There be monsters here...

Four travelers head out early to trade meat with the newly Vermin infested Redwall. Things don't go according to plan...

The morning sun dawns over Mossflower. The forest takes on a different appearance highlighted by a reddish orange hue. Along the road a group of merchants get an early start to their day. There are four in total. A wiry gold furred fox dressed only in trousers pushes the cart. Along side it a small rat keeps instep with a very rotund ferret. The pot bellied merchant is grey furred and dressed in extravagant silks. On the opposite end of the cart is a green scaled lizard. He carries a spear and a squirrel leather chest piece. He has the build of someone versed in combat...as well as spending most of his days in a tavern. "Onward chaps! This food won't deliver its self!" The ferret says happily as he adjusts his cap. The cart is laden with straw and various species of dead birds.

Indeed, the food won't deliver itself, but unknown to the travelers, there were bigger things to worry about today than delivering food. Their troubles would only begin with the sound of a tree snapping, and birds flying off through the trees. Upon closer observation, it can be noted that the sound of birds singing has gone completely silent.

The small rat nervously squeaks, standing closer to his employer, "D-did you hear that?" The ferret shrugs off his concerns however, "Oh stop worrying. You know how birds are. Scared of the drop of a hat they are. If it makes you feel better think of all the gold we are about to get." THe fox up ahead snorts, "Assuming the Vermin in redwall will even trade with us." The ferret beats the fox upside the head with his hat, "Quiet you!" Adjusting his hat the merchant replies again, "An army runs on its stomach, and vermin love nothing more than birds, right? So why /wouldn't/ they trade with us!" The fox merely rolls his eyes. The lizard body guard tunes them out completely, focusing more on the forrest. Something...something isn't right. He can feel it in his gut...

Through the silence, a strong, yet haunting hiss cuts the air from somewhere in the forest, sounding as though it is much too loud for any normal sized snake to hiss. The trees seem to move in unnatural directions, and the sounds of the snapping of multiple branches and rustling foilage can be heard loud and clear.

It's a little hard to ignore that, even for Orvil the ferret. "Um...prehaps we should make haste towards Redwall, yes?" Crosby the fox gulps putting a little more speed into his step. The gold vulpine is starting to regret the heavy breakfast in his belly at the moment. The rat jumps to the front of the cart to help out. The lizard continues at a brisk trot, nervously glancing back towards the sounds of the hissing while they continue onward.

The quickening of the travelers' pace only seems to increase the speed at which the forest seems to bend for some creature, and the hisses become louder; more excited to hunt. The predator is quickly closing in on his prey, and he would be lying if he told himself he wasn't going to enjoy it.

"Faster! Faster!" Despite his large girth the portly ferret dashes ahead of all of them. Especially when the fox driving the cart trips over a rock. Crosby the fox yelps as he falls flat onto his stomach letting the cart pass over him while the rat continues to pull forward, "Crosby!" He shouts. The lizard hisses as he stops to help the fox to his feet.

And that is the lizard's first good choice of the day. With what sounds like an explosion, a gigantic snake with bright red scales bursts from the forest, crashing straight into thr side of the cart with astounding force and breaking straight through the wood, which sends wood flying everywhere and generally sends the scene into chaos.

The small rat is flipped over with the cart as it explodes. All beasts turn to the sound. Orvil does what any self respecting ferret does when he sees a giant snake burst out of the woods and attack his cart, he stands there in panic pointing at it and shouting in stock terror. Dropping the fox the lizard readies his spear, oh he is so not getting paid enough for this. "Run! Everyone scatter! Run!"

Aglaeca's keen, beady eyes roam the area, and he moves almost as quick as lightning, snapping his jaws down on the small rat before quickly swallowing him and turning towards the lizard. Readying his spear and yelling was likely his first mistake of the day, and very likely to be his last.

It gets the ferret moving, and the fox as well in the complete opposite direction. "Oh biskets..." the lizard gasps as he watches the rat get swollowed hole. Eaten alive by a snake is NOT how this reptile wishes to end his carreer. With a gulp the pot bellied lizard begins to slowly back away from the snake keeping his spear leveled at him, "Be gone beassst! G-get away!"

Without ever looking away, the snake's weight shifts closer to his front, and his lower half comes almost completely off the ground, swinging around towards the fleeing ferret and fox. If he didn't hit them, there was nothing lost. He could run them down quite easily, and they would make a nice meal. "Calm yourssssself lizard...jusssst give in..." His voice is almost melodic, and his eyes are hypnotizing to look at; paralyzing, almost.

The lizard gulps in terror. Continuing to back away. His spear begins to shake in his claws, "S-stay back! Shut up!" He trips over his own terrfied tail, landing on his back with his spear still pointed upward. The ferret and fox are both making ground, one south the ferret heading north. It's unclear how far the portly ferret or full bellied fox will be able to go.

Aglaeca seems to smile, but all it really turns out to be is the baring of his fangs, and his eyes seem to become all the more intoxicating. "Lower the sssssspear, and your death will be painlesssss...." His voice is like running water flowing through the lizard's mind in an unnatural way.

The lizards eyes widen in fear. "No..no..NO!" He wants to run but he can't move. He wants to fight but all he can do is shake his spear in his claws. At this point he isn't even keeping it level with the beast. He's going to die and all he can do is stare at those large eyes.

Aglaeca slowly moves closer and closer to the lizard, and the black, emotionless eyes only seem to grow larger and larger until his nose is literally right in front of the lizard, his mouth slowly opening until he finally begins to take the lizard's head into his maw, followed slowly by the rest of his reptilian body until only the tail is hanging out, which soon disappears as well as the snake looks around, spotting the ferret first, as he had been facing north to begin with. With a devious look, he quickly begins to pick up speed, heading off towards the ferret.

The muffled cries of the reptile can still be heard for a few moments inside the snakes gullet. The fattened ferret turns around in time to see a rapidly approaching snake on his tail. He looks ahead and his heart drops, Redwall is still so far away he would never make it. "Wait! Stop! Stop!" The ferret shouts, holding up his paws. If nothing else he can at least bargain for his life...he hopes.

Aglaeca quickly draws to a stop, the rest of his body bunching up behind him as his head leans down towards the ferret, watching him with the same emotionless gaze, though it does not contain the same drugging sensation that the lizard had experienced, but that does not make it any less terrifying.

Orvil gulps, nervously taking off his cap and fiddling with it in his paws, because other wise he would be nervously stroking at his tail, the ferret begins, "Er...good morning Mr. Snake. I can't help but notice that you have (gulp) eaten two of my workers. Now I am sure that after such a large meal a round and meaty ferret like myself would l-look like a good desert. B-but I assure you that if you just hear me out prehaps we could...come to some sort of deal, ya?" He points back to the over turned cart filled with wood pigeons. "If you...if you let me go I can bring you more than enough food! Birds, beasts...it...it wouldn't be too hard!"

Aglaeca continues to stare straight at the ferret, his eyes seeming to bore holes straight through him. "And what'sss to ssssstop me from eating you and going to the cart on my own? Ssssurely I can do it myssssself..."

"I mean /more/ food! I...I can bring you more food! Beasts and birds! Honest!" There is another sound from the bushes to the right. A slender snake with green scales and a flare along side her head emerges. The adder playfully drags along the poor fox who's claws cut deep into the ground as he is pulled. "Like him! You can have the fox as a down payment." The adder laughs at this, "Agle...are you talking with your food againsssss?"

Aglaeca seems to gather a sort of dark humor, and he chuckles, which is a very airy, terrifying sound. "You know I can't resssissst having a little fun," He reponds, shifting his gaze to the female snake, then back to the ferret. "It'ssss entertaining to ssssee dinner beg for itssss life."

The adder coils around the fox so he can not escape. She tickles him in the nose with her tail. "Oh...they are both ssso cute...can I keep one assss a pet?" She looks over at the ferret who pleads, "Please! I...I can help you! I am worth more to you alive!" The snake hisses, "A bit of an annoying one. You'll ssspoil your diet on him...but he'ssss your catch. Do what you want with him."

Aglaeca would shrug if he had shoulders, but his head moves forward until his nose is just in front of the ferret. "Ssssstare into my eyessss, ferret..." He hisses softly, his eyes suddenly appearing to become larger and attracting. "Sssssurrender your will..." Of course, this was more for fun on his part, considering he could've easily ended it with a chomp, but he liked to play with his food.

The ferret's eyes widen with horror. "N-no...please..." He stammers. Fear over takes him. All he can do is stare up into the monsters eyes. "I...I can help you..." he whimpers. The fox stares in fear as he watches his boss about to be devoured. The snake idly pets his head with her tail as she watches.

Aglaeca chuckles again softly, and his mouth opens, and his fangs bite down into the ferret, breaking bones and likely killing Orvil instantly. Finally, the ferret disappears down the snake's throat, and he sighs contentedly, laying his head on the dirt road. "That wasss nice..." He says happily.

The fox gulps. "I...I'm next. Arn't I?" He whimpers. The viper above him chuckles, "Possssssibly. It really all depends on how hungry I am after I eat those birdssss." She uncoils enough just to let the fox go...mostly. She still drags him along by his foot paws over to the cart, "Now Mr. foxy...itssss your turn to convince /me/ why I sssshouldn't eat you. Keep in mind, I am harder to ssssway than my hunting partner." The fox gulps as he is forcefully thrown into the broken cart. "well...about this idea the boss has.../had/. Are you...are you interested in that." The snake smiles as she leans forward, "Oh yessss, you will make a nice little pet...or desssert...but do go on..."