Tysha was now walking in the deep jungle, accompanied by her recently charmed friend, Kaa. Smiling confidently, she knew such a feat would go down in legends, as the python was known to all for his wits, tricks and intelligence, yet she had been strong and skilled enough to put him under her influence, turning him from a terrifying scourge to her most loyal and loving pet.
It had not even been a few moments since she had performed this task as she walked back to the palace that Kaa was following her diligently and closely. It seemed like the snake did not want to lose his new mistress, protecting her from any harm like the devoted pet he was. Fortunately for her, there was no danger or trouble ahead of her, walking with no stress or fear to her goal.
Thinking about it, she felt kind of great and invincible, now that she knew that Kaa had succumbed to her charms and that he was now hers. It made her remember the uncertainty she felt when she discovered those magical powers of hers when she was younger. She had been one of the most recent addition to the harem at that point, a mere youngling brought there to become one of the future pleasing girl of the sultan. Normally, they paired two of three girls together with a more experienced harem girl in order to make the most of the teaching they gave to the young ones.
Remembering it like it was yesterday, she could see in her memories the huge gathering she had been part of, when the sultan was still respected among the land. It seemed like everyone wanted their girls to be close to the sultan, either to live a better life or to remove a mouth to feed. Unfortunately for her, it had proved to be the latter motivation for her parents, who possessed too many children. Seeing the opportunity to just give off a child to feed and get some of the sultan good grace, they gave her off without a shrug. It was true that they were a large family and food was scarce, but the coldness of the move did not help her get over it.
As she was lost in the huge crowd of young girls surrounded by women in revealing clothes, she had been afraid for what it meant for her future. Thankfully, fate had been kind to her, as she had gathered the attention of the caretaker of the harem herself, an old woman who did not seem like she fitted in at first glance. She remembered being afraid when seeing her for the first time, like a crazy old witch with long white hair and dry skin, yet she had quickly turned to be the surrogate mother she had always desired.
As it turned out, the old woman, named Ysma, had been gifted with magical powers and had sensed them out in Tysha as well. Hoping to teach her the art of the harem girl as well as the ways of magic, she had taken her under her wing, a peculiar thing at the time, since the caretaker had to take at least two or three more girls at the same time. She had refused and it seemed that it was the end of that, as no one ever complained about this, not the guards or the sultan himself doubting her decision. During many years she learned about magic, dancing, being pretty and secret ways to please man, also learning to trust and love this woman, seeing her more as her guardian and mother than her own ever was.
It was her who helped craft those items she used to channel her magic, helping her understand her huge potential. It seemed like if she used her magic without those items, it would mean danger, as Tysha was just too powerful and unfocused as a magic user. Creating a few objects to help her focus and concentrate some spells, they were enchanted to do some specific tasks with ease. The first was a flute to charm snakes, the second some earrings to help her sing better, the third some slippers to walk with stealth, then a ruby to make her dances incredibly mesmerizing to the viewers and so forth. She had made at least a dozen for her pupil and personal favorite.
The day she had told Ysma that the prince himself was smitten with her; she was overjoyed, as it meant quite a lot for a royalty to choose a favorite among the many girls. That night, she had drunk alcohol for the first time as they celebrated the huge victory it meant for Tysha. However, the good times were not to last very long, as many things occurred, almost all at once. The first and most important to the kingdom was the rebellion of the many villages from the will of the sultan. Tired of being subject to a man who just kept on sucking them dry of their food and women, they had decided to stop sending tributes, stopping their respects when they finally saw that they could live without the sultan. This was what caused the lost of respect from other nations and lands toward the sultan, who had lost the respect and servitude of his own people.