COTN House of Genoe Part 5

5. Mother and Queen

The High Tower Temple is a triangle shaped structure that reaches to a height of over fifty Man's height with a central beam that holds it up. There are intervening beams across the tower levels to hold the walls up but it actually one tall inverted triangle. It was built as an art piece to showcase the ascension of Man to the heavens but soon it became a temple of worship by the Serpents followers as serpents starts to nest there. It deter off the others but the followers took it as their own domain. 

This time, Malech did not take the misty tunnel but he walked on the broken path way to the High Tower. The serpents were all around but it kept their distance from the sorcerer. The walk was long as the temple is placed at the city center. Malech had a chance to preview the serpents presence in the city and he is amazed at how many they have grown into. There are more than just serpents here but also the other reptiles like the dark scorpions, the centipedes and also the scions of Man'; the followers. He saw also the inbreed products like the double head Man and serpents here.

The gates of the temple was guarded a pair of menacing dark scorpions that is about the size of a horse. A centipede that length to that of man's height cling to the upper wall above the gates. The door opened seeing the arrival of the guest. Malech walked in and he was surprised to see the inner temple was cleared of any serpents except one which is their Queen. She curled like a lazy beast on a afternoon tan on the bench placed there.

"Master Malech, I bid you welcome. I would had greeted you at the doorway, but it would unbecoming of me as a Queen." Kiring is dressed scantily in silk covering her vanity but the skin that was once pale white in complexion is now partially covered with dark green scales and her once long streak of hair is now tousled up like a hood of the serpent neck. "Please sit anywhere. I have moved all the serpents out on your coming so we can talk in private."

"Kiring, what did you do?" Malech stared at the apprentice of his who was once a beauty among the elves.

"Oh, this look. Its the 'Jonserp Spell'. You should know it well. You tried to stop it from being perfected. Well, its now. I am the subject that perfected it. With this, we can interbreed between species. I am their Mother Serpent too." She waved a hand and from the burrows around the temple base came out half Man and Serpent species. They are Man's height with the torso complete with arms of Man' hands but their lower limbs are that of a serpent. The other difference is that they have elongated neck and their mouth are filled with fangs. "There are a dozen of them, and they protect me. They are my product with Seti. No guards are more loyal than your own children. Go away, children. Mother is busy now."

The children slither away on her instruction.

"Welcome to my new home, Master Malech." She waved her hand and the Malech felt his legs tied down by the flooring which move over his feet, covering them like some hard cover. "I learned more than you ever taught me."

"A feeble attempt at it." Malech waved his hand over it and the ground cracked open to release his feet. "You had magic here and yet you did not see it. Sad but ironic for you and Malent." Malech is snickering beneath his words.

"Yes, how did you hide all of that from us? We knew the old scrolls were there, but every attempt we did was a failure."

"It was easy. The chamber is locked by magic but not by me. It was your first master, Houden from Karen. His lock spells are extraordinary and beyond most of our capability. He was the keeper of the magics then. Every one who was into it signed a pledge to donate their magics there should they died without an apprentice. That was how we intended to preserved the magic. Houden told me of it when I was made Master of the masters. He confided in me that he fear for his life may end soon. He made me promise him to released the magic only upon great distress. He died soon enough but his lock remain." Malech smiled at the ex-apprentice.

"He selected Aleria for its was the city he loved then until your kind came and smear its beauty. He also knew that if there was a distress, it would be in Aleria as he was also a sorcerer who can predict on the future. He knew that I would come here. He told me so before he died."

"Houden was my father. He would had told me. You are lying, Master Malech...." Kiring screamed out at the old sorcerer. It stirred up the serpents as more appeared to come out of the burrows and doorways. "Stay away!"

The serpents heed her command.

"You father send you to me as he fears you would need a better master. I accepted you with Pipa as she was also brought in soon after. Her master was Lord Netsu who is acclaim in both as wizard and diplomat. The later was because Lord Netsu feared you learning from me and becoming an ally to fight him. I accepted his apprentice to appease him but I taught you more of the essential spells. Needless to say, the one I feared most did not do the first thrust of the dagger into my back but the one I liked did it." Malech looked away from the Queen towards the flooring. "You also seduced me when I was lonely. I admit my loss of my love made me foolish, but now I think I need not be as a whore knows nothing about feelings. She is just a bitch who wants to be garland with golds. Is that why you become the Queen?"

"Malech!" Kiring screamed out his name, but then she held back her words. The serpents are swarming out and again they stopped at her signal. They then retreated back again.

"I seduced you because of my obedience to Seti. He commands so then. I would do anything he asked of me. I am his lover too. Seti needed me to get close to you so that Pipa and me can trap you. Seti planned it all as he knows if he showed himself, you would expose his situation to the rest. Seti did not want a war until he is ready. He also needed you out of the way. It was never only me and Pipa. It was us altogether." Kiring moved her body to stand up.

"I called out Berhan to see me here outside the Dome. He still loves me. Alone, he was no match for me and Seti. He  believed me to trouble and he took me in to the Dome. He also teach me how to break the barrier and later Seti attacked the rest. There were casualties but we won. Seti wanted to destroyed the Dome but I stopped him. If the Dome is destroyed. It may alert the others too prematurely. We were preparing our armies then." Kiring stared at the old sorcerer. "Our army is now ready. Seti is seeing to their final preparations."

"Kiring, why do you do all of this? Berhan loved you. I did too and I regretted my lust then. Your father held hopes for you. What did really happened?" Malech looked at her for any signs of compassion or anything that could explained her motives. "Was it revenge? Or gold? Or power?"

Kiring just stared back at him. She looked up to the tower and then back at the old sorcerer.

"I was carrying Berhan' child when you caused us to split. He knew then but he could not tell you. I wanted to tell you but you chased me out of the chamber then. Do you recall how you lashed at me with your magic. You slammed me against the wall. You were so obsessed with the war. " She point at him. Then she continued in her words at him.

"You only wanted to win over your brother. You never knew about your grandchild in me. The child died that day due to your rage. I lost Berhan that day too; he blamed me for confronting you. That's when I plotted your downfall. I met up with your brother and served him as my master. Soon we became more than that. I helped him to spawn the children. They are ours; just like what I would had done with Berhan. You are the reason I am fighting with them."

"You are mad, Kiring. I should had seen this before. I am sorry. Can I make amends for you?" Malech held out his hands to the lady standing before the bench.

"Not then, and not now." Kiring shouted out. On both side of her to the rear; two large dark scorpions appeared out from the flooring. They plough their body out by pushing up the ground away. "I called them the Dark Guards. They are resilience to many magic spells and deadly if stung. The body would go into paralysis and then slow death as they consumed your innards."

"You gloat too much, Kiring." Malech ran to the nearest burrow. He held out his hands and chant some spells.

"No!" Kiring shout out in defiance.

A number of serpents crawled out from the burrows; large and small to proceed towards the oncoming dark scorpions. The serpents attacked the scorpions with ferocity of their nature. Malech rushed to the doorway and ran out to the open city area.

"Cedi!" Malech cried out. The serpents around him are starting to move up against him. He reached into his robe to pulled out the Oracle.He waved it around him and the serpents backed off but still stayed within a short distance of him.

"Cedi of Canaan!" Malech called out once more.

A shadow appeared over the skies and then a streak of flame was seen on the ground scattering and burning up the serpents which was in the way. The Gryphon flew a couple of time around the area where Malech is standing and leaving a trail of burnt serpents. It then landed and the rider on it reached with the hand.

"Malech." It was Cedi and he is giving the old sorcerer a ride to safety.

"Back to the Dome. Medi is still there. Take her away but I would stay on. I still have work to do here. Kiring must be stopped."

Soon Malech looked up to see Cedi holding Medi in his arms as they flew off. He rushed back inside the Dome to prepare his next battle. He held up the wand and looked at it.

"Its time you lived to your reputation."