"Hmm, so what are my reptilian choices?" you ask.
The lioness Imani gasps. The wolf looks at you sternly.
"What?" he asks quietly.
"You know - reptiles. Lizards, snakes, turtles, that kind of thing. I have always been partial to reptiles so I thought...."
Imani growls, extending her claws.
"Whoa, what's the big deal?! I didn't mean to insult you. I mean, you look great, but it's just not my thing, " you say, trying to back safely through your door.
The wolf grabs a hold of the door before you can close it, pushing it wide open. Imani and the wolf follow you inside.
"Sir, we are at war with the reptilians. Their kind are the worst filth, an embarrassment to the creator and must be destroyed. We cannot allow you to join the enemy. You must join with us - chose a mammalian predator or we will kill you," says the wolf coldly.
"Whoa, take it easy. I'm not sure I want to join anybody. I was just asking questions. I thought you guys weren't hungry," you say, still backing away from him.
Imani snarls.
"Yes, I am full. But I think I can make room for an insolent fool like you," says Imani.
You stop moving backwards, your back to the wall. The wolf leans close to you.
"So what will it be, sir? Will you join the pack or be its prey?" asks the wolf menacingly.
Suddenly the window on the wall beside you shatters, sending glass flying everywhere. Imani and the wolf instinctively jump back, shielding their eyes from the glass. A large tumble of coils sits in front of the window. It quickly unwinds and wraps around you. The head of a snake - or rather the head of a snake woman - hovers inches from yours, inspecting her prize.
Imani jumps to her feet and hisses.
"Jade! How dare you show you interfere with our recruitment," she says angrily. "Give us the human! He is ours!"
The coils of Jade's tail squeeze you, tightening their grip on you.
"He has made his choice. He is ours now," says Jade, the snake woman. "Better luck next time!"
Jade's upper body leaps out the broken window. The coils of her long tail follow after her, dragging you with them. Imani and the wolf race back through the front door, but find nothing but an empty street.... and an open manhole cover. They loudly curse. Every mammal knows how foolish it is to follow a reptile into the sewers, the home ground of the loathsome enemy. Imani and the wolf quietly curse and move onto the next house, hoping to find another recruit. Or at least another meal. Imani feels a bit hungry for some reason.