Chapter 20 #2
Vratra not knowing about the dragon was concerning.
Did it mean he hadn’t been brought through the entryway, or did it mean the illusion magic over this place hadn’t broke for him in time.
And what did he mean Ophelia lived in a world of the illusion?
Surely that twisted High Priest hadn’t made it to where every man-thing saw a world of pure holiness.
Speaking of the devil, Ophelia’s steps echoed along the stones as she approached from the end of the corridor.
Thrasik watched her. She truly did seem carefree.
She hummed a steady tune and almost had a bounce to her gait.
The flickering flames reflected off a gemstone necklace that sat squarely on her bosom.
A strange mist wafted up to her face from it as she huffed in the particles.
His eyes squinted. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think that gemstone necklace actually had one of Vratra’s scales embedded in it but had been tinkered with by magic.
And so the plot thickens.
Ophelia approached Vratra’s cell again, still glancing both ways before slipping through the doorway. She steadily unloaded her armload of different ointments and jars. Thrasik debated if he should announce himself or if it would trouble her to see a naga so different than Vratra.
Vratra didn’t have the crown of spines that Thrasik did.
He wasn’t of dragon’s blood, but he was an older descendant of a prior royal line.
He was handsome by naga means and was often sought after, but many battles had scared his hide and made him too grizzled for the delicate female naga’s tastes.
Thrasik’s heart warmed slightly for his acquaintance in knowing that he at least found someone that could coax gentler feelings from him.
Vratra stretched his body out in the cell, giving Ophelia more access to bruised scales that scattered along his ribs and sides of his tail. She gingerly dipped her fingers in one of the small vats and rubbed it onto a tender spot. A light hiss escaped the cell.
“As much as I hate to interrupt such a touching moment, I have a question.” Thrasik stuck his arms back through the cell and squished his chin against the bars, watching as Ophelia jumped and her spine stiffened. “Is there any way you could open my door and let me out of here?”
Ophelia’s horrified face turned toward him, her amber eyes piercing into his. Vratra placed a hand on her arm and whispered something against her throat. Her gaze softened as she got to her feet and walked over to Thrasik’s cell.
“I’m so sorry for not noticing you before.
I must’ve been so wrapped up in my duties that I didn’t notice they added another one of you down here.
” She tapped an index finger along the side of her chin.
“I don’t really have enough ointment to experiment on treating another one of you though.
I wonder why Father brought you down here? ”
“Not that it’s any of my concern, but your — uh, Father — sounds like he might need some assistance in the main room.” Thrasik pointed down the corridor where multiple yelps and shouts continued to echo from.
Her lips curled into a gentle grin as she swiped her fingers before her nose, breathing in the mist from the necklace, “Oh, nonsense! Father is all powerful. He doesn’t need assistance with anything.
That’s what he has the voidlings for. They’re so well behaved and always listen to his every request.”
Vratra’s face poked out from behind her in his cell, shaking his head he wound a finger along the side of his temple indicating that the woman was insane.
“Ophelia, is it?” Thrasik pointed a finger at the necklace, seeing now up close that it was an enchanted gemstone of a similar color as Vratra’s scales but didn’t actually contain one of them. “Who gave you this beautiful piece? It shines so gorgeously.”
Anything to get her to talk.
“Why, Father did! He said to always keep it with me so that it will keep the evils away. Everything has been so bright and happy since he gave it to me.”
Of course. Because he wants to keep you complacent.
“Ophelia, could you please open his door as you did mine? He’s much larger than me and these rooms are much too small. Come back and let me lavish in your touch a little longer when you’re done.” Vratra’s voice growled in a strangely sensual manner.
The woman’s cheeks immediately flushed. She let out a playful ‘tsk’ then began to unlock Thrasik’s cell door. He took in her every action, watching how she carefully made sure to not jostle the necklace as she dug around on her waist for a master key.
Finally pulling the key out of its pouch, she placed a finger to her lips before unlocking his door.
“You have to promise me you won’t be bad. If you’re bad, I’ll find you and make you eat nasty berries,” she harshly whispered, a playful tease crinkling the corners of her eyes.
“I promise to behave.” Thrasik almost rolled his eyes at the false statement.
There was no way he was about to behave.
He had a mission.
He was going to find Griselda and get them the fuck out of this twisted city.
And then explore her in differing positions until she begs to be bred.
His scales puffed simultaneously at the thought and at the clicking sound of the lock finally giving way.
Just as Ophelia backed away and he wrapped a clawed hand around the wall to pull himself free from the cell, a high pitched shriek cascaded down the hallway. Thundering footsteps slapped on the stone path as multiple figures shoved past each other.
Thrasik’s lips curled in shock as he watched creatures of wildly differing shapes and states of decay bounce around the walls of the corridor.
Vratra’s pale arms reached out for Ophelia to pull her closer to his cell, if only a moment too late, as one of the creatures shoved her to the floor without regard.
The shattering sound of a crystal breaking reverberated through the hallway. A bone chilling scream broke through the noise of the beasts, causing a sudden hush to run through the corridor.
Steadily, a rumbling hiss shook around the area as Vratra pulled himself out of his cell to circle around Ophelia’s sobbing collapsed form.