The path up to the top of the dead volcano on Heiya Island wasn't long and it did provide for Muxing to learn more about the two headed Chinese Tree Viper, Li-Wei. A lot of it was in relation to his personality and finding that Li and Wei were fairly similar but not exact replicas. If Muxing was more of a scientist or a philosopher she would have been quite intrigued by this as it would represent how both heads represented different individuals rather than just one body as what most people would think of when dealing with a two headed snake. What Muxing cared more for was making sure that Li-Wei was a good person and worthy of friendship.
She long remembered the pain that the cult had inflicted on her and her sisters and she remembered being fairly innocent and trusting before they'd been captured. In the back of Muxing's mind, she felt that she was in part responsible for what had happened to them as she wasn't able to raise an alarm earlier and couldn't fight her kidnappers off. It was this that made her dedicated to her own style as a member of the Elements. If some group like that tried again, she would be able to fight them off, and at times that was something that actually had her approving of Liao's fierceness and at times militant defensiveness at times.
The offenses and other abuses had also made her less interested in some of the more "sexual" nature that many Animalians accepted. It had been why she didn't understand why Huoxing, Shuixing, and Jinxing had been so easily able to accept some things like the "bare as you dare" competition from before Heiya Island was established as a colony. After all, the cult had demanded sex of all of them, and Muxing could never understand why they wanted to get into it. But as Shuixing found and fell in love with Nate Bowman and then Huoxing, Tuxing, and even Liao found those that could be steady and loves that weren't thinking solely about their sexual pleasure was something she could trust.
It had led to rumors that Muxing had sworn off men altogether, something that was essentially helped along by the fact that the ones she'd been teaching were female and that the other Snake Animalian she'd befriended, Sylvia Rattlerton, was also female. But that really wasn't the case. She was more than willing to find love, be it male or female, but she had to make sure that whoever was to apply for that had to prove themselves to be a truly trustworthy person though. She wasn't going to throw herself at just anybody. They'd have to earn it, and in some ways, she was looking to see if Li-Wei could do that. Thus, why she was conversing with him and taking him on the tour of Heiya Island, even if it meant battling some of the base urges that saw his four muscular arms and then fantasized about them pleasuring her all at once.
And so far, while it was fairly obvious that Li-Wei had some interest in her, he'd been respectful and polite. That was a good start to things, and he'd even voiced some ideas of learning things from her, which a part of Muxing wasn't too opposed to either.
"So, this a nice view," Li-Wei commented as he looked out over the ocean, "how far do you see?"
"A good many miles in any direction from here," Muxing answered as she observed Li-Wei looking about the various signs that were posted to note Heiya Island's location relative to Mieni Atoll, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Japanese Home Islands, and mainland China. "I think some of the Eagle Animalians have commented on faintly seeing some of the other islands in the region on a good day... I think they mentioned it as either one of the islands around Iwo Jima or from the Ryukyu islands. I'm afraid I wasn't paying too close attention to what islands they said they saw and at times there are some things where I remain rather skeptical. Eagles have great vision and can fly. My vision hasn't changed much since I was Human, and I can't fly."
"I think my vision has improved since I was uplifted," Li-Wei said with his upper left hand scratching Li's chin while the lower right hand rubbed the back of Wei's head, "though, generally speaking snakes are not the sharpest-eyed animals. Some can see better than others, but our other senses do a lot more of the work than our eyes do."
Muxing nodded at that. That was one of the things that Horizon reported with regard to senses and how the conversion and uplifting processes changed. Humans becoming Animalians based on animals with weaker sense than Humans wouldn't lose that that sense. Animals with a weaker sense than Humans would have that sense improve to equal a Human's when uplifted. Li-Wei thus had to have gained a Human's eyesight when he went from snake to Animalian.
"That must have been interesting," Muxing commented.
"The more interesting thing was growing the arms," Li-Wei answered, "I mean... I lived all my life thinking I'd never need arms or legs... ever. As all snakes have done fine without them. And then I grew these... and in some ways it was an odd sensation and in others quite amazing."
"Do tell," Muxing found herself saying with her eyes noting those four muscular arms before she could catch herself.
"Well..." Li-Wei began.
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"You want to give him four arms?" Manami asked as she tailed the Horizon scientist and the Chinese biologist who had brought in the plastic case that carried the two-foot-long male Chinese Tree Viper who had two heads.
"Partially to see how the new Animalian would then control the arms... particularly in relation to each head," the Horizon scientist commented, "would they share control of all four arms, or would each head then control two arms. And if so, which two, the upper pair and the lower pair... or the right arms and the left arms."
The female Wolf Animalian frowned at that to a degree. While her medical training had been more in nursing, and particularly with the elderly, she did understand that medicine was there to help and cure disease and pain. And while she could accept a fair amount of what Horizon was able to do, as it restored her mate's youth and health and enabled her to gain her own muscular wolf body to be with him, but all of that was more a Human choice. This mundane snake couldn't make that choice at present and might well be happy just as he was. Something in trying this new formula to grant him four arms didn't sit right with her.
"And this is all ethical?" Manami asked as the biologist set the plastic case on the floor.
"He will gain arms just from the uplifting process," the Horizon scientist spoke, "we've found that out with every snake uplifted in Animalia, and tests we've done with Humans converting into Snake Animalians and gaining the extra set of hands have shown no difficulty. This is actually one of those cases where while we've never done this in uplifting an animal before... we're practically 100% confident that things will go smoothly."
"And how will we be uplifting him?" the biologist asked, "the Chinese Tree Viper is not necessarily lethally venomous... and this one's strike will be a bit slower given the second head... but I doubt you'd want to be bitten..."
"I have the shots," the Horizon scientist said patting a pocket on his lab coat, "I was thinking that we could put the Animalia Virus into a bowl or container of water and set it outside. You could then open the lid on the container and turn it on its side. The snake then comes out, finds the water and takes a drink at some point. When that happens it's then uplifted in much the same way many of the Animals in Lyre were uplifted. No one would have to risk getting bitten."
"Do you have a bowl?" the biologist asked.
That then brought attention to Manami, who was there to represent the hospital on Heiya Island. Animalians tended to be fairly healthy and while there were some cases where they could catch diseases. Which was then part of why nearly every Animalian colony had some overnight rooms on a just in case basis. Some of the hospitals had more because they would also see a fair number of Human patients from time to time, and to a degree Heiya Island wasn't going to be that far removed. Though its case was for different reasons. Most of the hospitals that were larger often saw both Human and Animalian patients that were residents in the area. Heiya Island, because of the work that had gone into allowing Interpol access to operate on and out of the island had brought about where the island became something of a haven when they'd rescued people from some sort of cult or gang violence. These residents were largely intended to return to their homes, but some of that was bound to take time, and that often required more treatment options.
"The hospital might be able to provide a bowl," Manami said slowly.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Li-Wei, meanwhile, rested quietly in the plastic carrying case. The plastic allowed him to see, but the figures were rather blurry. His hearing was better, but for the moment it was more to feel vibrations through his body that travelled through the case and into his body. For the moment, he had little real interest in what was going on outside the case, though eventually one of the shapes then placed something on the ground just outside the case. Once it was down, Li-Wei saw another shape move above him and lifted the lid on the case. The undoing of the lock carried an audible click and Li-Wei felt that vibrate through the case and then through him. What then followed was the case being turned on its side, and Li-Wei ended up sliding with it and then being partially covered by the wood and plant chips that the base of the container had been lined with.
As he recovered, Li-Wei soon noticed that he could now leave the container and he tentatively made his way for it. The figures had seemed to move back or away and were giving him room. He was a bit puzzled as to why but didn't truly think on it. He slowly slithered out and found himself coming right up to the object that had been just outside the container a few moments before. Li took little interest in it, but Wei found and tasted that the container held water. And while Li lifted his head to look around at the room and see what he could, Wei started drinking. It wasn't until his body began to feel warm that Li even noticed what Wei had been doing, though that warmth also got Wei to stop drinking and look to Li.
Neither head really processed what was going on. They just knew that they were warm and something was happening as. Li-Wei only got a further sense on this as his body began growing longer and thicker. It came in surges and followed with each breath that he took, eventually coming to a point where his tail and lower have was actually pushing the container away like it was nothing. As this happened, Li-Wei was then shocked to hear the sound of the plastic rubbing against the tile of the floor and as much of the room came into a much better focus. His heads rose above a sort of examination chair that was a mix of tannish-gray with a sea-green cushion and white paper running over the cushion.
Then came the oddest sensation that Li-Wei had ever felt. It was like an odd pressure just below his heads and then just below that. It didn't truly hurt, but it felt strange, and it seemed to press with the same sort of pulses that had accompanied his earlier growth, which was still going, even if it was slowing now. But it was the new growths that Li-Wei found himself noticing as a pair of broad shoulders developed right below his heads and necks with arms growing out from them. They grew out into five fingered hands and tipped with nailed claw not to different from some of the Lizard Animalians, though not as long. Li-Wei looked at them and noted how they mirrored Human arms and hands but were well muscled. Almost at the same time, another set of arms grew out just out beneath the first set of arms and helped frame a well muscled chest.
"Thissssss isssssssssssssssssss..." Li began.
"Weird," Wei finished.
"It can come that way when animals are first uplifted," the Horizon scientist spoke, making Li-Wei turn to see the two Humans and Manami standing there behind him.
A part of Li-Wei felt a bit embarrassed at being naked in front of a female, which surprised him. Partially because her fur, ears, and tail made it clear that she was a Wolf Animalian, and something that he couldn't breed with... at least so far as instinct told him. Partially because he wasn't sure how he was now conscious of being "naked."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"But they gave me some clothes and it wasn't too long after that that I met you," Li-Wei then finished, "a lovely female who apparently has mastered skills that might help us maintain all the mental discipline needed to have everything set."
"I can help with that," Muxing answered, "particularly as you have been respectful and have not been pushy."
"Thank you," Li smiled.
"Though... I must ask, do you do well without forests?" Wei asked curiously, "something to rest in and hunt from?"
"Some of the equipment I have to practice with can approximate that," Muxing commented, "and I do have some garden plants in my room for aesthetics... but there isn't much more that can be done about that here. As I do not think Heiya Island had forests before the colony was established. All the trees were brought here for decoration or ultimately for fruit."
Li-Wei was silent for a moments.
"It's a major change, I'm sure," Muxing said slowly, "but think of that as another challenge to overcome and get your mind in peak shape."
Li-Wei then nodded.