It had been multiple days before Sigeric had gathered the resolve to appear before Canu again. His public apology to the clan had been an embarrassment, leaving Sigeric to sulk in hatred by himself late at night. His only solace had come from Elunu, who often shared in Sigeric’s cynicism.

The two rode their horses back from a slaughtering. Sigeric had received a request from a peasant of Terragar asking for vegenace on his behalf. A group of amateur bandits had raided his land, tearing up what little vegetation grew and plundering the house. The man’s wife had received unspeakable acts committed against her and it had happened before the husband’s eyes as he was tied up. The men had laughed arrogantly in his face, leaving the man with nothing to do but to watch in horror. He had ridden immediately to the town of Rulzan, knowing of the reputation of Canu’s men for taking vengeance on other behalf. Sigeric had been the man available when he knocked on the house of their clan. Elunu had elected to go with him.

The day was beginning to get late, and the two men were an hour from their homes. The sky was beginning to turn from pink and orange into a darker hue.

“I don’t know whose head I took off. The peasant’s face was priceless when I tossed it to him, anyways,” said Sigeric laughing.

“Do we know his name, the peasant?” asked Elunu. His tufts of gray wispy hair blew in the light wind.

“Don’t care,” replied Sigeric. “They’re lucky they received as much mercy as they did. If it were up to me, they wouldn’t have died until they were begging me for it. But the peasant farmer wanted them dead without all the fun stuff.”

“Bad men deserve bad deaths,” said Elunu.

“That is why all men must die,” said Sigeric.

“That’s not what I meant by that. We are not bad men,” said Elunu. Sigeric had a knack for frustrating others. He liked it that way.

“We aren’t bad men?” Sigeric resisted. “We are good men? We just killed four men and detached their heads. That peasant has one of the heads as a trophy now.”

“And that is justice,” replied Elunu.

“It is not our place to exact justice,” said Sigeric. “But it is our place to earn our wages, by whatever means possible.”

Elunu kept his hands on the reins of his horse, but his mouth shut. He would not entertain Sigeric’s odd opinions. Elunu had been content to assume the notion that they weren’t bad men, knowing inwardly their actions were malicious. Sigeric would never agree to something unless he had first suggested it.

Sigeric’s horse neighed wildly and reared backward, rearing its front hooves. Sigeric gave a panicked shout, his horse thrashing wildly. There was nothing around for miles besides orange sand and shrubbery. Elunu reined his horse away from Sigeric’s nervously. He did not see anything that would be causing such a disruption.

The horse finally calmed, cantering over to stand beside Elunu’s horse.

“What is it girl?” asked Sigeric, patting her mane gently. “Be calm, it’s okay,” he whispered.

“There,” Elunu pointed to the dirt, “a snake. Do you see it?”

“Ah, yes. ‘Tis nothing to fear. On we go,” said Sigeric. A voice stopped him.

“Not merely a snake, but much more than that I assure you.” The snake had spoken. Its voice was smug and mischievous.

Sigeric dismounted, withdrawing his bloody sword in a flash. “A talking snake. That sounds like trouble from Mekdah. I should slice you in half right now you piece of slithery scum.”

“You don’t remember? It was less than a week ago that I bewildered your dear friend, whom you oddly despise. Your current anger stems from him,” said the snake.

“Remember you? I can’t say I have had a conversation with a snake before.” Sigeric looked to Elunu, who appeared just as confused. Elunu shook his head.

“Maziq. The sorcerer. Your head is filled with sand I suppose. Although, if I do recall, you weren’t with your friend when I melted onto the floor before his very eyes. Shocking—if you haven’t seen it before,” said Maziq. His voice was eerily smooth for a snake.

“You speak of my leader, Canu?” questioned Sigeric.

“Your jaw hardens at the thought of him. What qualifies him as leader? I saw much weakness in him, but I only see strength and authority when I encounter you,” said Maziq. His tongue slithered out of his mouth. His scales were shiny and polished. He was not a big snake but spanned nearly two feet.

“You know nothing of me. You are a pathetic little reptile, aren’t you? I should step on you as I mount. Perhaps my boot would squash you and your illusions,” said Sigeric.

Elunu spoke now, growing in courage at his friend’s boldness. “You served Ahod. We killed him, and nearly killed you as well.”

Maziq only laughed. “You cannot kill me the way you kill any ordinary man. The body you saw was merely Ahod’s servant. He was his right-hand servant, and it was the only body I could inherit out of convenience. Who is your friend here, Sigeric? Perhaps he could use my assistance?”

“Stay away,” warned Elunu. He drew his sword and held it out defensively. The snake made no effort to threaten him, laughing again.

“Well…I shall not waste your time, good men. But I do want to offer you something if I may do so—”

“We don’t want your assistance slithery bastard,” replied Sigeric. His face was muddled into an angry expression. He despised offers to help. It made him feel weak and insufficient.

“Wait—” tried Elunu.

“No,” interjected Sigeric. “I can plunder and kill just fine as I am. I don’t need a curse-ridden snake sorcerer to slither at my feet while I do so. Get lost, pet.” Sigeric spit the words spitefully. Maziq the snake was unbothered.

“Canu can be bested. All you have to do is ask,” said Maziq.

“I already can best him. Don’t need help with that,” replied Sigeric.

“Then why is he still leader?”

“I haven’t demanded a flasduel. Combat without weapons. To the death if I throw down my sword instead of my dagger.”

“I can give you much, much more than just clan leader, Sigeric. Oh, the things you could do pains me to see go to waste.”

Sigeric narrowed his eyes at the snake now. “Yeah? And what’s in it for you?”

“A pleasing aroma that will fill the senses of my master. He has plans for you and I was sent to advance those plans. Do you see now?” Maziq slithered his slippery tongue in and out of his mouth. His venomous fangs were impressive for his small size.

Sigeric paused at that. “What master? What plans?”

“Come on Sigeric, I don’t like this. It will be dark soon,” said Elunu. He ran a hand through a thinning head of gray hair.

“Turn away then, old man. Turn your missing ear to the snake and you won’t have to listen then,” spat Sigeric. “What plans, Maziq?”

“My master is from far away, and he is in chains now. But the chains are weakening, and his strength is increasing. His power and his plans mustn’t be spoken of unless you wish to take my offer.”

“You can’t be serious, slithery scum.” Sigeric stared off into the distance where the horizon line held a sagging orange sun. The sky was getting dark now.

“The offer stands. I can give you Canu. I can give you power. I can give you…all of this. All Terragar. And more if you serve faithfully. I am a mere messenger. But the master sends his messengers with power to advance his cause.”

“Must I decide now?” asked Sigeric. Elunu had his head in his hands. Nervous beads of sweat lined his forehead.

“I will give you time. I will appear to you once again, very soon. But you must not speak of this to anyone, or I will enter your body and that will be the death of your mind, of your soul. Do not speak to anyone of this unless you wish for this death.”

“You have my word. I do not think I would wish to speak of my bargains with a snake. You have no need to worry about that much,” said Sigeric. He mounted his horse and Elunu followed suit.

“You have not asked much. I am surprised,” said Maziq.

“What more is there to ask?” said Sigeric.

“You did not ask how. Do you not wonder how I can make this possible for you?”

“How is that?” asked Sigeric.

The snake chuckled. “It is not so direct as that. You must ask what you want to know, and I can be more specific.”

Sigeric paused a moment. Elunu was urging him to spur his horse into motion, but he shooed Elunu’s protests.

“How does that power work, which you spoke of? I thought magic was an ancient thing—long forgotten and no longer available,” said Sigeric.

“The power comes from me. You cannot obtain it without me as your guide. I will show you wear it comes from,” said Maziq. His body began to grow and grow until he was fattened and lengthened into a snake longer than their horses. Elunu’s horse went wild and Elunu had seen enough. He spurred his horse into motion, charging through the desert plains as fast as his horse would allow.

Maziq bared his fangs, showing two mightily fearsome fangs that put Sigeric and his horse on edge. Maziq shrank back down to his smaller size after demonstrating the strength of his jaw and his fangs.

“So, what, that’s it?” asked Sigeric.

“One bite of my fangs, and the venom courses through your body faster than the strike of lightening. Your strongest features are enhanced.”

“My strongest features…” pondered Sigeric.

“Yes, Sigeric. Your strength, your brutality…your aggression…your anger,” Maziq placed a special emphasis on his anger.

“How do you know all of this about me?” asked Sigeric defensively.

“I am no ordinary creature. I am invention of the lord Ravnus, created with special genius. I know things that no other being should know. I know everything about you, Sigeric. I know what you want…” his words had come out of his body quite seductively, seeking to seduce Sigeric into succumbing.

“What do I want?” he asked nervously.

“Power. Recognition. It is in your nature. And you can start tomorrow. With Canu.”

“With Canu…with a flasduel?” asked Sigeric.

“Yes. Do it,” said Maziq.

“I must go,” replied Sigeric, grown weary of the snake’s seductive intentions.

“If you accept my offer, you will gain much, much more than your dominance of Canu. I will take you north, where the greatest instruments of magic have been hidden for years. Where my master will go to create his dwelling once he has broken the spellbound chains of the Great Abyss.” Maziq had grown excited, speaking increasingly aggressively.

“I see,” said Sigeric. “I am tired of Canu. He treats me as an outcast. He always has, Maziq. He always has!” he shouted.

“Then you must take him out. Kill him if you must.”

“No, not kill him. I am no evil man. But I deserve clan leader. I am the strongest man.”

“Then duel him, Sigeric. And with my venom, with my strength, you will no doubt defeat him with ease.”

“I want Canu. I will fight him. I demand a flasduel!” Sigeric’s voice echoed loudly through the desert sands. Elunu’s figure had already dissolved off into the distance.

“Then accept my offer. Remember, there is no turning back. You must obey my every order. My every command.”

“Anything…to defeat Canu. I will humiliate him, and the Floweress will be mine. She should have been mine from the start.”

“Then accept my offer,” said the snake.

“I do,” replied Sigeric.

“Good,” replied Maziq.

The sands flung everywhere as though a sudden sandstorm had occurred. Maziq grew taller than the horse and wider than it. Sigeric was thrown from his horse by a strong wind. Maziq grew tall until he towered over Sigeric. He bared his fangs, hissing so loud that Sigeric’s ears bled.

The snake lunged. Fangs pierced Sigeric’s chest. He gasped. The sands his calmed and the wind had stopped. Sigeric’s skin turned darker until it became black. He screamed but no sound came. He was gasping for air but found none. He shook and convulsed. Finally, it stopped.

He rose from the ground. His skin had returned to normal, and he appeared as though nothing had happened. He felt his arms and his chest with his hands tentatively. Maziq was a small snake again, peering up at him.

“What now? I feel no different,” said Sigeric.

“Now, we ride to your home. You duel Canu soon.”

“I feel the same. What did you do to me, you slithery piece of scum?”

Maziq laughed, slithering up the horse’s leg and sliding into Sigeric’s satchel which sat attached to the horses rear with a pack of food.

“You are not the same, and you never will be. You will feel different once the time is right. You just aren’t angry enough yet.”

“Angry enough?”

“Yes,” encouraged Maziq from inside the satchel, “you will see. Now let us ride, Elunu is far ahead.”

Sigeric pursed his lips, thinking to himself. All Terragar, mine. Please, let it be true. But first, I will end that bastard, Canu.

“Yes, you will,” replied Maziq, reading his mind.

Sigeric arrived in the town of Rulzan after dark. He banged on the door to the clan’s house. The door opened. It was Canu.

“Welcome back, Sigeric. How was it?”

A dark grin was spread over Sigeric’s face. “I slaughtered them.”