The Serpent's Smile
Episode 4 of 5 - Scars of Betrayal
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Epilogue
|| recap ||
In the twisting tunnels beneath Ebonreach, Cygnus battles a horrific beast, only to realize Shade holds back, forcing him to fight alone. Shade reveals it was a test of Cygnus’s resolve, though the bitter tension between them grows. The alliance shifts once more when Shade utters a name Cygnus cannot ignore: Leda.
The air in the labyrinth seemed alive, a suffocating force that pressed against Cygnus and Shade as they pushed deeper into the caverns. Their footsteps echoed off the damp stone walls, the sound swallowed by an oppressive darkness that thickened with each step. Cygnus’s chest burned with anticipation, his heart hammering a relentless rhythm.
The power pulling him forward was undeniable now, a hum that thrummed just beneath his skin. It promised power, restoration, and retribution. It promised everything he’d lost.
Shade walked a few steps ahead, a shadow in motion, his hand on his blade, his eyes searching the darkness. Cygnus’s gaze lingered on him, suspicion gnawing at the edges of his mind. He needed Shade—his knowledge of these caverns had proven invaluable—but that reliance came with a bitter aftertaste.
Trusting him is a gamble, Cygnus thought, his lips curling into a grim line. But without him, I’ll never reclaim what’s mine.
Shade stopped abruptly, his head tilting toward the tunnel ahead. A low growl rumbled through the darkness, freezing them both in place. Another twin of the earlier creature emerged, its eyeless face a blank, terrifying mask.
Cygnus tightened his grip on his blade, his pulse quickening. Shade was already moving this time, his weapon flashing in the dim light as he lunged at the beast. The creature snarled, claws screeching against steel.
Shade’s movements were precise, almost elegant, as he danced out of the beast’s reach. Cygnus watched with grudging respect before snapping to action. Together, they circled the creature, probing for weaknesses.
“The eyes,” Cygnus hissed.
Shade nodded grimly, his face unreadable.
When it was done, Cygnus stood over the corpse, his chest heaving with exertion. He turned to find Shade watching him.
“Not bad,” Shade said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “But I did most of the work.”
Cygnus’s jaw tightened, a retort burning on his tongue, but he swallowed it. For now.
The two pressed on, the air growing colder as they neared the end of the labyrinth. A faint glow began to illuminate the tunnels, but unlike all the others, this one had runes carved into the stone walls that pulsed with a power Cygnus could feel in his bones. They followed the tunnel and entered a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in the shadows above. At the center stood a towering cage of iron and stone, and within it, a figure stirred.
“Periphas,” Cygnus breathed, his voice barely a whisper.
The eagle’s head snapped up, its eyes blazing with feral light. It let out a piercing cry, its wings straining against the bars of its prison. For a moment, Cygnus feared the brutal captivity had broken Periphas. But as he reached out with his mind, he felt the familiar brush of the eagle’s consciousness. Recognition flared, and the creature stilled.
“My old friend,” Cygnus murmured, stepping closer, opening the cage. “My scepter. Where is it?”
Periphas turned its attention toward a pedestal at the far end of the chamber. There stood the slender rod, glowing with an eerie light. The runes around it pulsed in harmony, a heartbeat of untamed power.
Cygnus’s pulse quickened as he approached, his hand outstretched. The scepter called to him, its power thrumming in the air, a promise of divinity restored.
But as his fingers brushed the surface, a voice stopped him cold.
“Cygnus.”
The name dripped from her lips like honey laced with venom. He turned to see Leda emerging from the shadows, her beauty undiminished, her smile sharp and knowing.
“Leda,” Cygnus growled, his hand tightening around the hilt of his weapon. “What are you doing here?”
She sauntered closer, every movement deliberate, her figure illuminated by the faint glow of the runes. “Oh, darling, did you think I wouldn’t notice you coming? You’ve always been predictable.”
Shade shifted beside him, his posture tense, as Leda’s gaze shifted to him and her smile widened.
“Brother,” she said, her tone dripping with mock affection.
Cygnus blinked, the word hitting him like a blow. “Brother?” he repeated, his gaze darting between them.
Shade’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t deny it. “Half-brother,” he said flatly.
Leda’s laugh echoed through the chamber. “Oh, don’t look so surprised, Cygnus. Did you think I’d let you wander into my domain without a little... guidance?”
Cygnus turned to Shade, fury blazing in his eyes. “You knew,” he spat, his voice raw with anger. “You led me here.”
Shade’s expression was a carefully crafted mask. “I led you here because you needed me. And because I need her gone.”
Leda tilted her head, her smile faltering for the first time. “Careful, brother. You wouldn’t want to betray me now, would you?”
Shade’s blade was in his hand before she finished speaking, but Leda was faster. The runes on the walls flared, and a pulse of energy rippled through the chamber, sending both men stumbling backward.
“Enough of this,” she said, her voice ringing with authority. She turned to Cygnus, her eyes gleaming. “Do you even understand what you’re chasing, Cygnus? That scepter won’t save you. It will destroy you.”
“I’ll take that risk,” he said, his voice low and steady.
The chamber trembled as Leda stepped closer to the pedestal, her gaze locked on the scepter. “Then come and take it,” she said, her smile returning. “If you dare.”
The air crackled with tension as Cygnus stepped forward, his grip tightening on his blade. Shade moved beside him, their fragile alliance shifting once again.
Together, they faced Leda, the echoes of their pasts colliding in the heart of the labyrinth.
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