The White Snake and the Scarred Delta

Chapter 11

Tezy

____

I rushed towards Delta Garro when I felt the bad intent and smelled the villainous magic. I saw the latter coming in the form of dark mist, to take him down. I knew he could not see it, but only I could. My greenish white shield was already raised to block it. With it, my breathing became uneven.

“Smaranda, get back to the house, now!” I ordered her.

Confusion registered in her eyes, as well as Delta Garro’s. His eyes went round when he realized what I had done. He immediately ushered his mother into the house.

“Go to the cellar, Mama!” he told her firmly.

“But what’s going on?” she asked, fear reflected in her eyes.

The shield sparked as the dark mist tried to break it. I expanded the shield to cover the entirety of the house, and that was when we saw a thick pack of werewolves coming at us.

“Is that… is that pack your enemies?” I asked Delta Garro, turning my head to him.

The muscles of his jaw twitched, as he gritted his teeth. “No other than our enemies last night,” he confirmed. “He’s back sooner than I thought. He must have captured my spy, and it’s clear that he’s come to get me.”

“Garridan!” his mother exclaimed.

“Go to the cellar. Now, Mama!” he repeated resolutely.

Smaranda swallowed hard, eyes wavering, and followed her son’s words. She looked at me when she paused halfway down.

“Go! I’ll stay here with him,” I mouthed.

She nodded and reluctantly went down the cellar.

I turned to Delta Garro. “Is the cellar safe?”

He looked at me, saying, “I don’t think there’s a safer place right now. These contemptible wolves won’t stop until they get me. That’s clear to me now.”

Lines formed between the space of my two brows, as I frowned. “You? Why you?”

“No time to explain. I appreciate the shield, by the way.” With that, he shed his shirt off and shifted.

“No!” But he paid no heed to me. Sure, who was I to stop him whatsoever he wanted to do?

That was when I saw some more wolves that came from different directions. The battle was on. I saw the gray wolves try to eliminate Delta Garro’s pack members one by one. The two largest ones in each pack faced and fought. Their fangs and paws were aimed against each other. The one with rust-colored fur was Delta Garro’s ultima, trying to outmaneuver the gray wolf. That must be Ultima Danijel.

I watched Delta Garro face three gray wolves. My heart cartwheeled at the sight of his being ganged up. No, I could not just stand in the safety of my shield. I wanted to help him and keep him safe. For some reason, it was what my instinct directed me.

With a wave of my hand, the dark mist that continued to attempt to break my shield disappeared. I had to find who did it. I scanned the battlefield. That summoner of magic must be around here somewhere. Meanwhile, I flicked my middle finger and aimed it at each of Delta Garro’s enemies. One by one, they flew up in the air, and I magically broke their necks. The breaking sound of their bones could be heard before they hit the ground with a thud.

Delta Garro looked my way, but I had no time to meet his astounded eyes.

Ah, there you are. I found whom I was looking for, hiding on top of an apple tree.

I finally stepped out of the shield, making sure that it would fix itself once attempts are made. And yes, fix itself it did, as bad magic tried to take it down.

Why bother? Delta Garro’s already out there on the battlefield. Could it be that this magic summoner wants his mother?

Right. She must think she could get to Delta Garro if she held his mother hostage, which would not happen, unless I’d let her go through that shield.

A little smile played on my lips. I merely waved a hand when gray wolves sought to harm me. They all flew up into the air; their bodies twisted, breaking their spines and necks before dropping to the ground.

I had a good night’s rest, so I felt revitalized when I woke up this morning. It was quite riveting to see and learn that there’s such a thing as daytime. One sun was brighter than Hebbiza’s two moons. Now, that was amazing! Deep inside, I could not wait to tell a lot of stories to my brothers. But then again, woes filled my heart due to their imprisonment. I wondered how they were doing in the dark pit of Hebbiza. It would be a relief if they would still be asleep while being imprisoned. I thought it was better compared to when they were aware of it. They must be suffering there. I could not even imagine how dark and insanely quiet it was down there, without food, powers, and water.

I had not noticed I spaced out. I winced when I felt a piercing pain in my stomach.

I gasped when I saw a gaping hole in it.

“Tezy!”

I heard a shout in my head. My eyes went round, with my mouth gaping open. I slowly turned to look at Delta Garro, whose eyes reflected deathly fear.

I clamped my mouth and immediately shifted into my white snake form. I was smaller than when I shifted last, but it did not matter. I could still heal faster in this form.

I slithered towards the one responsible for the gaping hole in my human stomach. Now, it was gone when I shifted.

That magic summoner! I’ll make her pay for it!

My body easily slid up the tree. She kept throwing bad magic at me, red sparks coming my way, but it did not work on me this time. I smiled at her mischievously. It was payback time!

She screamed when I wrapped myself around her. My fangs buried into the softest spot of her neck. With it, I sucked her powers, and I felt myself growing bigger. Excitement rushed throughout my body. It was something I’d never felt before.

Her neck bled. I could taste the metallic taste of her blood. However, I did not swallow it. I let it dribble down her chest, shoulder, and back.

“P-please… don’t kill me…” she begged limply.

She fell from the tree, and I was still wrapped around her. The last bit of her powers entered my deity body, and I let her go. She was still breathing, alive. However, all her powers were gone, and she could not take them back. She had no way to take them back, unless I perished, which would not happen. None from this dimension could get rid of me⸺unless it was Kigga.

The noisy and bloody fracas continued. I saw Delta Garro help his ultima, driving the giant gray wolf away from them. The latter snarled in discontentment. He howled, and all the gray wolves, limping or not, began to dash away. They even left the magic summoner on the ground, who still lay there limply. She could not move, as her energy was drained, and her powers were transferred to me completely.

I examined her. She was still young, maybe nineteen or twenty. How could this young creature have such bad intent?

I shifted back to my human form, surveying her. “You’re useless to them now. Do you think you’ll be spared if you go back with them?”

Her brown eyes wavered. A tear rolled down the side of her face, and she sobbed more audibly.

“U-Ultima D-Danijel… h-has… my l-little sister…” she stammered, out of breath.

My lips slowly parted. I scanned her memories to see if she told me the truth, and she did. I saw a little girl, in her five years, more or less, being held by Ultima Danijel while facing the crying magic summoner.

“If you can’t kill or take down Delta Garro, then you must get his mother for me, Dušan. Or, little Zorica will be my little plaything. Do you understand?”

Mighty Deity! That evil werewolf!

My hands became tight fists. I hovered my hand on the wounds from my bite, healing her in a couple of seconds. She gasped and breathed in a lungful of air. Her wondering eyes focused on my face.

“W-why… didn’t you kill me?” she slowly asked.

“I don’t kill⸺” I began but was immediately cut off.

“You killed those gray wolves. Who knows you killed some others?” Delta Garro butted in, pointing it out.