Chapter 10 - Shackled Shadows

"When strength fails, knowledge becomes the deadliest weapon."

-Nest Of Serpests

by E.S.Mare

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The pain in my back flared sharper, snapping me back to awareness.

I opened my eyes—or at least I thought I did. The darkness remained unbroken. But for us Snakes, the dark was never dangerous. We could sense the heat of living bodies, trace their presence even in the absence of light. Other species glowed to us in shadows. Our own kind, however, gave off nothing. No warmth. No signal. We were invisible to one another.

Perhaps the Sovereign of the Soil willed it so—that we might never see each other as enemies. And yet, it was precisely because of that enmity that I now found myself in this wretched place.

The air inside was heavy, thick with the sour stench of rusted iron. Damp walls and buried dust stung my nose. If even the faintest light had pierced the gloom, I might have seen the dust hanging in the air like ash. Wherever I was, I was alone. But within seconds, warmth bloomed above me—four distinct heat signatures, all overhead. I raised my head and squinted upward.

The moment I tried to shift, pain tore through my back. My wrists were bound in cold metal, suspended in the air. Shackled to the wall, tightly—so tight I couldn't flex a finger. The iron dug into the burns on my skin. They'd bound me tight—tighter than any human. Because they knew. Knew how we bent, slithered, escaped.

The Lions knew that. Of course they did. And I knew a few things about them too. Queen Kalissia used to say that true power wasn’t found in strength, but in knowledge. My teachers had followed her creed to the letter. Most of them had been silenced—sabotaged by my father. Some died by ‘accidents’—a cruel irony. Some broke the rules and were thrown into the dungeon.

Whoever enlightened my mind was driven to death.

Every loss was calculated.

He never cared if King Siles subjected me to brutal military drills. He welcomed the bruises, the bleeding. Physical strength didn’t scare him. After all, how strong could a woman possibly be? What unsettled him was my mind. Even the knowledge I already possessed was enough to threaten him. More of it? Dangerous.

He wasn’t wrong.

After my lessons in terraincraft, I vanished from the palace—and left barely a trace behind. If not for Vilas, they might have searched for days. But that damned Snake always found me. Every time.

Should I wait for him to find me again?

I had no other choice. My hands were shackled beyond hope, but my legs were free. Not free enough to break the chains, but I could stretch, adjust my posture. I pushed my feet forward, pulling my back from the wall. The pain eased, slightly. I inhaled deeply. Shouldn't have moved my neck, though. The ache there was worse. I needed medicine, food—anything to keep me from crumbling. But I was a prisoner now.

Caged by those foul Lions.

My freedom, brief as it was, had been a mockery, nothing more.

A creak of wood announced the door opening.

The steps groaned.

A torch flared.

I looked up from a pair of black boots.

The yellow-eyed Lion didn’t meet my gaze for long. He stepped past me, fixed the torch to the wall, then turned.

He looked at me for a moment. I didn’t speak. I let out a hiss. “First time laying eyes on one of us?”

“One as repulsive as you?” he said coolly. “Yes. It is.”

Mud had dried on my skin, my clothes, my face. But I knew that wasn’t what he really meant. “Then you shouldn't have brought me here.”

He didn’t answer. Didn’t say where we were, whether this was his home or some Lion’s den.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“You just said it. The Repulsive One.”

Where was my sword?

I had to find it.

Then I’d find Vilas and ram my sword down his throat.

The Lion stepped closer and crouched before me. He wasn't afraid—

not even pretending to be.

When I shifted slightly, he drew a dagger and stabbed it into the ground beside my leg.

A warning.

“Stay still. Or I’ll bind your feet as well. Or cut them off.”

The chains were too strong to break. Otherwise, I’d have had my legs wrapped around his throat already. But I believed him. So, though I glared at him, I didn’t move.

“What do you want from me?” I asked.

“Answers.”

“I’m no one’s spy,” I snapped. “I lost my way. I crossed your cursed border by mistake.”

“The right answers,” he corrected.

It was the truth, but even to my ears, it sounded like a child’s excuse. No one would believe it.

Then the scent hit me—food. Spiced, warm, alive. My stomach twisted. The last thing I’d eaten was a handful of grain cakes—stolen by Vilas from a nameless village. That was almost a day ago.

“Hungry?” the Lion asked, noticing.

“No,” I lied. I wasn’t about to beg. I wouldn’t humiliate myself. I knew hunger well—from the dungeons, from the training halls. I could endure.

He tilted his head, studying me. His eyes flickered in the firelight. “You’re hungry, aren’t you? Tell me the truth, and I’ll bring you something.”

“I already did,” I hissed.

He drew the dagger again, and for a moment I thought he would stab me.

Instead, he pressed the blade gently to my neck, trailing it upward.

He lifted my chin with its tip.

When I cursed him in the Snake tongue, his eyes narrowed.

“Keep that vile language to yourself. Or I’ll carve out your forked tongue.”

Did he really think I feared him? Torture didn’t scare me—but that didn’t mean I wanted it. I held my silence. I wouldn't provoke him. Not yet.

“I have time,” he said, voice still maddeningly calm. “But my patience is thin. And I have none for Snakes. Consider it mercy that I’ve given you this much. Don’t waste it.”

He sheathed the dagger, rose to his full height, and turned without another word. He took the torch, the flame flickering over his shoulders, and climbed the steps. Each step creaked loud enough to haunt the dark. Then the door slammed shut—and the dark returned.

It happened again the next day. And the day after.

Or maybe it was only hours.

In that cold, sunless place, time unraveled.

My hunger dulled, drowned beneath the weight of pain.

And Vilas never came.

⚔

I had been cold for days. But today… today it felt different. Harsher. At first, I thought the world around me was trembling—but it was only me. My body shivered, if you could even call it that. It was more like... convulsing.

They meant to kill me here. There was no doubt in my mind. Not through torture—no, they hadn’t even bothered with that. Just starvation. They gave me nothing but water the entire time I’d been here. Hunger eventually faded. I taught myself not to care. But the cold—I was used to cold. I had never liked warmth. But this... this wasn’t natural.

Not this kind of cold.

And the sweat slipping down my brow, stinging my eyes? That wasn’t normal either.

The wounds on my back.

It had to be them.

I waited for the door’s eerie creak to bring light. Even the light felt weaker now, washed out and pale. Today was the final day— He said it, not me. He hadn’t believed a single word I said. He was coming now.

For the last interrogation.

I heard his steps.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

But this time, the torchlight didn’t stop at the wall. It came straight toward me.

The flame spread across the floor, and then—

It wasn’t a cold blade but a warm hand that gripped my chin and raised it.

Warmth.

In the name of Lesster, Sovereign of the Soil, it felt so good I drew a deep breath, and my eyes opened wider. The firelight shimmered in his golden eyes.

I wanted those eyes to burn me.

To warm me.

"Ada," he said, his voice rough.

Finally. A name.

I didn’t know if it mattered, but it was something.

The creak of the stairs echoed again, sharper this time, slicing through my skull.

When the warmth left my face, my head dropped, and I let out a groan.

“What’s wrong?” asked a woman’s voice.

“Did Raiden get near her?” the golden-eyed man asked.

Raiden… Which one was Raiden? The Lion holding me—or the Eagle? I’d seen the Eagle. He was the smug one. The Lion was the angry one. And if they were already suspicious of the angry one... then Raiden must’ve been him.

“What?” the girl said. “No. Of course not. He never even came downstairs. I was the only one who did—and just to bring her some water.”

“Adara, I’ll ask you again. What did you give her?”

“I swear, only water. Maybe she was just hungry—”

“No one ends up like this from hunger!” Lion roared.

He swore under his breath, and it hit me—

and it reminded me of Vilas.

I missed him.

That foul mouth of his, that ridiculous temper.

I’d hug him when I found him. Truly, I would.

And then I’d kill him.

“Hold the girl,” said the golden-eyed man.

I hadn’t even realized he’d stood. But then I felt it again—his hands, warm around my wrists.

The girl pulled me upright. My arms slipped free. As I leaned forward, she gripped me harder, too hard. The pain in my back hit me like fire, and I screamed.

“Why are you screaming?” she snapped. “I barely touched you.”

“Let me see her back,” said the golden-eyed man.

This time, the girl didn’t hesitate. She propped me against her shoulder, fingers tugging at the back of my tunic. If my wrists weren’t so numb, I would’ve stopped her. But it wasn’t just my wrists—my whole body was going numb. The cold, the pain—there was nothing left to feel but the ache.

“This…” she whispered, stunned. “Even Raiden couldn’t do this.”

A blade slid under the back of my underclothes. As it tore the fabric, I felt the most unexpected relief. Sovereign of the Soil! I should’ve taken that damned thing off earlier.

Even if it meant Vilas would’ve seen my magnificent breasts, it would’ve been worth it—

That damned thing only made it worse.

“These wounds are old,” the golden-eyed man muttered.

I screamed again as he touched them.

“They’re starting to fester.”

For the name of Sovereigns!

I didn’t want to die.

I hadn’t risked everything to die like this.

I had escaped to live. To finally live freely.

“Who would do such a thing?” Adara whispered.

“She will tell us,” said the man.

When the girl stepped back, he lifted me with terrifying ease, as if I were a brittle twig.

It hurt. Sovereign of the Soil! , it hurt. But his warmth... it was worth it.

It felt as if Lions touch had been blessed by the Fire Sovereign, so warm it was.

“Don’t you dare die,” he whispered to me.

Grimacing, I pressed closer to him. Later, I’d feel the shame of it—letting a lion carry me like this. Worse still… he didn’t even smell bad. He actually smelled... good. Mother used to say they smelled like wet rats. This one didn’t. And somehow, that made it worse.

“Are you upset you couldn’t kill me, Purring Beast?” I mumbled. My words barely made sense, but he understood.

“Still not silent, even now, huh?” he said. Not mockingly. Not coldly, either. “You're a true Rattle’s Song.”

His steps were steady—not heavy, not slow. Even as he climbed, he didn’t jolt my body. But I didn’t mistake it for gentleness. If he were kind, he would’ve brought me food. No, this was the Lions’ balance. I knew a bit about them, at least. My teachers and my mother had told me enough about their cruelty...

At the top of the stairs, the warm air rushed in. I inhaled, long and deep.

A moment of peace.

Until that voice.

“Why is that filthy reptile in your arms, Lian?”

Lian.

The name sounded familiar.

Why would a lion’s name sound familiar?

Lian didn’t answer.

“Ada, fix that.”

“You’re not laying her on the same couch we sit on!” snarled the same voice.

“Silence, Raiden,” said the golden-eyed one. Finally... Lian.

Purring Beast.

He laid me down on my side. My gaze found the man named Raiden.

I knew it was him—not because I’d seen him before, but because he was the only face I hadn’t seen. Those green-colored eyes didn’t just hold hate.

He wanted me dead. But he wasn’t a Lion. I saw the markings—on his right cheek, his neck. Even on his dark skin, they were visible.

A Tiger.

He wasn’t the largest I’d ever seen—

Well, I’d never seen a tiger in the flesh before.

But he was the largest man I had ever seen.

Footsteps behind me.

I couldn’t turn to look.

“Are those whip marks?” someone asked.

A voice I didn’t know.

But I knew who it was.

The Eagle.

Tigers lived in the Lion Kingdom, but I still didn’t understand why the eagle was here.

Even if they were allies, I had never heard of eagles dwelling in lion lands. Another gap in my education, I supposed.

“What?” Raiden said, eyes flashing. “Why are you looking at me? I never touched her. If I had, I’d have cut her down with a sword—not a whip.”

I understood why everyone suspected Raiden. It wasn’t just because he was a Tiger. It was the way he felt. That voice, that hate—It was different from the usual hatred between our kingdoms.

I didn’t even care to know why.

I’d kill them all eventually.

After they healed me, of course.

“Arlo,” Lian said, “go gather snakegrass with Ada.”

“If you do that, I’ll kill you,” Raiden growled.

“Raiden, speak again and I’ll rip out your tongue.”

Lian’s voice cut through the air like a winter wind, sharp and biting.

Raiden drew a furious breath, his gaze flicking back to me. When he caught me watching him, he bared his teeth. I tried to smile, though whether it resembled a smile or a death rattle, I wasn’t sure. Still, he turned with a growl and vanished. That meant I had won something. I’d kill him first.

Adara, the Lioness, and Arlo, The Eagle—whose name I had only just learned—walked past me without a word. Snake grass was common in my kingdom. I had read somewhere that it was rare in the lion lands. Not due to hostility—only a fool would reject a healing plant out of hatred. The real reason was colder: snake grass thrived only in chill soil, and their lands were warmer than ours.

Lian stood directly before me, then knelt, resting one knee on the ground. Alone.

Could I strangle him?

“Don’t make me regret this,” he warned.

I didn’t know whether he had seen something in my eyes or if he truly believed I was a threat. He reached for my forehead, his disgust unconcealed.

“You’re burning up.”

“I don’t want to die,” I muttered.

That startled him. He knew I was stubborn. Knew such a confession went against everything I was. But I wasn’t foolish—I wouldn’t hold my head high if it meant stepping into death. That’s why I’d sided with my mother. I could swallow most things. Including letting a lion heal me.

Let them believe I was weak.

Let them patch my wounds and raise me from the edge.

And then, once I could stand again—

I would kill them all with my head held high.

“It’s in your hands,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Start by telling me your name. And don’t lie. I’ll know.”

Of course he wanted my name. He’d seen the scars on my back; he was trying to piece it together. Maybe he thought I’d been tortured into spying on the Lions. Maybe he was right.

“Elis,” I said.

His brows drew together.

“I don’t know if you’re deaf or just a fool. What’s your real name, Snake? This is your last chance.”

"By the Soil’s wrath! The cursed lion really could sense lies. I didn’t know how—but he could.

“Asra,” I said. Flat. Without color. But not a lie.

His frown eased. “So, you are one of the Snake people.”

Noble names were known, recorded. He’d recognize it if he knew the truth. I tried to shake my head, but the pain made me grimace. My throat burned. I tried to swallow. Failed. “Water,” I rasped.

“Answer first,” he snapped. “What were you doing at our borders?”

“I told you—” I coughed, pain slicing through my voice.

Between my coughs, I barely heard his breath catch. “By the Forest's wrath! Fine—wait.”

He stood, returned quickly, and held out a metal cup.

“I won’t touch you. Lift your head.”

I could have. But I didn’t. I let my head fall lightly against the worn fabric of the armchair on purpose. His eyes narrowed. He moved closer. I thought he would support my head—forgot for a moment that he was still a lion bastard. He tilted the cup and let the water fall to the floor, then tossed it aside.

“Don’t play with me, Rattle’s Song.”

“You’re nothing but a kitten dressed in Lion’s skin,” I hissed. My fury roared in me.

“Do you want to see my teeth?”

“Show them!” came a voice behind him.

Vilas.

Lian’s hand darted to his waist, but Vilas was faster. With the arrow lodged in the armchair, Lian raised his hands—still clutching the knife.

“Drop it!” Vilas commanded.

He spoke in the Lions’ tongue, but his voice carried nothing but disdain.

Lian threw the knife aside.

“Step back. Away from her.”

How had Vilas gotten in so easily? Even if the Lion and Eagle had wandered off, the Tiger should’ve been near.

Lian rose slowly, hands raised in surrender. Vilas stepped forward. He looked exhausted—beyond exhausted. Bruises darkened the skin around his eyes, but still he stood firm. He glanced at me, just enough to assure himself I was alive.

“What did they do to you?” he asked me, his eyes never leaving Lian. His voice was lower than I had ever heard it.

I looked at Lian. His hands remained raised, harmless in gesture. But the glint in his eyes and the twist of his lips betrayed him. Vilas couldn’t see it—but I could.

“One more,” I coughed. “A Tiger...”

I wanted to warn him. Raiden was still out there.

And then, the sound I hadn’t expected—a lion’s roar echoed from beyond the walls. A real lion.

Vilas glanced toward it—just for a breath.

Lian didn’t waste the moment. He pulled a second blade from the sheath at his ankle and slashed. Vilas loosed his arrow, but the knife shattered it mid-air and kept coming. Vilas twisted aside, but Lian lunged, bringing him down. One hand clamped Vilas’s throat; the other slashed into his shoulder with the fierce grip of a lion’s claw.

With a burst of strength I didn’t know I had, I threw myself to the ground, crawling toward the discarded knife. Lian snarled a warning.

“Touch it, and I’ll open his throat!”

I froze. Looked at Vilas—his eyes dazed. Looked at the knife—so close. I could reach it. But that would be the last breath Vilas took. And even if I reached it... I wasn’t sure I could throw it true.

I drew my fingers back.

Raiden appeared at the door. I couldn’t see his face—but I knew his voice. That loathsome voice.

“If there’s anything worse than a snake, it’s two snakes.”

Lian struck Vilas across the face. I nearly screamed. Vilas’s head snapped to the side, eyes closing.

“Bind him,” Lian said.

Raiden knelt and dragged him away like a sack of waste. I couldn’t even look.

“All of you...” I choked. “I’ll kill every last one—”

My breath caught. My body failed me. I collapsed, shaking uncontrollably. Lian cursed and strode toward me.

“Tree-cursed traitor!” he growled. “Fever’s spiking. Heart’s racing.”

He lifted me, not gently, but didn’t place me back in the armchair. He carried me somewhere else.

As warmth returned to me, I hated the comfort it brought.

He dropped me into a tub. Cold water crashed down like a blow.

My wounds screamed.

I screamed.

Another bucket followed. My body convulsed. My skin seared.

When my head lolled to the side, his hand caught it. Rough fingers dragged the wet hair from my face. My eyes opened—barely.

“Stay awake,” he ordered.

“You’ll pay… pay for all of this,” I whispered through clenched teeth.

His yellow eyes flared with rage—for a second.

Then my eyes closed, and did not open again.