Chapter 275: The Serpent Beneath the Grave
With every step Septimus took towards the back of the castle, the presence grew stronger, heavier, pressing against his senses. His heart pounded violently at the thought of something evil breaking through the barrier.
Soon, he found himself in the heart of the deserted courtyard, only to see Solan already standing there, glowing like a star. His senses must have detected the threat as well. After all, the stronger the lumen, the more sensitive they were to the presence of dark magic.
He made his way to his king at once. "Your Majesty, I sense great danger emanating from that mountain. What do you think could cause such a presence?"
Solan’s expression was grim as his eyes, now glowing white, remained fixed on the distant peak where his late wife was buried.
"I can feel it," Solan said quietly. "It is coming from the same mountain where Selene rests."
Septimus understood at once. Beneath the king’s controlled composure lay deep unease, for nothing would trouble Solan more than the thought of his beloved late wife’s grave being disturbed.
Just then, another guttural screech tore through the air, and this time the rumbling reached all the way to the palace, sending tremors through the stone. Several lumen guards immediately rushed towards their king, forming a protective formation around him.
The commander of the royal army, Roan Stoneward, hurried to Solan and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
Gideon stood beside Solan, his gaze fixed on the distant mountain where thick, dark clouds churned ominously above the peak. It was a dreadful sight, and one that felt disturbingly familiar. Those who had once accompanied the king to Dartmouth could not help but recall the same ominous signs they had witnessed when Prince Ivan had nearly been corrupted.
Questions gnawed at all of them. What in the heavens was happening atop that mountain, and what could possibly have unleashed such a dark presence?
Solan’s eyes hardened, his hands clenched into fists as his thoughts turned to his wife’s grave.
In a tight, controlled voice, he ordered, "Take your positions. Do not step beyond the barrier unless something breaches it."
Roan bowed once more before turning sharply to bark orders to the royal knights, sending them into swift, disciplined motion.
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[Music recommendation: Ivan Torrent - ONYRIA - "Stronghold" (feat. Lara Ausensi)]
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On the mountain peak, Eve could not make sense of it. Why had such a creature emerged from her mother’s grave? Had it been residing within the mountain all along? And though it was clearly formed through extremely dark magic, it did not feel as though it belonged to this realm at all.
The sensation it gave off was disturbingly familiar she and Ivan had felt when they witnessed Valen being transformed into a Nocthrax, a creature born in hell.
’Was this creature from there as well? And if so....why? Why was it here again, without any summons, without any provocation, without a spell to call it forth?’
Her mind was in absolute turmoil, shaken by everything that had happened so far. Then she felt it, his warm yet strong arms tightening around her, pulling her back into the present.
"Snap out of it, Eve," he said quietly.
"I cannot begin to imagine what must be going through your head. But right now, I need you here with me. That creature is more dangerous than anything we have ever encountered before. We do not have our swords. You do not need to fight it....but I need you to stay mentally present so you can avoid danger if it tries to attack you. Can you do that for me, baby?"
His low voice, close to her ear, carried urgency, yet it calmed her.....centring her amidst the chaos.
’Only he was capable of doing this, grounding me even at a time like this. But I cannot leave him alone in this. He is right. Right now, I need to be here. One mistake, and the consequences could be disastrous. And I cannot leave him to face this danger alone. Never.’
Steeling her resolve, she reached for his hands, where they were wrapped around her and held them tightly.
"Let’s deal with this together," she said firmly.
"It desecrated my mother’s resting place, and I cannot forgive that."
"Are you sure?" Ivan asked.
He could still feel the turmoil stirring within her, and he did not want to put her in harm’s way when her mind was not fully here, especially after she had only just awakened from days of deep slumber.
Tightening her grip, she replied without hesitation, "I am sure. This is for my mother."
She turned her head, meeting his molten orange eyes with her golden ones, and Ivan saw her conviction clearly.
Giving her a slow nod, "Do not engage it directly," he said calmly. "Just assist me."
Just then, the colossal creature launched itself at them with a loud, vicious snarl. Its heavy obsidian body scraped against the snow as its jaws gaped open, ready to swallow them whole.
At the same time, Ivan leapt into the air, taking Eve with him and dodging the attack with precision. But the creature was fast and intelligent.
The glowing orange fissures along its body turned into multiple eyes as it twisted mid-air, changing direction with terrifying speed before charging at them again.
Ivan reacted just as swiftly, vanishing and reappearing on the opposite side. The serpent’s massive jaws slammed into the snow where they had been moments earlier, sending ice and frost scattering everywhere.
Ivan set Eve back on her feet and immediately stepped in front of her, positioning himself protectively.
He knew it was far from over, and he was right.
The serpent lifted its head from the ground and let out another furious screech. Its tail lashed violently against the snow before swinging straight towards them.
This time, Ivan did not dodge.
He had anticipated it.
Raising his hands, his burning palms met the serpent’s tail head-on. The sheer force of the collision drove Ivan backwards, his boots carving lines through the snow and land.
Yet he did not let go.
His claws had sunk into the creature’s scales, anchoring him in place, and the instant he made contact, Ivan’s aura flared violently.
A piercing, agonised shriek tore from the serpent’s jaws as cracks spread from the point of contact along its obsidian body, glowing from within as searing heat surged through it.
The sight was disturbingly familiar, echoing the same method Ivan had once used, albeit with far greater restraint, when he had boiled the insides of Lester Viremont in the dungeon as a form of torture.
Eve stood frozen, stunned to see Ivan practically latched onto the deadly creature. Her heart lurched as the serpent began thrashing even more violently, trying desperately to shake him off.
She watched as Ivan drew more of his terrifying power, the heat intensifying until the area beneath his grip began to melt. With a violent motion, the serpent whipped its tail high into the air, dragging Ivan along with it.
Ivan then released his hold.
And the time seemed to slow down.
A brilliant flash of lightning split the sky, and a powerful gust of wind tore Ivan’s hood back, his hair whipping free as he began to fall from that dizzying height with his face turned towards the serpent below.
The serpent surged upward with terrifying speed, its massive jaws yawning open as it lunged for the falling Ivan, intent on swallowing him whole.
Just then, Eve’s protective instincts flared.
Her golden eyes locked onto the brightest fissure glowing at the serpent’s chest. Refusing to remain on the sidelines, she moved with the speed of lightning, zapping mid-air and levelling herself with the creature’s core.
Raising both of her hands, "Not my man," she whispered coldly.
A thick, powerful beam of golden energy erupted from her palms, blasting straight towards the fissure.
Ivan, meanwhile, wore a broad grin as he plummeted from the great height towards the serpent’s gaping jaws. He raised one hand, curling it into a fist as deadly fire surged through his entire arm.
At the last possible second, he twisted mid-air, redirecting himself away from the jaws and driving a devastating, blazing punch straight into the serpent’s head.
Cracks exploded across the creature’s obsidian body, racing from its skull all the way down to its tail. At the same time, Eve’s golden beam tore through the fissure in its chest, melting straight through the core and bursting out the other side, ripping through the dark, churning clouds beyond.
The beam was so powerful that it was visible even from the Palace of Light, where Solan and the others stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at the overwhelming power erupting from the distant mountain.
Moments later, the entire mountain shuddered violently, and one final, guttural screech reverberated through the air before the sound was swallowed by silence.
The serpent’s glowing orange eyes began to dim, its shine fading after taking the two brutal and deadly blows. The cracks that had spread across its body flared bright orange, then intensified as though it were on the verge of exploding.
Ivan noticed it at once.
His molten gaze snapped to Eve, who was still levitating mid-air, far too close to the creature.
"Eve! Move, now!" Ivan roared.
