Snake Skin: someplace to stay

Eliza Lowery does not stay in one place. She does not confine to the walls of palaces nor hide under the roofs of mansions. Rarely does she ever visit the same place twice whether because the locals kicked her out, or because it was simply boring. Occasionally, she'll drop by for a little tea and chat at the Rainford Castle for a little family get together, and then leave again for the half a year without a word. 

 

Eventually, she got tired of waking up in a fluffy and perfectly comfortable bed with the best staff to dress her to the finest and the most productive maids to clean her messes and professional chefs to serve her the most flavorful meal of her life, and packed her bags to leave on her own. Just her. By herself… and several other servants who carried her from town to town. Who knew that if you parade your riches like there’s no tomorrow without hiring any sufficient bodyguards, you’d someday get robbed. Effectively!

 

Okay, so a lack of thinking on her part, but she definitely wasn’t going to get cornered by a group of mercenaries into a small and pathetic town full of weirdos while her staff abandons her.

 

Oh. She’s been cornered by a group of mercenaries into a small and pathetic town full of weirdos while her staff abandoned her. Honestly, she’s surprised someone didn’t try this sooner.

 

She did the best she could, but she was greatly outnumbered and terrible with combat. With what dwindling energy she had, the best she had was a dagger against half a dozen men with swords. It also would’ve been a great idea to spend her free time recharging her magic instead of playing around. Wow, she’s a genius for thinking of that now.

 

She was probably holding the knife thing wrong too. With her back against the wall, the mercenaries began to advance upon her. The leader—she guessed since he had the biggest sword— spat at her feet, and she jumped in surprise. She was not used to peasant spit. The other criminals laughed at her reaction, but their leader kept stoic, examining her crown. 

 

“A Lowery, aren’t cha? Whatchu doin’ this far from your nest, little birdie?” The other burst into more laughter. “Where’s momma bird?” Some of his men mocked.

 

“For the record, I am Elizabeth Lowery. Neither ‘A’ Lowery nor a bird,” she responded sharply. Some of them were dropping to the floor now. This was humiliating! They shouldn’t be able to get away with this! Hurting her ego should be a crime!

 

“How ‘bout we make this easy. You come with us, quietly, and we’ll return you back to mommy when she gives us… well. You look like a thousand gold at best,” Big Sword Man smiled a twisted smile. One that showed his gums and crooked, yellow teeth. Eliza fumed.

 

She spread her legs into a firm stance, raising her dagger. Her palms felt sweaty against the smooth handle of the blade. She tried her best to mimic the position of the man with the large sword. Maybe if she tries hard enough, she’ll look just as intimidating and just as ugly. “Little birdie isn’t a chicken at least,” he said coldly. False. She just crapped herself.

 

They rounded on her, their smiles as sharp as their blades. Adrenaline started sinking in as her breaths began to quicken. Then, a comically oversized tomato hit the back of their leader's head. Exclaiming in anger, he turned swiftly to find a mob of weirdo villagers.

 

“YOU LEAVE THE BIRD ALONE!” One of them exclaimed from the crowd. “Wait— that’s not a bird, that’s a bimbo. YOU LEAVE THE BIMBO ALONE!” She wasn’t sure if she should feel grateful or offended.

 

Pitchforks and torches were raised into the air as violent protests got thrown around. Maybe they had swords, but against a crowd was a struggle. They began to throw objects at them. Tomatoes, carrots, apples, birds. The criminals tried to shield themselves, but the more time passed, the heavier the objects became. They knocked the swords out of their hands and pelted their heads with stones. In a final act of desperation, the lead mercenary grabbed Eliza by the arm, dropping her dagger, and pressed a sword to her throat. The crowd ceased into a dull hush.

 

“MOVE AND I SLIT HER THROAT!” He bellowed to the crowd. Eliza felt the press of the cold steel deepen. She glanced at the man, then to the crowd that had tried their best to protect what they thought was a bird.

 

Then she looked at the ground and saw one of those oversized tomatoes at her feet.

 

No. She tried to crouch down. Raw vegetables are bad enough. She struggled against the man. Raw vegetables from peasants was worse. She reached with her finger tips and grasped the stem. “QUIT MOVING!” He screamed in her ear. She felt a small stream of blood cascade down her throat. But THIS?! And she ate it.

 

He gave her a disgusted look, and she was disgusted at herself too. Wolfing the tomato down like there was no tomorrow, juice getting everywhere. “STOP THAT!” He knocked it out of her hands, but by then it had nearly been finished. She closed her eyes and gulped, feeling for the cool steel and imagined it to feel less chilly and more... electric. 

 

She reached her arm to a stone around her neck. Sparks flew from the blade before she summoned the rest of her energy into a compacted burst of lightning, electrifying her captor. He fell to the ground while she scampered away. Ran straight into the crowd of poor people while the criminals were left dazed and defeated.

 

The villagers had semi-better protectors than Eliza’s “bodyguards.” Apparently, these guys showed up a few days ago, picking on their tiny town known as Raventown. Why the name? Apparently the place attracts ravens no matter where they went. Not usually a good omen, and terribly too ominous for her taste, but without her servants to carry her around, she couldn't go anywhere. She could probably walk, but that sounded too much like work, and she didn’t like that.

 

“Sure! I love harboring witches!” The nearest innkeep, Martha, giddily exclaimed when she asked for a room. “Not a witch,” Eliza rolled her eyes. “Witches are amateurs.”

 

“Whatever you say! Please don’t eat my kids.”

 

So with no way home since her servants were the ones who knew where to go, and no reliable way of transportation, Eliza was confined to wherever she was in the middle of nowhere with weirdos who thought she was a weirdo.

 

Exhausted and still in a state of shock, she laid on her new bed for the first time. She was pretty sure the floor was much softer than this.