Mewl is in awe at the sight before her.
The pythoniade village is a sprawl of squat rock buildings, built into the walls of the mountain itself, as well as many, many more paths like the one she just came out of going further into the mountain. The entire thing is illuminated by glowing moss and plants, and it must have been at least twice as big as the village she came from, not counting any other rooms that might be hidden behind those winding pathways. From her vantage point, Mewl sees lots of public areas as well, where small forms she assumed were other pythoniades moved and enjoyed the green areas.
It is beautiful.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Ss’Vesh asks, slithering to Mewl’s side, “though I suggest we get a move on, we need to introduce you to the hyrka and stuff.” She says, and starts slithering down the path towards the village proper. Mewl follows, more weary of the path now that she is in unfamiliar terrain. Once they reach the village proper they are greeted by a clearly aged pythoniade, her scaler gray and molting, golden paint adorning her body in spiral patterns, her posture bent. Yet her yellow eyes are attentive and energetic, and Mewl gets the feeling that nothing escapes her gaze. Flaking her on either side are two very muscular pythoniades, each adorned in red, straight lines of paint on their front, while wearing heavy looking armor that covers their sides and back, and, most surprisingly to Mewl, both of them carry guns.
“Ss’Vesh, how was the mission? I see you have acquired an extra.” The elderly pythoniade states in fluent common.
“Hyrka, we encountered humans on our forest border, like the reports stated. However, they had a bound pantherus with them, and I made the decision to attack them and free our fellow otherkin. Upon our victory I learned that Melaine here couldn’t return to her village after the situation, and I offered to take her with us. I take full responsibility for my actions, and will accept any punishment you see fit with the grace of my station.” Ss’Vesh responds, her posture unnaturally straight and her eyes looking straight ahead at nothing in particular, the only tell about her growing anxiety being her rattle going off occasionally, despite her efforts to still it. The hyrka hisses to herself, then goes on a barrage of pytherian, and Ss’Vesh responds in kind, her posture gradually relaxing as they go on.
Soon the aging pythoniade and her guard leaves, leaving Mewl alone with Ss’Vesh and the rest of her squad. “So I got bad news and good news,” Ss’Vesh says in common once again, “good news is Sv’Irey approved of you being in the village, so you have a place to stay for now Melaine.” She then pauses, as if to brace herself to Mewl’s reaction to the bad news. “And the bad news is that you have to stick with us. The hyrka has decided that we are to integrate you into our squad, and that until we do so we are to be considered in passive duty.” Looking around, Mewl notices the various faces of discontent on the other members of the squad. “Why is that a bad thing?” She asks.
“Well, passive duty means that we bunk together in the barracks instead of our own individual rooms, and that we aren’t allowed to leave the village unless on a mission. We are basically benched until Sv’Irey decides that you have integrated, whatever that may look like.” Ss’Vesh responds, rattling loudly.
“Oh.”
“Oh indeed.” Hissing to herself, Ss’Vesh starts slithering towards deeper in the village. “C’mon, let me show you where we will be staying in the foreseeable future.” Ss’Vesh says, leading the way for the rest of the group. As they walk through the streets, milling passersby stop to gawk at Mewl, who visibly shrinks in on herself and slouches at the unfamiliar attention, her hackles raised. In response, the team forms up around her, with the twins on each side of her, Ss’Vesh in front and Sj’Orus bringing up the rear, St’Eris being hidden somewhere. They all raise their torsos, slowing down their slithering significantly but also being a much more effective curtain against the gawkers.
They soon arrive at the barracks, a giant compound on the edge of the village, made out of the same yellow-ish white stone that the rest of the buildings seem to be made out of and upon entering Mewl is surprised at how warm it is inside. The walls and floor are carpeted, with batches of that glowing lichen they seemed to use for illumination bathing the corridors in their soft white light. Sj’Orus splits off from them, and Ss’Vesh guides Mewl through empty corridors until they arrive into another set wooden doors, which Ss’Vesh slides open to reveal a big open room with a door facing them, and several training dummies as well as wardrobes scattered around the room. “Welcome to your new home Melaine,” Ss’Vesh says, her rattling betraying her anxiety, “Behind that door is the restroom, and we usually eat in the meal halls as a team.”
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Mewl looks around again, and asks “where do we sleep?”
“On the floor usually.” Ss’Vesh says, slithering to middle of the room and curling up on herself, as if to “The carpets are soft enough to rest easy on, and we need to sleep together to prevent heat loss anyway.”
“I see…” Mewl says, her tone hesitant as she moves further into the room “what about showers? I would also need some oils and brushes for my fur.”
“Showers are in the restroom, but we usually don’t have that many on a day to day basis, scales are harder to get dirty.” Ss’Vesh says, raising herself so that she could face Mewl properly. “As for the oils and brushes thing we could head out to either buy some if you find something that is to your tastes or commission it from our artisans.”
“Could we go do that now? I really need that shower.” Mewl says.
“Are you sure? We could rest up for the day and then go early tomorrow.” Ss’Vesh says, “after all you weren’t exactly comfortable on the trip here.”
Mewl stiffens up at this, her fur raising slightly. “I will be fine, a shower would help me relax immensely.”
“Ok, we will go now then, let’s just wait till Sj’Orus comes back, he has our available money.” Just as she says that, the big pythoniade slithers into the room, and after a short exchange of words, Mewl and Ss’Vesh head out to procure the products.
Shortly after they leave the compound, St’Eris seemingly materializes next to Mewl, making the pantherus jump up in surprise, which in turn scares a poor pythoniade that was just slithering down the street. Ss’Vesh then has to spend the next few minutes calming the passerby, while St’Eris hisses hysterically, doubling themselves over at Mewl’s reaction. Eventually Ss’Vesh manages to talk the pythoniade down, and soon after they’re moving again.
“Why do they do that all the time? That whole appearing out of nowhere thing.” Mewl asks. Ss’Vesh exhales softly, before saying, “it’s mostly fun for them, I think. Though they follow me around specifically because they think I need the extra protection.”
St’Eris says something in pytherian, and Ss’Vesh starts talking back at them. Mewl focuses on the streets around them, on how smooth everything feels to her. The worked stone is so different to the way her own village is built into the canopy of the trees. Even the air feels different here, like it was less alive somehow. “So,” Ss’Vesh suddenly says in common, taking Mewl out of her musings. “St’Eris wanted me to tell you that they’re coming with us because of their oath to me, but that I’m also not allowed to tell you what that oath is yet because they don’t trust you.”
“I see,” Mewl says, her tail swishing in irritation. “How would I go about earning their trust?” Ss’Vesh rattles a bit, before answering, “just don’t attack us I think. Eventually they are going to come around. I hope.” Mewl just nods in response, and the rest of their trip is devoid of conversation, as the sounds of the village slowly morph towards the thumps and clacks of the crafter district.
“The woodworkers are set up at the edge, so luckily we won’t have to travel much more.” Ss’Vesh says, gesturing towards the first wooden building Mew has seen in the entire village. “There they are actually.”
Upon entering the big building, Mewl sees a small room with a counter, behind which sits a bored looking pythionade, their front covered in a very beat up apron. However, upon seeing Mewl, the pythionade perks up and says in a remarkably fluent common, “How can I help ya?”
“I’m looking for wood carving tools, as well as a hair brush if you have any? If not I could make one myself.” Mewl says, moving closer to the counter. Ss’Vesh sways in place, rattling a bit. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help you negotiate?” She asks.
“No, I’m fine Violet.” Mewl says, “just give me the money and I’ll deal with this.”
“... are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll meet you two back at the base okay?”
“But—” St’Eris steps in, placing one of their hands on Ss’Vesh’s arm, and the big pythionade visibly deflates, throwing the coin pouch at Mewl.
“Right, so where was I?” Mewl says, turning around to face the shopkeep.
After haggling for her products, Mewl happily hums to herself, as she holds the packet with her new wood crafting materials close to her chest, opening the door to the room she is sharing with the rest of Ss’Vesh’s squad and immediately having to duck and roll forward as a glob of venom sails over her head, hitting the wall behind her.
After getting up, she takes stock of the situation. The team seem to be doing a mock combat, and she happened to be in the crossfire as Sj’Orus spit venom, trying to hit St’Eris, who is currently engaging with him. The tall pythionade at least has the decency to look sheepish.
“I’m going to go take a shower.” Mewl says, quickly walking across the room into the bathroom, and closing the door loudly behind her.
Behind her the room erupts in the voices of the squad, as they all seem to berate Sj’Orus on his use of poison.
Despite herself, Mewl smiles. This place is feeling like home already.