Headed by a Snake

"(Spit him out, Master!)" Izzy pleaded, "(Even if you crushed his bones, tore him up into thirteen pieces, and turned him into your breeding slave, I can't live without my friend!!)"

"I have done *none* of those things," Tycondrius said as his palm found his face, "How... in the seven hells could you *possibly* come to... any of those conclusions??"

Bella hummed from the sidelines, "Hmm. Seems like you're more popular in the human courts than the snake dens."

"Please don't judge the entirety of my people based on these two," Tycon sighed. "Child, who is in charge of you?"

"(Eh? It's Monty.)"

Azalea was not a liar.

However, that did not prevent her from being wrong.

"And... who is in charge of Anthemon?"

"(Umm. That would be... Lady... Suka?)"

Azalea spoke of the youngest Shadow Snake Princess. That child was once infatuated with him-- or at least the him who fought in the gladiator arenas.

Suka was a kind child-- and quite skilled with creation-type magic, considering her age.

He recalled she did not have a high standing in Queen Nyctis' court. Apparently, that had changed, since she was commanding a company of her kin.

Tycon waved his hand, "And in charge of her?"

"(Lady... Ananta is overseeing all our forces?)" hissed the hatchling.

"That will do," Tycon nodded. "Thank you, Azalea."

He then folded the child into a ball and dumped her back into the magical hole.

"Update," Bella prompted.

Tycon flicked his wrist, summoning a leather-wrapped package of venison jerky from his spatial ring.

"The eldest Princess is in command," Tycon explained.

He gently placed the bait into the hole, then waited.

After several seconds, he sensed movement from the other side. Thus, he reached in, grabbed the back collar of a humanoid's armor, and swiftly pulled out his prize:

Ananta the Endless, eldest daughter of the Queen of Shadow.

⟬ Ananta, Gold-Rank Shadow Snake Incanter. ⟭

"Gotta say, Boss," Bella mused... "I had my doubts, but your unorthodox summoning circle is actually pretty effective."

Tycon decided to ignore the subtle insult.

He greeted his catch with a light bow.

"Good evening, Princess. Allow me to introduce you to Miss Bella Sapphira of the Sapphire Tower."

The etiquette observed was peculiar. Acting as the Prince of Charm, it was proper to treat Ananta, a Princess of a similar-ranking family as the superior party.

Bella did not have a hereditary family title, but her position as master of the Sapphire Tower was the Eastern States equivalent of nobility.

Also, she was a goddess.

She could have been insulted, having been introduced instead of the contrary.

...Thankfully, she did not seem immediately bothered by the notion.

Ananta was in her human form; human taste buds were more suitable for the consumption of smoked meats. She wore a set of ornate leather armor befitting a humanoid General-- which, admittedly came as a surprise.

Tycon would have been glad if she wore at least a sackcloth.

However... while the Princess' attire behooved her station, her dark hair was a poofy disaster, she sat on the dirt with her legs spread, and she was stuffing her face like a malnourished peasant child.

"She's not wearing underwear," Bella remarked.

...Tycon sat the transformed Shadow Snake upright, concealing certain human parts from view.

The gluttonous Princess paid him no heed.

Ananta was a woman honest to her base desires. However, Tycon found her behavior somewhat odd.

She seemed a bit... slower? --more... single-minded.

Extending his mana senses to examine her condition, he found a potential explanation.

"Bella... do you feel that?"

"Ugh, I feel disgusted, yeah," Bella said. "Take your stupid arm back."

Tycon did as she asked... "It doesn't seem right."

"Carrying around someone else's severed limb?"

"Ananta."

"Who's Ananta?"

The pale girl sitting in the dirt raised her hand, "Thissss one isss Anantta."

She spoke with her mouth full... which, while somewhat off-putting, was consistent. From what he knew, Ananta was unfamiliar with common human etiquette.

"What doessn'tttt feel right?" Ananta asked.

Tycon narrowed his eyes, "You don't feel right."

"Are you ssssure?"

"I'm sure."

Tycon felt Bella poke him in the side.

"Tycon," she said. "She doesn't have a shadow."

"That's normal," Tycon explained.

"But that doesn't feel right," Bella frowned.

"You're entitled to your opinion," Tycon groaned, "but it's still normal."

"Then what *isn't* normal?"

"How she feels," Tycon growled.

"Excusssssse me," Ananta interjected. "Thissss one feelsss fine."

"You're not fine," Tycon insisted.

Ananta slowly tilted her head to the side, "Then.... hOwW doessss thisss one feel?"

Tycon's eyes widened with a sudden realization, "You feel... cursed."

"She's made of shadow," Bella complained. "False positive, dude."

"No," Tycon shook his head. "The difference is close, but I can discern between the two."

"Closerrrr," Ananta cooed. "Yessss, thissss one would like thatttt."

Sometime during the conversation, the Shadow Snake Princess had wrapped her arms around his thigh.

He hoped the jerky would distract her for longer, but it seemed she'd finished it all.

"Too close," he sighed, pushing Ananta away by her forehead. "Bella, come here."

"Why does *sssshe* get to be closer?" Ananta complained.

"Because she's normal."

"Thissss one? ...Thiss one iss normal..."

"Not quite..." Tycon pursed his lips, "If you would, Princess, state thy name and business."

"Princesssss?" Ananta said, tilting her head, "Ah, yess, of courssse... thisss one issss... Ananta. And we are... headedtttt to Making."

Tycon glanced over to Bella. They shared a dubious look.

"Are we...." Ananta swayed her head to the opposite side, "in Making... now? That'ssss where... we'll find the enemy-- Maybe?"

Tycon placed a finger underneath the Princess' chin, tilting her face up so he could gaze into her eyes.

"Ananta... who am I?"

"You're... Thissss one... I... I know you..."

Ananta grew silent, but did not avert her red-eyed gaze.

"Some sort of brain fog," Bella mused. "You said it's a curse, but its effects seem like an enchantment Spell?"

"Simple enchantments are ineffective against the Shadow Snake bloodline," Tycon explained... "Similar to--"

"--similar to elves," Bella finished sharply. "I get it."

Ananta took Tycon's hand and held it against her cheek.

"You and I... did we... have ssex?"

Bella's expression twisted into one of disgust, "I *really* don't know what all these women see in you, Boss."

Tycon narrowed his eyes to thin squints, "We. did. *not.* mate."

"Would you like to?" Ananta offered coyly.

"Bella," Tycon turned. "Do you have Decursify prepared?"

"I've got a wand for it... but if you're asking only because you want the Princess to jam it up your--"

"Bella."

"Hmph."

Bella drew one of the compact wands attached to her belt, quickly zapping Ananta with a bolt-like illumination.

It left behind a scent reminiscent of melted butter.

Contemporary arcanotech was generally disdained by the older and more traditional. However, Tycon appreciated the modern sensibilities of the Sapphire Tower's research department.

"Hmm..." Ananta pouted, "I don'ttt feel any different."

Tycon twisted his lips to the side, "Who am I?"

Ananta got to her feet, subtly running her fingers up Tyocn's trouser leg, stopping at drawing circles on his left pectoral.

"Which ansswer would you like?" she asked.

"Whatever comes to mind," Tycon groaned.

"Shall we discuss the first thing that comes up?" the shadow-snake-in-heat teased.

"Ananta."

"Tycondriuss... the Ivory Prince... My younger ssister's very handssome, Ssol Invictusssss infatuation."

Tycon turned to smirk at his Witch-companion, "This is what women see in me, Bella."

Bella responded by emulating a gagging noise.

Crass.

"O' sweeeet Princccce~" Ananta cooed. "I've been conssssidering joining your harem."

"My what? I don't have a--"

"Tycon!" Bella shouted, "No one cares! Start asking the important questions!"

Tycon cleared his throat, "Ahem... right-- right. Ananta."

"PrincesSss Ananta?"

"Yes. Why are you here?"

Ananta smiled softly, fluttering her long eyelashes.

"The ansswer is ssimple, Ivory Prince. The Queen of Shadowss has ordered me... sshe... sshe ordered..."

Slowly, the Shadow Snake Princess dipped her head, "It... sssseems I've led my armies hundredss of malmss away from our intended desstination."

"WwoWw," Bella interjected, "like tHiS won't affect our overall plans."

Tycon furrowed his brows, "What are you talking about? This absolutely *will* affect--"

"It wass sSsArCasM, ssnek-boyY."

Hm. Snake-boy. The term was accurate but somehow felt demeaning.

Tycon rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Ananta... what is the last thing you remember?"

Ananta had yet to raise her head. Suddenly, her knees locked and she began to sway to the side.

Tycon, of course, supported her before she fell.

"Ananta?"

"I think... I remember," she said... "(I met with the emissaries of the lizard god... Queen Nyctis-- she wanted to gauge their strength.)"

Tycon steeled his gaze, "And what of it?"

(They... are as powerful as we fear...)"

"I see..." Tycon sighed and shook his head, "The enemy has one or more Domination Mage. Several players in high positions have been turned-- not just you."

"That'ss... impossible," Ananta cried. Her eyes fluttered as if she was fighting to keep conscious. "My bloodline hassss always been able to ressist the control of ssuch Sspells!"

"Other bloodlines have been targeted in a similar manner," Tycon admitted quietly. "The Domination effects are relatively easy to identify, but elves, in particular, are highly susceptible to the enemy's control."

It was basically impossible to determine if an elf was under the effects of an enchantment Spell.

Not even elves understood other elves.

"I sssee..." Ananta said as she closed her eyes.

Her expression twisted as she spent several moments in thought... but finally, she bowed her head.

"Then... consssidering the cccccircumstances, I shall relinquish my command to you, Ssssweeeeet Prince. Pleassse... take care of my people."

"Very well," Tycon said as he lifted Ananta into his arms. Once she said what she needed to say, she fell asleep within seconds... "Sleep sweetly, dear friend. I'll handle the rest."