The Serpent's reckoning

Before I could process the info dump, and the pace at which their discussion went, the black-armoured mages quickly closed in on us.

Fear gripped me as they had the larger numbers, I was just a defenceless lass, there was no way I could join in on fights involving mages of that level.

Suddenly, Uncle Wilfred's eyes flashed with an ethereal light and runes shimmered at his feet.

With that motion, came an instant detonation of two mages' heads.

"Sam, just stay behind me. I want you to ingrain this moment into your memory" Aunty Gloria said as her aura suddenly underwent a change.

An eye-catching transformation could be seen on her body as her skin rippled with a spreading motion covering her body.

A battle suit with a moonlight glamour, it shone with specks of moonlight in a super-imposing manner.

I even felt the texture as she still had her hands on my body. It was a sight to behold, as my eyes gleamed with fanaticism and adoration.

Aunty Gloria's voice resonated with newfound authority, "Matthew handle Lima, I'd handle these mages"

She suddenly looked towards my father, "Gillette, I know you wouldn't like this, but you have to face your brother."

Without concerning herself with his inner conflicts and response, she let go of my hands as her forehead lit with a series of runes.

And with that motion, two figures suddenly materialised from her body.

Upon full materialisation, I was surprised to see what they were, an elemental sprite and a Luna Spectre.

The elemental sprite, a being of swirling wind and water, a special variant amongst its race.

It heeded Aunty Gloria's command, and charged towards the mages, disrupting their formations.

The Luna Spectre, a ghostly figure with moonlit wings, hovered beside Aunty Gloria, radiating an aura of protection.

"Go, Matthew!" Aunty Gloria commanded, her eyes blazing with determination.

Uncle Matthew nodded, his sword shining brighter as he faced Lima. "It ends now."

My father, Gillette, hesitated, torn between his loyalty to his family and his complicated past with Uncle Wilfred.

Aunty Gloria's voice echoed in his mind, "Face your brother, Gillette. Forgive or condemn, but resolve this."

With a deep breath, my father steeled himself and approached Uncle Wilfred.

Uncle Wilfred's eyes, still shining with ethereal light, met my father's. "Gillette, I—"

The tension between them was palpable, heavy with unresolved emotions.

Lima sneered, "How touching. Family reunions are always so… dramatic."

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed into slits and a dark energy started permeating from his body.

A tenebrous, dark cloud coated his body, and the same energy started resonating with the other mages.

On sighting this change, Aunty Gloria, My father, and Uncle Matthew's faces revealed a solemn gleam.

"Dark Covenant," Aunty Gloria whispered, her voice laced with concern. "Lima, you shouldn't have gone this far."

The tenebrous cloud surrounding Lima grew thicker, fueling his malevolent power.

Uncle Matthew's grip on his sword tightened. "We need to end this quickly."

My father's eyes locked onto Uncle Wilfred. "Wilfred, I—"

"Not now, Gillette," Uncle Wilfred interrupted, his ethereal light intensifying. "First, we deal with Lima."

The Luna Spectre hovering beside Aunty Gloria began to glow brighter, preparing for battle.

The elemental sprite, sensing the dark energy, adapted its tactics, conjuring whirlwinds to disrupt the mages' concentration.

Lima's voice, now laced with malevolence, echoed through the room. "You three… will soon understand the true meaning of power."

As the dark energy reached its peak, Lima vanished into the tenebrous cloud, replaced by an ominous, dark silhouette.

After a moment's pause, the dark clouds dissipated, revealing an inhumane, grotesque figure of a half-man, half serpent.

"Oh s**t!" Aunty Gloria cursed out loud.

My father's gaze and Uncle Matthew's locked together, sharing a subtle whisper, "Not a basilisk."

A guttural, raspy voice erupted, "Hahaha! F**king clowns! What Basilisk? Witness the power of the Chaos Jormungandr!"

As he spoke, his skin continued to writhe and ripple, still undergoing the grotesque transformation.

His scary eyes suddenly locked onto Uncle Wilfred's figure, who had a look of bitterness and hesitation on.

"Wilfred… Make your choice now! Because if you don't, you all would be buried here! Choose wisely."

Uncle Wilfred's face twisted in anguish as he locked his eyes with Lima's, whose human form was rapidly fading.

Aunty Gloria's voice whispered urgently, "Wilfred, don't!"

My father's eyes pleaded, "Brother, don't do it!"

After a few seconds, he silently took one step backwards, as if denouncing Lima and choosing to ally with us, family.

But suddenly, a dagger slipped from his sleeves onto his hands and, in a split second, he plunged it into my father's heart, quickly retreating towards Lima.

It came too sudden for any of us to have reacted.

My father's eyes widened in shock, his body crumpling to the ground.

Aunty Gloria's scream echoed through the room, "Gillette! No!"

Uncle Matthew's face contorted in rage, "Wilfred, you traitor!"

I rushed to my father's side, the Luna Spectre surging alongside me. In an instant, it penetrated the wound, attempting to repair the damage.

I wept uncontrollably, witnessing my father's life force ebb away like a river bursting its banks.

As I struggled to comprehend the devastation, the Luna Spectre withdrew and darted towards Aunty Gloria.

Her eyes welled up with scorching tears simultaneously, and she whispered, her voice trembling, "The Philst Poison… Sam, he's gone."

My extensive Apothecary training had familiarised me with a plethora of toxic substances, but none commanded the same reverence as Philst Poison.

Renowned for its unparalleled potency and unwavering efficacy, its reputation as the ultimate guarantor of instant fatality left no room for doubt.

And when Aunty Gloria's solemn confirmation sealed the devastating truth, I knew in that instant: he was irretrievably lost.

Lima's grotesque, serpent-like body gazed at Uncle Wilfred with approval.

"Good choice, Wilfred."

I held my father's lifeless body, overwhelmed by grief. Tears streaked down, yet no words followed.

My eyes darted around, finding another trail of blood in the near corner – a figure crushed in a mangled mass underneath a dilapidated wall.

Then, it dawned on me: Amaeree was present with us in my chambers when the explosion echoed.

Her fur bloodied, her innards torn apart, gore and viscera all over.

This time, I couldn't hold back a sob. And it seemed like my cry brought the attention of everyone else, as they turned to look towards where my eyes were trained on.

Amaeree was a beloved member of the family, my only friend for 17 years, creating so many memories together.

Now… Her lifeless body was nailed to the floor, brutally pinned to the ground.

My eyes turned bloodshot, and it was one of those moments where you'd wish to suddenly gain some sort of immense power.

I raised my eyes to meet with the principal cause of all of it, Uncle Wilfred, his guilt-ridden, shamed and pained face met with mine, but I wasn't buying into his conflicted emotions.

I wished I could just gain some sort of power up but… I was just an early initiate.

Before I could even take a next move, somehow had already beat me to it.

Aunty Gloria's Moonstone Dagger shot straight at Lima, Uncle Matthew following suit.

Aunty Gloria's Moonstone Dagger pierced Lima's serpent-like body, radiating intense moonlit energy.

Uncle Matthew's sword sliced through the air, striking Lima with precision.

Lima's grotesque form recoiled, wounded but far from defeated.

Uncle Wilfred's guilt-ridden face contorted further, witnessing the aftermath of his betrayal.

"You shouldn't have traded family for living," Uncle Matthew growled, sword poised for another strike.

Aunty Gloria's voice dripped with venom. "You'll pay for Gillette's life, Lima."

Lima's laughter boomed, echoing through the room.

"You mortals are so predictable... My true power awakens."

As Lima spoke, his body began to twist and contort, dark energy surging.

The air darkened, heavy with malevolent force.

Suddenly, Amaeree's lifeless body began to glow softly.

Her eyes flickered open, and she rose, albeit unsteadily.

"Amaeree?" I whispered, my hope rekindling.

But something was off. Her gaze seemed... different.