Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ziran finished washing dishes and started to make Sienna's dinner when a strong hand opened the door.
"Marco!"Ziran stared at the strong eagle ."I'm so happy to see you!" he said with visible relief in his voice.
" Can you tell me what is going on here?"Marco furrowed his brows.
"Sharchan's brother is pretending to be King Sharchan and Sienna's mate. He is holding Sharchan in a snowy underground room. We need to get him out."Ziran whispered.
Marco nodded.
"Sienna gave me his Snake King ring. What has to be done with it? "Marco showed the golden ring to Ziran.
"That is great. We need to fetch Sharchan now then!."Ziran nodded."But we need to be sure S will do not disturb us, I do not want to freeze to death!" he noted brutishly.
"I blocked the snake upstairs for 30 minutes," Marco said coldly.
"Wow, General Marco always thinks upfront...No wonder you became the king so fast. "Ziran said approvingly ."We need to get Sharchan quick, he is freezing to death," he added.
"To death? Why was Sienna not looking more worried then?"Marco got suspicious.
"I told her, that it is just like sleeping for him. I did not mention the death part. I could not manage to take him out with her and I did not want her to panic," Ziran noted.
"Aha..so it is our little secret then...Let's hope the snake lives...or we will have to say it was an accident..."Marco said coldly.
"Well, if he is dead he is dead, "Ziran just shook his shoulder nonchalantly.
"Will you be not sorry for him ?"Marco asked not much surprised.
"Well S is more kind to her anyway."Ziran nodded.
"S?" Marco asked curiously.
"The impostor brother, she found out straight away, so she gave him the name S."Ziran noted.
"Aha. So you play for quite a while...Did she mate him too?"Marco asked.
"I'm not sure..."Ziran bit his lips..." But she kind of like him..." the burly tiger sighed.
"So why she wants Sharchan back then?"Marco shook his head.
"Maybe, she misses his bossing around ..." Ziran chuckled."Anyway, it is not right, so we have to fetch him..."
Marco nodded quietly and took the biggest cauldron he could find. He filled it full of water and put it to boil on the fire. He made sure it was enough water not to boil out for a long time...Then he dropped a few herbs in it and went to the dark underground with Ziran.
The strong men slipped thru the big metal door first. Marco with the Snake King's ring on his finger. The wild snakes hissed at them in the darkness."Eagle why do you have our king's ring?"
" Because we are going to save him, "the eagle said coldly."Now scram or I will have you for dinner..."Marco hissed back at them. He did not like snakes at all! Well, maybe for dinner in his eagle form... The snakes rather retreated, they would not mess with the strong Eagle King even if he did not have the ring!
Marco with Ziran reached the end of the corridor undisturbed and the burly tiger opened the icy iron door.
" You are stronger, will you hold the door?"Ziran looked at Marco hopefully.
"Sure. Are you scared of S a lot?"Marco grinned.
"He is strong as Sharchan. Only you and Sarcos can match him..."Ziran bit his lips. He felt so humiliated!
"Rather go bring the snake!!"Marco sent him off. The tiger was too chatty for his taste! He noticed Ziran is a little less brute than always..." Looks like S thought him better manners..." the eagle thought coldly.
Ziran walked fast thru the snow to the double mountain. He noticed a snake tail under the snow, so he pulled it, but it was stuck solid to the snowy ground! Ziran had to unroll the snow-covered frozen snake slowly and pull it out. The snake was enormous and the white fluffy snow was sticking on him. Ziran felt as if he is pulling all the snow with him! The burly tiger warrior was huffing and puffing as he pulled the huge snowy mass behind him... It was freezing in there but he was boiling hot from his work!
When Ziran finally make it with the snake to Marco, the cold eagle was looking at him with a lifted eyebrow."What are you doing?"
"What?"Ziran looked at him clueless.
Marco shook his head and removed some snow from the huge snake, "This is not Sharchan, it is white." he noted coldly.
"Maybe he changed colour...?"Ziran said sheepishly..." Like foxes change coat from orange to white for winter..." he smirked at cold Marco. The tiger was a little grumpy to waste the trip, but working hard felt good somehow to him. All his work was for nothing, but it was a good exercise after all...
"He is not a chameleon, so hurry up...you seem too happy!" Marco looked at him.
"It is a cold sight of you...I missed you so much..." Ziran grinned.
"Just go again and bring Sharchan this time...The time is running. "Marco noted coldly.
"Are you sure it is not him?"Ziran stared at the white snake probingly.
"This must be his father, the White Snake warrior, go!"Marco said impatiently.
Ziran went inside and after another round of strenuous work brought real Sharchan out this time.
"What are we going to do with them? They are frozen."Ziran asked as Marco closed the icy iron door.
"We leave them here to melt slowly...like steaks," Marco noted. They straighten the long snakes along the corridor behind them as they walked out and left. The huge snakes were blocking the corridor completely as they were kind of stuck on each other.
"Are you sure it is a good idea?"Ziran asked worriedly.
" Trust the Doctor..."Marco grinned coldly."Nobody will open that frozen door with these two blocking the way," he noted.
"Yes, that makes sense, we will give him a fighting chance to wake up."Ziran nodded.
"Let's go finish Sienna's medicine. It should be done by now."Marco said seriously. They both walk fast to the kitchen. Their time was almost up and Marco did not want to risk S uncovering Sienna before he give her his Snake King's ring back.
"What now... ?"Ziran looked at Marco for instruction as the strong eagle took the big cauldron off the fire.
"The medicine is ready, let's go up," Marco said as he pour the reddish liquid into the big terracotta cup.
"Are you sure it is safe?" Ziran looked at it. He did not trust much in Marco's cooking skills and even less in his Doctor's skills...
"It is just a sweet tea," Marco noted.
"But Sienna is in pain for real, you know that, yes?"Ziran asked surprised.
"Sure...I gave her medicine from Rem."Marco nodded.
"So what about S?" Ziran asked curiously."Will you kill him?"
"No, it is Sharchan's brother, he should deal with him. I just take what is mine." Marco said coldly.
"Sure..."Ziran noted. "Will you give me a lift out too? S will kill me if she goes missing..."
"So, do you like him not?" Marco asked coldly.
"He is nicer to Sienna only. But he is sneaky. I was sleeping in the dungeon last night. But he left me a deer and water there at least..."Ziran sighed.
"Sure," Marco noted."Keep the sweet details to yourself!"
"Bloody cold eagle..."Ziran sighed in his mind as he followed Doctor Marco with the medicine upstairs.
"Go in first."Marco told him."I will get S out and you get her ready to go."
Ziran came back to Sienna's room first. "The doctor is cooling the medicine in the corridor. He will be here soon."He said politely as he bowed to S, playing a good servant.
"Why are you so sweaty?" S asked suspiciously. Ziran looked like he was working hard labour because he was wet from the snow...
"I had to stand over the steaming pot and mix it. "Ziran shook his shoulders innocently.
"Go bath!"S sent him off. "You smell! Don't make my queen more sick!"
Sienna was still tucked in her bed. She stared at Ziran and at S. She found it funny, so she giggled.
"You must not move my queen, put your head straight!"S ordered her and went to position her head straight gently." You need to inhale the scent of herbs properly." he instructed her as he kissed her forehead caringly and waited next to her for the doctor patiently.
"He is so sweet..."Sienna sighed in her head...she still liked his touch...
Ziran stood by the window stalling on his way out pretending to clean the dust as the doctor entered.
S came to the doctor in expectation and glanced at the red liquid." It looks like the red tea." he noted suspiciously.
"Yes it is, the tonic is inside, the herbs don't taste well on their own."Marco nodded.
"The medicine is ready. Is all done for you now, my queen."Doctor Marco came to Sienna and blow on the hot cup with a reddish liquid. He crouched to her and unroll the covers slipping the gold ring back to her hand as he was giving her the cup.
Sienna looked into his eyes."Doctor, will I be alright?" she sip the sweet tea slowly. It tasted like melted honey with lemon but smelled quite nice. She was asking about Sharchan.
"Yes, after a while. I need to talk to your king in private now," Marco said and took S out of the room.
"The queen doesn't look very well." he said worriedly."She will need some special herbs...You should come with her to Sand City. It is warmer there."The doctor talked quietly...
"Just do it here..." S said resolutely. He did not want to part with her too early...He needed to mate with her to take over his brother's place in the world fully.
Marco talked to S for a bit more to give Ziran time to get Sienna ready...he was making up excuses why to take Sienna to Sand City...playing on S's patience.
Meanwhile, Ziran packed a small sack of female supplies for Sienna, wrapped her in the warm blanket and stood her at the wide open window.
Sienna breathed in the chilly air and looked at him a bit surprised."What are you doing?"
"We are taking you out."Ziran stood next to her ready to go, circling her waist strongly with his right hand.
"But what about Sharchan?"Sienna asked worriedly.
"He is fine. He is defrosting slowly in the corridor. He will be up soon. Let him sort it out here."Ziran said quietly to her.
"But I need to go change myself before we go..."Sienna whispered uncomfortably.
"No time."Ziran looked at her."Scream in pain loudly!"
"What?"Sienna tilted her head a little confused.
" Scream!" he looked at her firmly.
"Ahhhh."Siena just did what he said...she was puzzled.
Marco with S was still talking outside when suddenly Sienna called in pain.
"Go get the rest of the medicine from the kitchen."The doctor called and rushed inside.
S looked at him in a bit of shock and went to the kitchen to get it. But when he returned to Sienna's room with the jug of tea, the bed was empty! The window was open wide and there was no sign of Ziran, Sienna or the doctor!