Illumination

In the reddish brown interior of the dungeon, a gigantic serpent was wrecking havoc on its surroundings, causing total destruction and earning the annoyance of the people inside.

They all had fear and anxiety written all over their faces as they ran helter skelter from the chaos causing sonovabitch.

Grace was panicking seriously. "Lord Javier, please snap out of it!". She begged

"No! Elizabeth!!". Javier screamed, tears streaming down his face as he looked down at what was below him.

"Lord Javier! You need to get it together!". Mathias also panicked

"This 's a mess". Felix scratched his head

"Pull yourself together!!". An irritated Nathan came forward and slapped Javier right in the face

It was personal..

"No, Elizabeth is, she's... No, why!!". Javier screamed again

The princess: "... ".

"Lord Javier, you'll bury her later! for now, let's face this. That thing is coming for us!!". Kelvin shouted ahead as he, Sebastian and Rouge kept the serpent busy.

"No! He broke Elizabeth!! She's dead! What will I do!?". He used the cloth part on his shoulder to wipe the snot and tears off his face, but it clearly wasn't doing it's job well. "What am I going to do!?".

"Lord Javier!". Nathan shouted at the top of his voice

"What!!!". Javier's eyes glinted a faint green as he slowly turned his head towards the cause of Elizabeth's death. That damned serpent.

Javier released a dangerous aura that made the others shudder in their breath. He stood up and walked towards the rampaging reptile. On his way, he picked up a different sword than he had used earlier. It had a curved green handle and a very pointy edge. "You'll pay for this". Javier mumbled to himself. "You'll pay for her death...". He commenced his seventeenth round of attack

Exactly sixty-one minutes ago...

Javier lunches himself off the ground and charged straight for the serpent. It used its armored tail to force Javier back to the ground.

Javier gritted his teeth and strengthened his grip on his sword. "That armor". He squints his eyes.

The serpent's full back armor glowed emerald green in the fairly lit place. "It's as tough as it looks".

Javier stood up straight and flings his sword. He stared dead at the serpent. "I'll go for the head next".

Clunk!

The sound of metal falling sounded from the other side of the hall.

"What was..?". He came to a realization "The princess!".

Javier turned in an attempt to run towards the source but in the most swift of strikes, the large serpent lunges straight for Javier, it's widened mouth revealing a ghastly set of fangs that smelled death.

It's fangs were dripping a lethal purple fluid whose toxicity threatened to poison the air itself. It was a close call, and Javier barely dodged that!

As the Serpent's fangs snapped shut, the air seemed to shudder and ripple as if it's very fabric of creation was being torn to shreds. Javier felt the wind from the creature's strike buffet him, he stumbled backwards, his heart racing. He looked up to find the serpent recoiling as it prepared to strike once again.

The air was heavy with the promise of death, and Javier knew he had to move, he had to think, must take the privilege of attacking first this round.

"I am the Almighty Serpentari, what is your name, you mere mortal". The serpent hissed

Javier eyed it from up to down. "I'm not inclined on giving my name to a potential enemy with a death certificate in my hands. But it's Javier". He smiked

"Hmm. You seem to have a lot of courage, oh you human."

"Can't give justice without courage." Javier shrugged

The Serpent, "... "

It thought for a moment

"Ah. You must be a leader". It cackled "That's quite amusing. I wonder, what will your people say when you don't return to them in one piece?". A hint of oppression in its cracking voice.

"Then I also wonder... What your neighborhood will say.. ". Javier rushed forward and leapt in the air. "When their pest like a pet doesn't return home!!".

Javier, with his sword crashed down on the head of the large serpent. "I'm sure they'll cry with joy". He nearly bounced back from the repercussion.

It's harder than I thought. Javier broke a sweat

He opened his purple black portal and pulled out another sword with a curved green handle outside. Almost immediately, he lunges it on the head of the serpentar.

The Serpentari violently whips it's head around in an attempt to shake Javier off.

"Woah". Javier lamented and quickly clashes his swords down again.

The serpent successfully managed to shake him off.

"I'ld appreciate it if you wouldn't step on my head". The serpent looked down on Javier "You filthy human".

"Look at this idiot talking?". Javier mocked

It struck a nerve

"Out of all the humans I've come across and eaten, you're the only one I'm going to have a good time tearing apart. Your death will definitely not be so simple". The Serpentari bared it's fangs

The Nathan who was already done with his fight was sitting on the floor with his legs folded. "Even I can tell you're pouting". He said with an indifferent expression

"Oh, you can see that too, Nathie". Javier laughed as he flinged his sword around

"Yeah, look at her pouting like what I don't know". Nathan picked his ear

"I Am Not A Her!" The Serpentari fumed in anger

"Is that big head just for show?". Mathias who was almost sleeping asked in wonder

"Looks like a her to me". Kelvin pointed

I'm being picked on by kids... The serpent resigned to reality

"Now that I think about it, it just might not be as menacing as it looks". Grace raised her shoulders in a shruggie. "What do you think, Sebby?".

Sebastian was nowhere to be found

"Sebas? Sebastian!". Grace called out again

She looked towards where Javier and the snake were having another scuffle

"Javier, Sebastian is missing". Grace spoke in a hint of panic

"What-". Javier roughly blocked another attack from the serpent. "Sebas is missing?"

"Well, I don't see him around". She looked about

"Don't worry." Javier assured, "He's probably doing something useful"

"I'm here". Came a blond's reply

All heads turned towards Sebastian. He had beside himself a blond lady with shoulder length hair which she proceeded to roll into a bun.

As if a long forgotten memory had suddenly popped up out of nowhere, they all shouted.

"The princess!!"

The princess, "..."

Javier, "Uhh"

The princess posed and introduced herself with her hand on her chest. "I'm Oren Diva from the honorable Oren family". She spoke maturely, "And something about those expressions tells me you forgot about me".

Everybody, "..."

"You know what, I'm not going to ask". She sauntered to Mathias' side and sat down. "Aren't the agents supposed to come find me? Why is Lord Javier and his humble Vassals here?". She asked Grace

"Oh, about that... ". She scratched her hair

The princess slowly looked up from where she was sitting, "You know what, you just might be the only agent I can entrust my life with, Lady Grace". She squints her eye."The others are just pretty faces with no work to show-"

"Now will you shut your pretty mouth, princess". Javier had a vein bulge by his temple. "Who are you to belittle my agents".

"Just saying". She shrugged

"It's those same agents that spend sleepless nights patrolling the city and surveying homes on a daily basis". Grace thought for a moment, "Their efforts might be equal to that of our king's Vassals" She explained

"Like hell!". Mathias protested, "We Vassals are nothing like you agents.. ". He looked at both the princess and Grace with scrutinizing gaze. "We, are second only to the King".

"It's exactly your type I hate the most". The princess sprang up from where she was sitting, "Prove it". She said with an icy tone, "Prove to me you're useful to our King". She pointed her magnificent sword embedded with rare ornaments directly at Mathias' face

"Alrighty, bring it on, princess!". Mathias single handedly cracked his fingers

"I'll wipe your confidence down with my sword". The princess sighed

Javier was in an intense battle with the serpent, neither side was winning, but nor were they losing, and from the side he yelled, "No fighting!".

"Oh, this is more of a little scuffle". Mathias smirked

The princess clicked her tongue, she had only taken a step forward, and swung her sword backward when she suddenly stopped moving, her arms and sword hanging mid air, while her legs fixed to the ground.

"W-what ". She tried moving her arms but was surprised when her movement only drew blood and brought forth tingling pain.

"I'ld rather stay in place if I were you". Came Mathias' calm voice.

The princess laughed, "And here we Royals were, thinking the string ability mostly belonging to the commoners..". She raised her head up revealing bright orange eyes, "Were plain stupid".

"I'ld say the same of that ugly coloured hair of yours". Mathias laughed, "It's not blond, neither is it orange. Just what exactly did your ancestors do to earn God's wrath".

"My hair colour is a signature of my bloodline to the Oren family". She frowned

"I know, it's like I said". Mathias smirked

"I never really liked your black hair to begin with". If not for her title, she would have spat all sorts of profanities

"So they're fighting about hair colours now". Kelvin turned to Grace and sighed

"I think they're better off if we left them alone". Grace shrugged, "We should be leaving". She looked towards Javier who was still struggling with the collosal serpent who didn't seem to budge with any strike.

"Don't you think we should help Lord Javier with that". Rouge suggested

"Might count as a mission fail for him if we do". Felix spoke logic! But everyone knew it was just so he could avoid stressing himself out

"I guess". Sebastian answered vaguely, "We might still join if it takes too long". He took a stone piece and moved it forward

"Alright then". Rouge moved a stone piece forward also

"When did these three start playing chess!!". Grace screamed internally and thought to herself, 'So this is why Lord Javier calls his Vassals stupid, and we agents annoying'. She sighed and looked towards the other side where Mathias and the princess were still arguing

"Your hair colour is totally not my type". The princess raised a red flag

"Great, I never liked short haired girls to begin with". Mathias showed his own disinterest

"Are those two serious". Grace couldn't be more confused

Clang!

She looked back to see Javier still fighting with the serpent. "Do you think we should call for Marl? If you can still use your portal, Javie".

Her question caused a momentary pause in everybody's movement. They all had their jaws drop, each and every one of them looking at her with eyes that spelt disbelief.

The chess piece Rouge was holding fell to the ground

"Who sold her such courage". Nathan clicked his tongue

"I almost forgot, she's from Marl's generation". Kelvin wiped fake tears

"Even those from his generation don't take him lightly". Mathias broke a sweat

"I'm afraid if we call him without a valuable reason, he's ganna kill us". Javier said matter of factly

Grace sighed, "Let's fight, Sebby" She turned to Sebastian

Sebastian nodded

After several rounds of attack and defense, Javier rushed towards the Serpentari head-on but with its armoured tail, it lashed at him.

It was a very heavy blow which Javier proceeded to block with his green headed sword. It was hard breathing under such pressure from just the tail alone, so he let go of his sword and jumped up. He did a refined three-sixty and landed on the back of the snake, running up to its head.

Now of course the snake wouldn't just stay still, it violently twisted it's body to shake Javier off but he only jumped off and on to another part to avoid falling. Finally, he reached the head of the serpent and raised his only sword up and-

Whoosh!

He just had to fall at that moment!

Nevertheless,

Zoom!

Mid air, Javier threw his second sword so hard it cut through the air and landed straight in the Serpent's eye. Immediately, using his air ability, he pulled the sword back outside

Screech!

It lashed about with its iron like tail as it screamed in pain and agony.

"Yeah". Javier smirked, "That's what I like".

One of its violent blind swings came at Javier, in an instance, he brought his sword down and shielded himself with a slight frown.

It was quite the impact, and Javier crashed to the ground, spurting blood out of his mouth.

"I'm not done yet". He was just about to stand up when he heard the familiar sound of hard metal cracking.

A discernable tink came about with a loud shatter.

Javier looked down at the sword in his hand. It had taken a heavy blow after the collision with the Serpentari's wild swing and was now on the verge of No Use.

In order words, it was Useless..

"No". Javier had the hope in his eyes extinguish in a flicker. "Nooooooo!!" He yelled at the top of his voice

This startled the others,

Grace and her fight with Sebastian paused,

The chess piece Rouge was holding fell.. again,

Mathias and the princess paused mid arguing

All of them looking at one person,

"What's the matter, Lord Javier?". Kelvin asked

"Elizabeth is, she's..". Javier still couldn't distinguish reality

"Lord Javier". Grace was a bit worried "Who is Elizabeth?"

"She (the Serpentari) broke Elizabeth!! (I'm guessing you all know what I'm talking about)". He had tears streaming down his face

"Calm down, Javier". Sebastian strolled to his side

"But Elizabeth,". He accused

"I know". Came Sebastian's reply

"Elizabeth and I have been together since forever". He started crying again, "She's gone now!". Sniff, "What am I going to do?" He asked, snot hanging out of his nose

"You have plenty of swords, Lord Javier, you could go get a new one". Kelvin suggested

"... "

Two minutes into this,

Grace was panicking seriously. "Lord Javier, please snap out of it!". She begged

"No! Elizabeth!!". Javier screamed, tears streaming down his face as he looked down at the sword below him.

Grace was panicking seriously. "Lord Javier, please snap out of it!". She begged

The serpent's thy was getting closer and closer and they couldn't just leave it alone.

"Lord Javier! You need to get it together!". Mathias also panicked

"This 's a mess". Felix scratched his head

"Pull yourself together!!". An irritated Nathan came forward and slapped Javier right in the face

It was personal..

"No, Elizabeth is, she's... No, why!!". Javier screamed again

The princess: "... ".

"Lord Javier, you'll bury her later! for now, let's face this. That thing is coming for us!!". Kelvin shouted ahead as he, Sebastian and Rouge ran ahead and kept the serpent busy.

"No! He broke Elizabeth!! She's dead! What will I do!?". He used the cloth part on his shoulder to wipe the snot and tears off his face, but it clearly wasn't doing it's job well. "What am I going to do!?".

"Lord Javier!". Nathan shouted at the top of his voice

"What!!!". Javier's eyes glinted a faint green as he slowly turned his head towards the cause of Elizabeth's death. That damned serpent.

Javier released a dangerous aura that made the others shudder in their breath. He stood up and walked towards the rampaging reptile. On his way, he picked up a different sword than he had used earlier. It had a curved green handle and a very pointy edge. "You'll pay for this". Javier mumbled to himself. "You'll pay for her death...". He commenced his seventeenth round of attack

It was as if the dungeon forbade the thought of revenge because as soon as Javier stepped right in front of the rampaging reptile, everywhere turned black.

The fires were extinguished

The Serpent had vanished into thin air

And there was an odd silence

"What now". Although everywhere was dark and they couldn't percieve a thing, they didn't need to see his expression, just from Javier's tone of voice they could tell, he wasn't very pleased.

Once again came that eerie melody...

Once again, came that dim purple illumination..

Once again, came the sounds of scribbles on a wall.