Xeta heard the sound of a child's laughter. Opening her eyes, she saw a large house, painted blue-ish grey, with white windows, and side panels and corners. The yard was nice enough, with a large redish rock in the center, and other redish rocks of a different sort, with something of crumbling coal quality to them, filling out the majority of the rest of the yard.

In the inner right corner, from where Xeta was standing, near the front doorway, there was a bunch of rose bushes in bloom, and below them, a few small strawberry plants. The front door of the house was wide open, but the screen was shut. From inside she could hear the laughter of a small child, and other voices talking.

She took a quick look around, to see what she could of the surrounding neighborhood, and found that the rest of the houses were similar, of a decent size, none of them too fancy, but of what she would presume to be an upper-middle-class neighborhood.

With a shrug, she walked towards the house she had first seen and opened the door. "Hello?" She called but received no response, but still, from within, she heard the laughter and the conversation of others. With a shrug, she decided to go on in, to figure out why she had been sent here.

Upon entering the home, she saw that, along the main walkway, straight back from the front door, there was a dining area, and behind that, another door, this one leading outside, to a back yard. This door was also open, flapping in the warm summer breeze. It was from here that the sound emanated.

Before Xeta could decide whether or not to intrude further, she heard a shriek and ran out the back to see what was the trouble. As she stood blinking in the summer sun, she saw two children, a boy, and a girl, chasing one another on the lawn. The boy had short dark hair, and the girl had reddish-brown, slightly darker than Xeta's own. She could not see their faces, for their backs were turned to her; the shriek she had heard was the sounds of children playing tag. The little girl bolted off the lawn and ran towards a tall eucalyptus tree, evidently intending to run the boy a merry chase around the tree.

As Xeta watched, she took a deep breath in and smelled the sweet scent of eucalyptus in a summer breeze, and something else, the scent of coal, and fire, and a faint whiff of gasoline. Someone had a barbecue going. She turned right, and saw a smoking grill, with the lid down. There was, however, no sight of any adults in the vicinity.

"Hey R--! Stop running a moment and come over here!" A high-pitched boyish voice called out. The little girl stopped running and turned towards the boy with an impish grin.

"What D? It's my backyard, so what could you want me to see so bad in my yard?" The little girl giggled.

"I found something really cool! Come look!" The boy yelled as he took off for the very back of the yard.

The little girl sighed, and huffed, putting her hands on her hips, probably in mimicry of her mother, and stalked off after the little boy.

Xeta, realizing that no one apparently could see her, decided that whatever was going on, she was supposed to watch these two children, at least for now. So following, she soon saw the children come to a hidden spot behind some towering olive trees. No adult could have fit in the little cubby, not without being sliced by the wicked sharp thorns, but the two children fit easily enough, and what's more the long branches hid them from the view of any spying grown-ups.

"So, what now? You just wanted to show me a bunch of dumb old trees, D?"

"No! I wanted to show you something else. C'mere." The little girl sighed, and stepped forward, figuring he probably had something gross hidden in his hand or pockets. Probably a worm, or maybe something nasty like a toad, or a slimy garden snake.

The little boy leaned forward, and dipping his head forward, stole a quick, messy kiss from his companion. Xeta heard the resounding crack of skin meeting skin, as the little girl showed exactly what she thought of the boy's bravery.

Even Xeta thought perhaps the little girl had been a bit harsh, but then again, they were just children. It wasn't as though Xeta knew a lot about relationships to judge whether the girl had overreacted or not.

After a moment of stupefied silence, the boy tore out of the yard, wailing and screaming for his mother, and his wails could be heard throughout the house as he ran. A moment later a tall woman dressed in white came out and knelt by the little girl as she came out of the trees.

"So, what happened?"

"D. Tried to kiss me." The girl replied sullenly, eyes on the ground.

"Did you mean to give him a black eye, dear? He had quite the shiner as he ran through the house." The woman said with a soft sigh.

"No. He must have turned into it."

"Well, dear, I think you'd best go and apologize. We are leaving tomorrow, and you'll likely never see him again. He probably only wanted to say goodbye, you know."

"Alright. I'll be back in a minute then." Sighed the little girl. She walked back through the house, and to another house next door. This one, more of a grayish tone, and it looked a little sad and dilapidated. Like an older woman who had once been beautiful, but let herself go.

As the little girl knocked on the door, a grown man jerked it open at the first knock and scowled down at the little girl.

"You the one gave my boy a black eye?" The man grunted. He almost sounded as though he approved, which was odd. Xeta wondered if he approved of strong women, then.

The girl nodded shyly, staring at her feet. It was obvious from her posture that the man frightened her, but she was trying to be brave, and not run away.

"Yes, Sir."

"I suspect he earned it then. He is a stupid twit. What'd he do?"

"He- uh... he tried to kiss me, Sir." The girl said. From behind, where she was standing, Xeta saw the girl's ears turn pink until they almost matched her hair.

The man laughed, a deep rolling laugh, that sounded cold. To Xeta it reminded her of an incoming storm on the Atlantic, bitterly cold and wild. The child shivered and blinked up at him.

The man, getting the first decent look at the girl's face, smiled coldly down at her. "I see. My son tells me your family is moving away tomorrow, yes?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Then I shall convey to him your farewells. He's none too keen to give you another - shall we say, face to face?"

The girl nodded, and turned around, as the man withdrew, and shut the door behind him with an ominous click. As the girl started back to her house, she looked up and watched a passing flock of birds. As she raised her face, Xeta saw, there over her right eye, four diagonal scars, as though a large cat had nearly blinded her.

X

Xeta woke up with a strangled scream. She whirled around, looking for something to fight, but saw only the stone room of the cell. The blanket was tangled around her waist, and her head hurt severely. She was also dizzy now, as much as from the rattling her brain took when Adrial struck her, and she smacked the wall, as from hunger. With a sigh, she sat up and reached for the bowl of water.

Sniffing it tentatively, she decided that it was just water and that even if it was drugged, she would soon die of dehydration, and it would be smarter to take what she was given and take the chance than to let that bastard beat her, simply because she was too stubborn to eat or drink.

She gulped down the water, which proved to be a stupid maneuver because she immediately vomited it up. She stared at the raw meat queasily and reached instead for the dry crust of bread. This did nothing for her thirst, but it eased nausea some, and she lay down to rest.

It wasn't until that moment that she noticed that both pillow and bedroll were gone. So, that was the way he was going to play the game, was it? With a sigh, she grabbed up a small pile of clean straw, and built up a slight pillow, and then, as an afterthought, grabbed a handful of straw and threw it on the spot she had been ill. That should do something for the smell at any rate.

After laying down, she closed her eyes, and went back to sleep, wondering briefly if she might be concussed.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

X

Sometime later, Xeta woke, to find Adrial looming over her, a dark look cloud cast over his face. "You haven't been eating, pet."

"Well surprise, surprise, I don't feel well. I hit that damned wall pretty hard, you stupid son- of a- no wait, that would be an insult to Xerceze's kin."

"You seem to be feeling well enough to give me lip, girl." The snake replied with a snap of his fingers. At the sound, the serpent chains on the wall sprang to life, slithering through the air, as though it were water, and clasping their shackle-mouths over her wrists, but for now, their fangs remained retracted and did not bite into her skin, they merely pulled her back to the wall.

Xeta sat on the bench, glowering at her captor. He gave her a dark, less-than-amused smile in return, and turned abruptly on one heel. "I've changed your food and water. Eat. Or you will only have yourself to blame for the ensuing consequences."

He paused, before turning to look at her. "I've also given you clean bedding. Do not try to hide any further signs of illness from me. Oh, and for future reference, when dehydrated, which you no doubt are, try sipping water, not chugging. You'll make yourself sick if you flood your system like that. Should you get sick again, merely call out to me. I'll hear you. I will always come to your aid, my little pet." His voice seemed to become gentler, as he finished his last sentence, and his eyes seemed to soften as he gazed upon her, before rounding on his heel.

As he walked away, Xeta let out a disgusted snort. After a moment, she felt the chains slacken, but they did not let go of her wrists. She pulled against the chain and felt them feed out of the walls. Adrial didn't 'trust' her enough to let her roam her little cage freely, he wanted to have better control of her if he needed to restrain her suddenly. Well, at least he was smarter than he looked.

With a sigh, she slid off the bench and bent down to reach for the bowls. The chains tightened slightly, so she slowly knelt to the ground, feeling the chains give a little at a time. It appeared she would have to move slowly, evidently, she would not be permitted any sudden moves.

She reached out with her hand and felt the manacles bite suddenly into her flesh, dragging her arms back behind her, and crossing them, at the small of her back.

"Alright dammit! How the hell am I supposed to eat then! Because he already made it clear he'll thrash me if I don't." She groused, as she glared moodily at the bowl of food and water.

After a few minutes of starring, a thought occurred to her, but she pushed it away as ludicrous. She knew he wanted to humiliate her, that much was obvious, but surely, not even he would humiliate her that much. There was just no way.

She tried jerking on the chains a few more times, to no avail, and in the end, saw no other way. She leaned forward and felt the chains ease up. As her lips touched the water bowl without interference, she screeched in a blind rage, and lashed out, wrenching her arms free and scattering the food and water on the floor.

It took the chains a moment to catch up with her, but in the end, they dragged her struggling form back to the bench. In order to keep her arms from being wrenched out of place, she was obliged to push herself off the floor, and sit on the bench, her wrists chained behind her.

X

Meanwhile, Adrial was in front of his lascivious lair. He had had an unexpected visitor, in the form of the King of Lions, the pompous head of the council. Naturally, the overbearing fool was worried at Xeta's disappearance and had come to investigate, as surprise surprise, Adrial was the last one to have seen her.

Adrial calmly admitted to walking the girl home. She had, as everyone had seen, been too drunk at her celebration to stand up on her own, and he had had to carry her out! He had set her inside the cave, not wanting to carry her in far enough to get her to Zephthease, and her bed, having had other business to attend to, of his own. Had the guardian not found his ward after all, then? Oh dear! Perhaps she had wandered off in a drunken stupor - Or perhaps even, had run away from her duties. It was well known that she didn't focus on her studies, and showed little initiative when it came to tracking down the Colvent family.

As Adrial was about to bid farewell to the pompous fool, he stopped as though a sudden thought had struck him.

"My lord, if I might be so bold... what that girl needs, is a strong guiding hand. Zephthease is getting old, and no one really knows why he's lived for so long or how many Tiger Princesses he's guarded. Perhaps, what Xeta needs, is to be given into the keeping of another. Xercseze, perhaps, or Renock. I know that I am fond of the dear girl, and wouldn't mind at all mating her, as I have previously pointed out, especially if it would keep her safe from those horrible warlocks who tend to prey on her line."

The King of Lions paused for a moment, eyeing Adrial momentarily. "I hate to admit it, but you do speak a certain amount of sense. I don't believe she's ready to battle Colvent, even if she is now an adult. Perhaps if she had you standing by her side, it would keep her out of trouble. When we find her, and I assure you, we will, I'll announce that she is to be given to you."

"Given, my lord? But I rather think that considering her headstrong nature, she'll rather object to being given, as though she were a gift."

"And normally, I wouldn't word it as such, however, she is no ordinary girl, and we must circumvent the prophesy, no matter the cost. Even if it means taking away the freedoms and rights of one mere girl, already destined to surrender everything for the greater good."

"Of course, my lord." Adrial paused as he felt the serpent ring on his finger tighten slightly. Something was wrong with Xeta. "I beg your pardon, my lord, however, I'm afraid I have other duties to attend to. If we are finished...?"

"Of course of course." Said the King of Lions. "I'll see myself out. And, Adrial?"

"Yes my lord?"

"Should you see her, let us know."

"Of course, my lord." Said Adrial, as he watched the older man walk out of Adrial's lair, and vanish into the mists beyond. Then his pleasant demeanor dropping, Adrial turned on his heel, and walked deeper into the system of caves that was his home, his face bleak.

X

It was only when she was safely seated and bound in place, that her silent keepers were still. Moments later, Xeta heard the sound of footsteps echoing along a stone corridor. Her face paled in silent terror and wondered what now was to be her fate.

Before too long, Adrial rounded the corner, his emerald eyes blazing in anger, his facial expression, however, was stoic and cold. He looked like a walking statue, and Xeta had never seen the normally charming features so lifeless. It was obvious she had pissed him off beyond all reason.

He pressed a switch on the wall, and a doorway-like section of the bars lifted into the ceiling, and he stepped silently into the cage. With one hand he grabbed her arm, and with the other snapped his fingers, releasing the manacles.

His grip was as strong as stone, which Xeta thought ironically, matched his stony expression. It was the last amusing thought she had, as he dragged her from the cage. She tried to lash out at him, but he was too strong, and nearly three days without food or water had sapped her strength. When he led her into another room, she knew then, exactly what her fate was to be. It wasn't hard to figure out when she saw the lengths of leather and chain, and the various sharp metal tools laid out. No, it wasn't hard to imagine at all.

X

Xeta opened her eyes, warily, and looked around. She saw herself, younger, perhaps eight years old, accompanied by several older members of the Council. They were in England, outside of the Colvent Manor. She remembered this day. They had been tracking the Family for several years, they had moved to America briefly, rumors said that they were seeking a particular sorcerer in the States to aid in the training of the youngest member of the family, but now they had returned to their ancestral home. Where the Council had tracked them. A Seer of the Council had had a Vision of Xeta in a certain area in the English countryside, and by the description of the surrounding area, they had been able to find the very edge of the Colvent estate.

However, this seemed to be after the fight. Thyolyis was already dead, for there was blood on Xeta's hands, and she was being bandaged by the older members of the council. Many of them were telling her that she had done well, facilitating the stroke that had ended the life of the man who had kidnapped her predecessor.

But all she had been able to do was cry. She was injured and had never seen someone die before. At least not a person. As the mansion vanished from sight, its cloaking spell going back into place, the Council carried away the young girl, after slipping her a drink that helped her to sleep, trying their best to figure out how to help her cope with a life that would see much more violence and death before all was done.

X

Later, she woke on the straw-strewn floor of her cage. The blanket was gone, but that was expected. Her wrists were chained, but she had known they would be. What surprised her, however, was the bandages wrapping around her rib cage and breasts, and another bandage wrapped around her lower left leg. She raised her hand slowly and felt the cheek where he had slapped her earlier was tender. She was certain it was starting to bruise beautifully by now.

With a sigh, she propped herself up on her hands and knees and crawled wearily over to the food and water. Placing her lips to the smooth metal surface of the bowl, she sipped, slowly, keeping in mind the last time she had tried to drink. After a moment, mindful to make sure the water would stay down she took a piece of meat between her teeth and chewed slowly.

She waited a while to see if she felt ill or if the food had been drugged, and found no ill effects, ate some more. Exhausted after even that little exertion, she lay down on her straw, chewing a piece of bread slowly. That much, at least, she was permitted to use her hands for. Thankful for small mercies, in this case, the silence which meant that Adrial was not coming to check on her again, she decided to close her eyes. She didn't particularly want to sleep again, old memories were starting to haunt her, it seemed. Still, she was very tired, and she knew she should rest.

X

When she opened her eyes again, Xeta saw a small camp sight, in the middle of a rainforest or jungle of some sort. She saw a small child, barely more than a toddler, wandering away from the sleeping camp. A small boy dressed in green and gold was holding his hand out to her, as giant snakes slithered all around him. She saw two large black serpents slither off towards the campsite. The little girl turned to go after them, but the boy simply shook his head.

"No, it's alright. They won't hurt them I just thought it would be funny to scare them a little bit. They're intruders, anyway, and don't belong in my territory. But you're OK, I like you. Want to come to see something pretty?"

When she nodded, he took her hand and, led her down a rough dirt path, taking her deeper into the jungle. In the distance, she heard screams and other loud noises, but the other boy said it was just a joke, so she knew that it must be alright. He led her to a waterfall, and a moonlit pool, which she thought was very pretty. She ran around collecting wildflowers, and he climbed up a tree and grabbed down a couple of pieces of fruit, and tossed one at her.

While she was happily eating the strange fruit, another large black snake came up to the boy and hissed at him in some kind of strange lang