Aslan dreamed of dishes. Maybe it was his subconscious telling him that he had chores to do, maybe he just liked the orderly manner of clean white bowls and plates being stacked up to dry in neat rows. He supposed the water must have come back if he could afford to wash this many dishes. On and on they went like a maze of white ceramic, piling up and up until they were taller than him. If it hadn't been a dream, they probably would have fallen over and smashed.

In his dream, he was running through this ceramic maze frantically. He was looking for something... someone. It was very urgent.

"Aslan?" a voice called in his dream.

"I can't talk right now," he replied, "I'm looking for someone."

"And what about Jasper?" Aslan turned around to face the voice. It was Monk Tinley.

"Jasper?" Aslan asked.

"You promised to help him," Monk Tinley reminded him.

"Oh my desert, you're right," Aslan remembered as he was shaken awake. His eyes blinked themselves open and he was suddenly met with the worst of headaches. It was like someone had taken a hammer to the base of his skull. He ignored it as best he could as he sat up.

Where was he? He barely remembered anything... he'd been drunk, though. He drank a whole bottle of wine on an empty stomach. No wonder.

But that didn't answer the question. He hadn't walked back to his quarters, that was for sure. So whose bed was he in?

Balthazar's was the answer. He had spent so much time in the tower that he recognized it as soon as his vision focused. Balthazar himself was lying on a cushioned bench a few feet away.

Aslan tried to get out of bed without waking him. It was still dark outside- midnight, probably- and he didn't want to bother Zar. He'd been nice enough to offer Aslan his bed for the night, so the least Aslan could do was let him sleep for once.

Of course, his headache was so bad he could barely move without swaying a bit. He toppled slightly into a table and knocked over several metal goblets with a loud crash.

"Oh, heck," he cursed.

Balthazar rose slowly and confusedly, as if he had forgotten why he wasn't in his own bed. When he saw Aslan, his eyes cleared as he remembered. "Aslan, why are you awake?" he asked groggily. "It's the middle of the night, your chores can wait until morning."

"No, this isn't about chores," Aslan said. "I promised Jasper I'd help with something- I think he's getting the scorpion venom to the Oasis tonight and he's bringing a friend."

Zar raised an eyebrow. "A friend?"

Aslan nodded, pressing a palm to his forehead to silence the ringing. It didn't work.

"Here, let me help," Zar said, getting up. He cupped Aslan's face in one hand and put the other on Aslan's temple.

"What are you-"

Zar muttered an incantation under his breath and suddenly the pain was gone.

"Ooooh," Aslan said gratefully. "Thank you. I didn't know you could do that."

"I wish the spell were more useful," Zar admitted. "It only helps with small things like headaches or a stubbed toe. It can't heal sun sickness or anything."

"Well, it healed me," Aslan assured him.

"Do you want me to come to the Oasis with you?"

Aslan shook his head. "We'll be fine. Jasper just needs my help sneaking her into the castle, but if something happens with the venom he'll probably let you know."

Zar nodded at him and motioned for him to be on his way. Aslan gave a little mock salute before zipping down the stairs to meet Jasper, hoping he hadn't overslept and missed the prince.

❂

Jasper led Alkemena over the wall and through the hedges bordering the castle. They were both giggling quietly, but Jasper knew full well that the guard placed by this entrance was Ecthelion, and he was busy keeping Isa occupied while Rosalind and Lylie got the snake venom. It was unguarded.

"Here, here," he directed as he pulled her by the hand. He didn't often hold hands with someone. Being a prince, anyone he even stood next to would undoubtedly be barraged by rumors and gossip, and holding hands was even worse. By the desert, holding hands with his sister was scandalous. It was nice to be able to escape that reputation with Alkemena. He knew that she probably didn't need him to lead her around; even though it was dark she was a professional thief and was undoubtedly capable of seeing her way in the black. However, part of his just didn't want to let go of her hand.

The light of the servant's entrance was barely visible with the door closed, but Jasper knew where it was. He snuck out of it so often that he could find it even without the firelight outline of the door. "Wait here."

"What are we waiting for?" Alkemena asked.

"My friend has to open the door for us," Jasper explained. "It can't be opened from the outside." It was true. He usually re-entered through the window of his room that he left open. "It's a thief-proofing thing."

She wrinkled her nose at that.

After a few moments of waiting Jasper was afraid Aslan might have forgotten to meet them there. However, his friend was reliable and showed up a matter of seconds later. The door opened a crack for Aslan to peek out and for Jasper to wave at him from the bushes.

"Quick, quick, get in," Aslan whispered and Jasper and Alkemena ran over as fast as they could without standing up straight.

Once inside, Aslan shut the door behind them and the three started giggling. Jasper was used to breaking the rules, but he'd never been so rebellious as to sneak a peasant, a criminal no less, into the palace. He imagined Aslan was the same. But he wasn't terribly worried about getting caught. It was midnight, and everyone was asleep. Everyone except the guards, who were all posted outside.

"Hey Aslan," Alkemena managed through her chuckles.

"Oh, hey Alkemena. I didn't realize you were Jas- Jayyyyyyyyyyy's friend," Aslan said, catching himself before he said Jasper's real name. Jasper was suddenly very thankful he had told Aslan ahead of time to use the fake name.

"You two know each other?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, he helped me get away with some guy's water a while back," Alkemena explained. "Then he taught me how to read, or at least how to read a few words. We stopped meeting each other after patrols got more regular, but hey," she turned back to the servant, "It's good to see that you're still alive."

"You too," Aslan replied, smiling at her.

"Well, okay, now that we're in," Alkemena said, turning back to the task at hand. "What now? You said something about an Oasis?"

"The Underground Oasis," Jasper agreed. "It's the place where we have to put the venom."

"How do we get there?"

"This way." He pointed down one of the many hallways that his father would flip out about him knowing his way around. "Oh, and thanks Aslan. We know you probably wanted to be asleep right now."

"Oh, it's fine, Jay," Aslan said, making sure to put extra emphasis on the fake name. "But if you can take it from here, I am going to get some of my chores done early so I can sleep in tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, do that. We'll be fine." Jasper led Alkemena further as Aslan retreated to his quarters, both of them having calmed down enough to be quiet. Noises inside the castle would be much more problematic than in the open air of the outside. Echoes were dangerously loud.

"Okay, so I imagine the Underground Oasis is Underground," Alkemena reasoned.

"Right you are."

"So we're going down."

"Right again."

They snuck down the spiral staircase and down a narrow hallway that opened into the Oasis. Alkemena's eyes widened at the sight of the crystals and clear water. Jasper knew she'd never seen it before, and though he didn't remember what it was like to see it for the first time he imagined it was a sight to behold.

Alkemena's eyes stayed glued to the water for a time. "Can we drink it?"

"Only if you want a mouthful of salt," Jasper, crouching by the shore and pulling out the scorpion venom. "I assure you it's not worth it."

Alkemena knelt next to him. "If you say so. Now what? Do we just pour it in?"

"I think so," Jasper said, dipping the vial until the liquid started to spill over. It met the water with a gentle fizz, but no other reaction was visible. "Damn."

"What? Did it not work?" Alkemena asked. "But it fizzed! That's not normal. It means something happened, right?"

"No," Jasper said glumly. "It does that with everything. We're pretty sure we're looking for something with a little more... gusto."

Alkemena shrugged. "I'm not going to question how you know that. Anyways, I was wondering, if this didn't work..." She trailed off unsurely.

He looked at her. "What?"

"Well, since we're already here," Alkemena wheedled, "I was thinking maybe it wouldn't hurt anyone to relieve the royals of some of their treasures and baubles and whatever we can get our hands on?"

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal, Alkemena."

"I'm pretty sure I'm a criminal, Jay."

Jasper knew he should feel bad about it, but his face broke into a smile. He knew he was agreeing to basically steal from himself, but he figured his father could use a dose of humility. A few missing gold trinkets wouldn't kill him. "I think that's a great idea."

They snuck back up the stairs, but went further, to the hallways that nobles actually traversed in the daytime. Jasper wasn't willing to bring her up to the sleeping chambers for fear that his father or some other nobles might wake up, but these hallways were lined with vases and jewels and tapestries on display. None of them were particularly necessary, but all were fairly valuable. He figured Alkemena would find a better use for them than hanging on the wall collecting dust.

They ran through the halls laughing to each other, commenting on the ugliness of all the artifacts.

"This one looks like it has a stick up its ass," Alkemena pointed out, gesturing to a small, nasty statue carved from quartz. She picked it up and shoved it in one of her many pockets. "The king should thank me. I'm doing him a favor by getting rid of it."

"Here, take this one too," Jasper encouraged, lifting a chain of gold and rubies off the wall. "It looks hella expensive, but it doesn't match any of the other decorations in here. No one will even miss it. God, why does the king put up such awful displays? He should hire us as interior decorators. We could do a much better job than whoever did this. He obviously has no taste."

"Him and all his kin," Alkemena said bitterly. "I'll be glad of the day when they all get what's coming to them."

A twinge of guilt. Even now, when Jasper felt more carefree than ever, he was still living a lie.

"Hey!" a voice from down the hallways shouted. "Who's there?"

"Uh oh," Alkemena whispered, her face suddenly changing from leisurely to alert. "I thought you said there weren't any guards inside the palace."

"There usually aren't," Jasper hissed back. However, the clank of armored boots coming their way definitely signaled a guard's approach. "Run."

They didn't drop a single thing they'd stolen, but that barely hindered them as they bolted through the hallways at top speed, not caring about making noise anymore.

"Up the stairs!" Alkemena said as she took a sharp turn and started bolting up a story. Jasper was loath to follow since he knew that there were more nobles upstairs, but it was a better alternative to being caught. He followed her. After all, they were in the west of the castle and his father slept in the east. They were safe from him, at least.

They emerged in a long hallway bare of decorations but lined with fancy carved doors. Bedrooms and quarters of minor nobles. They dashed down them slightly more quietly. Alkemena was much better and quieting her footsteps than he was.

Not good enough, though. A door opened and a sleepy-looking lady came out, rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on? Who's there?" The lady was in a night robe and her hair was slightly ruffled as though she'd been sleeping not five seconds earlier. Jasper recognized the dark hair and smooth face as Arya Marie Holloway.

"Arya, Arya," he said desperately. Alkemena had frozen in place after being discovered, and she raised her fist as if she might have to knock Arya out. "You have to hide us."

"Us?" She looked back and forth between him and Alkemena. "What are you-"

"Please," he begged.

She narrowed her eyes at him exasperatedly before waving them both in. He nodded to her gratefully before pulling Alkemena inside. Arya closed the door behind them.

"Who is this?" Alkemena asked, looking suspiciously at Arya. Arya returned the glare.

"Just trust me," Jasper told her. He looked to Arya. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He pulled her aside into a walk-in closet, leaving a confused Alkemena outside. "Okay, look, I don't really have time to explain to you what we're doing, but for our sake, can you pretend we were never here?'

Arya narrowed her eyes at him again. She did that a lot. "Fine."

"Oh. Really?" He had thought she might need more convincing than that. He had often noticed her avoiding him and giving him hateful glances. He thought she disliked him. "I thought you hated me or something."

She rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot, Jasper. I don't hate you. You're a good guy. I avoid you because I know that the second I'm within five feet of you my father is going to try to pawn me off on you to get himself a higher status. No offense, but I do not want to marry you."

"Oh, oh yeah. Same, no offense, but me neither."

"Great. Thanks." Jasper was about to step back out, but he paused and added, "By the way, call me Jay. She doesn't know who I am."

Arya narrowed her eyes at him yet again. "Okay..."

They stepped outside and Alkemena was sitting innocently on a stool. Too innocently. Jasper noticed the bulge in her pockets had grown slightly, and Arya's jewelry box was open. Clearly , Arya noticed too.

"Just take it," she said tiredly. "It's midnight and I'm too tired to deal with this."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alkemena said inconspicuously.

"Let's just go," Jasper said, taking Alkemena's hand once again. "Thanks again, Arya."

"See you, Jay," she yawned, closing the door behind them.

"So this is your secret," Alkemena said as they walked back down the stairs to the exit.

His heart sped up. "W-What? What secret?"

"Yours," she said again. "Why you're always going missing, how you know everyone in the palace-"

Please please please don't figure it out-

"You're a servant here."

"Yep," he agreed quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "That's exactly right. A servant."

"I don't know why you'd hide that from me," Alkemena chided. "It wasn't like I was going to get mad at you for it. I know I hate the royals, but serving them isn't really a choice, is it? They might be jerks, but that doesn't make you one. Don't worry, my opinion of you hasn't changed."

That's because I'm still lying to you, he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her the truth. But he knew if he did she'd never want to see him again.

They came to the door.

"Well, this is where I take my leave," Alkemena said. She turned to him with a fond look in her eyes. "It's good to learn a little more about you. I feel like I still don't know you at all, despite you being the only person I see regularly."

That's because you actually don't know me at all.

"Yeah, well, maybe you'll learn more next time. But tonight I have, uh... chores to do, here in the palace."

"I'm sorry the scorpion venom didn't work."

"Yeah, me too." He smiled at her. "But hey, it wasn't the only option. Don't worry, we'll figure something out."

"Okay." She pursed her lips with a thoughtful look in her eye. "Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to tell you something. It's really, really important."

He gave her a suspicious look. "What?"

"Come closer."

He leaned in a little bit closer.

To his surprise, she didn't whisper anything in his ear. Instead, she leaned forward as well and placed a gentle kiss on his mouth.

Her lips were chapped, as most people's were, but they were still soft. He leaned into the kiss, returning it for the half-second it lasted, before they both pulled away. Him in shock, her in confidence. She was smiling smugly, as if she'd been planning this all night. She gave him a coy smile and said quietly, "See you around," before turning and scurrying away into the darkness with her pockets full of stolen goods.

Jasper smiled after her, unwilling to close the door in case she came back for a second kiss. After a few seconds of staring into the night he realized he was being foolish and closed the door, turning around to head back to his room.

He met the eyes of Sendar Redious, standing a few feet behind him.

He jumped back in surprise, his back thudding against the door he'd just shut. "Sendar! What the- How long were you there?"

Sendar's eyes were wide and judging, and by the look on his face he'd seen everything. "Long enough." He turned around and started speed walking towards the east side of the palace.

He's going to tell me father, Jasper realized.

"Wait!" the prince called, jogging to catch up with the supervisor. He jumped in front of him to stop his movement. "Sendar, please, you cannot tell me father about this."

"About what? About you kissing some random peasant girl you snuck into the castle?" Sendar demanded. "Oh, yes I can."

He tried to maneuver around Jasper, who blocked his way again. "Please. You have no idea what he will do to both me and her if he finds out."

"What he'll do to you?" Sendar repeated. "What he'll do to you? What about what he'll do to me?"

Jasper looked closer and realized that the look in Sendar's eyes wasn't judgement- it was fear. "What do you mean?"

"The king is going to find out," Sendar explained, his voice cracking slightly. "He always finds out, whether I tell him or not! And what happens to me when he finds out I knew and didn't tell him?"

"I don't-"

"You're a prince!" Sendar spat. "Whatever punishment you get, it's not permanent! You can get away with anything because he can't touch you. You have to be presentable to the public, which means he can't hurt you." He sucked in a shaky breath. Was he holding back tears? "She's just some peasant girl, probably with no family or attachments. She can run. They'll never find her. But what about me? Where can I go?'

"Sendar, what do you-"

"If I get in trouble, I'm as good as dead," Sendar continued to rant. "I can't leave here. I have a family. My father is sick and dying. What would he do without me? No one would notice if I suddenly went missing in the night, and if they did no one would care. Everyone who knows I exist hates me. My reliability is the only reason the king tolerates me. If you get caught then so do I, unless I'm the one doing the catching."

Jasper opened his mouth to say something like 'but you still can't tell anyone', when he realized Sendar was right. If they did get caught, he would get the worst of it.

"So we don't get caught," Jasper reasoned. "No one saw that but us. If we just keep it quiet, no one has to know. Okay?"

Sendar looked at him skeptically.

"I'm serious," he said. "Please, Sendar. I know we're not exactly friends, but I'm asking you to do this for me. Please, this is the first time I've been happy in so long. Please don't take that away from me."

Sendar hesitated before nodding slowly. "Fine. Fine, I'll keep your little secret. But if me or my father suffers from this-"

"You won't," Jasper promised. "I'll protect you."

Sendar looked down. "Yeah, you say that now." He pivoted and started to walk back to his own quarters. "I have the sinking feeling I'm going to regret this."

"Thank you," Jasper said finally as Sendar walked away.

❂

Ecthelion was sweating through his boots. It wasn't that he was a bad liar exactly; he thought that if he needed to he could sell almost any story and get away with it. After all, he'd lied his way to get him and his companion through the palace gates in the first place. However, something about this was different.

Maybe it was how Isa's eyes were drilling holes through his skull.

She had never taken her eyes off him since he asked her to come with him. She was a lot like Lylie, honestly. Very distrustful of him.

He had taken her away by promising her a bucket of water. That was probably the only reason she was willing to go. He knew that otherwise she never would have trusted a thing he said, but she was too dehydrated to say no. The problem? He didn't actually have a bucket of water to give her.

"I still feel like this is some kind of trap," Isa said as they approached the palace gates. It was night by then, and maybe Ecthelion should have been at his post but he figured, What's the worst that could happen?

"For the last time, if I wanted to arrest you or your sister I could have done it a thousand times back in town," Ecthelion sighed. "I don't need to bring you to the castle for that."

"You've been trying to arrest her for weeks," Isa pointed out. She walked very lightly, as if she was getting ready to take off at a sprint.

"I've never actually caught her with any definitive proof that could warrant arrest," Ecthelion admitted. "Why am I telling you this? I shouldn't be."

He was quickly formulating a plan in his head while they walked. He had to get this girl water. Not just because he'd promised her, but he could hear something in her voice that meant her throat was nearly scraped dry, completely devoid of moisture. If she was willing to go with Ecthelion, the man she trusted probably the least, she must have been really desperate. It was his job to uphold the law, but he had a heart. If he could help this girl out, shouldn't he?

He decided to take her to the palace's private well. It was in no better condition than other wells, but it was not as heavily guarded. There, he could get her that bucket.

He led her there. It was dark out, a lit torch on a stick serving as a lamp. There was a single guard posted there, a spear in his hands. He looked very tired.

"Wait here," Ecthelion said to Isa. He marched up to the guard.

"Hey there," he said good-naturedly. "Your shift is over, I'm taking it from here."

"Ecthelion!" The guard leapt to attention. "Sir! I didn't realize it was that time yet-"

"Oh, it's not. We changed rotation just today. You go get some sleep now."

"Yes sir!" The guard saluted gratefully with a weary smile and ran off, probably eager for some rest.

Ecthelion waved Isa over, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "There's no raffle, is there?"

"I don't know what your talking about."

"You're stealing this water," she realized.

"Stealing?" Ecthelion made his voice a little higher and moved his hands up and down like scales in a guilty shrug. "Is it stealing? I have the princess' approval, so really, I think it's just following orders."

Isa smirked at him while grabbing the bucket to get the water. "You pretend to be so righteous but you're just as bad as the rest of us."

"I am not," Ecthelion protested. "This is a one time thing. I'll still arrest you if you do it again."

"This is your doing," Isa sang. "You're the one stealing this water, not me."

She lifted the bucket to her lips and gulped, a cheerful smile on her face. Ecthelion didn't appreciate her accusations, but making her this happy was certainly worthwhile. She drank about half the bucket in one gulp, and then moved to lower it back down to get more.

He stopped her. "Ah, ah. I said one bucket. That's all. We can't afford to lose more than that."

She scowled at him. "Fine. But I'm taking the rest of this home for Lylie." She started untying the bucket from the rope, probably intending to take the whole thing with her.

"Yeah, that's fine," Ecthelion said. "Buckets are cheap." He pointed a warning finger at her. "Be careful with that water, though. Don't get robbed or anything."

"I'll be fine." She lifted it onto her hip to make it easier to carry. "I'm just going to go now, if you don't mind. I can see myself out."

She spun around and walked off without giving him the opportunity to respond. He was left by the well patrol he'd just accepted, open-mouthed and alone.

But not quite as alone as he'd thought.

"What's this?" a voice sing-songed from the bushes. "A palace guard, stealing water?" Emlin crawled out, giving him a triumphant look. He was not particularly surprised to find out she had been there the whole time.

"Of course not," Ecthelion said, giving her a glare. "Rosalind ordered this. It's not stealing."

"I'm betting the king does not approve of Rosalind's order, then," Emlin surmised. "Wow, you'll never be able to arrest me now. I have blackmail material." She did a little jazz hands.

"This is hardly blackmail material," Ecthelion said. "Besides, who will take the word of a dancer over a palace guard? A professional swordsman, no less?" He hesitated. "What are you doing here, anyways? Shouldn't you be at home, sleeping?"

Her eyes grew dark. "I don't have a home anymore." Her hand wandered up to the black tattoo around her neck, marking her a captive from another land.

He suddenly felt very guilty. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive. I was simply trying to say that you should be sleeping at this ungodly hour of night."

She waved him off. "Sleep is for the weak. Wandering around in the night hours when no one thinks they're being watched can be much more fulfilling."

"I imagine you have a lot of blackmail material, then."

She smiled evilly. "I certainly do. But I'm not telling you, then you'll have it too."

He crossed his arms. "Who says I don't already have all kinds of blackmail?"

"Aha!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You just admitted to another crime! Blackmail is illegal!"

He paused, realizing she was right. Wow, he was being caught in all kinds of acts tonight, wasn't he. "I... never admitted to actually having any. I was just challenging you."

"Still," Emlin said, "I think you should just stop talking before I have to arrest you."

He glowered at her frustratedly. She smiled at him victoriously.

"I don't suppose you have somewhere else to be," he said. "It looks as if I'm going to be here all night and I'd like some peace and quiet."

"Well, in that case," Emlin said, "I'd be happy to annoy you for the rest of the night. I've got nothing better to do."

Ecthelion sighed. "So be it."

❂

Rosalind was sitting with her face in her hands in the small caravan they were sitting in. Raven's arm was over her shoulder comforting her, but honestly it didn't make her feel any better.

"I'm a horrible personnnnnnnnnnnnn," she wailed quietly.

"You did it for the good of the whole desert," Raven said. "You didn't have a choice. She never would have helped us otherwise."

"But we could have tried," Rosalind protested, determined to keep hating herself. "I just went in there and threatened everything she ever loved!"

"Not really," Raven reasoned. "You were never actually going to arrest them."

"But did you see the look in her eyes? I crushed her! I am awful, Raven, I deserve deeeeaaaath."

"That's a little overboard," Raven said. "Come on. Cheer up. Don't make me do my hippo impression. Trust me, it'll make you laugh, but at the price of your high opinion of me."

Rosalind gave him a weak smile and a chuckle. "Nothing can change my opinion of you."

"Hye, hey, no fair! I'm trying to make you laugh, don't get cheesy with me!" He playfully slapped her arm.

The caravan driver opened the cotton flap to the tent-covered wagon. "Excuse me, princess? Your guest just got here."

Raven nodded to show they heard and he left, probably to get back on his camel that pulled the caravan. Rolsaind threw Raven's arm off and straightened up, wiping underneath her eyes.

"If Lylie's here, we have to go now," Rosalind said, her voice showing no sign that she'd been having a breakdown only seconds earlier. "Night will be over and the snakes will just be going to sleep."

Raven gave her a thumbs-up, amazed at her ability to hide her emotions so well. "Great. Sounds like a plan."

Lylie threw open the entrance flap, tramping her way in loudly. She sent a daggered glare at Rosalind before sitting down opposite the two. "So, you told me to meet you here with my dancing shoes just before dawn or you'd report me and my sister. You still haven't told me what this has to do with snakes."

They all shook a little as the caravan started moving, the wheels crunching the sand underneath.

"We need to capture a few Neckbreakers," Raven said.

"Just call your snake hunters. They usually do a pretty good job considering you royals are getting fat off snake meat." She scowled.

Rosalind ignored her poisonous words. "We need the snakes alive. We need to get their venom."

"What on earth do you need Neckbreaker venom for?" Lylie demanded. "Are you trying to poison someone?"

"No!" Raven replied. "No, of course not! We don't want to kill anyone! We need it to end the drought."

"That makes a whole lot of sense," Lylie said sarcastically. "What are you planning to do? Drink it yourselves?"

"No one is drinking the venom," Rosalind clarified.

"Then what do you need it-"

"It's for magic," Rosalind interrupted. "Does that answer your question?"

Lylie was stumped at that. She obviously wanted to keep asking annoying questions, but she knew nothing about magic and therefore didn't know what to ask. She slumped back into her seat and scowled at them for the rest of the ride.

❂

When the caravan stopped, Lylie jumped out first. She'd tied on her dancing shoes on the way there, not wanting to waste time and do it once they arrived. The sooner she got this whole thing over with, the better.

Raven stepped out after her and held something out for her to take. It was a rucksack.

"What's this for?" Lylie asked, taking it hesitantly.

"It's for you to put the snakes in."

Lylie's eyes widened at that. "Wait, just for me? I thought you said we. We were going to get the snakes. Not just me. I am not going out into the desert alone with nothing but a sack to defend myself against some of the most venomous snakes in the world."

"Not just a sack," Raven pointed out. He held out the second object to her.

"What is this?" she asked. "A fire poker?"

"It's sharp but also hooked," Raven said, gesturing. "You can stab anything that attacks you and pick up snakes without touching them."

She glowered at him. "Wow. So helpful."

He tilted his head in exasperation. "Look, we would do it ourselves if we were half as talented as you are. But we're not. If Rosalind or I went out there right now we would both die instantly."

"Good riddance," Lylie muttered, walking around the caravan. The sun was rising steadily and already the sand was getting warm. If they stayed out here too long, they'd bake.

The caravan faced away from the city, which was still visible on the horizon, but in front of it was what really worried the dancer. At first glance it might seem like just miles and miles of sand, but she could recognize the dip in the sand that meant a Neckbreaker nest was right underneath it. The snakes were just below the surface sleeping under the sand to avoid burning to death. However, they weren't deep enough that they couldn't wake up and lash out in a split second.

"Kiara said we need six snakes," Rosalind said, stepping out of the caravan. "Do you think you can do that?"

"I haven't really been given much of a choice, have I?" Lylie fired back.

[The author would like to point out at this time that I asked the reptile expert @TheExplosiveCyborg how many snakes they would actually need, and the scientifically accurate answer was about 20. However, I am not about to do that to poor Lylie, so I have used the plot stone to lower the number to 6. Thou shalt dealeth with it.]

Rosalind frowned guiltily. "I'm sorry, Lylie. I wouldn't do this if I thought there was another way."

"You could have just asked nicely, maybe?"

Rosalind looked at her. "Would you have said yes?"

Lylie huffed at that, knowing the answer would have been no. She didn't put much faith in magic, and she wasn't about to willingly put her life and Isa's on the line on the promise that maybe a magical solution had been found.

"Let's just get this over with," she mumbled.

Raven and Rosalind stood at the very edge of the snake den, waiting with wide and frightened eyes. Rosalind wrung her hands anxiously as Raven bit his thumb nail.

Lylie went one step at a time, testing each place she set her foot down before putting her weight on it. If she stepped on a snake, she was as good as dead. At one point, the sand next to her feet stirred and she spun away quickly, her delicate steps keeping the other snakes asleep. The one snake that she'd awoken slithered in a tight circle and gave something like a yawn before settling back into the sand. Lylie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

She held the iron rod out and maneuvered the hooked tip underneath that snake since it was so close to the surface. She lifted it carefully, her arm shaking slightly. The snake was obviously awake now, but it was docile enough that it let her lift it and drop it into the bag. One down. Five to go.

She felt around in the sand with the poker until she reached a soft spot that she knew a snake had settled in. She repeated the motion she had done with the first one, and the second snake was safely in the bag as well. She hoped the canvas was thick enough that they couldn't bite her through it.

The third snake offered a bit more of a challenge. She tried to pick it up and it slunk away quite quickly, nearly waking up the one next to it. She tried to get the poker under it and it turned around and tried to bite the iron rod. Lylie was very grateful that it wasn't her arm. She decided that snake was a bit too feisty for her, and she left it be.

The actual third snake and the fourth snake came without trouble. Lylie was breathing very heavily by now. Sweat from both the heat and her anxiety dripped down the sides of her face and made her grip on the poker slippery.

Rosalind and Raven probably didn't realize they were inching closer and closer the farther into the den Lylie went, but they were. Neither of them saw how dangerously close they were to one sleeping snake. Their eyes were too glued to Lylie.

The fifth snake squiggled a bit, but ultimately came without trouble.

"Just one more," Rosalind whispered.

"I can count to six," Lylie hissed back. "I might not have a royal education but I get by."

She traipsed lightly over a particularly loose bit of sand where a snake had abandoned its sleeping place, and slipped slightly. Raven and Rosalind both sucked in a breath as she caught her balance again. The snake bag was wriggling a bit, but none of the snakes were trying to escape, at least.

Lylie started to make her way back to the caravan, deciding she didn't want to be in the middle of the den when she finally finished the job. She was so close to getting out of here and getting royal immunity. Just one more snake.

She slid the poker under a large snake whose scales stuck out from the sand even when it slept. This one was bigger than the others, but it slept sounder, it seemed. It went into the bag without a fight.

The three of them all exhaled in relief. Lylie tied the top of the snake sack into a knot and tip-toed away from the snake den, ready to get out of there and never venture into the sand again. This would provide enough nightmares for the rest of her life.

The snake at Rosalind and Raven's feet suddenly decided to be very inconvenient.

It leapt up without warning or provocation, opening its mouth to sink its fangs into Rosalind's shin. If Raven had not been so versed in animal noises, he might not have heard the mini hiss-spit that preceded the sudden attack. Just in time, he wrapped his arms around Rosalind's shoulders and practically jumped on her to knock them both out of the way. They rolled, the snake's teeth snapping shut on empty air.

Unfortunately, the commotion and spray of sand distracted Lylie. She looked up instead of at the sand at her feet, and came to rest her weight on a tiny little snake no one had noticed.

A tiny snake can still bite. It reared its head and drove its fangs into Lylie's ankle.

At first, she didn't register what had happened. She felt a small pinch and staggered forward when the snake let go and slithered away. Raven and Rosalind started screaming something, but her ears must have been clogged because she couldn't hear them. She stumbled until she was clear of the snakes before her vision started to blur. The world was tilting to the side. Wait, no. Not the world. Her head. It lolled to the left like someone had snapped her neck.

She collapsed to her stomach as Raven got up to grab her shoulders. It didn't make a difference when he pulled her up and threw an arm over his shoulder to pull her back to her feet. Everything was too blurry for her to comprehend, and a ringing in her head was like a tiny drill in her brain.

The world faded to black.

Word Count: 6689

Character Appearances:

Aslan by dr0wning_in_w0rds

Balthazar Evander by Cynarr (briefly)

Jasper Vastatio by EstelElfstone

Alkemena Irving by TheShortBosmer

Ecthelion Finweson by WingedWarrior1731

Rosalind Vastatio by sofififlowers

Raven Blackthorn by ghostofwolves

Lylie Jasmal by 

Also Featuring Appearances From:

Arya Marie Holloway by Toilken4Life

Sendar Redious by Dire_Redheart

Emlin "The Cat" by dobblewolf

Kiara Altaica by TheExplosiveCyborg (mentioned)

A/N: Hello gang! Happy new year! 2020 is perhaps finally behind us? Can it be true? Hooray! Celebration!

This is me humbly asking for some spam and some votes? Pwease? They make me very much more motivated to update more often. Thanks a bunch!

Also, for those of you asking last chapter, here is the true protagonist of this story:

His name is Wiggums Gee. He is a simple merchant, and he spent all his life harvesting venom from scorpions he found around his house. He has been stung 69 times and somehow lived through it. Many suspect he has superpowers. He came back to his caravan to discover that his life's work had been stolen. He was crushed. One vote = one donation to his cause.

And with that, my question for the chapter: Favorite fictional character at the moment? (I would ask for your favorite character of all time, but I know from experience that that can change from moment to moment.) Who are you obsessing about today/tonight? Tell me everything you think no one else will want to listen to. Personally, Enjolras from Les Mis has my whole heart right now.