16th day of Sunswell, 1368

[Quintessence] 8372/16000

As the rooster's first call announced the arrival of a new day, the earthy scent of tilled soil and the warmth of the nascent sun brought a subtle sense of contentment to Osgar, a humble farmer of Ebonheim, who rose with the dawn's first blush, as was his daily custom. The coolness of the morning hung like dew upon the land, kissed by the breath of spring, turning the fields of rye into a shimmering sea of gold.

He picked up his hoe, the old wood smooth under his worn hands, and set to work—beginning his habitual chores with an absentminded rhythm, the mundane monotony soothing him and helping him to lose himself in the simplicity of farmwork.

A chilling wind swept through the farmland, ruffling the verdant tapestry of crops and stirring him from his reverie. He blinked away the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, peering out at the edge of the woods bordering his farm. There, he caught the subtle shifting of the shadows, a flicker in the corner of his eyes. A gleam, as if two emerald pools, peered out from the woods, studying him as he worked.

Osgar frowned and leaned on the handle of his hoe. "Who's there?" he asked, his tone a mixture of annoyance and suspicion.

A slight rustle and a gentle hiss answered him as the figure emerged from the treeline.

For a moment, Osgar doubted the veracity of his own eyes. The terror, both beautiful and ghastly, bore the guise of a woman, her upper body muscular and noble, her face an alarming blend of womanly charm and serpentine horror.

A crown of living serpents hissed and writhed upon her head, their scales gleaming ominously in the morning sun. Where Osgar expected human legs, instead, there undulated the terrifying length of a monstrous serpent, its black scales glistening with a menacing allure. Her figure was both an ode to regal elegance and a testament to monstrous dread, sending a shiver down Osgar's spine, making his grip on his tool falter.

"W-Well met, uh...stranger," Osgar stammered, his voice barely a whisper in the wind, "wha...wha...what brings ye to these humble parts?"

The serpents on her head swirled as if chuckling at his fear. She spoke, her voice as cold as the mountain winds, "Where is Ebonheim? I seek to speak with her."

Osgar hesitated, a cold dread wrapping around his heart, his tongue tied into knots. "I... I ain't..." he stammered, before clearing his throat and trying again, "I don't rightly know who ye mean."

The serpent-woman narrowed her eyes at him, her posture stiffening with displeasure as she towered over him. "This is an important matter," she hissed, her forked tongue flickering against her lips. "You will take me to her."

Osgar swallowed the lump in his throat, and nodded, lowering his eyes as his shoulders slumped in defeat. But before another word could escape his lips, the rattling of armor and the hurried footfalls reached his ears. A squad of village guards, their faces etched with an alarmed urgency, emerged from the other farmhouse nearby, their weapons brandished.

"Halt!" commanded the captain, a burly man whose height stood head and shoulders above the rest, "Who goes there?"

For a moment, the serpent-woman's gaze turned towards the guards, her body coiling threateningly as the serpents on her head hissed in disapproval.

"Halt!" the captain repeated, his voice booming across the fields, "Stand down. Who are you?"

Osgar was about to speak, but the serpent-woman's voice stilled him. "I am Calyxia, lord of the southern forest of this valley, and I seek an audience with Ebonheim. I would advise you to stay out of my way, lest you want to taste my fangs."

A murmur stirred through the village guards, their collective gaze darting back and forth between the stranger and their captain.

The captain grimaced, his brow creasing as he stepped forward, his stance defensive as he rested a hand on the pommel of his weapon. "Osgar, come behind us," he ordered. "Take cover."

Osgar gulped and nodded. "O-Of course," he said with a fearful nod before backing away slowly.

Calyxia's serpentine eyes darted to Osgar and his retreating form, before turning back towards the guards. "You know well I can break your ranks with a single strike," she warned, a menacing smile creasing her lips as she bared her fangs. "A word of advice: Do not do anything foolish. Escort me to Ebonheim or bring her here."

A moment of silence passed as the guards' eyes shifted amongst themselves, their unease palpable in the air. One of the guards, his face young and features soft, spoke to his captain with a hesitant whisper.

"What are we to do, captain?" he asked. "She doesn't seem hostile, although her visage could probably kill a man with a glance."

"Speak for yourself, Liam" retorted another guard who casually leaned against his spear. "Are you blind or daft? Are you not seeing that alluring face and that ample bosom on her? What part of her do you find terrifying?"

Liam, the guard who had spoken first, turned towards him with an incredulous frown. "Floyd, are you insane? Do you not see those serpents atop her head? Do you think they're there for decoration? Stop thinking with your loin and look at what she is."

"She looks fine to me," Floyd replied, his eyes gleaming, his tone that of a young lad flirting with a girl. "Why don't we take her to the village, captain? We could show her around."

"Do you have a fetish for monsters?" Liam scoffed and shook his head in disapproval, as if dealing with an idiot.

"They don't call me the snake charmer for nothing," Floyd boasted, wiggling his eyebrows while puffing out his chest.

Another, older guard shook his head, his face lined with worry as he adjusted his grip on his spear. "Liam is right, Floyd," he said. "Don't let her beauty fool you. That is no mortal woman."

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Floyd scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Well, yes, I know she's not a mortal woman," he replied, his tone nonchalant. "It doesn't matter. I'll be her lucky charms."

"More like you'll be her dinner," Osgar muttered under his breath.

The captain facepalmed at the exchange, his eyes closed in annoyance. "Is this a comedy act, or can I continue?" he grumbled, his gaze directed towards Calyxia. "One, you do not intimidate us. Two, I'm not taking you to our goddess just because you are some lord of the forest or something. Three, Floyd is an idiot."

Calyxia's lips formed a slight frown. "Are you defying my orders?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous. "I will not repeat myself."

Captain Seigfried grimaced, but didn't back down, keeping his hand on the pommel of his sword as he narrowed his eyes. "That depends," he said, "What do you want with our goddess?"

Calyxia's serpentine coils slithered restlessly as she slithered back and forth in the grass. "I seek an audience," she said, her voice low and measured, "the matter is important and must not be delayed. It is about the Kungwans who reside south of your domain."

Seigfried's eyes widened at the mention of the name. "Kungwans?" he repeated. "You know something about them?"

Calyxia didn't reply to his question but continued with hers. "As I said, I need to speak with Ebonheim."

Seigfried's brows furrowed as he turned to his fellow guards, and to Osgar, who was still hiding behind them. "Osgar, head on out and fetch Ebonheim. We'll keep watch over her."

Osgar nodded and wasted no time as he hurriedly made his way to the village center.

Seigfried turned his attention back to Calyxia, regarding her carefully, his hand still on the hilt of his weapon. "You'll have to wait here until Ebonheim arrives. I'd rather not escort you through the village since your appearance might alarm the village folk."

Calyxia's serpentine eyes narrowed in annoyance, and her lips curled into a feral sneer. "Very well," she said, "but do not make me wait too long."

With a flick of her tail, Calyxia made her way to the edge of the fields, coiling herself around a tree, and made herself comfortable, resting her head against the trunk.

Seigfried sighed and relaxed his grip on his weapon, turning back to the guards. "Stand down," he said. "And Floyd, stop staring."

Floyd blushed and lowered his gaze, muttering something under his breath.

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Ebonheim arrived soon after Osgar's message reached her. To say that she was surprised was an understatement. It had been nearly seven months since she'd last seen Calyxia, and though Ebonheim had been meaning to visit her domain, she didn't expect to see Calyxia visiting her instead.

"Calyxia?" she asked as she approached the guards, her voice soft, her eyes wide with confusion.

Seigfried stepped forward and bowed low, his tone respectful. "Goddess, this visitor came to see you and seeks an audience."

Ebonheim turned towards Seigfried and smiled in acknowledgment, and then shifted her gaze to Calyxia who was coiled around a tree. "I didn't expect that you'd pay us a visit, Calyxia," she said. "What's the occasion?"

Calyxia rose up from her spot, her serpentine tail moving with practiced ease as she slithered towards Ebonheim. "Unfortunately, I did not intend to come for a leisure visit. There is something I need to discuss with you."

Ebonheim arched an eyebrow. "Oh, what about?" she asked, her voice hesitant. Could it be something to do with the next lordly gathering? Was it almost that time already?

Calyxia's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Ebonheim, her voice low as she spoke. "An urgent matter, Ebonheim," she said. "One that concerns both our lands."

That didn't sound anything but ominous. "Is everything alright?"

Calyxia merely shrugged, her gaze turning serious as she spoke in a low tone, "Follow me, and I shall tell you."

Without another word, Calyxia turned and headed towards the woods, not even waiting for Ebonheim to respond. Ebonheim glanced back towards the guards and bade them to return to their normal duties, and then followed after Calyxia.

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The glade was a whispering place. An air of quiet draped it, a patchwork shroud made of hushed tones of wind lacing through age-old trunks, the susurrus of ferns tousling in the undercurrents, and the scattered serenades of hidden forest life. Ebonheim, her countenance warmed by the morning light dappled through the foliage, sat upon a moss-covered stone, her golden gaze casting a curious glance upon the coiling form of Calyxia.

The Lord of the South, her ebony scales glistening with an oil-like sheen, occupied the silky sward of green that crowned the rise. She reclined, seemingly in comfort, her serpentine lower body undulating softly in what seemed a lazy display. However, beneath that languorous movement, lurked the undercurrent of muscle. A gracefully lethal force of strength, harnessed by an ancient spirit forged of pride and dignity.

Her slit-pupil eyes locked onto Ebonheim's. A moment's silence bloomed between them, only to be shattered by the raspy whisper of Calyxia's voice.

"Do you recall one of the plights I mentioned during our last encounter?" Calyxia asked.

"Um, you mentioned several," Ebonheim replied, her brows knitting into a slight frown as she tried to recall. "Which one did you have in mind?"

Calyxia flicked her tongue against her fangs, a gesture that Ebonheim had come to recognize as a sign of displeasure. "The Kungwan."

"Oh! Right, now I remember," Ebonheim exclaimed, her eyes widening with realization. "You said that they've been encroaching into your territory more often."

It had been a long while since Ebonheim and the village dealt with the Kungwans. The day of her 'birth' was also the day she encountered a couple of them—and she had almost been eaten by one before Hilda's timely rescue. But there had been no other encounters with them since then so she assumed they had left the valley.

Calyxia nodded and closed her eyes. "Correct. Since then, the Kungwans have grown more brazen, and have become more aggressive with each passing moon. They have made many incursions into my territory, disturbing the Seraphidae who reside there."

Seraphidae...Ebonheim had briefly asked about them during the gathering last year. They were a race of beastkin that were a blend of serpent and humanoid. "They have? That doesn't sound good."

"Indeed. Their incursions have gone from rare to common," Calyxia confirmed, her tongue flickering as she paused, as if contemplating her words. "Their raids are growing more and more frequent and their numbers, greater."

"A raid?" Ebonheim repeated. "Wait, what exactly happened?"

Calyxia closed her eyes, as if to gather her thoughts. "A few days ago, ten Kungwans breached my border and managed to invade the main Coil. They slew several Seraphidae and set aflame one of the outer clusters before escaping."

"Coil? What's that?" Ebonheim asked.

"A term they use for their settlements. Their homes are built on the ground and in the treetops. Their central den is known as the Coil. So when I refer to 'the Coil', it refers to their settlement," Calyxia explained.

Ebonheim nodded in understanding. "I see...I think. What happened after? Did you go after the raiders?"

Calyxia hissed, a gesture that sounded more like an exasperated sigh than a threatening one. "No. Although a team went after them, they were unsuccessful. The Kungwan got away."

"Why didn't you give chase? You could have stopped them from destroying more of your territory. Ten Kungwans isn't too big a group for you, I assume?"

"Unlike a deity like you, I do not have the omnipresence to watch over all of my domain, Ebonheim," Calyxia replied, her voice containing the barest hints of irritation. "While I have a considerable amount of power, my range of awareness does have a limit. Most of my time is spent in my den. And by the time I heard what was going on, the damage had already been done."

That made sense. "Okay, fair point," Ebonheim agreed with a nod. "What did the Seraphidae do, then?"

Calyxia shifted her weight, stretching her serpentine body as she moved. "The Eldress led her kin to rebuild the burnt cluster, while a team, led by my Battle Seer, fortified the borders and guarded against further incursions. The Seraphidae are resilient and resourceful, so rebuilding the damaged den should not pose a problem. My concern lies with the Kungwans. I have convened with the Eldress and her Oracles, and we have agreed that drastic measures have to be taken."

Ebonheim listened quietly, her hands clenched together tightly. "Drastic measures, what do you have in mind?"

Calyxia flicked her tongue once more. "War," she replied, her voice firm. "The Kungwan will no longer be tolerated within the Eldergrove. They are a menace, a threat to all the creatures living here. I wish to eradicate their kind."

She paused, her eyes searching Ebonheim's gaze. "I propose that we unite our forces and destroy the Kungwans together."

Calyxia extended a hand towards her. "Join me in this war, Ebonheim."