~ In The Serpent's Nest ~

You awaken – as you do each and every evening – to the sound of your alarm. You instinctively but lazily reach a scaled arm out of your bed and swipe the clock from the table knocking it onto the floor. This despite what it might look like to any observer was not an attempt at turning it off. On the contrary the alarm clock was now vibrating against the marble floor of your room causing much, much more noise then the alarm itself ever could. It forced you to get up to switch it off, And get up you do. 
Sitting vertically on your bed you swing your legs over the side. You wince a little as your sensitive foot scales make contact with the cold marble floor. Opening your eyes and stretching a little you can see it is still dark, this does not surprise you and you don't know why you even made the observation. Your room is always dark... It's designed to be dark. 
The walls much like the floors are made of black marble slabs separated at various intervals by pillars and mirrors, It has no windows. The celling resting a good twelve feet up and is covered in a single mirror. The room is decorated with fanged insignia and serpentine coils both made from gold set into the wall itself.
Standing up using the vibrations you can feel through your feet more than the god awful racket, you move towards and pick up the cacophonous little lump of now severely beaten metal and glass.
You're now awake enough to decide that a little light won't hurt you. You fumble around for a minute or two, clock in hand until you find your lighter. You strike the flint a few times, then using its warm orange glow you find your fire pit. The fire pit is restocked every day by your attendants and so requires little more provocation than to be threatened by the lighter before roaring into life. The room is cast in a flickering orange light. You blink a few times as your eyes adjust to the new brightness. Your room is very minimalistic, aside from the fire pit you have a bed, a wardrobe – little more than a casket – a desk and a chair all made of marble and decorated with similar golden designs to the walls. This is not specific to your room, No in fact the entire pyramid complex is pretty much identical to your room, aside from your insignia of course.
You forgo cloths for the moment letting the warming air wash over your body and stir your cold blood. You are always nude in your chamber, well nude aside from the golden ring which was attached around your neck early on in your... Employment here. You tug at it a little, you've stopped putting effort into it. The thing is not coming off. You have tried before. It's not ugly in any way, being made from the same gold as the decorations around the pyramid. Carved into it is the image of a snake eating its own tail. It means something but you forget what.

On your desk you find the staff agenda for today, Kindly left for you – again by your attendants – They are so thoughtful. You run through the list of today’s tasks. You of course do this backwards starting at the last item, which always reads Personal Time and you work your way up to the first task of the day. Its usually something boring. Here you go anyway. 

“Nothing out of the ordinary... Ssso far ssso good...” You mutter aloud to no one in particular as you nibble on your lower lip. “That could be interesssting”, You doubt it though.  A grin then slithers its way across your face.  “Sssix pm... new recruit consssecration”, your grin turns to a full fanged smile as you mouth the words you read next. “Aptitude Examination – Akhekh.” 
You have been waiting for this for weeks. This group was your group, No more watching for you... No more setting up the room or cleaning up after. You could feel your member threatening to swell at the mere thought. The sounds that used to come from those rooms... You resist the urge to run your hand down your scaled front and give it some gentle encouragement... Barely but you manage not to. Well if you weren't awake before you certainly were now, with new found enthusiasm for the day you throw your clock at your bed and walk to your caske... you mean wardrobe and pick out your uniform. You get no further than the underwear and the first leg into your trousers when your chamber door opens and the flames flicker as the new air rushes in... You often forget that fire like many other entities require air to thrive, This is why your fire pit often did not last the day. 
If you had any sense of modesty before working here it was long gone now, Taken from you is probably more accurate you figure internally. You stand in your thong and single trouser leg looking at the interloper, bemusement evident on your face. It was Zeltzin... You quickly change your facial expression to that of a smile. She... She could bust your ass back to attendant statues for fun, It was a good thing she had a soft spot for you. Truth be told she had a lot of soft spots... But that was besides the point, you were going to be on best behaviour today less you lose examination privileges. 

“Good evening Zelt, To what do I owe the pleasure ?”, you are talking at her, your concentration on her figure more than anything else. She was stunning and you cannot make up your mind whether you like her better naked or in uniform. Your member is threatening you again but fortunately you are snapped from your daydreams when she talks to you. 

“You're still here”, She trailed of dryly. It was neither a statement nor a question, more of a chastisement.

“But of course, Mistress”, You let the last word slip in accidentally... Force of habit. “Where else should I be ?” you ask as innocently as possible.

“Staffroom. Ten minutes ago”, She didn't wait to hear a reply. You know that she knew there would be no back talk from you. She closes the door behind her and you are left once again in your chamber with nothing but your thoughts and a tightening set of underwear. You spend another few minutes primping and preening yourself in one of your mirrors before heading to the staffroom. 

~ Reception ~ 

Your name is Saivic and you have been sitting in a stuffy windowless hall for what feels like hours now. Granted you arrived early, according to the receptionist at least... So it probably had been hours. Up until perhaps fifteen minutes ago you were the only one here, aside from the receptionist of course. Since then however a number of others have entered signed in at the desk and taken seats around the room. 
How you got here is neither here nor there or even an interesting story. Where here is however, is a large underground pyramid – or so you had been told – belonging to a group calling them selves only “The Sovereign”. It was a weird name, well you are sure some people thought so. If they even knew about them. You cannot even figure out what they are the sovereign of... Other than this pyramid you guess. You are beginning to question why you came here. You can't help but think about how dodgy the invitation was now that you think about it. Gold trimmed, blacked out vehicle, how cliché. The promise of money, Money that you needed... How did they know that anyway... Or where you'd be? Your thoughts are cut short as you hear the large door you entered through grind down its runners and hit the floor. You begin to sweat a little, partly through nerves but also because it was awfully hot in here. You suddenly regret your coat. Your back is beginning to feel sticky against it even through your fur, not to mention your paws getting a little warm inside your knee high boots. To distract yourself you look around to see who else is here, Not that you'd know them. They look like they come from all walks of life. Was that a lab coat you wonder to yourself. This thought again is cut short by a voice, a loud and clear but somehow gentle voice.

“Good evening ladiesss and gentlemen, My name isss... not important but I am here to invigilate and perform your entrance examinationsss...”, He trailed of for what you can only assume is dramatic effect. 

“Wait wha...”, One of the others, a short female fox with white fur – the one in the lab coat – pipes up.

“What examination I hear you asssk !”, The man – no  the snake – continued, letting a forked tongue dart from his one sided smile. Was it a smile or was it a smirk? Again he pauses just long enough for his echo to die before cutting of another, this time a tall male dragon with tough looking sandy coloured scales. 

“The acceptance examsss of courssse... Did none of you read your contractsss in the car ride over ?”, he laughed once and once only. There was very little warmth in it. It shook you a little. What did he mean contract you wonder. It dawns on you perhaps faster than you'd like but that the same time not fast enough to be of use that he is in fact referring to that encyclopedic pile of paper sitting in the car next to you, of course you didn't read it. You'd be surprised if anyone had. Wait had they?

“Well you all agreed to this none the lesss”, the snake jeered triumphantly as he strode over to the vacant desk where the receptionist had sat moments ago. He picked up the register they had all signed in with and tapped it twice with his scaled hand.

“I have your sssignaturesss after all...”, He trailed off. There was quiet, quiet but angry muttering in the crowed of which you count six female and three male. Your not sure why you made that observation. 
“Oh don't worry, think of it asss a paid interview. Each of you will receive two and a half grand upon completion of the tessst.”, he flashed a fanged smile again not warming you the way it was probably meant to.

“The reassson you were all picked will become clear when you are asssigned your examination. Sssome of you will make great ssslavesss... Others not so much.” The muttering died down at that last comment that you are sure was dragged out on purpose to gauge reactions. If it weren't for your fur you are sure you'd be obviously bright red. You had always wanted to … No! This was ridiculous, you didn't know who he was or what this place was. Your fantasies could wait for another time... wait were you the only one that this appealed to you wonder. The others don't seem as panicked as you'd expect a room of people told this should be. You've all been told you'll be slaves or something for a group that hire dodgy cars to pick you up ! You'd have panicked a little more had you a little more time. As it turned out you did not and a booklet has been thrust into your lap. You had been staring at the ground but only now were you actually looking. You see a pair of toe less boots standing on a polished marble floor, running up tight, tight trousers, wait no. They stop below the knees and start again just in time to stop just below the crotch again, leading to, Oh goodness! You jerk your head right up to look him in the eyes. You hadn't really noticed what he was wearing when he entered. You could have sworn it was a trench coat of some sort! On the other hand his uniform was just as dark as his skin... you mean scales. It was only up close you could tell them apart. If it had not been for your fur you'd be the brightest of red right now. The snake raised an eyebrow before talking. Shit he'd noticed. Had he? Why you?

“Nothing to be ssshy about my dear.” He leans in closed to you. His face inches from yours, you can feel his breath on your cheek... Its cold, pleasant, relaxing even. “I will sssee a lot more of you before the evening is through.” He finished with a one sided grin that although rather unsettling was oddly arousing. What was wrong with you?

“Read it... Tell me if I misssed anything”. The serpent – that' s what your going to call him now – winks at you and you do your best not to look back at his crotch which is still at about eye level. You nod slowly and reluctantly maintaining unblinking eye contact as you do. He eventually after what feels like forever walks on and passes out more hand books to the others. He is awfully cocky, there are men and women here who would tear him to shreds with little effort... The dragon especially. Before reading anything you take a look at the others. Some are engrossed in their booklets others not so much... Why were their eyes closed you wonder to yourself. The dragon and the serpent are engaged in what looks like a staring contest to you, well they are both looking at one another but their faces are so close. Did the serpent blow into the dragons face? Don't look, don't stare, for heavens sake don't look or stare. To late you are looking. Why are they... doing.. that. Your eyes are really quiet heavy all of a sudden and you can feel your thoughts slowing down... Why is that.. A thing?

Your body slumps back into your chair, not that you are aware of this of course.
No one is... Well the serpent might be. 

~ Aptitude Examination Room 003~

Your name is still Saivic, you think. Your not sure what's going on where are you you wonder to yourself. You open your eyes, wait that didn't help... You cannot see anything. You go to rub your eyes, that’s not working either. You tug at your arm again and begin to panic. Why did you even need to tug at your arm, that is not a thing usually required to move an arm. You tug at all of your limbs. You are not surprised when the rest of them don't budge even an inch.  

“Hefph” You call out for help but again that doesn’t work either, all you get is that pathetic noise. You wonder what on earth is going on here, you need to calm yourself down. Think Saivic think... 
“Feeh Phiirahmeph!”, you shout out load. Well you try to at least. Not that shouting The Pyramid out loud is likely to have aided the situation much any way. You are about to panic again when you freeze. You don't actually freeze it is very very warm in here – where ever here is – Wait a moment you think to yourself it is warm in here, But you cannot feel your clothes. You jiggle your torso as much as possible and cannot feel your coat or top...Bra or trousers... You cannot feel your underwear. You wiggle your toes and again no boots... or socks. You are going to panic when you forget that you froze. What was that noise? Was it laughter you wonder. You listen carefully, originally glad that you are at least able to do this. Well you were glad, the laughter sounds forced. Like the person laughing is not trying to laugh... Maybe doesn't want to laugh. 
You don't get much further into listening carefully when you are startled by a voice.

“Awake are we sssleepy head ?”, A voice that sounds oh so familiar.

“Ftherphanph!”, It was him. It was the bloody serpent. You knew he'd have something to do with this. Well no you didn't but you would probably have figured it out like you did now. Sooner or later.

“Shhhhhh, Don't try and ssspeak. Sssave your breath”, the serpent now spoke in a sinister albeit calm voice. He dragged out every word. You could still hear the laughter, it sounded like more than one person what on earth was goi... Your mind was beginning to speed up again but oh how you wish it weren't. You had an idea of what was going on in those rooms. Well you assume its in other rooms because its kind of muffled and... Wait! This was not the time to worry about that. You are strapped, limbs immobile to what you can only assume is a table of some sort. In an underground pyramid with some guy who earlier talked about slaves. Why was your mind so all over the place. You cannot hold a single train of thought. Not that it mattered. All trains of thought from station Saivic going anywhere were about to be derailed or otherwise delayed for a while. It only took three words from your capture the serpent.

“Are you ticklish? ”