The Truth

Chapter 1

I took a step back, looking at the position of the painting, tilting my head to the side slightly before saying, "Hm ... does this look good?" I look back to where Ama was sitting, Hector leaning up against a wall, throwing up his knife before catching it and throwing it up again.

"I think it looks perfect there my lady." Ama spoke with a smile, clasping her hands in front of her.

Hector rolled his eyes, "Yes it looks fine. Now can we please just ... do something else!? We've been at this for about two hours now! That painting has traveled all around this room!" Hector spoke, gesturing to the room with his hands, swinging the knife around as he emphasized his point.

Ama hit him upside the head, "So!? Belarus gave it to her as a gift! She is simply trying to find a spot it belongs in." Hector rubbed the spot on his head before gumbling something under his breath in Atlantean.

I smiled softly, glad to be home even if I was here for just a week, it truly feels like I belong here. "Alright, I think this is the spot." I say, crossing my arms as I turned back to look at the painting.

"Finally!" Hector groaned, pushing himself off the wall. "Now can we please do something else with our free time that doesn't involve room decor." He said as he walked past me, slipping his knife back into his pocket, while Ama walked up to my side.

"Don't make me hit you upside the head again." Ama warned, crossing her arms while squinting her eyes in his direction.

He whirled around, holding his hands up in the air in a surrender-like manner, walking backwards towards the door, "Hey, I was just speaking our thoughts out loud. Poor Hunter ... I mean Hugo looks bored out of his mind." Hector gestured to the now fully grown pitbull mix who was just watching Echo and the younger snakes play with his toys. The younger snakes practice their hunting skills except for one, Kipofu, the youngest of the three, who was currently wrapped around Hun-Hugo's paw. I finally decided on giving the pitbull mix a new name, with my brother being alive and all, Hugo suits him best after his heroic act in the other world. Everyone was confused why ... which I just said the name didn't suit him, luckily they bought it.

"Yeah ... he looks so bored." I say sarcastically, watching as Hugo began wagging his tail happily watching the snakes play with his toys. Echo looked over at me for a moment, slithering away from the baby snakes, towards me. She rubbed her head against my leg, as if saying 'I love you' for the fourteenth time today. I bend down, rubbing her scales, hearing a small hiss of satisfaction escape from her throat, rubbing her head against my fingers.

"I know, I missed you too girl." I say ... for the fourteenth time today, before standing up straight, looking over towards Hector. "Let's join the countries in the garden." I say with a smile, walking over to Hector who opened the door, holding it open for me. "Thank you."

"Anything for a beautiful lady." He spoke with a small bow, I rolled my eyes shaking my head. When Ama walked past him she smacked him upside the head, causing him to wince, before walking out the room himself, rubbing the spot she hit, closing the door behind him. I walked down the long halls with Ama and Hector by my side. We made our way out the backside of the castle where a stone wall fence about eight feet high surrounded the area.

There were a range of flowers along with a few palm trees planted along the stone wall, a few orange parrots rested along the rim of the wall, grooming their feathers as soldiers walked past them, keeping an eye out for any possible intruders. There was a cool breeze lingering after a long winter mixing with the warm air of the coming summer, flowing through the air, creating the perfect temperature. The sky was clear, not a single cloud in the sky except a few small white smears.