The desert seemed like it went on forever. In every direction, sand, sand and more sand. Ruka used to think that it did go on and on into eternity, and that his small little oasis in the middle of it all was the only thing in the world that existed or mattered.
Well, the appearance of the occasional Outsider proved that it wasn't the only thing in existance, but it was still the only thing that mattered. To Ruka and his people, at least. Some of the Outsiders weren't so bad - though Ruka still loathed that Jahi and Bon both had a terrible habit of bringing them in and wanting to keep them. Of all the things...! They weren't strays!!
The oasis was considerably large, nearly a mile from any given end to another. Lush trees, fruits, flowers and a lake make it a gorgeous sight for anyone that happened to be traveling along in search of nourishment. And, the tiny set of well-made, sturdy huts at one end of the oasis drew in larger animals also in search of meals; desert dragons and wolves, among other things Ruka couldn't even begin to name. The great snake took pride in the fact he'd never failed to get rid of any such creature, and not lost a single life amongst the villagers (all twenty to thirty of them) in the process.
At the opposite end from the village (if you could call it that), stood the temple. It was sturdily built, nothing but the best they could offer to their protector and self-appointed (but for good reason!) King. Inside looked... just like the outside. Trees, soft grass and sand, and Ruka's red, black and white scales stood out against the greenary like fire. Not to mention all the small treasures scattered about - an assortment of gems and gold, silver, crystal... Ruka loved anything so beautifully made and shiny, regardless of how much or little it was worth. It wasn't like he really understood the concept of barter or money anyway - it wasn't needed in such a tiny, secluded place. There was enough supplies and food to go around that nobody ever went hungry. They all thanked Ruka for it, and he soaked it up like the vain, self-centered creature he was.
As much as he loved all their praise and the fussing and fawning of the eight that he kept with him, inside his temple (though they had their own room - the girls had insisted. They were women and needed to be alone sometime and Jahi was just so persistant that Ruka could not have possibly told her no!), he was a solitary creature by nature and needed his alone time each day. It was why Jahi nor any of the other girls or two boys ever said a word when he slithered out of his little home every morning.
He would venture out a ways, about a half mile from the oasis and all its greenery, to where several sand-worn rocks jutted up out of the ground from as low as two feet to as high as twenty. Ruka thought maybe it'd been a statue of some sort once upon a time, and had since fallen and crumbled. All the better for him, though. He would lay himself all over the thing - striped coils snaking everywhere and making it hard for an onlooker to tell just where the tail was coming and going.
And Ruka would stretch out on his back or his stomach, arms pillowed beneath him for comfort, and he would bask out in the sun and soak up the heat from the rocks. It was a blissful time for him, and he had a perfect view of the oasis from where he was, too. If anyone came to close, he would see. But it seemed to be a peaceful day, his favorite kind, and so he closed his eyes and proceeded to lightly doze.
