บท 5: Ch 5 Viper
Kyle stands by his horse while the castle comes alive with silent activity as the guards hunt for him. Kyle smiles and let's his magic fill him as he peers at the castle, the whole thing lighting up. He sits and filters through all the gold lights until he's left with only four, one is a bright red that is likely Annabelle, one is the startling silver that is Ravi, one is a dull decaying red, and the last is a violent purple. Half worried Kyle focuses on the dull red and the violent purple until their true forms are shown.
"A dragon scale imbued with all of the dying dragon's power, and a man..." He pauses, "He's got the blood and the reincarnation, though he hasn't activated the second..." Kyle sighs to himself and gets on his horse. "I hope he's on our side..."
Kyle kicks his mare softly and starts off to the north, the sun starting to raise to his right.
~~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~
Annabelle awakes to find the two maids from yesterday standing at the foot of her bed, one of them holding her night gown, the other holding her underwear.
"My lady were you uncomfortable last night?" The first of the two asks.
"We can get you new clothes if that would make you more comfortable." The second, the brunette, curties.
"No, that won't be necessary..." Annabelle says, yawning softly as she stands and takes her underwear from the brunette. She pauses then, "I'm terribly sorry, I don't believe I know your names..."
"I'm Lynette," The brunette says, "And this is Jeanine."
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you both." Annabelle smiles, pulling her underwear on before going into her closet. "Lynette has my father left yet? I know he likes to leave early for his adventures..."
"Not yet my lady, he wanted to have breakfast with yourself and his son-to-be."
"Breakfast... no venison I hope?" She smiles, taking a pale blue riding dress down.
Jeannie quickly comes over and takes out a sheer silver dress, "Oh my lady, wouldn't this be so pretty to be in?"
"Jeanine I intend to go riding after breakfast, I do not want to waste daylight by having to change once breakfast is over. I'm going to wear the blue one and that's final." Annabelle says, stepping into her dress, "Now if you would be so kind as to lace me up?"
The maids both curtsy then come help her into the dress. As they lace her up she pulls her hair over her left shoulder quickly works it into an intricate braid, working the rope of pearls in it that Trixie had used so long ago.
"Which shoes would you prefer my lady?" Lynette asks, holding out a pair of crystal clear two inch heels and a pair of flat black boots.
"The boots are best for riding." Annabelle smiles, taking the boots and slipping them on.
"Of course my lady."
"Which room are they expecting me in?"
"Garden View Terrace."
"Very well." Annabelle smiles, leaving her room then heads for the terrace. Shortly Annabelle arrives at the garden view terrace, her father was there with Prince George and his translator. The three were standing with their backs to her and her father was laughing while he talked.
"Annabelle is probably giving the maids a difficult time, trying to find just the perfect dress to wear. In fact I'll bet she's worried about what your favorite color is."
"Actually father," She says, stepping on to the terrace, "I was convincing them to let me wear my favorite riding dress."
"And what of the silver dress and crystal shoes I indicated to Jeanine and Lynette? They would have been lovely on you in this mid morning sun." Her father says curtly.
"I had planned to ride after breakfast." She says, smiling lightly.
"That will be hard to do from the carriage on the way south." Her father smiles back.
"Horseback would be quicker father." She says stubbornly.
"Yes, and much too risky after what happened a year ago." He scolds.
"I only had three guards father, now I will have you, and my fiancee. I'll be fine, you're worrying for no reason at all!"
"It will give us the chance to talk and for me to learn." The translator says as the Prince finishes speaking.
"I can see I've been outvoted, very well. If it pleases you father I will change clothes after breakfast." Annabelle says, cursing internally, she had been hoping to spend as little time with her betrothed as possible. Just then several servants walk out onto the terrace, carrying trays filled with omelets. They set the trays on the table, poured two glasses of orange juice and one of a red wine, then bowed and left. Her father stood behind his seat as Prince George held a chair out, indicating that it was meant for her.
With all the grace she could muster she forced a smile and allowed him to push her up to the table. She nodded her thanks and smiled politely as he then sat next to her.
"Let's not stand on ceremony." The king smiles as he sits at the head of the table and digs into his omelet. Annabelle smiles softly, before she picks apart her omelet.
"When do you plan for us to leave father?" Annabelle asks when he had finished his third omelet and starts in on a platter of fruit.
"As soon as we're all ready, we'll leave from the stables, Sir Kyle was nice enough to give us his carriage." He grumbles between bites.
"He was...?" She asks softly, half choking on a bite of her own fruit.
"Yes."
"Well, if you would excuse me I'm going to go change." She smiles politely as she stands up and leaves the terrace. The king smiles softly at the way the young Prince watches her walk away. His plan for love was going to work.
~~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~
Kyle stands as far north as he has ever been, the sun still lifting into the sky to his right. Sighing, he gets off his horse as he thinks about the last time he was here, memories of fire and the sound of screaming seem to fill the air. With a huff he falls to his knees, his eyes falling upon two headstones, the graves to which he had dug himself when he was four.
"Hello mama, hello papa..." He says in but a whisper, tears falling down his cheeks. "I know it's been a while since I last stopped by, but so much has happened... I met a girl whom I've fallen for, it feels just like how you two said you felt when you met... I think she feels the same..." He takes a breath. "I'll bring her here someday soon but I'm headed to meet grandfather, I'm hoping he'll take me in and make it easier for me to get her..."
~~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~
"We tried to tell you to wear this dress in the first place, princess." Lynette said as she and Jeanine lace her into the silver dress.
"Yeah, well, you didn't say I'd be going on a trip." She sighs.
"We thought you knew. You had expressed deep interest in this journey last night, we merely assumed that you were trying to get out of riding in the carriage." Jeanine says softly.
"That would be nice if it were possible." Annabelle murmurs.
"Oh the Prince absolutely adores you Princess, and he's been betrayed by his family, he's only looking for a friend..." Lynette smiles sympathetically.
"So I've heard."
"Well you're ready," Jeanine says, "A chest of your clothes is already in the carriage awaiting you. Enjoy your trip my lady."
Annabelle smiles. "Will one of you join me?"
"Afraid not my lady, it will be just you, your father, Prince George, and the translator. As per the king's request." Lynette says with a frown.
"Of course..." She sighs.
"The king suspects you will be back in two months' time princess, we will see you then." The two ladies curtsy as Annabelle turns to leave her room.
"I suspect my father will be preparing me to take over the throne when we return, to that end I'm going to present the two of you with a letter. I would appreciate it if you two could go out to the city with the Captain of the Guard and recruit a small millitia." Annabelle says with a smile, quickly writing out the letter and stamping it with an inked seal pen.
"Of course my Lady." Both bow as Annabelle resumes her walk to the stable. Annabelle soon finds herself alone in the stables, climbing into the carriage that Kyle had left her and sits in the place where he had sat.
She never realized how much she would truly miss him. George and his translator step into the carriage with a clammer and jabbering in the prince's language. Annabelle smiles politely, George smiles at her, the translator lays back in his seat, obviously overworked.
"I hear we're going to be gone about two months..." She says softly, looking out the window as the carriage leaves the stables.
"It is highly possible." The translator says half-heartedly.
"You weren't expecting this?"
"No, not entirely."
"Well I'm sure everything will be fine..." She smiles softly.
The Prince smiles and starts to fish in a bag at his hip, pulling out a small box, roughly saying in a thick accent, "For you."
"You've been learning our language." She smiles as she takes the box, "What is it?"
"A gift." He smiles.
"Thank you." She says, opening the box to find a bracelet made of a milky white stone.
"It's a Peering Stone." The translator says, "You peer into it and it into you, it helps you overcome your darkest memories."
"My darkest memories..." She says softly, running her hand over the stone instantly thinking of her mother's sudden death.
"Yes, like the recent trauma of your abduction." The translator suggests.
"It wasn't as bad as it sounds." She says softly.
"Still." The Prince smiles.
"Thank you for the gift." Annabelle smiles as she puts the bracelet on.
"I wanted to get you something I knew would complement your beauty. I'm glad to see I was right." The Prince smiles softly
"It was very kind of you, thank you." She smiles politely. The carriage stops at that moment and her father opens the door.
"We're going to rest here for lunch," He says, allowing them to see the slightly wooded area they were stopped at.
"Lunch father? We've hardly been on the road for twenty minutes." Annabelle says as she steps outside onto a bed of leaves.
"How time must fly when one is young and enjoying the company of others." Her father smiles, "But dear it's been four hours."
They all get out, the coachman and the translator quickly swing about starting a fire and rolling up logs for then to sit on before going to gather fresh herbs. Annabelle, George and her father all sit around a fire as her father sets up a pot.
"I was unaware that you could cook father." Annabelle smiles.
"I only do so when on the trail." He smiles brightly, as if recalling a memory.
"So what will we be eating?" She asks hopefully.
"I found a small herd of cattle about a mile back, I planned to ride back and take one of the smaller bulls." He half mutters as he pours water from his water skin into the pot.
"As long as it's not venison father." Annabelle smiles softly, "I've had more venison than I care for in the past year." He chuckles.
They eat in relative silence once lunch is cooked and set back upon the trail once everything has been cleaned and packed away, the evening journey seems to take even less time as Annabelle, George and the translator doze in the comfort of the carriage.
~~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~
Her father calls out suddenly as they pass a small glade to their left.
"This looks like a good place to camp," He says, riding in and looking around. "It's small and defendable if we're attacked."
"Don't forget the fresh water." Annabelle smiles as she rises from her seat and runs past him to a small stream that flows along the tree line.
"And there's a game trail." The translator says lightly.
"I agree father, it's a perfect camp location." Annabelle says as she looks into the secluded glade. The Prince steps out of the carriage and shudders.
"Is something wrong Prince George?" Annabelle asks.
"Bad feeling, not safe..." He says roughly, "Someone to die..."
"Die?" Annabelle and worriedly. The Prince nods softly. Annabelle turns to her father, "Perhaps we shouldn't camp here...?"
The Prince nods again, his eyes full of fear.
"Nonsense, everything's going to be fine." Her father says, smiling as he, the translator, and the coach driver begin to set up camp. As they work, Annabelle spots several berry bushes nestled in the tree line. She smiles softly to herself and goes to the back of the carriage.
Digging around in the boxes she finds a small woven basket and, taking it with her, she goes to the bushes and sits down to pick some of the berries.
While Annabelle sits there she smiles, it was a nice day out and even though she missed Kyle and the Keep, she didn't feel quite as lonely. Suddenly she heard a twig snap to her left, behind the trees. Turning she sees the translator walking into the woods. He screams out as he vanishes into the brush, his scream cut short by a cruel sounding gurgle.
The sudden rasping of scales on scales sends a shiver down her spine before the creature cab even come out of the brush to reveal a huge snake with seven bands of gold and black rippling scales that reflect the sunlight, making it hard to see clearly. It's head shrouded in a massive hood that seems like the arms of Death's own cloak. Suddenly it lunges for her, its body fast as the wind at sea.
She barely escapes by ducking, her eyes glued by the horror of the pattern upon its belly, each of the black bands house an eye like pattern, its color red and angry, the energy leaking from the eye patterns sending dark ripples through her being.
"A dragon." She hears the thoughts of a voice echoing within her head.
"Demon." She growls, her power barely in tow, the rustling of the rest of the camp keeping her in check.
"Come, let us play." It starts as it raises, opening its hood and displaying to her the first eye. "Behind one of these hides my heart, take it and become complete." It rasps.
A roaring noise comes from behind the snake as the carriage driver barrels through the brush, his mouth wide with a battle cry, and a sword in his hands.
"Run Princess." He shouts as the snake turns to him. Before she can even react the snake strikes, the driver falling to the ground with the snake latched to his shoulder.
"No!" Annabelle screams, suddenly she's standing in front of the snake, her hair billowing out behind her like flames, her eyes burning red, and her skin hardened like scales. She closes her eyes momentarily, concentrating on controlling her magyks, she slows her heartbeat.
The snake hisses a chuckle, pulling itself up so that it's slightly higher than her. "You've only one chance." It says as it spreads its hood.
"I'll only need one..." She says calmly, focusing her power upon her palm. As the snake lunges she ducks and slams her palm into the second eye, her hand ablaze with a fiery claw, which rips through the snakes scales.
The snake's momentum drags her with it as she grabs its heart, the cold feel of it beating within her hand exciting her and dragging forth more power than she knew she had. Enthralled by her newfound power she grips and rips the snake's heart from its body, letting out a bestial roar of victory. With a vicious grin upon her face she turns and instantly snaps back to herself by the sight of a slightly scared and awed Prince George starting at her.
"Prince George.... What, erm, how long have you been standing there...?" She asks, looking between him and the still beating heart in her hand.
"Long enough." He says, though his words are now clear, "You defeated a Death Mimic Viper..."
"What's a Death Mimic Viper?" She asks, a little worried. He points to the twitching body of the dead snake. "So that's what it's called..."
She turns from the snake to find George kneeling with his head bowed. "What are you doing?" She asks softly.
"I'm swearing my loyalty to you."
"Loyalty? Me? Why....?"
"You've great power."
"Can that stay between us...?"
"Of course my lady." He says, putting his hand across his chest. She sighs and lets her power slowly and fully fade.
"Annabelle! Darling where are you?!" Her father's voice echoes through the trees just before he comes into view. "Annabelle! Are you hurt?"
"Father." She says, looking between him, the beating heart in her hand and George, who somehow ended up kneeling beside the snake.
"Ah, George!" He smiles, "I presume that this was you're doing?"
"Yes my Lord, and as penance that I wasn't here in time to save the driver and the translator I've presented my prize from the most foul of beasts to her ladyship in hopes that she may forgive me." He says, the words both foreign and familiar to her ears.
"It isn't your fault you weren't fast enough," She says softly, "You're lucky you weren't hurt." She notices a brief look of confusion on her father's face.
"Guess the translator taught you two love birds how to communicate?" He asks, both Annabelle and George nodding quickly.
"You flatter me, my lady." George says after clearing his throat, acting as if her father had never spoken.
"Will you accept his gift dear?" Her father asks.
"I accept your gift, Prince George." She smiles softly.
"Excellent!" Her father says as he turns back to camp, "I'll go set the fire."
"Do you even know what you just accepted?" George asks as they walk slowly back to the fire.
"A beating creepy snake heart?" She asks quietly.
"The power contained within it... That viper is named for two reasons."
"What two reasons? What's going to happen?" She asked worriedly.
"Well, the first reason is that it mimics Death's image."
"And the second?"
He holds up his left hand and she notices a thin black metal band with a small purple stone upon his pinky. "Craft it into something special."
"Hmmm..." Annabelle says contemplatively, sitting down on a makeshift stool.
Her father walks into the clearing carrying a pile of logs. "So," He smiles cheerfully. "What might the two of you be discussing?"
"George was telling me about the source of the viper's powers and the ways in which one can harness it." Annabelle smiles at her father.
"Oh? And what did he tell you?" He smiles lightly, the joy of it not reaching his eyes.
"That the powers can be harnessed through a wearable object like a ring."
"A ring you say?" Her father asks as he continues the smile.
"That's what he said." She smiles, "You wouldn't happen to have something like that, would you?"
"Well, it just so happens that I do..." He smiles lightly and pulls out a rough leather necklace with a thin golden ring that has a red scale-like gem on it. "It's been in your mother's family for generations..."
"Moms family...?" She asks softly, her eyes on the ring.
"Yes, her parents gave it to me to propose with."
"And you're giving it to me...?"
"Well, I was going to let George give it to you like your late grandparents did for your mother, but it seems he's another ring to give you for that purpose." The king smiles, his eyes on the ring on the prince's pinky.
"Of course sir." George smiles.
"Alright so how do I do this?" She asks, ignoring that last bit.
Her father pulls a small knife from his boot and holds it out to her. "I'll give you the ring once you've got the gem."
"What gem?" She asks softly.
"The soul gem, most magical creatures have one, it usually sits in the middle of the heart." He explains with a smile.
"Gross..." She grimaces, looking from the knife to the heart. She takes a deep breath before she takes the knife and begins cutting.
The heart flutters and hardens, the knife cracking as she tries to go further. "This is impossible..." She sighs.
The Prince smiles and holds his hand out for the heart. "May I?"
"Sure." She says, handing the heart to him. He holds it firmly and looks to the sky as the moon peers out from the clouds, Annabelle only now realizing how dark it's gotten. The Prince lightly strokes a crease in the heart, which shudders and opens up. "How did you do that...?"
"The heart is alive due to the magic of the crystal, wouldn't you fight with all your might to keep your life force?" He says calmly
"Of course." Annabelle whispers softly.
"Well, all that hacking and cutting scared it. I released its worries and cares of the world." He smiles sadly.
"So it's dead now...?"
"So to speak." As he finishes a small gem slides its way out of the heart, it's color that of the deepest depths of the seas.
"It's quite pretty, but now what?" She looks from George to her father.
"Take it, the gem binds with the first to touch it until either given up by will or taken by surprise." He father coaxes.
"Okay?" She says, reaching out carefully and taking the gem in her hand. It glows slightly before going back to its normal color. "Now what?"
"You'll have to use magic my dear." Her father smiles proudly.
"What? Wait, I... I don't have any magic..." She stammers her lie.
"Yes you do." He chuckles knowingly. "You've been given magic by that gem in your hands."
"B...b...but..." She stammers, knowing that if he watches her perform magic he'll discover her secret, she turns then, looking to George for help.
"Oh, don't worry my little Annie." Her father says, using a pet name he'd had for her years ago. "George and myself shall go up the raise, my people believe that a person's first time to use magic is sacred and to be done in private lest it be influenced by the onlookers."
"Oh, alright..." She gnaws her lip then, "But what do I do?"
"Ask the stone." He smiles toyingly.
"The stone?" She asks as her father, whose smile only get more mysterious, he then walks away with George.
"Yes." He chuckles as he and George walk through the brush.
She sighs confused, stroking both the gem and scale lightly in her hands. Within moments both are glowing faintly with the magics that reside within them. She stares at the two, the crystal from the snake glowing blue and the scale in the ring glowing bronze.
Annabelle takes a deep breath once she's sure they're gone and opens her eyes anew, this time looking into the magic of the items in her hands. With a shock she sees swirling gold and blue within the snake stone, and a deep russet bronze, like some form of ancient dragonic magic, within the scale on the ring.
Out of curiosity she touches the scale, a sudden flash causing her to blink, her mind filling with the image of a tall man with golden hair and violent purple eyes.
"Serena, my love." He whispers.
With a gasp she comes out of her trance and stares at the ring before her, it now swirls with the blue-gold of the snake stone, the russet bronze still the primary color within it. She closes her eyes, the feeling of deep love filling her, and for the briefest of moments she knows exactly where Kyle is, far to the north at the seashore. Smiling and opening her eyes she sees George and her father entering the campsite.
"I'm guessing you've finished?" Her father smiles eerily.
"Yes Father." She smiles softly, gently stroking the ring.
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