Chapter. 7. Part 4. Sailing towards destiny.

Lilith was escorted through a wide street, big enough for half a dozen drakes to pass it. Central road left right to Royal palace.

Armed guards of royal palace escorted the ‘Emissaries’ to the royal couple. The throne room awaited – an expansive chamber that could have swallowed lesser halls whole. Columns lined walls – each carved to resemble rising snakes, with scales gleaming beneath torchlight.

And at far end the King and Queen sat high above upon thrones – scales shimmering black as midnight. A hundred snakeman courtiers were gathered inside the throne room, all eyes fixed hungrily upon Lilith’s party.

A hush fell over assembly – only sound being soft rustle of scaled robes against stone floor. The air was thick with tension. Something ancient and primal of their court set Lilith’s skin crawling.

Cian and Sharr shifted beside her – hands never straying far from sword hilt, while minotaur stood