The Eye Of The Snake

5 AMIL

Amil spent a few days locked in her room, reading that mysterious book, and found it strange that no one had come asking about it. Each chapter bore the name of a serpent and told a bit of its story, but they were interwoven in a way that made it difficult to read about any one serpent straight through.

She read about Isendra and how she created the towering mountains surrounding Glaia. She found it curious that the book also discussed the culture of each region. For now, her favorite chapter was the one about Naberis; it explained how, when Thalass, the sea serpent, created the swamp region and the vast seas of Valoria, Naberis took it as a challenge and decided to create the Great Sand Tide, the largest region in all of Valoria. This fascinated the young woman, who dreamed of seeing those dunes.

But her curiosity grew when the book began to mention a mysterious artifact, one forged during creation to enhance the power of its bearer and allow the serpents to create Valoria. When Amil read this, she remembered that her grandmother had also spoken about this artifact, saying it was hidden somewhere in the world, lost, waiting for its worthy bearer to find it.

At that moment, Amil connected the pieces and understood that the star from her dream was guiding her toward the artifact, which would be essential in a potential confrontation against Erion.

The girl went out to the training yard, where Selen and Thoren were usually found. She often saw Selen practicing with her bow, while Thoren was usually working with steel at the forge. Her room was in the upper part of the castle, and as she went down the stairs to meet them, she encountered Udym, the Duke of Monte Blanco and the boy her mother intended for her to marry. Amil was around seventeen years old, and the duke was no older than fourteen; in theory, it wasn't a big age difference, but while Amil already seemed like a young woman, the duke barely looked like a preadolescent.

–Did you hear? –the duke asked her. Amil wanted to ignore him but knew it wasn't wise to get on Udym's bad side, especially since, if the situation was as serious as Sana had told her, they would need the support of Monte Blanco.

–What are you referring to? –she tried not to give Udym the satisfaction of saying it herself.

–Well, your mother has offered me your hand –he said solemnly–. But what do you think about it?

–If you're willing to marry me, so be it –she replied, though she had a very different idea in mind.

–I would be delighted to have such a beautiful woman by my side.

These last words sent a small shiver through Amil. She wanted to make it clear to the young duke that she was more than just something pretty to have at one's side, but she decided the smartest thing for her plan was to show openness to the marriage.

–Excellent, then, once the tension in our region settles a bit, I'll be happy to spend my life by your side –she said with a fake smile on her face.

Udym nodded approvingly as his cheeks flushed. Amil continued her way to the training yard. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found herself in the yard and quickly made her way to the forge.

There, just as she expected, was Thoren. The blacksmith was a few years older than her; his expressive green eyes often let Amil understand him simply by looking at them. His medium-length dark brown hair was full of thick curls. He was slender but maintained an athletic shape from the hard work in the forge.

When she saw him, Amil grabbed his arm and quickly led him to the archery range, where, by chance, Selen was not. Amil was surprised by her friend's absence in that area, when suddenly an arrow flew just a few meters from them and landed perfectly in the center of the target in front of them. When they turned, they saw her friend. She was unmistakable: those intense blue eyes, her tousled brown hair, and, most distinctively, the mark of small claw marks on her right cheek.