Operation: Soseru

I hadn’t heard of the planet, “Soseru”. Well, I hadn’t until it came hurling at my head at fifty miles an hour. When it hit, it knocked me to the ground.

I was headed to Bydown, on the lush fielded planet of Soseru. I had to fly on a transport ship. I didn’t want to go; I find it ridiculous that people around here can’t keep their feet on the ground.

~*~

It took over three days to arrive on Soseru. Once I had, I was greeted by the Soseruians. They were a snake people, and when they saw me, they all greeted me in their traditional way.

The Soseruians were a shamanic and warrior people. I could tell we would get along right away. They stood taller then me. Which was saying something, I was a tall woman, I stood “A good six feet.” These people had another foot on me.

They didn’t have the traditional tails. They had legs, and they had four arms. Covered in scales from head to foot, fangs jetted out over their lower lips, and they had long tongues. When they spoke, they surprisingly spoke in English, “Hello, warm-blood.”



The ship took off and they lead me into Bydown. Bydown was a small village. It was on the edge of a forest and had a stream running through it. They showed me the town, they were tribal, like my Seneca brethren on earth.

They hunted, gathered and farmed. There were no huts bigger then other huts, save for one. My guide, a tall strong faced woman, told me it was The Hatchery. Inside was the young. They were all kept in one building, and they were guarded by one snake maiden. A woman who never knew a man’s touch.



It was said that her touch wouldn’t corrupt the eggs. I was confused by this, She was just one maiden. I looked at the leader, he noticed this confusion.

The leader of the village, ever patient with me, spoke, “I bet she could make you bleed warm blood.”

I stared at the woman, she looked at me, with two movements of her hand, and a leap, she was up, and ready for war, the gentle and maidenesque clothes she wore, into war-gear, and I have to tell you, I think she could have defended the hatchery easily. She calmed down, straightened her clothes, and sat back down.



“By nature, Warm-Blood, we are all warlike. We have to be,” the leader said.

His wife joined him, she looked fatigued, she smelled of rice, and her fingers were raw, “This is my mate,” he said, “She is in charge of the farming. I am in charge of the hunters.” He led me to another hut, inside there were hunters, the men of the village. They had bows and swords, “Warm blood, we hunt birds and stags.”



I nodded, and he continued, he took me to another hut. Inside of the hut was the shaman. I could tell instantly, and she looked up to me, eyes flaring with spirits. She stared past me to the village leader, he ran from the hut, and I heard an alarm called for the village.



I ran outside, and I saw in the distance a great white cloud. It came closer, hundereds of wings were beating. With a sound change, I saw a black cloud come towards the village. Arrows hit all around the village, and I had to hit them away.

They swooped, and they flew fast and low towards the ground.



They had their bows back, and they began to volley arrows on the village. I saw the hunters in the woods, they were waiting. They blew the horn and these hawk people, turned and flew fast and low towards the forest.

I ran along the ground, following the birds.

I looked into the trees, the warriors were ready, they leapt from the trees, landing on the backs of birds, and arrows were released at the snakepeople. I jumped into the air and landed on one of the bird’s back, and had the bird woman fly into another one and sent them both plummeting to the ground.



From there I leapt onto the next one’s back. I kicked snapping its wings, sending it towards the ground, and the leader of them, a bird who looked more like an owl then a hawk, saw me leap towards it.

It screeched, and from that, the birds retreated back into the skies. Leaving me plummeting towards the ground. I was caught, by the Village Leader.

“Very good warmblood… Very Good… But they will be back… And in greater numbers.”

~*~

Over the next week I was there, I learned about their culture. It was so much like mine, it was frightening. I learned about their differences. They came from the same hero of old. Two children were born, twins. One was feathered, the other scaled. They disagreed and fought for years until they split to make their own tribe.

This rivalry has continued throughout the ages, and will continue, said the chief. But each time they meet for peace, they agree on another topic. Thankfully for both sides, they have agreed to stop the attacks on the hatcheries.

But the Leader explained, he didn’t trust them, which is why the Snake Maiden still learned to fight.

The shaman warned the village again of the next attack, this time I was prepared, as were the rest of the warriors. The same cloud happened, and the same volley of arrows. I batted them away, and I concentrated on a form.



When I rose form my transformation I dwarfed the village tenfold, and I flew in the air towards the attacking birds: I used my massive tail to whip at the birds, and I opened my mouth and released an acidic breath all over them.

The snakes of the village returned fire with their own bows and arrows. The birds fell all around me, as I ripped into them in the air. Finally, the leader of the birds, flew towards my mouth, stared at me, screeched, and flew back away from me, heading towards his home in the cliffs.

Outside of the village, I morphed back into myself, the Village leader walked up to me, gave me a hug, and there was cheer throughout.

I had succeeded.

The transport ship came back soon after, and as a parting gift, the leader gave me a lock of his own hair, a small medicine pouch, filled with several magical herbs from this planet.

Defend the Soseruians – Success