Headed by a Snake

Tycondrius rolled his eyes, "I assume you're the master of this Dungeon, then?"

"(In~deed,)" She nodded. Walking forward with a sultry sway, the avatar brushed the back of her see-through hand along Tycon's cheek. "(After you destroyed the Caretaker... full control of the Dungeon Core has passed onto this one...)

"(It is this one's turn for a question...)" Ananta whispered into his ear. It was a symbolic action, as everyone in the Brazen Guard collective could hear her voice due to her spell, "(She has granted you... the secrets of her body... Do you still think of me? Sweet Prince?)"

He mulled over Ananta's question. The honest answer was a clear and emphatic no.

However... that was almost certainly the incorrect answer.

"...Maybe?" Tycon answered sheepishly.

"You did WHAT?!" Suka shrieked, "With HIM???!"

"(In... deed~)" Ananta licked her lips. "(And what I gained in return... was. a most. delectable. meal.)"

Athena gasped audibly... then glared at Tycon with clearly discernible disgust.

Tycon turned towards her with furrowed brows, "Miss Athena... why are you looking at me like that?"

"Y-you're horrible, Sir Tycon!" The young lady pouted her lips, "You slept with that woman! You just sleep with everyone, don't you?!"

What?

...OH!

Tycon held his palms out towards Athena and the crowd, "I did NOT have sexual relations with this woman!! Ananta, tell them!"

"(That is correct,)" Ananta tilted her head, "(This one already has a mate. We are quite loyal, thus far.)"

"Oh, congratulations." Tycon nodded, "Have I met them?"

"(No, I don't believe so.)"

"ANYROAD!!!" Athena shouted, "Keep your hands off of Sir Tycon!! He already has a girlfriend! Also, it's not me! I ALREADY HAVE SOMEONE I LIKE!!"

"Do you?" Tanamar asked with a sly smirk. It seemed he had also joined the crowd to watch Tycon's morality openly questioned.

"...It's complicated," She turned away with reddened cheeks.

Tycon crossed his arms. Athena was quite convinced that he had a girlfriend... Why was he not aware of this? He glanced over at the face-planted Suka. He also had another question, concerning... his 'consort.'

"(Tsss... Foolish humans,)" Ananta scowled. "(Away from here... to the SHADOW REALM!!)"

With a dramatic wave of her hand, each and every single adventurer of the Brazen Guard collective blinked out of existence... besides himself.

Suka grinned from her spot on the floor, still bound, her legs still unbroken, "Yeah! You get what you deserve!!"

"Stars and stones, Ananta!" Tycon threw his hands up in frustration, "Really? Did you just send all my companions to the Plane of Shadow?!"

"What? No!" Ananta furrowed her brows, "That's ridiculous! That would be a flagrant violation of the Gatekeeper's laws. I sent them to a Reality Marble powered by the Dungeon Core."

"Ah... Very well," Tycon nodded. Relaxing, he stretched his arms and back... then sat on Suka's fallen form.

"Oof, HEY! Come on!!" Suka complained.

His companions would be safe for the current being. Ananta was certainly not an ally... but she wasn't exactly an enemy. If he continued being polite, he could ask her to release them... and perhaps find a way out of the Dungeon. Failing that, he was fairly certain he could find a way to enter the Reality Marble and save them... "I believe it's your turn to ask a question."

Ananta gestured towards her sister, "What do you think of Suka? She wishes to be your consort."

"I wish for NO SUCH THING, SISTER!!!" Suka wailed.

Tycon drew his boot knife, idly twirling the well-balanced weapon in his fingers, "She's rather rude."

"She used to be very sweet," Ananta shook her head. "Then she spent a year in the Beast Kingdoms with War Princess Cass."

"Lady Cassiopeia is a GODDESS!!" Tycon's seat shouted. "And her brother is the IVORY PRINCE!! One of the greatest gladiators EVER!! From the legendary guild of--"

"Oh, Sol Invictus..." Tycon spoke in rhyme as he cut Suka free of her bindings and stood up, "Thou shalt sing of us in praise."

He offered the young lady his hand... which she refused to take.

"Else mourn thy dead, by bullet, spell, and blade." Suka completed the song quote, standing up on her own, brushing the dust off of her dark robe... "I guess you're worth SOMETHING, if you know at least that."

"She doesn't know," Tycon looked to Ananta.

"That is how it appears," Ananta shrugged. "Your question, then, Sweet Prince."

"I bet you're the Prince of something stupid!" Suka crossed her arms.

"Is there any chance I and my companions can leave this Dungeon peaceably? Preferably, I'd like as few of them to die, as possible."

"This one has disabled all of the Caretaker's traps to free up the Dungeon Core's mana..." Ananta tapped her cheek, "but unfortunately, according to my mate's agenda, he would have all trespassers killed... yourself included."

A few of the Dungeon's defenses, Tycon had observed as crafted by a Fourth-Circle spellcaster. It made sense that with its resources no longer allocated into the Dungeon traps, it could feasibly sustain a Reality Marble. However, without Ananta's assistance, breaking his companions free became a far more troublesome task...

Tycon sighed in frustration... "So be it."

"My love, what is *taking* so LONG?" A harsh male voice echoed in Tycon's mind.

« System, edit connection details: Provide an avatar for additional call participants. »

⟬ Setting change complete. ⟭

A transparent blue male avatar appeared at Ananta's side...

He was a two legged, two armed humanoid, devoid of clothing, and with scales covering his body. Atop its shoulders however... instead of a human-like head... it was the head of a hooded snake... like... a... cobra.

Empty night.

The male was a Yuan-Ti, a snakeblooded species from the eastern parts of the Realm. And now... all of the hooded snake imagery made sense.

⟬ Gold-Rank Yuan-Ti Malison. ⟭

"I don't approve," Tycon muttered.

"Tss," Suka scoffed. "First time I'll agree with you on something."

"So this is one of the humans attacking my halls?" The Yuan-Ti flicked his forked tongue disrespectfully, "Why are you wasting your time with this man, Ananta?"