Note: I'll probably be jumping around between characters until they all meet up, because some stuff is happening nearly simultaneously.

Chapter 2: Taken

Ezra laid down in his cave besides his parents, his lower body curled around himself. Since his family was Lamias they tended to keep to themselves. Most humans didn't like his species, for some reason. The young child didn't really understand why, he figured it was because their lower half was a snake, and most people didn't like snakes.

As he woke up he uncoiled himself. He felt really tired and sluggish. The cave in the woods had gotten cold during the night. He slowly slithered out of the cave and started to sun himself on the nearby rock to warm up, being cold blooded sure had its downside.

Soon his mom and dad came out and joined him.

"How are you today, snakelet?" Mira asked.

"Okay mommy." Ezra replied. "Cold but warming up."

"Good to hear that." Ephraim smiled, running a hand through Ezra's blue hair, that matched his lower half.

"Are we going to do anything today Mommy?" Ezra asked.

"We're going into town." Mira answered.

"That should be fun." Ezra smiled.

"But remember what we told you." Ephraim reminded.

"Don't draw too much attention to myself." the ten-year old Lamia answered.

"Good boy," Mira replied, "Always remember that."

"But why?" Ezra asked.

"Because the government, the Empire, doesn't like beings like us." Mira answered.

"Lamias?" Ezra asked.

"Pretty much anyone who isn't totally human." Ephraim clarified.

"But why?" Ezra asked. This was very confusing. Were they not nearly the same, just a few different body parts?

"The Empire thinks humans are better than everyone else." Ephraim replied.

"But that's dumb." Ezra reasoned. "Aren't most of us the same from the waist up? What's really the difference?"

"Very much so dear." Mira smiled. "All warmed up?"

"Yes Mommy." Ezra answered.

The small Lamia family started to slither out of the woods and towards the nearby town. Since Ezra was still just a snakelet his tail was significantly shorter than his parents'. His tail was only about nine feet long, while a full grown Lamia's tail got to be anywhere from twenty to twenty-five feet. The child slithered between his parents, like he usually did when they went anywhere.

They finally reached the town and were about to go head into the store. The one problem Ezra usually found with most stores is that it was hard to get in the doors, because the doors tended to close on his tail. He very well knew this would just grow more troublesome as he grew older and his tail grew longer. He's seen his father's tail get smashed in the door many times before. Luckily for them, right when they were about to enter a human girl was walking out, with a smile she held open the door.

"Thanks," Ephraim said as he entered the store.

"No problem." the girl responded, as she held the door open for them all until all their tails were safely in.

Ezra followed his parent's throughout the store. They picked out some food and some other supplies, like a new sweater for Ezra as it was getting colder.

As they were at the counter paying for their items a man walked up behind them and stepped on Ezra's tail.

"Ow!" Ezra screamed and pulled tail closer to him, sniffing, grabbing the end of it, as it was the part that got stepped on.

Mira jerked around as she heard her child's cry. When she realized what happened she gave the man an expectant look, waiting for him to apologize. When he made no move to she turned the look into a glare.

"What?" the man asked.

"You stepped on my child's tail." Mira explained.

"So?" the man asked.

"Aren't you going to apologize?" Mira asked expectantly.

"You want me to apologize to that?" the man asked.

Tears started to come to Ezra's eyes from a mixture of pain and the man's words.

If Mira's snake half had been a rattlesnake, she would be rattling up a storm. It took all her self control to not attack the man. Even if most Lamia's weren't venomous, they still had slight fangs that would not be pleasant if one bit you. Also their tail muscles were extremely strong, she could easily wrap it around the man and break his legs.

"Come on dear," Ephraim tried to calm his angered wife. "We're done here anyways."

The small family slithered towards the door.

"Freaks," the man muttered.

Ezra just didn't understand why some people hated them.

As they were slithering down the road Ephraim and Mira noticed some Imperial officers harassing a young satyr on the other side of the street. The satyr was just minding his own business, heading down the street while carrying a box of supplies. The Imperials smacked the box out of his hand.

"Drop something kid?" one officer snarkily asked.

The satyr didn't respond, he just tried to get his supplies back together, but as he bent down the other officer kicked him off balance.

"We have to do something." Mira said. "If we don't speak out who will?"

"Ezra, stay right here." Ephraim instructed, handing him the bags of supplies.

"Okay," Ezra nodded taking the bags.

"Hey," Ephraim called as he and Mira slithered over to intervene. "Leave that satyr alone."

"What are you going to do about it?" the first officer asked. "Belly-runner,"

"Now there's no reason to use that sort of language with children around." Ephraim tried to defuse the situation.

"What are you going to do about it?" the officer asked.

The satyr saw his opportunity to grab his stuff and leave.

"There's not necessarily anything I can do, but that still doesn't give you permission to harass other species and use degrading names." Ephraim answered.

"Are you trying to defy the law?" the officer asked.

"What law are we breaking?" Mira asked.

"Questioning an Imperial officer." the officer replied.

"You know, the world was a much better place before you guys put in place all these ridiculous laws that put down anyone who isn't human." Ephraim said,

"That's it, you two are under arrest." the officer said. He and the other brought out handcuffs.

"What exactly for?" Mira asked as she her arms were cuffed behind her back.

"Treason," the officer replied.

Ezra wanted to slither over and protest, but his father locked eyes with him and silently told him to stay out of it.

"Mom, dad," Ezra whispered.

Ephraim and Mira struggled lightly in the officers' grips.

"There's no use struggling. You have no hope." the officer sneered.

"Without hope, we have nothing." Mira spoke.

Ezra knew she wasn't replying to the officer, she was speaking to him.

Ezra watched as his parents were lead away. After they were out of sight he sighed.

"They'll be back soon." Ezra muttered to himself. "I might as well head back to the cave and wait for them to come back."

Ezra waited for hours. Hours turned to days. Days turned to his weeks. Weeks turned into months, but his parents showed no sign of returning.

He rationed the food as long as he could, knowing that he should do his best to stay out of the town, but it was getting hard.

Due to being part snake, he was perfectly capable of eating wild raw game like rabbits, birds, pretty much anything he could catch, but due to the coming winter most birds had migrated and the smaller animals were hibernating. The cave kept getting colder, and it was getting harder to keep warm, which was very important for a cold-blooded creature like him.

"They're not coming back, are they." Ezra muttered to himself as he sunned himself on the rock. Even the rock in the sun was only slightly warmer, he really wished he had a blanket. He had already searched the entire cave in search of money to buy blankets and food, but turned up empty handed.

He curled up further on the rock, trying his best to stay warm, if he got to cold and temporarily shut down, he would be in big danger.