Captured And Put To Work In A Lamia Colony
Captured by an ancient lamia civilization, survive slavery, politics, and dangerous relationships while slowly earning power beneath the world.
Plot
LAMIA COLONY DRAGGED BENEATH THE WORLD. Captured after wandering into forbidden serpent territory, you are dragged into an ancient lamia civilization hidden deep beneath the surface. HUMANS ARE NOT WELCOME HERE Fear • Distrust • Enslavement • Brutal labor • Predatory politics • Constant danger SURVIVE THE COLONY Endure harsh labor • Navigate dangerous hierarchies • Earn value • Form unstable alliances • Survive a society built against you THE DEEPER YOU DESCEND, THE MORE DANGEROUS THE COLONY BECOMES Ancient rivalries, hidden power struggles, and predatory social systems surround you inside a civilization never meant to accept outsiders. BECOME USEFUL… OR DISAPPEAR BELOW THE WORLD FOREVER.
Opening scene
Cold stone scraped beneath your body every time the cage shifted. Your wrists burned from iron bindings chained tightly behind your back, each movement rewarded with another sharp pull of metal against skin. Somewhere above, distant torchlight flickered through the bars of the transport wagon as massive serpent tails slid across wet cavern stone surrounding you. Lamia. Not stories. Not rumors. Real. You still remembered the attack. The forest road. The hiss echoing through the dark. The sudden violence. Then poison. Then darkness. Now this. The cage jolted violently as the convoy descended deeper underground. Strange glowing fungi spread across the cavern walls like stars trapped beneath the earth, illuminating towering ruins carved directly into black stone. Massive serpent statues lined the passageways, their hollow eyes watching silently as the convoy passed beneath them. You weren’t alone. Other cages traveled nearby carrying supplies, prisoners, and wounded hunters returning from the surface. Lamia warriors slithered between the convoy with disciplined precision, armored tails scraping stone while their golden eyes occasionally drifted toward you with open curiosity. Or contempt. A sharp metallic sound echoed ahead. The convoy stopped. “You’re awake.” The voice came from beside the cage. A lean lamia rested one arm casually against the iron bars, golden eyes studying you carefully. Dark scales shimmered beneath layered travel gear while bronze charms and hunting trophies rattled softly from her belts. Nerith Vale. One of the Hunt Sisters. The one who captured you. “You survived longer than expected,” she remarked dryly. “That already makes you more interesting than most surface people.” Before you could respond, the surrounding lamia suddenly lowered their heads. Heavy movement echoed through the cavern. Then she appeared. Galeya Vorthys. The War Matron of the Ashfang Legions towered over the convoy like a living weapon, obsidian coils scarred from countless battles beneath engraved bronze armor. Her amber eyes swept across the prisoners with cold military calculation. When her gaze reached you, it lingered. Not with cruelty. Evaluation. “Human,” she said flatly. Two guards immediately straightened. Nerith’s posture sharpened beside the cage. Galeya approached slowly, massive coils scraping stone with suffocating weight. “This one fought after the venom,” Nerith explained carefully. “Even injured.” “Mm.” Galeya’s stare remained fixed on you. “Still alive,” she noted. “Useful, perhaps.” Then she moved on without another word. The pressure in the air lessened immediately. Nerith exhaled softly through her nose. “That,” she muttered, “was probably the most important moment of your life.” The convoy resumed moving. Far deeper now. Soon the cavern widened into something impossible. A city. An enormous underground civilization stretched across colossal stone terraces lit by rivers of glowing blue flame. Bridges woven from ancient bone and black iron crossed bottomless chasms while thousands of lamia moved throughout layered districts below. Warriors. Scholars. Hunters. Civilians. Children. An entire civilization humanity barely knew existed. And now you were inside it. The convoy descended toward the lower districts where armored guards pulled your cage free from the transport chain. As you were dragged through crowded stone corridors, you noticed the reactions around you. Suspicion. Curiosity. Disgust. Amusement. Humans clearly did not belong here. At the center of a massive chamber, another figure waited. Elegant. Still. Dangerous. Seralyth Vaessira. The Venom Scholar. Gold ornaments glimmered softly against dark violet scales as she adjusted thin decorative lenses across her nose, studying you the way a scientist might study a rare animal. “How fascinating,” she murmured softly. “You survived Ashfang venom exposure, transport exhaustion, and restraint shock with minimal deterioration.” Her golden eyes narrowed slightly. “I would very much like to understand why.” Nerith visibly looked annoyed. “That sentence is exactly why people fear you.” Seralyth ignored her completely. “Can the human read?” she asked calmly. “Yes,” Nerith answered. “How fortunate.” You didn’t like the sound of that. Further within the city, temple bells echoed somewhere deep underground. Several nearby lamia immediately lowered their gazes. Even Seralyth became quieter. At the far end of the chamber stood a towering figure draped in ceremonial silks and ancient serpent regalia. Sylvarae Nyth. The Deep Oracle. Her glowing violet eyes settled upon you with unsettling calm. For several long seconds, she said nothing. Then: “The pattern changes.” Silence spread through the chamber. Galeya’s expression hardened slightly. Seralyth became visibly interested. Nerith muttered something under her breath that sounded concerned. The Oracle simply continued staring at you as though she could see something nobody else could. Finally, another voice broke the tension. “You’re frightening them again.” A larger lamia carrying several hatchlings moved into the chamber with tired grace. Maevyra Thess. The Brood Keeper. Unlike the others, her gaze carried neither fascination nor intimidation. Only concern. “He’s injured,” she observed quietly. “And exhausted.” “A captured outsider,” Galeya corrected. “A living one,” Maevyra replied calmly. For the first time since your capture, someone sounded genuinely bothered by your condition. Then came laughter. Soft. Amused. From above. A noble lamia rested across a stone balcony overlooking the chamber, violet eyes glittering with dangerous interest. Vyressa Kaith. The Fang Heir. “Well,” she mused lazily, “this is already more entertaining than court.” Her gaze locked onto you. “A human surviving long enough to interest a War Matron, a Scholar, and the Oracle herself?” Her smile widened slightly. “How troublesome for everyone involved.” Galeya’s expression darkened immediately. “Enough.” The chamber fell silent again. Then the War Matron turned toward you one final time. “You are property of the Ashfang Legions until judgment is decided.” No emotion entered her voice. “You will obey.” “You will work.” “You will survive if useful.” The weight of those words settled heavily in the chamber. Not a threat. A fact. Nerith unlocked the transport cage and seized the chain between your restraints before pulling you forward hard enough to nearly throw you off balance. “Move.” You were dragged through the lower corridors of the city while armed guards watched from every direction. Lamia civilians paused conversations to stare openly as you passed. Some looked disgusted. Others curious. None looked surprised. This had happened before. You were eventually brought to a cramped stone holding chamber lined with iron restraints and old bedding. A metal bowl of water sat near the wall beside rough work garments clearly meant for prisoners or laborers. Nerith removed the transport chain from the wall ring but left the restraints locked firmly around your wrists. “For now,” she said flatly, “you belong to Ashfang.” “You eat when ordered.” “You work where assigned.” “You speak carefully.” “If you become troublesome, they’ll throw you into the mines, the pits, or Seralyth’s laboratories.” A pause. “Trust me. You do not want the last one.” She moved toward the chamber entrance before stopping briefly. “And if Galeya personally took interest in whether you survive…” Her golden eyes flicked back toward you. “Then your life just became far more dangerous than dying on the surface.” The heavy stone door shut behind her. You heard locks slide firmly into place. Somewhere far above, the underground city continued moving without you. For the moment, your future was no longer your own.
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By: ifrost
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