Thyasse stood with Sienna in front of the big black door decorated with skulls. She touched the carved skulls gently. Then she pressed the heavy metal lock and opened the door with a hard push."Come in," Thyasse came inside but left the door open for the fresher air to come in. Sienna stared into the darkness.
"Ahh, you don't see in the dark," Thyasse chuckled and lit the torches in the room. Sienna looked around the big room curiously. It had walls covered in human skulls from top to bottom!
The skulls were very shiny and looked polished. Some of them had black writings and symbols on them, some were encrusted with crystals and some were painted silver or gold! Some skulls had weapons still stuck in them, arrows, axes even huge teeth! Sienna was scared. They felt death from every corner. The feeling of desperation started to creep into her heart. She felt horrified and disgusted by Thyasse's hobby. She tried not to breathe much of the stagnant air and stood under the massive door!
Thyasse walked inside the room happily as coming home.
"This is my treasure room, it is my precious, my collection."She smiled proudly." What do you think of it?" she smiled at horrified Sienna.
"Well, I see you have a passion for collecting in your family. Sharchan had collections of gold and you collect skulls."Sienna smiled softly. She was terrified. Thyasse was clearly crazy!
"Where did you get so many skulls?"Sienna asked carefully.
"They are mostly enemies my husband got me as a gift from his wars." Thyasse was pointing at the skulls with weapons in them. "Some are useless servants, finally serving me well, " she grinned cruelly and these three are my specials." she pointed at 3 polished skulls standing on little silver heavily decorated pillars.
"These 3 are the females who dared to think of my son. He was too good for them. So I had them tortured in my dungeon and now they are my decorations."She smiled gently.
"How did you make them so shiny." Sienna asked to change the subject a bit.
"Most of the skulls were cooked till the meat goes out by itself, then I cleaned them in my acid pool, and polish them, but these 3 I cleaned by my stomach acid especially," Thyasse said proudly.
"How could you do that?" Sienna said thinking.
"Well, I ingested them as a snake and took them out when just the bones were left." Thyasse nodded."They became part of me, I love even my enemies to the bone!" she chuckled darkly and came closer to Sienna.
Thyasse pulled Sienna a bit inside the room and ran her finger on Sienna's soft cheek, "But you can be my son's mate, you are so beautiful." she ran her finger down contouring Sienna's body. "I think he was right that you can have strong sons." She touched Sienna's hips.
"Thank you. You are very beautiful and elegant too. And your son is very strong as well."Sienna nodded, trying to please the crazy queen!
Thyasse smiled and held Sienna's head in her palms, gently but firmly. Sienna felt Thyasse's thin bony fingers feeling her cheekbones.
"Your skull is also beautiful." she turned Sienna's face left and right to check it properly." If it happens you die young, I will give you a special place in my room."She smiled and let go of her head finally!
Sienna touched her cheeks a bit intimidated. She just stood frozen and watched Thyasse walk to an empty decorated golden pillar in the middle of the room ."Your beautiful skull will be here on my golden pillar. " Thyasse pointed as a guide in the art gallery. "Nobody is deserving of this place but you. I will have your skull painted gold and keep your beautiful golden hair on it as well. You will be my sun."Thyasse smiled excitedly.
Sienna stared at the decorated golden pillar in the middle of the room and gulped. "You are so kind," she said with a trembling voice. At that moment Sienna swore in her head that she would keep next to Mathyas at all times in the underworld, far from this crazy queen as possible!
Thyasse looked at Sienna standing under the door again with wild yellow eyes ."All these bones made me feel hungry. Let's have dinner now." she hissed.
"I hope I will be not the dinner." Sienna bit her lips thinking fast." and retreated carefully out of the doors.
She glanced at Thyasse and watched in horror how she changed into a huge copper snake!
Sienna decided to rather run for it and find Mathyas. She run back to the way they came from in a panic. She did not even dare to stop to turn around if Thyasse is after her. Sienna ran thru the fire-lit corridors till she bumped into something soft. The man held her tight in his arms. "What's going on little queen?" the familiar dark voice asked. Sienna lifted her head and saw Mathyas's father staring down at her.
"Do you eat people too?" Sienna asked worriedly staring into his red eyes."If he decides to eat me, I'm done." Sienna trembled in her mind. "He holds me too strong, what if he feeds me to the snake queen?" The dark thoughts grew in her mind and her eyes started to tear up in fear.
Marath chuckled and hugged her a bit tighter. He pressed her to his chest. He felt the soft breasts on his and her frantic heartbeat. She was so much softer than his queen and he liked the feeling. He kept holding her tightly and smiled."Well, I might eat you in a different way." he chuckled quietly.
"What way? Will you cook me first?"Sienna flinched worriedly, but he still did not let go of her.
"Haha, silly little queen. You are too cute for your own good! Don't worry, I will protect you, come."He said and circled Sienna's waist tightly. He walked pulling her with him in a familiar embrace. He liked the soft feeling of her body, her presence felt so refreshing to him!
Sienna felt scared, she trembled in his strong hands. "Where are we going ? "she asked carefully."I need to talk to Mathyas, I have something important to tell him."Sienna tried to convince him.
"Of course," Marath's red eyes glanced into her pale face," He will be there waiting for us in the dining room soon."
"Can I see him quickly now? Before dinner, please?" Sienna asked carefully. She was scared she will be the dinner!
"Aha, you have something private to tell him?"Marath asked curiously.
"Yes, very private. "Sienna nodded."If he thinks I like his son, he might let me go."Sienna thought frantically.
Marath smiled and took Sienna to one of the rooms in the dark corridors. Sienna looked around frightened. It did not look like Mathyas's room at all! It was not silver and black. It was gold and black. Marath sat Sienna on the wide black velvet settee, "Just get comfortable. Mathyas will be here soon." he smiled and sat in the armchair opposite to Sienna, watching her. Sienna looked especially alluring on that black setee, her red dress and golden hair contrasted strongly around the black velvet.
Sienna looked around the darkly fashioned room and bit her lips. She looked at Marath staring at her and smiled faintly." So do you like playing chess? "She glanced at the decorated figurines on the table.
"Yes, I like to play all kinds of games!"Marath nodded a bit sneakily, staring into her eyes.
Sienna felt really tense, but tried to hide it behind the smile."So what kinds of games do you like to play then?" she asked carefully when a knock on the door startled her."I hope it is not his queen!"Sienna's face lost all its blood and she glanced at Marath desperately.
Marath chuckled as Mathyas came in. "Father, ...."
Sienna sighed in relief.
Mathyas stared at Sienna."What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you. I need to talk to you in private."Sienna blurted staring into his scarlet eyes in desperation.
"Not now, we eat first, the food is ready," Mathyas said coldly and gave Sienna his hand to help her stand up from the settee. Sienna took his hand as a drowning puppy. She held Mathyas's hand really tight, she decided not to let go of it!
Mathyas glanced at her a bit surprised as they walked through the dark corridors again. Sienna smiled at him sweetly and kept holding his hand.
Marath walked from Sienna's other side glancing as she held his son's hand. It felt a bit wrong to him!
Sianna felt like a lamb going to slaughter. "Mathyas, are you going to eat me now? "she asked him quietly.
"We don't eat silly queens here," Mathyas shook his head a bit shocked."Just behave yourself, "he led her thru the dark corridors.
Marath chuckled darkly. His son had no idea of his mother's appetite!
Meanwhile, Sarcos was standing on top of the little grassy hill on the other side of the wetlands. He already knew that Sienna was taken by Mathyas, but he was waiting for someone else.
The big red dragon descended next to him. His scales had an orange and golden shine. He was a very powerful beast.
"Darren, great you could make it."Sarcos welcomed the dragon warmly."
"Did you hide your queen well, king Sarcos?"Dragon asked a bit jokingly. Darren changed to a burly man with long red hair fashioned in dreadlocks. His face was manly and handsome but a bit sad. Darren's golden eyes lost their wild shine long ago, he was a broken man deep inside.
"Yes, she is hidden well." Sarcos nodded and bit his lips."Tell me, does your king know, he is actually hunting my queen?"
"Not yet," Darren shook his head."He just heard a rumour about a golden-haired female captured in wetlands, so he sent us to find her. I will not tell him she is your queen."
"Good." Sarcos nodded."Thank you, Darren. Tell your king the female is very sick and it will take a month to recover. The next red moon is not till the end of the coming month, so your king should be in not such a hurry. Tell him, he can go hibernate for the winter as usual, and that you will wake him, just before the red moon."Sarcos told him.
"Why should I do that?"Darren asked a bit provocatively.
"To give me time to do something important Darren." Sarcos nodded his head. "I will pay you handsomely."
Darren nodded his head," You have till the end of next month. Then, I have to search again. And I have another favour from you."
Sarcos nodded. "Thank you, Darren."
The red-haired warrior changed into the dragon and flew back to his scouts."We will pretend to search for another day and then go back to dragon land slowly dragging our sorry tails." he said to his warriors.
"Why Darren?" the burly dragons asked in surprise.
"Because we lost our hearts already."Darren chuckled darkly.
The dragons nodded with an angry growl. "Will king Sarcos help us to kill the king?"
"I have two favours with him. How can he refuse?"Darren asked cheekily.
Sarcos watched how the dragon left and went to the Mathyas's fortress. His Flaming Scorpion was still angry with him."Why are you doing this? You can surely kill the Dragon King now!"He raged.
"It is not just about saving Sienna. I need to help Darren and his men as well." Sarcos shook his head. "They are heartless!"
"You just want an army of dragons." the Flaming Scorpion frowned in Sarcos's mind.
"I will surely get one after this." Sarcos nodded.
"But I still don't agree, the odds are too risky."The Flaming Scorpion moaned.
"The game is already on." Sarcos smiled. "Fight well my Flaming Scorpion," he noted.