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EXT. VULKATHUNHA-GAMMON RANGES CLIFFS - DAY

Finally, Kiah and Critter approach a cliff with a small gaping hole in its the wall.

KIAH: We're here.

CRITTER: You're sure? This place looks sort of creepy.

Kiah looks at the cave entrance, and a WHISTLING WIND comes out of it.

KIAH: I think being creepy proves that it's the place I'm supposed to be.

CRITTER: You snakes and creepiness. Well, I'm not going in there.

KIAH: Good, because I don't want you to.

CRITTER: Really? Is it really that easy?

Kiah faces him.

KIAH: You better not try to escape.

CRITTER: Fine.

With that, Critter plops into a sitting position, and Kiah turns her attention to the cave.

KIAH: Here goes something.

With that, Kiah slithers her way up to the cave.

Reaching the entrance, Kiah takes one last glance back at Critter before heading into the darkness.

INT. DARK CAVERN - DAY

As she continues along, Kiah notices aboriginal pictographs engraved in the walls, each giving off a mysterious glow, lighting the way ahead in unnatural light.

Finally, Kiah comes out into a small cave with a couple of tunnels branching out into the far wall.

KIAH: Weird. (Pause) Hello? Is anyone home?

A moment's silence.

And then the sound of CLICKING as a frail, nearly skeletal snake emerges from one of the tunnels, it's joints CRACKLING with age. Kiah is taken aback.

SKELETAL SNAKE: Welcome Kiah, it's nice to finally meet you.

KIAH: Who are you, how do you know me?

SKELETAL SNAKE: I have my ways.

KIAH: That's not exactly comfort...ing.

Kiah notices a pictograph of a snake on the wall, moving slightly. With a shudder, she turns her attention back to the Skeletal Snake.

KIAH: How do I know I can trust you?

SKELETAL SNAKE: My appearance unsettles you, doesn't it? But why than did you come here if you yourself hold on to the biases you seek to overcome?

As he speaks, Kiah sees reflected in his eyes, something glowing on the wall behind her. She turns to look at it, a pictograph of Birrani tied to the tree, the three Lizards standing over him. Kiah turns to the Skeletal Snake and bows her head.

KIAH: You said that the time for snakes to be reconciled has finally come. What exactly are you planning?

SKELETAL SNAKE: That will all come in time. I see you've come alone. Where is the bearded dragon you were towing along behind you?

Kiah furrows her eyes, then notices an engraving of a Bearded Dragon on the wall, sitting obediently. It puffs out its neck proudly, then stops letting it deflate, looking around self consciously. Kiah turns back to the Skeletal Snake.

KIAH: I had a feeling he wouldn't be taken to the idea of this meeting. I didn't want him to complicate things.

SKELETAL SNAKE: Shame. I could have used this meat-ing to fatten myself up.

KIAH: Well, I hate to inform you, but I'm saving him for a special occasion.

SKELETAL SNAKE: Of course. But nothing is for free...

The Skeletal Snake moves aside revealing a pictograph of Jesus on a Cross beneath him.

SKELETAL SNAKE: What occasion is more important than the reconciliation of the entirety of snake-kind?

Kiah is silent for a moment. Then-

KIAH: Here, I found this amulet on the way here, but it's caused me nothing but trouble. Maybe you can find a better use for it than I could.

As Kiah says this, she slips out from the amulet so it's before the Skeletal Snake. The Skeletal Snake goes up to it to inspect it, his eyes glowing. Kiah suddenly hesitates.

KIAH: Wait... With that joey... I'm not sure I should let it fall into the wrong hands.

SKELETAL SNAKE: Trust me, it's not going to fall into any hands, paws, talons, or otherwise with me.

KIAH: I mean into the wrong...

Kiah takes in the Skeletal Snake's limbless body as he SLITHERS into the necklace. It fits around his neck perfectly.

KIAH: Whatever. So, what do you know about the reconciliation of snakes?

The Skeletal Snake slithers past an intricate painting of a Rainbow Serpent flowing across the land.

SKELETAL SNAKE: In days long forgotten, a Rainbow Serpent flowed across these lands bringing water and life with it.

The painting leads to another of another Serpent, strangling the Rainbow Serpent with his body.

SKELETAL SNAKE: But with the fall, this Rainbow Serpent eventually began to fade from memory to be replaced by a Serpent much more ominous.

KIAH: All snakes eventually fell because of the actions of the one who was Satan in disguise.

SKELETAL SNAKE: Serpent sinned when it tempted woman into eating from the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. In punishment, the Lord gave the curse of enmity between serpent and woman. Mend the ties between serpent and woman, and return to the Tree the sin from her knowledge, and snake-kind will be reconciled.

KIAH: What? So you expect me to... Find the Tree of Knowledge and... Somehow transfer the sin from some lady into it? That doesn't make any sense.

SKELETAL SNAKE: Just follow the path before you, and things will become clear in time.

With that, the Skeletal Snake starts to slither back into the darkness.

KIAH: But wait, the Garden of Eden isn't even... It doesn't even exist anymore.

SKELETAL SNAKE: You'll find the way.

With that, the Skeletal Snake disappears into the tunnel and the engravings on the wall blink out to a dull white glow.

Kiah hesitates, about to follow, but then stops with a SIGH. Taking one last frustrated glance around the cave, she turns around, and slithers back the way she came.

KIAH: He's crazy. It was all just a waste of time. There's nothing here for me.

EXT. VULKATHUNHA-GAMMON RANGES CLIFFS - CONTINUOUS

Kiah passes Critter without looking back. Critter quickly hurries to follow.

CRITTER: What was a waste of time? What were you expecting?

KIAH: Nothing.

CRITTER: Well, if you were expecting nothing, and you got nothing, then you got what you wanted, right? I mean, I do agree that it sort of sounds like a waste of time, but-

Kiah spins on him.

KIAH: Go find somebody else to eat you for now, okay!

With that, Kiah slithers away again. Critter is about to follow, then stops. There is a RUSTLING in the bushes. Critter looks at Kiah, but she continues moving, oblivious to the movement.

CRITTER: Kiah?

Kiah just keeps going. Suddenly, a tranquilizer dart bursts out from the bushes, and hits Kiah. Kiah gives a start, and then faints.

CRITTER: Kiah!

Critter is about to rush forward when a man wielding a blowgun steps out from the bushes. Critter steps back, expanding his beard in a HISS, but the hunter doesn't even notice him. Instead, he steps up to Kiah, picks her up, and inspects her.

HUNTER: Hmm, this one will do.

With that, the hunter walks away, carrying Kiah with him. Critter rushes to follow.

EXT. VULKATHUNHA-GAMMON RANGES - DAY

The Hunter makes his way out of the brush, where an open-bedded Jeep awaits, parked on a dusty dirt road. Critter scurries behind keeping him in sight. The Hunter opens the trunk and throws the unconscious Kiah into a cage inside. As he goes to lock it, Critter jumps in the trunk unnoticed.

The Hunter closes the trunk, and everything goes dark.