked tongues in amusement and shared a mischievous glance. The Bhrar looked pleased as well. Fear washed over the human’s face. He futility begged to be spared as the two scouts dragged him towards the amphitheater to await his grizzly fate.
He would be given a meal and water before being put into the arena. Weak humans suffering from heat exhaustion made for poor entertainment. If he managed to survive and put on a good show, he might even be released.
Teos’Khat slithered over to the mana comm station to inform the Premier Overseer of this new development.
July 6th, 2053
Sandorian Desert, Lower Region, Capital City of Nekhcamhet
At the heart of Nekhcamhet stood a great pyramid—the Pharaoh’s palace. It was shaped like a coiled basilisk with its head looking out at the city. Pharaoh Ahmenirtis’Mhanu IV was basking in the sun on the basilisk’s outstretched tongue. It was his favorite spot in the whole city. He could see the entire city from here and admire his people’s marvelous architectural projects.
Ancient serpent pyramids stood in the distance, though none were as grand as the palace. Aqueducts and irrigation canals brought water from the Krass’Ebri River to the city. Even from this far away, he could hear the sound of his people cheering in the coliseum. The Pharaoh was proud to lead his great people. He could almost forget that they were once again under attack from the Rontak Empire. Almost.
A shrill bell rang out from within the palace. He was being called back inside. His advisors wouldn’t disturb him if it wasn’t important. Using the safety rails as a guide, he turned around and slithered back inside.
The throne room was inside the basilisk’s mouth. At the front of the throne room was a spiral ramp that led to the rest of the palace. Although uncommon, it was suitable for bipedal guests to use as well. The back of the throne room was a completely open balcony overlooking the city.
Black tiles with golden highlights adorned the sandstone architecture. Bronze braziers hung from chains attached to archways between pillars. Each pillar was decorated with a golden serpent, as if they were climbing to the top.
The Pharaoh’s throne was a large circular platform where he could coil himself up and grant audiences with his subjects. A large two headed sandstone serpent wrapped around the back of the Pharaoh’s platform. Each end had the upper body of a serpentfolk and held a stone halberd in a sentry position on either side of the Pharaoh.
There was a hole in the back of the platform to allow the Pharaoh easy access to the balcony. He slithered through the opening and curled around on this throne. As he took his position, he saw the Premier Overseer and Lord of Ministers before him.
The Premier Overseer was his highest ranking military officer. This would surely have something to do with the Rontak Empire’s invasion. The Lord of Ministers had a wide range of duties overseeing various lower ministers. From foreign affairs, to architectural development and magical resources. The Pharaoh raised his torso to about the height of a bipedal and signaled for his advisors to begin.
“O Great Pharaoh Ahmenirtis’Mhanu IV, Master of the People,” began the Premier Overseer, “I, your humble servant, bring forth good news from the front. Multiple reports are coming in of the Rontak Empire’s armies breaking camp and marching out of our lands.”
“This is welcome news, but it is most unexpected,” the Pharaoh replied. “Have they simply given up? That seems most unlike the Rontak Empire.”
“As unusual as it sounds, that is the situation as it appears now,” answered the Premier Overseer. “But a short while ago we received a report that might shed light on this unusual behavior.”
“Explain,” commanded the Pharaoh.
“At once, Your Eminence. Lord Commander Teos’Khat captured a Rontak soldier after retaking Khesu’Bhet. According to him, the Rontak army he was facing was sent to defend against a powerful new enemy in the northwest called the Americans.”
“Lord of Ministers, what do you make of this?” Asked the Pharaoh.
The Lord of Ministers said, “It could be an elaborate ploy, Mighty Pharaoh. But capturing Khesu’Bhet gave the Rontak Empire a major logistical base within our territory. I cannot discern the logic behind abandoning such an important strategic foothold for the sake of deception. I fail to see what they would gain from such an endeavor.”
The three of them discussed the ramifications and possible motives of the Rontak Empire’s actions. They eventually came to the conclusion that the captured soldier spoke the truth. Nothing less would cause the Rontak Empire to withdraw their armies after finally making headway in their invasion.
“If this ‘Kingdom of America’ is powerful enough to threaten the Rontak Empire, we need to start preparing to face them!” Exclaimed the Premier Overseer. “Great Pharaoh, I suggest that you enact Serpekht Mharkem.”
Serpekht Mharkem was the equivalent of martial law. All able bodied men, women and adolescents would be trained in formalized militia groups. Their entire society would shift its focus towards resisting foreign invasion. Most civil privileges and peace time luxuries would be suspended. Anything less than full devotion to the defense of the Serpentfolk would result in severe consequences. The last time Serpekht Mharkem was declared was when the Rontak Empire dammed the Krass’Ebri River.
“That's a bit premature,” said the Lord of Ministers. “We don’t even know who these Americans are, much less if they are a threat to us. Besides, they are in the far northwest of Kraffnia, near Rontak’s Reach. Even if they are a threat, it would take them many years to fight their way through the Rontak Empire and reach us.”
“They must be very powerful for the Rontak Empire to recall its armies from an offensive campaign. They would never do such a thing if the circumstances weren’t dire,” argued the Premier Overseer.
“I agree with the Lord of Ministers,” said the Pharaoh. “If they are a threat, they are not an immediate one. Not with several Rontak armies still in our territory.”
The Pharaoh thought about what this could mean. An enemy powerful enough to send the Rontak Empire into a panic? That did not bode well. Still, his people were no friends of the Rontak Empire either. Perhaps they could befriend the Americans and forge an alliance.
“We need to meet these Americans for ourselves,” he finally decided. “Enemies of the Rontak Empire will always find friends among the Serpentfolk. Lord of Ministers, put together a small expedition to the ‘Kingdom of America’. Find out who they are and where they hail from. Assess their military and determine what level of danger they pose to us.”
The Lord of Ministers bowed his head and said, “It shall be as you have laid out before me, Great Pharaoh.”
“In the meantime,” the Pharaoh shifted his attention back to the Premier Overseer, “repair our defenses and strengthen our fortifications. I want to be ready for the Rontak Empire to return. Let Khesu’Bhet never again fall into enemy hands!”
“I live to serve, O Mighty Pharoah. Your commands shall become reality.”
The Premier Overseer and the Lord of Ministers turned around and slithered out of the throne room, back down to the rest of the pyramid.
July 6th, 2053
Sandorian Desert, Upper Region, Khesu’Bhet
Teos’Khat was slithering through the city on his way to meet with the Bhrar. He received new commands from the Lord of Ministers. He was to lead an expedition to the northwest and make contact with the Rontak Empire’s mysterious new enemy: The Kingdom of America.
He had already chosen three companions for the trip: an archmage and two battle mages. But he also wanted to bring along someone who was more familiar with dealing with bipeds. The Bhrar said there was a local merchant willing to join him.
He came upon the House of the Bhrar. Important administration officials, merchants, mages, and other influential individuals came together here to oversee city business. He went under the sandstone archway that led to the main building’s courtyard. There were a few serpentfolk enjoying the afternoon sun lounging outside. After hiding inside their homes during the Rontak Empire’s occupation for a few days, it must have felt good to be back under the sun.
He entered the House of the Bhrar through the circular doorway and made his way up a curved ramp to the Bhrar’s office. He respectfully knocked before entering and was greeted by the Bhrar and presumably the merchant.
“Welcome, Lord Commander,” said the Bhrar. “This is Nik’Dhish. He’s a merchant who frequently trades with bipeds from outside the desert.”
“Oh yes, I’m quite familiar with humans and elves,” Nik’Dhish said. “I’ve even once done business with a minotaur! Fascinating creatures, bipeds.”
“Humans are many things, but I wouldn’t call them fascinating,” Teos’Khat said.
“Yes, they can be… difficult sometimes, humans especially. But trade them something valuable or shiny, and you’d be surprised at what you can get in return.”
“This isn’t a trade caravan,” Teos’Khat said. “We’re going to the Kingdom of America to carry out the will of the Pharaoh, not to sell them trinkets.”
“Yes, yes, the Bhrar has told me all about it. You need not worry. I assure you, I do business with the people outside the desert all the time; I know how they think. I would be very useful to you.”
“Why is a simple merchant like you so eager to join us anyway? It’ll be dangerous. We have to slither through the Rontak Empire just to reach them. We don’t even know where or how far away they are; just that they are somewhere near Rontak’s Reach.”
“That's what makes this so exciting! I’ll be the first merchant to make business contacts with them!”
Teos’Khat turned towards the Bhrar and gave him a look as if to say ‘this is the best you’ve got?’
The Bhrar must have understood because he said, “There aren’t exactly many lining up to join you. Nik’Dhish is considered somewhat of an expert on conducting business with outsiders. You should count yourself lucky he wishes to come along.”
Teos’Khat sighed and said, “Very well, Nik’Dhish. You may join us.”
He hoped that wouldn’t turn out to be a mistake. Merchants like Nik’Dhish were always more concerned with trade and compromise, even with outsiders, than they were with enacting the Pharaoh’s commands.
Teos’Khat led his newest companion back outside the city where his soldiers were still bringing supplies across the Krass’Ebri. They met up with the archmage and battle mages who would be traveling with them. All five of them loaded up on supplies and weapons for the journey, maps, mana crystals, weapons, provisions, and even a mana comm. Then, Teos’Khat left his lieutenant in command of his army until he returned.
When they were finally ready to go, the five of them slithered along the banks of the Krass’Ebri. They would follow the river through the Behmek Mountains and past the Mrehknet Jungle. From there, they would head northwest into the grassy plains of the Rontak Empire in search of the Kingdom of America.
Author’s Note: This chapter took a LOT of worldbuilding. I loved every minute of it. What do you think of the Serpentfolk? I was going for an ancient Egyptian vibe. Next chapter we’ll get back to the Americans and Princess Maribelle. Stay tuned!