The Serpentine's Revenge

Chapter Nine

This time, I woke up before he did. Looking up at the sky, the sun was still to the east, which means it’s still early in the day. I looked over at Arian. How could he? Fall in love with me? I let my head fall into my hands. He loves me? I am not someone who can so easily be loved. I heard him shift around.

“Hey, I’m sorry about what I said. About how I love—”

“Save it. I don’t have time for your games. Snap out of it,” I snapped my fingers in his face. “We are going.” We set off again, double our speed, and we got to Violantia by sunset, the next day. We reached the shoreline of Violantia. The sea glowed a deep red. The last of the four signs. The time was getting closer and I wish we had known that the girl was in front of our eyes the whole time. I could only wish that I realized it sooner.

From dawn to dusk, we looked but no one had matched the description of the Serpentine Tattoo. Day after day, doors were slammed in our faces. Night after night, Arian and I resisted the urge to sleep in order to find the Girl. But luck was not on our side.

Finally, we reached one of the last buildings in Violantia. I tiredly knocked on the door, my arm sore from repeating the movement. A frail old woman creaked open the door.

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am. We were wondering if you have any young girls in your household?” The woman mutely shook her head. I sighed in disappointment, but smiled sweetly. “Thank you.” I turned to walk away, but the woman grabbed my wrist.

Her wrinkled dry skin scratched against mine, but I didn’t pull away. She motioned me inside. “You want me to go inside?” She nodded. I stepped forward, and Arian followed.

The old woman stopped Arian. She shook her head. “I prefer not to leave my friend.” Arian said. The only woman merely shook her head again.

“It’s okay, Arian. I’ll be fine. Just stand guard, will you?” He didn’t say anything, so I assumed it was a yes.

Inside the cottage, there were boiling cauldrons, and shelves filled with unlabeled bottles. The old woman gestured for me to sit. “Are you a witch?” I asked. I cursed myself; being real subtle there.

She cleared her throat and to my surprise, she spoke. “Yes, my dear.” Her voice was brittle and sent chills down my back.

“Why did you bring me inside?”

She handed me vial of blueish black powder. “This is for you. For times when you’re in a rush. Just think of where you want to go.” I looked at her, confused. She didn’t notice, so she continued. “Wear this.” She handed me a cuff, with a glowing gem. “This cuff is made from Elvish blood. It will help to control power.”

“I don’t understand why you are giving me this. I don’t have any powers, I’m not like you.”

She laughed. “How little faith you have. Everyone has a little bit of magik in them.” I must have had confused look on my face, as she said, “In due time you shall know. But don’t trust that boy out there, he’s bad news.”

Why did this woman have to talk in riddles? Can’t she just tell me what I need to know? The woman quickly ushered me out of the cottage, and shoved me outside. The door slammed.

“What did she want?”

“She—” I remember her warning. “I don’t know. She showed me her daughter’s picture. It looked like me. That’s it.”

“Are you sure?”

I scoffed. “You don’t trust me? I thought we were allies.” I mocked him. He laughed. “There’s no other household we haven’t checked yet. It’s time to take a break.”

He nodded. Arian was just as exhausted as me, but we could only find shelter in a small cave. All the inns and houses were full.

“It’s not much, but I guess it’ll do.” I said. Arian agreed. We quickly settled inside, hoping to get at least one good dreamless night’s sleep. Of course, I couldn’t.

I ran through the forest, my legs burning and my arms pumping. I ran and ran, but I didn’t know why. A roar echoed through the trees, shaking the leaves of all the trees around me. I don’t run, I thought, I fight and kill whatever is in my path. I turned to fight the demon, but all I saw was a little girl. She was brown haired, brown eyed, and had big pouty lips. It was me. She was cowering against a tree, protecting herself from danger. I sheathed my sword, and kneeled down to her.

“Hello? Are you okay?” She lifted her eyes to me, wet from crying, I suppose. She nodded no. Her eyes washed into red, and she launched herself at me. Her hands, small but powerful, closed around my neck.

“What are you doing? I am you!” I said between gasps.

“Because you will be your own undoing.” She squeezed more, my air slowly being cut off. Pressure continue to build and build. Then all that was left was darkness.

I gasped out of my dream. Cold sweat covered my arms and legs. I tried to wrap my cloak around me, only to find Arian’s hands around my waist. I tried to sit up, but he just pulled me closer. I pulled his hands off me, and let my head rest on my knees. My hands found their way to the locket around my neck. Snapping it open, I dipped my finger in the ash. I clicked the locket closed. My finger moved without me thinking. A Serpentine slithered out from my fingertip and onto the stone cave floor. My family crest, our insignia.

The Serpentine glowed blue. I felt someone touch my face, and I was about to say Arian’s name before I saw someone else. He had black hair like mine and a slim face. A blueish fog surrounded him, illuminating the cave in the pitch black darkness.

“Father?”

“Hello, daughter. How are you?” What kind of question is that? How am I? Great, after you abandoned me.

“How are you here?”

He pointed at the serpentine I drew. “You summoned me.”

“I did?” He chuckled.

“My ashes can bring me back to the living world for a while.” I placed my head on my knees again, and I let my thoughts drift to my father. He left me, he left me a damned orphan. He never loved me, he only loved my mother. Damn them both to Hell. I raised myself, I took nothing from them. I was an i***t for mourning them.

As if he read my thoughts, my father said, “Sweetheart.” I looked up at him. “I- I didn’t kill myself.”

I was taken aback. “Then who did?”

“You will soon find that out.” Again with the riddles. “I have brought you here to tell you to be alert. Your friend is not who you think he is.” I looked at Arian’s sleeping face. His chest rose with every breath.

“I’ve heard that twice today. An old woman warned me about Arian.”

He nodded. “That warning must be heeded. Sadly, that is the way the Forces control this world. I’m sure your friend told you all about it.”

“Yes, he did.”

“There are not only Good Forces, there are Evil Forces. They induce jealously, deceit, foolishness, and greed in us. Beware. Darling, remember who the enemy is. Never fight your allies. If you do, what you fight for will lose value.”

“I understand, but what does this have to do with the Girl?”

“If I reveal anything about the future, you will be punished by the Forces. You have suffered enough without your mother and I to guide you.”

“I always believed that you killed yourself because you couldn’t live without Mother.”

“Yes. I love your mother very much. But I wouldn’t kill myself because I still had you.” I smiled, just a little. “Now, I must leave, but we will soon see each other again. Goodbye. And I love you.” He waved his hand, and shimmered back into nothingness.

“What? Father? W—” But whatever I wanted to say was lost, as darkness surrounded me again.

Soon enough, I felt a needle pushing into my arm, its contents flowed through me. The fire flowed through my veins, burning the body in its wake.

I sprang awake, clutching my right arm. I slowly lifted my hand to reveal an outline of a Serpentine Head. As the pain progressed into screaming, the image continued to be forged onto my arm. Fire seared my arm, feeling as if I was walking through Hell itself. When the pain finally subsided, the tattoo was bright and vivid. A beautiful black Serpentine Head stood out against pale skin.

I was the one to save us from Crimson. When I turned around, I didn’t see Arian, but I saw a letter and a pouch in his place. The letter read:

The Assassin,

Come to the Palace and you will find your precious friend,

Fail to do so, he and the rest of Azuria will die.

All Hail King Crimson

I turned the pouch upside down. A diamond ring tumbled out. Turning the ring around and around my fingers, I see words engraved into the silver. To my beautiful Azuellyn: I will love you with all my heart forever.

Arian was going to propose to me. This is an engagement ring. He wanted to marry me. But, Crimson took him away.

Crimson. He killed my only family, and he took Arian.

He will never be forgiven. I slipped the ring onto my finger, and looked at it.

“I will get you back, Arian.” But I only had hours left until the Spring Equinox ends. There was no way I could get to the Palace in time. Just as this thought formed, I remembered the witch’s gift.

I grabbed the bottle and poured some of the powder into my hand. For times when you’re in a rush. Just think of where you want to go. I focused. I saw the throne room was in my mind, with the same marble floor and satin decorations. I saw the throne, the towering columns, the glass ceiling.

I threw the powder, and it glittered in the air. It didn’t fall to the ground. The blueish black powder hung in suspension in the air. I hesitantly stepped forward and into the powder.

I felt myself fall forward, but I didn’t stop falling. I hit a smooth marble floor. I opened my eyes, I was in the coldly familiar throne room. I saw that the big clock’s hands were pushing towards the 24th hour, time is running out. Across the room, I saw Arian, chained to a column. I rushed forward, but I never made it to him. Guards tackled me down so fast, I couldn’t even unsheathe my swords.

“How nice to see you again, Assassin! Have you made your choice?” Crimson stood clad in a blood red cape, his eyes the same. Allura’s purple dress trailed behind her as she walked up to Crimson’s side.

“I will not kill for your evil purposes! You killed my mother!”

He took a step closer to me. “Your mother was a wretched woman! She took my Warrior, so I took her life. Fair? I think a punishment is in order.”

“You killed your strongest soldiers. What kind of king are you?” I spat out.

“General Bellaran was murdered. I didn’t kill him. By an Anna Marez. We have never been able to find this Anna.”

Anger built up around my ribs. I scoffed. “I guess I did a pretty good job at hiding then.”

Crimson stepped back. “What lies are you telling this time?”

“I am Anna Marez. I killed Karlen Bellaren because of you. You are the reason your own general is dead.”

“What about your father? Did Anna Marez kill him too?” He said mockingly.

“Anna Marez didn’t exist then. But you did.”

“Are you accusing me of killing your father? Why would I kill my most valued soldier? I needed him to come back to our army. He must have killed himself, because his witch of a wife was dead.”

“My father didn’t kill himself. He wouldn’t leave me.”

“Perhaps you didn’t know about all the anger and shame that built up inside him every time he saw you. Perhaps he was ashamed that he had you for a child.”

“No real father would ever be ashamed of his own child. He didn’t kill himself.” Crimson tipped his head as if to ask how then? “He was murdered. Like my mother.”

“If you are so sure about your father’s murder, who killed him?” Crimson smiled.

“The man who was angry—no, furious— that Peter Janadexiand refused to rejoin his army after killing his one true love.” The more I spoke the words that have been building up for years, the more angry I became. I twisted out of the grip of the guards, and grabbed Crimson’s neck. I knew I was going to kill him that second. I wanted to rip out his throat, and crush his heart. Turn his insides to ash. The temper that I’ve kept in for ages, finally bursted out. I increased the pressure from my hands. So much it hurt my muscles, but I didn’t stop

“Stop!” It was Allura’s pleading voice. “My husband never killed anyone.”

“Who did.” It wasn’t a question. For a few seconds, there wasn’t any sound. I was waiting for a response. But it wasn’t Crimson’s voice I heard. Nor was it Allura’s.

“I did.” Arian’s voice. My head whipped around. “I killed your family.”

“Arian?” I let go of Crimson.

Arian Casakiar.

He murdered my parents.