4.The Serpent's Caster (ManxBoy)

CHAPTER FOUR

Fraden

The house finally came into view and I sighed gratefully. Linus gapped and turned to me then back to the house then back to me.

"This isn't your house." He claimed boldly and I rolled my eyes. We had traveled with him on my back until night fall, once I took camp and ate he'd only woken up this morning and seemed better, more colour in his face but a haunted look in his eyes. I didn't ask since he had screamed himself awake.

"It is." I said plainly and he chuckled while I walked across the street towards the gate. It was a huge mansion on the side of an abandoned road. It was a mile away from a super market last time I was here. Who knows what that super market has become over my 575 years of imprisonment.

I broke the padlock on the gate, opened it and made my way to the door. I opened the door with a key underneath the vase on the side. It opened but was blocked by an inside chain.

"Hello!" I bellowed. "Anybody here!?" I yelling into the open space, I could have easily broken it, but this was my house, I did not need it damaged. I heard the clicking of shoes and the light switch before a face came into view.

It was young and blonde with blue eyes. She walked forward after a brief moment of contemplation and studying my face, after recognising me she unlocked the door, I offered her a smile and she looked down uneasily and made way.

More footsteps came and a man met me as I walked into the living room.

"It's you," the man said sounding astonished, I smiled and nodded. He grinned and looked around excited. "I can't believe it."

"Well, you'll have to so I can get to living again." I said and he clapped his hands.

"Right!" He said and laughed, "of course! This way, sir." Linus was gapping at the entire situation which was amusing.

"Follow." I told Linus and the girl and the man looked at him.

"Who is that?"

"Linus, my prisoner." I said with a laugh.

"Prisoner my ass!" He seemed to come out of his stupor to give me a hard look, "I'll have you know that if it weren't for me you'd be stuck in that cave and rotting!" He said in anger and I laughed making my way up the stairs. My great great, a few more greats nephew smiled and lead the way to my room.

"If I weren't kind, you'd be dead." I shook my head. I came to my room which hadn't changed which I was grateful for. "Thank you...err?"

"James," he smiled, "and this is my sister, Jennifer. "

"It's nice to meet you." I told him and he grinned while the sister stared at me with fear and skepticism in her bright eyes.

"Same! Well, you get comfortable, we'll be off to bed."

"Does this mean we will leave the house?" I heard Jennifer whisper to her brother.

"I don't know, hut isn't this great? I never thought I'd live to see him!" The excitement in James' voice was enough to make me roll my eyes. "He hasn't aged a day."