Serpent of the south

by J-90

Chapter 12 Meeting new, old and very, very old faces.

"This road sure is of better quality than it did thousand years ago."

"Thank you. The town started to build it up into a better quality, after we started to expand to the shoreline to improve our commerce capacity. And it did cause some mild gripe with some equestrians according to our archived records. Some nobility snobs apparently wanted to build a summer home, in the tax-free way, because the beach is not technically part of Equestria. Apparently the Sun Monarch put an end to those attempts from the nobility. Eventually." Hera answered to Najas simple comment, followed by some extra info, while walking next to calmly slithering marilith.

"I see... Has there been anything special happening around these parts that are not about equestrians?"

"Well, it's best that you see and hear some of it by yourself at the town. Although I can tell that the local beasties have been kept in check by our behemoth friends, except one that seems to only, in lack of a better word, visiting your home."

"What kind of beastie it is?" Naja asked curiously.

"Basically, an ginourmous serpentine creature that, according to the reports and news, destroyed several churches during the last millennia. Aside from it's great size, it also has fiery breath like a dragon. some have started to call it the Snake King-"

"Dalamadur..." marilith concluded, clearly catching on. "I remember swearing a curse of sorts in it's name at the moment of my imprisonment. Did not expect it would actually call upon it to arrive."

"...Maybe it has something to do with your innate magic abilities, that a just requires some very specific mental state? I mean you can indirectly create shards of condensed wild magic through dedicated calm meditation." hippogriff maiden suggested.

"Indeed I can. Some types just condense better than others. Which reminds me, are the Red ones still safe?"

"Yes. We have kept them well hidden. Especially the one you used once... Ah, here we are."

Naja looked up a bit, noticing familiar looking gates of Tanah kahijian, obviously upgraded with better quality wood and metal, while still keeping the strong oriental look.
"Open the gate! We have a Original resident returning!" Hera called out, causing loud fumbling at the gates watchtowers and behind the gate itself, which soon opened up. And sure enough there was plenty of different creatures waiting, most of them looking amazed, some even starting to tear up with joy, at the sight of Naja.
Many of the buildings had more modernish look, but still held their pagoda style, showing that locals still liked the said style.

"Um... Hello..." was all Naja could sputter at such a warm looking welcome, even managing a wave. This was followed by several excitable little ones rushing her, very soon attaching themselves on the front-part of her tail, few even catching on her lower clothing.
It was a rather cute and a heart warming scene, bringing a smile to many faces, including Naja's. Few even gave a short amused laugh at the youngling's behaviour.

"Welcome home, Lady Naja..." Hera said, also tearing up a bit to the scene.

"It's good to be home..."

"This place is so beautiful..." Twilight commented, while looking at the sea.

"I know right? " Rarity said happily, wearing one of her flashy sunhats, with plenty of gems on it. The two of them had decided to hit the beach after setting their luggage in the hotel room; fashionistas taking most space, even if it was just three sets of four bags... Others of their group went elsewhere to see the sights.
Of course there was other creatures on the beach too, doing their own thing's like swimming or sunbathing. Some others where just passing by, heading in or out of their beach houses, which where little on the side.
"So Twilight what would you like to do first? Enjoy the view? Try some beach-games? Take in the rays?"

"Well, I could-..."

"Whoah, easy with the bling girl, you might blind someone with that hat." came a voice neat behind them, interrupting Twilights answer and making both of them turn to the direction of the voice. There stood a minotaur cow, with a brown-white spotted, fur wearing a tight shirt and pants, carrying a few paper bag's.
"Sorry, that is sorta her unique way in fashion." purple princess apologized.

"Yeah? Well I'd personally say shes asking to be mugged with that much bling on her in some bad neighborhood, or something like that." minotaur said with a tone that seemed to scream brutal honesty.

"W-well I never..." fashionista unicorn visibly stuttered a bit at this comment, which indeed had a teensy little bit of truth in it. If she was going to say anymore, it was interrupted by the arrival of few more locals, bringing a familiar voice with them.

"Lacte, darling! There you are. We all decided to come check if you needed any... Help?" They heard, while turning at the direction of the voice. And there stood a diamond dog, a griffin... And a familiar white unicorn stallion with blonde mane, sight of whom made Raritys blood almost visibly boil.
"Ooh dear..."

"YOU!!!!!"

"Now, before we do anything hasty..." Blueblood tried to say, before screaming Rarity made a mad dash towards him, with a burning fury in her eyes. Only to be stopped by a swift hand of a minotaur grabbing her tail, leaving her hind hooves kicking up a LOT of sand... Right at Twilights face.

It had taken several minutes to get all of the little ones peeled off from the mariliths front, which was followed by numerous friendly and humble greeting with obvious long held longing in many of the tones of the colorful set of locals, many of which Naja could in several cases even see and guess correctly their lineage.
"It really brings me joy to be so welcomed, despite being away for about thousand years, if I have heard correctly." she managed to say, while carefully slithering on the street and having a few passengers on her tail, mostly little ones again.

"We even have kept your original dwelling in a good condition, just in case you would return." someone mentioned from the crowd, which brought another smile on mariliths face.
"Good to know. At least I don't have to find a new one for someone of my size." Naja said happily, getting few giggles from the young ones. Maybe it was the size comment.

"Lady Naja... If it is all right this early at your return, there is one thing you maybe should visit..." Hera mentioned with a bit somber tone, pointing at a certain direction. This got plenty of others fall silent too.
"Very well, show me this thing please..." marilith answered carefully, soon following after the hippogriff to the other area of the town.

And going through few strips of streets, which somehow grew little by little shadier in lighting but not shabbier, she could see what they where heading towards; a slightly raised part of a large grassy intersection, holding a quite large black marble obelisk, with a lot of names on it... It just screamed memorial...
"It holds all the names of the original settlers of Tana kahijian." Hera said, answering to the unspoken question, herself looking a bit sad. Naja already had few tears running down her cheeks. She recognized all of the names written on the black stone. With some golden-like filling to make them more visible.

"... May I have a moment alone? I... I think I need maybe an hour to come in terms with the fact that many of my friends are gone... It may have been a thousand years for you, but to me, despite being asleep... It's feels like it has been few days." marilith requested, her tears now falling to the grassy ground, while approaching the memorial slowly.
"Of course, take all the time you need." was Heras answer, with a respectful bow. "And if it helps you in some way, they all went beyond the veil due to natural causes..."

"...I think it just might, if only a little..." Naja said, not even looking at the respectfully leaving hippogriff. Instead she gently put one of her hands to the cool, smooth surface of the obelisk, soon followed by her forehead.
Even being that close with moist eyes, she could make out many of the names written on the memorial. All of them familiar.
Now, Naja allowed herself to mourn all of her old friends of the past...

Fluttershy kept walking down the dirt road, curious of what kind of a cute critters these behemoth's were. All she heard in the town was that their burrow was nearby, and after getting some directions, she started to head there. She was imagining something smallish and cute, mostly because of her experience with bunnies in their burrows.
She was also told to approach carefully, which she knew well enough. Many animals did not take well to new faces on the first meeting, so you would have to be patient.

A little while of walking later she passed a very visible sign, saying "Behemoth burrows ahead, approach carefully." with a pair of horns attached to it as an ornament.
Then something moved in the nearby bushes, slightly spooking the pink maned pegasus... And from the set of bushes, stepped out a little purple piglet looking creature, with a big pointy mane and teeny tiny horns, sniffing air and ground curiously. To Fluttershy, it looked absolutely adorable.

"Aaaww, who might you be, little one?" Flutteshy asked sweetly, while carefully bowing low, to get on the eye level of this creature. It sniffed a bit on her direction and hopped away adorably, taking a cute defiant pose. Even scraping the ground with it's little leg.
"Oh, don't be afraid. I'm not trying to hurt you..." she tried to calm the little one, lightly moving her hoof towards it.

That little move seemed to cause something BIG coming rushing towards them from the surrounding woods. And suddenly, behind the same set of bushes, pounced out a HUGE hulking, purple, canine-esque creature with two bull-like horns and flowing mane, stopping right above the little piglet creature, roaring rather loudly at Fluttershy, who now was covering in fear, looking even smaller than she already was compared to this huge and obviously angry creature.

Luckily, before anything more bad things could happen, another "roar" interrupted creatures angry roaring. The source turned out to be a dark yellow pegasus mare, with a short messy red mane. She proceeded to communicate with the big creature through different kinds of guttural growls and snarls.
After that was done, the big beastie picked up the little piglet creature by its mane, and proceeded to put it on its back, where the little one dug in its larger mane, and started to leave.

"You must be a brand new visitor, if you don't know that approaching a baby behemoth is a bad idea. Especially when it belongs to a newly minted momma-behemoth. They are rather aggressively protective of their young, as you saw." mare explained to Fluttershy, who was starting to calm down.
"Um... Yes, me and my friends just arrived and decided to see the sight's. I only thought that these behemoths where smaller in size, due to bunnies also living in burrows..." shy pegasus managed to say.

"I guess that makes sense in a certain way. Only I think if those species two met, a behemoth would not even bother with such a bite-size snack, unless extremely starved. Oh, by the way, name's Steady Breeze, line of the Timid Flicker." pegasus introduced herself.
"I-I'm Fluttershy..." Flutters answered in her usual quiet tone, while the other name knocked something in her memory-lockers. Something she may have seen in her family tree once...

"So, would you like to meet some of the behemoths in a controlled situation? They can be reeal cuddlers when you let them get your scent first in a calm manner."

"...Okay..."

And with that the two of them headed to the burrow area properly. There Fluttershy would get sniffed by many of the behemoths. With plenty of licks, leaving her mane standing for a while...

'This place sure looks cool' Rainbow thought, while flying on the street, looking around at all of the buildings and the different creatures moving around the street. Finally one of the buildings, which looked like a clinic of sorts, caught her eye.
'Well, I could use a little check-up' she thought while approaching it. Her first surprise came out of the clinics door; clearly a young creature, that looked mostly like a pony, but had a pair of still growing bull-like horns on the sides of his head, and had cloven hoofs. Said creature was putting up a little sign saying "First time check-up for free today".

"Hey. Is that sign legit?" Rainbow asked from the young one.

"Yes, it is. My aunt is already inside if you wanna get a check-up." little one answered happily, soon leading Rainbow inside the clinic.
The waiting room was a very comfortable looking one, having a couple of the typical healthcare posters, and behind the counter was a nice looking painting of an minotaur cow and a unicorn. They looked very happy in the painting.

"That's a painting of our clinics founders; Brass Horn and Wild Tail. My ancestors." came a voice from the side room, making colorful pegasus to turn her head. There stood a minotaur lady of rather curvaceous, yet well muscled, build. What stood out, was a small third horn on her forehead, wearing silver-rings in all of her horns, and also having hooves.

"I see that you have question about my horns, right?" the minotaur asked politely.

"Uuuh, w-well... Yeah." Rainbow admitted sheepishly. This only caused a slight giggle from the tri-horned lady.

"Not a problem, our kind get's that from the tourist's quite often. But to answer an obvious question, we are called Lamassu. A hybrid of a minotaur and a pony."

"Huh, nice name. But how are you... Uuhh... Possible? No offence."

"None taken. And as for the possibility part on my case; When a mommy minotaur and a daddy pony love each other very, very much, while being very dedicated on having a child, they hug each other passionately a LOT. Quite simple, really." minotaur explained, while censoring it a bit, because the young one was still present.
"Oh, my name is Silver Horn by the way, line of Brass Horn and Wild Tail. And this is my nephew, Running Hoof" lay introduced herself, while lightly nodding at the direction of the painting, while introducing the youngster, who waved happily.
"Names Rainbow Dash. One the top flyers in the Wonderbolts." pegasus introduced herself, receiving a polite nod in return.

"Now, how about we proceed with the check-up?"

"Oh, yeah sure. Nothing invasive right?"

"Nothing to worry. Those services are not on the free-check-up list. I don't want another confusion from an ordinary prostate-examination." Silver confirmed, while giving Rainbow a little list as the two of them proceeded to the clinic room proper.
"Hmmm... I know many of these things, but what is this... 'Lump check'?" colorful pegasus asked.

"Oh that is one the procedures Brass Horn herself created and named. And it actually has saved more than few lives around here. First time just might feel slightly awkward."

"Okay then. I promise, I will stay still during that check-up."

Amazingly enough, Rainbow indeed managed to keep herself still during it. Only receiving an embarrassed blush and a clean bill of health afterwards. And she would do the said check regularly, as per the advice she also received.

"Soo many tasty smelling foods..." Pinkie commented, while taking in even more sniffs of the many smells of tasty cooking, Spike and Applejack following her. Just in case she doesn't do anything too hyper to disturb the locals.
"Do we just pick one or eat back at the hotel?" purple dragon asked, while looking at all of the restaurants.
"i think locals would like if we got some local grub." AJ suggested, getting nods from others.

"Okie-dokie-lokie! Let's piiiiiick... Dee-de-dee...THAT one!" Pinkie said, while pointing at one of the restaurants, this one named 'Kirin's Treat's', all three heading towards it, soon entering it.

"Welcome to the Kirin's Treat's! What would you like?" called out lightly elderly looking male kirin behind the counter, wearing a chef-hat of sorts.

"Oh, oh! Can we share the on that says 'Rainy Day special'! If that's okay?" pink pony said almost immediately, pointing said food on the wall-menu.

"Hmmm... Well we normally do it only on rainy days, but I think we can make an exception this time. Shera! Make some goshdarn tea! I got a special order for three to cook!"

"Sure thing uncle Drein! Three warmup tea's, coming riight up!" came a voice from the kitchen, while the trio got seated on a free table. And a minute or so later, another, slightly familiar looking kirin female came out, carrying a tray with three cups of tea on it.
"Here you go. I sure hope you can enjoy, or conquer the meal you ordered." she said in a happy tone.

"Okay, sure... What's so special about this special anyway?" Applejack asked, while sipping her tea.
"It's a seecreeet... Also barely anyone has ever managed to eat it all. Last attempt was a prepared group of five, and they failed after a glorious effort."

"OOOooooh! Sound's tasty special! Bet I can eat it!" Pinkie piped in sounding excited.

"Careful pink one. Many have said that, and failed. Also did you see the note on the menu? If a customer fails to finish this specific meal, they have to pay five thousand bits-"

"WHAT??! That much??!" AJ called out, just barely avoided making a spit take with the given tea.

"The price is for the bills and the many ingredients we use here, and also act's as a deterrent for the careless culinarians, and a reason why we usually make it on rainy days, hence the name. And if anyone actually eats all of it, it's free of charge."

"So we just have to eat the whole meal, and we don't have to pay for it? Sounds kinda fair." Spike commented thoughtfully. Meanwhile Pinkie was counting her bits, just in case they would lose, in a wallet that she pulled out of her mane.

"Hope you're ready, cause here it comes!" the cook called, while carrying a large bowl to their table. And it was full of steaming strips of hay strips in a pile, with a raw egg on top of it.
"It has plenty of rice on the bottom. Have good meal, and good luck reaching the the rice itself." cook said politely.

"All right! Let's eat this beast!" Pinkie said happily, while Spike and AJ soon followed.

"Hay, hay, hay, spice, hay, spice, egg, hay, spice..."

"Pinkie, *urp* I think were losing... And ba*urp*dly... " AJ managed to croak out, obviously with a over-stuffed belly. Spike had a while ago crawled to the side-room the restaurant had for the customers to rest after failing at the special-meal, getting some aid for the stomach-ache from Shera, who turned out to be the kirin who had commented Twilight's wings when they had arrived.

"I-I think we have made dent in it... I think?... Maybe?" Pinkie commented, sounding a little doubtful about her own estimate.

"Well, by my estimates, you did pretty well compared to some other first timer groups, who try the Rainy Day special." Shera mentioned, while bringing Spike back, who was looking a lot better.
"And unfortunately, you have to pay for the meal."

"Yeah, here you go." Pinkie said while giving the said amount, trying not to faint from all the eating. "But I swear... One day I WILL finish a whole meal of that special. What do say to that?!" she continued with more decisive tone, while pointing at the unfinished meal bowl, like it was going to answer.

...

"DO NOT MOCK ME!!!!"

"She does that sometimes." Spike said to the confused looking kirins.

"So, now that you have calmed down enough, and digged your friend out of the sand, would you care to explain why tried to assault our dear Bluey?" Lacte asked in a firm tone, while standing next to Blueblood, like a huge busty bodyguard. Fofa and Scarlet where also in somewhat protective stances around him, glaring at Rarity who was still visibly slightly fuming, while being inside a purple bubble, made by Twilight. Just in case...

"I'm sorry for my friends behaviour. It's just that she had a bad experience with Blueblood some time ago at a Gala. He was bit rude to her there." Twilight tried to explain diplomatically, while keeping Rarity in the bubble.

"Ah yes, the Gala. In my defence, on that night, I was merely avoiding a fifth gold-digger of the day." Blueblood said in an even tone. This caused a visible sputtering from Rarity, bubble blocking most of her voice.
"You're not the first mare who tried to woo 'their prince charming', thinking that they are 'the one for him'. And frankly, I grew quite tired of dealing with them gently. Thus, I made up a snobby, elitist a-hole persona to get them off me. Only problem was that some of the elite, or elite minded, took a liking to that."
The latter part made him somewhat visibly disgusted about it.

"Now since I am not required to tell you any details for my presence here, if you won't mind, me and my dear lady friend's have a meal to cook and spend some good times together." he finished, while starting to leave, alongside with the ladies.

"All right then. Have a good day!" Twi called out to them, trying to be neutral one in this situation. Even Rarity seemed to have calmed down enough. By the time the bubble was gone, Blueblood and his ladies had gone away.

"Why, if it would not cause us legal trouble, I would have beaten him into a pulp." Rarity muttered.

"So, do you still want to hang around the beach, or should we just return to the hotel?"

"I think it's better just to go back to hotel."

With that said, both of them stated to head away from the beach, toward the hotel. There Rarity would lock hersefl up in the room bahroom for a while, and Twilight started reading one of the books she brought with her, while they waited for their friend to return.

"Feeling better, miss Naja?" hippogriff maiden asked politely from marilith, who had just finished wiping off most of her tears.

"Much better Hera. If it is alright to ask, is there a graveyard by any chance, or do you perhaps cremate your dead?"

"That would the latter. It was started by Shadow Petal, who wished that her ashes where to be spread around the surroundings of your home. She wished to protect your home in death should you return. Several others requested the same. Hopefully that does not disturb you..."

"Luckily, it doesn't. In a certain way, good to know I have someone looking over my shoulder from the other side." Naja answered, while looking around lightly, as if she had sensed someone nearby.
"There is one thing that still bothers me though... When at memorial, I could not find one name in it. Your ancestor, Hermes, to be exact. Is his name somewhere else?"

"Well, that was the next thing I meant to talk about with you. As you might remember, your meditation created plenty of materia, with varied spells on them. Hermes used one of them to preserve himself through the years, with his wife's blessing no less. His goal was to be able to see you again, if only once." Hera explained in a calm manner.

"Which spell? Was it one of the status effecting ones?"

"Yes. Petrification, to be exact. He basically asked to be stoned semi-regularly, and we would use Esuna-spell every now and then to give him the news. He is getting old though... So this would be his last change to see you again."

"Brave move... Shall we go see him then?" Naja concluded, receiving a nod from Hera, who then began to lead the way. Finally they arrived to a rather humble building, next to a lightly larger one. It was still big enough for someone of Naja's size to enter.
"This my family lines estate, build to it's current state through the years. Ancestor Hermes requested to be held here while waiting."

After that, the two of them entered the humble building. There behind a curtain and a load's of protective wards, waited a 'statue' of an old looking hippogriff, in a laying down position, behind a curtained off part of the room.
"Can you wait a little more? I need to remove the effect and check his health."

"Understood..." Naja answered.

While she waited, she could hear sound of spell being cast, most likely Esuna, and followed by a sound of stone cracking.

"Good day grampy Hermes, had good nap?" Heras voice asked politely.

"Why hello there little Hera, you sure have grown. And yes, it was a pretty good nap." a much older voice replied in a calm and collected manner, while having a happy undertone in it. Following things Naja heard where few questions about health and current state of things in towns.

"Now grampy Hermes, you have a visitor waiting. Please try and stay calm, because she would most likely talk with you about few things. Just take it easy, okay?"

"Very well. Who is this visitor?"

After this question was asked, Hera proceeded to pull the curtain aside slowly, revealing Naja waiting behind it. Silence followed after this.

"Hey... Long time no see... Little Hermes..." Naja managed to say, now seeing the little hippogriff as a really old bird, who seemed to be nearing the end of the line in near future. And he still gave a happy smile, while managing to stand up slowly with some shaking and walk closer to her and put a shaky claw on her snakey front, as if trying to confirm she really was there in person.

"Hi miss Naja. Welcome back home. We have a lot of catching up to do... And I feel not that much time to do it..."