A Queen Among Snakes: Chapter Thirteen - Mei

The sensation is like my skin is being stretched beyond its limit. It hurt the first time and took nearly half an hour to complete, but now it just feels like a brief tugging sensation all over my body and within seconds it’s over.

My clothes are ripped from my body as I feel my stature grow; my legs are replaced with a ten-metre-long tail, scales erupting along the sides of my face, back, arms and travelling over the sides of my torso and over my breasts. Chris said it was like I was wearing a tight cardigan made of scales that are left open in the middle.

My scales are black and gold and form these fascinating geometric patterns from head to tail. I feel strength and power course through my body as my eyes take their snake form; golden abyss’ that find their target.

Only seconds have passed, and I don’t wait a second more. With all the speed and force I can muster I whip my tail at Setia. Her arms come up in front of her to block my attack and my large tail connects with her forearms. Her feet dig into the dirt, and she is forced back slightly from the impact, but she digs her feet in more pushing against my tail.

I’m able to take on several wolves at once in this form and it’s no different to swatting an insect. Trying to knock Setia away feels like trying to make a mountain budge.

I swing my tail back and whip it back towards her but this time she flips over it landing gracefully. I strike, coiling my tail around her just as she lands, and I tighten my grip. Her face goes red, and she gasps for air as my gargantuan body attempts to crush her. Even though it’s putting a strain on her, I can feel it’s not enough. I feel like I’m trying to crush marble. I release her and slither to the side keeping space between us.

Amelia taught me that it doesn’t matter if it’s with fists or weapons, always try to maintain space between you and your opponent.

Setia coughs and catches her breath but she’s smiling at me, “Very good, Mei. You have multiple forms, if you feel one form is at a disadvantage against your opponent, switch to the one you think will best serve you. Or do what your mother used to do,” she says with a nostalgic smile.

“My mother? What did my mother do?” I ask, moving closer.

“She had impeccable speed when it came to shifting. Not everyone does, but you can learn to gain that speed through training. In a difficult fight, she would alternate between each form, shifting at a phenomenal speed. It threw off her opponents and prevented them from landing successful blows. While each of your forms has their own weaknesses, they have their own strengths, and learning how to utilise those strengths while being aware of your weaknesses is the difference between life and death,” she explains.

“Even my full snake form? But it’s so much smaller than my human form,” I frown.

“Perfect for infiltration work, or evasion, but in a fight, it is useful too.”

“How so?”

“If someone is trying to land a punch to your human form, shifting to your full-snake form makes you a smaller opponent, therefore a harder target to hit. It is also the form where you are the fastest, so you can easily strike them in multiple ways in that form before they can even react. Every form you have has its many advantages and I will teach you to use them,” she promises.

I’m hearing what she’s saying but my thoughts are still on what she said about my mother.

“My mother was a good fighter?” I ask in barely a whisper.

Her face softens as she walks over and strokes my tail comfortingly, “Your mother was remarkable. She was the Gold Snake of Healing, she did her ancestors and her God proud,” she says sincerely, but there’s a frown on her face.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, coming down more to her level.

“There are bits of what you said that make no sense to me, including how your mother came to be in the Tian Pack and learning she was killed by Alpha Shan. I believe you, of course, I know you speak the truth, but sometimes one person’s truth isn’t necessarily the truth. Do you understand what I’m saying?” I shake my head, not understanding at all. “If I went to a human child and asked them if fairies were real, they would tell me ‘yes’, and from them, all I would feel was the truth. Now, fairies are not real, but this child was raised to believe that they were, everything is done so they would accept it as fact, so for them, they are speaking the truth. Now do you understand?” She asks unsure.

“Just because I believe something is true, doesn’t mean that it is,” I summarise.

“Precisely. I believe there was more to your mother’s death and how you came to be in that pack. I spoke to my sisters yesterday after I spoke to you and they’re looking into it. I have some theories, but I’d rather keep them to myself for now,” she says gently.

I nod in understanding, “I can be patient. I would rather have all the facts than more pieces of an incomplete puzzle.”

“You have many admirable qualities, Mei, and I’m impressed with how well you can take a punch, even for a nagata,” she says with a tone of surprise.

I shrug, “I’ve taken worse beatings in my life, at least I heal faster now,” I tell her and instantly her face turns stoic.

“You’ve yet to ask me about them,” Setia says.

“Ask about who?” I ask in confusion.

“Alpha Ivan and Luna Enriqueta. I would have thought asking what became of them would be the first thing you’d do when we met,” she points out.

I take a deep breath; the sound of their names still makes every cell in my body become repulsed. “I don’t want to know about the Alpha and Luna,” I tell her as I adjust my position ready to resume training.

“You don’t even want to know if they’re alive or not?” She asks in disbelief.

“No. Those people and that pack took years of my life away from me, I don’t want to spend more time than I have to thinking about them. I’m sure whatever punishment the Delegation served was just,” I say as I feel myself get agitated.

“You can’t even say their names, can you?” She asks in a sad tone.

“I’ve never said their names, nor do I wish to.”

“Why?” I ignore the question and instead swing my tail at her, hoping to change the subject. She dodges but doesn’t let up as we trade attacks. “Why can’t you say their names, Mei?” She asks more forcefully as I manage to dodge one of her punches, but barely.

“Saying their names makes it sound as though we were close, and like I respect them. We were not close; they were my abusers. I do not want the names of those evil people in my mouth,” I say fiercely as tears sting my eyes.

“You’re giving them too much power over you,” she says as we continue to trade blows. “You’re stronger than that and better than they could ever be. Don’t let mere names have the power to control you,” she tells me. There’s both forcefulness and gentleness to her words.

“I’m not stronger. If I was stronger I could have fought back,” I say meekly as I feel my shoulders slump in defeat.

The memories of every time I couldn’t protect myself flit through my mind like a movie on fast forward that I can’t make stop. I shake my head wanting to be rid of the images. I feel soft warm hands hold my face steady as the scent of flowers and the sea invades me.

“Listen to me. Strength is not how many weights you can lift, or how many punches you can throw. It’s how much the soul can bear and how much the will can endure and you, sweet child, have endured more than most ever will, and yet here you still stand living your life. That is strength, and very few are blessed to have it. Do not think so lowly of yourself,” Setia tells me softly as she pulls my face down and plants a gentle kiss on my forehead.

She gives me a moment to ponder her words.

Am I strong? I’ve always viewed strength as something you measure physically, not mentally or emotionally, and even then I still feel I’m weaker than most people. Yet, I have Chris, Setia and so many others trying to tell me I’m a strong person, but I don’t know if I am. I want to believe what they all are saying, but I think it’s going to take more time before that happens.