The secrets of the night

In the dark of the night, the shadowy black figures swished thru the forest at a fast speed. They seemed as one with the low black trees in the wetland.

The black lizard warriors were coming back to their underground fortress. It was situated in the only rocky mountain formation in the wetland. It was safe from water and had a natural complex of caves, which the lizard warriors changed into houses, store rooms and halls. The rooms were joined by a long corridor system, which was like underground streets, they were built deep into the mountains all the way up, and down to the underground as well.

Mathyas run with his warriors fast, he seemed not to touch the ground as he leapt in the air lightly. He was deep in his thoughts, it was almost like his body knew how to come home back by itself. He held Sienna's portrait under his arms. In front of his eyes the mirage of her blue eyes and smile so sweet. The expression on her face, when he made her that golden butterfly was carved into Mathyas's mind. He felt somehow excited, somehow gloomy. He was not sure what to think yet about Sarcos and his new queen. "She is surely sweet," he murmured to himself. He felt the sweetness in his mouth at the memory of her and kept swallowing hard. His body was reacting to her and he was thinking about what to do.

He thought of Sarcos just standing there and watching and smiled a bit bitterly, a bit cheekily. "The little brother I could have. How weird is fate! Sarcos became one of the most ferocious kings and now he got a queen like no other. He must surely love her a lot. Pretend to be a guard! "Mathyas chuckled. He thought about how he looked at her smooth pale skin and blue tiger-like eyes. "Eyes and hair to die for." he chuckled darkly."If ever she knew! She did not say I'm repulsive to her. To ask Sarcos to join her family? How outrageous! Will she mate me, if Sarcos say so? Or was she just stalling? Mate her... Be Sarcos's slave!" Mathyas chuckled."How daring is she! Yes, she dared, she is not that scared, sensitive and not scared, kind and brave. What a puzzle!"

Mathyas and his men entered the underground fortress. Mathyas still felt intrigued, "She surely fits into my father's revenge plan. I can protect her from him, but I can't stop his revenge." He sighted, this will be hard for you little brother. I kind of wish just to join your family, but fate is not so. Maybe I'm just too proud!"Mathyas nodded to himself.

Mathyas passed the corridors and entered one of the rooms. Behind the heavy metal door, a dark tall figure was standing. The lean man in his fifties turned as he heard the door open. He got white hair carefully brushed into a long plait, his facial expression was handsome and somehow cruel, and his thin lips had one end curled down and one end curled up. He looked kind of dangerous, kind of cheeky. His face was smooth, white and cold. His red eyes glittered in the dark. He looked a bit gloomy, a bit bewildered. He was waiting for the news eagerly.

"Father!"Mathyas approached him.

"Is Crodius the king? Did you finish the mission?" he asked in a freezing voice. The old king of Black lizards, Mathyas's father Marath was enquiring coldly.

"No, I killed him." Mathyas shook his head.

"He enraged you?" Marath lifted his white eyebrow.

"King Sarcos was there. He was guarding his queen in disguise." Mathyas chuckled.

"Sarcos!" Marath's face got wild in dark excitement."The heavens answered me, we will revenge now!"

"This time is best like no other!"Mathyas gave him the picture he held under his arm.

Marath looked in awe."Who is that?"

"Sarcos's queen."Mathyas chuckled.

"Is it true likeness?" Marath licked his lips.

"Even better, in reality, she is a softhearted and beautiful toy."Mathyas nodded a bit dreamily.

"Do you want her?"Marath asked his son studying his facial expression closely.

"I will protect her with my life father!"Mathyas nodded.

"What big words, for a female you saw once."Marath chuckled.

"I made a golden butterfly from her hair father, she is true in her heart. I can't get her face from my mind." Mathyas nodded."But how to fight a king as strong as Sarcos?" He asked himself quietly.

"I know how," his father touched his shoulder." The rumour of Sarcos's beautiful queen is true then." He stared at the painting in his hand."In case you change your mind, I will take her. "

"But father! What about the mother?"Mathyas stepped back surprised. He did not expect his father to say this.

"You are right, she will try to kill her, if she knew." Marath chuckled. He looked at the dark portrait hanging on the wall behind him." Thyasse, my snake queen." he said with a bit of nostalgia in his voice." Your mother is the oldest sister of king Sharchan, one of Sarcos's queen's mates. Maybe they will go well together."

"I don't think so..." Mathyas shook his head."Mother relish in blood and bones. She will make the young queen faint." he chuckled."Besides King Sharchan angered her. Mother never wanted to see him after he humiliated her. We better keep them apart."

"Do you remember my promise to Sarcos?" Asked the old king.

"The one that we will kill him?" asked Mathyas.

"No, the one before it!"Marath shook his head." To take from him, what is dearest to his heart!" he smiled sinisterly.

"Yes, it is her. She is his life." Mathyas nodded."He pretended to be a guard for a week for her sake!"

Marath chuckled. "Stupid Crodius did not notice the guard who can beat Snake King, could be only another king.Hahaha.Even the old fool fell for her. She must be really different from others."

"Why do you think so?"Mathyas asked. He wanted to get more thoughts out of his father.

"Because Sarcos took her! He can see through the hearts!"Marath pointed."So what do you plan next, son?"

"The queen invited me to Gaius's coronation, she promised me a dance," Mathyas said trying to keep his cool. He did not want his father to see how much Sienna affected him.

"Why would she do that?" Marath furrowed his brows suspiciously.

"To save some weak kings." Mathyas chuckled.

"Her mates?"Marath asked curiously.

"Friends. But they are in love with her for sure. Even Gaius. They watch her as hungry dogs." Mathyas chuckled.

"What about Sarcos? He doesn't mind?"Marath asked surprised.

"He watches her too but he is not that jealous or he doesn't show it. He doesn't want to make her sad I think."Mathyas nodded.

"How unusual.Tamed scorpion."Marath smiled cheekily."Go to Gaius's coronation, dance with her and try to sway her against Sarcos. If he will be out of line with his queen, his fighting power will be weakened. He will be distracted." he chuckled.

Mathyas took the painting from his father's hand."She said she will paint me a portrait. It is a great excuse how to get them both here."

"Yes, invite them for a dinner first, I want to destroy Sarcos completely."Marath smiled cheekily.

"Destroy? Father, do you want to trick him into the weapon of his father?" Mathyas looked worried.

"Yes. I will dissolve him. Slowly and painfully."Marath chuckled. "I will revenge your burned face, my son."

"But, did you find a new crystal to power it?" Mathyas asked surprised.

"No, I got the old one back. From Sarcos's own mother." Marath smiled cheekily.

"I was thinking his father is guarding it."Mathyas was getting worried.

"He was. She took it from him in secret." Marath nodded.

"Why would she give it to you? Doesn't she know it is dangerous for her son?" Mathyas was curious.

"Sanja is vain, she would do anything for beauty."Marath chuckled darkly.

"Got it now!"Mathyas breathed out with disdain." You are so sneaky, father!" he nodded approvingly.

"I will make sure Sarcos will pay!" Marath smiled excitedly. We waited for ages for the glorious day of our revenge."

"Revenge," Mathyas smiled a bit bitterly. "But remember, Sarcos's queen is mine, don't you hurt her father."

Marath nodded.

Mathyas get out of the room and went to his own silver and black decorated bedroom. There were two decorated beds in it. One was big Mathyas's bed and one was the small bed Sarcos used to sleep on as a kid. Mathyas could not part with it. He convinced his father, it is because it reminds him of his revenge, but in reality, he missed his little brother he could get...

Mathyas put Sienna's portrait on Sarcos's old bed. Then he look at it and moved it to his bed. "That is better," he nodded his head.

He looked out from the little round window, the moon was shining bright, and it was still dark outside. "My poor little brother." I need to see him."Mathyas sighted a bit longingly.

Sarcos slept next to Sienna, in the very early morning was still dark as his scorpion awoke. He needed to hunt. Sarcos got up and asked Bran to guard Sienna's door. He went out of the city to hunt in the wetland. He killed two deers and ate one hungrily. The other one was for Bran.

Xander and Ramse were on a hunt too, they spot Sarcos eating his kill. The scorpion seemed somehow bewildered, so Ramse and Xander did not dare to approach him. They hid in bushes and waited for him to finish eating and go.

Suddenly a big black lizard jumped on the scorpion's neck. Scorpion smashed him down and changed to Sarcos. The lizard changed to Mathyas. "I need to talk to you Mathyas," Sarcos said seriously.

Mathyas fixed his red eyes on Sarcos's dark ones. He put his hand on Sarcos's shoulder."I really wanted you to be my little brother; your father treated you so badly." He said a bit upset. His lips twitched in rage at the memory.

Sarcos nodded. He took Mathyas's hand down and pulled his arm to follow him. They went to sit under the shadowy rocks. They sat close together as two little boys playing a hiding game.

"My father was upset with me because I beat him in the arena just days before in front of everyone."Sarcos bit his lips.

"Is that a reason to kill a son?" Mathyas frowned.

"I disgraced him, his warriors and his armies. There was never such humiliation in the scorpion history like what I did to him."Sarcos said quietly.

"Why did you do it then?" Mathyas furrowed his brows.

"He was too busy to play with me."Sarcos shook his shoulders.

"Play with you?" Mathyas looked in disbelief.

"I was just seven. I took on a disguise in the arena and challenged him to a fight."Sarcos said quietly.

"And he did not notice it is you? You were not a tall kid."Mathyas frowned.

"I was supposed to be in the dungeon. He did not expect me to get out. I awoke my flaming scorpion in there and got more powers. I wanted to try it out. I was thinking it was fun."Sarcos chuckled bitterly." I pretended I'm a squirrel warrior with a squeaky voice. My father was so enraged at the sight of me, he went straight for the kill!"

"Squirrel warrior? From the silly tales book, you got from that little boy you saved from wild snakes in the desert?"Mathyas asked a bit jokingly.

Sarcos nodded."It was my favourite book. I just wanted my father to read it to me. But he hated it and said he will read it to me after the squirrel will beat him up."

"So that is why you disguised." Mathyas smiled cheekily.

Sarcos nodded."My father was so humiliated to be beaten by a little squirrel warrior, he broke the rules and took my mask off me as I held him on the floor. When he saw it is me, he called his best fighters to take me down, but I beat them all in seconds. I just got the powers of the flaming scorpion and was not sure how to restrict it. I was not having a strong body, but the scorpion multiply the power of my touch freely. Father could not believe it and thought his men betrayed him. He thought I'm after his throne. He asked for his army to come. I fought them head-on, and it took some time to win, but in the end, father had to admit my strength. I ruined him. Even my mother left him to live elsewhere and accepted other kings."

Mathyas looked at Sarcos. "I was locked at dungeon too, but never got power from it."

"I found there something that belonged to me."Sarcos nodded. "I was thinking father finally forgave me when he took me to visit you, I did not know about the weapon he is making with your father," Sarcos said quietly.

"Sarcos, your father made that weapon to kill you! My father decided to kill him instead and keep you as my brother. The rest you know."Mathyas sighted.

"I felt it. But I loved my father, I could not let him be killed. Who will take care of Sand City if I stay with you?" Sarcos furrowed his brows."I guess I turned my anger to your father instead. I think my queen is kind of right. We are ridiculous. "Sarcos chuckled.

"Yes, we are! Frenemies always."Mathyas chuckled. "I miss you as my little brother, I'm glad to see you."

"Me too. I wished I could stay with you!" Sarcos nodded."I was always sorry for hurting you so badly."

"My father wants revenge now. He hates you for burning my face. He got your father's weapon working now. Your mother gave him the crystal. Father will do anything to destroy you."Mathyas said a bit worriedly.

"I know, let him have his revenge, it has to be done. He tried to save me and I almost killed you."Sarcos nodded.

Mathyas looked at him."Are you a golden scorpion yet?"

"Yes, a few weeks now, but I need to become stronger. "Sarcos said thinking.

"In so short time, do you want to take over the world? "Mathyas chuckled nervously.

"Not by force, I need to become stronger to protect my queen," Sarcos said seriously.

"From him?"Mathyas said thinking.

"Yes, blue eyes and golden hair; he is the one who scattered those crystals in different worlds. That is why I came to talk to you. I felt you will come out too."Sarcos looked at him.

"I knew you had a reason for talking so little in that hall." Mathyas smiled. "Do you want to give me your queen little brother?"

"Yes, if something goes wrong. Only you can protect her."Sarcos bit his lips painfully.

"Well sure, but I will not like to kill you yet."Mathyas frowned.

"Take it as helping me then. Is not your father eager for revenge?"Sarcos chuckled coldly.

"Yes, he is angry with you. Anyway, thank you for the healing potion; it was the only thing to work on my face. "Mathyas said. "I had to pretend I made it. My mother thinks I'm a genius for medicines and is forcing me to make face potions for her now. "He sighted.

Sarcos's eyes lit up."So will you help me?"

"You call revenge for my father help to you? What if it will kill you?"Mathyas said a bit disturbed.

"I will risk anything for her to keep her safe."Sarcos bit his lips." Only thing I can't stomach is the idea of her dying." he swallowed hard. The flaming scorpion in his eyes looked half mad at this thought.

Mathyas nodded, he felt Sarcos is desperate."Let the revenge games begin then!"Mathyas chuckled bitterly."Fight well little brother." he patted Sarcos's shoulder.

"Keep my queen safe Mathyas." Sarcos sighted.

Mathyas nodded. He changed into a lizard and disappear into the darkness.

Sarcos was about to change into a scorpion again when he heard a rustling noise, "Are you spying on me?" he asked loudly.

Xander and Ramse came out of the bushes with shocked and guilty expressions on their faces."No, your scorpion looked too wild, so we rather hid. And then that lizard came."Xander shook in disgust.

"Well, you heard everything, so keep it secret."Sarcos looked at them." I want you to protect the queen and keep her alive, whatever will happen. Use any means you can, even against her will." he looked at them seriously.

"You are going to fight with Mathyas?"Ramse asked.

"Not exactly with him."Sarcos shook his head."Take it as a game, the old king needs his revenge and I need to level up." Sarcos said.

"Who can level up golden scorpion? You are invincible already!"Ramse furrowed his brows.

"You will see," Sarcos said darkly.