If you think your relationship is hard, try dating a lamia. If weighing over 600 pounds and being 45 feet long didn't make it hard enough to integrate into human society having a snake tail in place of legs just adds to the misery. The cherry on top? Despite the fact that humans think lamia's human halves are the fairest and most beautiful in the world lamia consider themselves to be hideous to us and are always ashamed when we see them. It can create some hostility to be sure. Every now and then though, one of those magical moments happens when a lamia and a human bond in such a way as to defy the odds. That's what happened to Sleevish and me.
I'll always remember that fateful day when I met Sleevish for the first time. For me it was a normal hunting trip but for Sleevish it was a fight for survival. A werewolf had taken exception to the fact that Sleevish existed (they do that a lot) and had attacked her. Although the furry bastard got what was coming to him Sleevish was badly wounded. Because Lamia by their very nature are loners Sleevish tried to hide in a den and heal but the wounds got infected. When I found her she was weak, near death and not at all happy to see me.
"Come to... finish me? A great trophy... for a proud... warrior." she taunted me gasping for breath.
"I'm no warrior lady, I just hunt for food." Even sickly and wounded to me Sleevish was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on. Most humans have heard of lamia but very few ever actually see one. They shun human society for the most part save for those few small tribes that form outside the larger cities.
"Then leave me... to my fate." she hissed. Her tail moved to attack me but she was so weak I dodged the blow easily.
"Hang on. I can help. Don't give up yet." I said softly. She was already agitated and I didn't want to make things worse. I put my bow and dagger (it was more a cooking knife than a dagger but it served my needs) outside the den and held open my bag of medicinal herbs. I knew she would be able to smell what was inside the bag and hoped that would help her trust me. If she did smell the bag's contents though she made no indication. In fact she was outright ignoring me. Very carefully I placed some herbs on one of her wounds and used a makeshift bandage to hold them in place. She barely moved and refused to even look at me. I tried to treat the festering wounds first. A few had scabbed over and I was less worried about those but she had some nasty gashes in her armored tail that looked pretty bad. I was starting to worry if I really was too late.
"Why? Leave me human!" she stuttered on the verge of tears.
"It's going to take at least an hour for the herbs to really take effect. You might feel some numbness. I'm going to get a doctor, they'll be able to treat you better than I can but this should help until I get back." I told her.
"Fool!" she screamed. "When I heal I'll eat you!" she shouted and almost collapsed.
"My name's Draven. It's nice to meet you." I said ignoring her taunts. That may have been a bad call. She swiped one of her large hands at me and her razor sharp claws damn near ripped me open but I got out of the way just in time. Despite her hostility I kept my word and brought a doctor. Sleevish was already looking better although she was in no better mood. While the doctor worked her over she flung insults at us but didn't attack anymore. Still it was difficult to keep your composure when the being you're trying to help insists that your parentage is in dispute. After he was done I talked with the doctor outside Sleevish's den.
"I've seen worse but not by much. You got to her just in time." he told me.
"Is she going to be alright?" I asked him.
"Difficult to say. I've only heard of lamia, I had no idea any lived around here. Still, their physiology is remarkably similar to us and snakes so I'm pretty sure my treatments will hold. Assuming of course she doesn't run into any more nasty creatures."
"Thanks doc. I'll take first watch." I said setting up a small firepit outside the den.
"You aren't serious? She's not human you know." he told me.
"Close enough." I replied.
"You sir, are a better man than me." the doctor said patting my shoulder.
I spent most of the day finishing the hunting I had started to do that morning. I checked up on Sleevish once or twice but she had passed out and was sleeping soundly. I returned home with my kills and gathered an overnight bag before returning to her den. I got back just in time, another werewolf had found Sleevish was about to attack.
"Out of the den hairball!" I shouted holding my bow with an arrow knocked. The werewolf slowly backed out of the den and growled at me.
"You have no business here ape! Leave now or your family will bury each of your limbs in a separate grave." it snarled at me. Werewolves were naturally faster and stronger than humans so this one against one fight had me at a severe disadvantage. The bow and arrow helped even the odds somewhat though, as long as I didn't miss.
"Yeah attacking a wounded lamia. You're so tough my legs are shaking." I told him.
"COWARD YOU ARE! Put down the bow and fight me!" he screamed. Sleevish must have awoken at some point during our exchange because silent as can be she slithered out of the den, her forked tongue fluttering intensely. All I had to do was distract him a little while longer...
"Coward my ass. I put down my bow I'm a dead man and we both know it. You want a piece of me? Come at me!"
The werewolf hunched down as if getting ready to strike but Sleevish got him first. Her claws and fangs dug into his flesh as she coiled him up and bit him. She tried to crush him in her massive tail but she was still too weak and he fought her off easily. I didn't need a second invitation. I took aim and let my arrow fly, it went straight and true and buried itself in the back of his head and he fell to the ground dead. Sleevish immediately ripped the arrow out and stuffed his head into her massive maw. I could tell it was a bit of a struggle but within about an hour she had swallowed the dead werewolf whole. I waited patiently and set up my things in a makeshift campsite while she fed. When she finished she slithered over to my side and grabbed me in her coils. Even in her weakened state her strength was immense but I knew better than to struggle, she was testing me.
"Fool. I'll eat you too. Just like I ate that werewolf!" she warned.
"Then so be it. My conscience will be clear." I told her as calmly as I could manage.
"Why?! Why are you helping me? I'm not human." she asked tears forming in her eyes.
"Doesn't matter." I told her struggling for breath. She released me.
For a long time she just lie there staring at me. At first I stared back but when I caught my breath I finished making my camp and sat down.
"Call it a human failing if you want. I have it especially bad." I joked smiling at her. For the first time since we'd met she smiled back.
"Sleevish. My name is Sleevish." she told me.
"Nice to meet you." I said holding out my hand to shake hers.
"Forgive me but if I shook your hand... you'd loose it." she said holding up her hands and displaying her bloody claws.
"No problem. How you feeling?" I asked.
"Better but still weak." she confessed.
"Well you've got a full belly now so that should help." I told her.
"How long are you..." she paused.
"Till you feel better." I told her.
"And after that?" she asked.
"I... I don't know. I hadn't though that far ahead." I confessed. We looked at each other for a moment and then Sleevish slithered into her den silently.
I ended up spending a week outside her den. Each day Sleevish moved around better and seemed to cheer up. She was quiet the first couple of days and usually just watched me carefully from the opening of her den but by the end of the week we were chatting up a storm like we'd known each other for years. The bulge in her tail that had once been a werewolf was now almost completely gone and her wounds were scabbing over nicely. Some of the scabs had even flaked off reveling fresh scar tissue underneath. We eventually agreed she was well enough to take care of herself and I started to pack up my camp. Before I could destroy the firepit though she brought me a dead deer.
"I was hoping... we could share a meal." she asked shyly.
"I'd be honored." I told her taking the carcass.
"I was also hoping... that you had room in your heart... I mean you don't have to..." Sleevish sighed heavily and collapsed to the ground. "Forget it. I'm just stupid." she said dejected.
"No you're not, I will not hear such talk!" I told her sitting down by her side. Sleevish looked away and tried to hide her face. "You're beautiful, you're smart and funny and I like you. Truth be told I was afraid after you got better that you would slither away and I would never see you again."
"You like me?" Sleevish asked in disbelief.
"Well yeah of course. I've loved the time we spent together so far." I told her running my fingers through her long, black mane.
"But I'm weak and ugly. You had to save me from that werewolf." she told me.
"You saved me. I was just returning the favor." I told her. She smiled at me.
"I like you too." she told me.
It only got better from there but that's another story.