From atop the palace steps, Viper watched the market crowd below; so loud, so slow, so small. Part of her imagined dropping down, jaws wide, devouring one of them whole in an alleyway, just to feel their body sliding down her throat and filling her stomach. She recoiled from the thought, feeling a hint of guilt tightening around her like a second coil despite her hunger and she hadn't had a filling meal in nearly a month.

Entering the Valley of Peace, Viper slithered past the villagers and paused, her tongue flicking involuntarily. The scent of boar made her pupils dilate, and for a fleeting moment, she imagined coiling around the plump boar behind the counter. She blinked hard and moved on, ashamed.