Chapter 421: Snake-cart Riding
Cassius's jaw slackened as his gaze trailed down to Nala's long, white lamia tail. Thick, supple, its scales gleaming faintly in the morning sun, it coiled around itself in lazy loops.
He had to admit, just for a fleeting second, the thought struck him—that actually looks like the softest damn seat in the world.
Something about how the scales caught the light, how it looked both firm and cushiony, made him think it'd be like sitting on a living, silk-padded throne.
But he quickly shook his head, snapping out of the thought.
"Wait, you're joking, right? This has to be a joke. You're not actually telling me to ride your tail, are you?"
His voice carried both disbelief and a nervous laugh, as though he half-expected her to break into laughter and say it was all a prank.
Nala, however, only giggled and shook her head, her cheeks pink, eyes glittering with pride.
"Not at all. Definitely not a joke. I want you to sit on my tail." She reached back and patted the thick coil beneath her. "Don't let how white and delicate it looks fool you. My tail is strong, iron-strong. Every coil is packed with muscle. Didn't you feel that yesterday when I caught you? You couldn't even move an inch."
Cassius let out a low chuckle, scratching his cheek. "Yeah...you had me locked tighter than a vice. Honestly, I thought you were gonna snap my ribs in half with that grip."
"Exactly." She said proudly, puffing her chest. "So there's no need to worry. I want you to experience this."
"You've probably ridden in all sorts of noble carriages, fancy ones, luxurious ones, but I guarantee you've never ridden on a lamia's tail."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer, Cassius. You better take it!"
"I...don't know. Won't it be...weird?" He hesitated, lips quirking into a nervous smile. "I mean, me sitting on your tail while you carry me through the village? People will stare. They'll think I'm some spoiled brat getting a piggyback from his mom."
Nala burst into laughter, her tail flicking behind her.
"That's exactly what I thought would happen. Can you imagine their faces when they see the oh-so-fearless Cassius, the nobleman, riding on my tail like a little boy? It'll be hilarious."
He narrowed his eyes, giving her a glare. "So that's your plan. Embarrass me in front of your villagers?"
But her laughter softened into something gentler. Her yellow eyes warmed as she looked at him tenderly.
"Honestly...the real reason I want this is because it's part of who I am. All my life, I've carried people on my tail—old folks who couldn't walk, children who begged me for rides...It always made them so happy."
"And today, I wanted you to feel that too. I wanted you to experience me as I am, Cassius. Not just Nala the shameless snake, but Nala the lamia who was raised in a human village."
She paused, her voice suddenly shy.
"But...if you really don't want to, I won't force you. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
Cassius stared at her for a long moment before breaking into a smile, his tone warm.
"After saying all that, do you really think I could reject you?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, the little kid in me does want to try. I just thought it'd be rude to ask. But since you're offering...why the hell not?"
Her whole face lit up. "Really? You'll do it?"
"Of course." He smirked. "Though...how exactly am I supposed to get on? Do I need a saddle? Maybe a whip?"
Nala puffed her cheeks, glaring at him playfully.
"I'm not a horse! No saddle, no whip. Just sit down behind me like a proper passenger."
He leaned closer, his grin sly as he said, "Yeah, you're right. You're not a horse. Which means instead of using a whip…"
His hand shot out and smacked her ass through her dress with a loud slap.
Smack!
Nala yelped, spinning her head around, her face blazing red. "Cassius! You...You pervert!"
He laughed, utterly unapologetic. "What? You said this was my carriage. I just gave it the signal to move."
She glared, but her lips twitched as though she were fighting a smile. "Tch...you better get on now, or else this carriage will leave without you and you'll be running behind me all day."
"Alright, alright." He said with defeat, raising his hands. "Fine, fine."
Carefully, he swung a leg over her tail and lowered himself down. The moment his weight pressed into her coils, his eyes widened.
"…Holy shit. You weren't lying."
The texture was unlike anything he'd felt, firm but soft, smooth as silk, yet with a subtle give that made it unbelievably comfortable.
"I've sat in luxury carriages with cushions made from exotic beast fur, and this...this beats them all. I swear, I actually want to moan right now. It feels that good."
"See? I told you. No carriage can compete with me." Nala smirked proudly over her shoulder.
"You're right. I might just struggle to go back after this. So..." Cassius grinned, leaning forward. "What if I asked you to be my carriage for the rest of my life? How does that sound?"
She blinked, then smirked mischievously. "Hmph, as long as you pay me well, sure. I'll be your personal carriage forever. We can travel all over the world and I'll be right by your side."
Then, more softly, her voice dropped, her cheeks heating.
"But...rather than a carriage...I'd rather be your b-bride for the rest of my life...Wouldn't that be better?"
Cassius froze for half a heartbeat, then looked at her with an unexpectedly tender expression. He hadn't expected her to say something so bold, but damn if it didn't hit him right in the chest.
Flustered, Nala quickly turned forward, hiding her red face. "I-It's about time we go!"
She blurted, and before Cassius could respond—she slithered forward with surprising speed.
"Whoa, wait, slow down!" Cassius yelped, clutching at her sides as her coils moved beneath him like a living rollercoaster. "At this rate, I'm gonna fall off!"
"Just hold on to my waist, Cassius!" Her laughter rang out, bright and carefree. "Hold me tight!"
Reluctantly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling himself flush against her back. Her warmth seeped into him, his chest pressed to her shoulders, his chin brushing against her hair.
"Even tighter." She teased, her voice a little breathless now. "If you don't, you might slip. My scales can be slippery, you know."
He obeyed, gripping her waist even more firmly, pulling her closer.
And Nala...couldn't stop the silly, blissful smile that spread across her face. His warmth, his closeness, it was everything she had dreamed of. And in that moment, under the bright morning sun, she felt like the happiest woman alive.
Meanwhile, Cassius held on for dear life, his arms tight around Nala's waist, his face brushing against her shoulder as the world around him blurred.
He'd known lamias were quick—he'd chased her through the forest yesterday, after all, but he hadn't expected this. With him sitting on her tail, he thought surely she'd slow down, just a little, maybe take things easy for his sake.
But Nala?
No. She was gliding through the forest with startling speed, her scales whispering over earth and moss as the trees streaked by.
The wind rushed past his face so sharply it stung, and the sheer pace of it all felt more like riding a warhorse in a charge than being on a morning date.
"Godamn, Nala." Cassius gritted out, holding tighter as he bounced slightly with her movements. "I know you're excited for this date, but maybe, just maybe, you could slow down a little?"
"We're not racing into battle. If you keep this up, I'll be the one falling off and breaking my neck."
But Nala only laughed, glancing back at him with that mischievous grin that made her look far too pleased with herself.
"Oh, don't be such a scaredy-cat. I know these woods like the back of my hand. Every root, every stone, I've carried elders through here dozens of times, remember?...You're not going to get hurt."
Her tone softened just slightly, pride threading through her words.
"And besides, I'm a lamia. My body's made for this. My muscles could carry ten of you without slowing down."
Then she glanced back at him with a teasing smirk, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Besides...you look so cute right now. Clinging onto me for dear life like a little boy holding onto his mother. My, you should see your face, it's adorable! Makes me wanna go even faster just to hear you squeal!"
Cassius's lips twitched. "Hey, hey, that's not funny! That's bullying your passenger, you evil snake!" He tried to glare at her, but his wide eyes and panicked grip only made him look more helpless.
"Bullying? Please!" Nala laughed, her tail propelling them even faster, weaving like lightning through the trees. "I'm just giving you the full lamia experience. I'm in charge of this carriage, Cassius and you're in my territory now. So hold on and obey like a good little passenger."
She said it with mock villainy, her voice dripping with glee as if she were some conquering empress.
Cassius narrowed his eyes. Normally, he was the one in control. He didn't take well to being toyed with, especially not like this. But instead of snapping back, a smirk tugged at his lips.
He leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear. "Oh really? You think you're in control here?"
"Obviously." Nala's grin widened, proud and unyielding. "You're on my back. I decide where we go, how fast we move. What could you possibly do about it?"
"That's where you're wrong." Cassius chuckled darkly. "You see...even if the horse carries the rider, it's the rider who directs the horse. And I think I just figured out how to...direct you."
"Oh?" Nala arched a brow, intrigued. "And how exactly are you going to do that? Last I checked, I'm the one steering this ride." She flicked her tail sharply, making him jostle, daring him to try something.
"Sure, maybe you're the horse in control Nala." Cassius chuckled darkly before saying, "But every horse has reins."
Before she could ask what he meant, his hands slipped from her waist and grabbed a different hold—two massive handfuls of her breasts.
"Cassius—!"
Nala squealed, her body jolting as his fingers sank into her soft flesh, squeezing firmly. The sudden shock made her tail veer wildly to the left, crashing through a patch of ferns.
"W-What are you doing, you naughty fiend?!"
Cassius simply laughed in response, kneading her breasts, his thumbs flicking her stiffening nipples through her clothes.
"I'm testing a theory, Nala. You see, yesterday I noticed just how sensitive you are here and how instinctively you're body moved when I touched your their. So I figured, what if these were the reins? Let's see…"
He squeezed her left breast harder, and sure enough—Nala's body veered left.
He switched to the right—and she twisted right, hissing in shock.
"Stop it! You're making me swerve!" She cried, her cheeks blazing red.
"Exactly." Cassius smirked, enjoying every second. "Looks like I found the controls. If I squeeze the left tit, you go left. The right tit, you go right. And if I…"
He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear as he gropped both breasts harshly.
"Squeeze both at once—you stop."
True to his words, Nala's entire body froze, her coils locking up as she came to a sudden halt, her face hot with a blend of lust and outrage.
"Y-You can't just...ngh...turn me into your personal carriage!"
"Oh, no, no." Cassius teased, tugging her nipples now, earning a sharp squeal from her lips. "You're the one who offered me a ride. I'm just...steering."
Her body bucked forward as he twisted both nipples at once, her scales tightening beneath him.
"A-Ah! Don't do that, when you touch them like that, my tail—!"
Sure enough, her pace surged, accelerating through the trees as if he'd pressed an invisible accelerator.
"So your nipples are the gas pedal, hm?" Cassius laughed, holding her tightly as he guided her like a horse on a racetrack. "Good to know."
And just like that he continued to toy with her breasts, steering her left, right, and forward like he was racing a go-kart.
"Left turn!"
Squeeze—Nala lurched left.
"Sharp right!"
Grope—she swung right, nearly toppling them.
"And now, full speed ahead!"
Twist—and she shot forward, shrieking and pouting as she tried to hold her dignity.
To anyone watching, it would've looked like they were racing, but Nala knew the truth, she was being utterly controlled by his shameless hands.
"This isn't a date anymore, Cassius, it's a damn joyride!" Nala wailed, her voice half-flustered, half-laughing as she desperately tried to keep balance.
"And it's the best ride I've ever had." Cassius leaned back, grinning like a devil, his hands firmly on her breasts as if they were reins. "Honestly, Nala, you might just be the finest carriage I've ever ridden."
Her face burned, her tail swerving uncontrollably as he teased her.
But no matter how much she pouted or protested, she couldn't deny the truth: Cassius had figured her out completely, and now he was riding her through the forest like she was his personal mount, all to her endless embarrassment and secret delight...