Serpent in Shackles

Chapter One

For days they hunted me, waited patiently.

But I wouldn't die. I couldn't. It was only the beginning of what I had planned.

My body roared, muscles straining in my legs, my arms. Tighter and more excruciating with every step toward the peak of the mountain. My lungs burned from the bitterly cold air scraping down my throat. I fought back a pained cough in my chest, trying to keep silent as I sprinted for my life.

Days- it had been days since I last ate a full meal. Some berries and a few other things I found kept me fed, and the water from the river was enough to make sure I wasn't dead. Although I was fortunate to have drank from the river and not caught one of the many possible diseases.

Though I kept a steady pace, I could feel myself waning. Their voices travelled through the wind, amplifying, drowning out the sounds of my ragged gasps for air. The daggers fastened to my thighs hummed as I ducked into a small covering buried by the full branches.

Their footsteps enclosed me, shooting straight to my heart. My chest trembled as I flung back, perfectly hidden in the darkness.

Branches cracked beneath the sharp metal slicing through them. The man surfaced through the trees, eyes wide as he searched for me. Still tucked to the back of the covering, I threw my hand over my mouth muffling my breathing.

The green eyes scanned through the area, not being able to detect much in the dark. He took a few large steps back, pushing his way through the branches.

And then his sword came down again, dropping enough branches to the ground that the darkness was soon filled with light.

He blinked, staring directly at me. "You thought you could run forever? Not even you can outrun what's coming."

He lunged at me-

My eyes flung open.

A long, deep breath finally reminded me where I was.

With Summer on its way, the flowers in the courtyard gardens were in the midst of blooming. Their fresh aroma drifted through the breeze. Lucky for me since the courtyard was where I spent most- no, where I spent all of my time now. There was nowhere else I was allowed to go. Well, except for a couple of the nearby cities, but that was only on Saturdays for the most part, and the occasional weekday if I was lucky.

Boredom kept me out later than usual as I wandered through the familiar greenery with nothing but my daydreams and idealistic fantasies to keep me from becoming the statue stuck at the center of the fountain.

The mix of pink and blue in the sky left the garden gloomy and sombre that evening. The cool crisp of the air was unlike the usual warm summer nights. But I had to get outside for fresh air. Heavy downpours kept me trapped in that wretched building for almost two entire days and it was certainly enough to drive a person mad.

A squirrel darted out from under a bush as I crouched down in front of the flowers. He paused for a moment, glancing up at me. Even the festy rodent pitied me.

The grass was damp beneath my palms as I leaned into the ground, trying my best not to fall forward and startle the only pleasant face around. The squirrel's beady eyes softened for a moment, as if it could feel the heaviness in my heart, almost like it was saying I feel sorry for you.

And then it bolted through the garden, weaving in out of the stems as it sprinted away from me. The fluff of thick tail brushed against the underside of the leaves as it disappeared into the mix of colours, leaving the flowers as my sole companion that night.