Chapter 29
"I did die by his hands." Celia crossed her arms, looking back at the woman. "Does a child like me look like she has not been through hell?" Celia did not act like a child; most children would already be weeping and begging for someone to save them.
'Did Laonn experiment on them far worse than he did for me?' Not even Selenial knew; she just knew she was one of the first few in his experiment. "You look like you've been through more than that. How did someone like you end up in his experiments?" Selenial knew how, but she just wanted to make sure.
"How else? Poor girl out on those streets picked up, sold lies, and here I am." Celia and Selenial were talking to each other like actual people—unless it was because they knew that no one would ever see them as human or beast.
Selenial could feel her heart getting warm to this little girl. It made her rather suspicious that she had some odd power in her, but she eased down. 'There is no way that she would have any sort of power. Laonn's vials are not meant to have any special kind of power like that.' Shaking the feeling, she went up to the little girl. 'Has it been too long that I have forgotten the innocence of a child and how much I had adored them?' She reached her hand to Celia, gently stroking the girl's cheek before gasping to feel her heart beating so strongly and warmly.
Celia did not understand why Selenial acted this way, but she was surprised to see her being gentle like a mother. Even though earlier they had been brawling in blood, there was just something different after she had a taste of Celia's blood. 'What is with this woman now? I feel like things are only getting stranger. At first, she acts like a complete monster, and now she is a mother. Is this perhaps one of the effects of consuming my blood?'
'At least be thankful that she is not eating you alive or draining your blood to the bone.' Daise sighed inside of Celia's head.
'What do you mean by that?' Celia kept her eyes on Selenial while keeping her mind on Daise.
'Your blood is special, but only so much can be given. The more you give, the more your lifespan is taken. Do you not care about how long you live?' Daise sometimes did not understand Celia, but they were connected by blood and body.
'Does not matter to me if my lifespan is drained. Living forever and starting again is torture in another way.' Celia did not bother, and it was like there was no way of fearing death for her. She died early in her previous life; what was the point of fearing it again in this life?
Selenial had taken enough time to look at the girl, and it was like mother instincts kicked in when she wrapped Celia into her arms. A loud explosion could be heard behind Selenial, making the snake tumble and protect the little girl in her arms. There could be a sound of sizzling coming from Selenial's back, which was the sound of the explosion burning. Celia had no choice but to cling to the woman and peek over her shoulder. Celia's eyes widened, seeing that it was Subject Thirteen. Thirteen had three entirely shaped heads, and three sets of eyes would be staring at the two with scales on their body. She stood around the size of a twelve-year-old. Her nails were that of claws with teeth just sharp like razors.
"Settle down, Thirteen." Laonn walked out from behind, staring at both Selenial and Celia.
Selenial shielded Celia, staring at Laonn, whose eyes settled on the little girl he had assumed was dead but was still alive. This made him rather mad, seeing that he had let it go that easily, but he was angry that he had to let her go because Sachin had discovered him. "This was not the deal." Selenial slithered behind the boulder, holding onto Celia but more in a protective way.
"No, but I have no use for you. Hand it over. I have to finish what I had started with it." Laonn did not even refer to her as anything other than an object that could be used and tossed aside as if replaceable.
Selenial knew that he was going to make it worse for Celia, but she knew that in the end, she was going to die at his hands. She did not hand Celia over; she ran for it with Celia in her arms. She kept her half-snake end so that her legs would slither faster than her human legs. 'One of us has to make it back alive. Now, she will be the better option to stay alive.' The change of heart was instant, but it was all due to the little girl who had turned her monstrous blood to settle.
"Get them, Thirteen. Kill the snake. Bring the girl." Laonn commanded.
Thirteen growled more aggressively; her body slowly shifted and grew feral to let her whole body be covered in scales. Three tails extending out from the back with all three of her heads and face shifting only to look more monstrous. From a distance, Selenial and Celia could hear the growl from the girl, who was now a monster. Chasing after them in the forest, they were in danger with the loud thuds behind them. Celia peeked over Selenial's shoulder, spotting Thirteen right onto them. Thirteen was getting ready to chomp down onto Selenial's snake end.
'Quick! Shoot out a flame!' Daise shouted inside of Celia's head.
Out of instinct, Celia blew out fire from her mouth, which brought one of the lizard-like heads to screech, and she paused for a second. The flames had almost clung onto Thirteen's face before they shook back to get them off. Selenial was too focused on running to turn her head back with Celia in her arms. Her back was still injured, with burn marks left there. Not wanting to drink Celia's blood; it was like an elixir, but she was not going to do it again. There was no craving for it either.
Thirteen started to chase after them again; Celia could see their mouths opening up and shooting something out behind them. "Turn right!" Celia shouted, it was once more within instincts to get them out of the way.
Selenial listened, turning her right before an explosion that occurred once more where they could have been blown to bits. Both had a shocked expression, but Selenial started running once more. "What the hell was that?!" Selenial could only ask Celia.
"Keep running! We must get to safety because she has three elements that can cause an explosion! One touch of it on us will be death!" Celia shouted, being clear that they had to get away before they were minced meat.
'I smell the lion! Jump down over the hill!' Daise shouted.
The nose never failed. "Get over the hill!" Celia shouted for Selenial to listen. The hill was just right before them. Celia could see that Thirteen was ready to blast again. "Dodge!" Celia shouted for Selenial to get ready to dodge.
Selenial did not know if she could dodge this time, "Go! Escape and don't get caught again!" There was no choice, and she had tossed Celia over the hill. Celia could only see Thirteen blow fire, magma, and wind all together at Selenial, who only held a smile—there was no regret in it. Celia had been caught and shielded from seeing the gruesome scene. "Sorry, I am late." Celia heard the familiar voice right above her ears.
**
Sachin had followed the trail before he lost it for a bit; he had no idea that the wind would pick up and make him lose the trace. The blood was too faint now and must have stopped bleeding after a certain distance. His small crystal in his pocket shimmered, pulling it out to see. "Archmage, we are almost there. Please command us when you are ready."
There was no time for him to response before an explosion occurred, the snake woman had a smile on her face and threw Celia over the hill. He rushed quickly to Celia, shielding her from seeing blood that had then splattered onto the grassy terrain and his cloak. "Sorry, I am late." Sachin kept her in his arms, turning around to see that the snake woman had been blown to bits while he witnessed the three-headed being below the hill. "Were you the one who tried to kill my daughter?" Sachin spoke out truthfully, but there was clear anger in his tone.