Long had the heat of the passing cycles grown into a swelter. The air, once crisper and cooler, had for some time now tasted like the accumulated sweat of the many creatures laboring in the worsening temperatures. One could not be blamed for seeking little activity in the current weather assaulting the caves. No one could be judged for finding refuge in the comforts provided by the areas more luxurious and better maintained. It was only natural to pursue experiences less exhausting in order to enjoy life for the most fleeting of moments.
For Miriam, though, to lounge about and take in the day was no brief period of relaxation. To her, this most unfortunate change of climate was just another excuse to appreciate sleeping in the high, twining branches of Tunnel F or draping thick metallic coils over multiple convenient benches within the gardens of Cepheus. Eyes half-lidded and maw content to yawn occasionally as the hours drifted by, topiary and glimmering sculpture were what she admired through the haze of feline drowsiness. Unthreatened by the beauty of her surroundings, no mind was paid to any who wandered the space nearby.
Truly she was fine with doing little more than contributing her own elegance to the scenery.
Seconds, minutes, hours—as Miriam possessed neither a timepiece to track their passage nor the desire to know how many had gone by, once the tatzelwurm had fully surrendered to the soft siren song of sleep, there was no value that could be assigned to the extent of her unproductivity. Her eyelids had clamped shut at last, void replacing Voidlight, and all sights and sounds ceased to exist. Other than the slight rise and fall of her scaled body and the gentle gusts of breath from her nostrils, such an unmoving creature could be mistaken for another decorative piece dotting the palace grounds, unusual but no less solid and stunning than the surrounding crystal carved to perfection.
This way she remained for that aforementioned innumerable period of time until—woken by an unfortunate tickle of debris which set her nose twitching, a sneeze barely repressed—the serpentine Gembound stirred and rose. A yawn rivaling those previous to her sleeping state pried her jaws far wider than usually allowed in polite company. Any unfortunate onlookers, if they were rather close by, might find themselves treated to a view most unpleasant: an open path down her gullet, winding with her many curves and descending into forbidding darkness.
Careful movements, conscious of every coil and the powerful muscle contained within, lowered her elevated body to the ground. Her substantial length she pulled inward until its entirety was gathered around her main bulk. She then cast a considering glance about, the worth of each statue in the vicinity measured by the eyes of an aesthete, before proceeding onward.
The one she approached had a smooth, seamless design. Pale and bright, its appeal lay in how utterly organic and round-edged it appeared despite the nature of the materials used. Stare too long, and one could almost swear that limbs shook to maintain the precarious pose it was frozen in. A marvel truly to behold.
A simple question touched by ambiguous emotion. She licked her lips despite no trace of hunger nagging her stomach.