Chapter 96 - The Poison Traps (1/2)
Snuggling into her arms, the puppy lovingly rubbed it's soft black head under her chin in contentment, immediately grabbing her attention.
”Oh, you!”
Tenderness bloomed in her heart as she held the beast closer to her chest.
All her earlier hesitations, suspicions, and doubts flew out of her mind. Whether she knew the puppy or not, it no longer mattered. She felt a bond closer and stronger than she ever anticipated with the tiny creature.
Raising it to eye level, Versailles gently rubbed her nose with the creature's tiny black one.
”What's your name? Do you have any?”
She softly asked, looking into its' black gems.
”Yep?”
It dropped its' head to the side, staring innocently at her with its' wide eyes. Whether it was in curiosity or confusion, Versailles could not tell.
”No name?”
It continued staring cutely at her.
”Okay...how about I name you?”
At this, the puppy finally reacted, excitedly raising its' head as it expectantly looked at her with shinning eyes.
”Hahaha...”
Seeing its' exhilarated reaction to the suggestion, she laughed in happiness.
Such happiness, she had only ever felt around her mate.
The thought made her frown as she couldn't believe that it had even entered her mind.
Ramose was her mate, the other half of her soul. No beast or creature could ever take his place nor hope to replace him.
So, why did she make the comparison between the two?
”Yep?”
Looking into the innocent, clear eyes of the beast, she felt stumped.
'Maybe, its because of his black fur and eyes. The color is so much like his in his wolf form.'
Inwardly shaking her head, she focused back on naming him.
”Okay, why don't I name you Amose?”
It was only after she spoke that she realized what she had done. She had unconsciously used a short version of Ramose's name to name the beast.
She was unconsciously making connections between them.
Was this really just a coincidence?
”Hey, what do you take us for? Audience to your cuddle show? How dare you treat us like this!” Seeing the serpentine treating them like air as she cuddled with the unknown beast, the Ogre lost his fuse.
Stomping his foot, he jumped over the encroaching crocodile and landed on the back of a giant fire centipede. With another stomp, the Ogre landed on a crack right across from where Versailles stood.
”Serpent, this is how far you'll be getting. Now, prepare to meet your end!” Bellowing, he fiercely banged on his round belly.
Barp!
The resounding loud barp was accompanied by a viscous green liquid with a putrid odor. Green gas whirled around the liquid, disintegrating every thing within its' path.
On witnessing the Ogre's unrestrained attack, Versailles' eyes turned sharp.
The beast had the intention to kill her in a single strike.
'Since that's how you want to play, then don't blame me for being ruthless.'
Holding the puppy closer to her chest, Versailles leaped into the air, dodging the acid vomit by a slight margin.
Twirling her floating body, she propelled herself backwards, avoiding the outstretched claws of the Three Eyed Blue Bird and Uniman. Fire erupted from her body, enveloping her rotating figure in a cocoon of red-gold flames.
”Ahhh!”
Not expecting the sudden flames, the two flying creatures shrieked in pain as they drew back. By the time the blinding pain subsided, they could no longer locate the fire-cloaked figure.
”Grrrrrr! You rotten serpentine, I will skin you alive and make you beg for death!”
Red with anger and shame, the creatures screamed hatefully, their faces dark with wrath.
”Hahaha...all talk and no bite.” A cold, scornful snide was all that they got in reply.
”This snake, she has gone too far! We have to make her beg beneath us to avenge this shame!”
”Begging would be too lenient of a punishment for her. We need to take her captive and torture her for the rest of her immortal live.” Boiling with rage the beasts venomously vowed to seek vengeance for their disgrace.
”Ah, what about the Werewolf King.” The meek voice drifted into the mad tirade of the creatures, bringing their ranting to a halt.
As if of one body, they all glanced in the direction of the sound.
There, a blue Elvan timidly stood amidst the crowd of flamboyant beasts, appearing thin and weak, completely out of place within the pack of grotesque creatures.
”Finish him!” Withdrawing his gaze, the Uniman coldly commended as he turned.
”Yes!” A Giant immediately flashed to carry out his order.
”Ah!” A short shriek was all the blue Elvan could manage before a giant hammer ruthlessly smashed into his body, splitting him in two.
The two halves slowly slammed on opposite ends, the unstoppable blue blood draining the color out of the spectating lesser races faces.
”Take that as a lesson. Any other beast that dare's to speak up against me, will meet the same end. Now, get moving! I want that serpentine before the fall of the ice night!”
”Yes!”
Trembling in trepidation, the beasts didn't dare to delay. They dashed in the direction Versailles figure vanished, desperate to locate her before the fall of the ice night.
This was now a question of their survival.
*
Versailles quietly observed the frantic beasts from inside a crack on the side of a volcano.
This was the same crack that the Scorpion King went through to plant the poison traps. Any beast that desired to enter the Black Flames of Nightmare had to pass through this enormous volcano.
This was the very reason Versailles had the Scorpion King plant poison traps inside and outside its region.