I'm Not A Snake Monster!: Chapter 10

Summary: Willow, an enormous snake-like monster with a heart of gold, has never seen anyone like her. She runs away from home in pursuit of the truth.

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[First Chapter]

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CHAPTER 10

Elsewhere in the town of Rabenow, a man in a military uniform made his rounds around the town plaza. Now in his late thirties, the man's expression had the rugged, chisseled quality of someone who had put his life on the line for the glory of the empire. His jet black hair had been cut short, and further obscured by an officer's cap. His navy blue uniform, along with a small collection of medals and sigils, had been attended to with precise care; not a wrinkle was in sight.

His silvery eyes squinted, parsing the crowds for ne'er-do-wells. A constentern scowl seemed to be a permanent fixture to his serious demeanour. Anyone at a glance would recognize him as not only a military man, but as an officer of considerable repute.

At one point, perhaps he could've been celebrated. But in times of peace, the crowds were more keen to give the unfriendly-looking man a wide berth.

Soldiers were a rarer sort than in the olden days, when the Empire had constantly waged a furious war with the neighbouring Kingdom of Oria. Such a long, drawn out war had ended in a miserable, anticlimactic armistice between both forces, and the soldiers who returned had found a public that had become altogether fatigued at the very notion of war.

Boys didn't want to grow up to be army men anymore. A soldier was no longer an exemplary hero to the common public; only a tool for politicians to advance their agendas. With the march of the information age came the dissemination of new stories, new illustrations of the army's role in sewing chaos abroad.

Soldiers on R&R rarely bothered going out in public in their army sweats; nobody wanted that kind of attention. This officer definitely drew attention in that regard; his proud posture, his stiff upper lip, and the condescending narrowing of his eyes communicated plainly of his station, and commanded others to fall in line without a single spoken word.

Peacetime for the lifetime soldier was challenging in its own way. There wasn't a war to fight and to die for, of course, but that hardly meant that one could afford to remain idle. In a diverse and unpredictable world, there would always be new threats, new enemies in the shadows plotting to tear apart civilized society. It was the role of a leader to seek out those threats, identify them, and be proactive in dealing with them.

"...stuck out in the boonies like this..."

"...hear ya there... there was this guy...?

"...?"

The officer cocked his head to the side, his purposeful gait pausing. He overheard an ongoing conversation between two men off to the side. There was a food wagon not far from the barracks—a popular spot for soldiers in the reserves to get a bite to eat.

The corner of his mouth twitched as he turned slightly. He approached slowly, trying to get within earshot.

"He was whooping and hollering about some kinda monster, yeah? Tryin' to eat his sheep and his kid? Said it was fifty feet long, like a giant snake, with scaaales like dinner plates!" He gestured with a knowing grin on his face.

"Psh, seriously? Y'know guys like that are only there to get the insurance money." The other guard scoffed.

"Yeah yeah, told the wanker to buzz off." His friend laughed. "There ain't no such thing as monsters. Just ramblings of another superstitious bloke on the boonies."

"And did you bother to investigate the premises, Private Williams? Private Holloway?"

The uniformed officer finally made his presence known with a serious, stoic expression; he held his hands behind his back, leering over at the pair of guards with a stern look in his eyes. The pair of young greenhorns.

"C-Colonel Sterning! I... uh..." The gossiping soldier swallowed. "I-I'm just a guard post, I didn't-"

"The function of the policing force is to protect the peace and to service the citizenry, is it not?" Colonel Sterning glared. "A soldier must exercise due diligence in investigating these cases, yes?"

"...Th-the boss was eavesdropping...?" Holloway muttered, turning to Williams.

"L-listen, sir, this farmer guy, he's just exaggerating." Williams laughed awkward to try and relieve the tension. "Hah, haha, w-we don't gotta go chasing down shadows and spectres and stuff that people just make up, I mean-"

"That's not your decision to make, private." Sterning enunciated. "You will leave the decision-making to your superior and follow orders; or would you rather a round in the rig for insubordination."

Williams gulped, shaking his head curtly.

"Then go. Investigate the farmer's estate." Sterning pointed down the road, urging the soldier to follow up with the farmer; Williams saluted shakily, before scurrying off.

"Um... Colonel? Sir?" Holloway raised a pointed finger skywards. "You don't really believe there's a monster in town, right?"

"Within every myth, legend, fabrication, or outright lie, therein exists a kernel of truth. It's too early to talk about monsters." Sterning squinted, his eyes following the private he had sent away. "Besides that... this farmer wasn't the only person in town reporting a monster sighting."

"W-what!? Seriously!?"

---

Tara's arm was starting to get a little tired with her arm raised the way it was. She settled on a clever trick to get Willow through town without anyone being the wiser; with Willow's camouflage hiding her scales from prying views, it only left her billowing maid outfit... one which Tara pretended to carry through the streets as if on a hanger.

Tara had to cozy up next to Willow as they kept to the sidewalks. Occasionally, her fingers would brush against Willow's marbled scales; it was hard to get a feel for where Willow's body began, and where it ended.

"Woooow, it's so lively in town," Willow cooed. "Everyone looks so busy... I guess they have places to be."

"Y-yes, well... there's a farmer's market today." Tara explained. "A lot of merchants gather today and-"

"Omigosh, can we go see??" Willow bounced up and down ecstatically, which had the effect of jerking Tara up and down in turn; her face went pale.

"Awawawa- W-Willow, calm down! " Tara yelped, trying to find her feet, tugging on the maid's collar. Willow really had a lot of strength; she could lift Tara effortlessly. "W-we need to be discreet, remember?"

"Oh, ohhh, sorry!" Willow whispered. "I got excited. There's just some barbecue going on over there, and I haven't eaten recently... ohhhh, is that roast chicken? I could go for a couple..."

Tara jerked to a stop as Willow stopped to take in the sights... and the smells. Tara fidgeted anxiously, glancing over to the market. It wasn't like she could read Willow's expression right now.

"They... they do sell some nice things there. Some of the stands come from far out of town, so you can find some strange things." Tara explained with a smile. "Maybe we can-"

"OOP!" A man in a suit tripped over the end of Willow's invisible tail, flopping forward into the street and landing on his briefcase. Willow and Tara looked behind them.

"Ah! Sorry!" Willow called out. "That was my ta-"

"SHH!" Tara shushed Willow urgently, tugging at her outfit. "W-we can come back later, b-but we really need to keep going, okay?"

"...I-is he okay?" Willow swayed uncertainly.

"He's fine, h-he's getting back up on his own."

The man looked towards Tara with a look of bafflement; why was that girl talking to herself, he wondered. Tara seemed to recognize this, and her mouth flattened.

"W-we should get going." Tara took the lead; Willow eyeballed the man with concern, but followed Tara's lead.

"...Sorry, I... I'm still getting used to this servant thing." Willow whispered. "A-about how we shouldn't be seen, not heard, and-"

"I-it's fine! We're almost there..." Tara reassured her with an anxious smile.

Tara ushered an unseen, unheard Willow into an alleyway, towards a nondescript brick building. It was quite large and impressive, but otherwise unmarked. A trio of stovepipes stuck out from the top, producing no smoke.

"Here we are. This used to be a cheese factory, but with all the airships, they, ah, started importing it, so-"

"A cheese factory??" Willow lit up. "Are there any free samples left? Ooh, some fancy dry-aged cheese would hit the spot!~"

"...N-no, there's no cheese left." Tara smiled weakly. "I've actually, um... made the place my own."

"Eh? Really? How?" Willow tilted her head, watching Tara fuss around in her pocket for a keychain.

"Well, lemme just get the lock here, aaaand..."

Rattle rattle.

"Okay! C'mon in!" Tara cheered invitingly, opening the door for Willow; the snake girl slithered forward.

"...Woooow!" Willow exclaimed. "It's so blurry!~"

"...O-oh, I didn't get the lights, the switch should be..."

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Row by row, the fluorescent lights illuminated, lighting up the spacious room; Willow shimmered into view, her serpentine irises narrowing as they adjusted to the light.

"...Oh my gosh!?"

Willow found herself at the base of an impressive exhibit; a row of skulls, some looking more humanesque, others more beastial, all having their jaws open to reveal their teeth, including their sharp canines; they seemed poised to take a bite.

"Wow, human remains!" Willow gasped. "And you're keeping them in a warehouse?"

"What?? N-no, that's not... those aren't human skulls, they're... well, vampire skulls."

"Vampires??" Willow echoed, turning to Tara with a quizzical look. Tara hurried forward, extending her hand to present her collection.

"Y-yes, well... just like how humans evolved along different evolutionary paths, developing larger brains in the process, vampires underwent their own evolutionary paths. Like here, the homo nosferatu, note the wide ears and the sunken nostrils, indicating a common ancestor that bridged the gap between the common vampire bat and the early human. And then, over tens of thousands of years, their lineage marries closer to that of humans, based on their physical-"

"W-what's this about vampires? They... they're a myth, aren't they?" Willow grimaced, a look of mild terror broaching her face. Though the terror was dulled considerably by Tara's... decidedly academic approach.

"W-well, that's... no, they're... they're very real, if my research indicates, even if I never... met one." Tara fidgeted with her dress. "I always wanted to hold a proper interview with a vampire but,.. ah..."

Tara turned away slightly from Willow to hide her excitable blushing. She collected herself, took a deep breath, and turned back to Willow.

"A-actually, this warehouse is a... a work of my creation. My curation as it were, it... it's a museum for the supernatural, the other world, people and creatures known as, well... monsters."

"Monsters?" Willow echoed, astonishment clear in her voice.

"W-well, monsters isn't the correct word, demihuman is the preferred term, I-I think, so they are... not so far removed from us." Tara nodded. "The study of mythological creatures is... is something of a hobby of mine."

"Some hobby!" Willow nodded, turning to take in the sights. "This place is huge!"

Beyond the row of taxologically labelled vampiric skulls, there were exhibits and models for all sorts of strange, wonderful, fantastic creatures. Murals of sea-faring nymphs, models of hulking werewolf's, first-hand accounts of abominable snow yetis... dioramas of fairy clothing that wouldn't be far removed from a school girl's dollhouse.

"W-well, I... I put aside some of my spending money to rent this place. A-and the family treasury..."

"Eh? Really? But aren't you guys, like, merchants and stuff? Must be hard juggling a museum and a business..."

"Y-yes, well... my parents are more adept with the business side of things, and they... don't, exaaactly know about my project here. I can't imagine what they'd think if they... well..."

Tara trailed off with a grimace, her eyes turning to Willow. She clasped her hands in prayer, shaking them together as she pleaded.

"Pleasedon'ttellmyparentsokay? Father especially, he-"

"I won't, promise! I wouldn't even know where to start to find them..." Willow slithered from place to place, taking in the sights. "Wow, I never read anything like this. It all sounds so... so..."

Willow tapped a finger against her chin, humming to herself.

"...So scientifically implausible." Willow blinked.

"...eh?" Tara's mouth flattened.

"I-I dunno! Monsters are, like, myths and stuff. I dunno, I might need more convincing. Like... did these skulls of your get carbon dated?" Willow squinted, trying to get a better look. "I read that you can do some clever things with plaster nowadays and..."

"...But... but..." Tara raised a finger, looking both baffled and crestfallen. "You're a mo-... a demihuman, WIllow. You... you're living proof that there are strange, wonderful creatures out there! Hiding, waiting for someone to reach out and-"

"Me? N-no, I'm no one special, I'm just Willow!" Willow responded, sheepishly toying with her hair. She traded looks with one of her hair snakes, and then flashed Willow a conflicted smile.

"W-well, me and my brothers, but-"

Willow went silent at the look Tara had on her face; she seemed distraught over how Willow might've thought about her exhibit. Willow looked around, taking in the sights, and turned back to Tara.

"...Ah... w-well it wouldn't be very scientific of me to, ehm, make conclusions before seeing all the evidence. Maybe you can show me around a bit?"

Tara paused, feeling Willow's earnesty in her words and expression; her cautious, doe-like eyes brightened up in a hurry. She swelled with pride as the speeches she had been practicing slowly came back to her.

"Of course. I'd be delighted." Tara bowed. "Perhaps it would be best to turn our attention to the Gorgon ancestry..."

---

"Did Willow pass through here?"

It had been a long trek through the woods; Sami's injuries had slowed them down considerably. But now, on the periphery of the woodlands, where the first signs of human settlement greeted them, they squinted with the onset of the day's light.

A couple of farms and ranches out on the frontier greeted them, flanking a dirt road. Sami's eyes narrowed, taking in her surroundings.

"This is the trail I take getting into town." She explained. "If her instincts are at all what they're cracked up to be... she probably figured it out herself just fine."

"She always was a clever girl..." Minnie smiled to herself.

"Not always a good thing. It makes her curious." Sami gestured to the side of the road. Minnie leaned over to see.

"...oh dear."

A lone farmhand was diligent at work repairing a stretch of fencing, the slamming of his hammer ringing out with each swing. Looking just beyond the fence, there were smatterings of sheep, but not nearly as many as one would expect on a ranch...

"...I thought it was strange that we kept encountering so many sheep on the way here." Minnie tilted her head with an empathetic frown.

"Willow always had a fondness for animals." Sami adjusted her glasses. "Clearly she doesn't know her own strength."

"W-wait, hey, how do we know Willow did this?" Minnie turned to Sami with a discontented look. "Willow wouldn't go causing problems on purpose. What if it's just a fox, or a coyote? We're close enough to the woods that it could be anything!"

"...You really need to get a grip on reality." Sami sighed.

"Excuse me for not being privy to making assumptions about our daughter! Let's just ask this man!" Minnie adjusted her coat and hurried forward.

"That's not- ...urgh!" Sami grunted, hurrying after Minnie.

"Excuse me, sir?" Minnie waved gingerly to get the man's attention. "I noticed that your fence is... well, in a state of disrepair, and I-"

"Came to gawk, didja?" The man muttered, his hammer swings growing increasingly forceful. "The better part of the village comes to play tourist."

"A sheep farm with no sheep hardly seems like a sightseeing spot." Sami noted, walking up to Minnie's side.

"WOW! What an observatin' that is!" The farmer blustered, shooting the pair a dirty look. "Judgin' by the lab coats you two's gotta be real clever, huh?"

"W-what I mean to ask is..." Minnie gestured to the man, urging him to calm down. "...What happened to your farm?"

"A snake monster that's what! Had to be a hundred feet long!"

"...A hundred feet, you say?" Sami tilted her head, sharing a glance with Minnie. She was decidedly skeptical about his claim; Willow was no longer than sixteen feet from head to tail.

"What's that dumb look on your face!? You think I'm blind!? Everyone in this bloody town thinks I gone off my rocker and now I got a pair'a bookworms in on the peanut gallery too!" The man shook his hammer at the both of them; they both took a wary step back.

"A snake... monster? A-are you sure?" Minnie's face went pale.

"Sure as shit! Pret near put a bullet in its eyes before I scared it off, it was lookin' to make off with my sheep! It wrecked my fancy and now they're all prancin' about! They're overdue for a sheering and-"

"We'll help you!" Minnie blurted.

"...We will?" Sami glanced to her quizzically.

"You will?" The man was similarly skeptical.

"O-of course! Sami, you're good with animals! How many did you lose, sir?"

The man simply stared at the two, so willing to help out a stranger in need; it seemed to take the edge off of his anger, and he swallowed, his temper cooling off.

"...nine, miss." He muttered.

"Then we'll get to hunting! Sami, come along, come along." Minnie grabbed Sami's hand, ushering her along. "...Oh, I'm Minnie!"

"Steve." The man blinked. His eyes lowered to his hammer, and went back to work.

Once the women were out of earshot, Sami didn't hesitate to grab Minnie's shoulder, pulling her partner to face her.

"Minnie!" She hissed. "Willow's in town as we speak, we can't waste time here!"

"It's our fault she came out here in the first place. The most we can do is try to make things right." Minnie raised a hand to her chest. "We're her parents, right?"

"Caretakers at best." Sami uttered, her eyes drifting to the side. She thought about it carefully, her scowl turning into a reserved grimace.

"...Tch. It's not like reason will work on you when you're set on something like this." Sami sighed. "Let's find the dumb sheep. And then we can ask Steve some questions of our own."

"I knew you'd warm up quickly~" Minnie smiled, rubbed Sami's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah..." Sami shook her head. "Just remember why we're out here: to bring Willow home. No more distractions after this, okay? Promise?"

"...Promise." Minnie nodded.