Chapter 3 - Successor

Eclipse couldn't stop her trembling at the sight of the terrifying beast before her. Its pointy teeth glimmered in the moonlight, and its hiss left a ringing sound in her ears. It was the biggest dark snake Eclipse had ever seen in her entire life. On its head were terrible red long horns.

The beast stretched even longer. A cold chill ran down Eclipse's spine at the cracking sound of wood snapping. She widened her eyes petrified at the trees around the banks breaking. Eclipse turned gasping at the ground behind her breaking from underneath.

Eclipse shakily turned to face the beast that just stared down at her with sharp yellow soul devouring eyes. She got down on her knees and bowed before it—trembling so much as if it was freezing. The beast lowered its head, and brought it to Eclipse. It breathed on her and wind blew on her long curly hair.

'Your submission has pleased me, human.' it said to her in an echoing feminine disembodied voice.

'One is supposed to bow in the presence of a god.' Eclipse uttered with her head low and baby close to her chest. She closed her eyes to the laughter that followed.

'I am no god. I am Breenis, a marine caretaker and servant of Dagon. I rarely reveal myself to humans so count yourself fortunate.' the beast narrated in a cheerful tone. 'Look into my eyes.'

Eclipse swallowed hard and pursed her lips together. She held her baby even closer, trying her best to muster the courage to do what she was told. There was no telling what her submission would mean but her refusal would definitely be the end of her and her baby.

Eclipse slowly raised her head but her eyes were closed. She sucked in some air and slightly opened them. She screamed at Breenis' face inches away from hers. Her eyes met Breenis' eyes and a magnetic force held her head still.

Eclipse's mouth fell open and her hold on her baby loosened. Breenis' eyes glowed a freakishly yellow glow and a beam was sent into Eclipse's eyes. Her eyes glowed yellowed and sent out a beam that connected to Breenis' eyes.

Breenis closed her eyes and the connection was cut. Eclipse fell to her bottom with a splitting headache. She protectively held her baby with one arm and massaged her forehead with the other. All the while, Breenis partly got out of the water and coiled herself around Eclipse.

'You had it rough it seems.' She beckoned and stared down at Eclipse who was trapped in the middle of the walls of her serpent body.

Eclipse sadly nodded her head with her gaze low. 'Yes and I do not understand why. My husband is the only man I have ever been with.'

Breenis chuckled softly, 'Woman, have you forgotten that you have been divorced?' she mockingly asked.

Eclipse's heart dropped at her taunts. She hadn't yet fully come to terms that Mbesu divorced her and threw her out of his life. Eclipse strongly felt that the mockery behind the giant serpent's voice was wicked, but she was afraid to speak up.

'Regardless, that child is his.' Breenis said once more and slowly swayed her head from side to side.

Eclipse forgave the harsh words of Breenis. It felt good to be believed if it was by giant demonic snake. 'You believe me?' she asked for clarity's sake.

'But of course. I knew a dark couple who were banished from their village for witchcraft allegations. For years, they had no contact with the other lands. So you see, there was absolutely no way for the woman to have mated with a fair male.'

Eclipse folded her legs and looked up at Breenis in amazement. She had forgotten about her fear. 'What happened to the family?' she asked.

'Oh, I ate them.' Breenis confessed, giggling, 'They came to bathe in my river and it so happened that I was in the mood for human blood.'

Her words brought back Eclipse's fear like a lightning bolt. Eclipse's body stiffened, and she once again protectively held her baby while her eyes wandered around for any chance of escaping the serpent walls. One ring was at least 3 m tall and Breenis coiled herself twice so Eclipse was looking at approximately 6 m of a scaly like wall fence.

It was utterly hopeless.

'Eclipse, I used to be a woman like you hundreds of years ago. As you can see, I have served Dagon, the arch demon of marine spirits for so long. I am weakening and it's only a matter of time before I perish but Dagon won't let me unless I find a successor.' Breenis narrated.

Eclipse thoughtfully looked at her. She couldn't tell if her eyes were fooling her because for a moment, she saw sadness in Breenis.

'Have you been able to find a successor?' she asked with genuine concern.

'Yes,' Breenis lowered her head even more at Eclipse who held her breath, 'I want your daughter to be my successor.'

Eclipse dropped her jaw and fearfully backed away, 'My, my – my baby?' she stammered.

'Yes, her.' Breenis declared.

Eclipse shook her head, 'No, please not her.'

'It has to be her.' Breenis coldly re-enforced.

Eclipse dropped to her knees, 'Take me instead of her.' she pleaded.

'No, you are older than 21. It is not possible.' Breenis refused.

Eclipse burst out crying. 'Please, she is all that I have left.' she begged.

Breenis cracked up laughing, 'Foolish woman, can't you see that I am offering your daughter an honor? She will be great and powerful. No one will hold a candlelight to her.'

'She is just a baby.'

'She will take over after her 21st birthday.' Breenis clarified but her words did not lift Eclipse's spirits. 'Look, if you hand over your daughter as my successor, I will let you raise her. To top it off, I will protect you and provide for you for as long as I live.' Breenis softly said and then her eyes beamed once again, and she stretched her mouth wide, 'Should you refuse, I'll devour you and raise your daughter myself. Either way, I'm getting what I want.' Breenis added an icy, 'I always do.'

Eclipse helplessly stared down at her baby sucking its thumb. Her tears blurred her vision and a cry escaped her lips. Was this truly the only way the both of them were going to survive their harsh fate? She kissed her baby on the forehead and mouthed 'sorry'.

Facing up to Breenis, Eclipse reluctantly held up her baby. Breenis uncoiled herself and shot up into the sky. The part of her body that remained in the water violently moved past Eclipse, and she shielded her baby screaming. The sight of a gigantic snake up in the sky was as horrific as a dragon's.

Eclipse couldn't believe it when Breenis started to shrink in size. A pair of arms shot out of her sides and her upper body morphed into a head with full of dark hair. The red horns shrunk and stuck out on top. A pair of naked breasts appeared next. Her skin was of an ebony shade and it glittered in the moonlight. Nothing below the waist changed.

Breenis slowly fell down in her new form. When she was finally down, she stretched out her hands to Eclipse. Eclipse slowly approached her and reluctantly set her baby in Breenis' arms. Breenis smiled widely with her lovely dark lips. She brought her long dark nails to the baby's head and caressed its cheek while Eclipse helplessly looked on.

'You have made the right choice.' Breenis acknowledged, 'Not that it mattered anyway.'

'So, you will take care of my daughter and I?' Eclipse asked as she longingly looked at her baby peacefully sucking her thumb in Breenis' arms.

'I take my covenants seriously, woman.' Breenis replied without peeling her eyes off the baby. 'Have you decided on what name to give her?'

Eclipse slowly nodded, 'She will be Martina. I am naming her after my late mother.'

Breenis brought her finger to the baby's forehead, and poked it with her long dark nail. A bright yellow light appeared and consumed the baby. To Eclipse's surprise, her baby didn't cry at all. It just continued to suck its thumb and make bubbly sounds as if nothing was happening.

Breenis withdrew her finger and the glowing stopped. Eclipse cringed at Breenis biting her finger. Breenis smeared her blood on the baby's forehead. 'Martina, as of tonight, you are my successor.' Breenis returned Martina to Eclipse. 'Look,' she pointed her bloody finger at a basket floating in the river. 'Go and retrieve that.' she ordered.

Eclipse looked intently at the basket that was now at the bank trapped in between large roots. She turned back only to find Breenis gone. Eclipse looked around her and there was no sign of Breenis anywhere. She pursed her lips, then went back to the river and picked up the basket. It was heavier than it appeared.

Eclipse opened it and her lips parted to the different fruits in it. She immediately started to eat everything hungrily. At least now, she was going to be able to produce enough milk for her little one. Eclipse looked over her shoulder with a mouthful and spotted a cave not so far away.

Shelter.