"Myer! Let go of me!" Nerian struggled against Myer's hold on him as he tried to run towards the spot Zaki had just been in a few moments ago. The last thing he recalls was cutting the head of the last Scorpion-tailed Tarantula on his end. Feeling proud of himself, he turned around to look at Zaki. She was kneeling in front of the vessel while having what seemed to be a carefree conversation.
"How adorable she looks," Nerian thought as he saw her smiling gently. Once again, he felt his heart beating. No matter how often he saw Zaki smile, his heart would lose control. Her serene and genuine smile had not changed from when they were children. It was still the same…despite everything.
"After all of this is over, Zaki, I hope I can continue to see your smile, even if it's from afar, as I am now." Nerian gave out a small sigh as he looked up at the full moon. After they complete their mission, after they deliver the vessel safely and the ritual is complete, after the priestess returns and puts an end to this hell, after all that, they will finally be able to live at peace.
"Peace…" a word that had almost lost its meaning in this world. If Nerian was honest with himself, he did not care much for the peace of others. He would have stopped caring for his inner peace if it hadn't been for one reason and one reason only. That reason being… her. The only person for whom he was fighting—the one person for whom he had picked up a sword. As long as she could continue smiling as she had until now, then he would continue to hold on to the hope of one day reaching true peace.
"Don't you think it's a little too soon to be daydreaming?" Myer said as he approached him. Nerian rolled his eyes as he put his sword away.
"Seeing how you are taking the time to come make fun of me, I will assume that I have nothing to worry about," Nerian said as he crossed his arms, "so I doubt a little daydreaming will hurt to pass the time." Myer chuckled as he placed his hand on Nerian's shoulder and said, "You've truly come a long way, kid. You even talk back to me now." Nerian scoffed as he moved Myer's hand from his shoulder, "It's about time you stopped calling me a kid. I'm only two years younger than you." Myer gave out a little laugh as he playfully wrapped his arm around Nerian's head.
"Hey! Let go of me, you brute," Nerian said as he struggled to remove Myer's arm.
"You don't want me to call you a child, and yet I found you struggling to stop the vessel's little maid from leaving with her."
"That's not my fault. I was not expecting her to be a skilled fighter, and the next head of the Whitlock family at that! Plus," Nerian grunted as he finally freed himself, "I wasn't using any spiritual energy while fighting her, so it took a while."
"Hmp, the little maid truly surprised us all. Even if you didn't fight her with any spiritual energy, she still stood her ground. Even without spiritual energy, you are not a weak fighter, and yet she was able to keep you on your toes. It is possible that in a fair match, she would have beaten you."
"Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"
"Take it however you want, kid."
"What's with the sudden interest anyway? Did she melt that frozen heart of yours with those flaring glares full of hatred she gives every five seconds?"
"Oh, you're using sarcasm now?'
"Learned from the best."
"You need a brain to learn anything."
"Stop changing the subject, Myer."
"I don't fully trust her, that's all. You can see what she is thinking, but at the same time, I can't read her."
"Mhm. I don't think any of us trusts either of them. You have to admit, though, she's quite a loyal servant."
"Yes, she is. So loyal it's almost sickening. Why be loyal to someone who will be no more in a few months?"
"You're one to talk."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Come on, Myer, you know that as Sapphire Warriors, our last day could be any second. Also, may I remind you that the last time a guy insulted Arcane, you cut off his tongue. You have no idea how anxious I felt every time the commander of the squad that came to retrieve the vessel disrespected Arcane. I'm surprised that man is even alive."
"I have my ways of holding back."
"Which are?"
"I imagined myself peeling his skin off bit by bit every time I sharpened my blade. Plus, we got to fight some of those Wolves. I imagined them with the face of the commander every time I cut their heads off."
"You're sick, you know that?" Nerian asked with a facial expression full of disgust and concern he could not hide.
"In the world we live in, who doesn't have a sick mind of their own?"
"That-" the ground started to tremble underneath their feet.
"An earthquake?" Myer asked as he tried to steady himself. Nerian noticed that the women weren't reacting to the trembling. His eyes widened as he quickly knelt on the ground and placed his ear, trying to listen underneath. It was faint, but a hissing sound could be heard among the noise of moving dirt and rocks being parted away.
"No, it's not an earthquake!" Alarmed, Nerian looked up at Myer, "It's a Hades King Cobra! We have to get out of here!"
"Arcane!" As Myer called out, the trembling got more violent.
"It's about to emerge! But where?!" Nerian pressed his ear closer to the ground, attempting to determine where the creature would attack them from.
"Wait, that's-" Nerian quickly got up and started running towards the tree where the women were.
"Get away from there!!!" He desperately yelled, trying to get their attention. Arcane and Myer saw this and also started to run after him. It was too late, though. Although it happened in the blink of an eye, to Nerian, it happened in slow motion. Zaki also felt the trembling, and seeing how alarmed Nerian, Myer, and Arcane were while they ran in their direction, it didn't take her long to figure it out. Acting quickly, Zaki pushed Daliyah out of the way. She then grabbed Agatha and threw her as far as her strength would allow her to. Just as she had managed to get them both out of the way and she attempted to take a run for it, the ground opened up. A wide, black tongue and four fangs were all Zaki could see before getting swallowed up, her cloak getting stuck in one of the snake's lower fangs.
"ZAKIIIII!!!" Nerian yelled out as she disappeared from his sight. The snake continued to emerge from the ground, its thick, enormous body revealing itself under the moonlight.
"ZAKI!" Nerian started to dash towards the snake when Myer held him back.
"Let go of me, Myer!"
"No, you need to calm down. You can't just attack it head-on, you fool!"
"Don't you tell me to calm down! Let go of me!" Myer tightened his grasp on Nerian as the young warrior tried to free himself. Nerian looked up as he heard the snake making its sickening hissing sound. An evil grin appeared on its face, as if enjoying Nerian's misery.
"I'll kill you! Give Zaki back to me, you monster!"
"Nerian! Enough!" Arcane's calm, yet commanding voice brought Nerian back to his senses. Arcane signaled him with his eyes to look closely at the snake's body. Nerian turned towards the snake and saw something moving inside it.
"What…?" Before Nerian could figure out what was happening, the snake started to twist itself in pain. Its eyes widened as it opened its mouth and made a painful sound. Then, from within it, blades started to fly out, forcing an opening in its body. Zaki, covered in a green liquid, jumped out of the opening and stood in front of the creature. The snake, noticing its wound and seeing Zaki outside its body, filled itself with fury and got ready to attack.
"Zaki…" Nerian said her name with relief in his voice.
Zaki turned to him and smiled.
"(I've told you before, Nerian, I am no longer weak. It's no easy task to kill me anymore)." Nerian smiled at her, seeing that he wasn't hallucinating. She was truly there. Zaki turned to Arcane and said, "(This one is mine)." Arcane only nodded at her in agreement.
"Now then, the tables have turned."