#snake mage

[ode-on-a-grecian-butt]

SERPENT MAGE BY MARK FERRARI

[firedrakegirl]

The reptile expos were always interesting, ever since I learned I could understand snakes and other reptiles. Since the convention center was a mite chilly, most of the snakes were either sleeping or grumbling. Well, until I made it to a table in the back. Those snakes were a lot more active, probably from the large number of hand warmers, heated blankets, and other warmth producing products. And, if I were to guess, the lump in the keeper’s pocket was a ball of snakes.

I got to the table and a small black, brown, and yellow ball python immediately perked up, nearly shouting. “That’s my human! That one! Mine!”

I immediately wandered to the other end of the table and started looking at some of the other snakes. I could hear the one who’d claimed me kicking up a fuss, but I pretended not to hear it. I looked at the man with the snakes in his pocket. “Can you tell me about this cutie?” I pointed at a random snake.

The man glanced at the fussing snake and back to me. “Well…”

I made eye contact with him, glanced at the fussing snake, and winked. Suddenly, he grinned too. “Well, she is a pastel ghost hognose, about six months old. Would you like to hold her? Fair warning, she can be a little…spicy.”

“I would love to!” I agreed, smiling down at her. She hissed at me in turn. I couldn’t help but laugh.

This continued as I met several other snakes, avoiding the container where the one who’d claimed me was. Some of the snakes had caught on and were making a show of enjoying being held, or got offended and struck at me. I wasn’t bothered by any of it, and was quite honestly enjoying myself. All of the snakes were gorgeous, after all.

Suddenly, there was a pain in my arm as the fussing snake bit me and used that leverage to climb onto my arm and stretch out. “You’re my human. Not theirs.” He hissed angrily. “Mine.”

The keeper chuckled and took the silvery ball python from me. “I think the ruse is up.”

“I think you’re right.” I laughed and turned my attention to the snake on my arm. “Do you have a name, little friend?”

“I am not little!” He hissed.

“You are, compared to me.”

“You understand me?!” He seemed to only just realize I was talking to him.

“Yes I do. And I was always coming to you. But you were being as dramatic as a hognose, so I had to mess with you.”

He made a sound that I'd learned was the snake equivelent of a gasp. “How dare you! I am nothing like a hognose!”

“The way you were trying to get my attemtion says otherwise.” I smiled. “But that's not the point here. I take it you want to come home with me.”

He wrapped around my arm and squeezed tightly. “You're not going anywhere without me ever again.”

“I don't know how to take care of a snake. I can talk to you, but I've never owned one. I don't want to risk hurting you because of my inexperience.”

“I can tell you when I need something else.” He dismissed. “And I'm going to always be with you, so it's fine.”

I glanced up at the vendor. “What do you think?”

“I think I breed Familiars, not normal snakes. Do you know what that means?”

“It mea-hey!”

The vendor reached over and gently flicked him. “Let her answer.”

I smiled softly. “Familiars are the companions to magical people, right?”

“That's a familiar. Upper case F Familiars are that and then some. They're more connected to their human, at a soul level. They can also assist in preforming spells and cleaning up stray magic.”

“then why do you want me?” I looked back down at the snake. “All I can do is talk to reptiles.”

“You're my human. And you can do more.”

“Snake folks, like us, tend to work in different ways. Our magic doesn't even necessarily present the same way that the folks who connect to cats, dogs, and frogs typically do, so it's hard to measure it unless the mage measuring is also a snake mage, or familiar with them.” He explained. “You've absolutely got power, even if you don't know it, otherwise none of my snakes would have taken notice.”

[gingernikkinight]