“The real point is that they, the rumors, hardly help our reputation, those of us of the serpentine persuasion that is. People are always trying to vilify us. It’s patently unfair. If you don’t want the dragon to eat you, then don’t try to steal from his horde… is it really that difficult to understand? If you don’t bother us, we won’t bother you… that’s how it works.
“That’s the real reason I left. They’re so much more respectful in the East. And the farther East you go, the better the reception. They call me Mistress Nagi, and everyone is under the impression that I’m some sort of pillar of wisdom and knowledge… which works for me.”
“I imagine.” Calliope murmured when she paused for a response. She couldn’t think of much else to say since her mind was rapidly reassessing her impression of this creature. She was actually… sort of pleasant, and certainly charming. And she kept speaking to Calliope, explaining things to her as if she were part of the conversation and not, as Calliope had assumed, part of the furniture. She had been prepared for almost anything… or so she thought. The truth was she was prepared to be upset… not to be please, so now she was confused by the fact that nothing seemed to be painful or going horribly wrong. If that wasn’t the most absurd thing she could think of… she didn’t know what was.
“It’s lovely there. Dragon’s everywhere, so for once I fit right in. And so friendly! I met this lovely dragon, Jiaolong-he does these really amusing impressions, shape-shifter and all- who spotted me while I was sunning on a beach and once he found out I wasn’t a local insisted on showing me around. Any human’s we ran into were down right pleased to see us. Practically started throwing a party, wanting to give us gifts and ask for blessings. They’re really very charming people.
“You don’t get that here. I mean, everywhere you go it’s evil snake this, and evil snake that…. just look at the gorgons…” She paused with a smile, then rolled her eyes when they both just looked back, “oh come on, that was funny. Look at the gorgons….? ‘Look,’ get it? You know what, you two deserve each other. No sense of humor.”
“Oh!” Calliope sat up straighter, startled out of her spinning thoughts when the joke hit her. “I get it.” Calliope smiled as she-Nagi?-gave her a disgusted look.
“Too little too late my dear. But I appreciate the effort.” She took another sip of the wine then slid it onto the little table and rose from her position, her tail curling beneath her then unfurling behind as she left the couch. The glistening black scales were so close she could have simply stretched out her hand to touch them and the lamp light flickered on their smooth obsidian surfaces like winking stars. It was vaguely hypnotic. Calliope watched fascinated as the ‘Nagi’ slid around the couch and came to pause behind Thelios, her slender hands resting on his shoulders.
“So you’re not going to be talked into coming tonight?”
“Not for your life.”
She sighed. “Fine. Let me tell them you’re thinking of coming tomorrow, if I don’t they’ll just spend half the night asking me why I couldn’t convince you.”
Calliope noticed the slightly sneer which darkened his face. “I knew they sent you.”
“Don’t be an ass. I told you why I want you to come. If it had just been for them, I would have come, drank your wine, chatted about the weather, and left without once mentioning the blasted dinner. You know that.”
“Fine. Tell them what you want.”
She looked pleased. “Good. Calliope, would you walk me to my suit?” That must have surprised Thelios as much as it did her, because he turned back to look at the Nagi over his shoulder with a cocked brow. He didn’t object however, so Calliope felt there wasn’t much she could do but acquiesce and rose to her own feet with an obliging nod.
She cast a glance at Thelios as she turned to follow, but his expression was unreadable, if somewhat pensive.
There were a few moments of awkward silence. Awkward for Calliope at least, for whom the silence was filled by the soft, and unnerving hiss of scales against the smooth marble floor and the incessant pounding of her own anxious heart as she wondered what the creature could possibly want with her. They were already entering the walk around the garden when she glanced down at Calliope with a sly smile.
“You might want to breathe at some point. I’m sure my brother would be most unhappy with me if I had to have you carried back to him unconscious because you fainted for lack of air.”
She inhaled and suppressed a blush, while making a bowing nod and keeping her eyes in front of her.
“Of course, Lady Nagi.”
When the serpentine woman stopped abruptly beside her, it forced Calliope to peel her eyes from the marble tiling to see what was wrong. The Nagi was looking at her with a curious expression and a strange half grin. And just as suddenly as she stopped, she began to chuckle. “You know, I like that. Make sure you say it next time we’re in a public place together. I think I’d like it to get around. I’m tired of being referred to as “That Snake.” She smiled, her teeth looking startlingly white against her dark skin. Though the fangs, Calliope realized, didn’t seem to bother her that much. No doubt as she was used to Thelios’s… they were very similar now that she thought about it… the teeth were… but that seemed to be where their similarities ended… well, maybe their sense of humor…
She began to move again, and Calliope followed obediently. “You’re probably wondering why I asked you to accompany me.” She paused for an answer, so Calliope nodded.
“I admit, I am.”
“It’s nothing sinister. I merely wanted to appeal to you for assistance.” She arched an eyebrow as she gazed down on Calliope, “He’s very stubborn, so if there are at least two of us cracking away at him then we might actually convince him to see the light… or at least have him do it just to shut us up. Which is more likely, but equally acceptable.”
“Might I ask why you are so anxious for him to attend?”
She shrugged. “You were there when I told him. I want some one to have my back covered… someone to put between me and them if it becomes necessary. They tend to get ahead of themselves… and even though they should know better, they are laboring under the delusion that I have some sort of influence with my mother… as if anyone does. I have no ulterior motives.
“It’s purely selfish, I admit… but really what can a girl do? Well, there is the entertainment factor as well I suppose. He isn’t any fun in the traditional sense… but I get a sadistic sort of glee watching him glare them into submission.” She grinned at Calliope with a smile that was brimming with just the sort of glee she was talking about. Calliope’s own lip twitched in response.