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It was a peaceful, warm spring day in a small village, nestled within the vibrant forests of Vipin. This village was home to mainly humans, with a few elves and two wee brownies, a mother and her daughter.
Sarah and Lilly were their names and they were walking home after buying some produce from one of the other villagers. Some corn, potatoes, carrots, and even a few apples, for on the south side of the village was a lush farm, not extremely vast, but with a healthy crop to make a living and provide much food to the people.
However, after months of living in peace and quiet, with no noteworthy visitors, a strange sight caused nearly everyone to freeze in their tracks, including the two brownies.
Entering from the south side of the village was a strange man riding an even stranger animal, with a long swooping neck, and two humps protruding from its back. The man rode between them, one in front, and one behind, with much of the animal draped in a thin, yet beautiful gold and burgundy blanket under the strange saddle, with tassels swaying with the beasts’ uneven walking.
The face looked something like a cross between a rabbit and a horse, at least to Lilly’s untrained eyes, and that’s what she was going to see it as unless told otherwise.
The man himself actually seemed respectful enough, with slightly darker skin than usually seen, indicating that he likely hailed from the desert region of Nevaeh. Otherwise, he had long brown hair tied into a bun, and pretty purple robes with the design of a silver snake circling the bottom, accompanied with burgundy sleeves, matching the blanket.
He smiled and waved to onlookers as he passed by and the one guard they currently had at each of the two village entrances let him through without trouble.
The brownies continued to watch as he approached, not to them personally but that just happened to be where they stood as he made his way towards the market, quaint as it was.
Upon seeing Sarah and Lilly though, he paused briefly, staring a few moments longer than he did anyone else in the village. It didn’t seem malicious though as he offered a warm, softer smile, and it was likely that he just wasn’t used to seeing brownies.
“Who is he momma?” Lilly asked in an excited whisper once he passed.
“I don’t know sweetie...” Sarah answered with intrigue of her own.
Eventually, the two brownies continued on their way home and prepared supper. In this time, their new visitor had set up a beautiful tent and the village soon discovered that this visitor was offering fortune-tellings, to peer into one’s future. Such things brought mixed feelings among the people, including some instantly dismissing it as a swindle, while others were tentatively curious.
Lilly found herself more than just tentatively so, she was VERY curious, and peered out the house window that allowed her to see the market, and more importantly, this fortune-teller’s tent.
While her mother worked to clean up, Lilly watched the man as he stood outside, hands tucked behind his back, while his strange mount rested nearby peacefully. Neither of them disturbed anyone unless directly approached, and the way he held himself was very much with a friendly and inviting air.
“Momma, could I go see the man with the purple robes in the market?” Lilly soon inquired to her mother, her face still all but pushed against the window.
“That fortune-teller? I don’t know sweetie, we don’t really have the coin right now...” She began with a tinge of guilt in her tone.
Lilly understood, they weren’t extremely poor by any means, but they still had to be mindful to some degree. Despite this, she didn’t let this discourage her.
“I just wanna talk to him, he looks nice!” She exclaimed with giddiness, now looking away to turn her focus to her mother.
Sarah was just drying off a wooden bowl when these words hit her, in which she paused. Their village has always been quite safe and peaceful and she found herself looking out the same window her daughter was. She could clearly see the man and his tent from here in the kitchen, so it’d be easy to keep an eye on them and make sure everything went okay.
“Alright, go ahead, you can go talk to him. Just be back before nightfall.” The older brownie relented with an encouraging smile.
“Yay! Thank you momma!” Lilly chirped with joy and rushed over to give her mom a hug.
The two warmly embraced, sharing a moment of love uniquely between a mother and daughter. Then they slowly parted and exchanged smiles, before Lilly slipped on her shoes and scuttled out the door.
The village was pretty quiet now, though there was only about an hour of daylight left, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. Regardless, Lilly planned to make the most of it as she scuttled and skipped her way over towards the fortune-teller.
As little Lilly approached, the man turned his attention towards her and offered a warm and friendly smile. It was an encouraging start that he didn’t seem to be unwelcome towards curious tiny children that were only a little bit bigger than his boot. That size was something that Lilly was quite used to though, being a brownie child and all, although this fellow was not small by any means.
“Hello mister!” She chirped to him in greeting, her big pink eyes wandering over every detail she could make out of him.
The first thing she noticed was that the purple fabric of his robes looked comfy and soft, but she resisted touching them for now and instead eyed the pretty and delicate silver chain adorning his waist, along with the burgundy sash that matched his sleeves.
Then there was the serpent pattern at the base of his robes, its tongue flickering out towards her at the angle she had approached him from. Looking at it though, despite what it was, didn’t fill her with unease. Snakes were scary, but something about how this one was designed felt more mystical than dangerous.
“Greetings to you, dear child. What brings you to me?” The man asked in an accent she hadn’t heard much before, but assumed it was normal for the desert region he hailed from.
His tone matched his smile though, warm and inviting, and she could even see a spark of his own curiosity in his brown eyes as he greeted her with a polite bow of his head.
“I wanted to talk to you before it got all dark and scary! And in case you left tomorrow...” She told him, trailing off sheepishly before giggling.
The man hummed in a friendly manner, his brow furrowing slightly in what Lilly could see as a hint of adoration, in a way that she knew meant that he found her endearing. It wasn’t an unusual emotion for the child to cause, especially in humans, with her size and endless curiosity.
“Do not worry, I will be here for some days and offer my services to all within your village.” He assured her with a little bit of confidence, just enough to instill comfort in his words.
However, something the man said caught her attention, and she tilted her head up at him.
“Services? Do you do more than see the future?!” Lilly asked with excitement.
In her mind, that was already extraordinary and thus the idea that he also did other things was even more interesting. What else could he possibly do?
The man let out a hearty laugh to her question, before giving a slow nod.
“I do. You see dear child, not all are too keen on me peering into their future, or believe that I can even perform such a feat. But I have discovered that many little villages, just like this one, can be teaming with problems. Some small, some big, and I make my living by lending a helping hand to those in need.”
Lilly soaked up every word with awe, while it also spawned even more questions.
“Problems? What kind of problems, mister?” The tiny girl inquired, before taking a little step closer.
For some reason, his hands still remained behind his back. She didn’t think a whole lot about it, but she wasn’t really used to seeing it either. Regardless, she was far too focused on her questions to worry about it all that much.
From her inquiry, the man smiled a little wider, and stole a quick glance around the village before focusing back onto Lilly.
“A wide manner of things. Sometimes I help seek those who have gone missing, or even retrieve stolen belongings from thieves. Perhaps a shopkeeper could use a watchful eye for a few days, or someone plans to travel, but does not wish to go alone. I do things of that nature, and more.” He explained with a sense of benevolent whimsy.
Lilly took a moment to consider what this meant, and soon she realized that he was somewhat like a mercenary, but a benign one. Not that she knew a whole lot about that, but she heard about mercenaries before, and how some people don’t really trust them or may even deem them immoral in the jobs they accept.
This man however, didn’t sound like one of those kinds of mercenaries. While most did anything they could simply for the coin, Lilly got the feeling, with how he explained it, that the mere act of helping others meant just as much to him as the coin did.
“That sounds so cool mister!” She said with enthusiasm, before she gasped in realization, a thought occurring to her. “Oh oh! I know Miss Stellar, she lives over there-” Lilly paused to point at one of the houses, west of her own home, before continuing. “-She wanted some really heavy stuff moved, but she can’t do it herself! Maybe you could help her? You look big and strong!”
Genuine interest sparked in his eyes, and he looked over to where she pointed, before giving a slow nod, a faintly amused smirk appearing on his lips then.
“Yes I can do manual labor as well, thank you dear child. I will visit her in the morning.” He said with earnest, causing Lilly to feel a warm surge of pride, before curiosity struck the man in return and he tilted his head slightly down at her.
Lilly returned the gesture, just in the other direction, and waited for him to speak his mind. Which he thankfully did.
“Forgive me, but what is your name?”
The child let out a soft gasp to this, only now realizing she hadn’t properly introduced herself yet.
“My name is Lilly! What’s your name, mister?” She inquired, shuffling another two steps closer, which caused the both of them to crane their necks further, but the fellow didn’t move away or bend down.
“What a beautiful name for a little bitty brownie that looks just like a flower~” The fortune-teller cooed with a benign chuckle.
Lilly smiled at the kind words and even found herself sheepishly giggling while looking down at her green and pink dress. She soon realized he had a point too, she really did look like a little flower person.
“And my name is Sokhayan Mar. It is a pleasure to meet you Lilly.” He declared with politeness now, followed by another bow, this time including a good part of his upper body.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mister Sokhayan!” She politely told him back, and for a moment she moved to hold her hand out to shake, but realized his own hands still remained hidden. At this point, she suspected it was for a reason, and resisted the urge.
Instead, she leaned over to one side to peer into the cozy looking tent he had set up, attempting to see if she could spot anything of note. While doing this, she decided to ask yet another question.
“Can you really see someone’s future? Is it scary?”
Sokhayan let out a singular laugh, not harsh-sounding though. But he did sigh softly afterwards, and Lilly stole a peek up at his face to spy a bittersweet smile on his lips.
“I can, yes. And... sometimes it is frightening. I cannot control what part I see, so most often it is something simple and even mundane. But there is always a chance to see something exciting or beautiful, just as much as there is a chance to see something terrible.” He calmly explained, and with how he presented it, Lilly knew it was an important subject for him and that he meant every word.
At that point, Lilly had no doubt that he actually could do it, nothing about the man felt dishonest, now it was just about sorting what his words meant. Thus the child murmured in thought, taking a moment to process the information. His answer left her with mixed feelings, but it helped her understand a little bit about how complex foretelling truly was.
She looked back and forth between the tent and Sokhayan himself, and briefly wondered how many people had left with a whole different perspective on their lives, thanks to the efforts of a true seer.
“Would you like for me to peer into your future, dear child?” The man suddenly asked in a soft, inviting manner.
Lilly blinked up at him, before taking a small step back, shaking her head. “No, it’s okay Mister Sokhayan. I don’t have any coin...” She admitted quietly.
For a split moment, she worried he’d change his demeanor once he realized there was no monetary gain to be had from talking to her. But to her relief, the man didn’t shift at all, and even smiled a little bit wider, which proved to be a soft and welcoming expression still.
“It is no trouble, I have not done many foretellings today, and I do not believe anyone else will visit me tonight.” He assured, before nodding his head towards the inside of the tent.
The child let out a soft gasp to this, he was truly offering to do it for free? She didn’t expect that when she decided to approach him, but with the offer now given to her, she couldn’t help but find herself curious and excited about what he might see in her future. Turning it down at this point seemed rude, plus she might not ever get such a chance again.
“Oooh wow! Thank you Mister Sokhayan! Let’s try it!” The little one chirped with excitement, and earned a warm chuckle from the seer, before he turned and began to lead the way.
Lilly followed the man into the tent, and let out a quiet ‘woah’ at the sight. Much like his outfit, purple and burgundy fabric made up most of it, with strings of silver decorative chains hanging throughout and small lanterns providing light. Then in the center were two pillows laid on the floor, with a very short, simple wooden table placed between them.
The child had expected to see an orb or something, but there was no such thing. Which made this whole situation even more intriguing, how did he foretell one’s future without an orb?
“Take a seat, and we will begin.” Sokhayan requested, gesturing towards one of the pillows while he moved to sit on the other.
Lilly let out a quiet giggle and scuttled over, watching as he sat cross-legged onto his. Given her much smaller stature though, she decided to climb up onto the table before resting on bent knees. She was still much shorter than him, but it wasn’t as extreme.
Once they were both seated, the man smiled down at her with warmth and curiosity in his eyes, and Lilly found herself returning it.
“What do I do now, Mister Sokhayan?” The child asked, rocking slightly in place with excitement.
He smiled a little wider to the question, and shifted subtly before answering.
“Close your eyes and give me your hands. You are not to open them or take any peeks until I say so.” He calmly instructed, his tone a bit more serious now, but still not harsh by any means.
Lilly nodded hurriedly, but then paused and blinked.
“What happens if I do peek?” She inquired with a tinge of worry.
It wasn’t because she planned on doing so, but as a child, she was quite impulsive and couldn’t truly make any promises that she wouldn’t. So it was important to her if it was potentially dangerous.
In response, Sokhayan’s smile became more of a benign smirk, accompanied by a quirked eyebrow. The expression quickly chased away any worries of actual danger, but it did make her more curious.
“You’ll disrupt the connection between our souls, something I must have to gaze into your future. And if you do that, I may just swallow you up whole.” He declared with a lace of mischief in his voice.
Lilly then saw one of his hands move to rest over his middle, giving it a few soft pats. The display, and his tone of voice, told her that he likely wouldn’t actually be upset if she did peek.
However, she still couldn’t help a soft, yet startled squeak from this new information, not that she felt any malice or ill intent from him though. Looking at his face, and specifically, his eyes, she could see that they still held warmth and friendliness. It was not a threat to bring her any harm, thus it was likely that either he was simply kidding, or if she did find herself gobbled up, then she’d be kept safe and sound within.
Thus, with a sheepish giggle, Lilly chose not to be afraid, and watched as Sokhayan’s expression softened once more. The mischief left almost as quickly as it came, and was replaced with returning warmth.
“Do not worry, no harm will come to you and I will easily finish reading your future with your scrumptious self within me, dear child.” He assured in a tone that could only be described as benevolent, although he spoke as if he knew she was going to peek already and that he will have the little brownie in his belly by the end of this.
There was a stubborn streak in Lilly that wanted to prove him wrong, though another part of her reminded the child that Sokhayan was a seer for a reason, and thus it was very possible that he already knew something she did not. Still, she was going to do her best, she just had to not open her eyes! How hard could that truly be?
“I’ll try not to peek!” She chirped with enthusiasm, earning an amused chortle from the man.
“And I will try not to swallow you.” He said with a tinge of acceptance. For what though, she couldn’t be sure.
Regardless, Lilly let out a quiet, yet excited coo and looked to him expectantly for him to start.
“Now, if you are ready, we can begin. Close your eyes and give me your hands.” He instructed once more.
Sokhayan then laid his hands upon the table, palms up. This however caused Lilly to take pause, because she found herself noticing a detail that she hadn’t before....
Claws.
The man had black claws for fingernails. Even his upper fingertips were darkened under the skin, showing that they were rooted deep into them, potentially even to his bone. She stared with wide eyes, and for once, despite their discussion just seconds ago, this was what caused her to feel a small spike of fear. Finally she realized why he hid his hands this whole time.
A moment of silence passed, until Sokhayan seemed to figure out what the problem was.
“Oh... My mistake. I got ahead of myself, you were not supposed to see these.” He said quietly and with genuine regret, suddenly disheartened by this turn of events.
The man then sighed softly and slowly retracted his hands to rest upon his lap non-threateningly. She saw him divert his gaze as well, and all Lilly could read on his face was... sadness. Even his shoulders were a bit slumped, and the gentle confidence he held himself with before was gone. Now, he just seemed downcast.
The child was still a little worried, humans weren’t supposed to have claws, which meant that he wasn’t human. He also wasn’t elven, dwarven, or any other such common race, but she already knew that by simply looking at him. Though at least this partly explained his earlier antics of wanting to gobble her up.
Despite all of that though, she didn’t think he was dangerous, or would intentionally bring her any harm. Thus, she decided to speak to him further, instead of perhaps the more expected reaction of fleeing the tent.
“What... What are you, Mister Sokhayan?” The child delicately asked, not wanting to upset him, but she found herself wanting to know and hoped he would be willing to share.
The man looked back to her with a glimpse of surprise, perhaps from her asking instead of just running away. Though that surprise was quickly replaced with something else. A look of apprehensiveness, enough so that he frowned and she even spotted his jaw tightening.
“I do not know if there is a word for what I am... My mother was a serpentine evuna. It is a wonder how I became so human, although you have now seen that I am not entirely so.”
A half human, half evuna... That was forbidden, even Lilly knew that, though she didn’t know why or anything beyond that. Just that, for some reason, evuna and humans weren’t allowed to have a family together. It was almost sad, but she guessed that there must have been a good reason for it. Although if people like Sokhayan was the result, she didn’t see the harm in that.
“Oooh okay... I won’t tell anyone then!” The child assured with a warm giggle, hoping to lift the poor man’s spirits a bit.
That surprise returned as Sokhayan’s eyebrows raised, his mouth opening a tiny bit. The expression was short lived however and soon, his face relaxed and shifted to something towards gratitude, his mouth now forming a warm smile once more.
“Thank you dear child, I appreciate that more than I can express. You have my word that I will not bring any harm to you or your people.” He replied with genuine happiness and relief.
Lilly beamed up at him, feeling all warm and fuzzy now. She didn’t think he’d hurt anyone anyway, though his claws very much looked like they could if he wanted to, so she suspected that’s why he said it.
In that moment however, she realized they still hadn’t done the fortune telling! She gasped and scooted a little closer, her toes wiggling behind her in excitement.
“Can we do the thingie now? If you’re still up for it, Mister Sokhayan?” She asked in an even higher pitched tone than usual, which was saying something.
From that, the man let out a breath, and with it, tension rolled off of him, as if he finally allowed himself to relax since the accidental reveal.
“Of course I am. Just remember, no peeking Miss Lilly, unless you would like to be a cute little bump~” He cooed with warm delight and a benevolent chuckle, while his hands briefly resting over his abdomen once more.
The brownie child giggled at this, smiling without worry. At this point, she was tempted to peek just so that she could find out what it’d be like in the seer’s belly. The image she had conjured in her mind was a cozy one, and she didn’t think he’d actually do it if it was anything but a snuggly, squishy sanctuary for the brave and curious.
Sokhayan then laid his hands out on the table once more, and she got to see his claws again. Black, shiny and sharp, each easily an inch long or more. But they were of no threat to her, not with how he held his palms up. He simply needed to hold her hands, thus the brownie child extended her arms, and placed her tiny palms into his.
She watched then as his fingers delicately closed around her wrists, while the pad of his thumb rested on the top of her hands. The skin was warm, though with a bit of roughness, enforcing his earlier mention that he did actually do more than just tell fortunes, including manual labor.
“Now close your eyes, dear child.” The man gently reminded her, though not without a hint of amusement in his tone.
Lilly smiled with a small, though short giggle, before she gathered her composure and did as she was asked. With a deep breath, the child closed her eyes, and did her best to open her mind to him.
She thought there would be silence, but no, soon she heard Sokhayan begin to whistle! Though it didn’t sound entirely normal, there was something... mystical about it, and to some, it may have even sounded a bit haunting. But not to her, because she trusted him.
Behind her eyelids, Lilly could have sworn she saw some kind of light, like purple magical light. Despite the urge to peek, she resisted for the time being.
The whistling tune wasn’t really a song, but more of a long, soothing call towards one’s soul, or perhaps to both of their souls. Soon, the child felt an unexplainable presence within her. Not in a literal sense, but of a spiritual one.
Sokhayan stopped whistling then, and his tune steadily faded away, before he spoke.
“I see... Darkness.” He began, and Lilly felt a spike of worry, that didn’t sound good, but luckily, he continued.
“Do not worry dear child, it is a benign darkness, engulfing but safe. Warmth surrounds you, and there is someone else there... She appears to be your mother.” He gently told her with a little more levity.
The purple light grew stronger, and Lilly shifted on her knees with excitement, battling the urge to peek or wait. Whatever was happening, it seemed pretty, and she liked what he said. It sounded nice and comfy, especially with her momma!
“You both are happy and at peace, but I cannot... Oh, I see now.” Sokhayan declared at last with a heavier lace of amusement.
It became too much, she let her guard down for a moment, and thus, the child opened her eyes. What she saw however, quickly made whatever squishy fate that awaited her worth it, and she couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp and widen her eyes with wonder.
All throughout the tent, purple and silver magic swirled around, looking like stardust upon a mystical night sky. It was one of the most beautiful sights Lilly had ever seen, though she could not see anything about her future. She assumed that must be entirely on Sokhayan’s end, something that only he could see.
His eyes were closed until she gasped. From that, the man smiled before he opened them and peered down at the tiny brownie. The magic swirlies slowly began to fade away now as the connection was broken, but it wasn’t harmful or abrupt.
“It is a stomach you both were within. I cannot say who, it could have even been mine or perhaps someone else. Brownies are quite small, thus it can be nearly anyone who wishes to protect and shelter you.” He explained with an extra layer of warmth, and Lilly could see a very foretelling look in his brown eyes.
In addition to the fact that Lilly did indeed peek without being told to, it was a look of protective mischief. Thus, it came as no surprise when Sokhayan released her hands, only to reach further forward to gently pick Lilly herself up off the table she knelt on.
The child let out a little squeak, but it was followed by happy, if sheepish giggles. His hands held her firmly but carefully, despite his claws circling around her entire torso, they did not feel threatening or dangerous. The firmness was likely to just keep her from being dropped, for it didn’t hurt or anything.
“And you, dear child, stole a peek. So... in you go~!” He declared in a friendly tone.
Lilly wasn’t sure if she should apologize or not, he didn’t exactly seem upset by it, and already knew it was going to happen. One could argue that he didn’t even have to be a fortune-teller to assume such anyway, given the nature of children. Plus he might see something else once she was in his tummy! She was excited about that, and to experience what it’d be like in the half-evuna’s belly.
“I did...” She murmured with a tinge of guilt regardless, though she didn’t stop smiling as she was brought towards Sokhayan’s face.
The mischief once again got overshadowed a bit more with simple yet genuine compassion in his eyes, and Lilly got the fleeting idea that he was going to say something else. Perhaps he wanted to, but couldn’t find the words and instead, the child watched as the man’s jaws yawned open before her.
Instantly, she spotted two things that caught her interest, and couldn’t help a curious ‘oooh’ as she took in the sight.
The first detail was a little scary, but she spotted two long, sharp fangs protruding from Sokhayan’s top jaw. However, they didn’t take the place of any human teeth, but instead they came from above, overlapping in front. This didn’t last long however, and she watched in awe as those sharp fangs retracted into his gums! Likely to make it safer and easier for him to swallow her.
The second detail was much more welcoming, and that was his tongue! Soft, pink and squishy looking as expected, but something that stood out was that it was forked, or split. It paid further homage to his serpentine heritage, despite how human he looked.
Said tongue extended out towards her, appearing longer than it should have been, but this didn’t bother Lilly. Instead, she just found herself eased into those warm jaws of his, while the tongue happily helped lap her up inside.
Thanks to Lilly’s small size and Sokhayan’s serpentine nature, the child found herself easily sliding into his gullet, with the forks of his tongue pushing on the bottom of her feet to ease her the rest of the way in.
It was so warm and humid, harmless saliva coated her and everything was so squishy! She couldn’t help but reach to touch the inner part of his cheeks, where it was slick and smooth, almost like silk fabric. She didn’t want to make him gag, but his throat looked to be more of the same.
As his tongue drew her in, she soon found out as about half of her became enveloped in that slick, plush and organic tunnel. The muscles that made up his throat felt powerful, but the subtle, delicate ripples that coaxed her deeper within seemed to imply that somehow, even his body knew to be careful with the tiny child.
She couldn’t help but let out a small giggle while doing her best to keep still, just as gravity shifted and she realized Sokhayan’s head was tilting backwards.
A second passed, maybe less, before the man took a heavy, but slow swallow, something likely only possible once again due to his less-than-human nature. Thus, the journey down the man’s throat was a smooth one, like being carried down on warm, squishy clouds covered in harmless goop.
The sounds of life that surrounded Lilly were fascinating, including the powerful, steady heartbeat she passed by, and never truly stopped hearing, it only grew slightly quieter than while being literally inches from the organ. Then there was the swooshing sound of a great deal of air being drawn into Sokhayan’s lungs, just as she slipped under them.
Many other, more subtle sounds could be heard, all blending together to form a type of organic music that would have potentially been deemed as unsettling by some. But luckily for Lilly, she found it soothing, for life was a beautiful thing to the child, something to be celebrated in having.
Within a moment later, the young brownie found herself slipping down into a slightly more open chamber… Sokhayan’s belly. Which welcomed her with a gentle groan, but otherwise remained docile as she shifted herself upright, loosely curled and holding her knees not because she had to, but it was simply how she preferred sitting.
Once settled, the stomach seemed to cradle her with benevolent care, enforcing that feeling of safety that quite literally engulfed her in nearly every way. She had a good feeling that she wouldn’t have objected to this, but now that she was experiencing it properly, she was in a bit of awe at just how comfortable and happy she felt.
Sokhayan let out a soft ‘urp’, a subtle noise that released some air, but still leaving plenty for the little one to be perfectly safe during her visit. It earned him a giggle from the child, just in time for her to feel something new!
It was a gentle pressure, closing in around her and softly squishing her in his belly, before moving in slow circles... After a moment’s thought, Lilly soon realized it was Sokhayan’s hands giving gentle rubs to his brownie-inhabited abdomen.
With a quieter little ‘tee-hee’, Lilly found herself snuggling up against where she imagined his palms to be, feeling nothing but pure warmth and coziness within the seer’s tummy.
“There you go Miss Lilly, just as I foretold~” He cooed in a deep, but friendly voice that surrounded her with each syllable. It was surreal, but not unpleasant. “Now, let us see if there is more to your at once current, yet future fate.”
Lilly let out an excited gasp and found herself closing her eyes again. She wasn’t sure if she had to, but she wanted to be safe and not disrupt him further.
Soon the rubbing stopped, and his hands just rested heavily over her, which created a feeling not so unlike a weighted blanket, except alive, could speak and see into her future. Which was a lot, really, but the weighed, soothing feeling remained true.
The child couldn’t help a curious little wiggle under his palms, just as Sokhayan began to whistle once more.
Similar to last time, it wasn’t a song, but like a call. From within him however, it was even more surreal, and now she could feel it both in body and in spirit. It wasn’t a scary experience though, thus she just relaxed and allowed the seer to gaze through her soul once more.
After a few moments of listening to his whistling call, he stopped and began to speak.
“I see a house... Your house, I believe. It is in a brutal rainstorm, at night. Rainfall hammers the roof, and thunder cracks in the distance.” He began to describe, and Lilly felt herself curl up a bit.
Storms were scary, and while it was expected that one would happen eventually, she still felt a bit timid about it being described. She didn’t interrupt though, especially since he began speaking more shortly after.
“Oh, you have a visitor. A man seeking shelter from the storm... I cannot see who it is however, but I believe it is he who will shelter you both in return.” Sokhayan added with a bit more levity.
At that point, Lilly couldn’t help but speak.
“Do you see anything about him? Like what he’s wearing?” The child asked with a glimmer of excitement.
She wasn’t sure if she’d remember such details when the time came, or whether she’d just remember the nice half-evuna seer with the comfy tummy, but she wanted to ask anyway. Maybe they’d figure it out together!
“I am afraid not, dear child. The perspective of the sight shifted, as if I was looking through his eyes.” The man said in a more distant voice.
Then, Lilly realized the vision ended, she could feel his presence spiritually drifting back to himself now, though she was hardly alone, given where she was. At this point, she deemed it safe to open her eyes again, not that there was much to see. It was pitch dark in Sokhayan’s stomach, but thankfully the soothing comfort of the place prevented her from being afraid of it.
However, a detail about what the seer said about his foretelling made something occur to the child.
“Maybe because it was you!” She chirped with a small giggle.
Sokhayan let out a singular laugh to that, his hands still protectively holding her within him.
“It is possible. One day we will see what fate brings us.” He said cryptically, but it wasn’t ominous, with his tone taking on a lighter edge than that.
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Meanwhile, back at the Burton’s home, Sarah continued tidying up while keeping an eye out the window, watching Lilly and the visitor exchange words. To her relief, the man seemed very polite and warm towards her daughter, and she felt no ill will from his body language or anything. This allowed the mother to relax, although she grew curious when the two went into the purple tent.
She debated heading outside and checking on them then, to make sure all was well. But on the other hand, Sarah feared being overbearing upon Lilly and nothing indicated that the fortune-teller would have any ill intent towards a small brownie child. If there was, she would have stepped in much sooner, or not allowed her to go at all.
Most likely, Sarah suspected that the fellow offered to do a foretelling for free, and thus she decided to give them a few minutes before she considered going out there. That gave her the time to finish the rest of her work for the evening, and in doing so that should give them those few minutes allowed.
Thankfully, just as she finished sweeping, there was a knock on her door.
The mother brownie did pause though, for Lilly didn’t usually knock, and she could tell that while he tried to be gentle, it was still a pretty powerful noise that reverberated through their small abode.
Regardless, she couldn’t imagine the visit being anything but bringing Lilly home, so she set the broom aside, approached the door, and opened it without concern.
Standing on the other side of the threshold was indeed the fortune-teller, standing straight and smiling down at her with warmth and friendliness.
Which was the only thing that prevented Sarah from panicking about what she noticed next. For it was impossible not to notice his hands resting over his abdomen for some reason, and especially the long black claws that each finger was armed with. While they weren’t like sickles, he could very much cause some significant damage to someone if he swiped at them, and humans weren’t supposed to have claws.
So what was he?
“Greetings to you, Sarah Burton. I have a little someone of yours who should probably go home now.” The man declared with benign levity, even as he gave a few hearty pats to his stomach.
Then Sarah heard an excited, muffled giggle that sounded very familiar to a mother’s ears... And she found herself staring at the wall of purple robes that stood before her, realization steadily clicking into place.
She opened her mouth to speak, and some noise did come out, but nothing coherent. Did this strange clawed man actually swallow her child whole? Why? Was it part of the fortune-telling process?
Of course Sarah couldn’t help but fear the worst, and yet the logical side told her that she had heard Lilly giggle, thus she sounded and likely was perfectly happy and healthy. In addition to that, despite what he had done, his tone and behavior was purely benevolent, including the fact that he came here to return Lilly home.
Thus, the mother just found herself utterly at a loss for words, and could only watch as the seer pressed down on his stomach and his internals began easing Lilly back up into his throat. She could hear it happen, the inner fleshy, organic noises at work, and then saw his neck swell as something Lilly-sized emerged from behind his collarbone.
Then the man opened his mouth, and held his hands out to catch the tiny child as she slowly spilled out of his jaws. This allowed Sarah to spot yet more inhuman features of the man, including his forked tongue like a snake, and she saw a pair of fangs retract into his gums.
“By the three gods...” Sarah finally breathed in confusion and disturbance.
Meanwhile, the fortune-teller slowly crouched down with a giggling, goopy Lilly cradled in his palms, whom he let down onto the ground once she was ready to stand on her own two feet.
“Thank you Mister Sokhayan!” The child chirped, and reached to hug one of the man’s arms, returning some of his goop to him.
She assumed that was his name, she wasn’t going to argue or second-check it, and by some miracle he didn’t seem to mind his sleeve getting wet. Sarah decided she couldn’t take it anymore though, not without speaking her mind anyway, to the best of her abilities.
“W-why... exactly, did you swallow my child?” She asked Sokhayan finally, her voice shaky, but not totally distressed, given the fact Lilly was physically and emotionally fine. It was just all very confusing, and she hoped something made sense soon.
The snake-man, as she determined him to be, perhaps even a half-evuna, let out a warm chuckle as he patted Lilly on the head.
“She stole a peek during her foretelling, so I am afraid it could not have been helped.” He answered, though judging by the content tone of voice he used, he very much wasn’t broken-hearted by it.
Soon, Lilly scuttled over to her mother’s side, allowing Sokhayan to stand. Sarah was grateful to have Lilly back and that this strange fellow didn’t seem malicious or anything, but she still very much saw the whole experience as ‘strange’.
“It’s okay momma, Mister Sokhayan is really nice!” Lilly assured her mother, and she watched as the man’s expression softened from hearing those words.
“I am glad you think so, dear child. But I shall leave you both for now, I must rest, and tomorrow I will pay a visit to that Miss Stellar you told me about. Should either of you need anything from me however, you know where my tent is for the next few days.” He told them in a calmer, yet respectful tone as his clawed hands tucked behind his back again.
Sarah did feel better about that, and despite the oddness, the mother found herself giving the seer a slight smile.
“Thank you, uh... Sokhayan, for bringing her home before it got dark.” The older brownie said with earnest.
In response, he bowed politely, eyes closing for a moment before peering down at them again with soft eyes and a smile to match.
“It was my pleasure, and perhaps we will meet again someday... Right here, when rainclouds blot the stars, and thunder cracks across the sky.” The man declared warmly with a sense of cryptic mystery, earning a mischievously happy giggle from Lilly.
Sarah didn’t fully register it at first, and thus just simply watched him turn and walk back towards his tent. Then it finally clicked that he was a seer, and the possibility of his parting words actually being real and meaning something was quite possible.
She blinked, before shaking her head and turning her attention back to her goopy child.
“Alright sweetie, you’re taking a bath to get... all of this off of you, and then you’re going to bed.” She lightly scolded, earning a ‘tee-hee’ from Lilly.
In truth, she wasn’t really ‘dirty’ in a literal sense. The slime that coated her was clean and clear, but the bath was going to help Sarah herself take her mind off of it, and the man himself.
She trusted that he wasn’t a bad person in the end, he technically did nothing wrong, but the fact he wasn’t entirely human and had no qualms about devouring someone whole and alive just made her instinctively a little more wary of him. Perhaps it was unfair, but as a mother, it was her job to be a little unfair for the safety of her child.
Despite this, the remaining days Sokhayan spent in their village was peaceful and uneventful. He helped their various friends and neighbors with all sorts of tasks, none incredibly grand, but it didn’t take long for Sarah to realize he was some kind of gentle mercenary as well as a fortune-teller. Which is what Lilly attempted to tell her that night, but it didn’t make sense to her at the time.
Regardless, Sarah stored that information in the back of her mind, should anything happen in which she’d need the services of such a man. Until then, life moved on, and so did he, while she was left wondering for a time whether what he said about a future visit was true… Only fate would tell.