In the dungeon, dim beneath the castle, Deyus hung bound by chains to the wall behind him. Several guards stood around him with spears in hand.

The King approached with an iron blade, and he stood before Deyus with a solemn face. He spoke of all of the things he had done to Sylvanis and all the things he would do still, and he lied and made claims and tormented the boy with terrible scenes.

Deyus thrashed in his chains. He shouted and spat and struggled against destiny. To no avail.

Then the torches in the dungeon went out.

A slithering hiss echoed in the creeping dark. It sounded down the corridor, nearer and nearer, as two bulging yellow eyes suddenly appeared. The soldiers cowered. The King cowered. Even Deyus, in his bravery, cowered at the sight.

Yet the darkness lasted only a moment. The torches sprang back to life, and Deyus was gone.

The King whirled around in the dungeon. He could not find the boy, and grew furious. He screamed at the guards to find that child, to kill him and bring back his head if it was the very last that they did.

-----

Deyus stood outside the castle. Sylvanis’s serpent curled now around his body, draping from his shoulders clear down to the ground. It dropped from him suddenly, sliding to the stone, and began to slither through the palace streets.

Deyus followed behind the huge thing towards the palace gates. Two guards stood there, and they rushed at the boy when they saw him. They shouted, and rang bells, and sounded alarms. But the snake lashed out and killed them both, clamping its jaws on their throats. It held them fast to the ground until they stilled. Then it continued out of the palace, through the empty city streets, to the towering gates of the city.

Deyus followed behind, sickened to his core.