It was well into the night when the wagon reached Canterlot, lamps glowed around the walls and streets as the Royal guard patrolled. Their armour had been changed slightly; close inspection revealed snake scales in the golden armour, otherwise it was the same just more serpentine for their new rulers. Bolt stared out the window, he’d never had a need to visit Canterlot, it was always open to the public but it was always a great maze with many a closed corner and alley that a pony could get lost down… forever. Bolt didn’t know the truth like many, but fear, rumours, and increased disappearances didn’t help soothe the smaller percentage of the population that much, though most ponies ate up the lamias stories and the lamias were good at catching criminals compared to the old methods which helped their image improve. Lamias mainly accomplished this because the rules didn’t apply to them. As for hypnosis, the lamias main gimmick which was thrown around like confetti as they tried to normalise it, Bolt just wasn’t comfortable with the idea of somepony else controlling his mind.

But those ideals might not be respected out here. Bolt turned to look out the window, turning away from Polish who had been staring ahead the whole way, almost, if not more anxious than Bolt himself. Outside the streets were lit up occasionally by spaced out lamps, between the lights small groups and pairs of ponies walked home after a night partying, their dresses and makeup needed touching up by now. At one point Bolt witnessed a pair of mare’s cross paths with a lamia stallion, whom held a coil out to them both and they eagerly stepped into the leash it formed and he led them along like dogs, the whole while they nuzzled into the thick muscle like it was bliss.

Bolt gulped, he was in the deepest snake pit and was about to nestle up to sleep beside one of the biggest snakes at the top of the pile, and judging from his escort she was important.

Within a few minutes the dense buildings of the shopping district broke into a residential area, streets led away to cheaper, more affordable homes, whilst the grander homes remained visible and on display. Attached, semi-detached, and then detached houses broke away into large homes, large homes into mansions and then estates.

Finally, Ruby’s home came into view. It was like a miniature castle! The entire place was given a great wide berth by all the other buildings around it and it was surrounded by a wall thirty meters high and it was made of thick bright limestone. The wall clearly had an inner passage for traversing around due to the thickness and small windows for archers dotted about, the gate, which was grey steel, had a building out the side within the courtyard with a glowing light pouring out from within. Perhaps a barracks. At the four corners were four towers that rose up above all the other houses and Bolt could see a pair of sentries watching, one outward and one inward. Along the walls were more guards, more visible than the archers, they wore separate armour to the Royal guard, deep purple with a sash like scarf around their necks with a snake eye insignia on it. Their helmets bulged out like viper snake hoods and their eyes were covered over by a visor that was painted with multi-coloured rings and was eerily beautiful in the light. Fakes were dotted within the ranks and Bolt was vaguely thankful his escort had neglected to bring their equipment… Perhaps they knew it would only hinder them with a pegasus?

The wagon stopped outside the gates and one of the fakes waved upward, after a moment the gate wound upward and they were admitted entry. Within, Bolt got to see the room beside the gate and he was able to confirm his idea that it was a barracks, and inside appeared to be filled with replicas of lamias coils as beds with several soldiers wrapped up for the night, weapons and armour strapped to the walls around them. On either side of the gate were a pair of doors into the wall itself and Bolt noticed a guard who had a sort of cape draped over him that looked like a thick yet short coil. Bolt surmised it was likely the Captain.

Back towards the building, it was oddly simple compared to the other former complicated mansions leading up. A three-story building in a C shape, on the left was a wide and open glass room as tall as the house itself filled with trees and vibrantly coloured plants, gardeners tended within the greenhouse room. The building itself was an obsidian purple-black colour and roof, yet the colour in the torches lighting it up only made it glisten with beauty rather than threatening the group approaching it. Deceitfully welcoming, fitting for a lamia.

The door to the wagon was opened and Bolt was roughly pushed out by Polish. Bolt took a moment to stretch his wings outward and flap them once but only received a soft threatening hiss from the first fake, who began tending to the wagon so it could be packed away.

“I’ll leave you to escort him to Mistress Ruby.” The second fake said, a small lisp in his s’. He nodded to Polish and made his way to the barracks to find a sleeping troop.

“Follow me, and stay grounded if you don’t want to help the archers practise their aim.” Polish threatened.

Bolt did as he was ordered, following Polish up to the door where he was greeted by a pair of guards, the first guard opened the door for them as they approached. Bolt noted that although it was outwardly wood it had a thick line of steel within to reinforce it, with the door open Polish and Bolt were nodded inside. Within the house the entryway was almost pitch black, save for the moonlight pouring in through the windows. Several candles glowed in sockets along the wall and Bolt nearly jumped as a shadow approached, having risen from the floormat having been sat motionless there for a while.

A mare stepped into the candlelight, a maid’s outfit loosely fitted to her body as her hair was strew about, she smiled dimly as if there were as many lights on in her head as there were in the house. Her eyes were glazed and unfocused, peering through Bolt and Polish rather than at them.

“Mistress Ruby has summoned you Polish on your return, you must go immediately regardless of the time.” The mare shivered and bit her lip blissfully as if she’d just been electrocuted and enjoyed it, Bolt didn’t know but Polish did, she’d just fulfilled a command and received her reward.

“Thank you Nedra, was there anything else?” Polish asked and Nedra sighed sadly, upset she wouldn’t get another wave of bliss.

“No,” she cooed in a low chime “I will return to bed, I am not allowed to join Goddess Ruby tonight.” Nedra said sadly.

Goddess, Ruby’s hypnotic alias, it made her slaves seem even lower. Polish had to maintain a stoic expression, no doubt his distaste for the title would be grassed up by his former friend to Ruby, and he had enough trouble as the moment.

Bolt watched the mare turn and stumble over her steps as she trotted up the stairs as if she was hammered, sighing softly every so often, an odd eerie light flashing up the hallway ahead each time she did.

“Follow me.” Polish said leading the way Nedra was going.

The pair headed up a spiral slope to the second floor and Nedra stumbled down a side corridor, which was full of doors that were spaced rather close together in a tight row of at least fifty “Bedrooms for the staff, there is a room specifically for the head chef which you will be admitted to. It has been emptied of the previous owner’s belongings.” Polish said as they went up another spiralling slope, Nedra flinging herself into her own room.

At the top of the stairs was a door, it was a plain bright white door with red fittings and a red handle on it, yet Polish stared at it like it was venomous “Just… Stay quiet.” Polish said softly, it almost sounded like he was pleading.

Polish knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open, the room was almost entirely plunged in darkness, save for the faintly glowing embers of a nearby fire that had died out a while ago. The room consisted of a huge bed as the centre piece, easily large enough to fit several king size beds upon it, alongside the left sidewall was a walk-in wardrobe, or slither in for lamias, the fireplace was to the right side of the room and beside the bed was an oddly cute little dresser with a book sat upon it and a lamp, switched off naturally. On the bed itself was a strewn mess of a giant cover that rose and fell in various places as it tried to contain its occupant, shifting, sliding, rolling and gripping. Along the top near the headboard was a long line of pillows and a shadow lay upon them.

Polish cleared his throat quietly “Mistress Ruby?” The shadow shifted, the bed rustling as a few coils moved under the covers. Bolt felt a trickle of fear as, for a moment, there was a flash of purple within the darkness from the shadow itself.

“Ah Polish, is this the first candidate?” Ruby asked.

“Um… Y-yes…” Polish said nervously as he bowed once Ruby spoke.

Bolt didn’t even see the coils move, one moment Polish was bowing the next a collar had looped around his neck “You seem nervous Polish… What happened?” Bolt heard Polish gulp at Ruby’s question.

“T-th-this is the o-only candidate.” Polish stuttered and gulped as the coil shifted under him tightly.

“Why were you unable to find more than one?” Ruby asked.

“I-I’m sorry Mistress! They’ve all been hired by other lamias or have dropped their trade, it wouldn’t have been productive of the time you allowed me to search homes at random!” Polish said pleading.

Ruby gave a quiet ‘tsk’ in displeasure “Ssssorry huh?” She hissed to the black stallion “You had a week, a full week… Yet you only ussssed a ssssingle day ssssearching and ended it the ssssecond you found the firsssst chef around, what wassss he doing?” Ruby asked.

“Running a wagon restaurant,” Polish mumbled hardly able to get the words out now from how tight his coily collar had become around his windpipe.

“A wagon… Restaurant…?” Ruby asked in an emotionless tone “You brought to me a pony who works out of his own house to be my head chef… Is that correct, Polish?” Bolt, at the back of his mind, felt a mild bit of offence from the lamias words but fear kept it subdued. That and lockjaw.

Polish quivered on the spot, trembling with fear as he stared into the shadowy purple eyes “Polish?” Ruby asked dangerously and Bolt heard the coil grind against itself as it tighten to breaking point and Polish, unable to speak, simply nodded.

For a full minute, the room remained silent before Ruby broke the silence with a cold voice “How did you test him?” Ruby asked.

“T-test him…? Y-you only ordered me to find a chef Mistress, that’s what I did.” Polish realised as the words left his mouth he’d said the wrong thing.

“I did tell you to find me a chef, and I had thought from how long you had been here you would know how to find competent staff!” Polish suddenly rose his hooves to the coil as it began to rise up of the ground.

“Mistress! Mistress please wait!” Polish begged now flailing about, Bolt stood stock still horror struck as he watched.

“And yet all you do is find the first roadside cooker you can and head home, did you even try his food to see if it was good?” Ruby asked, her voice rising as she lifted Polish with her coil collar, that was quickly turning into a noose.

Polish stood on the tips of his back hooves holding onto the coil, gulping as he tried to breath “N-no Mistress.” Why was his mind now focusing on how squishy the coils felt pressed up to his cheeks? He needed to focus, or was his mind wandering like this due to oxygen deprivation “B-but he was very popular… H-had a full yard full of tables with ponies eating they must enjoy it if that many would attend.” Polish moaned.

“So, you judged his skill not upon your own testing but upon what you saw?”

“Wait, I… No but I well… Yes, but I didn’t want to have you waiting-ULP!” Polish gulped as his hooves left the ground waving back and forth, the coil was too broad and wide to choke him like a rope, but it did tighten his windpipe considerably more than before.

Polish looked down with fearful eyes as Ruby lifted him up onto the bed, a mass of coils curling up in a corkscrew fashion snagged him down from the coil like an apple from a tree. He was carried over and set down beside Ruby.

“Mistress?” Polished asked in a tiny voice looking up.

“You failed me Polish, you failed your Mistress.” Polish shook his head as the coils made him sit up.

Bolt began to back up towards the door slowly as he watched glued to the scene “No, Mistress please wait you haven’t tried his food yet what if you like it?” Polish begged.

“It’s not a matter of whether his food is good or not… It’s the fact you failed at this task so miserably! You actually went out searching for a chef yet didn’t send out any form of advertisement… There are plenty who can cook who would flock to Canterlot for this job, yet you neglected them in your short sightedness.” Ruby scolded softly, her tone so much more eerie as she leaned close to Polish.

It was true, Polish had simply assumed he would have to go looking on such short notice but Ruby had given him more than a week… He was about to pay the price for his error “M-Mistress please no!” Polish begged weakly as his face began to take on a light blue tinge.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that Polish, this is your fifth failure… You can be forgiven for the first one when you began. Those after may be minor but they build up quickly for me… And this one… well… we won’t call it a nail in the coffin… Let’s call it, the final seasoning, shall we?”

Polish opened his mouth to scream but Ruby was faster than him. Ruby’s jaw gave a quiet click and unhinged which allowed her to quickly stuff his head into her mouth and gulp down forcing Polish into her throat. Polish quit trying to be professionally or apologetic and thrashed about, trying to roll out of his former Mistress’ grip and mouth. He knew how she fed if he could…

But Polish never really knew how strong Ruby was until her coils pressed in, bordering on breaking his bones he moved into a position where the coils relaxed to tempt him to sit there… It was an easy position to gulp him down from for Ruby. The second he realised that he was flung up into the air and gravity betrayed him for the snake, Ruby taking a moment to recover his uniform for her next personal butler. From the door, Bolt watched with pure horror the form of Polish slowly slipping down Ruby’s throat as she moaned happily. Ruby’s throat had bulged out with the muffled crying head of Polish and he was only going down, and the more of him that slipped into Ruby the faster he slid down, his body coated in saliva to make him slip, also helping to get him down faster. Bolt watched Polish be swallowed up to his waist, his head almost disappearing into Ruby’s tail, more a formless bulge now as Ruby began gulping his flailing hooves and at last Bolt’s body responded and he turned towards the door trying to open it. Unfortunately, it refused to budge; the handle went down but it didn’t open. Bolt tried to force it as Ruby reached the end of Polish’s hooves, even throwing himself into it but that only made his side hurt from the reinforced wood.

Turning back to the horror in the room Bolt swished his head around for a place to escape. Ruby gave a loud gulp and Bolt looked over, his body unable to resist the sick curiosity he felt. Bolt could see the bulge of Polish stretching the coils out slightly, he slowly swirled down and down the coils, moaning, no doubt pleading from within his prison now that escape was hopeless. Bolt looked around, once Polish stopped moving the lamia would be on him next. Ruby turned her gaze up to the pegasus who was snapping his eyes around for an escape, his panic was cute. Ruby gulped, working Polish down a little faster.

“Five,” Ruby chimed loud enough for Bolt to hear and he knew what she meant. Five seconds and at that realization Bolt could move again.

“Four,” Bolt looked around the room more frantically, the wardrobe wouldn’t hold her coils back, the bed was strewn with her, the fireplace was too narrow for him to fly up and Bolt had never climbed before and the door was locked and the walls solid stone.

“Three,” Ruby smiled, watching the pegasus, who began to kick the door to see if it would give way.

“Two,” Ruby chimed in a song like voice. Bolt looked around the room then finally sat down at the door.

“One,” Ruby said as Bolt just stared at the floor looking dejected. Odd, sometimes ponies broke into tears, begging and pleading or huddling away yet Ruby hadn’t seen one look like this so… Broken.

Ruby tiled her head at the stallion “Zero.” She said and Bolt looked up watching her as a coil rose from the bed and sailed through the air peacefully towards him.

He didn’t scatter for cover, instead Bolt stared at the coil, he was done. The lamia was physically stronger than him by far and even if, by some insane miracle, he did overpower her, Bolt had figured out the door was on a magical lock and needed the lamia’s touch to open it. Finally, if Bolt did not only overpower Ruby, but get her to open the door Bolt then had to escape through a courtyard with a small militia guarding it, not to mention the hypnotised staff. It was a hopeless unwinnable situation, best to just let the lamia do what she will. Maybe she’d make it swifter then.

Ruby shared a glance with Bolt before he looked back down, unable to watch his doom approach without cracking under the strain of his screaming mind. Bolt gave a soft gasp as the coil touched his head and looked up with fearful eyes as the coil curled down the side of his face and around his body, clamping his wings down. With him bound to her tail Ruby gave a tug, Bolt shifted and a second tug got him up and moving, albeit slowly. Bolt’s gaze had found Polish who had similarly fallen silent, though that was more to do with the fact that he had been moved to Ruby’s second stomach, her digestive stomach, and the gasses had let him drift to sleep than by him accepting his situation.

Bolt was pulled onto the mass of cold coils which greeted him in earnest, rolling him over onto his back and carrying him over to Ruby’s lap. Bolt was able to see her properly now, she was white… Like fallen clean snow and had a red mane that fell down around her head gracefully like fire, her purple eyes had a snake slit and glittered mischievously. She almost seemed friendly. Almost. It was easy to see how a normal oblivious pony could fall for a lamia normally from Bolt’s current position.

“I am sorry you had to witness that, I don’t take well to my staff underperforming when employed to me, and Polish was declining in his ability to serve me anyway, hopefully his replacement will be better… Like you are replacing my former chef,” Ruby pushed the coil containing Polish but a bit further down and Bolt felt another bulge of a pony, though… softer “This was Lilac, my old head chef… She failed and now you are her replacement… No, you aren’t going to be eaten… Well unless you want to.” Ruby cooed with a soft chuckle “What is your name?”

“B-Boltblood Thundercloud.” Bolt said quietly “But Bolt is fine.”

Ruby cooed “And what do you do?” She asked as her coils lay Bolt out spread eagle, he wasn’t coiled over saved for his belly which shifted down allowing Ruby to grab his wings and stretch them out.

For a moment, Bolt feared he would lose he wings as a coil approached each one. But instead Ruby just draped them over the feathers rubbing back and forth slowly, enjoying the soft feathers.

“I well… I’m a chef like Polish said… I make a variety of meals for customers but generally I make sweet treats and coffees since most ponies eat at home where I work…” Bolt said.

“How many can you cater for?” Ruby asked running a hoof along his wing as she listened. Ruby never had a Pegasus before, and he was so tall compared to normal stallions, so much more to coil!

“On my own? Um, about fifty ponies.” Bolt said.

“And lamias?” Ruby asked looking sideways at him.

Bolt kept his gaze on Ruby, afraid if he looked down he’d been greeted with a sea of coil bulges “I think five ponies would work for one lamia so… Ten.” Bolt admitted.

“There will be more than that at the dinner I’m hosting this week, twenty-five to be exact and you will be leading it as head chef.” Ruby said.

“Will I have help?” Bolt asked and Ruby nodded.

“Yes, my friend Sunny can provide as many extra hooves as you need. Normally I only need one chef as the guards and staff have their own cooks though they are very limited in what they can make, hence why I hire a professional cook like yourself.” Ruby said “Now… Let’s make a deal.” Ruby cooed.

“A deal?” Bolt asked.

“Mhmmm,” Ruby smiled bearing a set of fangs on the top and bottom of her teeth “Tomorrow morning I will head down and you will provide breakfast for me… cook whatever you wish, for it will be your test to show your capabilities. We have a fully stocked kitchen and pantry and the two porters Lilac had will have kept it clean for you to use tomorrow. If I like your food you will provide catering for the dinner… If I don’t,” Ruby pressed a coil as thick as Bolt up to his face, the strong muscles and fat melding to his head “This will be your new home. Understand?” Bolt nodded into the squishy coils “Good and once the dinner is over you can leave.” Ruby promised “Deal?” Bolt nodded again and Ruby smiled “Glad to hear it, now it’s late and I have a pony to digest… Nedra!” Ruby called out softly.

Bolt didn’t think there was any way a pony could hear Ruby’s voice from her chambers, but sure enough in just thirty seconds Bolt heard a desperate running of hooves and the door opened to the smiling Nedra “Yes Mistress?” She asked, quivering at being summoned and arriving in what she hoped was a timely fashion.

“Take Bolt here to his room and in the morning take him to the kitchen, he is going to make me breakfast.” Nedra nodded and beckoned quickly for Bolt to follow.

“Where is Polish?” Nedra asked.

“He failed me, we’ll need to get a replacement. Look into it please Nedra.” Ruby ordered sleepily.

“Oh, poor Polish he never got a chance to be hypnotised.” Nedra said sadly.

“A shame, he had many opportunities to try it… But I guess he’ll just have to go with an unfulfilled life sadly.” Ruby said with a grin.

“Yes… Unfulfilled…” Nedra cooed as Bolt was released from the coils pinning him. As he walked out he realised his wings were still stretched out; Bolt’s body still seemed to want the coils and he had to close them with his hooves, blushing a light pink around his ears.

Ruby smiled at the sight, he was a cutie.

Nedra led Bolt back down to the second floor, turning towards the bedrooms she led the way towards one of the far-right doors, upon the door was an empty slot for a name under the title slot ‘head chef’. Nedra paused heading for the very far end room on the right which was slightly larger judging from the space and was set as ‘head butler’. She removed the name plate Shoe Polish from the door and ran her hoof over it, the name fading away by magic and she set it back in place for when the position was taken. Nedra then took the plate to Bolt’s room down and used an oddly carved inkless pen to write his name down, setting it over the door.

“There’s a bed, you are allowed to furnish your room as you see fit, enjoy.” Nedra said giving him a key with a smile heading towards her own room further down on the left.

Bolt opened the door to his room, it was simple, painted white with a blue carpet, the room was like a slightly wider broom closest that went to the far end of the room, very little would likely fit inside here beside personal possessions and minor comforts. At the far end, at the back of the room, was a single window for light and under it was a ‘bed’. It was one of those replicas of a lamias coils, the inside was made up of puffy soft memory foam and the outside smooth scales, there was also a tiny desk with no visible chair cramped into the side beside the doorway. It was large enough to serve as a double bed and with no alternatives beside the cold floor, Bolt was forced to close the door (and lock it just in case) and head over to the single piece of furniture within his new home.

Bolt gave the bed a test, it was pretty much piled up on the floor and wouldn’t break and fall down since it didn’t need supports like a normal bed, and it was padded enough by so many ‘coils’ he couldn’t feel the floor. Bolt climbed up curling the coils around so he lay upon the soft belly scales that were lined with the memory foam, pulling them over himself to keep warm and using a fat coil as a pillow.

At least it was comfy.

Author's Note

Welp, that's certainly an unorthodox way to hire a chef isn't it?