In his dim room with the only light being the candles sprawled around on surfaces, Casen was sitting on a chair in front of his bed leaning back with his right hand supporting his head while he gazed at the reflecting object in front of him as if lost in the clouds. The black creature of a serpent was nestled on his shoulders in the darkness under his cape.
When he entered his dimly lit room the frustration and tension felt within Casen's mind quickly began to increase. His mounting anger overflowed and there was no clear rational thought, just a jumble of confusing feelings that seemed to be going in every direction at once.
He briefly looked into his mirror that was set a distance away from the foot of his bed and noticed the strands on the front of his white hair had a faint blackness to them.
At first, he thought he saw wrong but now sitting here he could clearly see it. It was like a streak of night in the light. The contrast of dark and light gave it a somewhat ominous look as if an invisible force was gradually encroaching on the whiteness of the hair. Perhaps it was due to his arm.
Somehow, someway, the longer he stared a sudden feeling of neutrality washed over him. The overwhelming emotions were no longer there and were instead replaced by an emptiness that gauged no expression or reaction.
He who was conflicted and was filled with violent thoughts was now all but cleared and the sole goal of his training stood out in the midst of his silent mind.
When he began to think of something else, for instance, the peculiarity of his hair. He could've sworn he had an answer but it slipped from his fingers when he was just about to grasp it before his mind pushed it out and only remained the desire to get stronger.
That same frustration that was washed away emerged again when he failed to receive what he wanted. It eluded him like a rabbit does its predator and his avaricious greed wasn't such a fan.
The serpent that was resting rustled beneath his cape until it poked its head out from an opening to look at him, from where he watched in the mirror Casen could see the curiosity written all over its scaled face.
The low growl that had been reverberating from his chest subconsciously came to a stop and the narrowness in his eyes relaxed.
He brought his index finger up to lightly scratch under the serpent's chin. The little creature only made itself known when he was unstable and by coincidence, it made his focus switch almost instantly. It was interesting, to say the least.
Although he viewed it as his companion and friend, there was something he hadn't felt that was most prominent now. It was a deep sense of understanding and kinship. It's a feeling that seems to span beyond words or logic and connects the two of them on a more profound and spiritual level. This connection was like an invisible thread that tied them together.
He couldn't figure out how or in what way this little thing could be connected to him but it was something he'd let naturally come to him.
"I don't think I've given you a name yet." He spread his fingers to let the serpent climb onto them and placed it in his lap as it coiled up.
If he were to give it a name he'd have to determine the gender of the cute creature and fortunately he always had an interest in all types of beasts and animals since he viewed them in a better light than people.
To distinguish a male snake from a female, he could use specific features such as their heads, bodies, and tails.
Male snakes typically have narrow, long heads and long, thin bodies, with tapered tails. They also tend to be more colorful and vivid in their patterns and markings, whereas female snakes have a more rounded and oval-shaped head, a more stout body, and a shorter, blunt tail.
Female snakes also tend to have a larger body size than males and are often more aggressive and territorial.
Casen could use what he knew to distinguish it but his knowledge proved useless when this snake or serpent in particular was of a look he hadn't seen before.
Previously he didn't pay attention since its eyes captured his attention the most and it was rather hard to examine with its black scales that blended into the darkest of shadows. Its body was serpentine with spikes aligning down its back and sides.
Its narrow head was adorned with the same spikes but they were much sharper to a finer point. It had a notable dip in the middle of its head that was outlined from the front and sides by a 'V' like a crown.
From its features alone he couldn't determine if it was a male or female since it was larger than a male but it neither had a thin body nor a tail of one.
"Your scales are also firmer yet softer." He ran his hand over its scales noting the compact muscles he could feel under. Again, it was neither.
He took a moment to think before looking into the serpents' purple cosmic-like eyes. "How about Rei? It sounds neutral doesn't it?"
The creature, now named Rei, only gave Casen a short stare. He was waiting for anything to note as confirmation or denial just for it to move and let itself disappear into his hand as his ring finger gave a small familiar glow.
He decided to take that as its acceptance of the name, while it showed concern for him or curiosity about a situation it rarely expressed anything else he could pick up on and since it showed no interest in his decision he'd take it as it was.
Seeing as it was getting late he wanted to wish his mother and aunt goodnight that he had gotten into a habit of doing. Standing up and approaching the door he opened it just for his mother to already be standing outside still dressed in her regal attire.
A bright smile spread across his face and he stepped aside to pull the door open wider for her to enter. "I was just about to say goodnight. Are you still working?"
Upon seeing Casens' smile caused one to grow on Isirneths' lips as she walked inside. "I finished before I got here."
Both he and Isirneth undressed and got into the bed together afterward. Despite what happened in his mothers' office there was no tension between them. Perhaps because it was a form of affection from his mother that he so loved, or perhaps because he may have accepted Ederes's words. He himself didn't know.
With the way his mother held him to her chest with her head resting atop his head where his horns didn't interfere, the slight ache in his head amounted to nothing in her warm embrace. For if anyone dared look at his mother in an unsightly way, he'd be sure to carve his anger into their heart.