Felarya: Part 3: 'Yet I See'

Lapis Lazuli. To many men, it was merely another pretty stone - something to be chipped, smoothed and later sold to fanciful women who wished to dress themselves up. To a select few however, its true value was known full-well.

To the Merchants and Druids, Lapis Lazuli was recognized for its potential to work chemical wonders - not least its highly effective use as an aphrodisiac. Sold to the right buyer, it had the potential to make someone very rich indeed...

Unfortunately, locations from which the substance could be mined were few and far between - and almost no-one knew where they were. One group did exist which frequently capitalized on the excavation and distribution of Lapis-Lazuli, though this practice was certainly the least noticable of its exploits.

They alone dominated the industry, for they had access to something no other organization did: a living source. Though blind in both eyes, Zoe the Naga was one of the most well-protected creatures her side of the Jewel River. Genetically similar to Diamond Nagas, Zoe was a rarity in that her flesh could, on a whim, transform to become living Lapis-Lazuli.

It was fortunate for the men who surrounded her that her taste was not for regular humans and creatures... but for something more magical. Beyond the Cult that worshipped the very ground she slithered upon, only one man was privy to her history.

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The boots made barely a sound as they crossed the ground towards the cave mouth. Making no attempt to conceal himself, the tall man scanned the boulders at the base of the mountain, knowing full well he was being watched.

Upon reaching the shadow of the vast opening, he halted. His hands hung limp by his side as he waited to be approached.

With barely a rustle, they appeared. Black robes, red trimmings, pale hands...

They formed a circle around the man, inspecting him closely.

"Are you here to Buy or Sell..."

"Buy - as always... how's the supply?"

"Good - as always... follow."

As one, the Cultists backed off, leaving just one to turn and walk into the cave, followed closely by their customer.

"How is business... I trust your customers continue to prove beneficial to you?" The Cultist queried, his voice cracked and wheezing as though he had a pebble in his throat. It was pretty clear that days spent underground wasn't doing any wonders for his lungs.

"Well you know as well as I do... a customer who isn't beneficial doesn't remain a customer for long." The man responded in a friendly enough tone - though beneath his buisness facade, he was secretly gripped with dread. He hated it in here...

There was no doubt in his mind that his trips here were hugely useful to him - but he was also certain that if there were anywhere else he could go, he would go there.

"There seem to be quite a lot of your colleagues absent. On an excursion are they?"

"No... no... the Patriarch has them off working on one of his projects." A modicum of disdain had entered the Cultists voice.

"I take it you're not a fan then?"

The Cultists paused in his tracks and considered the question.

"I would of course never say anything in defiance of our... impassioned leader. But I feel he is perhaps... misguided." He continued to walk, his voice considerably quieter now. "The men who follow him blindly seem to have taken far too literally to our beliefs and our ideals... and through this they have bent our rules quite a long way..."

"Is that your opinion, or hers as well?" The tall-man inquired, gesturing to the large door-way ahead.

"Divine Zoe has not yet expressed opinion on his workings. Whenever he consults with her, he flatters her with extravagant worship, offering many gifts... She likes Gifts."

"So... you think he buys her approval?"

"The true believers, the ones who whole-heartedly give themselves to Zoe, are the ones who reside here. We are the ones who follow her word... We are the ones who work night and day for her gifts... But he claims them by appealing to her sweet tooth."

"Yeah, so I've guessed... Why does she love eating Fairies so much? They're very rare around this part of the jungle - it seems a very inconveniant thing to hunger for."

"Why don't you ask her yourself while we fetch you your stock..."

The towering stone doorway ground open, allowing the two men passage into the chamber within.

Immediately, he was struck with a wave of rumbling sound. The chant pulsed throughout the chamber, reverberating off the walls and flooding the tall-man's brain.

With a swift motion, he plucked a spray bottle off his belt and squirted some of the revolting concoction onto his nose, inhaling it deeply. It was an absolutely abhorrent smell - but it kept his wits about him.

He could remember distinctly the first time he had clapped eyes on Zoe...

The torrent of compliments and worshipful phrases that had spilled from his mouth had probably allowed him to get on her good side - but the fact that he had actually been honest when he said them was what worried him.

She was, truthfully, a breathtaking specimen to behold - but that wasn't the only reason for her power. The Lapis Lazuli, in small amounts, was a strong enough substance to enchant a young lady for the evening... But Zoe's entire lower half was born of the substance, having absorbed it during her growth, it now had a very profound affect on those around her.

The sheer seductive power that radiated from her had already reduced the entire mining colony into a fanatical Cult since they had settled in there - and the tall-man wasn't going to take any chances around her.

"Well... if it isn't my favorite little Sweet-Talker." The rosey voice wafted through the chamber, bringing a halt to the chanting as they fell reverently silent, basking in the sound of her speech.

"Miss." He bowed low, doffing his hat and clearing his throat. Even with the potion filling his nostrils, he still felt the allure clawing at his senses. Her bright blue hair contrasted beautifully with the crimson colour of the blind-fold covering her eyes, and her skin glowed in the light of the gem-stones lining the walls.

"Here to take some more of my Tail are you?" A slight smirk crossed her face as she leaned back, her body twisting around, the tip of her tail snaking past him.

"As always Miss, no trip to this place is complete without taking a piece of you to remember you by."

"Well aren't you just a little honey-dripper... I heard you had a question for me?"

The tall-man felt surprised - though he did his best not to show it.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did... If you're willing to tell me."

"Probably... what's the question sugar?"

"Begging your pardon, but I was just curious as to why you only seem to want to eat Fairies, when there's plenty of other food sources around here?"

"What? Like those little men at the top of Frost Peak? Or the weak little bands of explorers who creep around here looking to make a little cash by finding some ancient pot? No thank you... I like to enjoy my meals. There's nothing enjoyable about gobbling up something that never had a chance to fight back."

"Meaning no disrespect, but I don't quite understand how devouring a Fairy with its hands tied is giving it a chance to fight back..."

"Hmm..." Zoe went silent for a few seconds, sinking down onto her back and coiling her tail around the tall-man, plucking him up off the ground and depositing him lazily on the flesh of her stomach. He felt distinctly nervous, and one of his hands drifted over the grapple-gun on his waist...

"I've never told you about how I got... this," she brushed an elegant hand over her blind-fold, "Have I?"

"I'm sorry to say, no you haven't."

"I shant keep you here all day with the long version, so I shall try and make this as brief as I can.

You see, Magic is a powerful force - and for those who do not have the power to wield it, a very scary one... Sure, if you're a human with magical friends, you probably feel more secure. But when you're like myself, a so called 'predator' who has to eat to survive like any other creature, you tend to fend for yourself.

Most 'Predators' are a territorial lot... so once you've found a hunting spot to yourself, you generally tended to keep it unless food was really really scarce." Zoe sighed, a nostalgic smile crossing her face.

"There was this really great spot I found once... Just across the river from Miragia forest... From what I gathered, some portal had opened up in a human rest-room, and everyone who went in there wound up with me... Those were good days."

She chuckled in remembrance - causing her little passenger to throw his arms out to remain balanced.

"But, as always, all good things must come to an end... and the portal eventually dried up - and I had to seek my meals elsewhere. That's when it all began..." Her face darkened.

"I had been hunting near a supply road for quite some time - and because I was quite a bit younger and smaller, the local village took it into their heads that they should hunt me down... Normally, a few thugs with swords wouldn't bother me all that much - but these were different. These were mages, wizards... not just your average wizard either, but good ones. Ones that actually knew what they were doing.

I was terrified... so I abandoned my hunting grounds and went in search of new ones - but wherever I went, they followed me. I couldn't get a decent meal in, because every time I started to settle in for a catch, they would appear... For the first time in my life - starvation seemed like a very real threat. I was weakened by hunger, and each day my progress became slower...

Then, on my last day of running, one of their scouts caught me by surprise. I was curled up under a fallen tree, trying to sleep - despite the empty stomach - when he showed up. He appeared in front of me in a crack of flames, and before I had a chance to react, he attacked... The last thing I ever saw, the last image I have to remember in my mind... was the grimace on his face - and my vision filling with fire."

She paused, breathing deeply, a frown on her face.

"He stole my sight from me... I had already been afraid - but with that... I just felt doomed. The only good thing that came from that encounter was... well, eating that Scout gave me just enough strength to flee back here - to my home... it was still slow going - but I made it in the end. I grew up in these caves - it seemed fitting to me that I should die here.

But when I arrived - I found it had been occupied in my absense. The Lapis-Lazuli I had once surrounded myself with had been all but expended, and the miners who had been harvesting the stuff were on the verge of going out of business.

As you can see... they were quite taken with me." She smiled again, extending her shapely arms out either side of her, resting them in the midst of the Cultists... The closer onces crawled forwards, lowering their pale faces and kissing her out-stretched fingers.

"They swore on their honor that they would defend me from the wizards and the mages... Told me that they possessed a few handy elements that would protect me and help me heal. Unfortunately, they couldn't return my sight to me... but they swore that I would never need it. And to their credit... they've been true to their word."

Zoe sighed, licking her lips.

"Magic... people use it, abuse it, wield it to make their own lives easier - and to inflict pain on others... It's an unfair advantage. And, regardless of what they think, it corrupts the people who possess it. No ordinary creature chases their prey for days after it has escaped... only mages do that."

The tall-man waited to be sure Zoe had finished before he made his comment.

"But... all those men who hunted you - they were humans. Why is it you go after Fairies specifically?"

"Because Fairies possess the same un-natural advantages that other mages do - except more-so. Nagas have to work with what we're given - our senses and our limbs. Fairies have such an absurdly easy time hunting that I'm surprised they haven't eaten everyone in the whole jungle... They can shrink their prey on a whim - can grow themselves to massive sizes... they have wings so they can soar through the air, and they can wield a whole array of powers that we can only dream of. Everything is stacked in their favor... my boys and I merely even the odds. I don't torture them or anything... I don't mock them or berate them - I simply consume them. And they're quite delicious I might add..."

"Ahem."

Zoe and the tall-man ceased their conversation with the sound of the Cultist standing in the door-way, a sack slung over his shoulder.

"Forgive my intrusion... but our customer's stock is ready - and we must complete our transaction."

"Very well... It has been a pleasure seeing you my little sweet. Don't be a stranger now..."

He nodded and slid down off her stomach, adjusting his hat back into position and checking that his scarf was still attached.

"Farewell Miss Zoe. I hope that you remain well between now and when next we meet."

"And the same to you... safe travels Gunther."