The Samodiva And The Dragon

7. The Lamia

-Diva-

After I dress up, I get out of my room, and just in front of the door is a tall and very attractive young man, wearing clothes just as the emissaries of the Zmey kingdom, so I assume he is one of them. He takes a deep bow in front of me and opens his mouth to start speaking, but aunt Yaga surprisingly appears out of the blue and interrupts him.

“The princess is already late for her scheduled activities. Please, make sure you check with one of the advisers when she has time for an official introduction.”

He tries to answer that statement, but is once again cut in.

“Young man, there are certain protocols that have to be taken into consideration, you can’t just turn up in front of the princess’ room! I assume you are not a farmer’s boy, not to know basic manners.”

She huffs and signals for me to follow her down the hall toward the library. I glance at the guy who is left speechless with wide eyes by the tiny but fierce old lady. He is at least six feet tall, muscular with sun-kissed skin, short curly brown hair and hazel eyes. Very handsome with a square masculine jaw. Definitely catches the eye. He sees me looking at him and winks. I turn my head forward, embarrassed that I was caught ogling at him.

Walking through several different corridors, we finally make it to the library. It is one of my favorite places. Not only because I have been cooped inside the castle grounds most of my life, and I've found an escape in the thousands of books there. But also because it is one of the prettiest places this castle holds. It is an enormous oval space, on two floors with books all around - from the bottom to the top. The ceiling is actually made of glass that during the day gives very good light for reading and during the night, it is the perfect observatory. In the middle of the space there is an oval map of the night sky and the constellations that can be seen from here. By the entrance there are staircases on both sides that lead to the second floor. There is not only the upper extension of the library, but also aunt Yaga's workspace. We would have our classes there if it would not require being outside. To get in, we go through a narrow tunnel that opens to a small study that has an oval glass ceiling as well. But considering the space and how cramped it is, the natural light never seems enough here. Aunt Yaga enters the study first and instead of going to sit in her old and very worn out plush armchair, she heads to a bookshelf and pulls out a thick, deep purple book. I jump startled by the noise of heavy doors sliding. She had just opened a secret room behind the bookcase! I'm at awe that this was here and I never knew. She enters and turns toward me.

"Close your gaping mouth, child, and come in."

And I indeed have had my mouth wide open this whole time. I go in and the shelves close behind me. Slowly, I take in the space. It has a small desk, a couple of chairs and a bunch of shelves, but no windows. There are several lamps that give a soft and welcoming environment, even though the space doesn’t look like somewhere you would like to be welcomed in. The shelves are full of jars. Some have herbs, others powders or liquids. And many of them have dried animal and insect parts. On the desk there are a bunch of different sizes and colors of crystals. Some of them even glow. This room is exactly what one would think a witch's lair would look like.

Aunt Yaga gestures to me to take one of the seats next to the desk. She looks at me with tenderness I haven't seen in her eyes since before we lost my mom. It throws me off. It is so not like her. She is always so emotionless and stoic. She reaches for my hands and says: "It is time for you to find out where we come from."

I blink, not understanding what she means, when she starts telling me a story.

"There are magnificent beings living in a land far, far away in another magical realm. They would not hide their abilities or appearance. They would roam freely and live happily. Or at least that's what everybody would think of a place like that. The truth to be told, for a very long time there has been nothing magical about that place except the supernaturals inhabiting it. Those of us living and hiding here in the human realm do it because we can’t manage the constant fear anymore. Do you see all those crystals? They are from there and are supposed to hide us here so she can’t find us. Unfortunately, their power is fading and I can’t keep their glow anymore. We have been out for far too long. Zmeykovo! That’s the name of the mystical realm of the supernaturals. I haven’t said it out loud in more than twenty years. It feels good to let myself remember home, even though some of the memories I have will haunt me forever.

Zmeykovo is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. The grass there is soft and fragrant, the trees come in all kinds of hues, the waters are crystal clear. The sky is as blue as your eyes. Every single rock there is vibrating with magic and raw power. If I was still there just from breathing the air, I would look as young as you.”

Aunt Yaga has a big smile on her face that I have never seen. It looks awkward on her. Her eyes are distant and dreamy, she looks lost in her thoughts till all of a sudden she clears her throat and wipes the silly smile away.

“The creatures from there are allowed to cross between the realms from the time of the spring equinox till the autumn one. Many, many eons ago there was a very beautiful young nymph or in the old tongue - “Samodiva”, . She had long thick auburn hair and crystal-green eyes - the color of a calm forest spring. She was fascinated by humans and their free spirit. Also by their ability to love deeply. Something that she has been dreaming about all her life. There is the thing, as a nymph, you can allure men and play with them as you wish, but you do not develop real feelings for them as easily.

In the year of her eighteenth birthday, she took her first trip to the human realm. And that is when she fell in love for the very first time. Sadly, that was when she got her heart broken as well. When a nymph loves, it is forever! If she is betrayed, that wound never heals and there starts growing bitterness and resentment.

That young girl fell in love with a human man that took advantage of her. He took her innocence, dreams and crashed all she believed in. He left her a gift and a curse. The gift was a beautiful little girl, with blond hair and pure big blue eyes, unfortunately, looking just like her father’s. The curse? Well, a vile and wicked nymph becomes a monster. She transformed into a hideous creature called lamia. The lamia is a demon creature. It has a serpent-like body and three heads. The heads have big mouths full of sharp teeth, ready to bite off whoever challenges her.

She needs pure and innocent souls to corrupt and feed on. She would go on and slaughter whole villages to find one. No creature was able to submit to her, either with strategy and brute force or with magic. There was no freedom or happiness in that place. Only constant fear that the lamia would attack any moment and that brought darkness and despair. She had no humanity left, no compassion, kindness or mercy. She is the embodiment of evil.

In the end, all the different supernatural elders gathered and came up with an idea. Once a year, they would offer a sacrifice to the lamia if she would let them live in peace. She agreed with their proposal, but had one condition. Her best friend - a witch - would choose the person for the offering. The witch was able through her magic to find the purest of them all, physically and spiritually and often still just a child. Diva, the lamia is your grandmother and her best friend was me.”

At these words, unconsciously I move my body backwards, away from her. I could see the pain in her expression at my reaction. I try to say something that I have no idea what would be, but she lifts her hand in front of me to stop me.

“I know what I did was wrong, but I had my reasons to obediently follow her orders till I couldn’t take it anymore and fled together with your mom.”

That is the story I wanted to know since I found out there are supernatural creatures and I’m one of them. The story I craved for but was never told... until now.