Roxy was wrapped securely in Syris's arms the entire way.
His massive, powerful emerald coils gliding effortlessly over the roots and jagged rocks of the forest floor. He moved with a liquid, hypnotic grace that didn't jostle her weary body in the slightest.
Roxy kept her face buried in the crook of his cool neck, the scent of pine and rich earth slowly replacing the heavy, suffocating brine of the ocean.
Finally, the magic barrier of the Manor came into view.
Syris slithered right through the magical veil, the heavy wooden and iron-reinforced gates looming before them. He didn't bother shifting his arms to open it.
With a smooth, calculated movement, he carried Roxy through the threshold while his long, thick tail swept out behind him. The emerald appendage caught the heavy iron ring of the gate, pulling it shut with a resounding clang before expertly flipping the heavy metal latch into place, locking the compound down once more.
