She's the Prince

Chapter 27

The Thousand-Year-Old Serpent

The crowd gasped as a sudden burst of color illuminated the sky. Vibrant fireworks exploded over the treetops, casting fleeting shades of red and blue across the night.

"What is that light?" one of the audience members asked, their eyes wide with wonder.

Ninazu squinted at the sky, his voice thoughtful. "It's coming from the western part of the forest."

Lord Zodor glanced over sharply. "Who ventured into that part of the forest?"

'Who else?' Ninazu thought to himself. Prince Ares must have made his way into that forbidden part.

***

Meanwhile, Callan caught sight of the light from his position deeper in the forest. It came from the west and sparkled for a moment before turning back.

"Fireworks in a forest? That can't be good," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the sky.

He felt uneasy, so he ran straight toward the noise without giving it a second thought.

***

"Why are we running deeper into the dark part of the forest?" Draco panted as they sprinted through the trees, glancing warily over his shoulder.

A huge snake chased him, its hiss booming like the wind. Ares hurled a fireball at the creature, but it only seemed to enrage the beast further. Its eyes gleamed with fury as it slithered closer.

"Are you trying to kill the other players along with us?" Draco shot back as the snake lunged.

The serpent's fangs gleamed in the darkness, and before either could react, it struck. Draco winced as sharp pain radiated through his arm.

"Aah..." Draco grimaced, clutching his injured arm. Blood trickled from the puncture marks.

They ran again, the serpent's wrathful hisses haunting their every step. Ares flung more fireballs into the sky to light their way, but each one flickered out within minutes, leaving them in darkness.

"Ugh!" Ares stumbled as pain shot up his leg, a thorn digging into his skin. He came to a halt, his breath ragged, flames engulfing his hands as he summoned his power. The light briefly illuminated their surroundings, revealing the serpent's massive form closing in on them.

When Draco saw the glow, he stopped running and turned to face the thing. He saw Ares standing before the monstrous serpent, his bow drawn and a flaming arrow aimed at the beast's head.

"This thing is too big! There's no way an arrow will pierce it," Draco protested.

Ares kept his eyes on the snake the whole time. "It has a thick skin, but on the inside it's weak."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, confused.

"Shoot it when its mouth opens."

Draco hesitated, then drew his bow and fired. His arrow barely scratched the serpent's scales, infuriating the creature even more. It lunged at them with its mouth wide open. Ares seized the moment and released his flaming arrow. The arrow shot through the serpent's mouth and pierced through its throat, emerging from the center of its body.

A thunderous roar filled the forest as the serpent writhed in agony. Moments later, its body collapsed with a shudder, the ground trembling beneath its feet.

Draco sank to the ground, exhausted and cradling his injured arm. "Ugh..."

Ares approached him quickly, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?"

"No... my arm's gone numb," Draco said, his voice weak.

Ares lit another fireball, tossing it into the air to illuminate the forest around them. "We need to stop the bleeding."

***

Elsewhere in the forest, Callan and Ninazu moved swiftly through the underbrush. They had seen the lights from a distance and knew they were heading toward the source of the disturbance.

"They're somewhere in the heart of the forest," Callan said, his tone grim.

Ninazu nodded. "That part of the forest is dangerous. The serpent that lives there is ancient—over a thousand years old."

They quickened their pace, but Callan stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something on the ground. "Wait," he whispered, crouching down to examine the tracks. Large, deep impressions had been left in the soft earth.

Ninazu knelt beside him. "These are the tracks of the serpent."

"The thousand-year-old serpent?" Callan asked, rising to his feet.

"It's said to be poisonous, and over three thousand meters long," Ninazu replied.

Callan's expression hardened. "How do you know all this?"

"I've heard tales at the Casa de Zodiac in town. It's a place for gathering information," Ninazu explained.

Callan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I didn't know you visited that place."

"If you want the best information, it's where you go."

"Fair enough," Callan said, returning his focus to the forest. "Let's keep moving."

The two continued, the glow in the sky guiding their way. As they neared the source of the light, a faint scent of blood wafted through the air.

Callan stopped. "Blood."

"It's not human," Ninazu noted quietly, eyes scanning the area.

They moved cautiously, and soon enough, the serpent's massive body came into view, its head partially illuminated by the dim light of the fireball.

Callan raised his bow, but Ninazu stepped forward, inspecting the creature closely. "It's dead."

Callan lowered his weapon slightly. "Are you sure?"

The arrow was buried in the serpent's breast when Ninazu raised the lamp. "Positive."

Callan's mind raced. "Where's Aria? We need to find her."

***

Farther into the forest, Ares was struggling to carry Draco. The bite on Draco's arm continued to bleed, and his breathing grew labored.

"Are you okay?" Ares asked, his voice laced with concern.

Draco's voice was faint. "I feel... dizzy. It's hard to breathe."

Ares grimaced, cursing the thorn in his leg. He stopped, carefully lowering Draco to the ground. Summoning another fireball, he tossed it into the air, casting light over the surrounding trees.

"You're hurt too," Draco said, spotting the thorn lodged in Ares' leg.

Ares shrugged. "We're even now."

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the trees.

"Aria!"

Ares stiffened, glancing around. 'Am I hearing things?' he wondered. The voice called out again.

"Aria! Where are you?"

Draco lifted his head. "Someone's calling!"

Ares raised his hand, releasing a fireball high into the air. The light illuminated the forest, and moments later, they saw two figures approaching.

***

Callan and Ninazu had seen the fireball, and Callan reacted quickly. Grabbing a nearby branch, he readied himself.

"Step aside, Ninazu, if you don't want to get caught in the blast."

"What are you—"

Before Ninazu could finish, Callan struck the fireball with the branch, sending it soaring into the air where it exploded, bathing the forest in bright light.