[LETTR] The Serpent's Keeper

Once when the Lonely Serpent surfaced during the Lost Tribe's return to the origin shore, a small grifix cub was entranced by its magnificence. 

 

She took each chance she got and would sneak away to the origin shore to see if the Serpent would show up, she loved the song it sang and was amazed by it. As time passed and she grew older, watching the Serpent for so long made her realise the reason it sang such a sad song. It was lonely.

 

From that moment she swore to find a way to soothe the Serpent. She studied its song dutifully and built a contraption, it took years for her to complete this project, but she was committed. 

 

At last, she managed to finish the contraption, packed a small satchel of provisions, and dragged it back to the shore. Day in and day out she would wait for the Serpent to surface. She didn't return to the tribe until she could finish her mission. 

 

When the Serpent surfaced and began singing its song, she cranked the handle of the contraption excitedly. The machine sputtered and whistled, and then...produced a similar sad song as the Serpent. The Beast stopped and turned its head, its intimidating gaze landing on the young grifix, then it moved. Waves pushed out of the way as it got closer to her, she was intimidated by its massive size, but kept the machine producing the notes, until the Serpent stopped in front of her. Its massive head leaned down and it sniffed the machine, it closed its eyes, before a single tear fell from its right eye and landed on the young grifix. 

 

She gasped as she felt her body began to transform, scales grew on her fur and her back legs fused together into a fishtail, and gills opened up on her neck. She quickly pulled herself into the ocean waters so that she wouldn't suffocate, and examined her new body with great interest. The Serpent beside her shifted, but before it left it looked back at the grifix, seeming to wait for her. The young grifix smiled and swam after it as it left, never to be heard of again.