The Serpent Within

Chapter Eleven

Previously...

Meanwhile, Jeanette got up quietly and tiptoed towards Zuber's room.

"What are they up to?" she thought and pressed her ear to the door...

King Marsel had never imagined a day to be like this. He felt heartbroken. His daughter was kidnapped and her whereabouts were still a mystery.

Was she even alright? The question gnawed in his mind all the time. He couldn't bear the separation from his little daughter. He had to remain strong for Lilah's sake, for his kingdom. Now, even Lilah's presence felt far away.

"What will I do if anything happened to them? At least Hiram is taking care of the kingdom," he sighed loudly.

He was lucky that Hiram lived in a house close to their castle. Though he had tried to make Hiram stay in the palace, he had refused always. The reason for his refusal, however, remained unknown to the king, who never pressed further.

The path to the mountain was a tough one. It was filled with numerous twigs and thorns.

It would be easier if I could be in my snake form. He tried shifting. He felt his orbs brightening to a lime green. But, he slumped forward as the little energy that was left dwindled.

He sat upright and punched the ground, his knuckles turning red from the impact. His brow creased, a tear making its way out of his sad eye. He looked helpless and forlorn.

Grabbing a small sandwich from his bag, he gobbled it up quickly, not wanting to waste even a minute.

He got up and started running. His legs refused to work, each felt like they were weighed in bricks. Their prayers at the Stone House had taken away all his energy.

With an immense struggle, he managed to reach the base of the huge mountain. He had never climbed a mountain before. To save his wife, he felt he could do anything.

He started with a small prayer to the Snake Goddess. She was the ultimate power and the one who controlled the magic of the Stone House.

He remembered how the Goddess had appeared when Kyrah was born.
Dressed in a sparkling golden full-length dress with a shimmering gold crown on top of her golden hair, she looked sculpted out of gold.

Her intense eyes too were a beautiful shade of gold, reflecting kindness and tranquility. Yet, they held a powerful stance, seeming to look within your soul just with one glance.

It was unnatural for her to visit. Nobody had seen her before. But her visit proved that his little girl was special.

"This child whom I name Kyrah, should be married to the fair Prince Judewin once she turns 22," she had spoken, her smooth voice cutting through the silence.

"But remember, she should never find out that she is a shape-shifting serpent. Once she turns 21, she will shift and turn into a beautiful serpent."

"Beware, she may face life-threatening danger. Keep her protected always," her voice held a warning.

"But, what did we do? We failed at keeping her protected. Goddess knows where she is and in which state," Marsel mumbled sadly.

He stumbled upon a rock and hurt his toe which shook him out of his thoughts. He realized he had made it to the top of the mountain. There was no one in sight. He waited for someone to appear. He turned around, scanning the whole area, but to no avail.

"Queen Lilah might need this," a gruff voice boomed, behind him. He turned in surprise, finding an old man near him. The man had sparkly, gold eyes, a small bowl clutched in his scrawny hand.