When Eben decides to rob the isolated town nestled deep in the woods, he could never have predicted that he would be forced to atone by serving Adder, the powerful and terrifying gorgon charged with protecting the town of Nǣdre Tor.
However, as Eben...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Packing was never Adder's forte, but then again, he's never been one to travel. There was only one time he'd willingly left home; when he was around 15, he had a spat with Helia over a boy who had wandered a little too close to the wall. Adder had peered down, eyes closed, and had a brief conversation with him.
It was exhilarating to go against both Helia and Sheppard by conversing with a villager. How could it not be? It had been the first time he'd actually talked to someone outside his guardians or a monster from the church.
But of course, it didn't last. Adder had been napping under the foliage of a thick tree that had grown entwined with the wall. It had obscured his horns and tail with its foliage, so when he had jumped down to greet his new human friend, things didn't go well.
Adder still remembers how Helia berated him harshly. She'd been in hysterics, certain Sheppard would punish them both dearly for the slip up. As a consequence, Adder had packed as quietly as possible, filled his satchel with the necessities, and stole away into the night.
It was the perfect plan. This way, Adder Sheppard couldn't punish Helia, the villagers wouldn't be afraid of Adder, and Adder wouldn't have to fight the horrible creatures that attacked the humans. They would all be happy with him gone.
However, only an hour in his journey from home, the flaws in this plan became glaringly obvious. First, as he stopped to take a rest, and became dismayed as he discovered he'd completely forgotten to bring food. In the place of sustenance, he'd brought several heavy tomes. Fairy Tales, novels, cookbooks—he'd been unable to bear to just bring one. Worse yet, he'd neglected to bring anything to protect him from the elements to protect his books.
Adder had curled up on top of his books under a large oak, shivering as cold rain had begun to shower down on him. With the rain came even more realizations; it occurred to Adder that the villagers would die without his protection. Surely, some might be brave enough to fight, but would they realize Adder was gone in time to truly defend themselves? Not to mention, what would happen to Helia? Maybe Sheppard would believe she intentionally conspired against the church to free Adder.
The thought was terrifying. What if Helia was imprisoned? Executed?
The idea that Adder's actions could lead to his mother's death had made him realize he'd made a grave mistake. However, as the storm began to roll in, he knew he was stuck. The roads were becoming treacherous now, slippery with mud. Even if he tried to slog his way through it, the rain was falling down thick, too thick to even see his fingers in front of his face. He'd get lost, and then he'd never find his way back home.
Defeated, he'd closed his eyes as he huddled against the rough bark of the tree, trying his best to retain what little heat he could. He shivered all throughout the night, tears intermixing with the icy rain.
He didn't expect that in the morning, just as the fog lifted and the sun began to warm the chilled earth, Helia would come riding down the path. Only for a moment did he fear retribution, the moment before she cried out in relief and hugged Adder close.
