The hall ended and exited into an unrefined cave. It was so dark that even with his various vision-type abilities, he couldn’t pierce through it. He was not a stranger to the unnatural. Still, his other senses told him the cave was warm and moist, ideal for serpents, and he could hear their movement inside. The smell reminded him of a few dens he’d crossed, which hosted formidable reptilian beasts.

Unwilling to move forward because he was sure the danger inside was real, he decided to take out the Python’s Tongue. The moment it was exposed, a path revealed itself. Along each side were statues of hybrid beasts with a snake tail and a human torso. He’d read these things were called Naga. Each held a sphere that emitted a yellowish-green light. The light scared the surrounding serpents away from the path and into the darkness beyond. However, now that the cavern was lit, Crow could see the glittering eyes of reptilian beasties. They remained just outside the light as if waiting for something.

Crow walked steadfastly along the path, trying not to outpace the activation of the spheres ahead. The only thing worth observing was that each Naga had an original face and body, and he suspected they weren’t carved. Many serpent beasts were related to earth and had powers that could turn others to stone. It wouldn’t surprise him if these statues were once living, breathing Naga.

The path was short, so it didn’t give him much time to speculate. At the end was a drab, lifeless temple, but the woman in front was extraordinarily captivating. She was not a Naga, but whatever was the opposite of one. She had the body of a human, but her head had a serpentine shape. It didn’t detract from her beauty but made her more exotic.

Shockingly, he knew who this was. He’d extensively researched the Druid gods, and she was Corra. This serpent goddess was part of Draoidh’s pantheon, but she wasn’t a goddess of Tuatha De Danann. It was surprising that this was a goddess that the Vodun worshipped. She wasn’t an evil goddess but embodied life and death, which fit the Vodun theme reasonably closely.

Now that he was standing before her, his sensitive Soul could feel her anger and hate. The tenseness of her face and body couldn’t contain her despise. It made him nervous to even approach her, but he saw where the key needed to go. The issue was that he had no time to hesitate. It wouldn’t be long before Kafe arrived. Resolving himself to whatever fate was about to drop on him, he prepared to activate his keystone warp if things went sideways.

Sliding the key into the statue’s mouth, he didn’t even have time to turn it before its shape changed. Even the texture felt disturbing—it was definitely an actual tongue. The key moved in his hand and flicked at his fingers, tasting him before the whole statue came alive.

It wasn’t just her. Even the Temple of Pythons behind her came alive. The drab gray stone shimmered and was no longer that dull, lifeless color. The doors, which he initially thought were made of stone, were now wooden with a healthy coloring of golden brown.

Crow wasn’t sure how long it took, but Corra suddenly inhaled, and her rattling breath shocked him to the core. It was one thing to approach a statue but another to face a goddess. Even if he wanted to flee, he knew she could stop him.

“Ironic,” her soft voice reached his ears.

“W-what is, uh, goddess?” Crow rarely stumbled over his words, but he wasn’t sure how to address her and felt even more overwhelmed by her aura.

“A friend of the Draoidh put me here, and Draoidh releasssesss me from my prissson. What isss your intent?”

“Please hear me out. The Draoidh fell long ago, and what remains is a pittance of the power they once wielded. Even your name isn’t well known, and if I wasn’t as well-read as I am, I would not have recognized you.”

“You know who I am?”

“Corra, the Serpent Goddess. But that is all I know. No one alive among my people knows of your grievance.”

“And Patrick the Ssserpent Ssslayer?”

“Woah, are you saying he put you here? He is a legend my people know about. Dragons—well, part of that history doesn’t seem true. It was said that he killed off all the dragons, but I know that’s a lie.”

“You ssspeak true, but how do you know?”

“One of my wives is a dragon, but she was born in human form and hasn’t gained the power to transform yet. I learned Dragons are born from Primordial Chaos, and because of that, they can’t be annihilated. Eventually, their essence will find itself, and the slain dragon will rise again.”

“Ssso, you know their sssecret, which meansss you are not my enemy. You’ve revived me, which alssso deservesss reward.”

“No-no-no. If the order is even partially responsible for your current state, then I only beg you for your forgiveness—for my people’s sake and the ones that I love.”

“Rare to find a Sssoul like yoursss. I will not touch the Draoidh becaussse I was—or am—sssworn to protect your people. If what you sssay isss true, I’ve failed in my obligation. Tell me, is that old goat Cernunnosss ssstill around?”

“He still lives and is the reason I’m here. Now I understand why he urged me to enter this temple. It was said this place belonged to the Hex Vodun, evil practitioners who seek power through the death of others.”

“They’ve been through here. But I wasss not able to ssstop them. I’m ssstill not able to intervene. While incapacitated, I wasss sssold to the tower and mussst guard thisss temple. Patrick knew he couldn’t dessstroy me, ssso he locked me away. But you are here now. My redemption and vengeance can now be realized.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Enter the temple, and when you are given a choice, do—hmm, I’m not able to influence you, but think about the choice. The only wisssdom I can impart isss ssshortcutsss are rife with flawsss.”

“My choice could grant your freedom?”

“It could.”

“Are you able to buy me time? Some enemies are not far behind.”

“You’ve already bought yourssself time,” Corra laughed and pointed behind him. The lights too far away from the key had faded, and the monsters hidden in the darkness blocked the way back.

“I do not know why your hate is so deep or what you suffered, but I know you embody life and death—a cycle of existence. Hate and love are also inexplicably linked. There is balance in all things, so do not let your anger cloud you to the point you cannot see those that love you. It’d be a sad existence living within that cycle and not having someone to walk the path alongside you.”

Corra laughed, a genuine laugh from her heart. “A mere child deignsss to grant me wisssdom. But your wordsss are sssincere, and without guile, ssso I’ll not belittle them. I hope you sssucceed, little one. I now sssee why Cernunnos would guide you to me. Hope isss a powerful thing. Go, the temple awaits.”