A big clue, and a talented sculptor

wandering through the forest pippa comes to a cliff. behind her stretches the forest endlessly but in front of her, far on the horizon, many miles ahead, she can see something else.... fields and maybe even civilization? nearby she can hear a waterfall roar and upon inspection a small path has been carved into the rock face, making for a slippery path downwards but towards an exit

that's the start of an idea... Pippa gets her hope renewed

soon after climbing down the cliffside pippa comes across rocky terrain within the forest. there's boulders of varying sizes strewn all around, some seem more recent, free of moss and green while others are fully overgrown.

pippa is under the impression that some of these boulders, especially the newer ones resemble humanoid shapes

"thoses boulders are strange"... It makes Pippa wonder who made them

wandering the strange monolith for a bit, pippa hears... something.... like a big snake or something similar

"the artist carving thoses boulder is very talented

iirk, a snake, better not to stay here"

you walk on carefully, until the armor spirit pipes up in your head:

"There's a peice of my armor close by. its on one of these stones. a bit to the side. we are close."

"ok Regis. I'll check the stones, but i heard some snake. I hope i won't be bitten."

Pippa looks around

sure enough she finds a very humanoid stone with a arm cover, from gauntlet to pauldron that look just like her armor. pippa is about to touch it when she hears a female, rather melodic voice close by

"Who's there? Are you trying to steal from me? Or kill me?"

Pippa retracted her hand quickly and jumped of surprise

"haa.. erm, hello, i didn't know thoses statues belonged to someone, sorry. I don't mean harm to anyone. sorry.... hum.. Would you consider barter ?"

"You want to barter, little thing?"

now pippa can see a big snake body between the boulders. it's huge, easily big enough to swallow her whole. it ends in a feamle torso and further up is a human head wrappen in a shawl like nuns wear. something writhes under that shawl, but pippa is kind of capticated by the womans face

"well some piece here could be of use to me, and as i don't really want to steal from you, barter seemed to be an alternative... "

the snake woman coils around her, her human parts getting very close to Pippa

"ooh... you want this? if you are willing to pay the price...."

"and what would be the price you'll ask of that piece, please?"

"I have riches, the only thing i rarely have is company. Usually whoever come close to my lair has ill intentions and i miss the pleasures of the flesh."

thoses words let Pippa remembers somes of the times she did work that way. The raftmaker was a pleasant memory. It could be pleasant again, and the snake seems to be a female one, maybe pregnancy could be off the bargain...

"Hhmm, i am listening, what would you propose ?"

"You lay with me for the night and if possible bear me offspring. As long as you'd be carrying that you'd of course be my guest. But either way, when you have been with me for the night i'll give you the piece you as for."

"forgive my curiosity, I don't know how this works for every kind, but aren't you a female one?"

she smirks

"i am a hermaphrodite. i have both reproductive organs"

she shows to a part under her torso where the scales leave a small slit between them and sure enough pippa can see a fleshy phallus protrude from it. it's not terribly big, certainly not bigger than any humans

Pippa ponders the proposition for a moment, maybe it could be valuable ti get an other piece of Regis, and it not a certainty what could happen. And if that's the case, as she would be a guest, she could use the rest on the journey.

"I think you proposition is acceptable. So ... What now?"

"Come with me, i'll take you to my lair. you'll have food, drink and accomodation. rest and revel in the luxuries. when you are ready, let me know."

she slithers hither, taking pippa to what looks like an overgrown ancient temple. but the insides are pristine and well maintained.

Pippa follows

"I'm Pippa by the way. What should i call you?"

she speaks a word that makse pippa half nauseous from the sheer amount of syllables and sounds she couldn't produce, but then she repeats it in a speakable way

"Call me Kallayshjia for now. It will be a pleasure being with you, Pippa."

Pippa is still a bit unease as she accepted that work, but with the alternative of being ****, or worse turned into a statue, it seems that she managed rather well this encounter.

"Nice to meet you Kallayshjia"

Pippa tries to calm herself and to relax

pippas host brings her to a chamber expertly carved from stone, with a bed, table, chairs, a dresser and a wardrobe. there is a connecting room that on inspection turns out to be a luxurious bath, more of a small pool

"Enjoy the luxuries. i'll have some food and drink put in your room in a short while."