CHAPTER 4: What Mystery?

"Mother. mother..." He followed behind her, calling nonstop as she gave instructions at intervals to the servants.

"Imbecile! Step on it and serve those drinks immediately!" she ordered a Wolf-monkey walking sluggishly with glasses of extracted grape seeds in a tray.

He kept on calling to get her attention. She finally turned to him "Yes son, what is it you want to say?"

He stares blankly at her, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... I.. I.."

"Hey, you there! Why are you idle? Get your hands busy now!" The Viper queen scolded, pointing at a servant standing at the corner of the room with her back resting against the wall".

The maiden Wolf-monkey bowed and hurriedly fled the scene stumbling.

"Mother.." the Viper Prince called again.

Queen Zuki sighed turning her focus to him "There is so much work to do, son. What is so important you have to tell me at this hour" she shook her head, feeling exhausted.

"My apologies your Highness" he bowed.

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, the crowd cheered as they made an entrance into the event chamber.

Her floor-length dress is most sophisticated, chic and stylish with elegant jewelries that elevates her look. Her green fabulous shoes matched the zan in her braided bun.

"Mother, you must stop the celebration. I didn't -----"

"What? I can't hear you." she said, smiling and waving as the public cheered.

"You are not listening Mother. I said ----"

There was a resounding cheer as the crowd let out a shout of applause until the queen took her seat on the throne.

The Viper clan had gathered round in a revelry held concerning the Amethyst. The babble of conversation was punctuated by the chink of bottles against glasses.

Holding out his glass, "Pour me some more" a Viper said to an enslaved Wolf-monkey serving drinks at the occasion.

Queen Zuki hissed loudly so as to be heard over the high babble of voices.

The noise faded out as the assemblage comported themselves, paying attentive ears to the queen.

"All hail the queen, All hail the queen. Sssss…" They bowed their heads, chorusing in praises.

The queen arouse from her throne. She walked around the space in front of her with her hands lifted high above her head, she proceeded to address the crowd. "Today… we are gathered here to celebrate for my begotten son has redeemed us this day!".

A spontaneous cheer went round the room, followed by a gab of talk as everyone relaxed.

She walked majestically to her throne and bowed slightly, nodding politely as she signals her son to take the floor.

He got up from his seat, facing the Queen. He bowed with one knee touching the ground "Mother, I hail thee" he said in a husky tone.

She smiled with a nod as he turned to face the crowd.

His eyes navigated through the crowd with his ears twitching as he could hear even over the jabber of the crowd, a sharp, shocked intake of breath. He felt light-headed.

"Liang! Liang!" The queen called from her mind, using a hand gesture, as she tries to tell him to proceed with his speech.

He opened his mouth but words could not come out. He took in a deep breath "My people...." he paused and turned his head from side to side, looking around the crowd.

There was a loud applause that echoed across the chamber. The Vipers chanted his name, along with their hands jamming together.

"All hail Prince Liang! All hail Prince Liang! All hail Prince Liang!!"

He bit his lips and in haste, turned to his mother with his both knees and palms on the floor.

"I am sorry Mother. I failed at it. You must punish me with death mother". He gripped the rug firmly, quivering with his scales becoming conspicuous on his skin then he closed his eyes tightly and a tear dropped on the ground.

Few moments earlier in the cave....

The Viper Prince had flown into a temper when Mae Li rushed to get her hands on the purple crystal stone that was suspending in the air in rotatory motion. Before he could retaliate, the ground shook and the walls of the cave had started collapsing.

He had ran for cover, throwing cartwheels and tumbled into another column in the cave. The walls of the cave tremor and a spiky rock fell from the ceiling, landing on his forehead. He passed out.

Few minutes later, he could hear the slight trickling of water. He felt muzzy, groaning with his hand rubbing on his head as he opened his eyes gradually to a blurry vision.

His eyes widened to see the cave sinking. He hurriedly got up from the ground, picking up his bow and quiver bag along with him. He ran around the cave but the walls had collapsed blocking the passageways, trapping him inside.

"Help!! Help!!!" He banged on the walls of the cave, yelling for help as there was no route of escape.

Prince Liang detached a scale from his skin, forming a sledgehammer. He hits the collapsed rock again and again in the same spot but it was useless.

Feeling exhausted, he slumped to sit on the ground with his knees supporting his hands on his head, grieving quietly as he takes off the mask wrapped around his head. The water was rippling at his knee length. He jerked up, looking around the cave feeling frustrated, then he saw a small space at the top in between the rocks on which rays of light flashed in.

He had formed magical arrows with his scales, shooting through the slim hole invariably as he cried out for help. He got disappointed when his arrows couldn't break the barrier. He punched the wall in rage, letting out a loud wail as he pulled his hair. He fumes with fire coming out of his mouth and nostrils.

He gasped, covering his mouth in shock.

"H-how how.... Was it me?" his pupil dilated in confusion.

Only the dragon clan spits fire. Why did this happen? He puzzled.

He lets out a loud roar to see if he'd breathe fire again, his throat almost turned sore, coughing.

The splashing of water on the rocks with increasing flow prompted him to climb on the slippery rocks to peek outside through the small hole but it gave no clue of existence as it was a void space with bright light.

He hung on there as the water level continues to rise. The roaring of the flooded room inflicted anxiety on him when he looked down. In a jiffy, the water caught up with him at the ceiling.

There was no room for air. The pressing down of lungs that suddenly need to breathe more than ever before, the confusion and disorientation of shattered light through water that's usually murky and filled with floating specks. He could not see, he could not breathe, and he did not know which way was up or down.

Then there's the knowledge that he was about to die. The vision at the edges of his sight seemed to turn into black flecks, then pulses reddish white. His lungs burned and his chest had felt like it's being compressed right in the center by a giant fist, and pulled apart at the same time. There was a sense of nausea and his whole body felt tingly and rigid. His neck feels tense, like there was fingers pushing inward against his esophagus and throttling him. His ears were throbbing, he could hear his own heartbeat, his own last few pulses.

It was cold, but he was also numb, also tingly. His limbs felt dead, heavy, and he had no control over them. His vision goes black eventually, but there are little flashes of sparks as his eyes move, trying to find light. His fingers feel like they were about to burst open, as if he had a tourniquet around his wrists and all the blood is pooling in his hands, swelling until they explode. He was being bashed around by the undercurrent, he desperately needed air. He kicked, and tried to get to the surface again. No luck.

The water around him had grown heavier with every stroke of his arms. The water grew darker as he lose the strength to move and sink to the bottom. In spite of that, he had finally accepted it. He vaguely remembered everything going silent, utterly black, feeling nothing. His disgruntled life had flashed before his eyes. He could not hold his breath any longer and he inhaled, but instead of air he got water; extremely salty, flavored with dirt.

Light sparked at the bottom of the cave. His faint eyes managed to read the writing inscribed on the rocks;

"Ori mus.. va ti mus" His lips moved stiffly.

Shortly, beneath the waters was glowing with blue rays rotating along a circular path. His eyelids shut sharply as the water drained, flushing down.

__________***__________

He woke up feeling like he stopped breathing. He took in a deep breath and choked on it, coughing intensely. He looked around his chamber, not realizing where he was, still believing real life was what he was still dreaming. He felt a sense of dizziness and confusion, in reality, groaning with his hand rubbing on his forehead.

He glimpsed to see blood stained on his palm. He jerked up from his bed immediately shocked.

The Viper prince moved in circles, trying to understand if he had been in a trance in the cave or it was actually real. He could not comprehend the physical injury sustained. His head banged trying to solve the mystery.

"Who was that girl? And why did the flashes of light call me to the cave?" he pondered.

He tried to recall what had happened in his sleep, then the inscribed incantation that glowed in the waters occurred to him.

"Visa ... Visa... Vimus.. Something something... Argh!" He smashed the flower pot by his bedside, flaring with smoke coming out of his nostrils.

He covered his nose in a bit of astonishment.

"Ori mus.. va ti mus" The spell came out of his mouth involuntarily, with his eyes sparked in flame.

His doorknob vibrated, the knob clicked nonstop as he repeatedly recite the incantation. Soon it was glowing with blue rays rotating along a circular path.

"Eureka!" He exclaimed.

He walked cautiously to the portal, passing one hand through the blue rays, then he brought back his hand, amazed as he stares at the portal.

"It is real after all" he said to himself as a smile slipped. Since the king died, Prince Liang had forgotten how to smile.

The blue rays faded gradually and vanished. Without wasting much time, he ran to share his experience with his mother, the Viper Queen.

He entered her room but she wasn't there. He then concluded she'd be at the sacred meeting held amongst the elders of the viper council.

He ran around the palace in his underwear in search of the queen, maidens stunned and giggling amongst themselves. Some were more startled to see the crowned prince in his underwear. Prince Liang did not mind as he was overwhelmed, heading jubilantly to the conference chamber to see his mother, Queen Zuki.

He barged into the conference chamber, with the palace guards trying to stop him but he persistently pushed through as he stumbled into the partition. There was an awkward silence as everyone turned to look at him. With their eyes fixed on his underwear, he quickly covered with both hands on his groin.

"You shouldn't be here. Ssss..." an elder said.

"Apologies your Highness and the wise elders of our council" He bowed and then turned to the queen "Mother I'd like to speak with you" bowing again.

"Right now?!" she asked a rhetorical question.

"Yes Mother" he bowed again.

"Oh get some decency, and then we can talk later" She said throwing her face with her hand blocking her side view as she looked away.

"It's urgent Mother. I found it. Ssss.... The Amethyst mother...."

He paused and looked around the room with his ears twitching when there was a simultaneous gasp as everyone began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Leave us." The Viper Queen said to the guards and they bowed and exited the chamber.

"Ar-are you s-sure you saw the Amethyst?" Queen Zuki stuttered, descending from her throne as she approaches Prince Liang.

He bowed as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

She raised his chin gently with her fingers and with her eyes sparkling, she looked pleasantly at her son. Then she wiped the blood on his forehead with her index finger and licked it. Turning to her brother, Master Yuze, she said "Quickly, gather the good people of our clan. This calls for a celebration!"

Master Yuze bowed in response, his pupil dilating as he squeezed the orchid flower in his hand, feeling fury.

Prince Liang stuttered inaudibly as his startled eyes watched his mother exit the room.