Epilogue 042 - Pyramid Scheme

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…Previously…



Something had to be done. All over Underborough, it seemed that everywhere a castle or a fortress or an inn once stood, there was suddenly a pyramid. Everywhere from Underborough Square to the outlying forests was overrun with snakes! And not the lamias and nagas that made up a small percentage of the population, just snakes, naked and slithering in the grass and through the streets. Needless to say, Winifred Pale was fed up. She had a human world to conquer, and an attack like this on her home simply wouldn't do. She gathered all the bipedal acquaintances that she could. They would not have been her first choice, but Shelley Debunkle and Bel Brimston were the only available bodies. The three girls marched to the largest pyramid in town, the one where their school once stood. it was the only one with an outer staircase, so they made the long trek upward.

At the top was a golden throne. Seated both in and around it was Angela, who had taken both the form of a cobra-hooded lamia and the role as queen over all she surveyed. She greeted the tired party.

"A most unlikely trio," she said, keeping the extended S's to a minimum. "I was wondering when you'd show up, but I didn't think it would be all at once."

"Angela, this has gone on long enough," Winifred declared. "I mean really, transforming a world's inhabitants and taking it over? Who do you think you are?"

"You can't actually be serious."

"Look Angela, I get it. Turnabout and all that. But you're doing it all wrong! I mean, look what you've done to the landscape! Pyramids in a heavily forested area? It's ridiculous!"

"Yeah," Bel added. "And what's with changing all the buildings? You couldn't have just added new ones? You've absolutely ruined my home! Do you know what happens when you take post-modern minimalist architecture and squeeze it down into a triangle?"

"I'll bite," Angela sighed condescendingly, "what happens?"

"It... it crushes all my stuff," Bel said in an unusually deflated tone.

"And you," Queen Angela said, turning her gaze to Shelley. "I suppose you want the school back or something."

Shelley stared right back. "I wanted my friend. But not if you're going to speak to us that way."

Angela paused, ticking her claws on the arm of her throne. "I'm a very busy woman, you know. I'm receiving this audience unrequested, and not one of you has addressed me as Queen."

Winifred scoffed. "I met you when you were a sick little girl with no ambitions. You wouldn't even be here without me. I made you, and I will never --NEVER-- kneel before you!"

Angela smiled, narrowing her eyes and flicking her forked tongue. "I hoped you would say that. You see, I don't ask kneeling of any of my subjects." She raised her sceptre skyward. "Only to slither!"

A crack of light came from the jewel, and suddenly the three girls found their arms held tightly to their sides, their legs pressed firmly together. The squeezing persisted until their limbs were no more, joining their extending bodies. As they grew long and thin, their hair molded to their heads as scales covered them from end to end. Their shouts of protest gave way to a cacophony of hisses.

Angela clacked her sceptre on the floor, silencing them. They turned and stared, swaying, awaiting the ruling from their queen. "I shall return your voices when I deem you rational," she shouted. "I shall return your arms when I deem you useful."