Chapter 52

Snake Report Day Whatever/Captured by Humans Report: Official Day 5

Tiny Snake Camp Alcatraz

Current population: 2

1 Human Paladin

1 Tiny Snake

Camp is now at minimum working capacity. Walls have been raised, Summit has been hollowed out, and relative respite has been provided from the creepy eel things lurking in the water.

They're definitely attracted to the light that Miss Paladin keeps making. Really wish she would cut that out, but I guess human eyes aren't very helpful down here without something like that to assist.

Anyways, it's a lot like a movie I remember watching once. Miss Paladin is currently staring Tom Hanks, from castaway. Only difference is that I'm not a volleyball, and we're stranded in a cave-lake thousands of feet beneath the ground, surrounded by things that want to murder us.

Pretty close though.

Anyways, I've got some other issues of concern to deal with besides the human who keeps talking in a language I don't understand.

[Mana resistance: Rank 21]

See that.

Look real close.

It's gotten so high, the display got sick of using roman numerals.

Hisss... So yeah, if you haven't guess already, I might have eaten the fragments of the Mana Crystal that Young Gandalf had fixed to my magic shoebox. My insides right now feel like someone is marinading them with ghost-peppers.

This again.

Again, and by choice no less.

The reason? Oh, I just hate myself.

No- that's not it.

That's a joke. I was joking. It takes my mind off the pain and suffering I'm currently going though. All this, after I swore to never again- yet here I go eating poison like it's not going to make my life miserable.

Reasons though. There are reasons.

Thing is, the weird Eel things keep trying to come over the wall. They're creepy looking, and they have way too many teeth.

Manaburn > Creepy Hungry Eels

Miss Paladin is not good with Earth magic. Actually, I get the feeling she can only use the [Faith] magic I've already seen her use. Young Gandalf was the one who could use the rest.

Or maybe he couldn't. I only really saw him shoot fire and lightning, though he did grab me with some weird freezing magic.

And shoot a bonafide Hyper-beam.

Hisss...

Hard to say I guess.

I'm still not 100% sure how magic in this world is intended to work, and the [Voice of Gaia] isn't all that great with abstract questions. "How does magic work?" isn't going to get much of an answer.

"..."

Well I already tried, that's how I know.

I don't have the magic to waste on that kind of thing right now. Not until the walls are another ten feet up and slanted a bit at the top. No more hungry looking things trying to eat me.

"_____"

Ah, behind me the human is saying something again. She's been talking a lot the last few hours, pointing and gesturing. It's sort of funny, trying to have a conversation with her.

I'll hiss, she'll respond, make motions and shapes with her hands and arms. I'll hiss again, she'll do more exaggerated gestures.

The effort is definitely there. She's not wallowing in sorrow like I would be in her position, humans of this world are made of tougher stuff than I was.

They're also prettier.

If I wasn't reborn as a snake, I'd earth-mold her a ring ASAP.

"_____" Another hand gesture towards the ceiling, then one towards the walls. Blond-hair and blue eyes are looking at me with a serious sort of "pondering" expression. "_____ ___ ___"

Ah, who am I kidding. Even if I was human, she'd be way out of my league. A strong independent Paladin woman, who don't need no man.

Hiss...

She's pointing towards the ceiling again. Looks a little mad. "_____ ___ ___"

No words mentioned have made even a tiny bit of sense to me yet, but I think I get what she's trying to say. It's probably something like: "Can you get us to the ceiling?"

If I were to guess, that's what I'd put my bets on.

Hiss... The ceiling though. Not a bad plan, but...

Well, that's a good question.

I'm already about 110% sure water magic is not going to help much in this. Beside a small pool of the stuff I left for us to drink, and the other little grated-moat I made by the wall's base for... well, other things. I'm not about to try and tango with the monsters living in the underground water ways.

They're absolutely terrifying. I'll stick with earth and fire for now.

But the ceiling... If I can get better with Earth magics, in time it might be possible... Eventually. It's way too far for me to manipulate right now, but if I could get closer... Well, it's on the table. In the meantime, it's one "Hiss" for yes, two "Hiss" for no, three "hiss" for maybe.

"Hiss. Hiss. Hiss."

Miss Paladin looks confused. I think the shrug-gesture is universal no matter where you are.

At least we're getting somewhere. I'd call this progress.