Chapter 2: The Serpent’s Story

Joanna J

Property of the Alpha Prince

Face book page: Joanna J

Chapter 2:

The Serpent’s Story

Cory and Hayden rode Blaython through the forest. Blaython flew through the trees as if on the wings of the wind. Cory had to hold on to Blaython’s collar with all her might to keep from flying off of him. Hayden though seemed accustomed to the speed at which they were going.

They stopped at a clearing. Hayden got off of Blaython and helped Cory down.

“Stay here,” Hayden told the tiger. Blaython sat down in a patch of grass obediently.

Hayden held the lantern out in front of him and led Cory through the trees. Ahead of them, she saw two oddly twisted trees. Their bent heads had intertwined, forming a kind of arch. Vines sprouting tiny pink and purple flowers had covered the arch. Beyond it, Cory could see something large shimmering in the moonlight. When they had passed the flowering arch, Cory realised that it was a vast lake. It was so still. It looked like someone had just placed a mirror there to reflect the surrounding forest and the night sky.  

She looked at her reflection in the liquid mirror. Her long black hair formed curls and waves that billowed around her olive-skinned, heart-shaped face. Her large brown eyes conveyed the sadness she kept at bay, the despair of betrayal. She was an amalgamation of her parents: her mother, a deep caramel complexion with midnight-dark eyes and tight shiny dark curls, and her father, a pale bisque, hazel-eyed, auburn and wavy-haired. Her mother was shy and subdued; her father had been lively and light-hearted. Cory was capable of either nature, depending on the situation, of course. Crouching over the lake, she bent her head down and washed her face in the cool water. She was still looking at herself in the water when she noticed Hayden reflected in it behind her, smiling.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” she asked Hayden’s reflection. “The lake?”

“Elma’s Lake? No,” he said, grinning. “I wanted to show you what lives in the lake.”

Cory stood up so fast she stumbled backwards into Hayden. He caught her, chuckling.

“It’s nothing that’s dangerous. Come here,” he said leading her by the hand along the lake's edge. 

In front of them was a large grey stone, Hayden sat upon it and Cory sat next to him.

“Look at the middle of the lake,” said Hayden quietly, “where the moon is reflected in the water.”

Cory stared at the moon’s shimmering reflection while Hayden pulled out his tiny flute and played a different note than before. This one was much lower than the previous one. He continued to play. It was a melancholy but beautiful song. Cory felt sad and yet mesmerised just listening to it. She was still staring at the moon’s bright reflection when it flickered. The water began to ripple right where the mock moon was. The ripples became larger as Hayden played and then the moon in the water shone brightly. It was brighter than the moon in the sky. The reflection beamed at them so brightly Cory could scarcely look at it directly. 

Through the illuminated reflection, something was rising slowly out of the water. For a moment it seemed to be made of light alone but then Hayden ended his song with a high note and the bright light vanished. Before them in the water was the strangest creature Cory had ever seen except maybe for the beasts from beyond the Traketen River. It was a giant serpent but its skin had no scales. Instead it was smooth with a gleaming white belly and a blue back and head. Half of it was raised out of the water and it seemed to give off a slight glow as it slithered towards them on the water’s surface.

On any other occasion, Cory would have jumped up and ran if she saw a giant glowing blue snake come out of a lake but she trusted that Hayden would not put them in too much danger.

“You called,” the snake’s refined voice rasped at Hayden. Cory realised it was female.

“Yep,” said Hayden. “I wanted you to meet someone. This is Cory,” he said indicating to her.

“Pleasure,” hissed the snake, “I’m Averina.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” said Cory although she did not feel very pleased. She was trying very hard not to look into Averina’s yellow and black eyes. She had heard that magical snakes could hypnotise people with their gaze. Hayden was talking again but Cory was barely listening to him. She was certain she had exceeded her quota of magical creatures for the day.

“I knew you and Cory would get along. Cory loves to hear strange tales. I thought you could tell us some of the animal gossip you hear from your friends,” said Hayden looking up at Averina.

“Animal gossssip,” drawled the snake. “Well, I’m sure I have a few stories to tell.”

Averina lowered her upper half and curled around the rock on which Cory and Hayden sat. She lay her flat head partly on the same rock facing them. Cory trembled and moved closer to Hayden.

“On a night quite like this, I was swimming near the other edge of the lake. It was quite late. The moon was high in the sky. I was lying quite peacefully in the reeds when I heard a scuffling near me. It was a poor little fish stuck in the reeds. I was about to eat her when she said something to my interest. She told me she might have news about how the beastsss beyond the Traketen River could be gotten rid of. All of them in one blow like a candle flame she said.”

“You’re kidding. All of them,” Cory piped up, now a lot more interested. “Was she lying?” she asked.

The snake continued: “You shall see later on in my story. So that was what she said. All of the creatures in one blow. So I snapped the reeds that held her and she swam free. She told me it was her friend the rat who had told her this news. He hadn’t shared anymore with her but he would come the following night. She said she would take me to hear his tale when he came. So I trusted the little fish. She seemed honest. She told me her name. It’sss Daisy. So the night after, Daisy proved true to her word when she took me to see the rat. Desper was his name. A nervous little thing he was. I didn’t trussst him as much as Daisy but he told us his newsss. He’d been to the bank beyond the Traketen River, you see, he’d met a wise old owl named Dondus. Dondus had lived there all his life. The creatures didn’t eat him because he gave them good advice and he didn’t eat Desper because he thought Desper looked diseased. Sssss ssss sssss,” Averina laughed although it was more of a hiss.

She continued: “So Dondus the owl told Desper the rat that the beastsss all rallied around the Great Mother of the Beasts. She of course was the strongest and fastest but she never leaves her cave beyond the river. She stays there with seven of the fiercest beasts to guard her all the time. Other beasts bring her food. She would of course be the hardest to kill especially with her guards protecting her but if she was killed, all of her children, the beastsss that is, would die. So is the magic of the creatures the owl told Desper. All of the beastsss draw their strength from their mother. She can tell when any one of them has been slain and can see through the eyes of any other beast. She is also the only of the beasts that has the gift of human speak. The rest can only talk among themselves and other animals. And she can understand that as well of course.”

Cory’s heart was racing. If what Averina says is true then, somehow, if the mother beast was slain, the people of Traketen could live in peace without fear, she thought.

“Averina, are you sure it’s true?” Cory asked.

“Well, my dear,” hissed Averina, “my guesss is as good as yours. However, there is more to the story. The owl Dondus told the rat Desper to visit him tonight and Desper is coming to the lake tomorrow night to tell the rest of the story to Daisy the fish. Daisy is taking me with her to hear. It seems there is only one way to kill the Mother of the Beasts. It also seems that there’s more reason to why you would want the creature’s dead. They don’t live beyond the Traketen River in the marsh without purpose it seemssss. Those stormbringers, the beastsss. You two could come and hear the rest of the story.”

Cory’s heart was beating excitedly. She looked at Hayden. He looked pale and ill and worried for some reason. She was surprised. She thought he would be happy like she was to hear there was hope of getting rid of the creatures.

“So, we can come tomorrow: Hayden and I?” Cory asked, turning her attention back to Averina.

“Sure. Ssssee you then,” she hissed and with that she slithered back underneath the water’s surface and disappeared.

“Oh Hayden!” exclaimed Cory once Averina had gone. “There could be a way of getting rid of those beasts and my people could live peacefully,” she squealed. She threw herself into his arms. He did not hug her back. She looked at him.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy for me?” she asked.

“Let’s just go back to camp,” he said.

They walked back in silence to where Blaython sat and rode back to camp. Prince Hayden went into his tent without saying anything to her. She went into her tent quietly and lay down on her cot. Her happiness had come and left with the same speed. She loved the fact that she just might be able to free her people but she hated that Hayden was not speaking to her and would not tell her why.