Encounter: Lesser River Naga

Lair Location: Crystal Caves- Environmental Hazard: The effects of light based attacks and special effects are amplified due to the reflective nature of the crystals growing here.

With a deafening bang blood splashes against the crystal wall behind the Naga. The shot has hit the creature at the edge of where the chest of a human would be, tearing through scales, muscle and the unfurled rattling hood extending down from its neck and back.

The creature lets loose with a horrible screech and rears back, instinctively coiling its body into a defensive knot.

My makeshift flash suppressor worked! The feeling of elation quickly drops to zero however when I look down to see the destroyed cloth, burnt and smoking over the edge of the barrel. Crap! No way will it work a second time.

The Naga hisses, its remaining frills shaking and the cacophony of awful noise echoes through the chamber. The bright yellow eyes dart about unfocused.

Strange. I’ve never shot anything before, well, except for zombies in those arcade games outside the local theatre and of course my own reflection. But there isn’t any panic. My hands aren’t shaking. The bucking kick of recoil from the heavy pistol in my hand felt like second nature to me. I could just have easily been brushing my teeth or rolling dice.

I think about reloading and taking another shot but I don’t know if I have time before it recovers from the shock and pain of my initial attack. I remember the nest and reach down to grab the sword. Freeing it with a metallic ring take a step forward at the hissing monster and slash at the serpentine body with my blade, easily hitting the disoriented abomination.

Though sharp, my new short sword skips over the smooth scales and with horror I see its eyes lock onto me.

Time to go. I backpedal away then turn to dash backward and jump-slide over the square washing machine sized crystal block like it was the hood of the General Lee.

Unlocked: General Skill: Acrobatics: Success!

“Ssso, sssweet meatsss wantsss play?" The Naga drops its head down low to the ground, watching for a moment as if collecting itself. It grins with a hiss, tongue tasting the air.

I'm taking a step in the direction of the tunnel I initially used to gain entry to the cave and think about trying to make a run for it. No! Screw that! The thought is immediately dismissed for ‘the stupidest decision of your life award’ that it would win me.

There is no way in hell that I’ll be able to outswim this thing. Never mind when she inevitably catches me and I’m forced to try and fight it off in a tight, underwater cave. That equals drowning, and then dead.

I glance down at the blood-free blade in my hand and back to the seeping wound on the Naga.

Damn, I have to use my gun, but if I don’t kill it with my next shot I’ll be blind, and then dead. I look around for something, anything, and see a dead rabbit and my discarded boot. An idea flashes to the forefront of my brain. I drop the sword in my hand and start to reload the pistol in that same deft practiced move I had used before.

Leaping over the body of the large bunny I rush toward to my discarded footwear. My feet slide to a stop and I snatch my wet boot from the ground just as I snap closed, my now reloaded, pistol.

The Naga still grinning darts forward. Moving between the crystal growths with that same unnatural speed it had displayed before it quickly closes the distance I’d managed to place between us.

Naga Special Move: Frightening Speed.

Its strike is lightning fast but I somehow manage to twist out of the way at the last moment and its jaws clamp on empty air.

My body seems to know what to do and I let it, swinging around I hold my boot open with one hand and stick my pistol barrel inside, lining up the shot with the back of the Nagas’ neck.

“Gotcha, Naga!” With a smile, I pull the trigger.

The hammer cocks back but, instead of a satisfying bang a heart-stopping klink echoes off the walls of the cave as metal twists and jams, the hammer now bent slightly off center.

With her horror show grin, the Naga looks back and my smile drops to a timid chuckle.

"You makesss no boomsss now, sssweet!" It hisses and twists back on itself, looping to my left.

I try and sidestep the attack like before but I misjudge her speed. In a blink, she spins around me and I feel scaled coils wrap me tight, my arms pinned down against my body.

Naga Special Attack: Constricting Coils.

Casual Strength to escape Grapple: Fail!

"Ssseems, gotcha I hasss? Yesss?" Panic grips my chest as her head slowly rises up, snake eyes staring into my own as my feet start to leave the ground pulling me ramrod straight, my toes scraping the smooth crystal floor. Ah! There’s that fear.

“Pretty you isss.” She seems to study me, her tongue dancing near my cheek. “If you no hurtsss me, nasssty fun we could had, yesss?” It’s rattling frills quiver in a strange undulation that is frightening in a whole new way as the implication clicks.

“Oh, uhhh... Sure!” Instinctively I squirm and flex a little, but the coils are wrapped tight. I could try and really push it but with those dripping fangs so close I think better of it.

Casual Strength to escape Grapple: Fail!

What the hell do I do now? I wrack my brain trying to think like a Player. An idea pops into my mind in a burst of trumpets and fireworks.

“I was... you know what? No fooling, I was thinking the exact same thing.” I concentrate, focusing and praying that it works. “I mean I was just embarrassed to say anything cause you know... You, probably get hit on all the time and I didn’t want to seem like a guy who was only interested in... that.” I give the monster a sly wink and what I hope is a seductive smile.

Charm vs Naga: Success!

“We ssstill have nasssty fun then, yesss?”

Stealth vs Naga Perception: Success!

“Oh yeah, Boy, wow. That would be just... just so super great.” My stomach churns. “I’ve always been into, uh... cold-blooded snake women.” I flash another smile, “Call it a kink.”

Charm vs Naga: Success!

“Isss good!" Her eyes sparkle with a wicked gleam, "Hasss nasssty fun, then eatsss tasssty bitsss.” Her head nods and she licks her lips and I don’t know what part of that statement is more concerning.

She lowers her head closer to my face, her tongue flicking over needle teeth that look like her mouth is throwing up gang signs. It tickles my cheek while her slick coils twist and roll over my torso then squeeze a little lower in a very disturbing way. I feel her deliver a series of gentle kisses along my neck and I force myself not to shudder in revulsion.

“But firssst, to keep pretty ssstill for nasssty.”

Something catches on the collar of my jacket and from the corner of my eye I see her large fangs have extended.

“Whoa! Hey now? Is that really necess—Ahh! There is a burning sting as they dig into my flesh.

Conditioned: Poisoned Special Effect: Paralysis

“Now pretty ssstay ssstiff.” Her frilled hood shimmy rattles.

Panic begins to grip my chest as I feel the muscles in my neck and back start to constrict and lock up. It’s now or never, Brian.

“You know? I’ve never been much of a heartbreaker. Till now." I pull the trigger of my now magically mended pistol,"Suprise, Naga.”

There is a muffled thump and wetness splashes my face from between the tightly wrapped coils.

The monster stares at me for a moment eyes bulging with shock, then they roll back in the sockets. The strength in the muscular coils begins to disappear and a second later they go completely slack. The scaled loops sliding off to pile on the ground at my feet.

“It worked!” I throw my hands up in the air, “I’m friggin alive!” My skin prickles with the adrenal rush of excitement and I swear any second my jackhammer heart will pop straight out of my chest.

I’m feeling so good that I almost miss the flush of heat radiating in my shoulder. I let out a grunt as it throbs a second time and I reach up to pull my leather jacket and shirt away from where the Naga had bitten me.

The indigo skin is an even darker shade of purple around the wound and is hot to the touch. My swollen veins pressed up like they want to burst out from under the skin.

"This is not good." There is another pulse and my arm goes dead. Oh, crap! I try to take a few steps forward, unsure where I'm trying to go. The muscles in my right leg cramp then seize completely and I topple, crashing to the ground.

Breathing is getting a more difficult now. I lay there, my face on the cold wet crystal, blackness creeping into the edge of my vision. I’m staring at the large body of the poor dead rabbit a few feet away as my muscles continue to tighten painfully with every second.

I see the ears of what I thought was a dead bunny twitch and I can’t help but smile.

“Least you will make it little buddy.” I manage to wheeze.

Funny. That was the best game ever.

Beside the dying that is.