ashait coils around herself with a shift of scales, a hissing sound of amusement.

"it is a shame that, like wildebeest, they move in such herds." not even she carries the venom to deal with so many, if she had willed it.

there is always a musk of blood about nakhtmin; she is rather more delicate in these things than he. the Goddess must have her shield, but the blade itself need not be precise with a coat of poison.

Ra has favored them with these particular gifts for a reason. he would know not what to do with teeth that might fell a buffalo; she could not wield his scythes to slay a lion. still, there is a part of her that wonders what it would be like were she to have his horns, or xingyu's fangs, or osiris' claws.

it is idle fantasy.

"that an Emperor would not consider where he steps does not surprise. he expects that the world will bend to him. but this is not his empire, no matter what he wills." she considers this with another flick of the tongue. "that his advisors would not make him understand speaks more poorly of him than of them."