Hop’syth raised her greater arms asking for quiet and attention, her lesser arms clasped together indicating that she was making no demands. As the group settled into a circle around the bonfire, she arranged the coils of her tail more comfortably. Her daughter caught her eye and smiled, relaxed even though she was one of few who stood on two legs. A reminder of the humans who had arrived through The Gateway centuries ago and never left.

A deeper quiet fell through the group as Hop’syth raised both sets of arms in worship. Sensing the moment, she began, “Tonight, through the grace of Mino’sys, the Great Serpent Mother, we gather beneath the light of The Gateway,” she traced the pentagram constellation with one of her greater hands. “Let our energies reach through the vast sea of space, to Earth, to let them know we took their wisdom to heart, just as we did those who delivered it.”

The air felt charged around them and she smiled, “With joy, let us clasp greater hands and cast the Circle…”