Thomas spent the day working at the refuge with the other heirs, so he only noticed Kai and Agatha's absence at the end of the afternoon. Looking for them, he learned from Lillia that the children had run to Sete's tree house carrying the water snake egg.
Standing under the huge redwood tree, Thomas hesitated: just thinking about that shapeless sphere, its slimy film and the scaly little monster growing inside it, he felt a shiver of revulsion. However, his concern for the younger ones gave him the courage he needed to climb the wooden spiral staircase to the treetop.
Arriving at Sete's cabin, the boy paled at the sight of the repulsive scene of the baby snake writhing restlessly under the clear, malleable membrane. He had to lean against the nearest wall, as he felt dizzy when the soft shell tore and a dark thing began to emerge from inside it.
Thomas couldn't understand how the children and Sete could stand near that slimy, scaly baby snake without feeling the slightest bit of disgust. Instead, the trio celebrated every inch of the cylindrical animal leaving the egg...
— Thomas! Come see how cute it is! — Kai called to his older brother as soon as he noticed him standing at the entrance to the room, waving for him to come closer and take a seat at the table. — She's so beautiful...
Thomas, of course, had no intention of approaching that thing. However, he acted on impulse when he saw the teenager reaching out to pet the animal and, to protect his younger brother, he stood in front of him.
In the next second, completely paralyzed, Thomas felt something wet and cold lightly touch the back of his hand.
— Aaww… — Agatha murmured, enchanted by the little snake, especially when it extended its forked tongue and licked Thomas's hand. — She's such a good baby...
— What- — Thomas whispered in a thin voice, his face losing color in an alarming way.
— Looks like she likes you, Thomas. — Sete concluded as the little snake rubbed its scaly head against the boy's hand, something like affection shining in the slits of its violet eyes.
That was the last thing Thomas heard and felt before rolling his eyes and passing out.
༻ ༊*·˚ ༺
In Thomas' opinion, his fainting spell should have lasted longer. The reason? Well, at that moment, even with his eyes closed, he could feel that snake coiling around his leg and climbing up his body until it rested comfortably on his chest, where it remained.
For some reason — perhaps a touch of paranoia — the boy could also feel a pair of reptilian eyes staring at him…
Precisely because it was a mutant animal, despite being newly born, the snake was the size of an adult common snake, so it would probably become a monster when it reached maturity. That thought alone made Thomas shudder, revealing that he was no longer unconscious.
— Looks like this little thing is pretty clingy… — Sete commented as if talking about the weather, which outraged the boy. — I sent the kids to call Lillia, but I don't think she'll need to help. You look fine.
— Fine!? — Thomas asked through clenched teeth and made a move to get up, but when he opened his eyes, he was met with a pile of black scales and a pair of round eyes staring intently at him. — Did you at least try to get that off me!?
— Actually, I did. More than once, in fact. — The young goddess replied seriously, not at all moved by the boy's panic. — But it keeps coming back to nestle on your body. She must think you're her mother.
— What!? — Thomas's voice sounded especially high-pitched, and this time he actually sat up, causing the little snake to slide onto his lap.
The boy avoided turning to face the animal of his nightmares, which was now settling down on his lap. However, he felt the need to examine it, especially after what Sete had told him:
— Take a look for yourself, the little snake seems to feel something like affection for you. — Spring suggested, encouraging him with a nod. — You should give it a name.
With that in mind, Thomas fought his phobia and ended up mesmerized by the creature's purple eyes, whose sparkling orbs displayed the kind of consciousness that only intelligent beings had, unlike ordinary animals. Completely speechless — and for some unknown reason — the boy began to admire the black scales, which reflected an almost magical bluish glow.
Absorbed, he plunged back into the depths of the snake's eyes, whose slit pupils dilated in an... adorable way.
Thomas never imagined he would feel this way about a terrifying reptile, like a mutant water snake, but here he was... Without thinking too much, the boy reached out toward the triangular, scaly head, stopping millimeters from touching it. In the next second, the baby snake rubbed against his palm, extending its forked tongue to smell the air nearby.
— Ophid. — Thomas murmured, a small smile slowly spreading across his face. — Your name will be Ophid.