The castle court now presented a scene of a slaughterhouse. The blood in the pool was now boiling, and its steam was burning Elena's eyes. The 'blood eagle' sitting on the throne in front was laughing a terrible laugh in his half-human and half-dragon form. Drops of blood were dripping from his wings, which turned into small poisonous snakes as soon as they fell to the ground.
The seraph, who was lying on the ground behind Elena, was now undergoing an unnatural transformation in his body. His human hands were now twisted into sharp claws, and the spine on his back had emerged like a snake. His eyes were no longer human, but a savage yellowness had descended in them that could paralyse any hunter.
"Elena..." The seraph's voice had now become a muffled scream. "Let me... go from here. My poison... is getting out of control."
Elena turned back and saw the seraph's anguish, and her heart sank. She saw that the black scales were running like waves under the seraph's skin. "No, seraph! I will not hand you over to this darkness. Kavian, take care of him!"
Kavian formed a protective circle with her spear. "Queen, hurry! This tower is absorbing the seraph's energy. If the 'Bloody Eagle' makes its final move, the seraph will become a mindless beast forever!"
Elena moved her steps towards the throne. As she stepped forward, the 'Bloody Eagle' spread its wings and gave a powerful blow. Elena was knocked against the wall by the pressure of the wind, but she did not give up. She touched her ring with her blood, which was still fresh on her palm.
"Your pride will be the death of you, eagle!" Elena cried. Along with the golden magic, a black fire was now also coming out of his hands, which he had extracted from the seraph's pain.
The bloody eagle struck the ground with its dragon-like lower torso so that the entire tower shook. "Your father said the same thing, Elena! But look, he disappeared, and I am still alive today thanks to this blood. Today, your blood will become the splendour of this pool!"
He suddenly flew from the throne and attacked Elena with his bloody claws. Elena quickly ducked down to save herself and hit the eagle's wings with her magical waves. The clash of fire and blood was such that the roof of the court began to collapse.
At the same time, the seraph let out a loud roar. His body had now completely taken the form of a magnificent black king cobra. His size was so large that it encompassed the entire court. The royal symbol on his head was now glowing red like blood.
The Seraph, who had become a serpent, began to crush the millions of small snakes that were trying to surround Elena with his giant tail. The plaster of the walls was falling off with every blow he made. He turned towards the 'Bloody Eagle' and attacked with such lightning speed that one of the eagle's wings was cut off and fell away.
"You will block my path by becoming a serpent?" the Blood Eagle shouted in anger. He created blood spears with his magic and began to embed them in the Seraph's body. The Seraph writhed in pain, but instead of retreating, he tightened his grip around the Eagle.
Elena gathered all her magical power as soon as she saw this opportunity. She saw that the Seraph had captured the Eagle, even if it meant losing her own life. Tears were flowing from Elena's eyes, but her hands were strong. She created a ball of golden and black fire that flew straight towards the Eagle's human heart.
"This is for Arya's freedom!" Elena's voice echoed throughout the tower.
There was a loud explosion that filled the entire court with white light. The blood eagle's existence began to crumble into ash. As it died, the pool of blood dried up and from there arose the screams of souls that were now being freed.
The tower was falling, and the seraph still stood still in the form of this great serpent, his body wounded and black blood flowing to the floor. Elena ran to him and rested her forehead on his cold, scaled head.
"Seraph, come back. Look, the sun is rising. We have to go home." Elena's sobs reached the seraph's ears.
A tremor coursed through the serpent's body. Slowly, the black structure began to shrink, the sounds of bones breaking and reconnecting were heard, and the seraph began to return to his human form again. He was completely naked and bloodied, but his eyes were human again.
Kaviyan quickly threw his cloak over the seraph. "We have to leave! This mountain is about to be buried!"
They descended the crumbling stairs. As they emerged, they saw that the entire castle had been reduced to a pile of rubble. Elena held the seraph's head in her lap. The seraph barely opened his eyes and kissed Elena's hand.
"I... promised you... I would never leave you alone."
Elena hugged him to her chest. "You did it, my serpent prince. We have obtained the second map." The ruins of the castle were still smoldering. Clouds of dust were rising into the sky, and there was only silence for a long distance. Elena sat with Seraph's head in her lap, while Kavian, some distance away, was clearing away the rubble and searching for the 'other map' for which they had risked their lives.
"Elena..." Seraph's voice was still very weak, as if that serpentine scream was still stuck in his throat. He raised his hand and touched Elena's cheek. His fingers were still unnaturally cold. "Your hands... they are still trembling. The enemy is gone, why are you afraid now?"
Elena held her hand tightly. "I am not afraid of the enemy, Seraph. I am afraid of the moment when you completely transformed into that black serpent. Your eyes had no recognition for me at that moment. I felt like I had lost you forever."
The seraph took a deep breath, a deep sadness in his eyes. "He is the curse of my family, Elena. The more I use my magical power, the more my human existence will be crushed under the shadow of this serpent. The black serpent created us for this purpose—to be living weapons, without a heart."
"But you have a heart," Elena insisted stubbornly. "And it beats for me."
Suddenly, a strange blue light burst from the rubble. Kavian cried out, "Queen! Look here!"
The two of them stood with difficulty and reached the place where Kavian had removed a large stone. There, buried in the ground, was a small silver casket, bearing not the 'blood eagle' symbol, but the 'Aryan Sun' of Elena's royal family.
Elena picked it up with trembling hands. As her touch touched the chest, it opened automatically. There was no gold or diamonds inside, but an old piece of leather that felt like human skin. As Elena opened it, the second part of the map began to glow in golden letters.
But with the map was a small letter. Elena began to read it, her face turning pale.
"My daughter Elena... if you are reading this, it means you have defeated the first general. But remember, your real enemy is not the one standing in front of you, but the one hiding in your shadow. The Seraph clan was not just slaves to the Black Serpent; they were the inventors of the magic that removed your family from the throne. This map will lead you to the next valley, the 'Valley of Venom,' but before you get there, you must decide if you can trust a serpent."
The letter was from Elena's father. Elena's hand shook, and the letter fell to the ground. She turned to look at Seraph, who was now looking at her with a strange look.
"Seraph... did you know that your clan started all this?" Elena's voice was uncertain.
The old horror returned to Seraph's eyes. She bowed her head silently. "Elena, I told you that my past is a story of death. My father was the one who opened the doors of your palace from the inside."
The air was once again filled with tension. Kavian placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, while Elena felt as if the ground was giving way under her feet. The man she had just risked her life for was the greatest criminal in her family.
Suddenly, a terrifying sound came from the ground. Hundreds of small, red-eyed snakes began to emerge from under the rubble, as if the death of the 'Bloody Eagle' had awakened some greater evil.
"We have to get out of here!" Kavian cried. "This is no time for discussion, death is behind us!" The letter felt like a burning ember in Elena's hand. Her father's writing testified that the blood of the man she was blinded by love had stained Arya's throne.
"Seraph..." There was a chill in Elena's voice that was colder than the winds of the 'Dark Valley'. "You told me to be my protector. But you are the heir to the fire that burned everything I had to ashes. Your father opened the doors of my palace? Were the screams of my siblings drowned out by the laughter of your clan?"
The seraph stood silent. The black scales on his face were slowly disappearing now, but the pain in his eyes was as clear as a deep wound. "Yes, Elena. It's true. My father betrayed me. That's why I left my clan, that's why I took up my sword against the Black Serpent. I wanted to wash away the stain of my blood, but I knew that the day you knew the truth, you would look at me the same way you look at me today."
Kavian brought his sword close to the seraph's neck, but his eyes were on Elena. "Queen, give the order! If this is from a lineage of traitors, he cannot be allowed to go beyond this. His blood may also spew the same poison that his father spat."
"No!" Elena suddenly shouted. Tears welled up in her eyes, but her face was contorted with anger. "It would be too easy to kill him. I will punish him for living."
At that moment, the ground began to shake once again. The ruins of the 'Bloody Eagle' castle were now coming to life. The thousands of small snakes that had previously turned to ash were now reuniting to form a giant 'Blood Python'. This was the general's final curse that would not leave him even after his death.
"Run!" Seraph roared. He pulled Elena towards him, but Elena shook off his hand.
"Don't touch me!" Elena said in disgust. She created her own magical shield and threw a golden wave at the giant dragon.
When the dragon opened its mouth, black venom poured out like a fountain. Seraph jumped in front of Elena without thinking and took all the venom on his body. As the venom fell, the skin on Seraph's shoulder began to burn, and he fell to the ground in pain, but he didn't let Elena get hurt.
"Why are you doing all this?" Elena asked, panting.
The seraph replied with a groan. "So that when I die... You cannot say that your protector betrayed you."
Kaviyan, taking the opportunity, plunged his spear into the dragon's eye. The dragon writhed and fell into the rubble, and there was one last loud explosion. Dust hid everything. When the smoke cleared, the valley was silent, but a gap had formed between Elena and the seraph that no magic could now fill.
Elena picked up the map and walked silently to her horse. Kaviyan supported the seraph and lifted him up. The seraph's body was turning blue from the poison, but his eyes were still fixed on Elena.
The journey began again, but now there was neither that laughter nor those promises of love. Now, only a silent revenge and the dangerous path to the 'Valley of Poison' awaited them. Elena held the reins of the horse, but her steps were frozen. From behind, Seraph's groans pierced her heart like daggers. The truth that had come to her in the form of a letter was crawling through her mind like a poisonous snake, but Seraph's agonising body was trying to deny it.
"Queen, we have to get out of here," Kavian said, supporting Seraph. Seraph's head had fallen onto Kavian's shoulder,r and black foam was coming out of his mouth. "This dragon venom is not ordinary. It burns the soul. If he doesn't get the 'snake antidote' in the next hour, he will turn from a human to a full-fledged beast, and then we will have to finish him off."
Elena turned. Tears welled in her eyes, but her tone was still harsh. She slowly walked closer to Seraph. She saw that the scales on Seraph's skin were now turning from black to deep red, as if his own blood was rebelling against his body.
"Why did you hide the truth from me?" Elena whispered, moving closer to Seraph's bowed head. "Did you think I would make you pay for your father's sins?"
Seraph opened his eyes with difficulty. Only a small trace of humanity remained in his pupils. "I... I was afraid, Elena. I was afraid of the day when you would see me not as a protector, but as the son of a murderer. I wanted to be yours, not my past..."
Suddenly, Seraph's body shook violently and he let out a heartbreaking scream that echoed throughout the ruins. His claws sank into the ground and he snarled like a giant black snake. His human existence was now rapidly fading.
"Kavian, grab him!" Elena shouted. She awakened the power of her ring, but this time it was not to kill him, but to draw out his venom. "I will not let him die. His father's punishment is not that he die, but that he live to support me and help me reclaim the throne that his family took from him!"
Elena placed her hand on the seraph's burning wound where the venom had lodged as her touch hit the seraph's skin, a black smoke wrapped around Elena's hands. It felt like thousands of scorpions were stinging her at once. Her own scream escaped her, but she did not remove her hand.
"Queen, this will kill you!" Kavian screamed in terror.
"Be quiet, Kavian!" Elena gritted her teeth. "If a serpent prince can drink his poison for a human, then this human queen can share his poison too!"
Golden light began to emerge from Elena's body and enter the seraph's dark being. It was a war that was not of bodies but of souls. On one side was the bitterness of betrayal and on the other the coolness of boundless love. Slowly, the redness of the seraph's body began to subside and those scales began to press back under his skin.
The seraph's breathing returned and he fell unconscious into Elena's lap. Elena herself had also fainted, her hands had turned black, but she did not leave the seraph.
They sat there in the midst of the ruins, where only ashes were now flying. When Kavian saw from a distance, he realized that this story was no longer just about revenge, it had become a story where sin and forgiveness were embracing each other.
"We have crossed the first milestone," Kaviyan said, folding the torn map. "But the next path is to 'Poison Valley,' where the Black Serpent's second general, 'Poison Scorpion,' awaits us. There, no magic will do, only patience will." Elena smoothed the seraph's tangled hair and looked up at the sky, where the stars were now fading. "We are ready, Kaviyan. No matter how much poison we have to spit, Arya's sun will rise again."
Elena's entire body was trembling now. The seraph's venom was coursing through her veins, and wherever the black smoke passed, Elena felt as if her blood had turned to boiling lava. Light golden and black marks were beginning to appear on her own skin—a combination of the light of a queen and the darkness of a serpent that had not been seen in centuries.
"Queen! You are turning blue!" Kaviyan stepped forward in panic and supported Elena's shoulder. "You have acted insane. A human, no matter how great a sorceress, cannot withstand the venom of an ancient serpent."
Elena opened her eyes with difficulty. A golden ring had formed around her pupils. "If… if I hadn't saved him, he would have been imprisoned by that dragon forever. Kaviyan, look at the seraph… is he breathing?"
Kaviyan checked the seraph's pulse. The seraph was calm now, the terrifying transformation of his face had stopped, but he was in a deep coma. "He is alive, but his life is now tied to your breath. If anything happens to you, he will not live either."
Suddenly, a terrible sound came from the ruins of the castle, as if something heavy was being dragged along the ground. Tearing through the clouds of smoke, a huge 'Black Sarcophagus' appeared, hidden just below the throne of the 'Bloody Eagle'. On this sarcophagus were the magical carvings that Elena had once seen in her grandmother's old books.
"This is the resting place of 'The First Serpent,'" Kaviyan's voice was filled with fear. "It is said that as long as this sarcophagus is closed, the Black Serpent's power will be limited. But look... its seal is breaking!"
A cold wave came out of the coffin that extinguished even the fire around it. Elena felt the seraph's venom inside her being drawn to the coffin. Despite all her weakness, she crawled towards it.
"No, Elena! Don't go there!" The seraph's voice echoed like a low whisper. He was unconscious, but his spirit was warning Elena.
As soon as Elena placed her hand on the lid of the coffin, she had a vision that blew her mind. She saw that the seraph's father was not the only traitor; several others from Arya's royal court were also involved in this conspiracy. She saw a close member of her own family kneeling before the black serpent.
"Another betrayal..." Elena's mouth fell.
The coffin slowly opened, but inside it was no dead body, but a 'Black Sword' (The Obsidian Blade) with a black poison dripping from its edge. This was the same sword that had broken Elena's family's last defence.
Elena picked up the sword. As soon as she held the sword, the poison in her body transferred into the sword and Elena's complexion began to return to normal. But now there was no innocence in her eyes, but the glory of a warrior.
"Kavian, pick up the Seraph," Elena said, strapping the sword to her back. Her voice now had a commanding resonance. "We don't just have to go to the 'Poison Valley' anymore; we have to find all the traitors whose names this coffin has told me."
The sun had now fully risen, but in its light, there was no longer peace, but the beginning of a new battle. The three of them left the ashes of the destroyed tower behind and headed towards their horses, but Elena knew that the bond between her and the Seraph was no longer the same as before. Now between them was that 'black sword' and the truth that was more deadly than any poison.
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