The Hardest word is, 'Goodbye'!!

**Ronin’s POV**

My childhood

*“Ronin! It’s time to sleep! Come here, right now!” My mom struggled to keep her volume low, but her tone was stubborn like a warning. Whatever, I was the naughty seven-year-old who didn’t care about mom’s threat and continued what I was doing; jumping on the bed.

“I am not sleeping till you tell me the story of Serpent Prince?” I spoke, taking a big leap from my bed to Rorik’s. He was already sleeping like the sweet, obedient boy he was. I was a difficult child.

“Ronin! Stop jumping around! You will wake him up!” My mom warned me last time.

“No! I won’t! If you don’t tell me the story, I won’t sleep and will wake up the whole palace!” I downright refused to comply with her. She sighed in defeat like she always does against my tantrums.

“Okay! You won! But this is the last time I am giving in to your whims! Next time, you are dealing with your uncle!” She warned, taking my uncle’s name, as he is the only one I am scared of. But, since he is not here, I will have my way.

“Yay!” I shouted in joy and sneaked into the covers beside her. I loved listening to legendary Serpent Prince Ornith’s story, but my mom always hates to tell. She always gets emotional in a sad way while narrating his story. Her eyes are always distant, and her voice is numb when she takes the names of Prince Ornith and Ozarius. I even caught her crying once, and when I asked her why, she brushed off, giving me an excuse, but I know she knew them personally and shared a past with them. I wonder if this is possible as she doesn’t look much old.

My mom started the story, “Once upon a time, the golden city of Westfall was ruled upon by the Legendary Serpent Prince Ornith of an ancient Serpent race….”*

Nora’s scream bolted me out of my past memories. I was in all my might, fighting off the attackers, trying to reach Nora, but the moment my eyes fell upon Ornith, something changed, dragging me to my past memories when my mom used to tell me his stories. The man whom I considered my idol, my hero, whose stories were my motivation while growing up, was in front of me in blood and flesh. His hand was wrapped around my Nora as if he owned her. I saw rage and hostility in his black Orynx eyes, silently commanding me to give up or die. I never thought I would have to fight the person I grew up idolizing. My serpent was trying to break off my bones, trying to crawl out of my skin and take over, but this place seemed to be cursed, not allowing me to transform. I could sense his serpent as well, and he was also struggling to creep out, but it was all in vain. This place was preventing him as well from transforming.

My Nora was snatched away from me in front of my eyes, and I was watching helplessly. All my desperate attempts to reach Nora failed, and now I am on my knees with a giant lifeless raptor bleeding on one side, and the other side is treacherous Vena, holding a gun on my temple. My instincts had already warned me before to not trust her, but my balls fuelled my ego that what a lone and helpless woman can do. I know that I am fucked up a bad way, but I don’t give a damn about myself, as my fear lies in the safety of my Nora and unborn babies.

Nora ran to me like a desperate possessed woman, crying, begging and pleading for me, but he stopped her. I would have done the same if I were in his place, as this Vena is much deeper inside than she appears outside. Ornith must have sensed Vena’s evilness or maybe knew her, so he stopped Nora from coming to me.

His predatory glare was of the protector, not a killer!

He was protecting her!!

He loves her!!!

Nora was screaming something, I couldn’t hear her words, but I was sure she was saying something along the lines of, ‘I’ll come back for you!’

Then, all of a sudden, silence, complete silence! The barrier formed, and all I could see was the blue sky looming over at the place where that barrier was supposed to be. My fear of never seeing her again and holding my babies was taking shape. A single tear left my eye and trailed down my cheeks on the soil, taking away all the hope with it. I don’t know what is in store for me, but I will die fighting for a single glimpse of my Nora and babies.

The thought of Nora and babies were still running through my mind when a warm set of fingers trailed my cheek. It was Vena, gawking at me seductively. I tried to look away, cursing under my breath, but she groped my jaw between her finger and thumb, forcing me to face her, right into her mid-night black evil eyes. Her dirty glare roved over my face, drinking into the sight. A wicked smirk followed by a burst of vile laughter confirmed her intentions are not so decent.

“Vena! What have you done?” An attacker with an injured shoulder limped in our direction. He seemed god-sent for me, or this Vena was definitely planning to kiss me or worse fuck me. I would die a death of swine rather than let her touch me. I wonder if my serpent curse works on her, and trust me, if it works, then I feel happy to be blessed with this curse for the first time. Again, my train of thoughts was interrupted.

“What did I do? I brought a host for Dark Prince!” Vena snarled at him.

“You let Ornith and Rebekah escape along with his brother Rorik. Dark Prince wanted all of them,” He retorted back in the same tone as Vena.

“I tried to take down Ornith, but he escaped with Re!” Vena’s tone was indifferent. She was lying and didn’t even care to make the attacker believe her lie. She had some other plans for the attacker for sure.

Deadly plans!!

“I saw what you did; you deliberately took a wrong aim and let him escape with Rebekah for your selfish purposes. Dark Prince will be angry by your deception!” he quipped.

“And who is going to tell him?” Vena smirked, and a sly smile covered her face as if making a parody of that man.

Fuck him! If I were in his place, I would keep my mouth shut and nod my face like an obedient little rat. He has signed his death warrant.

“I will tell Dark Prince; he should know of your betrayal. I will make sure you will be punished for your deception,” he warned her.

This man is a jerk. His existence is soon going to be a thing of the past.

“Okay!” Vena quipped and shot the head of that poor attacker. The bullet hit head-on, punching a hole through his skull and his brain lay scattered on the ground. Vena roared into laughter like a possessed madwoman at sight in front of her.

“Now what! Are you going to fuck me?” I asked in an indifferent tone.

“Oh no, sweetie! I really want to fuck you, but I can’t,” She grimaced, but at the next moment, her lips curled into a sly smile, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t play with you!”

Shit! I am Dead!!

*My train of thoughts again moved to the past, my childhood. I was looking out of the window at the Gemini twins; their illustrious aura illuminated the serene jade waters of entralling Serous. My mother’s warm arms snaked around me, caressing my hair, “Prince Ornith was the greatest warrior, a scion of Serpent God, who saved our Westfall from the deadly attacks of Ghouls. He was always armoured as if ready for battle, and his fierce expressions tell that sword and shields aren’t his only weapons; his sharp gaze was enough for enemies to squirm in fear. He was a man whom no one could defeat. He defeated Death Ghoul, Ghouls’ king and pushed them outside of Westfall.

Both the Princes were keepers of the peace, always fair, and showed equal love and justice. Their greatness came from how people loved and respected them from the heart. The kingdom of Westfall flourished and reached new heights in their reign. Many small neighbouring kingdoms joined Westfall, and our tribe was one of them.

Everything was going perfect in our Kingdom of Westfall, like a fairy-tale, till that fateful day.

The day when an evil eye befell upon us and dragged our kingdom from fairy-tale to the abyss of darkness…The day when a witch entered the lives of both the princes…The day when Rebekah meet Ornith!!*