Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 82: The Warden vs the Lizard Woman

Lord Lattantio was starting to both dislike and appreciate the Lord of Dreams more and more as their relationship continued. He hated that the Lizard never made direct contact with him but he had to admit, the work he was doing was incredible. Okamila had never been so strictly ruled, people were more peaceful, obedient, and those who weren't were sorted out by the thousands of lizards who had infiltrated every corner of the city. The Crow's network was still at large but there was nothing anybody could do about that. Although the greasy pig of a man had been taken down a peg, since people feared the lizards more than him now, he was still running his operations smoothly and keeping to the shadows. The city was in perfect condition but there was one thing that was very very wrong. Kenrick was not in charge of anything that was happening. He paced the floors in his chambers waiting to do something and being circumnavigated at every opportunity. The Lord of Dreams and his lizard kind were infuriating him.

Nevertheless, he was still the Warden of Okamila and in turn, the kingdom. He took a deep breath and stomped through the castle walls until he reached the throne room where that horrible woman was sitting in his chair.

"Sapana." he boomed, his voice resonating within the acoustic space. Her black hair was loose and unkept. She looked like she belonged in the forest, not lounging in a throne built for a dynasty of queens. 

"Kenrick." she smirked. "I was wondering when you might come to see me."

"I will not be kept in the dark anymore about the functions of this city. I am the Warden of Okamila and I demand more respect." his fists were clenched and he fumed with the anger of a much younger man. The dozens of lizards who stood around in fine gold embroidered robes stared at Kenrick with doubtful expressions. He didn't care, he glowered at the lizard woman and watched her smirk grow larger across her pale face.

"My darling," she simpered.

"Don't patronize me." he spat. "I'm not afraid of you."

Her face froze and Sapana's lips contorted as she spoke, "You have no idea the power I can have over you, Lord Lattantio." she raised a hand and he started to feel his vision blur and his knees turned wobbly. "I can make you see things." she hissed. "I can make you do things," A pain seared across his head and the warden fell to his knees, pressing a palm to his forehead in desperation. He could hear someone screaming and realized it was him. He had never felt pain like this before, it was white hot and penetrated every nerve in his entire body. But as quickly as it came, it stopped.

"You're - you're a w - witch." he gasped for breath and pointed a shaking finger at the black haired woman.

Sapana replied coolly, "I'm not a witch, I am much, much more powerful than a witch."

"Then what the hell are you?" Kenrick was still shaken from her last attack and flinched as she stood up.

"A witch deals with the physical world, they levitate and charm things. Very few witches and wizards are able to alter reality." Sapana neared him and knelt down to look into his eyes. She had a harsh beauty about her, brilliant green eyes and black hair. But there was something off about the way she carried herself, the look in those eyes was - wrong. "Do you want to know something? I had a son once. He started to do physical magic, and that's when Cedric Diggory was able to kill him. So I had Cedric killed, and now the Girl Queen hates me, she wants me dead. But do you know why she is never going to kill me? Because I can do this-"

Her jeweled hand slammed against Kenrick's temple and the world he knew melted away. He was standing in his home, the Castle Gadamere, on a balcony that overlooked the water garden. He looked down and noticed he was much younger, his black robes were tight and more decorative than he was used to. Kenrick turned to see his mother approaching.

"Kenrick, darling. What are you do-" she gasped at the last sentence and he looked down and saw the bloody knife in his hand, the crimson stain spreading across her body, red liquid bubbling from her mouth and his mother falling to the floor.

"Mother!" he cried and fell to his knees so hard they cracked on the stone floor.

"You - you murdered me," she choked. Kenrick grabbed her hand and desperately tried to say something but his voice wasn't working. The world started fading away and he yelled to try and get her to stay with him but everything was blurring.

And then he was back in the throne room of the Castle Camavar, with Sapana kneeling beside him, that stupid smirk still plastered across her face. He threw himself away from her, "What did you do to me? My mother died years ago, in her sleep, of old age!"

"You see? I can change the very fabric of your entire existence. You're not going to remember that." she said, "Instead, you're going to remember what I just showed you. You murdered your mother, it was an accident but it was your fault." she laughed and the cackle filled the room in a maniacal sound. "The Girl Queen won't be able to kill me because I could just as easily make her kill herself, as I just made you believe you killed your own mother." She kissed him gently on the forehead and went back to her throne. The lizards stood motionless on the side, still watching the show. Kenrick Lattantio, the once stone cold man who ruled the entire city without ever ceasing to remain strong, was lying in a heap on the floor, his mind in tatters.

"From now on, you do as I say." she called out.

A tremor rippled through Kenrick and he could feel her inside his mind. He couldn't control it as his mouth moved and the words came out, "Yes, my lady."

The lizard woman had trapped him in his own body, and now she had full control over the great city of Okamila.