The air of the Tenochtitlan Jungle is warm and humid. The bugs bite, but your deft, agile wings are good at swatting them away. Besides, you’re here for a reason. You can’t leave empty-hooved! Especially since you had to drain your vacation savings account for this! You are on a quest to find the Lost City of Coatl!
...Well, it’s not really so lost. Sure, it’s obscure enough to not be on major maps, but the locals were able to point you in the right direction. The Coatl denizens even rarely go to nearby pony towns to trade and catch up on news. Sadly, you just missed them, making you hoof it. You could have winged it, literally, but you wanted the jungle-trekking experience. Mom was right, you read too much Daring-Do while you were growing up. Hard to believe that series is still going on.
Still, after a whole morning and about half of an afternoon of trekking, the treeline breaks, and you find yourself at the top of a cliff. You huddle close to the dirt, keeping your profile low as you peer over the edge. In the valley, you see a decently sized city, with what looks to be an even mix of stone and wooden buildings. However, a few large stone step pyramids dominate the surrounding structures. Pulling out your binoculars, you can get a bit of a better look. You’re able to distinguish individual Coatl tribesponies in the streets, going about their days.
You gasp. The legends were true!
...Well, actually it was an article in Equestrian Geographic.
The article was true!
The Coatl tribe were supposedly cursed long ago by some dark magic, one that turned them into half snake, half pony creatures. However, when the evil was defeated, a vast majority had come to prefer their new forms, and thus voluntarily held onto the curse. Even now you could see long, colorful, richly-patterned serpent tails following behind reared up pony front halves as they slithered throughout the streets. However, now that you’re so close to your destination, you are at a loss as to what to do. Do you sneakily approach, entering the city with tact and subtlety? Do you follow the path down the cliffside and enter through the stone archway that forms the main entrance of the city? Or, perhaps something else? You heard from the locals that the Coatl tribe can be a little...strange...in terms of customs
However, you decide that, ultimately, the Coatls are ponies at heart, so there shouldn’t be any trouble in simply waltzing through the front gate. You put your binoculars back into your bag and canter down the trail leading to the bottom of the cliff. On the main road, a couple of Coatl tribesponies slither past you, looking at you as you trot by. They seem even more impressive up close, with their long, beautiful serpentine bodies going on seemingly forever. A quick and friendly ‘Howdy’ makes them pass by awkwardly, but they ultimately don’t stop you. You pass through the impressive stone archway that marks the city entrance with little fuss. It’s either unguarded or you’ve arrived just as the guards are on break. Either way, you waste no time trotting inside.
On the main road, you are bedazzled by exotic sights and sounds. Lamias shout from street stands, hawking fried plantains and mangos to slithering passerby in their heavily accented Ponish. One slithers across your path, with an impressive load of timber hoisted in their coils, yet they slither on just like nothing. Your eyes scan the entire place in wonder...this was even better than the article made it sound!
As you are lost in amazement, more and more Coatl tribesponies turn to look at you with mixes of concern, curiosity, and intrigue. While you’re busy getting a picture of an ancient-looking stone totem, you fail to notice that a crowd has gathered around you . They whisper among themselves, coils shifting in what seems to be an endless sea.
”Whoa..a four-legs...” you manage to catch.
”Why are they here?” You hear another say.
”They have one of those picture-boxes, do my scales look alright?” Another behind you says.
You don’t sense hostility, but the crowd is very tight. If you wanted to leave, you’d probably need to climb over some coils. Good thing you can fly. Instead though, you smile at the crowd. Rather than be intimidated, you use this as a photo-op! You tell them that you’re a kind visitor who wish to see their beautiful culture.
There are equal groans and sighs of relief.
You single one of them out, a rather cute looking lamia mare with a milk snake pattern on her serpentine half, and ask if you could take her picture.
”Uh...y-yeah! Sure!” She manages to stammer out.
You flash a photo, and begin taking selfies with others who allow you to do so. As you get up close to the coatls tribesponies, you begin to absorb their appearances in greater detail. You notice that, while some manestyles definitely look exotic and tribal, others style themselves in more normal ways, and others still mix the two to make something unique. You also notice their personal accessories, which range from obviously custom gold and jade to stuff you’d find in a Fohls Deptartment Store back home. One lamia stallion even has a watch, but you think it’s busted as the hands swing loosely inside. The crowd eventually disperses, seeming satisfied with the novelty of having their pictures taken. A few lamias seen to keep close to you, though, as you continue walking about, looking at you like some sort of novelty. The encounter has left you pretty hungry though, so you go to a stall selling fried mango. You plop a few bits on the counter, and ask for one.
The Mangomonger looks at your bits with some confusion, and then back to you.
”Uh, sorry, I have enough gold. Trade something else?” He says.
Taking a quick look around, it seems like the natives have a barter economy, and you spot another lamia trading a glowing vial of fluid for a golden neckpiece at a nearby stall. The bottle piques your interest, but you quickly turn to your pouch to try to find something you can part with. Opening it up, you see that you have CAMERA, EQUESTRIAN GEOGRAPHIC VOL. 157 (The issue with the article about this place), CANTEEN OF WATER (half-full), BASIC JUNGLE MAP, BINOCULARS, COMPASS, and A REALLY COOL STICK YOU FOUND.
HOWEVER!!!!!!
The mare you singled out earlier suddenly slithers up beside you.
”Don’t worry, here,” she says, scooping some purple shells from her own bag with her hoof and dropping them on the counter.
”Yes, good good,” says the Mangomonger, who scoops the shells into a box behind the counter while his tail plucks a mango from the frying rack and sets it on a clean leaf.
You have acquired ROASTED MANGO SNACK!
Your cool pegasus feather fingers grab onto it, and you’re able to comfortably eat it as you trot away with the lamia mare by your side. It’s absolutely scrumptious, warm and gooey with a hint of heat from some spice you’ve never tasted before.
”You like it?” Asks the lamia mare.
You tell her yes, and thank her for her kindness.
”I’m so glad!” She squeals, clapping her forelegs together while her tail tip wags like a puppy. “I always love meeting ponies. We don’t often get visitors here. My name is Cuanehuiyo. Most of us speak Ponish now, but we keep the old language alive through names. It means ‘Grass Reed’. I know pony names are much more brief, so you can call me Cuane.”
You tell her that you’re please to meet her, and introduce yourself as you gobble down the last of the fried mango.
ACQUIRED GREASY LEAF.
”Oh, I bet the Chieftess would like to know you’re here!” She says with excitement. “Would you like to meet her?”
Before you can answer, you feel Cuane’s serpentine tail quickly loop around you neck and tug you forward.
”Her palace isn’t far, come on!” She says, before turning around and slithering in the direction of one of those large stone step pyramids you saw from the cliff face. “If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer!”
You’re a bit taken aback by her sudden insistence...though you notice the coil around your neck it pretty loose. You might be able to slip out of it if you wanted to. However, something compels you to leave it be. Perhaps it's the cool sensation around your neck, or the gentle sliding of scales on your sensitive neck. You ask about the Chieftess, and what she expects of you. You don’t want to offend her. This is still pretty unknown territory for you.
”Oh, Chieftess Muyal is a great leader. She’s strong and wise, and very kind. She tries to act tough and intimidating, but she’s a very understanding ruler. She only punishes those who truly deserve it,” Cuane says, glancing back at you a couple of times as she slithers on. ”However, it is customary to offer something as a gift to her upon first meeting. She accepts it in place of the whole tribe, and it’s meant to demonstrate that you show respect and understanding that you are a guest in this land and will act accordingly. It doesn’t have to be much, the act itself is what’s important. If you don’t give anything, that’s fine too. Your friendship is a good offering itself.”
The two of you reach the base of the mighty stone pyramid, where two lamias flank the entrance, coiled in a stance that seems ready to strike. The two look at each other, nod, and are at ease as Cuane leads you inside.
”However, Chieftess Muyal does have a huge affinity for birds. I don’t know if you have any to spare on those wings, but if you were to offer up one of your feathers, I think she’d REALLY like it,” Cuane adds as the two of your pass through the door at the end of the antechamber.
As the door opens, the sight of the chieftess utterly astounds you. The other lamias you’ve seen carried themselves with more modern styles, but the chieftess strikes you as being pure tribal. Her mane is braided in elaborate patterns, and she is decked out in gold and jade jewelry. Bracelets, a huge neckpiece, and even a golden circlet with a serpent’s head crowning her skull. However, her adornments don’t hold a candle to the sheer splendor of her scales. It appears her snake tail is patterned off a rainbow boa, dark orange with brown rings going down her length. However, with the way the windows are cut into the stone walls, light fills the room in such a way that her scales shimmer with iridescence at the slightest motion. It’s so distracting that you find yourself utterly spellbound at the sight, before Cuane’s gentle tug around your neck breaks your rapture and makes you step forward. Now able to take in the rest of her, you’re able to see that she’s resting on a stone throne at the top of a set of steps that seems more like an altar than a proper seat. Perched on the back of the throne is a brilliant red macaw, who twists its head around as it looks at you. She is flanked by two more guards, two lamia mares whose serpentine halves are longer and thicker than most of the other tribals you’ve seen, but nowhere near the size of the chieftess. They stand at attention, firmly grasping macuahuitlswith their tail tips, reared up in a way that reminds you of a scorpion’s stinger. You also notice a couple of regular ponies, first ones you’ve seen in the Coatl city, at the base of the altar-throne, loosely enlaced in her thick coils. They look...off...as they stare vacantly into space with glassy eyes and relaxed smiles. You get a vibe that the lights may be on, but nopony’s home.
As you ponder, Cuane speaks.
”Oh Chieftess Muyal, I bring to you a newcomer to our fine city,” she says loudly and clearly. She turns back to you. “That’s your cue,” she whispers, before unwrapping her tail from around your neck.
The chieftess, who had been looking off to the side seemingly bored, casts a glance over to you. Upon seeing you, her face flashes a look of surprise, before she suddenly comes to life, shifting her coils slightly to once more make them shimmer with iridescence and sitting straight up on her throne, looking down at you.
”A visitor?” She says and a queenly, authoritative voice that somewhat reminds you of Princess Luna’s with a higher pitch.
You figure that this is a great honor, meeting the chieftess, and you want to make as good of an impression as possible. You bow deeply before her, introducing yourself and telling her that you only wish to experience the splendor and wonder of their magnificent city. As a token of your appreciation, you say as you unfurl a wing and move your muzzle to one of the less important secondary feathers. You prehensile pony lips wrap around one. You close your eyes and yank.
YEOWCH!
-1 HP
Still, waving the wing around for a few seconds makes the pain fade away, and you furl it against your side. You offer the feather on the ground at the foot of the steps leading up to the throne. You can see the chieftess’s eyes light up at the sight of it. You serpentine tail emerges from the bundle of coils at the foot of the altar, deftly scooping up the feather and carrying it up to the chieftess’s pony half, sticking it in her mane. For an instant, she looks as giddy as a little filly, before her face once more returns to its usual stoicism as she looks back at you.
”The Coatly tribe accepts and greatly appreciates your offering,” she says in a calm, regal voice. “An offering such as this that requires some self-sacrifice is truly the mark of a sincere heart, especially as a member of the noble pegasi. Henceforth, you shall be accepted in our lands as a friend to all.”
”Welcome, friend,” the guards say in unison, stomping on the floor in applause with such weakness and neutral expression on their face that it feels a bit arbitrary. Still you won’t complain
”RAWW...WELCOME FRIEND...WELCOME FRIEND!” The macaw squawks
”Welcome...friend...” whisper the two ponies enlaced in the chieftess’s coils, still staring into space.
There’s a bit of an awkward silence as you remain before the chieftess. You ask if that’s it.
”Oh, well, I suppose,” Chieftess Muyal says, idly playing with your feather with her hoof. “Unless you have any questions that I could answer. As chieftess, I know everything about my tribe.”
You nod, before deciding to just dive right into the elephant in the room. You ask about the two zoned out ponies, and what’s up with them.
”Hmm, these two? Surely you’ve heard of our unique magical abilities,” Chieftess Muyal says, maneuvering her pony half closer to them. “You see, we of the Coatl tribe demand that visitors show respect at all times. It is a privilege to visit our city, and we expect even accepted friends to do no harm. If they have proven to be unable to make good decisions, then we remove their ability to make decisions at all.”
She maneuvers to the stallion.
”This one insisted that our merchants take his bits for their wares, going so far as to simply take a jade necklace after carelessly throwing bits at the poor jeweler,” she says, slowly petting the stallion’s head like one would a cat, before maneuvering over to the mare. ”This one attempted to deface one of our most sacred totems by drawing a heart with the name of her lover in it. It took weeks to remove the graffiti without damaging the totem,” she continues. Her expression softens a bit, before booping the mare on the snout, eliciting a drunken giggle. ”But, we are not cruel. These two are enjoying every second of their sentences, we made sure of that. It may seem counterproductive, but the goal is justice, not revenge. Once both of their sentences end in two moons’ time, they will be set free,” Chieftess Muyal says, finally returning to her throne.
You gulp at the prospect, feeling a bit of apprehension.
”I can see that frightened you,” Chieftess Muyal continues with a slight grin.
You’re not sure if she’s seeking to assuage you or if she’s pleased at the fact.
”Don’t worry, we only save such punishments for the most egregious displays of bad behavior. As long as you’re a good little pony, you have nothing to fear. Besides, I know that pegasi have strong hearts, and conduct themselves honorably,” she says. “Especially since, as a result of these offenses, we have decided to encourage our fellow Coatls to act as guides to visitors, both to give them a good experience and ensure that no ‘cultural misunderstandings’ take place.”
She turns to one of her guards.
”Pakal, why don’t you act as this visitor’s guide?” The Chieftess says.
The guard gasps in surprise.
”What? Why me?” She protests.
”Because I am your chieftess and am ordering you to,” Chieftess Muyal replies firmly.
”...Yes, Honored Chieftess,” Pakal says with a heavy sigh.
You take a moment to look at her
She’s a very green mare, with piercing blue eyes. Her orange mane is arranged in a ponytail, tied with her own braids, and the river of scales that erupts from her midsection are green with dark brown spots, resembling those of an anaconda.
As you and Pakal size each other up, you hear a much more demure voice come from behind you.
”Chieftess Muyal, if I may, I don’t have much business for the next few days. I could be the guide,” Cuane says
Pakal excitedly pumps her hoof.
”Hmm, that could work as well. See, visitor? We of the Coatl tribe are always willing to lend a hoof,” Chieftess Muyal adds. Her hoof taps her chin as she mulls about something, and a sly grin suddenly crosses her face. “In fact, should the visitor desire, he may spend time with me. Unfortunately, my duties will come first, but perhaps you may be interested to see how the mighty among us conduct our days. Because we are peaceful, some days may be uneventful, but your company would be certainly appreciated.”
You look a little shocked. The CHIEFTESS too?
”The visitor shall choose who shall be their guide,” Chieftess Muyal says. “Whatever your decision, we shall respect it.”
You look at the three lamia mares, weighing your options: Cuane, who seems innocent and demure, Pakal, who seems stoic but with a sense of wild beauty, or Muyal, who seems cool and confident, but you sense a bit of a domineering streak from her.
...
You look at the three lamia mares and wish you could hang out with them all. However, ultimately, you feel like you should stick with the kind mare who took to you when you first entered the city. You tell the chieftess that you’d like to be accompanied by Cuane, and her hooves cross her chest and a big smile comes across her face. Pakal wipes her brow, relieved, and Muyal looks a bit sad, but she smiles and nods.
”Very well then. Cuane, the visitor is your responsibility for now. Do make sure you show them all of our splendors,” she says.
With a wave of her hoof, you are dismissed
Cuane slithers up to you, wrapping her tail tip around one of your forehooves. ”Thanks for picking me,” she says as she leads you outside the palace and back into the sunlight. “I didn’t mean to step in on the chieftess’s decision, but I just that I always love meeting and learning about ponies. Besides, I’m mostly free today. I just need to check in a jeweler’s workshop a few blocks south from here. I know that the chieftess told me to escort you around, but I’m sure that you don’t need me to. I get the impression that you’re not a pony who likes getting into trouble.”
You shake your head, but Cuane notices the look of unease upon your face.
”Please don’t get the wrong impression from Chieftess Muyal’s prisoners. It was a last resort for dealing with them. I hope that doesn’t taint your perception of our hypnotic magic. It’s actually really fun and therapeutic when used normally. Maybe you can try it yourself before you leave, if you’d like.”
You’ll have to think about that.
”Well, enough of that. I also wanted to let you know that you arrived just at the right time,” Cuane continues, quickly changing the subject. “The Magefteki Festival begins tonight. It’s an ancient tradition honoring our origins as a tribe. Very few outsiders have had the pleasure of witnessing it, and it’s loads of fun. It doesn’t begin until after sundown, though, so we have some time to kill.”
She’s right; by your reckoning, it’s only 2:00 PM.
”Hey, I could always take you to the Nampeka Waterfall. It’s where we do a lot of our fishing. I know that some ponies have an aversion to the practice of eating meat, but even so the falls are an incredible sight to see, especially from a tree top!” Cuane continues, excitedly. "Or, if you can handle a bit of boredom, we can knock out my errand quickly so we have the rest of the day to ourselves. I’ll leave it up to you,” she says.
You tell Cuane that you don’t mind doing this errand with her, and that it might even give you some perspective on how bartering works in this society.
”Really? Thanks, I appreciate it. We won’t be long, I promise. Besides, it’ll give you a chance to meet Ixkak. She’s quite skilled,” Cuana says, as she begins slithering down the road.
The tug of her tail on your foreleg signals you to follow, but you don’t need to be told to trot along. As you trot behind Cuana, you notice her serpentine form swaying back and forth ahead of you as she slithers. Her red, black, and yellow bands form wide, lazy S-shapes as she moves, reflecting the afternoon sun. Her tail tip around your hoof, tiny as it is, squeezes your hoof with deceptively great firmness. You begin to wonder about the rest of her, and how much power must be resting underneath those gorgeous scales. For now, though, you take in the eye candy, watching her sway back and forth, back and forth…
”...Alright, we’re here, told you it wasn’t far,” Cuane suddenly chimes in.
You come to attention, having zoned out staring at her tail. A bit embarrassing, but she doesn’t seem to have noticed. You find yourself outside of a carved stone pyramid, much smaller than the palace you were just at, but still bigger than the wooden huts you’ve seen. There’s a wide berth of empty space around it, and you can see why. From the top glowing embers flicker, mixed in with black smoke. The two of you enter the place, and the hot, heavy air hits you instantly. There’s a pool of what appears to be magma on the far end of the interior of the workshop, with stone channels stopped with stone blocks funnel the flow to a couple of workstations, where you see a couple of lamias diligently attending to clay molds. They look up, spotting the two of you. One of them goes back to attending their work, while another shouts a phrase that you can’t decipher. From behind the magma repository slithers a gruff, hardy looking lamia mare, with a short, braided blond mane and blue fur, with what looks to be an albino python pattern on her serpentine lower half. She slithers up to you with weary, but warm eyes.
”Niltze Tialli Pialli, Cuane,” the mare says in dry voice. “Who’s your new friend?”
”Niltze Tialli Pialli, Ixkak,” Cuane replies before turning to you. “That means ‘hello’ when translated to Ponish. I’d like to introduce you to Ixkak, a good friend of mine.”
You introduce yourself to Ixkak with the same greeting.
”They’re learning quite well,” Ixkak says with a smile. “Are they a new slave of yours?”
”Wh-what!? N-no!” Cuane says with a look of surprise. “He’s just a visitor, and the chieftess has told me to look over him for now.”
”Ah, my apologies, visitor,” Ixkak says as she bundles her coils neatly behind her. “I hope you are enjoying your stay so far.”
You reply that it has been...interesting.
”Good to hear,” Ixtal says with a smile, before turning to Cuane. “Do you have the potion?”
”Yes, I do,” Cuane says, her snake tail unwinds from your foreleg to poke around in her bag, eventually pulling out a small glowing green vial, which she promptly gives to Ixkak.
Her tail tip then quickly maneuvers to your foreleg and wraps around it once more.
”Yes, oh, this looks just right,” Ixkak says, inspecting the vial before whistling to one of her apprentices, who slithers over and retrieves it before going back to his workstation.
”What would you like?” Ixkak says. “You said last week that you were eyeing that obsidian spear I had on display, but have you changed your mind?”
”Well, actually, I have,” Cuane continues. “Hardened obsidian with be nice to have, but I think I’ll just take some neckpieces. Whatever quality would let me get two. The visitor is still getting used to our bartering system, and it would be nice for them to possess something that’s valuable here.”
”Ah, very well, right away,” Ixkak says, slithering to an enclosed area and rummaging through a chest. She returns with two stunning gold matching neckpieces draped on each foreleg. ”We made these two days ago, so they have a fresh new design. I know how difficult it must have been to obtain that vial, so please, take them,” Ixkak continues.
She slithers around you, placing the golden neckpiece on your and fastening it so that it holds snugly against you, before doing the same to Cuane. You look down, in total awe of the multitude of tiny golden tabs bundled together with red twine. Each one has a repeating geometric pattern on it that morphs and shifts as it hops between tabs. In the center is a long, narrow tablet that forms the centerpiece of the whole thing, inlaid with three medium-sized jade squared.
Item obtained: GOLD NECKPIECE x1, JADE SQUARE x3
”Remember, visitor, it’s not the gold that makes that thing valuable, it’s the craftsponyship. There is plenty of gold in this land, meaning that your currency...pardon me, I forget what it’s called...has little use. You may find others who may like to have some coins as a novelty, but don’t expect you to get far with them. We of the Coatl tribe are very kind and understanding towards visitors, though...well, most of them...and purveyors of food and other necessities will probably do you a kindness and accept small things, or even a favor if you truly have nothing to give. That neckpiece should give you some leverage in exchanges though, and those jade squares can be popped out to trade on their own,” Ixkak says.
You nod, in understanding, and you and Cuane bid your farewells to Ixkak and leave the workshop. Even though it’s still warm and humid, the outside air feels refreshing on your face.
”See? I told you that would take no time at all. We might not have as much time to see the falls, but we can get there with enough time if we hurry. How about it?” Cuane asks.
You tell Cuane that you’ll race her to the falls.
”Um...okay...” she says, a bit confused. “Did you breathe in too much hot air inside that workshop? We can rest for a little while.”
The competitive spirit in you won’t take know for an answer!
”Well, alright, I’ll slither fast then,” Cuane says.
She begins to slither down the street, with you in tow. Keeping pace besides her proves difficult while trotting, but it’s a breeze once you take to the air.
”Oh yeah, I keep on forgetting pegasi can actually fly,” Cuane says as she moves at a quick pace. “How is it? I wish I could fly.”
You explain that flying gives you a true sense of freedom, and that you feel blessed to have been gifted with it.
”Whoa, how nice. Some of the pony visitors have mentioned that there are huge machines that can fly. I hope to ride on one of them some day,” she says with a gleeful smile.
The last airship port you passed was before you entered the Tenochtitlan Basin miles and miles away, but you keep your mouth shut for now. Eventually, though, you notice the stone and wooden buildings getting more and more sparse, and the road begins to wind around a large hill bordering the Eastern end of the city. No matter what the terrain, you notice that Cuane slithers over it like a champ. You’re lucky that you have flight; an earth pony or a unicorn would be no match for her if they were trying to run away. Fortunately, the Coatl tribes seems to consist mostly of normal, nice ponies who just happen to have a snake tail for their lower half.
At least, you think; Muyal’s ideas of punishment and Ixkak’s casual remark that you looked like a ‘new’ slave makes you wonder about these ‘cultural quirks’ that were glossed over in the Equestrian Geographic article. However, you have no time to mull over it, as you spot the falls coming into view.
”That’s the…..WHOA!” Cuane says as she suddenly feels herself yanked forward.
Finally seeing your destination, your wings kick into high gear and you zoom towards it. However, Cuane’s tail tip is still looped around your foreleg, which means you’re dragging her along. It’s a huge strain on your wings, and you slow down a lot, but Cuane’s technically losing since she’s having a hard time trying to slither backwards. By the time you reach the edge of the falls, you’re completely exhausted, but you’re the definitive winner. You flump down onto the cool grass, breathing heavily as Cuane slithers beside you.
”Wow, I guess that’s the ‘pegasus warrior spirit’ that Chieftess Muyal mentioned. I can see why she likes your kind,” she says.
Yeah, something like that, you mention.
”This spot isn’t too good though, you can’t really see the base of the falls,” she continues as she points to a tall tree nearby. “I usually hang out on that tree when I come here, it gives a great view. I’m pretty sure I could carry you up if I took my time,” Cuane says. “Or, if you promise not to fly away, I’ll unwind from you so you can fly up their yourself. I mean, me keeping you on some sort of leash is a dumb rule, but Muyal is my chieftess, and I must obey her lawful commands. Still, I won’t tell anyone about giving you some freedom away from prying eyes if you won’t.”
You tell her that you’re not too exhausted to fly and you promise not to flutter off and make trouble.
”I know you wouldn’t, but it’s nice hearing you say that,” Cuane says.
Her tail tip unwinds from around your hoof. Somehow, you feel a little naked without its silky touch. Before you have time to respond, Cuane quickly begins to ascend the tree. Her skill is mesmerizing; she moves so fast going from branch to branch that she looks like she's falling upwards. She eventually reaches the highest of the bare branches, and she lets a portion of her midsection down in a wide U-shape. Her eyes scan the sky, before shooting to the ground and spotting you.
"Hey, come on slowpoke! I even made a seat for you," Cuane says, pointing at her hanging segment. With a bit of apprehension, you fly up to the hanging bit, and gingerly land. It's hard to find footing on the gel-like snake muscle, but you find that it works with you to maintain balance. You eventually lie down, able to do so comfortably as Cuane's middle coils are about 1.5 times your head's width. The thought of using Cuane as a hammock feels a little weird, but you cannot deny how comfortable it is. Her pony half descends from above until it is next to you.
"There, now isn't this a much nicer view?" Cuane says, gesturing with her foreleg to direct your vision.
Indeed, she's absolutely correct. You can now see the base of the falls, spraying water everywhere from the unstoppable torrent, making faint rainbows in the mist. Brightly colored birds nest on the dry parts of the cliff face off to both sides, painting the gray rock with their vibrant reds and blues. In the river flowing away from the falls, you can see some lamia tribesponies casting their nets, using their strong tail to bring them back up onto shore. It's all utterly breathtaking.
"What do you think? Nice huh?" She asks. "From what I've been told, there's very little wild nature in Equestria. We've lived as a part of nature for generations; nature is a thing of beauty, not something you should be afraid of."
She begins to gently swing the segment you're laying on back and forth.
"I come here a lot to relax and think. Life can be tough, but I know that this view will always exist," she says. "...And being able to share it just makes it that much nicer."
You bask in the calm atmosphere, loving the afternoon sun on your face...and the silky scales on you stomach, but you won't tell Cuane that! However, there is as little something that has been bothering you a bit. You ask Cuane about what Ixkak meant by calling you a new slave.
She bites her lip. "Oh, that, th-there's nothing to worry about that..." she says, stammering.
Your unamused face makes her re-evaluate her approach.
She sighs deeply. "Listen, for a long, long time, we've had little contact with the outside world. Things have changed in recent generations, but for hundreds of years we've had old styles of thought and old ways of living. Slavery used to be a thing in our tribe. We'd take ponies who wandered onto our lands or who came here looking for trouble and enslave them with our hypnotic powers. Chieftess Witzja, Muyal's mother, put an end to the practice after Celestia herself visited our ancient city. My dad told me it was so funny; they expected her to mesmerize Celestia into serving us, and were pretty shocked when the two came to a mutual agreement," Cuane says with a small giggle. "I mean, from what my dad told me, it was not really that big of a deal to a lot of us. We weren't active slavers, so there was maybe like a dozen slaves maximum in the whole tribe at any given time. Plus, ever since then, we really opened up our society to visitors, and they were able to introduce new forms of thinking to the younger generation at the time that really killed that mode of thought flat out. Still, some of the older generation like Ixkak, don't really see anything wrong with it. I mean, under our spell, the ponies did lead lives of constant happiness, even though it was fake," she continues.
She sighs again, but then looks at you with determined eyes.
"Those days are gone for good though. I could never think of enslaving you. Even if you were to suddenly fly off and cause total chaos, you'd simply serve your sentence and then be sent back to your homeland, shew says, almost pleadingly. "But, I know you won't. You seem like a really good pony, and I'm glad that you took my picture earlier. By the way, how does that thing work? I've seen how they can paint a picture in seconds, but sometimes the picture-box clicks and nothing happens."
Her story has given you a lot of food for thought. You always thought of the Coatl tribe as being equals to ponies, but right now you're not so sure, given their history. After all, how do you even know that Cuane isn't hypnotizing you right now to sympathize with her? She cute and sweet, but how do you know she didn't just hypnotize you to think that? Actually...you're not quite sure what her hypnotizing you would even look like. Their hypnotic abilities were glossed over in the article. Was the author hypnotized to write little about it!?!?!? An idea pops into your head as a way to test her predatory instincts. You rummage through your bag, looking for some barbecue sauce, however, you only manage to find the GREASY LEAF.
It'll have to do.
You rub the rest of the mango-infused oil over your face and chest tuft. The leaf is now dry, and you cast it off to the ground, having used it up. If Cuane can't be trusted, then she'd surely look at you hungrily after flavoring yourself!
...Instead, however, she looks at you with clear confusion.
"Um, what are you doing?" She asks. "Is this a pony custom?"
...
You tell her yes, yes it is.
"Oh, how interesting," she says, now looking genuinely curious. "Rubbing oil on your fur to make it shinier...I'm going to need to try that some time!"
You laugh awkwardly and quickly change the subject, deciding to show off the camera and explain how it works. At least, to the best of your ability. You were never a techn enthusiast. There IS a tiny unicorn in there painting all the pictures on the film, right?
"Whoa...pony machines are so incredible!" Cuane says, looking at the camera like it was some kind of idol. "Equestria seems like such a magical place, I hope I'm one day able to visit! Then the tables will have turned!"
As the two of you hang out, you notice the sun creeping towards the horizon. Won't be long now before Celestia nudges it down and Luna ushers in the night.
"We should probably get back," Cuane says. "Besides, we need to get ready for tonight!"
You nod, and the two of you descend down the tree and head back on the path towards the city. Cuane lets you freely trot and fly for a bit, but as the stone structures come into view, she sneaks her tail tip around your foreleg again. You frown for a moment, but then realize that you missed the sensation of those smooth scales on your fur. As you pass further into the heart of the lost city, you see Coatls slithering around, erecting wooden pyres and donning costumes made from leaves and feathers from some kind of giant bird. By now, the sun has set, but you can still navigate from the light of huge nets containing shining fireflies hanging on poles that have been erected every 30ft or so.
"Oh, the Mageftiki Festival is so incredible, I can't wait for it to start so you can see it," Cuane says with excitement.
Suddenly, her eyes go wide.
"...Actually, I think you might even be able to play a part in it too!" She squeals, before lowering her voice a bit. "Actually, wait, before I get too excited, you might want to think a bit hard about this. The involvement of ponies in the main festivities used to come from their position as slaves in our society, and I don't want you to feel embarrassed for being put into slightly weird positions. Maybe I can ask Chieftess Muyal to maybe alter the ceremony, or at least let me be your partner during it. You can trust me, I won't do anything degrading to you. This is still only if you want to take part, just watching the ceremony is super fun too!"
You reply with enthusiasm. How could you pass up the opportunity to actually be a part of an obscure and mystic cultural festival!? Cuane smiles and nods, and the two of you slither closer to the center of the city where all of the other Coatl tribesponies seem to be slithering towards. At the center of the city, you can see huge totems wheeled in, while a small stage is being hastily assembled, and the netted fireflies are providing so much light you could swear it was daytime.
You see Chieftess Muyal slithering around, giving orders. Her 'pets' aren't with her for some reason. Cuane quickly approaches, with you in tow.
"Chieftess Muyal?" Cuane says, bowing.
"Hmm, yes?" Muyal asks as she turns towards the two of you.
"The visitor would like to partake in this year's ceremony, with me as their partner," Cuane continues.
Muyal's eyes go wide, but then a sinister smile creeps onto her face. "Surely?" She asks, with a voice dripping with sultriness.
You nod.
"Cuane, did you tell the visitor what the ceremony entails?" Muyal asks.
"Um, well, not yet, but I was going..." Cuane says, but Muyal's hoof on her lips cuts her off.
"You shall do no such thing," Muyal says. "The visitor may partake in the ceremony, but under the condition that they are not told what to do. I want to see what a natural reaction looks like. Oh, and don't get any ideas of neutering it. It is a sacred tradition, after all."
"But..." Cuane stammers.
"No buts, I am your chieftess, and you shall obey my lawful commands," Muyal says. Her eyes look deeply into your own, and you can feel a small, instinctive magnetism to follow her eyes, like she has an aura of unshakeable confidence and authority. Muyal smirks, and then turns away to slither to some other thing that needs supervising. "I do look forward to your performance, visitor. Do not disappoint, under penalty of...punishment," she says with a soft, yet sinister-sounding laugh.
You gulp hard.
"You still want to do this? This might have been a bit of a poor decision on my part," Cuane asks sheepishly.
You take a second, and then nod. Your momma didn't raise a quitter!
"Alright, I'll be gentle...n-not to imply that I'll be doing anything intense to you...or anything...it's just that...well...you'll see..." Cuane says.
The two of you slither towards the makeshift stage, and you can now see that there is a huge pyre of wood being erected behind it. Cuane explains the situation to a few coatls, who take you aside. With great skill and care, the stagehooves delicately paint your face with a fragrant liquid, raising a highly polished gold mirror so you can see the simple geometric pattern they've painted on your face and muzzle. They even paint on your rump, much to your surprise, circling your cutie mark with yellow paint, with curved spokes extending outwards. It kind of reminds you of Celestia's cutie mark. Before you can ask them what it's for, you hear the beat of a large drum fill the air. Giggling they push you towards the back of the stage, behind a curtain where you see Cuane and two other Coatl tribe lamias. You also see Muyals 'pets', also painted with the same tribal patterns. The stallion also has an empty version of Celestia's cutie mark around his own, while the mare, who you can tell is a crystal pony now that her body isn't being obscured by Muyal's coils, has an empty light-teal heart drawn around her cutie mark.
Before you have time to process it, Cuane leans down and whispers in your ear.
"Just follow my lead, okay? No matter what happens, remember that no harm will come to you," she quickly says.
Just as she finishes, the curtain falls, revealing the chieftess wearing a full wooden mask with a crest of multicolored feathers (including your own, your pastel color stands out against the vibrancy of the other feathers). She begins speaking in a language you don't understand, slithering around the stage what seems to be some wide-sweeping dance. With a clap of her hoofs, you feel a rush of heat from behind, and turn your head to see that the bonfire has been lit. She continues speaking in the unknown language while some small Coatl foals perform some kind of re-enactment towards the front of the stage. One of them with a bundled up tail suddenly lets it explode when another wearing a dark cape performs some gesture.
"It's the story of how we came to be," Cuane quickly whispers in your ear, before she goes back to focusing on the presentation.
The robed coatl filly dances with the others for a moment, before she falls to the ground with her mouth closed and her tongue rolling out in a display that you can't help but find adorable. As the others drag her off stage, Muyal slithers to the front, still speaking in her tribal language while she gestures wildly with both her hooves and coils. She goes silent and slithers off the stage, gesturing back towards you as the music picks up, maracas being added to the steady drum beat. Cuane and the other lamias slither on stage, dancing for the audience.
You could swear that she gestured towards you to come up.
Her pony half is dancing, while another segment is curled into an arch, while yet another rests in a donut-shaped loop that seems oddly like a seat. Looking at the hypnotized prisoners, they seem to be standing still, so they're giving you no clues. You're not sure what to do, but you have to do something! You're a bit apprehensive about what you should do but you decide that the best course of action would be to shimmy up on stage and ask directly. You timidly step up, but then all the memories of 7th-grade dance class come back to you. You step in time with a beat, letting the music flow through you.
In actuality though, you're dancing like somepony who has never danced in their life. You feel pretty cool, though. You inch closer and closer to Cuane's pony half, dodging her serpentine tail as it whips around. You even need to flap your wings to get high enough to leap over it as it sweeps the stage on occasion. Eventually though, you make it over. You nudge Cuane with your hoof, and, lowering your voice to a whisper, quickly ask her if you should sit down.
She seems surprised to see you so close. "Uh, no, this will be fine, just stay still," she whispers back. She does a few more sways for the audience, before the base of her tail, close to where it meets her pony half, quickly whips and twists around your neck. It's not squeezing, it just holds you in place as it hangs like a necklace, causing you to strain yourself as you support its massive weight on your withers.
As you're looking at it, trying to get your bearings, Cuane's hoof suddenly cups the bottom of your jaw. She gently pushes your face up to look at her. She's really close now, and she has the cutest smile on her face. She's looking at you like a little filly looks when you tell them you're going to a fair. Her smile makes you smile in turn as well.
The moment lasts for only a few seconds though, before she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. When she opens them, instead of her beautiful blue slit irises, you see repeating rings of shimmering red, gold, and purple neon light. You gasp at the sight of their splendor, pulsing unerringly, shining like the sun. You feel a certain pull towards then, one that's growing more and more with each passing second. However, you still find that you have the willpower to look away at this time. With some difficulty, your eyes scan around. The other ponies are in similar positions, their eyes filling with spirals as their weakened minds are easy prey. You see Chieftess Muyal off to the side, still wearing her wooden mask so her expression is unknown. However, she is looking at you, clearly.
You gaze turns back to Cuane. Her eyes are still spiraling, but they're slower than before. You still feel the compulsion to look deeply into them, but they don't have the same magnetic pull that you felt earlier. She leans in close, so much that her head touches yours. The spirals in her eyes slow to almost a standstill, yet her proximity means that they're almost totally engulf your field of vision, bringing you just shy of feeling utterly overwhelmed.
"You can stop at any time if you want..." Cuane whispers. "Muyal won't punish you, I promise."
Despite her whispering, her voice seems to boom in your head, and you hear everything as clear as crystal. You tell her that you're brave...but only barely. Your words sound like they're being slurred, like you've been drinking too much cider. It's just...so hard to focus on what you're saying. The words feel like they're falling out of your mouth. Those magnificent pulsing lights in Cuane's eyes feel like they're burning everything away, leaving only them.
"Alright...I'll be gentle then," Cuane whispers. "Just relax...and let go..."
She retreats from your face, and you're compelled to lean forward to follow, only to gulp as your neck presses up against Cuane's serpentine body still around your neck. The spirals in her eyes get faster and faster with every pulse, and she bobs her hips back and forth as if to captivate you with her physical beauty as well. You gaze deeply into her eyes, feeling a warm bliss fill your body as your thoughts become more fleeting and unfocused. Eventually, you can't tear your eyes away...you feel totally captivated by Cuane's spell...Those pulsing rings of colors began to fill your own eyes as well, and you delight in their magnificent rhythm as they act like a filter for the world around you.
Unable to even think of anything but Cuane's rings, the rest of the night seems like a blur. The rhythm of the drums, the heat of the bonfire, the motions of the dance...it all blends together, with the faintest flashes of lucidity making it seem like you're skipping from scene to scene in a movie. You feel handled by many different snake tails, and spy glimpses of even more pulsing eyes as you're passed around like a novelty. You don't care...Cuane's spell is swimming in your mind, eroded all worries and apprehensions...
You lose yourself to the celebration...
...
You awaken as you feel the sun's rays fall upon your face. As you blink the fuzziness from your eyes, you find yourself in a hammock. You try to go back to sleep, but you find that you can't. You feel more rested and full of energy than you've ever been. You pace a foreleg over your face to shield your eyes while you try to remember last night, but your nostrils flare as you smell something delicious cooking. You turn your head, absorbing your surroundings. You're in a fairly large wooden hut, and Cuane is leaning over a hearth cooking something. You step out of the hammock, stretching your forelegs and wings.
Cuane immediately notices.
"Oh, you're finally awake," she says with a smile. "Just give me a minute to prepare breakfast."
She quickly finishes up, using her snake tail to hold a variety of implements. You stumble towards the table, initially a bit confused about the lack of seats, when Cunae unfurls her serpentine body right next to it.
"You can sit on my tail. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt me," she says.
You sit on her thickest, softest portion, and the muscle underneath your rump feels almost gel-like. Cuane puts a plate in front of you.
"Breakfast around here is usually pretty simple. I made tortillas with honey. It's a good combination, try it out!" She exclaims with enthusiasm.
It's a strange dish, but you pick up one of the honey quesadillas with your wings and bite into one. It's absolutely divine; the tortilla is clearly freshly made, and the honey tastes purer than anything you've bought at a store, with tiny bits of beeswax to give it a chewy texture. Seeing your look of approval, Cuane begins to eat hers too. As you munch, you notice that Cuane seems a bit more beautiful than yesterday. She doesn't appear any different, and you in fact look very hard for ways her mane might be different, or if she's wearing any makeup. Try as you might, you can't find anything, yet it's undeniable that she seems to have this invisible aura around her that makes her feel absolutely radiant. It makes you see her in a new light; this mare, who seemed so demure and nerdy (well, for a tribal) yesterday now seems like a movie star.
"So, how do you feel? Did you have fun last night? You looked like it," Cuane says as she bites into another tortilla. "Still, I'm honored that you trusted me like that. It's something not a lot of outsiders get the privilege of being a part of. Oh, and I made sure to get all your things. Your bag is over there at the foot of your hammock. "
Her eyes go wide.
"Oh, before I forget, one of Chieftess Muyal's guards came by earlier. He said that the chieftess requests your presence, but not immediately. Just after you've woken up and gotten yourself ready for the day. I don't know why, you performed spectacularly last night," she says, before starting on her last honey-filled tortilla.
You ask Cuane more about the chieftess, now knowing a bit about her to frame your questions.
"Well, like I said earlier, she’s pretty nice,” she begins. “Chieftess Muyal tries to act intimidating and strong with her threats of ‘punishment’, but often times it’s something silly and inconsequential, like making somepony wear face paint for a day, or fetch something for her from the jungle. I don’t know why she wants to see you, but I guess we’ll find out soon.”
You also ask her if she’s free for today.
”Yeah, mostly, I offered to be your guide knowing that I’d be able to escort you around freely for a few days. The things I have to do can wait if I can hang out with an Equestrian pony!” She continues jubilantly.
Once you’re done eating, Cuane brings you to a basin with a pot of water outside the back entrance of the hut. She helps you wash what’s left of the paints from last night, leaving you feeling clean and refreshed. Once you’ve been made presentable, she loops her tail tip around your foreleg and begins escorting you back to Chieftess Muyal’s pyramid. As you trot, you notice that Cuane’s tail feels much softer and smoother than it did yesterday, and just feeling it subtly slide across your fur as you move makes you feel like it’s positively electrified. Indeed, there’s just something about Cuane that feels different today, for the better, but you still can’t tell exactly what. As you ponder, you find that you are already at the stone pyramid. Cuane greets the guards, who let the two of you in without resistance. You pass through the antechamber and enter the throne room. Pakal and the other guard are still there, dutifully flanking Muyal’s sides, but her ‘pets’ are curiously absent.
Mural’s eyes light up as she sees you. ”Ah, you’ve come at last. Everylamia, leave us, I wish to speak with the visitor privately,” she says with a wave of her foreleg.
The guards, along with Cuane, bow and go to slither out.
”I’ll wait for you just outside,” she whispers into your ear before leaving.
Once the others have left, closing the great wooden door of the throne room. With a sultry look in her eyes, Muyal meets your gaze, and you find yourself unable to look away as her magnificent shimmering coils gracefully flow down the stone steps leading down from her seat. You gulp as she gets close, slowly slithering around you in a wide circle, her eyes darting around your features as if she were inspecting you.
”You know, when I gave you permission to participate, I did not expect you to actually go through with it. I wanted to see what you’d do…and you didn’t disappoint~” she says as she continues to slither around, only stopping when there was a wide ring of her serpentine body surrounding you as you stood. ”In fact, I was quite surprised that you allowed Cuane to mesmerize you, especially after I showed off the prisoners to you yesterday. I was thinking that you would suspect that the festival was an elaborate plot to sacrifice or devour you, and you’d gallantly fly into the night in a bold escape from the ‘savages.’ You must really trust her for having known her for less than a full day,” Muyal continues. “I’m sure she’s told you that slavery is outlawed here, but the magical abilities of the Coatl tribe are quite strong. She could have left all sorts of suggestions in that handsome little head of yours. Did you perhaps notice today if she asked you to do something, and you just did it as if it was second nature? Or perhaps musing that you could extend your vacation?”
Before you can speak, you feel Muyal’s tail tip poke through your mane before running down your neck and down your back, making you shiver at its cool touch.
”Enjoying my tail, are you? You certainly enjoyed it last night,” Muyal says with a wink. “I must say, I did quite enjoy almost smothering you in my coils, all while your handsome little eyes spiraled madly with Cuane’s spell. Do you remember it? I don’t blame you if you don’t. Our powers are usually…overwhelming to a first timer. But, I think you’ll find that repeat conditioning will let you keep your awareness while under, although without your will~"
You ask if that’s a warning…or an offer.
”Hmm, bold of you to assume it’s either, visitor,” Muyal continues with a soft chuckle. “I’m merely stating what I’ve seen. It’s up to you to decide what to do with that information.”
Her tail tip slithers up and pinches your chin, forcing you to look at her. You can feel a certain magnetism in her beautiful eyes, similar to the one you felt last night as Cuane hypnotized you, but not nearly as intense.
”…My point is, if you trusted Cuane so much, then I suppose I will trust you in turn,” she says with a low, sultry voice. “I hereby give you permission to go about our lands unescorted. Go where you wish, see what you please…”
Her tail tip slithers along your chin as she moves back towards her throne, scales flowing against the bottom of your jaw all the way until her thickest portions before breaking off.
”Just do not make me regret my decision,” she says as she slithers back up the steps onto her throne. “Or do. Trust me, I would simply adorehaving a pegasus in my coils.”
Her giggle makes you feel a bit worried.
”You are dismissed. Send in the others as you leave,” she says with a wave of her hoof.
With that, you leave the throne room. In the antechamber, a single nod to the guards lets them know that they can enter again. Cuane slithers up to you again, quickly wrapping her tail tip around your foreleg.
”So, how did it go? What did she say?” She asks with undeniable excitement in her voice.
You tell her about your meeting, about Muyal's sly insinuations, and about how you've gotten free reign to go about the city.
"Really, that's wonderful!" Cuane says, her tail wiggling like a puppy's, before her face grows solemn. "Well, I guess you don't need me to take you everywhere anymore."
You also tell her that just because you don't need her around doesn't mean you don't WANT her around. Cuane beams and hugs you, throwing her tail around the two of you and squeezing hard. You feel the wind knocked out of you, but you're let go within seconds. Cuane smiles, and gently unravels her tail from your hoof. It feels a little naked though, after having grown so used to it. You'd also like to tell her that you'd like to take her out to dinner as thanks.
"...Take...me out to dinner?" She says, smiling awkwardly.
You notice that it's less her trying to let you down and more that she seems genuinely confused. You're a little heartbroken, but you tell her that it's fine.
"N-no! I really would like it, it's just...how does one get taken out for dinner?" She asks
...
You tell her that you take her to a restaurant.
Absolute poker face.
You tell her that they're places where you pay to get served a full cooked meal.
"You mean like paying someone to have you as a guest?" She asks.
You're a bit shocked, and point out that the tribe has individuals who run food stands in the streets.
"Those are just for getting food during the day. We coatls almost always return to our homes to cook meals ourselves. The times we don't are when there's a feast for a festival or if we are being treated as guests. We don't really have 'restaurants' as you describe them," she says.
Hmm, bit of a predicament, you realize. For as modern as they seem, the Coatls definitely still have the feeling of a jungle tribe. You are utterly speechless at the revelation that there are no restaurants in the Coatl tribe. Your first instinct is to offer to cook for Cuane
"Oh, to give me the experience? Sure! I'd love to try this 'restaurant' thing!" She says, clapping her hooves together excitedly.
One thing you've noticed with the Coatl tribe is that they are much more expressive with their forelimbs than most ponies are. Pegasi rival them while flying, but only because they are the only ones to mimic the constant upright posture of a lamia pony reared up in slither position. It's quite interesting. Everything about Cuane is interesting. Ever since you woke up, you've just felt this strange attraction to her that makes you want to spend time with her.
And spend time you do.
The two of you spend the whole day together, hanging out as Cuane shows you all of the sacred sights and temples around the city, resting with you beside a river as she tells the story of her tribe, and teasing you about how unfortunate you are to not have a serpent tail. Eventually, afternoon turns to evening, and the two of you return to Cuane's hut. You tell her to sit right at her table, and she coils herself in a nice little pile to sit on. Well, 'little' would be a misnomer; her serpent tail is a tremendous mass, all things considered. However, mother always taught you to never ask a cute mare her length! You tell Cuane that at this point, she would be given a menu and she'd have a chance to look it over and pick whatever she wanted.
"Whatever I wanted? They'd have that much food ready?" Cuane asks, almost stunned.
You tell her that they'd need to cook it first, and that because business was reliable, they could prepare and make things go quickly.
"Oh my, everypony together, feasting? Almost every night? It sounds wonderful!" She exclaims. "I MUST visit Equestria some day!"
Regardless, you ask her what she'd like for the evening.
"Oh, my, what do you know how to cook?" Cuane asks.
You're feeling lucky. You tell her that you know many dishes.
"Well, then I would like some ātōlli with tomatoes and chili peppers, please," Cuane says, closing her eyes and smiling.
...A-what? Still, you can't back down now. You tell her that you'll get it right away, and that the meal is on the house tonight, which elicits a cute giggle. You head towards the hearth. It's a simple mud oven with a crude metal grating over an opening. There's a flat iron griddle and a single pot off to the side, with a single knife and spoon both hanging on a hook attached to a wall. Looking at the shelf, you see a pouch of GROUND CORN, DRIED GRASSHOPPERS (yuck!), sack of TOMATOES, ears of CORN, DRIED CHILI PEPPERS, DRIED PRICKLY PEARS, pouch of SPICES, and a single HUGE SQUASH. This is in addition to the HUGE JUG OF WATER next to the shelf. It's a simple set of ingredients, surely you won't mess this up!
You think for a moment, pondering what ātōllicould possibly be. Suddenly, it hits you. You can check your Equestrian Geographic magazine! You retrieve it from your bag and flip through the pages
Sure enough, the author talks about the delicious ātōlli and how it's made. It's not as detailed as a cookbook, but you're able to follow what's written, combining it with your own cooking experience. In the end, you end up making a scrumptious corn porridge, with stewed tomatoes and strips of chili for flavor. You pour it into a couple of earthenware bowls, serving it steaming hot on the table.
"Oh wow, you really CAN make ātōlli! And here I thought that you'd get in over your head," Cuane says, looking at the gruel with genuine surprise.
She makes a small donut with her serpentine body, providing you a soft, plush spot to sit as you eat. It feels weird sitting on her, but you aren't going to complain about the silky smooth scales on your rump. Cuane grabs the bowl with both hooves and brings it up to her mouth to drink. You do likewise, after all, you want to show Cuane you have good manners, at least by Coatl standards. The ātōlli isn't amazing, but it's not that bad either. The tomatoes balance the heat of the chili peppers, and the corn porridge is a solid, filling base. You drink a few more gulpfuls, then set it down to breathe and cool down your mouth from the peppers.
"Pony ātōlli is a bit mild compared to ours, but also is cooked in a way that softens the vegetables into lumps that melt in the mouth. It's amazing! You must teach me how to cook it before you leave!" Cuane says, cupping her bowl before going in for more.
You breathe a sigh of relief, before resuming your own meal. The two of you continue to engage in small talk over dinner, before eventually drinking the last of the ātōlli. Cuane did go back for seconds, finishing off the pot, which stroked your ego. Then again, she did have much more mass to feed than you did, with her giant snake tail and all. The two of you work together to rinse off the pots and bowls outside of the hut, cleaning them before anything can stick to the untreated surfaces. By the time you're finished, the moon is high in the sky, and you can't stop yourself as you yawn.
"Are you getting tired? So am I," Cuane says. "It's about that time. I prepared you a hammock last night, though I don't know how comfortable that was. You may sleep with me if you'd like."
You gulp hard. You didn't expect Cuane to be so forward.
"I would have let you sleep in my coils last night, but you were not of your right mind. Now that you're lucid, I feel much more comfortable about offering it. It's a normal practice, nothing special," she adds.
Oh...thank goodness, you think...though you're not sure if you'd decline if she meant what you originally thought she meant...
"If you want to sleep in the hammock, that's fine. I just thought I'd offer this to you," she concludes as she begins to bundle her serpentine form for herself to sleep on.
You're very eager to just throw yourself on those beautifully banded loops of Cuane's tail. However, you also feel a little bit uncomfortable doing something so...intimate...with a mare that you just met two days ago. You take a moment to explain this.
"Hmm, well, I'm honored that you're so considerate. I suppose we of the Coatl tribe sometimes forget that the rest of the world does not share our lack of taboos around touch. I can assure you that I will not do anything to you that I won't do to anypony else. If you still want to sleep on the hammock, I understand," Cuane says with a solemn, but understanding look.
You do feel a little conflicted, and a part of you feels like passing up on this will mean you won't get a chance to experience it again. You ask Cuane if she promises to be respectful.
"Yes, I promise," she replies.
Will cautious steps, you approach her. As you get close, you begin to absorb just how massive Cuane's serpent half is. It didn't seem so bad while she was stretched out and slithering around, but its bulk is more visible now that it's all curled up together. Cuane extends a segment of her thickest portion, patting it invitingly with her hoof as if it were a seat. You delicately climb on, and try to sit up with your forelegs at your sides. Balancing is a little awkward, but you suddenly feel the giant tube of muscle heave around you and curles around your midsection. It's not tight, but the sheer weight alone makes your hooves feel pinned. It feels strange, but somwhat familiar; you feel like you experienced something like this last night, but can't quite remember anything in the haze of spirals. Cuane's red, yellow, and black bands on her scales almost remind you of them, a swirling vortex that seems to pull you in...literally. The ring of muscle heaves itself, lifting you into the air as if you were weightless. You can feel the sheer strength in Cuane's serpentine body as you're suspended. If she wanted to, you have no doubt that she could crush you to death in an instant. Yet, her coils have an incredibly level of control, holding you like a firm hug as she curls around you twice more, one above your midsection to trap the barrel of your chest, and the other below to seize your flanks and the upper part of your body hind heels. They loosen enough for gravity to slowly slip you down, until the chest coil now rests around your neck, cradling your jaw. She spins you once to finish winding around your exposed legs, with only the very bottom of your hind hooves visible. You struggle a little, not in any attempt to escape, but to simply feel Cuane's hug all around you. You've known some touch-feely ponies in the past, but this single embrace goes beyond anything you've ever experienced.
You can feel Cuane all around you, from the slow rise and fall of her chest to the subtle twitches and slips of her scales sliding over your fur. The coil aroud your neck curls up around the back of your skull, and Cuane delicately lowers you down horizontally onto the rest of her snake tail forming a pile.
"Are you comfortable?" Cuane asks timidly
You nod, well, at least as much as the coil around your neck will let you. It feels like a gigantic, smoother version of those neck pillow you see ponies wear occassionally on long train rides.
"Alright, well, if you ever want to be let out, just tell me to wake up. I'm a fairly light sleeper," Cuane says.
Her pony half manuevers to the hanging net full of fireflies that had been providing light, throwing a cloth over it to dim the whole hut, and snuggles up besides you. You know the instant she falls asleep, as you can feel her breathing shift as the coils rise and lower all around you. The embrace is firm, but not uncomfortable. It actually makes you think of that full-body press you got one time at a spa. In fact, the more you just relax and simply absorb the whole thing, the more enjoyable it becomes. All the gentle twitching as Cuane's body reflexively adjust its grip is like the gentlest of caresses, and her cold-blooded body acts like a heat sink so that you don't get too hot all bundled up. You can't move, but at the same time, you don't want to. Being coiled is truly unlike anything you've ever felt. You feel an unreal connection with Cuane as your breathing slowly adjusts to synchronize with her own. You stretch your immobile limbs as best you can against the thick gel-like consistency of Cuane's serpentine muscles before you shut your eyes. The supreme comfort of the whole thing ferries you off to slumber instantly.
...
Your dreams are a wild mess of disconnected scenes. You see Cuane in your childhood home, before flashing forwards to running through a cargo hold on a boat looking for something. Your movements feel sluggish and heavy, even in the scenes where you're freely running around. How they all fit together is incomprehensible; you wish that Princess Luna would grace your dreams one night to grant you the lucidity and understanding that only comes with her presence. But, few ponies are that lucky, especially since you are at the fringes of Equestria's borders. There is one thing that stays constant throughout your dreaming; shimmering pulses of neon black, red, and yellow always color your field of vision, yet you behave like nothing is there. The effect gets stronger the further into your dream you venture. Eventually, you find yourself standing on stage at the festival the previous night, except instead of an audience, fire surrounds you and Cuane.
Just as she's about to turn towards you, the dream collapses into a black void, and your eyes flutter open to see the morning sun's light creeping in through a window. An unseen bird sings with chirps that you've never heard before. Unable to do much else, you turn your head to see Cuane still asleep. She looks simply adorable with her mouth open, flopped over one of her coils as if it was a throw pillow, snoozing away. You decide to let her sleep. She's so peaceful...waking her up would be a crime. You try to slip out of the coils yourself. However, you find that the more you try to squirm, the tighter they become. Cuane is still quite asleep...could this be some sort of reflex? You try to be very slow and methodical, but even then the vice is inescapable. By the time you have to fight against the tensing muscles to take full breaths, you decide to stop trying to escape. The coils hold their level of tightness, not relaxing as you'd hoped would happen if you stopped moving around. It's not painful or suffocating, but a little uncomfortable. Plus, you're getting a little hungry...
At least, Cuane's coils feel nice as they warm up from the sunlight creeping ever so slowly across them as the sun rises.
You close your eyes to go back to sleep, figuring that you can spend a bit more time enjoying the scaly embrace before Cuane wakes up. However, after a couple of minutes, you notice one crucial detail. Your bladder, as it does every morning, begins pestering you for release. You try to ignore it, but the sensation grows with each passing minute. You try to find some way to gently rouse Cuane, but your limbs are fully bound, and you can't even move your muzzle downwards to bump her with your snout due to the plush serpent muscle cradling your jaw. You try to slowly loosen the coils by shifting your limbs, but that just has the opposite effect, making them squeeze even firmer. As you squirm, you can't help but blush as you feel them seize your tender flanks and belly, feeling just a hint of arousal as those fine textured scales grip your body like a lover. You're able to contain yourself, barely; you really don't want to creep Cuane out. Still, you continue to fidget as the tightness from Cuane's reflexively-constricting coils becomes almost pleasant, like it's squeezing the stress from your muscles. Fortunately, the sunlight finally reaches Cuane's face, and her eyes flutter open. She rears up, stretching her forelegs as she yawns and looks over to you.
Her eyes shoot open and her coils loosen all around you. "Oh, I'm sorry, I should have told you to just wake me up instead of trying to get out of my coils yourself," Cuane says as you crawl out of the loose, but still heavy, loops. "I hope it wasn't too unpleasant."
You tell her that it's fine, and you quickly rush out of the hut to relieve yourself. As you gallop, she looks at you quizzically.
"...Ponies are so weird," she whispers to herself.
...
The next few days are some of the best in your life. Cuane takes care of you, showing you the best parts of the lost city and making sure you have a great time. She even took you to a temple, where you participated in a religious ceremony by tossing a bundle of hay that had been dyed red into an open flame. They even let you take pictures!
Still, the good times couldn't last, and the week that you had allocated for this vacation flew by in what felt like an instant. Eventually, the day came for you to leave. Your eyes flutter open as you awaken, and it's the first time in several days that you've awoken with a frown on your face. You wish that you could stay longer, but you have obligations that you can't just ignore without consequence. You're able to shimmy out of the coils, since Cuane taught you a trick where twisting your body back and forth would cause them to loosen instead of tighten. She's still asleep, so you brew a cup of the local morning pick-me-up that uses ground cocoa beans instead of coffee. It doesn't have as much caffeine, but it tastes crisp and refreshing with hints of the chocolatey taste you know and love, and it's so good that you even had acquired a small bag of the stuff to take back home with you by exchanging one of the small jade tablets from your golden neckpiece. As you gaze upon Cuane's sleeping form while you sip your drink, you begin to think of how you'll say goodbye. The trip back home is long, and you should probably leave before noon if you want to catch the train that'll take you home. Still, that leaves enough time to do a few small things.
...If only Cuane didn't enjoy sleeping in so late
For a while, you begin to think what would be so bad about just staying here? Your friends, your family, your job...all of it seems so tempting to just throw away and begin a new life among the Coatl tribe. Just you and Cuane...forever...
You shake your head. Tempting as it is, you can't just leave everything behind, even if Cuane is beautiful and kind. Still, you have an idea. Cuane wakes up, rousing herself and flexing her coils.
"Good morning," she says with her bubbly voice as she quickly gets to making the usual honeyed tortilla breakfast you've grown quite fond of. She even wraps slices of mango in it, for a special treat. "So, I guess you'll need to get going soon," Cuane says with a solemn gaze. "I figured one last really good breakfast would give you the strength you need for your journey."
As you eat, you notice she's much more quiet than she usually is at breakfast. You can't say that you blame her. You thank her for all she's done, and for making this past week the best one in your life.
"Oh gosh, you're welcome," she says, her blush apparent even against her pink fur. "It's just, you were so excited, trotting around when you first arrived. You were so excited when taking my picture, even though I was caught off guard. I hope that it still looks good, so you'll have something to remember me by."
You tell her that you were thinking of giving it to her when she visits.
"Visit? W-what do you mean?" She says as her slit pupil dilate with anticipation.
You tell her that you would be honored to have her as a guest at your home, and you could show her around an Equestrian city just as you showed her around hers.
"Y-you really mean it?" Cuane squeals before lunging at you, wrapping both her tail and forelegs around you in a strong, affectionate hug...really strong, you felt like you heard something pop.
She releases you a few seconds later, smiling awkwardly.
"Wow, I would love to," Cuane says, looking deeply and affectionately into your eyes. "You mean, right now? Gosh, this is so sudden..."
You tell her that you'd need some time to get everything ready. You'd be willing to pay for her train ticket, and you'd need to clear out your house to make room for her.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Cuane says, coming down from her excitement. "I will make it up to you, don't worry."
You tell her that Equestria's postal delivery service is one of the best in the world, able to deliver anywhere, and that you'll be sending letters to her to coordinate.
"Wow, I've never gotten mail before! How will I know if I do it correctly?" She asks.
You tell her that you say a small post office in the nearest pony town, and that they'll be able to help as long as she saves the letters you send her so that she'll have your address.
"Wow, I don't know what to say," she says, with tears welling in her eyes. "Never did I think ponies could be so kind."
It's nothing, you assure her, which prompts another hug from her. As strange being squeezed so hard that the air is robbed from your lungs, you're going to miss it. The two of you finish up breakfast, pack your things, and make your way towards the entrance of the lost city where you had initially arrived. Even though it was unnecessary, Cuane had gotten into the habit of looping her tail tip around your front hoof while you were together. Your enjoyment of it is beyond words. The two of you finally reach the large stone pillars that you passed under when you first got here. You're glad that you were brave and didn't try to sneak around, otherwise you wouldn't have met this lovely mare.
"Well, I guess this is it," Cuane says, looping from your hoof after a few moments of hesitation.
The two of you embrace one last time. You are caught by surprise when you feel a quick kiss on your cheek. You break the embrace, feeling flushed.
Cuane giggles. "I'll be waiting for your letter," she says with a wink.
With that, Cuane turns around and begins to slither off, waving goodbye with her tail tip as she does so. You stand there for a few minutes, looking beet red as you try to absorb her little gift. Then, with a spring in your step and a flutter in your heart, you spread your wings and take off. After an hour of flying, you finally reach the nearest town with a train station. You barely have time to grab lunch before it's time to board your train. You do make sure to eat as much as you can, it's a long way home. You fly into the passenger car just as the conductor is about to close it, much to his chargrin. You find an empty seat, taking off your saddlebags and stretching out to get comfortable on the ride. As you look out the window and see the jungle trees get less and less dense, it begins to sink in that your vacation is finally over. Yet, it isn't the end of your adventure. You're content with the knowledge that Cuane will come and visit you one day. It might need a couple of months, but you'll make sure that everything is ready for her visit.
For now, though, you decide to rest, gaze out the window, and watch the world pass by.