Jalen: Pisces the Dreamer (Trials of the Zodiac Book 1)

THE SERPENTS WRATH

The woods yielded to the presence made of an ancient, yellowed bone, cleaving through the undergrowth like an obsidian blade. My gaze was immediately drawn to a pair of large arching horns connected to a serpentine face. The creature's face looked like a dinosaur with large yellow scales that broke around sharp bones and its hollowed eye sockets. Its mouth opened, revealing a split tongue. Its body was adorned with many striking, vibrant yellow orbs, each gleaming like gemstones. They were eyes, moving around with a disgusting moist sloshing.

Simultaneously, an incandescent blaze traced a winding path along its curved spine, casting ephemeral flames that danced with otherworldly grace. Between the protective armor of its scales, embers flickered to life. The creature's colossal form asserted its dominance over the courtyard, a portion of its tail still concealed within the woods. I guessed its length to be over sixty feet with a diameter of at least six feet.

A sudden, jarring bark pierced through the air behind me, causing an involuntary yelp to ripple through my mouth. My attention swerved, a surge of apprehension coursing through me. I half-anticipated the arrival of another demonic creature, perhaps even a fearsome hellhound, joining the pandemonium. The bark reverberated once more, capturing my focus and compelling me to locate its origin, ultimately leading my gaze upward to the source of the unexpected interruption – the treehouse.

"That's Ginkgo, my dog," Balam said, injecting a note of reassurance into the atmosphere. A slight ripple of relief passed over me at that. Balam touched his head, and a bolt of magic coated the air, which preceded the ceasing of his dog barking.

Seizing the momentary distraction provided by Ginkgo, the serpent struck, widening its immense jaws to display finger-sized fangs. A fiery stream erupted from the depths of its maw, casting forth a blinding, scorching arc that cleaved through the air with fierce intensity.

As the serpent demon unleashed its fiery breath, a pungent odor choked out the fresh air, imbuing it with a sulfurous stench that clung to my nose hairs. The blistering heat that accompanied the blaze washed over me like an oppressive wave, warming my skin and stinging my eyes.

I focused my gaze downward, desperately attempting to harness the power of the earth's watery essence. However, the drain from our scuffle, matched with my lack of recent magical condition, left me with too little energy to fuse the droplets into the orb. The heat had also turned most of the water around it into steam. The vapors were too elusive for me to control; the essence of it danced away from my magic.

The serpent shifted its aim downward, releasing a billowing cloud of scalding steam that veiled its form.

"She mentioned you're not exactly a magic expert anymore," the serpent's voice echoed, both strange and disembodied. I glanced around, searching for the source of the voice – it wasn't coming from the serpent's mouth or my thoughts; it simply existed, a spectral sound lingering in the air. I also didn't recall a woman in my dreams or memories.

Balam wasted no time sailing forward with a remarkable display of agility, using his scythe to cut through the mist. I was faster, but Balam had me beat when it came to acrobatics. He weaved through the blasts of searing flames with every graceful step, showcasing finesse with every motion. At that moment, my mind couldn't help but wander to the question of how Balam had gained such extraordinary expertise in battle.

Those moves were distinctly human, not the primal fighting style that had guided me in the fight with the Leviathan. What challenges had he faced? I couldn't help but ponder what experiences he must have endured as a woman in this unfamiliar world, alone and without memory of his past.

Balam's movements entranced me as my eyes remained fixed on the unfolding spectacle. It was like watching an exquisite dance while the serpent moved its head wildly, engraving the ground with intense flames. Balam twirled through the air, executed flips that defied gravity, and effortlessly tumbled past the fiery onslaught.