Mavis woke slowly.
Not gracefully.
Not peacefully.
More like someone clawing their way out of a too-heavy sleep with a headache and foggy memories.
Her eyes cracked open.
She yawned.
She rolled over—
—
—and met a glowing pair of ocean-blue eyes staring directly into her soul.
"GAH—!"
Her scream was so sudden and sharp that the creature in question jolted upright, coils flaring, runes flashing like startled bioluminescent jellyfish.
"Summoner?"
The serpent's voice echoed in her head with a rumbling confusion.
Mavis blinked rapidly.
The room swam back into focus.
Her memories rearranged themselves like falling dominos.
Last night.
The ocean.
The portal.
The gigantic serpent.
The glow.
The runes.
The exhaustion.
Hel.
and her summon…
Real.
Alive.
On her pillow.
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
"…Oh gods. You're real."
The serpent lifted its tiny head smugly.
"Of course I am real."
Mavis lifted a shaky hand to her forehead, recalling the nights events.
"What are you—no, who are you?"
"My name," the serpent said slowly, enunciating each syllable like a scolding teacher, "is Jörmungandr."
"Jörmung—" She squinted. "Jormi—Jörm… Jörmy?"
"NO."
"Jörmy Gandy?"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT."
"Jerry, then."
The snake stared at her.
If a serpent could pinch the bridge of its nose in exasperation, it would have.
"My name," it repeated, "is Jörmungandr."
"Yes, that's what I said." She patted his head dismissively. "Jerry."
A low, offended rumble vibrated against her shoulder.
She patted again.
"It's a cute name."
"I am a primordial serpent of the sea, not a houseplant."
Mavis snorted.
"Houseplant Jerry."
"…You are doing this on purpose."
"Maybe."
A tiny, betrayed hiss escaped him.
Before he could lecture her again, something poked her cheek.
She blinked.
On his back…
two small, translucent blue wings flickered open like fins catching sunlight.
"Oh!" she gasped. "Right. Those. You didn't have those earlier. Or you did, but they were bigger."
The serpent flicked them irritably.
"My spiritual form differs from my physical manifestation here."
"So… can you make those go away?" she asked, rubbing the cheek he'd poked. "I can't walk around with my… uh… sea serpent looking like a flying lizard."
Jerry—Jörmungandr—sighed like he'd been disrespected since the dawn of creation.
Then—
fwip
The wings folded inward.
Merged into the scales.
And vanished.
Now he looked like a regular snake.
A very blue, very glowing-eyed, suspiciously intelligent snake.
"There," Mavis said, satisfied. "Perfectly normal."
"This is an insult."
"You'll live."
"I am eternal. Not 'living.'"
"You're Jerry."
A horrified hiss.
Before the snake could launch into a divine rant, a voice echoed from below:
"Mavis! Come down for breakfast!"
Her heart shot into her throat.
Grandma.
Oh no.
She scrambled out of bed so fast Jerry nearly flopped off her shoulder. She caught him mid-fall and set him back so he could coil securely around her neck like a very judgy scarf.
"Don't fall off! I don't have time to summon you again!"
"I fell because YOU ran like a startled chicken."
"No comments from the sea noodle."
She stumbled down the stairs, feet barely cooperating.
Grandma was already seated at the table, soup steaming, tea poured, her cane resting against the chair.
Her eyes flicked up.
And immediately locked onto Jerry.
"Well now," she said, lips twitching. "I see you finally got your summon."
Mavis froze mid-step.
"Uh—well—I—um—he's—uh—"
Jerry lifted his head proudly, scales shimmering.
Grandma leaned forward, squinting.
"…Is that a snake or a serpent?" she asked.
Mavis blinked.
"…Uhh. I don't know. Both?"
Jerry hissed in quiet humiliation.
Grandma laughed.
"Ah, sweetheart. If you don't know, then it means he must be something special."
Jerry straightened smugly at that.
Of course he did.
Before Mavis could tell grandma about her dream she smiled and said,
"Oh, Alya already came by this morning. She said you need to cram today—your test is in two days."
Mavis froze.
Completely.
Utterly.
"Test?" she squeaked. "TEST?!"
Grandma nodded.
"Yes, dear. She seemed very serious about it."
Jerry tightened around her neck.
"This Alya is the loud one with the smaller panther, correct?"
"Yes," Mavis muttered. "And she's going to kill me if I'm late."
"You better hurry!" Grandma said, waving a hand. "Before she comes storming in here complaining about 'responsibility' again."
"Oh gods—Jerry! Come on!"
"I am not—"
"No time!"
She grabbed her bag, bolted for the door, nearly tripped on the step, corrected herself just in time, and sprinted down the street with Jerry bouncing lightly against her shoulder.
As she ran, the serpent hissed in dismay.
"Summoner—THIS IS NOT DIGNIFIED—"
"Neither is being late!"
"YOU ARE SHAKING ME LIKE LOOSE CHANGE—"
"JUST HOLD ON!"
"I AM AN ANCIENT SEA SERPENT—"
"AND WE'RE LATE FOR A STUDY SESSION—RUN FASTER!"
She careened around the corner, Jerry clinging to her coat in divine irritation—
—and the morning sun finally broke through the clouds, lighting the path to the bookstore,
where Alya waited,
a panther on her shoulder,
and so much studying ahead.
Jerry hissed in despair.