Never Let an Elf Steal Your Heart

Chapter 51: Viper's Cave



---Markos---

A chill ran Markos's spine. He'd been keeping the secret of Mara's temple for years. No inquisitor could pry it from his lips nor could any amount of liquor loosen it from his tongue. He was three that knew the truth of what was in that temple. He had carried the burden alone, allowing himself to be subjected to the oppression of the Order in response. Through Jo and Kant the Church applied pressure on him to impart with them the secret that had been stolen from them, only certain that something was missing without proof of what it was to begin with.

The Order had sent two templars and a helka north beyond the wall to a lost temple of Mara to stop something from being stolen. There had been no information on what could have been taken, only that there had been something worth taking. Perhaps, their Whisperers had warned that there was something particularly dangerous lurking deep within the cavern that should've killed them. When they emerged alive, it had been a point of puzzlement. Nothing could move Markos from his silence. He knew that telling the Church what he saw was a death sentence. But, Sintija was marked for death as an antagonist for the Order, telling her the truth would not mark her more than her existence already did.

"Throughout this world are gateways into the worlds beyond," Markos began. "I'd hope that you of all others would know the connection between the First and the temples."

Sintija nodded quietly, her attention focused on Markos's story. Her hands lowered to his sides as she sat in front of him. Without much thought, he patted the empty space next to him on his bed roll. She moved to his side and he shifted his blankets over her shoulders as well. A wave of heat radiated from her as she leaned against him. Between the blankets and Sintija, he no longer felt cold.

Markos opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. He coughed into his hand before taking another drink from his canteen. His face burned from a mix of the liquor and his awkwardness. His thoughts drifted back to Iliana nestled against his side. Her eyes blazing in the darkness as she smiled up at him.

"Markos, it'll be all right. I want you too," Sintija's voice was a tease of velvet and her eyes inviting. Her hand massaged his leg, inching up to his thigh and stopping short of the junction between. Her voice lowered with a soft laugh. "Oh, so you do as well."

When Markos didn't continue, Sintjia gently nudged him, pulling him from his memories. Markos blinked, shifting his position to hide the aftermath of that particular phantom. He hadn't accounted for what discussing the temple meant for him.

"You're stalling." Sintjia teased in a playful lilting voice that made Markos think of a small songbird.

"Sorry, it's just... hard to remember," he winced at the phrasing and hoped she won't notice. He put his thoughts in order. He focused on the memory of the echo of the cavern and the carvings on the maraium walls. The steps the descended into a deep pool and the lights Iliana illuminated it with. He remember the chill of the moment before the giant serpent's strike.

----

10 Years Ago, 76th year of the age of Arnaud.

Markos felt strange. His brows furrowed as he looked up. His eyes widened as he saw the gleam of white sword sized teeth inside an onyx scaled serpentine maw above them. The body of the giant creature tightened in a coil that he recognized from years of killing rattlesnakes. "Get inside! Caelyn!"

Caelyn cursed as he pushed Iliana into the alcove, his eyes blazing. "It means to eat us."

Markos didn't understand what it was or why none of them had sensed it. 'Saule grant me the strength to protect them.' He braced himself as the serpent launched itself at them with a rumbling hiss and a crunch of its jaws.

He thrust his sword up as the serpent's jaws snapped down. Markos shouted, Caelyn's sword clashed and slid off the creature's hardened scales.

"It won't pierce its hide!" Caelyn cursed.

Markos's blade lodged itself into the roof of the snake's mouth. Toxin venom dripped down from its fangs, blistering against his gauntlets. He inwardly cursed not having his armor on because of the water. Drowning would have been preferable to his skin boiling off. "My sword is stuck!"

Its tail thrashed wildly as it struggled to pull back as Markos wrestled to free his sword. He planted his foot at the bottom of its jaws between behind the front row of its large jagged teeth and braced against the viper's attempts to clamp its jaws around him.

"What's burning?" Caelyn shouted over the scraping of giant scales over dry stone. "Keep it distracted! Its head is probably its soft spot!"

"Its venom! Don't get sprayed, reminds me of a rattler poison!" Markos grunted, straining to keep from being swallowed.

'Easy for him to say!' Markos bitterly thought. 'He's not in its mouth with his sword... Wait, if this is it's soft spot I can just force the sword deeper. I could pierce its brain from this side!' He thrust the blade deeper, twisting it. Blood trickled down as the beast shrieked, its foul breath made him dizzy. He held on as his grip became slick and tacky. He grimaced.

The viper shook violently, its blood mixing with the venom to burn Markos. Its scales rubbed together making a echoing shriek.

"How you doing?!" Caelyn yelled, sounded winded.

"You got some spell to throw down this thing's throat?!" Markos yelled back. His shoulders and legs ached under the strain.

"I'm going to talk you through it!" Caelyn rolled into Markos's peripheral vision, looking roughed up. He leapt out of the way of a coil, disappearing from Markos's sight.

"I'm listening!" Markos started slipping as the viper's blood reached his feet, sliding as the viper shook its monstrous head, its tongue flicking out to try to push him out of the way.

"You... ugh..." Caelyn's voice was closer somehow but more strained. "Picture fire forming into a ball in front of you! Take a deep breath and imagine pushing your energy in direction of it!"

Markos's brows furrowed at the instructions. It seemed strange but he did as he was told. The urgency of his situation didn't leave him much time to second guess his mentor. He imagined the ball of fire, taking a deep breath and pushed his breath and energy down towards the orb. He felt something inside him snap and energy rushed from his body into the giant fiery orb that exploded outward and down the viper's throat. Singed flesh and smoke filled Markos's lungs.

"Where are you?" Caelyn shouted from somewhere above him.

"By its fangs!" Markos regained his footing, bracing by pushing upward with the sword until it met resistance.

"Incoming!" Caelyn warned as a fiery blade pierced through the roof of the serpent's mouth. Markos's world lurched sideways. He braced as the creature's corpse collapsed with a heavy thud. Aching, sticky but alive, Markos freed his sword and crawled onto dry white stone in the warmth of the temple chamber.


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