123 Another Near Death Experience

The soil of the flowerpot spilled as the body of the creature dug itself out, uncurling coil by coil from the loose earth packed around it.

The body was long and slender, its back studded with ridged armor like the illustrations of crocodiles Defi saw in one of the local books. Six clawed feet clicked on the cobbles as it slithered out of the pot it had been slumbering in. 

It was one mar long from shoulder to tail tip, with the snakeheads at least another half-mar in length.

Defi skipped back to avoid the rather vicious heads, now hissing in fury at having lost one of their number to Defi's knife.

"Chel, it really is a scyllarelis."

Defi glanced back at the familiar voice. Cuthes, the town adjutant who headed the local guards, stared at the creature in consternation.

Half the heads hissed at the adjutant, undulating in his direction.