chapter 11

The princess and queen Margaret teleported to different sight of interest frequently. This made the journey worth while for Eleanor.

And to the captain less provoking. because Eleanor seems to be quiet and unbothered inside the carriage. Ken thanked his stars that she has chosen not to bring doom upon him and the other knights not knowing she had a better option.

Princess Eleanor has been to and has seen different sight of interest when queen Margaret teleported her to those places.

The water falls gliding like balls, the highest and longest rock-bridge there could be. The burning valley and talking trees. The white mountain. The crying donkey and the fasting fattest pigs.

"Those must be the seven weird natures of Serpent Land" she asked the queen.

"Those place we teleported to surrounds Serpent Land. They are the fence round about it and the gate is where we are headed now".

"My queen". She called "righteous" she exclaimed. "I love the fact that I traveled with you. Those were things I could never have seen in my entire life or maybe I might have read about them in history books".

The queen smiled knowingly at her.

"If you wanted to be faster in reaching Serpent Land. Let say in a day".

Eleanor looked at her surprised. She was seated side by side with the queen. Her hands on her thighs. They had mirth in their eyes and their voices a happy tone.

"Yes" the queen nodded " You could reached in a day. Your father specifically asked me not to take you through the seven weird natures ".

"You mean it. But why" she frown

"Reason best known to him".

She was about opening her mouth again when the queen told her to shut it.

"Shh…" with her thumb and index fingers against her lips. The captain is coming Eleanor.

She gulped on hearing that. He knocked on the door.

"Yes Ken. Go ahead". The queen said. Both of them looking at the door.

"We are here my queen. My princess" . He said after opening the door.

He counted two steps backward. Leaning forward he extended his hands for the queen to hold unto while descending the carriage and the princess was next.

Princess Eleanor still held unto Ken's hands after she stepped down. They moved in the same pace, carefully, covering some metres.

The captain marveled at her actions. When they first started these journey. Eleanor was disturbing and provoking, wanting to stopped by every new and enticing sight she saw.

But all of a sudden she was calmed and withdrew. He wouldn't helped but think if something was going on in the carriage.

Also queen Margaret, he doubted if she was a human. After all he has heard that most indigenes of Serpent Land are not humans.

Princess Eleanor finally let go of his hands and increase her stride to on the trimmed grasses to meet up with queen Margaret. They were now standing in front while the knights were behind them .

"Wow!" Eleanor said. Looking at the city gate of Serpent Land". It was crystal. She has seen different sight even the seven dreaded nature of the land but none like this.

Queen Margaret let go of her hands and went to the gate. After spending sometime there. She walked some distance back and beckoned on them to come forth.

"on foot" she screamed.

They seems startled. The next thing they saw were dwarfs. They came out through the gate wearing feather and fur clothing. They had very long brown hair that was twice their height. They let it trail after them.

The knights positioned to blockade and fight with them if need be but the queen passed an order.

"let them be. They mean no harm".

Princess Eleanor was amused she stood still not moving an inched. She must see to the end of this.

How the dwarfs shall ride the destriers. The carriages too. The carriages had a single coachman. Only the carriage they were using had two coachmen.

Surprisingly, the dwarfs climbed the horses before she could blinked. She has never seen a thing like this.

Their powerful hairs help them climbed the horses. They rode passed her, including the carriages were gone.

The dwarfs disappointed her. She let her smiled wear off when the drama she expected to see didn't pulled through.

"My princess" . Ken called her

"shall we". He bowed putting out his hands in the direction he wants her to go. She moved swiftly and met with queen Margaret.

Eleanor couldn't keep her eyes down as they entered into Serpent Land. She was lost in wonder.

"Can earth… be this beautiful?". She stressed the earth.

"Welcome to the magnificent of Serpent Land"

Queen Margaret said after she turned to faced all of them. Their eyes lit up. The many light around flashing into them.

For once the knights forgot about their duties. They let their mind processed the beauty that was unveiling before them.

Flowers creeping over houses. Trees standing like defenders of their city.

There were beautiful multi-coloured crystal cobblestone houses about forty five metres away from the gate. The staircases was of furs and feathers

Ken was looking at the dwarfs where they might be taking their carriages and destriers to while the others were care free.

He didn't noticed when queen Margaret walked towards him. She bend to his ear

"they are taking it to the caravan inn" she whispered. "We shall get them back when we are going".

He was ashamed at their closeness. He stepped away immediately and bowed

"Okay my queen. I shall let it be and focused on protecting you and the princess".

"Better. This are my people. They are harmless". The queen said and walked passed him.

The eye catching crystal cobblestone houses. Each blocked gave space for trees with many fruits. they houses stood on either side leaving a narrow walkway in the middle. The walkway seems like a bridge were queen Margaret led them through.

When Eleanor looked up the crystal cobblestone houses, she couldn't see the end. It was high into the sky. And her eyes was affected by the brightness of it, she lowered her gazed.

When the last of them stepped on the bridge, confetti started raining on them. Only queen Margaret was rejoicing while the rest where trying to send their doubt away. So they could be able to embraced this whole awesomeness.

"on getting to the end of the bridge. There was a large green ocean without an end.

She turned to the knights who were still feeding their eyes on the starlight coming from each window of the long buildings.

" hurry up all of you. we are going to used a boat to crossed over"

"Yes my lady" the chorus simultaneously

They could see an island far away. She held Eleanor's hand and kissed the back of her hands.

"I know my little princess" .

Eleanor hated to be called little and she knows it. But she was adamant in calling her little. Eleanor arched her brow and ignored her remark. She gave the queen a fake smile to continue.

"You have dozens of questions for me but I shall begin by telling you a brief history about Serpent Land. It was the smallest kingdom in the west". She began.

" It was?" Eleanor asked.

" Yes it was. Now after converting Sandroar kingdom permanently as part of Serpent Land, it much bigger".

She smiled and pulled Eleanor to herself.

"Serpent Land is made up of three tribes. The Blue Caves, The Dwarf City and the Nile.

The cobblestone houses behind us is The Dwarf City home. Most of them practice witchery. They were swift to war and never lost to any. Their city was the capital of Serpent Land"

" Witchery!"

"I know... is the part you don't want to hear".

They were waiting for the boat. Others who were coming from behind them made the knights lean on the railings for them to passed through.

"The Blue Caves were mostly white skin" she continues "Majority of them has auburn hair and squinted eyes. They came about the name 'Blue Caves' because they had blue tongue and lived in caves houses. But now that has changed. They lived in the very large castle you shall see when we get onboard beyond the ocean".

Eleanor knitted her brow. Including the knight who stop nearby the queen. He stood on his toe to see the sight she spoke of. When queen Margaret looked at him he looked away.

"Their behaviors were abnormal and they crawled like serpent because their limbs were weak, they couldn't walked with it. They are known as the real serpent of Serpent Land. Their most outstanding features is that they were and still is as wise as serpent".

" So what do they practice?' Eleanor asked out of impatience.

"They are mostly demons".

Eleanor shot her eyes. She made friends with the cool breeze. Still in queen Margaret arms. The green clear water towing back and forth to where they stood on the deck.

"De... what" she asked with her eyes still shut

"mons" my princess. The queen answered teasingly.

By the time she opened her eyes. A large boat was right in front of them.

Queen Margaret attempted to stepped into it. But Ken was fast enough to hold her back. He signaled on the other knights to stepped in first. Nine of them entered into the boat.

"I told you they are harmless" she said to Ken who now bowed and ushered her and the princess into the boat.

"Where we are going to is the home of the Nilian on the island". The queen continues after the boat started sailing.

"The Nile were just normal humans who found their home in a strange kingdom filled with serpent and strange beings. There were more populated.

Living their days in constant fear of this strange beings, The Blue Caves and The Dwarf City. They feared because of their outrageous magical powers and might in battles.

The Nilians calls them short serpent. The Dwarf City is short and the Blue Caves are serpent.

The Nile were often being attacked by the Blue Caves and sometimes the Dwarf City for envy of their wealth, prosperous soil and beautiful city. Some of them were enslaved by these two cities. Always toiling while the short serpent feast on their sweats".

There was silence for the moment. Shortly after a knight with a black short hair coughs.

"My queen permit me to asked"

"Go ahead"

" Why are they living in harmony now? Now even the dwarfs we saw are not so short?".

They were seated facing each other casting their eyes around to the large expanse of water.

"Something happened" she removed her hair pins and allowed her hair to flow with the current.

"One day the Nilians were attacked by Sandroar, a nearby kingdom. The Nilian were weakling. It was in their nature. No matter how hard they tried they couldn't fight or defend themselves. They were vulnerable like worms crawling on the surface of the earth bare and exposed.

The short serpent learnt about it but refused to help because they knew they would save themselves the stressed of looting the spoilt by themselves. If they had patience, Sandroar shall loots for them. That was hatred and greed, right?". She asked and they nodded.

"So they simply waited for the Sandroar to finished before they shall ordered them to gathered whatever spoilt they might have deprived Nile of to their different cities. After all Nile is a part of their kingdom and Sandroar had no right or whatsoever to declined except they needed war".

"Sorry to interrupt my queen. How did the blue cave fight without strong limbs". Eleanor asked.

" They were most endowed with supernatural powers. That was their weapon. Back to where I was.

Both The Blue Caves and The Dwarf City made this decision in their individual cities. They have never fought against each they knew they would only perished without a victor emerging.

Unfortunately, as the Nilian were perishing the short serpent became feeble. They fainted and stayed unconscious.

Once Sandroar succeeded in putting the Nilian in shackles. They took over their city. After three days of their reigned, the short serpent recovered. They recovered to discovered they had lost their magical powers.

They charged themselves to seek for a solution to their plight. The evil that has befallen them, swallowing their powers in nights.

The serpent god and the eagle god they consulted, spoke to them through children, pure and gifted, sanctified with magic, each in their cities. These children spoke to their royal council about the ancient covenant.

All three cities that makes up Serpent Land were bonded together in times past. They were bonded in oath. The oath of love. Stronger than any oath that has ever been or ever will be. They were one, in flesh and in spirit".

" How my queen". Ken asked. They were near the island. They could see it becoming clearer and bigger.

"The Nilians weakness and the lack of strong limb of The Blue Caves were because The Dwarf City were vast in physical strengths.

The Blue Caves were wiser and most grounded in dark and light magic. So they could oversee to the affairs of the entire Serpent Land kingdom.

The Nile had food to feed all. Medicine to treat their wounds. All materials things for the body and soul".

"Wow". The said in turn. Their hands paddling the boat. Eleanor looked at them and the water which they were leaving behind as they went.

"This revelation sunk into their beings like sand sank into the water. They were ready to make amends, ready for a change. They pledged a vow to live the oath. To protect and cared for each other.

They avenged Nile. Their battled against the Sandroar was brutal. Sandroar had all the time the was to prepared for them yet they were no matched for them" she paused.

Their ears were itching for her to go ahead but they said nothing. Waiting for her to begin at her own time.

"We won and enslaved them".

"We!" they emphasis. " yes I'm Nilian". She said bending to look into their eyes

"Afterwards we claimed their kingdom at the same time. That is where the largest castle in the world is built. You shall see more clearly when we are on the island. The short serpent saved themselves by saving us, the Nilian.

They fought whosoever was the Nilian's enemy and returned peace and unity to Serpent Land.

Thereafter a king was chosen from the Nilian's tribe, a weak and fearful king of the Serpent Land yet we waxed stronger in might, magical powers, riches and everything beautiful in life. That the neighbouring kingdoms got jealous.

Since they could never defeat us in battled fields, they make us their ally.

At last she was done with the tale. Looking at the knights who asked her the first question.

"We inter married, that led to the changed in the physical appearance and genetic made up of our three tribes. That bond of love made Serpent to live in harmony with each other"

" I have read in stories. Witchery and demons are pure breed enemies. But it great to know that in this part of the world, they look out for one another". Eleanor said