The Treasure of Yig by MrZarono

Abdul Alhazrad was exhausted, all day he had searched the crumbling ruins in the heat of the egyptian sun. Instead of treasure or scrolls inscribed with priceless knowledge he had found nothing except broken pottery and brittle pieces of a snakeskin. Was this this truly once a great city of lost Stygia or had he been sent on a fool's errand? No, this was surely a metropolis of that ancient land, for all about were carvings of snakes and did not the legends say those Stygians worshipped Set, the father of serpents?
The sun was setting, disgusted with his luck Alhazrad curled against a weathered statue of a giant snake. He closed his eyes and shivered, knowing his tiny fire would do little against the chill that settled on the desert after the sun fades.

The night fell and Alhazrad drifted into a light sleep.

A coarse hissing whisper came from the tumble of stones,

I am the Father of Serpents

I am the deceiver and devourer of men

I am Lord of the river

I am the Feathered Dragon

I am Yig


Alhazrad cracked open one eye, beyond the circle of light cast by his fire something moved. For a second it passed closer to the light...an unholy combination of serpent and man, gigantic, with a face that spoke of ancient wisdom and inhuman cruelty.


Alhazrad spoke quiveringly, "Mercy Great father Yig, I have done no harm to thy children. Spare me and ever will I serve thee."

The scaled thing moved closer and Alhazrad squeezed shut his eyes, wincing in anticipation of a death blow. The Old One's hand touched his forehead and Alhazrad's last bit of courage failed... he sank into blackness.

Alhazrad awoke the next morning, in the warming rays of dawn he dismissed the whole event as a dream. Then something caught his eye...scrolls protruding from niche carved in the snake statue. He must have missed them the day before, truly fatigue must have dulled his senses. He unrolled the scrolls, by some miracle he could read the runes as though they were in his own hand. The scrolls spoke of rites sacred to Yig, Father of Serpents and they detailed formulae that would give a man the powers of regeneration and shapeshifting. Such knowledge was worth any price.
Leaving the ruins Alhazrad noticed a great cobra glaring at him, he stopped and fed to it a mouse he had captured earlier that morning. Alhazrad would go hungry that night as his own provisions were gone, but he knew Father Yig would smile upon the deed.

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