TALES OF THE SERPENT TAMER

Chapter 5 — The Bloodline That Should Not Exist

The first spear flew toward Harold's heart less than three seconds after the monster called him the Lost Heir. The attack came not from a panicked hunter, but from Elder Mordain himself. Despite the blood staining his robes and the injuries covering his body, the elder moved with desperate determination. Years of authority, pride, and fear had finally collapsed into a single objective.

Harold had to die. The spear of condensed spiritual energy cut through the storm like a bolt of red lightning. Harold barely registered the attack. His mind was still struggling to process the declaration that had shaken the battlefield. The Lost Heir. The words echoed relentlessly inside his thoughts. What did they mean? Why had the monster knelt before him?

Why had Nyros suddenly become so cautious? Most importantly...Why did Elder Mordain look terrified? The answer arrived before Harold could finish the thought. The transformed execution beast moved. A colossal claw intercepted the crimson spear before it could reach Harold. The spiritual weapon shattered instantly. Fragments of red energy scattered across the forest like broken glass.

The giant creature slowly rose to its full height. Every surviving hunter unconsciously stepped backwards. Its glowing eyes remained fixed on Harold.Protective.Respectful.Almost reverent. The sight made Elder Mordain's face turn pale."No..." the elder whispered. The word carried genuine fear. For the first time in Harold's life, he realised something profound. Mordain knew something.

The elder had recognised the title. And whatever that title meant, it was important enough to terrify one of the strongest tamers in the Ethel Tribe. The realisation sent a chill through Harold's body."Nyros."The black sword hummed softly in his hand."What is happening?"For several moments, the serpent remained silent.

Rain continued falling through the shattered forest while broken trees groaned beneath the weight of the storm. Finally, Nyros spoke."Some truths cannot be explained in a single night."Harold's jaw tightened.

"Then start with a small truth."The serpent surprised him by laughing quietly. The sound carried a trace of approval."You are far less obedient than I expected."

Before Harold could respond, a violent tremor shook the ground beneath everyone's feet. The earth cracked. Several hunters lost their balance. The transformed execution beast immediately turned toward the distant mountains visible beyond the forest. Its expression changed. Concern appeared within its ancient eyes.

The sight made Harold's pulse quicken. Creatures that powerful were not supposed to look worried."What was that?"The monster answered before Nyros could."Awakening."The rough voice rolled through the clearing like distant thunder. Every hunter froze again. Even now, hearing a monster speak remained deeply unsettling. The transformed beast slowly lowered its gaze toward Harold.

"The call has spread."Harold frowned."What call?"The creature hesitated. As though searching for words it had not spoken in centuries."The blood remembers."Those four words somehow created even more questions than answers. Harold opened his mouth to ask another question. He never got the chance.

A scream suddenly echoed through the forest. One of the hunters collapsed. At first, Harold thought the man had been injured during the battle. Then he noticed the black veins. Dark lines spread rapidly beneath the hunter's skin. The man's eyes widened in terror."What is happening to me?"Another hunter stumbled. Then another. Within seconds, six tribe members had fallen to the ground.

The black veins continued spreading. Nyros immediately became serious."Move away from them."Harold obeyed instinctively. The transformed beast retreated as well. Only Elder Mordain remained standing on his ground. His expression had become grim. Not surprised.Not confused.Grim.As if he had seen this before.

Harold noticed immediately."You know what that is."Mordain ignored him. The elder's gaze remained fixed upon the afflicted hunters. One of them began screaming. The sound was horrible. His body twisted unnaturally while dark energy erupted from beneath his skin. Bones cracked. Muscles expanded.

The man's fingers lengthened into claws. Harold's blood ran cold.Transformation.Monster corruption. The phenomenon existed within ancient records, but most scholars considered it a myth. Humans were not supposed to become monsters. Yet the evidence stood directly before him. The hunter's face elongated.

Dark scales emerged across his body. His screams gradually transformed into animalistic growls. Several nearby hunters panicked. One attempted to help his companion. The transformed man tore out his throat. Blood sprayed across the rain-soaked ground. Chaos erupted immediately."Kill them!"They're changing!"Get back!"

The battlefield descended into madness once again. Harold watched in horror as three more hunters succumbed to the corruption. Their bodies warped into grotesque hybrids. Part human.Part monster.Entirely horrifying."What is this?" Harold demanded. Nyros answered quietly."A disease."The response stunned him."A disease can do this?"Not an ordinary one."

The serpent's voice darkened."This plague is older than kingdoms."The transformed execution beast released a low growl. Recognition flashed across its face."You know it," the monster said. Nyros became silent. Far too silent. Harold immediately noticed. For someone as arrogant as Nyros, silence often meant guilt.

The realisation struck him unexpectedly."Wait."His eyes widened slightly."You've seen this before."Several seconds passed. Then Nyros sighed."I created it."The world seemed to stop. Harold's grip on the sword nearly loosened."What?"The single word escaped before he could stop it. Even the transformed execution beast looked shocked. Nyros sounded strangely distant now. As though remembering something he wished forgotten.

"It was an accident."The explanation did little to help. stared at the black blade. The weapon suddenly felt heavier. More dangerous."What exactly are you?"Nyros ignored the question. Instead, he focused on the corruption spreading through the battlefield."The plague should not exist anymore."A monstrous howl interrupted the conversation. One of the transformed hunters launched itself toward Harold.

The creature moved far faster than any human should. Its mutated claws slashed toward his throat. Harold reacted instinctively. The black sword flashed through the rain. The creature split apart instantly. Dark energy erupted from the wound. Instead of blood, black smoke poured from the monster's body.

The sight made Nyros curse. A first. Throughout everything Harold had witnessed, he had never heard the serpent sound alarmed. Now, genuine concern filled his voice."Run."Harold blinked."What?"Run now."The urgency was unmistakable. Then the corrupted corpse exploded. Dark mist surged outward. Every tree touched by the black cloud immediately began rotting. Leaves withered.

Branches collapsed. Life itself seemed to die. The transformed execution beast roared. Protective energy erupted around its body, shielding Harold from the spreading corruption. But the forest was not so fortunate. Within moments, hundreds of trees had died. The sight horrified everyone present. Including Elder Mordain.

The old man's expression became grim."The Blight."The words escaped his lips involuntarily. Harold immediately focused on him."You know what this is."This time, Mordain answered. Because circumstances had become too dire for secrets."The end of civilisations."The response chilled Harold."What?"Mordain stared at the spreading corruption.

His voice sounded older than ever."Twelve hundred years ago, three kingdoms vanished within a single season."The elder's gaze slowly shifted toward Nyros.Toward the black sword. Recognition filled his eyes. Hatred followed."You."For the first time, Mordain wasn't looking at Harold. He was looking at the serpent.

"I knew your appearance felt familiar."Nyros remained silent. The elder laughed bitterly."Of course."Rain continued falling. Thunder rolled across the distant mountains. The atmosphere had changed completely. Whatever conflict existed between Harold and his tribe suddenly felt insignificant compared to the truth emerging from the shadows. Mordain pointed directly at the sword."Do you know what you've bonded with, boy?"

Harold's pulse quickened. The transformed execution beast tensed. Even the corrupted creatures paused. The entire forest seemed to hold its breath. Mordain's voice became little more than a whisper."That thing is not a monster."Harold's eyes widened."What?"The elder laughed again. The sound carried no humour. Only despair."Monsters fear it."His gaze shifted toward the kneeling giant."Ancient creatures recognise it."

Then he looked directly at Harold."And now the Lost Heir has appeared beside it."Fear entered the elder's eyes once more. A fear so profound that it bordered on reverence."There is only one possibility."Nyros finally spoke."Be careful, Mordain."The warning came too late. The elder pointed toward the black sword. Toward Nyros.

And revealed the secret."You are one of the Seven Catastrophes."Lightning split the sky. For a brief instant, the entire forest became illuminated. Harold saw every expression clearly. The transformed beast's shock.The hunters' confusion. Mordain's fear.And Nyros' silence.Because the accusation was true. A distant roar suddenly echoed from beyond the mountains. Then another.Then hundreds more.

Monsters across the horizon had begun answering some unseen call. The ground trembled violently. Birds exploded into the sky. Ancient creatures hidden beneath forests, mountains, and forgotten ruins were awakening. And somewhere far away, deep within a sealed temple buried beneath the earth, seven stone statues cracked simultaneously. One statue was shattered completely.

As fragments fell across the chamber floor, ancient golden eyes slowly opened within the darkness. A voice that had not spoken in thousands of years echoed through the ruins."He has awakened."The figure smiled."Then the hunt can finally begin."Back in the forest, Harold stared at the sword in his hand.

His heart pounded. His thoughts raced. His entire understanding of the world was collapsing. Because the creature he had considered his first companion...Might be one of the most feared beings in history. And judging by the look on Nyros' face, the serpent had been hiding far more than his name.

This chapter deepens the mystery around Nyros, introduces the ancient Blight, escalates the world stakes, and begins the larger "Seven Catastrophes" storyline while keeping Harold's emotional struggle, his need to understand who he is and whether he can trust the being beside him at the centre of the narrative.

The first spear flew toward Harold's heart less than three seconds after the monster called him the Lost Heir. The attack came not from a panicked hunter, but from Elder Mordain himself. Despite the blood staining his robes and the injuries covering his body, the elder moved with desperate determination. Years of authority, pride, and fear had finally collapsed into a single objective. Harold had to die.

The spear of condensed spiritual energy cut through the storm like a bolt of red lightning. Harold barely registered the attack. His mind was still struggling to process the declaration that had shaken the battlefield. The Lost Heir. The words echoed relentlessly inside his thoughts. What did they mean? Why had the monster knelt before him? Why had Nyros suddenly become so cautious? Most importantly...Why did Elder Mordain look terrified?

The answer arrived before Harold could finish the thought. The transformed execution beast moved. A colossal claw intercepted the crimson spear before it could reach Harold. The spiritual weapon shattered instantly. Fragments of red energy scattered across the forest like broken glass. The giant creature slowly rose to its full height.

Every surviving hunter unconsciously stepped backwards. Its glowing eyes remained fixed on Harold.Protective.Respectful.Almost reverent. The sight made Elder Mordain's face turn pale."No..." the elder whispered. The word carried genuine fear. For the first time in Harold's life, he realised something profound. Mordain knew something. The elder had recognised the title.

And whatever that title meant, it was important enough to terrify one of the strongest tamers in the Ethel Tribe. The realisation sent a chill through Harold's body."Nyros."The black sword hummed softly in his hand."What is happening?"For several moments, the serpent remained silent. Rain continued falling through the shattered forest while broken trees groaned beneath the weight of the storm.

Finally, Nyros spoke."Some truths cannot be explained in a single night."Harold's jaw tightened."Then start with a small truth."The serpent surprised him by laughing quietly. The sound carried a trace of approval."You are far less obedient than I expected."Before Harold could respond, a violent tremor shook the ground beneath everyone's feet.

The earth cracked. Several hunters lost their balance. The transformed execution beast immediately turned toward the distant mountains visible beyond the forest. Its expression changed. Concern appeared within its ancient eyes. The sight made Harold's pulse quicken. Creatures that powerful were not supposed to look worried."What was that?"

The monster answered before Nyros could."Awakening."The rough voice rolled through the clearing like distant thunder. Every hunter froze again. Even now, hearing a monster speak remained deeply unsettling. The transformed beast slowly lowered its gaze toward Harold."The call has spread."Harold frowned."What call?"

The creature hesitated. As though searching for words it had not spoken in centuries."The blood remembers."Those four words somehow created even more questions than answers. Harold opened his mouth to ask another question. He never got the chance. A scream suddenly echoed through the forest. One of the hunters collapsed.

At first, Harold thought the man had been injured during the battle. Then he noticed the black veins. Dark lines spread rapidly beneath the hunter's skin. The man's eyes widened in terror."What is happening to me?"Another hunter stumbled. Then another. Within seconds, six tribe members had fallen to the ground.

The black veins continued spreading. Nyros immediately became serious."Move away from them."Harold obeyed instinctively. The transformed beast retreated as well. Only Elder Mordain remained standing on his ground. His expression had become grim. Not surprised.Not confused, Grim.As if he had seen this before. Harold noticed immediately."You know what that is."Mordain ignored him.

The elder's gaze remained fixed upon the afflicted hunters. One of them began screaming. The sound was horrible. His body twisted unnaturally while dark energy erupted from beneath his skin. Bones cracked. Muscles expanded.

The man's fingers lengthened into claws. Harold's blood ran cold.Transformation.Monster corruption. The phenomenon existed within ancient records, but most scholars considered it a myth. Humans were not supposed to become monsters. Yet the evidence stood directly before him.

The hunter's face elongated. Dark scales emerged across his body. His screams gradually transformed into animalistic growls. Several nearby hunters panicked. One attempted to help his companion. The transformed man tore out his throat. Blood sprayed across the rain-soaked ground. Chaos erupted immediately."Kill them!"They're changing!"Get back!"

The battlefield descended into madness once again. Harold watched in horror as three more hunters succumbed to the corruption. Their bodies warped into grotesque hybrids. Part human.Part monster.Entirely horrifying."What is this?" Harold demanded. Nyros answered quietly."A disease."The response stunned him."A disease can do this?"Not an ordinary one."

The serpent's voice darkened."This plague is older than kingdoms."The transformed execution beast released a low growl. Recognition flashed across its face."You know it," the monster said. Nyros became silent. Far too silent. Harold immediately noticed. For someone as arrogant as Nyros, silence often meant guilt.

The realisation struck him unexpectedly."Wait."His eyes widened slightly."You've seen this before."Several seconds passed. Then Nyros sighed."I created it."The world seemed to stop. Harold's grip on the sword nearly loosened."What?"The single word escaped before he could stop it. Even the transformed execution beast looked shocked.

Nyros sounded strangely distant now. As though remembering something he wished forgotten."It was an accident."The explanation did little to help. Harold stared at the black blade. The weapon suddenly felt heavier. More dangerous."What exactly are you?"Nyros ignored the question. Instead, he focused on the corruption spreading through the battlefield.

"The plague should not exist anymore."A monstrous howl interrupted the conversation. One of the transformed hunters launched itself toward Harold. The creature moved far faster than any human should. Its mutated claws slashed toward his throat. Harold reacted instinctively. The black sword flashed through the rain.

The creature split apart instantly. Dark energy erupted from the wound. Instead of blood, black smoke poured from the monster's body. The sight made Nyros curse. A first. Throughout everything Harold had witnessed, he had never heard the serpent sound alarmed. Now, genuine concern filled his voice."Run."

Harold blinked."What?"Run now."The urgency was unmistakable. Then the corrupted corpse exploded. Dark mist surged outward. Every tree touched by the black cloud immediately began rotting. Leaves withered. Branches collapsed. Life itself seemed to die. The transformed execution beast roared. Protective energy erupted around its body, shielding Harold from the spreading corruption.

But the forest was not so fortunate. Within moments, hundreds of trees had died. The sight horrified everyone present. Including Elder Mordain.The old man's expression became grim."The Blight."The words escaped his lips involuntarily. Harold immediately focused on him."You know what this is."This time, Mordain answered. Because circumstances had become too dire for secrets.

"The end of civilisations."The response chilled Harold."What?"Mordain stared at the spreading corruption. His voice sounded older than ever."Twelve hundred years ago, three kingdoms vanished within a single season."The elder's gaze slowly shifted toward Nyros.Toward the black sword. Recognition filled his eyes. Hatred followed."You."

For the first time, Mordain wasn't looking at Harold. He was looking at the serpent."I knew your appearance felt familiar."Nyros remained silent. The elder laughed bitterly."Of course."Rain continued falling. Thunder rolled across the distant mountains. The atmosphere had changed completely.

Whatever conflict existed between Harold and his tribe suddenly felt insignificant compared to the truth emerging from the shadows. Mordain pointed directly at the sword."Do you know what you've bonded with, boy?"Harold's pulse quickened. The transformed execution beast tensed. Even the corrupted creatures paused.

The entire forest seemed to hold its breath. Mordain's voice became little more than a whisper."That thing is not a monster."Harold's eyes widened."What?"The elder laughed again. The sound carried no humour. Only despair."Monsters fear it."His gaze shifted toward the kneeling giant."Ancient creatures recognise it."

Then he looked directly at Harold."And now the Lost Heir has appeared beside it."Fear entered the elder's eyes once more. A fear so profound that it bordered on reverence."There is only one possibility."Nyros finally spoke."Be careful, Mordain."The warning came too late.

The elder pointed toward the black sword. Toward Nyros.And revealed the secret."You are one of the Seven Catastrophes."Lightning split the sky. For a brief instant, the entire forest became illuminated. Harold saw every expression clearly. The transformed beast's shock.The hunters' confusion. Mordain's fear.And Nyros' silence.

Because the accusation was true. A distant roar suddenly echoed from beyond the mountains. Then another.Then hundreds more. Monsters across the horizon had begun answering some unseen call. The ground trembled violently. Birds exploded into the sky. Ancient creatures hidden beneath forests, mountains, and forgotten ruins were awakening.

And somewhere far away, deep within a sealed temple buried beneath the earth, seven stone statues cracked simultaneously. One statue was shattered completely. As fragments fell across the chamber floor, ancient golden eyes slowly opened within the darkness. A voice that had not spoken in thousands of years echoed through the ruins."He has awakened."

The figure smiled."Then the hunt can finally begin."Back in the forest, Harold stared at the sword in his hand. His heart pounded. His thoughts raced. His entire understanding of the world was collapsing. Because the creature he had considered his first companion...Might be one of the most feared beings in history.And judging by the look on Nyros' face

The serpent had been hiding far more than his name. This chapter deepens the mystery around Nyros, introduces the ancient Blight, escalates the world stakes, and begins the larger "Seven Catastrophes" storyline while keeping Harold's emotional struggle, his need to understand who he is and whether he can trust the being beside him at the centre of the narrative.