The Snake

(Warning - graphic descriptions of gore)

The snake hid herself high in the branches of the tree. She had tried, tried to warn them but they would not listen. Villagers had dug a pit and gutted a pig. Letting it squeal in terror as its warm guts flowed out around it. They had pushed it in mercilessly, and it had landed hard, splattering blood. When it tried to stand its entrails got all tangled up in its feet causing unimaginable pain. It collapsed, still squealing. The faceless villagers faded into the background.

They were burning the ceremonial herbs, the offering herbs. The knew that the Nagini would come. She heard them first. Like whispers through the grass and the trees. The beautiful green of their bodies going to their deaths. She did not dare come out. She was still very young and she had tried to appeal to the elders but they had not listened. Shunned her and laughed. How could the humans have the courage to kill them? They had lorded over the humans for all of recorded memory. Being powerful spirits as they were.

But times were changing, humans were changing. There was less respect for the old ways. Less respect for powerful beings. Humans only wanted to control or destroy. She had overheard some young men in the village talking about getting rid of the Nagini. Stop wasting sacrifices on stupid snakes. Start investing into their own villages and pockets more. Killing them would surely bring good fortune to the village too. No more disappearing children and livestock. Kill them all.

The Nagini started to flood into the pit. Ripping at the pig as it squealed in extreme terror. Soon the pit was a thrashing mass of the snakes, streaked with blood. Then heathen human wizards, rented by these poor for the diabolical purpose of murdering her kin, stepped out of the shadows. Even she had not known that they were there. They cast wordless magic, sealing a rim around the pit then setting it and everything inside on fire with a hideous pink flame. Her brethren whipped around like the tentacles of an enraged fire demon, smashing against the barrier and splitting their crisp skins. Her eyes shone like damned jewels even as she dematerialized. This forest was no longer safe for her.

....

Cold, wet. Her long muscular body was not used to this place. Ancient magic had helped her to vanish to a place far, far away from the murderers. It was supposed to have a sort of honing mechanism that would bring her to allies. Or, at the very least, safety. Looking around at her surroundings, dark, cold wet forest with unfamiliar trees she started feeling the cold settle into her bones. Then a whisper found her high up in the branches.

“Come to me...”

The last Nagini went.

.....

Image source

THE MYTH OF NINGYO VS MERMAID that got me thinking about a backstory for Nagini.Credit to @oluwoleolaide for

I may add to it and am open to feedback!