Commission: Willow and the Lost Temple (Part 1)

[Story Listing]

Summary: In her adult years, Willow's studying to be an archaeologist, and she's joining her first expedition! She navigates jungles, fords rivers, and meets a furry friend along the way.

This is a commissioned piece for Torasque.  It is free to read for whoever.

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Tara owned by Amy Wamboldt

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Willow and the Lost Temple

Part 1

Hey Tara!

I had time to kill, so I'm writing you this letter. Today's the last day aboard the Wayfarer, and we'll be docking at Viana Cay in a couple of hours. This place is SO FANCY!! I have to thank you again for the ticket! The onboard gift shop had postcards, so I picked up a couple; I wanted to stay in touch on my trip abroad.

I haven't had much to do other than think about what I'm going to do when I get there. I had gotten so used to burying myself in textbooks at Klein U that I almost forgot what going on an adventure is like! It's funny; I used to go exploring the woods around my home when I was a kid, and it feels kind of like that.

It'll be SUPER exciting, checking out a real dig site! They say they're finding ancient ruins of a bygone civilisation down there. I wonder if I'll make any ground-breaking discoveries?? Probably not, but I'll keep you posted! Hope you're doing well at home!

Lots of love, Willow

---

"There we go. A little something for Tara back home." Willow smiled warmly to herself. She lowered the postcard, and her pen, to a nightstand nearby, before sinking back into a soft leather chair. While she rested, her tail, stretching upwards of fifteen feet, sprawled along the floor in a messy manner.

It had been five years since Willow had met Tara, and she was getting to live out her best years to the fullest. She still helped around Tara's estate, of course, but now she was a university student as well; one that had a thesis to write. But Willow put that towards the back of her mind, letting herself stretch a bit.

"Ohhhh, thank goodness Tara sprung for a suite... I am loving the extra tail-room." Willow slurred, sliding backwards. Her hair snakes were quite relaxed as well, draped along her shoulders and chest.

Willow cocked her head up, glancing down to the "brothers" that were connected to her scaly scalp with a grin. "I guess that's why they call this a family suite, huh?"

One of them lisped, bobbing their head. Willow snickered.

"Gosh, I could not imagine stuffing myself into a standard room... they're small for regular folk, nevermind someone like me." Willow's orange irises lowered, trailing the length of her tail; the tip wagged slightly.

"Alright, oughta freshen up before I head out." Willow reared up from her seated position, the powerful muscles in her abdomen clenching as she slithered effortlessly to the bathroom.

Of course, even in a family-sized suite, the bathtub wouldn't be big enough for her. She settled on a routine of scrubbing herself down with soap and hot towels; this would be the last time she'd have access to modern amenities, and she was all in on those complimentary soaps.

It was an entire process to freshen up for the day—she had to scrub her arms, her chest, her face, each of her brothers, and the entire length of her tail—but the steam from the hot water was certainly relaxing, like being in a spa. She sighed happily, drinking in the sensation as she massaged her neck with the warm towel, letting it drape over her pronounced chest. Her hands drifted over the marbelly green scales that wrapped around her entire body.

She smiled confidently to herself. Her scales were so vibrant and shiny. They were new; Tara had to help her shed shortly before leaving, but now there wasn't a dead scale in sight.

She looked herself over in the mirror, bobbing one of her hairsnakes up and down as if to pose for a camera. A smile crept across her face; she gave herself an emphatic thumbsup, before slithering out of the bathroom, over to her luggage.

"First time getting to actually wear some of this, omigosh...!" Willow whispered to herself. She opened the suitcase, pulling out a button-up khaki shirt. It was light, yet tough, and the texture simply shouted explorer. Her instructor at the university had advised her to look the part, pack comfortably, and to bring a couple changes of clothing. Willow had only tried this one once before, but she was excited to try it on!

She was halfway to slipping it on before one of her hairsnakes hissed in her ear.

"Eh?" Willow blinked. She lowered her eyes, following the curvature of her bare, scaly breasts. She paused, and then snorted.

"Jeez Terry, I didn't forget..." Willow poked his head with an unconvincing chuckle. "I-I was just excited! C'mon, you feel me!"

Willow found it a touch more natural to go without a bra, but Tara insisted she get in the habit. It was hard to get the fit right with her smooth scales, but Willow managed. She mostly struggled with the straps, grunting to herself as she tried to reach back. She could sort of see what was happening back there, through the eyes of her snake buddies, but they were all content to stare out the window, watching the lapping waves of the ocean. It was mesmerizing... perhaps too distracting for Willow.

"C'mooon, come together you stupid..." Her body swayed back and forth as she finagled with the straps; they kept getting away from her, and her smooth fingers kept sliding off. She wiggled her hips to try and get a better angle, rising up more and more...

Bump! She winced, her head hitting the ceiling. Her mouth flattened as she loomed over the bed, rearing up a good eight or nine feet. Her tongue zipped out and then back in for a moment.

"Sorry guys..." Willow groaned. Two hair snakes slithered down her upper back; she lowered her hands as they buttoned together the straps for her. She muttered a quick "thank you" as she hurried to get her other exploring essentials on: her khaki shirt, and a denim skirt for her waist.

Lastly, she studied a pith helmet, looking around on all sides.

"Okay guys, gotta hold still for this..." She lowered it carefully to her head, looking at herself over in the mirror one more time. She beamed.

"Lookin' good~" Willow nodded, flourishing her skirt. She turned and swayed, trying to get a good look at herself from all sides. She placed her hands on her hips, nodding to herself. She glanced out the window, noting only a couple clouds dotting the sky.

"Ooh, it's a sunny day too... gotta get some sunbathing done on the deck before we arrive." Willow smiled. With some final preparations, packing up her things, she slithered out of her stateroom...

---

Willow relaxed on her lonesome out on the sunniest part of the deck. The other passengers gave her a wide berth, the surprise and shock of their serpentine guest dulled at that point. Willow was used to causing stirs wherever she went, but after a week onboard their ship, the other passengers adjusted well enough...

Willow drank in the feeling of the sun on her skin, letting her body stretch out to expose herself to as much sunlight as she could. The sun reflected off her scales, its warmth ebbing through her entire body. It was absolute bliss.

BWAAAAAAAAAM! The ship's foghorn bellowed, signalling that it was pulling into the docks.

"Ack! What the... oh! We're here!" Willow reared up from her relaxed position. She slithered hurriedly to the guard railed, leaning over to take in the sights with a toothy grin.

The view of the portside town of Viana Cay was remarkable. Willow recalled a brochure she found on her trip here; it used to be a fishing village, but it had been expanding rapidly into the tourist sector in recent years following the expansion of its harbour. It had a solid reputation for its seafood dining, and it made for a romantic spot by the sea for couples. The view of the rustic harbour sector that remained largely untouched by the expansion was remarkable; Willow was intrigued by how colourful the vistas were! Much different than the drab neighbourhoods of Rabenow...

Half an hour later, the ship was secured and the guests were allowed off the boat.  Willow was eager to explore the sights! She slithered off to her stateroom, hoisted her luggage, and made for the lower decks where she could disembark.

It was even prettier below! The harbour was so bustling, there was an entire fish market a couple blocks down from the platform. Several of Willow's hairsnakes swivelled, detecting the smell of fresh fish; Willow could feel herself salivating...

"Goodbye Missus Willow!!" A child waved at Willow, staying close to his mother as they hurried down the walkway together. The mother wordlessly held her child close, trying to give Willow a wide berth as she stayed closed to the father.

"...Oh! Have a nice vacation Michael!!" Willow snapped out of her trance, remembering herself enough to wave back politely; the children on the ship were all very curious about Willow, and Willow was always eager to indulge their curiosity. She had a habit of making friends wherever she went...

Hoisting her luggage, she trekked through the market, taking in the sights. Her eyes frequently drifted to the ocean. So many sails dotted the horizon, and the waters were so clear, so vibrantly blue. The picturesque view distracted her from the concerned looks she was getting all along the main commercial hubs.

One of Willow's hair snakes hissed insistently, tugging Willow's head in the direction of the fish market. She grimaced.

"Mmmmmm it smells so goooooood..." Willow moaned. "But we got a plane to catch, remember? Can't keep them waiting."

Willow's eyes squinted, seeing if she could make out. She spotted a man on one of the sidewalks in what appeared to be a uniform; one of the locals was already whispering in his ear, pointing in Willow's direction. She beamed and began to slither over, oblivious to the local hurrying away in muted terror.

"Hiiii! Or, um, olá? Do you speak English? I'm looking for Westerly Air Transportation..."

Willow dug around for a brochure, displaying it for the terrified patrolmen. Willow simply loomed over him...

His eyes scanned the brochure, and raised a pointed finger down the road. Willow glanced over; seems she was on the right track.

"Ah, thank you! Obrigado! Here, um..."

Willow fished around in her vest pocket, flourishing a couple of paper pills. She flourished one in the man's direction, holding it in both scaled hands.

"Here! For you, por favor!" Willow's attempt at a tip was earnest, and the man backed up a step as she leaned ever closer. He nodded slowly, and sloooooooooooowly took the slip away. Willow nodded, bowed, and was slithering off on her way again!

---

Willow made it to her destination, getting only slightly lost along the way. The path took her inland, following a dirt road into a flat outcrop. She had become accustomed to travelling under various palm fronds, but this area had been cleared out, replaced with a tarmac and a couple of small huts.

Willow surveyed the helicopter with some concern. She glanced around; there were a couple of biplanes too, but nothing on par with something like a cargo plane. Everything seemed to fit two people, tops. Her eyes lowered warily to the helicopter. The side had been painted with a shapely, busty woman in a bikini.

"Is... is this flying to Mr. Fetterberg's dig site?" Willow asked aloud, turning to a man leaning against the metal siding. Wearing a pilot cap, a gaudy flower-patterned shirt, and cargo shorts that showed off his incredible tan, he gave off a sort of detached air. Also smoke. Willow could smell a lot of smoke. He clutched a rifle to his chest, fingers drumming along the side of the barrel.

"Yup." He muttered.

Willow scanned his nametag—Johnny. She recalled Tara's explanation: he was a friend of the Pandey family, chivalrous and trustworthy! Even if he didn't particularly look the part. Tara's reassurances echoed in her head, giving Willow some reassurance, however mild.

"And... there's no way I'm going to fit in this thing." Willow muttered. She imagined various configurations already, she was simply too big...

"Not worth tryin' no." He shook his head.

"How far is base camp from here?" Willow asked, a little unsure.

"Bout a day on foot through the Kiyala Jungles. Miserable hike though. Takes you straight through the bush." He clicked his tongue. "It's jaguar territory. If they don't get ya, the mosquitoes will."

"...Ah... well... do any boats go through?" Willow raised her head.

"Nope." He shook his head. "Government doesn't want boas cuttin' through a heritage site."

"Boats." Willow corrected.

"S'what I said." The pilot's mouth flattened, glancing off to the side.

Willow sighed. She was quickly reaching the conclusion that if she was going to make it to base camp in a timely manner, she'd have to do it herself, on her own two feet. One tail. Whatever.

"...Do you have to be brandishing that gun while we're talking?" Willow grimaced.

"S'just a precaution." He slumped it against his shoulder. "Helps for beasties and what have ya."

"I'm not a beasty though..." Willow muttered indignantly. "Look, you already have my money, can you just take my luggage down and give them a heads up that I'll be coming?"

"Can do, miss." He tipped his cap. "You want me to snap some tourist-y photos from above for you? Part of the package deal."

"I think there'll be more than enough excitement on the ground." Willow smiled politely. "It'll be like a... a nice nature walk! And..."

The realization dawned on Willow. "Y-you weren't planning on using a camera and flying the chopper?"

"I'm a professional." Johnny chuckled.

"...I... I see." Willow blinked. Her eyes drifted to the dense foliage that rose up on the periphery of the small airport. She looked onwards with a bit of trepidation.

"...well guys, it's just you and me... and our wilderness survival kit, eheh." Willow smiled, trying to be encouraging.

"Who're you talkin' to? You goin' nutty already?" One of his eyebrows perked up.

"Oh! Was talking to my brothers!" Willow pointed to her hairsnakes. "There's Barry, and Gary, and Larry, Jerry, Terry, and Obama!~"

"...is that right." He squinted. "Well, if y'think you got your head on straight..."

They wrapped up their arrangements in a hurry; Willow acknowledged that she'd have to hurry to make it to the remote base camp in a remotely timely manner. She at least stuck around to witness the helicopter take off; she clutched onto her hat to prevent it from getting blow away from the strong air currents. She looked up in awe.

"Woooow...! I wish I could ride that... it just, goes! Whoosh!"

Her eyes sparkled, she was astonished. As the helicopter disappeared, past the jungle canopies, her excitement gave way to a creeping sense of dread. Her eyes trailed the length of her enormous, serpentine tail.

...She shook her head, and put her game face on. It was time for some bushwhacking.

---

The Kiyala Jungles were oppressively hot. The air was heavy, and there was a pervasive dampness that permeated everything. Beads of dew settled on the foliage that flanked the trails, the ground caked in mud, leaves and branches. A medley of cacophonic bird calls rattled in the distant trees above.

Willow often stopped to take in the sights. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt in her element here. Which was strange, she had grown up in a boreal forest, and yet she felt like a jungle dweller. No, like a queen of the jungle.

Her tongue zipped out, she took in the scents of the jungle. The freshness of the foliage mingling with the rotting leaves of the floor. Traces of the myriad other creatures that populated these woods. And tropical flowers, so gingery sweet...

She exhaled, hoisting up her backpack. She lowered her hands to a machete she kept at her waist. She anticipated she wouldn't have to make too much use of it. She had a good sense of tracking, and she tried to keep to the trails that the animals themselves would make. It meant that she wouldn't be whacking her way through vines all the time.

It was a nice feeling, trekking her way through the jungle, spotting rare foliage. She even got some notches in on her bird watching guide. There was just one problem niggling in the back of her mind.

She was starving. She never stopped in town to get a bite to eat, and she couldn't go back when she had a schedule to keep.

She moaned, rubbing her growling belly. Being hungry wasn't helping her nerves much, and her heightened senses teased her constantly. Every howl, every chirp, every animal cry she picked up on, and her stomach wrenched. She wasn't sure why she was reacting the way she was. Maybe some unforeseen instinct welled up from within.

Her tongue flickered on a more regular basis, eager to track something down. Her irises narrowed as she rubbed her head.

"Gah, what is wrong with me today..." She muttered to herself. Her stomach gurgled again, more insistently this time. "I'm not usually this fussy, am I...?"

Usually Willow was more excited to make discoveries in their natural habitat, but she felt more guarded than usual. Her hunger preoccupied her. And for some reason, the isolation and the conflicting feelings started to agitate her. The tip of her tail wriggled obstinately... was it her predatory instinct niggling at her?

"ROWR!"

Willow's train of thought was derailed by an abrupt yowling sound. It was shrill, terse... nearby. Too close for comfort. Willow froze up. Her hairsnakes swivelled around, acting as her eyes as she stood motionless.

Her eyes drifted to a nearby mess of vines and foliage, palmy fronds comprising a bush. They narrowed; every instinct in her body told her that something was there. Watching her. Her analytical mind tried to pin down the type of sound...

...Jaguar? This was jaguar territory; the pilot had mentioned prior. They live and hunt alone. Willow had nothing to fear from a solitary jaguar. She understood well-enough what she was capable of, what her body could do and withstand. Even if she was being stalked by a pack of wild animals, she would probably be fine.

So why was she so tense? Her abdomen clenched as she rose up, her mouth opening to reveal her fangs. Her tongue zipped out once, then twice, pinning down the scent of the creature. She took in this information, and slithered to the bush, machete in hand. She raised it to slash at the vines, revealing her stalker for what it was....

She slashed decisively at the vines in a powerful strike, parting them with a show of dexterity and strength. Her irises narrowed, scanning the clearing she revealed.

...Nothing. Disappointed, she lowered the machete. It was so close.

Bap bap.

Willow felt something smack the tip of her tail. It didn't hurt; heck, it wasn't even all that forceful. It was kind of fuzzy. She blinked, seeing something in the peripheral vision offered to her by one of her hair snakes. It was small, orange, spotted...

She cocked her head in the creature's general direction. Her irises widened. She stared at the creature batting, pouncing at the tip of her serpentine tail.

"A... a jaguar cub?"

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