The Snake's Apprentice (Astral Rayne//Kosmik_Khaos)[NSFW]

[Kosmik_Khaos]

---

A nearly blinding flash of light heralded the appearance of a magical construct before each leader of the five nations on the continent's western half. The hollow sockets of the skulls appeared to fixate on the leaders' eyes before speaking in unison, "I am crossing the Spine today. There is something beyond that I desire, and I will come to claim it. Do not interfere, and I shall depart as soon as I possess what I seek." With the message delivered the constructs burst into another near blinding flash their purpose fulfilled.

Vamadeva Arakhu Nilcas Kashmardi smiled with a sense of satisfaction. He didn't need to announce himself to anyone, but he had always enjoyed riling up his neighbors. Lifting his arms high over his head he stretched with a loud groan before uncoiling and slithering off the rock he had been sunbathing on. The black and teal scales of his lower body glimmered in the later afternoon sunlight and barely made a sound as he moved across the dry grasses of the Effingstead Steppe towards Ruwei's Spine.

In spite of his massive size the naga moved at incredible speeds, his powerful 30' serpentine lower half undulating in a "S" pattern across the ground. The teal markings on his scales glowed lightly and his speed increased further. He was covering dozens of miles each second and it only took him a few minutes to leave the steppe behind him.

It took Vamadeva six hours to reach Farbreak where he was met by Illadeis Udafora and her legendary Black Guard. "Mistress of swords are you intending to interfere with me?" He asked the armed woman with now indication of him feeling threatened by her, or her show of power. "I am here to find out what you are after Deva." She replied coldly, her grip tightening around the swords she held. Vamadeva's mouth twitched at the shortening of his name and he sucked his teeth at her answer. A moment later the half dozen Black Guard were each being skewered by tens of finger thick spears that had erupted from the ground without incantation or gesture leaving only Illadeis spared.

"Who are you to question me little girl?" Vamadeva asked raising up to tower several feet above the woman. Glaring down at her with golden eyes he directed the full weight of his aura onto Illadeis causing the woman to drop her swords and fall to her knees. She was paralyzed by terror, the sheer magnitude of his power. Tears streamed down her face as she stared up at him, her body trembling so hard it looked like she was having convulsions. Several times she attempted to speak but could only manage soft gasping sounds. "Be useful and serve as a deterrent for the others." He sneered right as four blades of hardened air formed and were shot forward ending the rule of Illadeis Udafora.

Before they could hit the ground, the pieces of The Mistress of Swords were teleported away each going to one of the remaining rulers with a messaged attached. "Do not test me further."

Leaving the carnage behind Vamadeva cast out with one of his favorite spells. It pulled him towards the thing that best fit his current desire. With the use of his enhancement spells He made quick progress of sweeping Farbreak, but found nothing. Leaving the now leaderless nation to its only devices he crossed the sea to Winrock Haven. Much to his pleasure his warning was heeded this time and he met no resistance as he swept the island nation still finding nothing. He was met with the same the central nation of Orzon.

"Piss and fire." He swore knowing where it was he was going to search next. He hated Snowmaw, while most of the nation is covered by the Emergar Swamp the capitol and most of the cites are built in the far colder Frost Fields north of them. He knew he would have to go though. The further north he had traveled the stronger his pull in that direction was. "I hate the cold." He griped before racing off in that direction. The closer he got the more precise the magic grew, allowing him to adjust his direction to stay on point. It also grew colder, slowly at first, then quite suddenly. Spending what felt like a neglegant amount of power he formed a pocket of heated air around himself to stay warm. His spell was guiding him somewhere that was not the capitol, which he supposed could be considered a blessing.

Vamadeva dropped his enhancement spell when he caught sight of a small town a few miles distant. His unenhanced speed still had him arrive to the town in a matter of minutes. He arrived under a cloak of magic to prevent a full blown panic, and carefully wove his way though the small down, his magic guiding him closer and closer to his intended target.

 

[.Crimson.]

'Damnit, not again!' A lone figure was hard pressed to maneuver through the constant snow drifts that littered the outside of her hometown, much less due to the nature of just how rundown the shoes adorning both delicate feet were and provided little to no actual resistance from the bite and chill of the outside air. Serafina was by all accounts an outsider even among her community and long since deemed a nuisance by her family who had chosen to sacrifice her to the streets instead of deal with the blemish that her chaos brought to their doorstep time and time again. For roughly four years now, the ebony haired female had been left to her own devices without a soul to help her or even show a modicum of kindness at that. She was a risk to the people around her and depending on the aura in the air even to herself if not careful. Deep brown pools looked over the expanse of snow, able to spot the rabbit that was to be her dinner for the evening.

"Small, but at least it is actual food." Sera found herself mumbling quietly, noting that if anyone else were to see her right now there were plenty who would take her kill for sport to leave the young woman to starve. Most if not all of the food she managed to scavenge for herself was gotten with her makeshift bow and arrow set or by the knowledge of which berries, and such were poisonous to forage off of the bushes in the forest floor. Frame covered in a robe that looked quite thin at best, though even such a modest form of fabric was better than braving the cold with nothing at all. Serafina chose to not speak when in others company anymore, leaving most of the villagers to believe that the woman had become a mute due to her unexplained fluctuations of magic forming some kind of curse. She did not see fit to correct them on the matter, instead going along with it because it made it easier to walk past people on the street and not be expected to hold a civilized conversation.

Her body was forced to pull both knees up to her chest when she made it back to a shabby little camp that she had made to avoid the rest of the townsfolk, taking two of the rather dry pieces of wood and scraping them together to create an ember that was slowly but surely allowed to roar into a proud and vibrant flame. Hands gently rubbing together over the warmth to try and regain a bit more sensation in the frigid digits, wincing as the prickling pain that had become a familiar friend took place and ensured her that the fingers were still alive and well. Her lips almost saw fit to actively drool at the prospect of a freshly cooked meal, easily knowing it to be about three days since the last one.

Sera was just about to bring the first morsel to her lips when a sound came from nearby and it caused her body to become stock still, expecting it to be some of the village men keen on harassing her like they usually did but to her surprise it was a cloaked figure that gave off an aura but remained almost entirely hidden by the fabric. "W-who are you?" She attempted to act at least a little bit brave, even if the way her heartbeat was racing inside of the confines of her ribcage told of the fear that was threatening to take hold at a moment's notice. "Is it really so hard for people to leave me be..." She muttered with a bitter laugh at the end of it, years of psychological and emotional abuse having taken its toll and left the pale female quite bitter when it came to any sort of actual company.

"Are you here to take your shot at me as well? Go ahead, I am sure I have endured worse."

 

[Kosmik_Khaos]

The cloak he wore was an artifact of concealment that transformed the wearer into a new shape It even worked on his monstrous form, his thirty feet of snake-like body now a simple pair of legs. It was unsettling but wasn't the first time he had utilized such transformations in the past. It also gave off a slight aura that made people look away and forget the wearer was there. It wasn't perfect, but it did the job for him. It only took a few minutes of being pulled through the shitty little human settlement to come out on the other side, the spell pulling him towards a what looked like a ramshackle camp.

Trusting the magic he approached the camp, the wind bringing him the scent of fire, cooking meat and a woman. He approached slowly and was slightly surprised when she noticed him. Staring at her from beneath the hood he smiled. She felt him somehow even though he should have been hidden. "I am Vamadeva Arakhu Nilcas Kashmardi, and unfortunately I will not be leaving you be, and I can assure you that you have never encountered nor endured anything like me."

Figuring why not lean into theatrics he punctuated his statement by removing his cloak. The magic that was concealing his true form shimmered and an instant later his glistening black and teal scaled body appeared in a large circle around her. The spell he was holding to warm himself also covered her now. His bare tattooed torse was raised about 6' from the ground and he looked down on the slightly pathetic looking woman. "You are what I crossed the spine for." He commented more to himself than her. "Well now that I found you it's time to go. I can see you have nothing of worth to bring with you so there is no reason to dawdle."

Striking forwards Vamadeva snatched the woman up into his arms cradling her against his chest. In the same fluid movement, he whipped his body in a U and sped off back towards the town, his golden eyes gleaming with something dark and dangerous. "I don't know your story human, but it is easy to gather this place abused and neglected you, and they call my home uncivilized. He spoke the last word with hatred. As he raced though the town his monstrous form now on full display panic erupted.

Stopping abruptly in the middle of a street he lifted up a good fifteen feet off the ground and glared down like a wrathful god on the people below. "I'll keep them around for you to decide their faith when you have more power." With a massive swell of magical power Vamadeva spoke a single word in a serpentine language. There was a loud crack, like ice breaking but multiplied dozens of times and a bright flash. A moment later everyone in sight was encased in crystalline ice. "They are all alive and magically sustained until the magic is dispelled or I release them. When you are strong enough to return here you can choose to execute them or not."

Looking down at the human in his arms it donned on him he didn't know her name. "What should I call you human?" He asked cocking his head to the side, gold eyes boring into her dark brown ones.?

 

[.Crimson.]

There was a sincere part of her mind that was tempted to tell the creature in front of her to take himself back across the spine even without her in tow, a stubborn streak a mile wide that only caused more bruises and busted lips when aimed at the villagers. Serafina openly gaped at the manner in which the serpentine being all but scooped her up and cradled her in a manner that caused the insides of her stomach to flip. She was about to open her mouth to speak, only to be brought to silence again when the one who had called himself Vamadeva spoke in a tongue that was obviously foreign and the entire village and its occupants were left frozen in a crystalline stasis. Eyes were wide in a mixture of confusion and newfound curiosity, wishing to know just who this being was and why he held such a high regard for her when everyone else in her life up until now discarded her as an abomination.

"Oh, I am called Serafina." She was keen to stay in his good graces after the act he was able to perform, goosebumps littering across delicate skin as if tangible proof of the nerves bubbling just below the surface. Her nose wrinkled up a little in disgust, trying in vain to sound out his name inside of her mind and each time the last little bit caused her to stumble and ultimately fail. "Your name is quite long and exceedingly difficult for me to remember let alone pronounce without butchering it. Deva will work just fine for now." Serafina reasoned to herself with a newfound confidence exuding an aura around her. With one arm curled protectively against her chest and one leg left to dangle over the arms being used to keep her secured to his body, there was nothing to really complain about because the heat that now radiated off of Deva and encompassed the woman in turn was lulling her into a sense of security the likes of which were foreign.

She had so many questions buzzing around inside of her skull, but no real way to ask them without fear of upsetting her newfound protector, provider? Hell, there was not even a proper title to refer to the snakelike creature as and that lead to only more frustration. "You have yet to explain just what it is you want from me - not that taking me away from there is an unwelcome turn of events, but it just makes me even more confused." Brunette locks were streaked through in what one could only assume was dirt and caked in mud from braving the harsh elements for so long, a bath was not exactly a luxury that an outcast such as herself could afford. Serafina found herself reaching up with a delicate hand to run across the side of his face, reveling in the numerous tattoos and lines that littered his skin, but instead of fear there was only reverence there.

"Why are people so afraid of you? If anything, you almost hold an ethereal glow to you." She remarked with a smile on her face, it became clear that the young woman did not hold much in terms of fear for him but rather a respect that one would reserve only for godlike figures and beings of nobility. "Especially your eyes, captivating in a way." She murmured softly before forcing their gazes to break apart, her other hand reaching up to gingerly rub at the bridge of her forehead to ease the mild headache starting to form there. "Whoa, that was odd..."

 

[Kosmik_Khaos]

"Serafina." He spoke her name carefully, as though he was feeling how it felt rolling off his tongue. After a moment he decided he liked it. "A good name." He commented. "I suppose Deva will work, though only people how hold enmity towards me have ever called me that." He remarked taking note himself of that little fact. Everyone that had dared to shorten his name to his face were people that held no love for him. Not that it bothered the Lamia in the least what human's thought of him. "Oh that, that is a bit more complicated while being very simple. I have a spell; it locates the thing that best fits what I am searching for when I cast it. I was looking for an apprentice when I cast it, and it brought me to you." He had overly simplified what he had done to a near criminal level, but it was enough of an explanation for the time being.

He took in her appearance and general state of being. She was cool to the touch in his magically heated embrace, the fire she had built being a poor deterrent to the bitter cold. Before he had thought she looked only slightly pathetic, but up close he could tell she was in a rather wretched state of being. She felt thin under her threadbare clothes, and he could see the dirt and grim that covered her skin. He decided that he would have to get her new clothing and a bath.

Not feeling threatened by her in the least he allowed her to reach out and touch his face. There was nothing she could do currently that could come close to harming him. He recognized the look in her brown eyes, and it caused the corners of his mouth to rise slightly. There was no fear there and that pleased the ancient monster greatly. His smile only grew as she questioned him, and his stare became more intense. His eyes held old truths that were hard earned, and there was almost nothing human about them. From the yellow sclera, and golden irises to the pupils that looked more like bronze starbursts than the normal black circle of a human. They were the eyes of a monster that had lived a long, long time and they carried that weight in their stare.

"They fear what is more powerful than themselves. I've lived longer than all of the rulers put together and doubled. I know magics that are forgotten to this side of the Spine. Individually none of my 'peers' can kill me on their own, it would take at least three of the four left to be even a partial threat." Deva began to list reasons why he was feared. "I've ended the life of six, wait no seven of the strongest mages produced this side of the Spine. I am of an intelligent monster species; I have magic native to my kind they could never have access to. The list goes on, but they fear me because they have good reason to."

Shifting his gaze from her eyes to the tip of her nose he gave her an apologetic smile. "Apologies, the gaze of my kind can have an... effect on people." He offered his apologies with a vague explanation. "Well, I hate it here so were leaving now. The cold makes me tired, and I don't want to keep burning mana to stay warm so were leaving." With the decision made Deva dropped down and shot though the streets deftly avoiding the frozen inhabitants as he whisked his new apprentice away from her old life.

"We will be making a stop in Zaranca, there are springs there where I can remove some of this filth from you. When we get back across the Spine I have a contact who owes me a favor. I will have her fashion you new clothes. I cannot have my apprentice going around looking like a homeless wretch." Racing eastward he gave her a brief explanation of what his plans were. Several silent castings later Vamadeva had himself enhanced once again and this time a windshield in front of him to protect Serafina from being battered by the wind.

"Tell me Serafina, why was it you were outcast in such a way?" Having a few hours to kill he wanted to get to know the woman who was now his apprentice.

 

[.Crimson.]

"My reason for shortening your name is just because I fear I might butcher it if I try to pronounce the full version." Sera managed to mutter out in kind, not in the least wishing to offend the ancient creature who had shown her nothing but gracious behavior, it was likely the cause for her attempt at salvaging a proper greeting. He deserved that as a bare minimum, but her eyes dropped down toward the ground at the mention of his gaze having an effect on humans like herself. Serafina though it was a shame to be honest, since Deva had eyes that were captivating and all but screamed to get lost inside of them. She frowned gently at the mention of the state of both the rags adorning her frame and the dirt that had long since splotched in spots across what was usually delicate and pale skin, not that the female really had a choice when it came to working with her hands and not having a proper roof over her head for some time now.

"A proper bath?" She perked up visibly at the promise of a nice soak, one that did not involve the possibility of frostbite due to hypothermia because of the inherent chill in the waters around her home. Bathing was not high on the light of priorities when the temperature lingering in the air was cool enough to make each heated breath become visible in a puff of white wisped smoke. Sera attempted to adjust herself a bit more, not really keen on being too close to his chest if it was possible to avoid simply because the feel of bare skin on her own left behind a tingling sensation that the brunette refused to acknowledge out loud. 'Probably a reaction that can be caused by his inherent magical prowess, I was told before that I produced a similar reaction.'

Cheeks took on an embarrassed dusting of blush at the mention of her exile and the reasoning behind it, could she really mention the details behind such shame? Throat clenched down in a slow swallowing motion, trying to muster up the courage to tell Deva more about it in proper detail. "Because I have been viewed as a kind of curse to the people of my village. It started when I turned around five, I ended up becoming so upset that I had set the shed on fire, and no one could come up with a cause for it in the dead of winter." Serafina cautiously put both of her hands together, wringing them in a manner that spoke of obvious nerves and a dislike for the topic in general.

"Things would always go wrong when I was around, animals becoming sick and or dying off due to an unknown cause even when no illness was ever discovered. Everything that I touch tends to be destroyed, and there is no real way for me to control when or where the instances happen. It feels like a rapid burning sensation that encompasses my chest; it actually can be quite painful if it's allowed to build up. Normally I would use self-isolation as a means to calm myself down because the bizarre calamities always tend to happen when I am upset or angered."

It was clear from the female attempt to describe it that the woman held no real clue what was going on in her life or the root cause. If she did, there would have been a much different encounter with the men and women that saw fit to bully her on a daily basis. Sera scoffed lightly at even the thought of them, unsure if Deva had heard her little outburst or not. "Sorry, I was merely thinking about the people who used to torment me on a regular basis, I found it kind of amusing to see them all as ice sculptures." She had to bite back laughter at the notion that their lives were now in her hands, if the creatures' words were anything to go by. "Even if I am what you are supposedly looking for, how can you be so sure I will not disappoint?"

 

[Kosmik_Khaos]

"Think nothing of it Serafina, just a casual observation. There was no insult taken." He said dismissively. It really didn't bother him at all, it was just curious how all the humanoids chose to shorten his name in that manner when they did decide to shorten it. Feeling her shifting about in his arms Vamadeva adjusted his grip on her, his arms shifting slightly so he could cradle her more tightly against his torso. "Don't shift about too much. If you were to fall from my arms right now you wouldn't survive the hit with the ground." He warned her, reminding her of the magically enhanced speeds they were traveling at. They were already out of the snow fields and entering the Emergar Swamps. The terrain was a blur around whipping past them, but it felt more like they were moving at a casual stroll.

Golden eyes studied her face, and the monster made a discovery and decision. This human's face was fantastic for blushing, and he was going to see it more. He could sense the unease of the subject and his frivolous thoughts were set aside to do what they would. He instead listened to her story and considered. His expression fell into one of deep contemplation as her story unfolded and he was silent until she questioned him.

"What you describe sounds like a very, very old form of magic. One that was more or less snuffed out for the potential of damage it could cause. It's been 'dead' for so long to most mortals that it's all but forgotten, I will have to see it for myself to conclude anything, but that will wait until we are back on the right side of the Spine." Deva lowed his head just a bit so he could better look at her face, his ancient eyes roaming freely over her features before settling on her lips. "I see it as a fitting punishment, don't you?" He questioned before adding. "They were cold to you and treated you with icy indifference if not downright hostility, I feel the punishment fits the crime."

Breaking his stare from her lips to settle onto her eyes he held them there for a very intense moment. "You are who I am looking for." He said confidently, while correcting her. She was a person not a thing. "And you will disappoint me. You will fail. A lot. There will be things that you just cannot do. That is how life works. Live long enough and disappointment just becomes opportunity. What if you can't cook worth a damn, that would be a disappointment but that doesn't mean I will discard you. I will either teach you to cook, or if your aptitude for it is nonexistent we will know to avoid that and then focus our attention and efforts elsewhere. My spell led me to the person best fit to be my apprentice, I trust my magic with my very long life." He continued to hold her gaze, seemingly heedless of the world ripping past them. He poured his intent into his stare, letting it become a near physical thing. He left her feel the potential his magic had found, how he was going to nurture her into a person of tremendous power. How his mind was set and the universe would have to bend to his will to fit his plans.

Vamadeva slowly blinked, breaking the eye contact. When his eyes opened again they were back on her lips. "You have beautiful eyes Serafina. I look forward to the day we can hold gazes for longer than a few breaths." His words somehow felt like a promise of her growth as well as a compliment. Looking from her face back to the world in front of him he glanced around for a handful of seconds to see where they were. "We should be arriving in Zaranca in a few minutes. There are natural springs in the Eleron Buttes where you will be able to bathe." The land was starting to dry out and become hilly as they drew closer.

True to his word they arrived a short time later. He slowed considerably as he entered the Butte, having to climb the rocks took a little more effort than racing through the wetlands. "Have you ever been this far east?" He asked before raising himself up on his tail once again to give them a nice vantage. Just ahead were a pair of steaming pools. "There we go." He said after spotting the springs. Before he lowered himself though he took a few moments to enjoy the view and allow Serafina to as well. "There are some pretty decent looking places on this side. Places the civilized people have tried to tame yet."

Lowering them both back down he made quick work of getting them the springs. Setting Serafina down onto the warm stones he let out a content sigh. "I love places like this." He said in what could be considered a wistful tone. Leaving his waist wrap on Deva slid into the left pool, his long tail coiling at the bottom. "You can use the other to bathe." With a lazy gesture he spun his finger in a circle and what looked like a window into another place opened up in the air above his hand. Reaching inside he started to pull out all the things necessary for a proper bath. Soaps, sponges, brushes. Each item was casually laid on the small stone divider between the pools. "Once you are done bathing you can hop into this one to just soak. The flow moves from this pool to that, so you don't have to worry about soaking in dirty bath water."

 

[.Crimson.]

Serafina struggled to maintain a calm composure when faced once again with those same eyes that made the female question so many things all at once, as if the now faded and the only thing that mattered in the world was the promise that reflected in amber pools. Though the mention of them being close to the steam pools caused her ears and demeanor to visibly perk, simply shaking her head to the negative at the question of if the female had ever been this far east in her lifetime. An easy question to answer, to be fair, since trekking the entire way here through the vast snow drifts of her former homeland would have weeded out the weak and those that managed to pass that test would be unceremoniously dumped into the vast stretch of swamp and desert. "No, even if I would have been able to make the journey out of the outer lying lands of Snowmaw, it is a good chance I might die of dehydration before reaching this far."

At first, the brunette held a plethora of questions about just how she was meant to undress to bathe when Vama being so close and able to see everything. Serafina never had another pair of eyes on her naked frame, and the idea of it was making legs shake due to the buildup of nerves. Fingers were stumbling through the act of undoing what little bit of fabric still covered her body, even then the wrap was littered with multiple holes and tears from the wilderness. Straight locks were weighed down by the dirt and grime that clung to each single strand, grimacing as even touching it felt disgusting to her. By the time her body was put onto full display, it was obvious that her frame was skinnier than what was considered to be healthy. Her ribs were sticking out to a degree, but thankfully the visibility was minimal at best since her hunting and trapping skills were good enough to keep some weight on.

On occasion, brown optics would flit toward Vama as if ensuring that the snake was not looking as toes and eventually an entire foot dipped into the steaming waters. Eyes shutting instantaneously from the sensation of the warmth and the way it played across each and every muscle like a practiced symphony, consequently lowering down until only the top of her breasts would be visible from above the water and swooning at the frosted ache as it ebbed and faded away. Serafina picked up one of the sponges and coated it in a mixture of warm water and the soap, noting the hint of herbal scent that wafted into the air. It was rather nice, actually.

Her hands and fingernails scrubbing along the scalp to try and get rid of as much of the dirt and grime that existed, making audible sounds of disgust as she casually dipped down into the waters and was surprised to see the dark and murky nature of the water that appeared when she smoothed her hair back down afterward. No wonder her hair was so difficult to tame if there was so much debris lingering in it, not to mention the oils that were useful in keeping the top of her head from becoming soaked and leaking precious heat but little else. "Disgusting, to think my hair had gotten so bad..."

As the sponge ran across slim waist and hips to produce suds, it almost caused her to actively laugh due to the ticklish nature. By now, the notion that he would possibly peak was pushed to the back and allowed the woman to stand up with her back facing him and leisurely lave over both arms and shoulders before moving down in a practiced manner. It took roughly fifteen minutes for the bath portion of her cleaning to be done, and honestly with the way her body became a little sensitive to the warm waters now much of the previously dead skin had successfully been washed away.

Serafina was mindful to cross an arm over both breasts and using one of the towels to bar her lower half from view before crossing over the divide, only allowing it to be removed and flopped onto the stone when her hips descended below the steamy water. Her mind wandered back to his words from earlier, about the potential that she held on the inside and that it would only take time and proper training to see it come to fruition. "You hold a lot of faith in your magic and by extent, it leading you to me. I will do my best to make sure that it is not misplaced."