As Elena stepped onto the sloping road of Nurpur, she felt as if she had stepped back into a bygone era. The stone houses on either side of the road were now dilapidated, and the moss on their walls testified that no one had lit a lamp of joy here for years. The air was heavy with the smell of burnt wood and tobacco, a symbol of the fear that had settled here during the time of the Black Snake.
Elena pulled the scarf tighter around her head. The golden royal crest on her forehead now glowed softly, as if it recognised the presence of her people.
"The silence here says a lot, Elena," Seraf whispered. His eyes were on every window and every door from which someone might be watching them. "The people are afraid. They are still afraid of the shadows."
As they approached the ancient temple in the centre of the village, whose bell had just rung, they saw a small crowd of people gathered there. They were dressed in shabby clothes, their faces were yellow, and their eyes were dull. In the middle of the crowd stood an old man with an old brass bell in his hand, which he was ringing over and over again.
"The stars are returning!" the old man shouted. His voice was a strange combination of madness and hope. "I have seen the golden light on the lake! The black shadow is weakening now! Rise, my brothers, pray that the light of the queen will save us!"
A young man in the crowd angrily pushed him away. "Shut up, old man! Because of your delusions, the disciples of the black serpent will punish us even more severely. No queen is returning. They are all dead. Arya is now just a cemetery."
Elena's heart sank when she heard this. She wanted to run forward and shout that I was here, but the strong hand of the Seraph stopped her.
"Not yet," the Seraph said quietly, looking into her eyes.
The two of them headed towards a small inn that was located in front of the temple. The innkeeper, a dwarf and cunning-looking man, began to look at them suspiciously.
"Travelers? At this time?" he asked, clearing his dirty table. "Where have you come from? The roads leading from the valley have been closed for years."
The Seraph placed a silver coin on the table. "We have come from the distant mountains. We have heard that the fog here is now clearing, so we thought that perhaps trade could resume here now."
The innkeeper picked up the coin and chewed it with his teeth. "Trade? There is only trade in death here. If life is dear to you, do not go out in the dark of night. The 'Shadow Hunters' still roam here, and they leave no stranger alive."
Elena sat down on a wooden chair in the corner. She felt her magic draw the suffering of these people to her. She could clearly feel their hunger, their fear, and their helplessness.
Suddenly, the door to the inn opened with a loud bang. Four armed men dressed in black entered. The mark of a black serpent was carved on their chests. A deathly silence fell over the entire hall.
"It's tax time!" their leader shouted. His gaze was fixed directly on Elena, who was trying to hide her face. "And I see we have some new 'merchandise' today as well."
The seraph touched the hilt of his broken sword. Elena felt the golden magic reawakening in her veins. This was to be their first clash in Nurpur, and perhaps it was here that Queen Elena's return would be formally announced.
The atmosphere inside the inn suddenly froze. The four armed soldiers, known as the 'Black Snake's operatives,' advanced with their heavy boots. Their leader's eyes were fixed on Elena's veiled face. He was filled with curiosity and a savage joy, for the town had not seen a new face in years.
"Take off your dupatta, girl," the leader said in his hoarse voice, approaching Elena and slapping her hand on her desk. "No one is allowed to live in hiding in Nurpur, especially not one who has come here dressed so beautifully."
The seraphim rose silently and stood before Elena like a mountain. "He is not obligated to answer your questions. Do your job and get out of here."
The soldier laughed sarcastically. "Oh! So this doll has a guardian. You're probably forgetting that the law here is not the Black Snake, but us. And our law says that every traveller must search himself."
As she reached out to push the seraph away, the seraph grabbed her wrist so hard that the sound of bones crunching echoed throughout the hall. The soldier winced in pain, but his three companions immediately drew their swords.
"Seraph, no!" Elena said softly, but there was a strange tremor in her voice. She could feel her magic recognising the dark magic within these soldiers. These soldiers were not mere humans; they had a small portion of the Black Snake's magic imbued within them that made them more powerful than ordinary humans.
"Elena, step back," the seraph pulled his broken sword from its sheath. Although half of the sword was missing, its edge was still as sharp as its owner's determination.
The battle began in moments. Seraph skillfully blocked the first soldier's blow and struck him in the jaw with the hilt of his sword, knocking him to the floor. The other two soldiers attacked at once. Seraph moved like a shadow, his every movement had a special balance that proved him to be a skilled warrior.
Elena saw that the people sitting in the corner of the inn were shrinking from fear. A little girl was crying in her mother's arms. Seeing their helplessness, something inside Elena broke. She remembered how her own family had been made helpless in the same way.
Suddenly, the leader of the soldiers took out a small magical dagger that was emitting black fire. He tried to stab Seraph in the back, but Elena could no longer remain silent.
She raised her hand into the air, and a wave of golden light shot from her fingers that froze the dagger in midair. A glow spread throughout the hall that made everyone's eyes glaze over.
"Enough!" Elena's voice was no longer that of an ordinary girl, but rather had the majesty and glory that was the hallmark of the queen of 'Arya'.
She removed her scarf from her head. As soon as the golden Royal Mark appeared on her forehead, the innkeeper and the old people present fell to their knees in surprise.
"Royal Mark…" the old man, who was ringing the bell outside, called out in a trembling voice. "The stars don't lie! The queen has returned!"
The leader of the soldiers stepped back in fear. "This… this is impossible! The black serpent said that Arya's blood had run out!"
Elena took a step forward. With each step, a golden aura formed around him. "The Black Snake lied to you. The light never fades; it only hides behind the clouds. And now, it's morning."
He gestured, and the golden light took the form of chains, binding the four soldiers. The more they struggled, the tighter the chains became. This was not a physical, but a spiritual bondage. Elena looked at the Seraph, whose eyes held both pride and concern. He knew that after this display of power, the secret of their arrival would spread throughout the land, and now the enemy would come not as their hunters, but as an entire army.
The silence inside the inn was so heavy that even the sound of breathing sounded like an explosion. The four soldiers, who had been dancing to death a few moments before, were now lying on the floor, bound in golden chains. Their leader no longer had that savage gleam in his eyes, but a fear that only arises when a man sees his death in front of him.
Elena's hand was still raised in the air, and the golden light emanating from her forehead illuminated the entire hall like a holy halo.
"Queen..." the innkeeper's voice was trembling. He crawled on his knees to Elena and tried to touch the dirt on her shoes. "Forgive us, Your Highness! We did not recognise you. We thought that the name and trace of the light had been erased."
Elena lowered her hand, causing the golden light to dim, but her awe and glory still remained. She grabbed the old man by the shoulder and lifted him up. "Get up, Elder. The time to bow your head is over. Now is the time to stand tall and live."
Seraph sheathed his sword, but there was no satisfaction on his face. He glanced quickly at the window. Outside, the streets were buzzing with chatter. "Elena, we have to get out of here. The disappearance of these soldiers will soon reach the castle. If the Black Snake generals find out that you are here, they will burn this entire village to ashes."
Elena's face became sad. "Will my return cause more death for these people?"
"This is the price of freedom, Elena," a deep and mysterious voice came from a dark corner of the hall.
Both Seraph and Elena were startled. A tall man, wearing a black mask over his face and the insignia of the old royal guards faintly visible on his robes, stepped out of the shadows. In his hand was a long spear with a silver bell hanging from the tip.
"Who are you?" The seraph immediately took position.
The masked man looked at Elena and struck his spear on the ground, creating a melodious echo. "My name is 'Aryan'. I am one of the last loyal ones who have been waiting for the day when the golden star will fall from the sky again. But Queen, you have taken a great risk by revealing your identity."
Aryan pointed to the bound soldiers. "There is a special magic in their blood that is connected to the castle's 'Blood Tower'. As soon as they stop breathing or their magic breaks, the alarm will sound in the castle."
Elena looked into Aryan's eyes. There was loyalty in those eyes, as well as years of suffering. "Where can you take us from here?"
"There are ancient tunnels beneath this settlement that lead to the old castle of 'Aryan'," Aryan said. "But we must hurry. The Shadowhunters must have left by now."
At that moment, the sounds of galloping horses and the cries of people could be heard from outside. The black mist had begun to cover the sky again, but this was no ordinary mist—this was an attack by the 'Shadow Mist', the precursor to the enemy's arrival.
Elena took Seraph's hand. "Come on, Seraph. Our war is not over yet. This is only the first front."
"Dear Readers, the secret is out! The Royal Mark has been revealed in Nurpur. Now that the news will travel like wildfire, how will the remaining generals of the Black Serpent react?
I am writing this 2000-word chapter with high intensity to make it worth your Power Stones! Please comment below: Was it too early for Elena to reveal her identity?
Your engagement is what keeps this story going. Don't forget to add this to your Library!"