wake up

You blinked slowly as your consciousness returned to you. You knew your eyes were open, but the cavern was dark. Cursory movements revealed that your hands were bound by ropes to your side, and your feet were bound together by your ankles, and you were suspended above the ground. The temperature seemed to have dropped slightly, but more movement revealed you were actually naked.

"Well... I suppose we'll see how this plays out" you thought to yourself. You didn't have to wait long as a series of torches along the wall lit themselves simultaneously. Adjusting your eyes to the sudden light revealed the group of Lamias huddled together a few feet away, glaring at you.

"So, you all come here often?" you quipped. Your tendency to use sarcasm in any given situation as a coping mechanism was probably not the smartest move in this situation.

"Oh shut up, this is our home" one of the Lamias snapped at you. She was adorned with necklaces and a silver bindi, and appeared to be running the little council happening in front of you.

"What do you want wizard?" she snapped once more. Despite your position, her venom filled words were sultry and appealing. Her eyes raged with fire as you, the interloper, were finally being interrogated, as you expected you would be.

"Just doing my wizarding things. You know, questing, adventuring, getting rid of pests who are causing trouble for runty villages, the usual."

"And we are supposed to be pests?!" the main lamia spat her retort without skipping a beat.

"Well, honestly, I'm just trying to make a living, but it seems to me that 'not humans' have no need to hire guys like me, which leaves me to be hired by humans."

"We have every right to be here, and to exist as we see fit!"

You knew she was right in the sense that sentient creatures have a right to a way of life, but you didn't really feel like arguing the semantics with her.

"I hear ya, but like I said, I'm on the clock, and I have some questions for you."

"It hardly seems to me like you are in a place to make any request," the other lamias nodded vigorously in agreement.

"So what's up with you all and these villagers?" you pressed through their nodding and whimpers of approval toward the head lamia.

A quiet fell over the group as they furtively glanced between themselves, mumbling and making small hand gestures. It seemed as though this line of questioning would cut through any red tape and get you some much needed information.

"We need help." the head lamia said quietly as she wrung her hands together.

"Well. If it were at all desirable to you lovely lamias, perhaps I could offer my services," you feign a snobby curtsy as well as you could while bound.

The head lamia's eyes narrowed as she huddled her group of lamias together. Whispering and objections could be heard, but you still didn't know what they wanted. You were fairly inclined to do whatever it was given your bound state.

"We need offspring..."

"Come again?" you couldn't believe your ears.

" We need offspring. We cannot reproduce on our own, and we cannot go back to the burrows we once inhabited. We need help."

"...Honestly, you could have just asked..." You still could not believe your ears. "How is this? I'll help you, you'll leave the village alone, and I'll leave a summoning stone with you if you ever need my assistance again?"

"Deal," the head lamia jumped on the offer and quickly slithered up to you. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Oh you don't have to worry, this is really a win-win for everyone. All I need you to do is untie me, I'll help you with your little problem, and I can report to the village that you will leave them alone. Everybody wins."