20. Aurel
20
AUREL
I follow behind Vera, my serpentine body gliding silently across the ground as we approach the dark elf mansion. The place that imprisoned me for centuries now feels different - smaller, less imposing. But the hatred still burns.
Vera's power crackles around her like lightning, her newfound strength radiating in waves that make my scales tingle. She's transformed from that frail slave I first manipulated into something magnificent and terrifying. The thought fills me with both pride and shame.
"The eastern wall has the weakest defenses," I say, keeping my voice low. "They never bothered reinforcing it because of the cliff face."
She doesn't respond, but I see her shoulders tense. The silence between us feels heavier than any chains I bore in that dungeon. I deserve her coldness after what I did, but it still cuts deep.
"I can clear a path through their guards," I offer, desperate to be useful, to prove my worth to her. "Let me?—"
"No." Her voice is sharp as steel. "I don't need your protection anymore, Aurel. I need your obedience."
The words sting, but I bow my head. "As you wish."
Magic swirls around her fingers as we draw closer, and I catch glimpses of the dark elf sentries moving along the walls. They have no idea what's coming for them. What she's become.
"Stay close," she commands, not looking back at me. "I want them to see who serves me now before they die."
"Yes, mistress." The title feels right on my tongue. I am hers now, bound by oath and love, ready to help her burn this place to ash.
The air grows thick with power as Vera raises her hand, her eyes gleaming with righteous fury. I coil myself, ready to strike at her command. The mansion looms before us, and for the first time, I look at it not as my prison, but as the first target of her vengeance.
I slither beside Vera, my serpentine body coiled tight with tension. Her power radiates off her in waves, making the air crackle with electricity. The dark elf mansion looms ahead, but my eyes keep drifting to her. She's changed so much from the frail slave I first manipulated - now she walks with purpose, her head held high, magic dancing at her fingertips.
A dark elf guard passes on the wall above. My muscles tense, ready to strike, but Vera raises her hand slightly. A silent command to stay put. I obey instantly, though every instinct screams to protect her.
"There's movement in the eastern tower," I whisper, keeping my voice low. My tongue flicks out, tasting the air. "Three guards, maybe four."
She doesn't acknowledge my warning. The silence between us cuts deeper than any blade, but I've earned this coldness. I deserve far worse for what I did to her.
A twig snaps in the darkness. Before I can move, Vera's magic lashes out, wrapping around a hidden scout's throat. The dark elf drops silently, dead before hitting the ground. Her power has grown so much, yet I still position myself between her and any potential threat.
"I told you," she says, her voice sharp with irritation, "I don't need your protection."
"I know." I lower my head in submission. "But I swore an oath. I'll keep it, whether you want me to or not."
She turns away, but not before I catch the flicker of emotion in her eyes. Pain? Anger? Whatever it is, I'll spend eternity trying to make it right. Even if she never forgives me, I'll guard her with my life.
I coil my body tightly, every muscle primed for violence as we face the dark elf noble and his guards. The moonlight catches their drawn weapons, but it's their sneering faces that make my blood boil. Centuries of imprisonment, of humiliation, flash through my mind.
"Such a touching reunion," the noble, Max, one of Lady Morana's sons says, his lips curling. "The defective slave returns with her pet snake."
My blood freezes as I spot Lady Morana behind her guards. Her white hair gleams like fresh snow, her regal posture a mockery of true nobility. The same cruel smile plays on her lips as it did centuries ago when she sealed me in that cursed dungeon.
"The prodigal snake returns," she calls out, her voice carrying across the courtyard. "And with such interesting company."
My coils tighten instinctively. The urge to strike, to crush her throat, burns through my veins. But I remain at Vera's side, where I belong.
"Lady Morana." I bare my fangs in a mirthless smile. "Still hiding behind your guards? Some things never change."
Her eyes narrow, but her smile doesn't waver. "And you still wear those chains so well, Aurel. Though they're different ones now, aren't they?" Her gaze shifts to Vera. "Trading one master for another. How fitting."
"The difference," I growl, "is that I chose these chains."
Vera's power crackles beside me, and I feel her tension. Lady Morana must sense it too because she takes a small step back, though she maintains her proud stance.
"Your new pet seems spirited," Morana says, her voice dripping with disdain. "But do you really think a defective slave can protect you from me?"
I laugh, the sound echoing off the mansion walls. "You still don't understand, do you? I'm not the one who needs protection." I glance at Vera, seeing the raw power emanating from her. "I'm just here to watch you fall."
"Watch your tongue," I snarl, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "Before I rip it out."
The noble's eyes narrow. "Still as arrogant as ever, serpent. Did you really think we wouldn't be ready for you?" He turns his attention to Vera. "And you, you worthless piece of filth. We should have killed you years ago."
My tail lashes against the ground, leaving deep grooves in the earth. Every word they speak about Vera feeds the rage building inside me. I want to tear them apart, to paint the walls with their blood.
"Careful now," another dark elf taunts. "The naga thinks he's in love with the human trash."
"Shut your fucking mouth," I hiss, my hands curling into fists. The urge to strike is almost overwhelming, but I hold myself back. This is Vera's revenge. I am merely her weapon now.
The noble raises his hand, magic crackling between his fingers. "You should have stayed in your hole, beast. We'll make sure you never see daylight again."
I bare my fangs, my voice dripping with venom. "Try it. I'll enjoy making you scream before you die."
Vera stands silent beside me, her power building like a storm about to break. I glance at her, waiting for her command. Every fiber of my being wants to launch forward and start ripping them apart, but I've sworn myself to her will.
These bastards will pay for every moment they hurt her. I'll make sure of that.
I watch in awe as Vera raises her hand, her eyes blazing with raw power. "This ends now," she says, her voice carrying the weight of years of suffering.
The air crackles around us as magic explodes from her body. The mansion's defensive wards shatter like glass, raining magical shards that dissipate before hitting the ground. The force of her power sends several dark elves stumbling backward.
"Kill them!" Lady Morana shrieks, her composed facade cracking. "Kill them both!"
The guards charge forward, weapons raised. I move instantly, my serpentine body flowing like water as I position myself between them and Vera. My tail whips out, catching the first guard across his chest. The impact sends him flying into two others.
"Stay behind me," I growl, catching a sword with my bare hands. Blood drips down my arm, but I barely feel it. I snap the blade and drive the jagged edge through the elf's throat.
More magic bursts from Vera, incinerating a group of archers on the wall. The heat of her power washes over my scales, but I don't flinch. Instead, I draw from it, letting her magic fuel my own strength as I tear through our enemies.
"Your left!" I call out, crushing another guard in my coils while deflecting a magical blast aimed at her.
A dark elf lunges at Vera with a dagger. I grab him by the throat, my fingers crushing his windpipe before throwing him aside. "You don't fucking touch her," I snarl, my voice thick with rage.
The courtyard becomes a symphony of screams and magical explosions. I stay close to Vera, my body moving in perfect sync with hers as we cut through the dark elf forces. Every movement, every kill, is for her protection. I am her shield, her weapon, her slave - and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Max's dark magic slices through the air, missing Vera by inches. My heart nearly stops at how close it came. I crush another guard in my coils, keeping my eyes fixed on her as she battles their leader.
"Your pet snake can't protect you forever," the noble sneers, his hands weaving complex patterns of corrupted magic. "You're still that worthless slave underneath all that power."
Vera's response is a blast of pure energy that shatters his shield. The force of it sends ripples through the air, making my scales tingle. Her power has grown beyond anything I could have imagined.
"Watch out!" I call, intercepting a guard trying to flank her. My tail whips around, catching him in the chest with a satisfying crunch. "They're trying to surround you."
"I see them," she says, her voice tight with concentration.
Max laughs, a hollow sound that echoes across the courtyard. "Look at you, taking orders from a human. How far you've fallen, great naga."
"The only one falling today is you," I snarl, ripping another guard's throat out. Blood sprays across my chest, hot and sticky. "And I'll gladly kneel to her after watching you die."
More dark elves pour from the mansion, their weapons gleaming in the moonlight. The noble's magic grows stronger, feeding off their presence. Black tendrils of power writhe around him like living shadows.
"Vera!" I shout as one tendril shoots toward her. I try to reach her, but three guards block my path.
She deflects it with a wave of her hand, her own magic blazing bright enough to make the dark elves shield their eyes. "Focus on the guards," she commands. "The noble is mine."
I nod, throwing myself into the fray. My body moves on instinct, crushing and tearing through our enemies. But my attention never strays far from her, ready to intervene if she needs me.
I catch movement from the corner of my eye - Max shifting his stance, his magic gathering in a deadly vortex. Vera's locked in combat with another guard, her back turned. She doesn't see the noble's hands weaving the death spell, doesn't notice the sword in his other hand.
But I do.
My body moves before my mind can process the thought. Time slows as I launch myself forward, my serpentine form coiling for maximum speed. The distance between us stretches like an eternity.
"Die, witch!" Max roars, releasing the spell.
The magic tears through the air, a concentrated beam of pure darkness. At the same time, his sword arcs toward her exposed back. My heart stops.
"Not her," I snarl, throwing myself between them. "Never her!"
The spell hits me like a battering ram, tearing through scales and flesh. Max's sword plunges deep into my chest. Pain explodes through my body, but I manage to wrap my tail around his leg, crushing bone.
Max screams as I drag him down with me. We hit the ground together, his sword still buried in my chest. Blood pools beneath us - his and mine mixing on the cold stone.
"Aurel!" Vera's voice seems distant, muffled by the roaring in my ears.
I cough, tasting copper. My vision blurs, but I smile knowing she's safe. This time, I protected her. This time, I didn't run away.
The world blurs at the edges as pain rips through my chest. Max's sword burns like ice where it's buried deep, but I can't focus on that now. My tail tightens around his leg one final time, crushing what remains of his bones. His screams are music to my ears.
"Aurel!" Vera's voice cuts through the haze of pain. She drops to her knees beside me, her hands hovering over the wound. "No, no, no..."
I try to smile, though it probably looks more like a grimace. "Worth it... to see you safe." Blood bubbles up my throat, making the words thick and wet.
"You stupid snake," she whispers, tears falling onto my face. Her magic pulses around us, trying to heal what's broken inside me.
Lady Morana's laugh pierces the air, high and cruel. "How touching! The mighty naga, dying for a worthless slave." Her voice drips with satisfaction. "Perhaps I should mount your head on my wall this time, Aurel. A fitting end to your pathetic existence."
I want to snarl back at her, but my body won't cooperate. The darkness creeps closer, but I fight to stay conscious. I need to see Vera's face, need to memorize every detail while I still can.
"Stay with me," Vera pleads, her hands pressed against my chest. "Don't you dare die on me, not now."
My fingers brush her cheek, leaving trails of blood on her skin. "Sorry... for everything..." The words come out as barely more than a whisper.
Morana's shrieking laughter echoes across the courtyard, a sound of pure, malicious joy.
"I told you... I'd never leave you again," I whisper, blood coating my lips. The pain in my chest burns like molten metal where Max's sword pierced me, but seeing Vera's face makes it bearable.
She cradles my head in her lap, her tears falling onto my face. Magic surges around us, creating a shimmering dome that deflects the dark elves' attacks. Each impact makes the barrier ripple like water, but her power holds steady.
"You idiot," she chokes out, her fingers trembling as they brush my hair from my face. "Why did you do that?"
I try to laugh, but it comes out as a wet cough. More blood. "Couldn't... let him hurt you." My tail twitches weakly against the ground, scales scraping stone. "Not again."
Max pounds against the barrier, his magic crackling uselessly against Vera's shield. "You can't hide in there forever, witch!"
"Shut up!" Vera's voice cracks with rage. The dome pulses brighter, sending Max staggering backward.
I reach up, my fingers leaving bloody trails on her cheek. "Worth it," I murmur. "Everything... was worth it... for you."
Her magic wraps around me like a warm embrace, trying to heal what's broken inside. But Max's blade was cursed - I can feel its magic eating away at my core. Still, I don't regret taking the hit. Better me than her.
"Stay with me," she pleads, pressing her forehead to mine. "Please, Aurel. I can't lose you too."
My vision blurs, but I force myself to focus on her face. If these are my last moments, I want to spend them memorizing every detail of her features. My mate. My salvation. My everything.